Filter cleaning arrangement

Claim 1

For a filter comprising a lengthwise series of transverse pleats and disposed in a housing to divide the housing into an inlet dust chamber and an outlet clean air chamber, a cleaning arrangement comprising: a blower; a blower head that is disposed in the outlet clean air chamber, said blower head defining a substantially continuous blower slot that faces and extends substantially entirely across the filter parallel to the pleats and that has a width substantially equal to the width of one pleat; a single suction source; a suction head disposed in the inlet dust chamber, said suction head defining a pair of axially aligned suction slots that face and together extend substantially entirely across the filter, and that are parallel to and in alignment with the blower slot, each suction slot extending substantially halfway across the filter and having a width substantially equal to the width of one pleat; means to move the blower and suction heads back and forth in tandem along the length of the filter; means to connect the blower to the blower slot so that the blower slot is operative as the heads move in both directions; and means to alternately connect the separate suction slots to the suction source so that one suction slot is operative when the heads move in one direction and the other suction slot is operative when the heads move in the other direction.