Pocket filter assembly

Claim 1

A gaseous fluid filter assembly for removing particulate solids from a dirty gas stream, comprising: a mounting frame adapted to be secured across the dirty gas stream; a plurality of sheath-like filter bags mounted within the frame in side-by-side relation, each of said bags including a pair of generally rectangular filter panels forming the sides of the bag and having an open upstream end and a closed downstream end; first and second stay means interconnecting the filter panels of each bag in spaced relation, said first and second stay means extending generally parallel to one another along the length of each bag and being alternately disposed across substantially its width to shape each bag into a plurality of adjacent tube-like sections which are each of an essentially uniform cross-section throughout the length of each bag and open into one another upon inflation of each bag by the gas stream; and said first stay means being of a lesser length extending between the filter panels of each bag than said second stay means, so as to alternately vary the thickness of each bag when it is inflated at the junctures of said tube-like sections to minimize interference between the adjacent filter bags while maximizing the surface area of each of the filter panels available to filter the dirty gas stream along substantially the entire length of the bags.