Hopper loading directly insertable horizontally mounted cylindrical segmented bore pleated filter system for rotary broom sweepers

Claim 1

An expendable, permanently segmented bore filter element comprising: a hollow cylindrical filter body circumscribing an axis and adapted to filter particulate matter from fluid flowed laterally inwardly through said body into the interior thereof, said body having: a continuous, uninterrupted cross-section extending along its length, a generally cylindrical interior surface, and an open end defining a bi-directional fluid flow opening through which fluid may be flowed in opposite axial directions into and out of the interior of said body; and partition means for permanently dividing the interior of said hollow body into a plurality of separate, axially extending segments, in a manner preventing fluid cross flow between said segments during operation of said filter element, said partition means having a plurality of outer side edge surfaces permanently secured to said cylindrical interior surface of said body, whereby a backflushing fluid flow from an external source of pressurized backflushing fluid may be directed axially inwardly through said bi-directional opening into one of said plurality of segments simultaneously with the axially opposite flow through the remainder of said plurality of segments of filtered fluid exiting said bi-directional opening, and the filter body, and the partition means permanently secured therein, may simply be discarded at the end of the useful life of the filter body and replaced with another filter body having partition means permanently secured therein.