US5073259A — Manhole mounted filtering system for self-loading…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 129 words

An apparatus for evacuating the interior of a tank during a procedure of pneumatically loading particulate material into the tank, comprising: a vacuum pump; means for connecting the vacuum pump to an interior of the tank such that the pump withdraws air from the tank via a stream of fluid; and at least a first filter unit located within the fluid stream between the tank and the vacuum pump for removing particulate matter from the fluid stream and returning it to the tank, the filter unit being physically located within the tank; wherein the tank includes at least one standard manhole therein having a diameter of approximately twenty (20) inches, said filter unit being designed, sized and arranged to be located entirely within the periphery of said standard manhole.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 129 words

An apparatus for evacuating the interior of a tank during a procedure of pneumatically loading particulate material into the tank, comprising: a vacuum pump; means for connecting the vacuum pump to an interior of the tank such that the pump withdraws air from the tank via a stream of fluid; and at least a first filter unit located within the fluid stream between the tank and the vacuum pump for removing particulate matter from the fluid stream and returning it to the tank, the filter unit being physically located within the tank; wherein the tank includes at least one standard manhole therein having a diameter of approximately twenty (20) inches, said filter unit being designed, sized and arranged to be located entirely within the periphery of said standard manhole.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a canister that surrounds sides and bottom of the filter unit, thereby separating the filter unit form the interior of the tank.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 137 words

An apparatus for evacuating the interior of a tank during a procedure of pheumatically loading particulate material into the tank, comprising: a vacuum pump; means for connecting the vacuum pump to the interior of the tank such that the pump withdraws air from a first tank via a stream of fluid; at least one filter unit located within the fluid stream between the tank and the vacuum pump for removing particulate matter from the fluid stream and returning it to the tank, the filter unit being physically located within the tank; and further comprising a canister that surrounds sides and bottom of the filter unit, thereby separating the filter unit from the interior of the tank; wherein the tank has a manhole therein and the canister and filter unit are located within the periphery of the manhole.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 137 words

An apparatus for evacuating the interior of a tank during a procedure of pheumatically loading particulate material into the tank, comprising: a vacuum pump; means for connecting the vacuum pump to the interior of the tank such that the pump withdraws air from a first tank via a stream of fluid; at least one filter unit located within the fluid stream between the tank and the vacuum pump for removing particulate matter from the fluid stream and returning it to the tank, the filter unit being physically located within the tank; and further comprising a canister that surrounds sides and bottom of the filter unit, thereby separating the filter unit from the interior of the tank; wherein the tank has a manhole therein and the canister and filter unit are located within the periphery of the manhole.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 67 words

An apparatus as defined in either one of claims 2 or 3, in which the filter unit employs a filter media, and a portion of the canister that encloses the bottom of the filter unit has apertures therein that are large enough to let the fluid stream pass therethrough, but small enough to prevent passage of fragments of the filter media into the interior of the tank.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 68 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 4, in which the portion of the canister that encloses the sides of the filter unit has at least one secondary aperture therein, to allow the interior of the canister to continue to be in fluid communication with the interior of the tank when the portion of the canister that covers the bottom of the filter unit is buried by particulate material.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 97 words

An apparatus as defined in either one of claims 2 or 3, in which the tank has at least two manholes therein, and the apparatus further comprises at least one storage canister and at least one spare filter unit, the storage canister being located in one of the manholes, and the spare filter unit being located in the storage canister, the storage canister being of a configuration sufficient to prevent passage of particulate between the interior of the storage canister and the interior of the tank, the spare filter unit being interchangeable with the first filter unit.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 55 words

An apparatus as defined in either one of claims 1 or 3, in which the filter unit comprises a filter media, and wherein a cross-sectional area through the filter unit that is upstream of the filter media is approximately equal to a cross-sectional area through the filter unit that is downstream of the filter media.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 139 words

The apparatus defined in claim 7, in which the filter media are a plurality of filter tubes open at one end and closed at the other, with a flange being provided at the open end of the filter tubes, wherein the filter unit further comprises: a substantially horizontal main plate having a plurality of apertures therein, a gasket located above the main plate with apertures therein corresponding to the apertures in the main plate; and a retaining plate located above the gasket with apertures therein corresponding to the apertures in the main plate, the apertures in the retaining plate being smaller than an outside cross-sectional profile of the filter tubes, the filter tubes extending through the apertures in the main plate and the gasket, such that the gasket engages surfaces of the filter tubes to create an air-tight seal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 87 words

The apparatus defined in claim 8, in which the main plate, gasket, and retaining plate are assembled together by an assembling mechanism, and in which the main plate is secured to the manhole by a mounting mechanism, and in which physical dimensions of the assembling mechanism are related to distance between the assembling and mounting mechanisms such that the assembling mechanism cannot be manipulated to disassemble the retaining plate from the main plate until the mounting mechanism is manipulated to dismount the main plate from the manhole.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-12-16	1995-06-17	1995-12-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-12-16	1999-06-17	1999-12-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-12-16	2003-06-17	2003-12-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Manhole mounted filtering system for self-loading semi-trailer

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