Easily-cleanable filters

Abstract

A filter including a plurality of filter discs each formed with a central opening and disposed in a stack within a filter housing with the side faces of adjacent discs contacting each other for filtering the fluid flowing through the housing from its inlet to its outlet, the filter discs being maintained in a stack by a plurality of axially-extending rods arranged in a circular array around the outer faces of the discs and circumferentially spaced from each other to permit the filter disc stack to be cleaned by passing a cleaning nozzle through the central openings of the filter discs in the stack.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A filter including a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a dirt-purging opening;   a plurality of circular filter discs in said housing with each disc being formed with a central opening, and all the discs being disposed in a stack with the side faces of adjacent discs contacting each other for filtering the fluid flowing through the housing from its inlet to its outlet;   a pair of end rings at the opposite ends of said stack of filter discs and of larger outer diameter than said filter discs, said end rings being formed with a plurality of openings therethrough around a circle of larger diameter than said filter discs;   a circular array of axially-extending rods passing through said openings in said end discs and circumferentially-spaced from each other;   the outer surfaces of said filter discs constituting upstream side of the filter discs and facing said housing inlet and dirt-purging opening, and the inner surfaces of said filter discs defined by their central openings constituting the downstream side of the filter stack and facing said housing outlet; and   a cleaning nozzle movable axially within said central openings of the filter discs for cleaning the filter disc stack, said cleaning nozzle including means for connecting it to a pressurized source of the fluid to be filtered for blowing out the filtered particles from between the filter discs in the stack through said circumferential spaces between the axially-extending rods and said dirt-purging opening, said cleaning nozzle also including means for outletting a fluid jet eccentric to the axis of the nozzle so as to rotate the nozzle by the reaction force applied thereto by said eccentric jet.   
     
     
       2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning nozzle outlets fluid in the form of a jet and includes means for rotating the nozzle at the time of the issuance of the jet. 
     
     
       3. The filter according to claim 2, further including a mode selector for selecting either a filter mode of operation or a cleaning mode of operation and valve means effective during the .[.cleaning.]. .Iadd.filter .Iaddend.mode of operation to direct the fluid from said housing inlet through the filter stack to the housing outlet, and during the cleaning mode of operation to direct the fluid through the nozzle, the filter stack, and out through said dirt-purging opening in the housing. .Iadd.   
     
     
       4.  A filter comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet opening;   a filter element disposed in said housing and having a central longitudinal axis, said filter element having a central open area arranged along said longitudinal axis of said filter element, an inner surface surrounding said central open area and an outer surface, the outer surface defining an upstream side of the filter element and the inner surface of the filter element defining the downstream side of the filter element;   a cleaning nozzle for emitting a pressurized fluid jet, said cleaning nozzle being disposed within said central open area and communicating with a source of pressurized fluid;   means for imparting rotation to said cleaning nozzle by outletting an eccentrically directed fluid jet such that the cleaning nozzle is rotted by a reaction force applied thereto by said eccentric jet; and   means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       5.  A filter according to claim 4 and wherein said means for imparting axial motion includes means for automatic sensation of particle accumulation..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       6.  A filter according to claim 4 and wherein said means for imparting axial motion comprises automatically actuable means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       7.  A filter according to claim 4 and wherein said means for imparting axial motion comprises manually actuable means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A filter according to claim 4 and wherein said source of fluid comprises a source of a fluid to be filtered..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       9.  A filter according to claim 4 and wherein said filter element comprises a stack of cooperating filter discs..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       10.  A filter comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet;   a filter element disposed in said housing and having a central longitudinal axis, said filter element having a central open area arranged along said longitudinal axis of said filter element, an inner surface surrounding said central open area and an outer surface, the outer surface defining an upstream side of the filter element and the inner surface of the filter element defining the downstream side of the filter element, and wherein said filter element comprises a stack of cooperating filter discs;   a cleaning nozzle for blowing out particles accumulating on said filter discs, said cleaning nozzle being disposed within said central open area and communicating with a source of pressurized fluid;   means for imparting rotation to said cleaning nozzle by outletting an eccentrically directed fluid jet such that the cleaning nozzle is rotated by a reaction force applied thereto by said eccentric jet; and   means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  A filter according to claim 10 and wherein said means for imparting axial motion includes means for automatic sensation of particle accumulation..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       12.  A filter according to claim 10 and also comprising: a pair of end rings at the opposite ends of said stack of filter discs, said end rings being formed with a plurality of openings therethrough and   an array of axially-extending rods passing through said openings in said end discs..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       13.  A filter according to claim 10, and wherein said means for imparting axial motion comprises automatically actuable means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       14.  A filter according to claim 10 and wherein said means for imparting axial motion comprises manually actuable means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       15.  A filter according to claim 10 and wherein said source of fluid comprises a source of a fluid to be filtered..Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       16.  A filter comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet;   a filter element disposed in said housing and having a central longitudinal axis, said filter element having a central open area arranged along said longitudinal axis of said filter element, an inner surface surrounding said central open area and an outer surface, the outer surface defining an upstream side of the filter element and the inner surface of the filter element defining the downstream side of the filter element;   a cleaning nozzle for emitting a pressurized fluid jet for cleaning said filter element and for emitting a fluid jet directed eccentrically relative to said longitudinal axis of said filter element so as to apply a rotary moment to said fluid jet, said cleaning nozzle being disposed within said central open area and communicating with a source of pressurized fluid; and   means for imparting axial motion to said cleaning nozzle..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       17.  A filter according to claim 16 and wherein said filter element comprises a stack of cooperating filter discs..Iaddend.