Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
In a backwashable filter comprising a generally cylindrical housing with an inlet opening into said housing and an outlet opening from said housing, a cylindrical filter basket within said housing and interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a backwashing arm bearing against the inside of said filter basket and being rotatable about an axis of said filter basket, the improvement wherein said filter basket comprises: an inner and an outer perforated cage; a filter medium interposed between said inner and outer cage; an outer surface of said inner cage having channels to allow liquid to be filtered to contact substantially all of an inner surface of said filter medium; and means to prevent direct flow of said liquid to be filtered from inside of said inner cage into said backwashing arm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
In a backwashable filter comprising a generally cylindrical housing with an inlet opening into said housing and an outlet opening from said housing, a cylindrical filter basket within said housing and interposed between said inlet and said outlet, a backwashing arm bearing against the inside of said filter basket and being rotatable about an axis of said filter basket, the improvement wherein said filter basket comprises: an inner and an outer perforated cage; a filter medium interposed between said inner and outer cage; an outer surface of said inner cage having channels to allow liquid to be filtered to contact substantially all of an inner surface of said filter medium; and means to prevent direct flow of said liquid to be filtered from inside of said inner cage into said backwashing arm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said filter medium is an in-depth filter medium capable of trapping particles filtered out of said liquid throughout a thickness of said filter medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The filter of claim 2, wherein said medium comprises a sintered fleece of stainless steel fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The filter of claim 2, wherein said filter medium has a varying porosity throughout said thickness thereof, said varying porosity being finest at an outer peripheral surface of said filter medium closest to an inner surface of said outer perforated cage and being coarsest at said inner surface of said filter medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The filter of claim 4 wherein said filter medium comprises a plurality of layers sandwiched together, each layer being capable of trapping said particles filtered throughout a thickness of said layer, each inner layer being coarser than an adjacent outer layer in contact therewith.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said outer perforated cage comprises a perforated flexible clamping band, and tensioning means to apply tension to said clamping band to clamp said filter medium tightly against said inner cage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The filter of claim 6, wherein said clamping band includes a lattice support, said lattice support comprising a plurality of parallel circumferentially extending rings, and a plurality of axially extending rods connected to an outside surface of the said rings.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The filter of claim 6, wherein said clamping band includes a lattice support, said lattice support comprising a plurality of substantially straight axially extending rods and a plurality of spaced circumferentially extending bands connected to an outside surface of said rods.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said channels comprise a series of axially extending grooves formed in said outer surface of said inner cage said perforations in said inner cage being aligned with said axially extending grooves, said means to prevent direct flow of said liquid to be filtered from inside said inner cage into said backwashing arm comprising ribs formed on said outer surface of said inner cage, said ribs being between said adjacent axially extending grooves.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The filter of claim 9, wherein said axially extending grooves terminate before reaching top and bottom ends of said inner cage to prevent leakage of liquid to be filtered around top and bottom ends of said filter medium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said channels comprise a series of grooves extending in a circumferential direction in said outer surface of said inner cage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said channels comprise at least one helical groove cut into said outer surface of said inner cage to provide channelling between said inner cage and said filter medium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The filter of claim 1, wherein said channels comprise grooves arranged in two different directions formed in said outer surface of said inner cage, said differently directed grooves forming a criss-cross pattern of grooves to provide channelling on said outer surface of said inner cage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The filter of claim 13, wherein said differently directed grooves comprise two sets of helical grooves cut in said outer surface of said inner cage, said two sets of helical grooves being of opposite hand whereby said two sets of helical grooves criss-cross one another to provide channelling.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
The filter of any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein said means to prevent said direct flow of said liquid to be filtered from inside of said inner cage into said backwashing arm includes a backwashing arm having a slot therein and also having an enlarged shoe having portions which extend in the circumferential direction of said filter basket on both sides of said slot, each portion of said shoe extending a distance in said circumferential direction of said filter basket which is at least three times a pitch distance of said perforations in said inner cage.