Elongated fluid filtering assembly

Claim 2

An elongated fluid filtering assembly, comprising: (a) an elongated hollow tubular housing defining an elongated flow chamber, a pair of first and second open end ports located at opposite ends of said chamber, and an open side port located at a side of said chamber between and spaced from said first and second end ports; (b) an elongated primary hollow filter element removably inserted into said flow chamber of said housing through said second end port thereof and extending between said first and second end ports of said housing, said filter element being pervious to fluid flow and impervious to solids above a given particle size, said filter element having a pair of first and second opposite open ends and defining an inner flow passage extending between said first and second ends thereof and within said flow chamber of said housing; and (c) means disposed adjacent said first and second end ports of said housing for supporting said filter element in said housing with said first and second ends of said filter element being disposed in flow communication with said first and second end ports of said housign and said filter element and said housing defining therebetween an outer annular flow passage in said flow chamber of said housing in concentric relation to and substantially coextensive with said inner flow passage of said filter element, said outer and inner annular flow passages extending past and in opposite directions form said side port and between said first and second end ports of said housing and together providing a path for fluid flow in either direction across said filter element between said outer and inner annular flow passages and between said side port and at least a selected one of said first and second end ports of said housing; (d) said filter element supporting means including a first tapered section defined by said first end portion of said tubular housing, said first tapered section ebing disposed in spaced relation from said first end port of said housing, said first tapered section having a diameter decreasing in a direction toward said first end port of said housing from a size larger than that of said filter element to a size at the most substantially the same as that of said filter element wherein said first tapered section of said first end portion of said tubular housing receives and mates with said first end of said filter element so as provide flow communication between said first end port of said housing and said inner flow passage of said filter element.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 further comprising: an elongated secondary hollow filter element smaller in diameter than said primary filter element and capable of fitting in said primary filter element, said secondary filter element being pervious to fluids and impervious to solids above a predetermined particle size being less than that of said primary filter element.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an elongated hollow tubular body with a pair of first and second opposite open end portions and an opening defined in a side of said body between said first and second end portions thereof and at said side port of said housing, said tubular body defining said elongated flow chamber, said first and second end portions of said tubular body defining said first and second end ports of said housing.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3 wherein said housing also includes a hollow tubular collar rigidly attached to said side of said tubular body about said opening therein and extending outwardly from said tubular body, said collar and said side opening of said tubular body defining said side port of said housing, said collar capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 3 wherein said first end portion of said tubular body has a smaller diameter than said second end portion thereof.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said filter element supporting means also includes a pair of first and second hollow connectors removably attached to said first and second end portions of said tubular body and capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said first hollow connector is a first hollow end fitting removably attached to said first end portion of said tubular body and capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 7 further comprising: a first end closure removably attachable to said first end fitting and being capable of closing said first end port of said housing.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said filter element at said second end thereof projects outwardly beyond said second end portion of said tubular body when said first end of said filter element is received by and mated with said first tapered section of said first end portion of said tubular body.

Claim 11

The assembly of claim 9 wherein said second hollow connector includes: a second hollow end fitting removably attached to said second end portion of said tubular body; and a hollow adapter having first and second axially spaced portions, said first portion being larger in diameter than said second portion thereof, said adapter having a second tapered section ebing disposed between said first and second portions of said adapter, said first portion of said adapter extending along and enclosing said second end of said filter element and removably attached to said second end fitting, said second portion of said second tapered section of said adapter having a diameter decreasing in a direction from said first portion to said second portion of said adapter from a size larger than that of said filter element to a size at the most substantially the same as that of said filter element wherein said second tapered section of said adapter receives and mates with said second end of said filter element so as provide flow communication between said second end port of said housing and said inner flow passage of said filter element.

Claim 12

The assembly of claim 10 further comprising: a second end closure removably attachable to said said second portion of said adapter of said second hollow connector and being capable of closing sid second end port of said housing.

Claim 13

The assembly of claim 6 further comprising: at least one end closure removably attachable to each of said first and second connectors and capable of sealing either one of said end ports of said housing.

Claim 14

The assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a pair of first and second end closures removably attachable to said first and second hollow connectors and being capable of closing said first and second end ports of said housing.

Claim 15

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said filter element is a cylindrical mesh screen being pervious to fluids and impervious to solids above the predetermined particle size.

Claim 16

An elongated fluid filtering assembly, comprising: (a) a housing including an elongated hollow tubular body defining an elongated flow chamber and having a pair of first and second opposite end portions defining a pair of first and second open end ports of said housing located at opposite ends of said chamber, said first end portion of said tubular body having a smaller diameter than said second end portion thereof, said tubular body also having an opening formed in a side between and spaced from said first and second end portions tehreof, said housing also including a hollow tubular collar rigidly attached to said side of said tubular body about said opening therein and extending outwardly from said tubular body, said collar and said side opening of said tubular body defining an open side port of said housing located at a side of said chamber between and spaced from said first and second end ports, said collar capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member; (b) an elongated hollow filter element removably inserted into said flow chamber of said housing through said second end port thereof and extending between said first and second end ports of said housing and said first and second end portions of said tubular body thereof, said filter element being pervious to fluid flow and impervious to solids above a given particle size, said filter element having a pair of first and second opposite open ends and defining an inner flow passage extending between said first and second ends thereof and within said flow chamber of said housing; and (c) means disposed adjacent said first and second end ports of said housing for supporting said filter element in said housing with said first and second ends of said filter element being disposed in flow communication with said first and second end ports of said housing and said filter element and said housing defining therebetween an outer annular flow passage in said flow chamber of said housing in concentric relation to and substantially coextensive with said inner flow passage of said filter element, said outer and inner annular flow passages extending past and in opposite directions from said side port and between said first and second end ports of said housing and together providing a path for fluid flow in either direction across said filter element between said outer and inner annular flow passages and between said side port and at least a selected one of said first and second end ports of said housing; (d) said filter element supporting means including a pair of first and second hollow connectors removably attached to said pair of first and second end portions of said tubular body and capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member; (e) said filter element supporting means including a first tapered section defined by said first end portion of said tubular body, said first tapered section being disposed in spaced relation from said first end port of said housing, said first tapered section having a diameter decreasing in a direction toward said first end port of said housing from a size larger than that of said filter element to a size at the most substantially the same as that of said filter element wherein said first tapered section of said first end portion of said tubular body receives and mates with said first end of said filter element so as provide flow communication between said first end port of said housing and said inner flow passage of said filter element.

Claim 17

An elongated fluid filtering assembly, comprising: (a) a housing including an elongated hollow tubular body defining an elongated flow chamber and having a pair of first and second opposite end portions defining a pair of first and second open end ports of said housing located at opposite ends of said chamber, said first end portion of said tubular body having a smaller diameter than said second end portion thereof, said tubular body also having an opening formed in a side between and spaced from said first and second end portions tehreof, said housing also including a hollow tubular collar rigidly attached to said side of said tubular body about said opening therein and extending outwardly from said tubular body, said collar and said side opening of said tubular body defining an open side port of said housing located at a side of said chamber between and spaced from said first and second end ports, said collar capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member; (b) an elongated hollow filter element removably inserted into said flow chamber of said housing through said second end port thereof and extending between said first and second end ports of said housing and said first and second end portions of said tubular body thereof, said filter element being pervious to fluid flow and impervious to solids above a given particle size, said filter element having a pair of first and second opposite open ends and defining an inner flow passage extending between said first and second ends thereof and within said flow chamber of said housing; and (c) means disposed adjacent said first and second end ports of said housing for supporting said filter element in said housing with said first and second ends of said filter element being disposed in flow communication with said first and second end ports of said housing and said filter element and said housing defining therebetween an outer annular flow passage in said flow chamber of said housing in concentric relation to and substantially coextensive with said inner flow passage of said filter element, said outer and inner annular flow passages extending past and in opposite directions from said side port and between said first and second end ports of said housing and together providing a path for fluid flow in either direction across said filter element between said outer and inner annular flow passages and between said side port and at least a selected one of said first and second end ports of said housing; (d) said filter element supporting means including a pair of first and second hollow connectors removably attached to said pair of first and second end portions of said tubular body and capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member; (e) said filter element supporting means including a first tapered section defined by said first end portion of said tubular body, said first tapered section being disposed in spaced relation from said first end port of said housing, said first tapered section having a diameter decreasing in a direction toward said first end port of said housing from a size larger than that of said filter element to a size at the most substantially the same as that of said filter element wherein said first tapered section of said first end portion of said tubular body receives and mates with said first end of said filter element so as provide flow communication between said first end port of said housing and said inner flow passage of said filter element.

Claim 18

The assembly of claim 15 further comprising: a pair of first and second end closures removably attachable to said first and second hollow connectors and being capable of closing said first and second end ports of said housing.

Claim 19

The assembly of claim 15 wherein said first hollow connector is a first hollow end fitting removably attached to said first end portion of said tubular body and capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member.

Claim 20

The assembly of claim 15 wherein said filter element at said second end thereof projects outwardly beyond said second end portion of said tubulr body when said first end of said filter element is received by and mated with said first tapered section of said first end portion of said tubular body.

Claim 21

The assembly of claim 18 wherein said second hollow connector includes: a second hollow end fitting removably attached to said second end portion of said tubular body; and a hollow adapter having first and second axially spaced portions, said first portion being larger in diameter than said second portion thereof, said adapter having a second tapered section being disposed between said first and second portions of said adapter, said first portion of said adapter extending along and enclosing said second end of said filter element and removably attached to said second end fitting, said second portion of said adapter capable of being releasably coupled in flow communication with an external fluid delivery member, said second tapered section of said adapter having a diameter decreasing in a direction from said first portion to said second portion of said adapter from a size larger than that of said filter element to be a size at the most substantially the same as that of said filter element wherein said second tapered section of said adapter receives and mates with said second end of said filter element so as provide flow communication between said second end port of said housing and said inner flow passage of said filter element.