Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SELF-CLEANING BELT FILTER AND METHOD
10 BACKGROUND
This invention relates generally to filters and dust
collectors and, more particularly, to apparatus of this
general type which includes some arrangement for
automatically cleaning the filter media continuously or at
periodic intervals.
There are many types of filters and dust collectors
which include some form of filter media through which
transport air or other fluid having dust or other foreign
matter entrained therein is passed to deposit the foreign
matter on the exposed surface of the filter media, and in
industrial and similar heavy-duty applications where the
filtered foreign matter collects on the surface of the
filter media at a relatively rapid rate, it is desirable to
provide the apparatus with some form of automatic cleaning
of the filter media so that it can be run on a continuous
basis.
For example, the typical industrial bag-type filter
includes some form of reverse air flow, or "backwashing,"
of cleaning air opposite to the normal flow of the
transport air which lifts the foreign matter collected on
the exposed surface of the bag off of the bag so that it
can gradually migrate downwardly to the bottom of the
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filter apparatus where it can be collected and removed.
Similarly, in typical pleated paper filters, a high
pressure pulse of cleaning air is passed back through
pleated paper filter cartridges to move the foreign matter
away from the surface of the filter media. In cleaning
arrangements of this type, the efficiency of the cleaning
is reduced by the fact that the foreign matter, when it is
temporarily moved away from the surface of the filter, is
not immediately transported away from the filter, but is
instead allowed to sometimes be re-entrained in the
transport air and brought back to the surface of the
filter, albeit at a different (e.g., lower) location on the
filter.
In other types of filters, belts or substrates of
filter media are used, and because of the nature of such
filter media it is possible to use a suction nozzle
positioned adjacent the surface of the substrate for
removing the collected foreign or particulate matter
therefrom and then using the suction to transport the
foreign or particulate matter away from the filter for
collection and removal. In some filters of this type, the
flat filter is stationary and the cleaning nozzle is moved
across the surface of the filter media as disclosed, for
example in Williams U.S. Patent No. 4,725,292, and in other
designs the filter media is moved past a stationary suction
nozzle. While the efficiency of the cleaning apparatus in
these filters is very high since the foreign matter is
positively removed from the filter media and carried away,
the filtering efficiency of the filter apparatus itself is
relatively small because the filter media is in a flat or
planar form which, for a given size of filter apparatus,
offers a relatively low air-to-cloth ratio as compared,
for example, with the above-described pleated paper
filters.
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In accordance with the present invention, a unique
filtering apparatus and method are provided which combines
the high cleaning efficiency of belt-type filters with the
high filtering efficiency of filters having a pleated
filter media.
SUMMARY
Briefly summarized, the present invention provides a
self-cleaning filter apparatus and method for use in
removing particulate matter from a transport fluid, which
includes an endless belt and having a plurality of pleats
of filter media extending outwardly from one surface of the
substrate, such pleats being arranged on the substrate so
that the transport fluid can pass inwardly therethrough and
deposit the particulate material on the exterior surface of
the pleats. A housing is provided that includes a support
frame for supporting the endless belt for movement along a
predetermined path that includes at least one straight
reach in which the pleats extend outwardly from the
substrate in generally spaced parallel relation to one
another, and at least one curved reach in which the pleats
extend outwardly from the substrate in angular relation to
one another such that the spacing between adjacent pleats
increases along the outwardly extending direction thereof.
At least one drive element is provided for engaging the
endless belt to move it along the predetermined path, and
a clean air chamber is disposed at the interior portion of
the endless belt from which the transport fluid can be
removed after it has passed through the pleats and the
substrate. In one embodiment of the present invention, a
suction nozzle is positioned adjacent the outer surface of
the endless belt at the curved reach thereof for removing
the particulate matter deposited on the pleats.
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The substrate includes imperforate edge portions
extending along the side edges thereof, and the support
frame includes a pair of support surfaces positioned in
spaced relation for supporting the imperforate edge
portions of the substrate, and each of the support surfaces
is formed with a suction channel extending therealong
beneath the substrate edge portions for drawing the
substrate edge portions against the support surfaces in
sealed relation thereto. The substrate is preferably made
of a different material from the filter media, and the
filter media is attached to the substrate for movement
therewith.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the
filtering substrate is mounted on a cylindrical support
frame which has one closed end and one open end through
which the transport air is removed after it has passed
through the substrate and been cleaned, and a face plate is
disposed closely adjacent the open end of the support
frame, such face plate having an annular suction channel
formed therein with the open end of the suction channel
being located adjacent the outer periphery of the
cylindrical support frame. A strip of sealing material is
mounted on the cylindrical support frame along the outer
periphery thereof, and this strip of sealing material is
arranged to extend across the annular suction channel
formed in the face plate, whereby the suction in the
suction channel will draw the strip of sealing material
across the open end of the suction channel to provide a
seal between the open end of the cylindrical support frame
and the face plate. One or more suction nozzles may be
used to clean the filtering substrate by removing
particulate matter therefrom, and the same suction source
used for these suction nozzles may also be used to create
the suction in the suction channel.
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Also, in one embodiment, the housing preferably
includes a rotating roller having an imperforate
cylindrical support surface for supporting the substrate at
the curved reach thereof, whereby the suction nozzle,
5 during cleaning, is not working against transport air
passing through the filter media at such curved reach. In
this embodiment of the present invention, the suction
nozzle extends across the width of the endless belt with
one end thereof adapted to be connected to a suction
source, and this suction nozzle is formed with a gradually
decreasing cross-sectional area along the extending length
thereof from such one end thereof so as to generally
equalize the suction force imposed on said substrate across
the width thereof.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the
substrate is cleaned by an air discharge device that is
positioned adjacent the inner surface of the substrate at
the curved reach thereof for directing a flow of cleaning
fluid outwardly through the substrate to remove particulate
matter deposited on the pleats of the substrate as the
substrate moves through its above-described curved reach.
Preferably, the air discharge device includes a hollow
cylinder over which the inner surface of the substrate
passes at the curved reach thereof, and this cylinder has
air discharge openings formed therein so that pressurized
air introduced into the interior of the cylinder flows
outwardly through the openings. The openings may be formed
in a perforate portion as generally semi-cylindrical but
has an arcuate extent of less than 180°, and a pressurized
air discharge pipe is mounted within the cylinder coaxially
therewith to generate pulses of pressurized air that are
directed outwardly toward the imperforate portion of the
cylinder. Also, the pulses of cleaning air may have a
predetermined duration and may occur at predetermined
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frequencies coordinated with the speed of movement of the
substrate so that a different portion of the substrate is ...:
cleaned by such pulses during each consecutive complete
revolution of the substrate along its path of movement.
This coordinated movement of the substrate may include a
timing belt attached to the substrate and a timing pulley
for driving the timing belt, with the timing belt and
timing pulley each having teeth for engagement with one
another and wherein the number of teeth on the belt is not
evenly divisible by the number of teeth on the timing
pulley.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collector or
filter apparatus embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the dust collector
illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the bottom portion of the
dust collector illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the dust
collector illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the bottom portion of the
dust collector illustrated in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a detailed view taken along section line 6-6
in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a detailed plan view of the filter element;
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FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of another
embodiment of the filter apparatus of the present
invention;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the filter
apparatus illustrated in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view of the air
discharge device of the filter apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the pattern of
pulses of cleaning air generated by the air discharge
device of the filter apparatus of FIG. 8;
FIG. 12 is a generally diagrammatic side elevational
view of another embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 13 is a detailed view illustrating the sealing
arrangement between the rotating drum and the face plate of
the filter apparatus illustrated in FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Looking now in greater detail at the accompanying
drawings, one embodiment of the dust collector or filter
apparatus 10 is illustrated, and it includes a housing 12
which supports an upper pulley 14 mounted for rotation on
a shaft 16, and a lower drive pulley 18 having a drive
shaft 20 which can be connected to any convenient drive
source, such as a drive motor 21.
As best seen in Figs. 4 and 6, the housing 12 includes
an interior frame 22 formed with a closed side wall 24 at
one side thereof, and a clean air outlet conduit 26 is
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formed at the other side portion to permit withdrawal of
the clean air, as will be described in greater detail
presently.
A filter element 28 is comprised of a flexible
substrate 30 having a plurality of openings 32 extending
therethrough and a filter media 34 which is in the form of
a plurality of inverted U-shaped pleats 34 that, as best
seen in FIG. 3, extend outwardly from the surface of the
substrate 30 with a spacing between each pleat 34. The
inverted U-shaped pleats 34 are closed along their
outwardly extending length, but the interior of each pleat
34 is open at its connection to the substrate 30.
Depending on the particular application of the present
invention, the pleats 34 may be formed on the substrate 30
in any satisfactory manner, and the filter media 34
preferably has a sinuous configuration that is attached to
the substrate in a manner to be described below, a somewhat
similar filter media being disclosed in Williams U.S.
Patent No. 5,346,519.
As best seen in FIG. 2, the filter element 28 is an
endless belt that is mounted about the upper pulley 14 and
the lower drive pulley 18 so as to present two generally
parallel straight reaches 36 and two curved reaches 38 at
the point where the filter element passes over the pulleys
14,18. The pleats 34 extend outwardly from the substrate
30 in generally spaced, parallel relation to one another
with a slight spacing therebetween, and these pleats 34, at
the curved reaches 38, extend outwardly from the substrate
in an open angular relation to one another such that the
spacing between adjacent pleats 34 increases along the
outwardly extending direction thereof.
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The housing 12 is also provided with a suction nozzle
40 which is positioned adjacent the outer surface of the
endless filter element 28 at one of the curved reaches 38
thereof, and, as best seen in FIG. 5, the suction nozzle 40
extends across the entire width of the filter element 28
with one end 42 thereof connected to any convenient source
of suction, such as a suction blower 43, and the suction
nozzle has a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area
along its extending length from the end 42 to generally
equalize the suction force imposed on the filter element 28
through a bottom slot 44 (see FIG. 3) of the suction nozzle
40.
As best seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the outermost side
edges 46 of the substrate 30 are imperforate, and the inner
surface of these side edges 46 are arranged to slide along
flat support surfaces 48 formed on the frame 22. Also, in
this embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface
of the outermost portion 46' of the substrate 30 is formed
of a Velcro-type loop material to which the filter media 34
can be attached by forming it with a corresponding Velcro-
type hook material, whereby the filter media 34, which must
be replaced at periodic intervals, can be easily separated
from the more expensive substrate 30 and replaced.
As best seen in Figs. 4 and 6, the flat support
surfaces 48 are located on each side of the frame 22, and
they extend along the entire vertical height of the dust
collector 10, on both sides of the clean air chamber 52,
and they have curved portions at the upper and lower ends
thereof which are located adjacent the outer edges of the
upper pulley 14 and the lower pulley 18 with a radius of
curvature corresponding to that of the pulleys 14 and 18,
so that the flat support surfaces 48 lie adjacent both the
in any satisfactory manner, and th
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side edges of the substrate 30 along its entire generally
elliptical extent.
Each of the support surfaces 48 is shaped to include
5 a suction channel 50 that extends along the length thereof
beneath the approximate mid-portion of the imperforate side
edges 46 of the substrate 30, and these suction channels 50
may be connected to the same suction source connected to
the suction nozzle 40, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
In operation, a quantity of transport air having
entrained therein dust, lint, or any other foreign matter
is introduced to the dust collector 10 at the exterior
thereof, and a pressure differential is created across the
filter element 28, preferably by a vacuum being imposed on
the interior of the housing 12 through the clean air
discharge conduit 26. This suction causes the transport
air to be drawn through the pleats 34 of the filter element
28 so that foreign matter entrained in the transport air
will be deposited on the exterior surfaces of the pleats
34, and the cleaned air will pass through the inverted U-
shaped pleats to the interior thereof and through the
openings 32 in the substrate 30 so that the cleaned air is
collected in a clean air chamber 52 (see FIG. 6) within the
housing 12 and can be withdrawn through the clean air
discharge conduit 26. The endless filter element 28 is
continuously moved through its somewhat elliptical path of
movement around the pulleys 14,18, and the transport air is
drawn through filter element 28 at the two straight reaches
36 thereof, and this foreign matter accumulates on the
exterior surfaces of the pleats 34 during the movement of
the filter element 28 along these straight reaches 36.
However, when these pleats 34 reach the lower pulley 18,
they proceed through one of the curved reaches 38 and, as
best seen in FIG. 3, the spacing between the pleats 34
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opens significantly so that the area between adjacent
pleats 34, and particularly the bottom area of the spacing
adjacent the substrate 30, is significantly more exposed,
whereby the suction imposed on the filter element 28 by the
closely adjacent suction nozzle 40 can more easily reach
and withdraw foreign matter which has collected even on the
innermost surfaces of the pleats 34.
Thus, one significant feature of the present invention
is that the area of the filter media presented by the
pleats 34 is substantially greater than the area that would
be presented by a typical or conventional belt filter, such
as a felt belt, in which the available filtering surface
constitutes only the outer flat surface of the belt and
corresponds generally to the flat outer surface of the
substrate 30. More specifically, and looking at FIG. 2,
the exposed surface area of each pleat 34 is the area that
extends outwardly from the substrate 30 along one of the
flat sides of the pleat 34, the small closed end portion of
the pleat 34, and the other parallel extending side portion
of the pleat 34, and the total area presented to the dirty
air is the sum of the surface areas of all of the pleats 34
positioned along each of the two straight reaches 36.
Moreover, the ability to clean the foreign matter from the
large number of closely spaced pleats 34 is significantly
enhanced by the fact that the normally close spacing
between adjacent pleats 34 is substantially opened as the
pleats 34 pass around the surface of the lower pulley 18,
which has a relatively small radius selected to properly
open the spacing between adjacent pleats 34, the extent of
such opening depending on the particular application of the
dust collector 10. In this embodiment of the present
invention, the cylindrical support surface of the lower
pulley 18 is solid and imperforate so that the suction at
the interior of the housing 12 does not draw dirty
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transport air inwardly through the filter element 28 while
the pleats 34 are being cleaned by the suction nozzle 40,
whereby the suction force applied to the exterior surfaces
of the pleats 34 by the suction nozzle 40 is not offset by
the flow of the transport air in the opposite direction
through the pleats 34.
In accordance with another feature of the present
invention, a suction force in any desired amount is imposed
on the suction channels 50 in the housing 12, and this
suction force acts on the imperforate side edges 46 of the
substrate 30 to pull the imperforate side edges 46 flush
against the flat support surfaces 48 of the frame 22 and
thereby seal the clean air chamber 52 and prevent the dirty
transport air from passing into the clean air chamber 52
indirectly at the abutment between the moving imperforate
side edges 46 and the fixed support surfaces 48.
Additionally, it will be noted that, if some dirty
transport air should tend to seep inwardly between the
outer end of the imperforate side edge and the outer
portion of the support surface 48, any such transport air
will be drawn into the suction channel 50 and carried away
with the suction imposed therein rather than passing all
the way into the clean air chamber 52.
Another embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in Figs. 8-11, and, since many of the
structural elements in this embodiment are identical to, or
substantially identical to, the corresponding elements
described above, like reference numerals are used to
identify these elements in Figs. 8-11.
In this embodiment of the present invention, an air
discharge device is supported by the housing 12 within the
clean air chamber 52, and it is located at the bottom
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curved reach 38 of the filter media 34. More specifically,
the housing 12 includes a rotating hollow cylinder 76
positioned so that the lower semi-cylindrical surface
portion 78 is in supporting contact with the pleated filter
media 34 as it moves through the bottom curved reach 38.
As best seen in Figs. 8 and 10, this lower semi-cylindrical
portion 78 is formed with a plurality of slots or
perforations 80 that extend generally around the surface of
the lower semi-cylindrical portion 78 through an arcuate
extent 82 (see FIG. 9). The upper half of the hollow
cylinder 76 is imperforate, and the ends of the hollow
cylinder are also imperforate or plugged. An air discharge
pipe 84 extends through the hollow cylinder 76 coaxially
therewith with one end 86 being closed and with the other
end 88 being opened, and a plurality of apertures 90 are
formed in a line extending along the length of the air
discharge pipe 84. The air discharge pipe 84 is mounted
for rotation with the hollow cylinder 76, and the ends of
the air discharge pipe 84 extend outwardly from the
cylinder and have fixed thereon a timing pulley 92 at each
opposite end of the hollow cylinder 76, the timing pulleys
92 having conventional teeth engaging the corresponding
teeth of a timing belt 94 which is mounted adjacent each
side edge of the pleated filter media 28 in any
conventional manner, such as using cooperating Velcro
strips (not shown) fixed to the filter media 28 and the
timing belt 94 so that they can be selectively attached to
and detached from one another. Details of the construction
of the filter media 28 are not part of the present
invention and are disclosed in qreater detail in co-pending
U.S. Patent ~o. 5,346,519, which issued on September 13, 1994,
An apparatus for generating timed pulses of cleaning
air is located adjacent the open end 88 of the air
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discharge pipe 84, and it includes an inlet conduit 93
through which pressurized air is received from any
convenient source (not shown), and a two-way solenoid
operated control valve 96 that opens in response to a
signal generated by a sensor 98 mounted above the air
discharge pipe 84. A sensing tab 100 is mounted on the air
discharge pipe 84 and extends upwardly therefrom.
Accordingly, during each revolution of the air discharge
pipe 84, the sensing tab 100 passes through the field of
the sensor 98 which generates a signal that opens the valve
96 for a short, predetermined period of time, whereby a
pulse of pressurized cleaning air is directed into the open
end 88 of the air discharge pipe. Moreover, the sensing
tab 100 is positioned on the air discharge pipe 84 along
the same line as the perforations 90 so that the pulse of
cleaning air generated by the operation of valve 96 will
always be introduced into the~air discharge pipe 84 when
the perforations 90 therein are located at the uppermost
surface portion of the air discharge pipe 84. By virtue of
this arrangement, a pulse of cleaning air will be generated
during each revolution of the air discharge pipe 84, and
these pulses will pass through the air discharge pipe and
outwardly therefrom through the perforations 90 so that the
air pulses are directed upwardly toward the imperforate
upper half of the hollow cylinder 76 which tends to
equalize the pressure of the cleaning air that then passes
outwardly through the slots 80 in the hollow cylinder 76 to
clean the filter media 28 in a manner to be described in
more detail below. By directing the air pulses upwardly
toward the imperforate upper half of the cylinder, rather
than directly through the slots 80, the air pressure of the
pulses of cleaning air can be at higher levels because
these pulses do not pass directly through the slots 80 in
a manner that might damage the filter media 28 passing over
the slots 80.
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A suction nozzle 40, like that described above, may be
positioned adjacent the outer surface of the filter media
28 at the bottom curved reach 38 thereof. In some
filtering applications, the load on the filter may be such
5 that it is desirable to use both the suction nozzle 40 and
the above-described air discharge apparatus disposed at the
inside surface of the filter media, and in other
applications only one or the other of the two cleaning
methods may be used.
The embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
Figs. 8-11 operates by rotating the air discharge pipe 84
using any conventional drive apparatus (not shown), whereby
the timing pulleys 92 will engage the timing belts 94 and
move the endless filter media 28 through its predetermined
path which consists of the two straight reaches 36 thereof
and the upper and lower curved reaches 38 thereof. The
transport air entrained with foreign matter is drawn
through the filter media 28 during movement of the filter
element along the straight reaches 36 in the same manner as
that described above in connection with the embodiment of
Figs. 1-7, and, as also explained above, when the pleats of
the filter media pass through the lower curved reach 38,
the pleats open so that the spacing between the pleats
increases.
During each revolution of the air discharge pipe 84,
the sensing tab 100 causes the sensor 98 to generate a
signal that operates the valve 96, and a short high
pressure pulse of cleaning air is discharged through the
perforations 90 in an upward direction toward the upper
imperforate portion of the hollow cylinder 76 and pulses of
cleaning air then pass through the slots 80 in the lower
semi-cylindrical half 78 of the hollow cylinder 76 so as to
pass through the filter media 28 moving thereacross. Thus,
' CA 02313871 2000-07-27
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in this embodiment, the pulses of cleaning air are
pressurized air, and the cleaning air moves outwardly
through the filter media 28 in a direction opposite to the
flow of the transport air through the filter media 28, and
these pulses of cleaning air remove foreign matter that has
been deposited on the outside surface of the filter media
28. If desired, the suction nozzle 40 may also be used in
the same manner as that described above in connection with
the embodiment of Figs. 1-7 to assist in removing foreign
matter from the outer surface of the filter media 28.
In accordance with another feature of the present
invention, the timing pulleys 92 are designed to have a
number of teeth that is not evenly divisible by the number
of teeth on the timing drive belt 94, and, as a result,
during each complete revolution of the filter media through
its endless path, a slightly different segment or portion
of the filter media 28 is passing over the lower surface of
the hollow cylinder 76 at the time the pulse of cleaning
air is generated therefrom. Thus, as illustrated in FIG.
11, a cleaning pulse is generated during each revolution of
the air discharge pipe 84, and the cleaning pulse is
designed to have a duration that will cause a predetermined
segment of the filter media 28 to be cleaned by each pulse,
this segment being identified by the reference character P1
in the upper diagrammatic representation of the filter
media 28 in FIG. 11. Because of the above-described
relationship between the teeth of the timing belt 94 and
the timing pulleys 92, and the fact that the cleaning
pulses are generated at a constant frequency during each
revolution of the air discharge pipe 84, a second segment
P2 of the filter media 28 will be cleaned during the next
complete revolution of the filter media 28. In a like
manner, segments P3 will be cleaned during the third
consecutive revolution of the filter media 28, after which
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the cycle repeats itself. As will be seen in the lowermost
diagrammatic illustration in FIG. 11, the duration of the
pulses and the relationship between the teeth of the timing
belts 94 and the timing pulleys 92 are coordinated so that
the segments P1, P2 and P3 will be immediately adjacent one
another during each three consecutive revolutions of the
filter media 28, and therefore the entire length of the
endless filter media 28 will be cleaning during each such
three consecutive revolution cycles thereof. While the
pattern of clean segments P1, P2 and P3 illustrated in FIG.
11 represents diagrammatically a typical cleaning pattern,
it will be apparent that other cleaning patterns may also
be used by varying the duration of the cleaning pulses
and/or the relationship between the number of teeth in the
timing belts 94 and the timing pulleys 92.
Another embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 in which a generally
conventional rotary drum filter 110 has been modified to
provide an improved sealing arrangement. More
specifically, the rotary drum filter 110 includes a
conventional support frame in the form of a cylindrical
perforated drum 112 mounted on a shaft 114 for rotation in
a bearing 116 that is mounted at the upper end of a
pedestal 118 fixed to the floor 120, and a permeable
substrate or filter media 122 is mounted on the outer
surface of the cylindrical drum 112. One end 124 of the
cylindrical drum 112 is closed, and the other end 126 is
open, the open end 126 being disposed closely adjacent a
flat base plate 128 that extends upwardly from the floor
120, and an outlet chamber 130 is mounted to the face plate
128. A plurality of conventional suction nozzles 132 are
mounted closely adjacent the filter media 122 so that, when
a suction is imposed on the nozzles 132, as indicated by
the direction arrow 134, the filter media will be cleaned
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in a conventional manner, all as explained in greater
detail below.
As best seen in FIG. 13, the face plate 128 is formed
with an annular suction channel 136 located adjacent the
outer cylindrical periphery of the drum 112, and a suction
conduit 138 is provided to connect the suction channel 136
to any convenient suction source (not shown), which is
preferably the same suction source connected to the suction
nozzles 132. A strip of sealing material 140 is mounted
around one cylindrical edge of the drum 112 along the outer
periphery thereof at the open end 126 of the drum 112, and
the sealing strip 140 is arranged so that it extends across
the open end of the annular suction channel 136 as best
seen in FIG. 13.
In operation, the support frame or drum 112 is rotated
by a conventional drive motor arrangement (not shown), and
transport air having particulate matter entrained therein
is caused to flow inwardly through the filter media 122 and
openings in the cylindrical surface of the drum 112,
whereupon the particulate matter is deposited on the
exterior surface of the filter media 122, and the cleaned
transport air is then discharged through the open end 126
of the drum 112 and the outlet chamber 130 as indicated by
the direction arrow 142. As the drum 112 rotates past the
suction nozzles 132, they will remove particulate matter
deposited on the exterior surface of the filter media 122
so that the filter media is constantly cleaned as it
rotates past the suction nozzles 132.
It will be appreciated that, since the face plate 128
is stationary and the drum 112 is rotating, conventional
rotary drum filters have encountered problems in providing
an effective seal between the side edge of~the open end 126
CA 02313871 2000-07-27
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of the drum 112 and the adjacent face plate to prevent
dirty transport air from bypassing the filter media 122 and
flowing directly into the interior of the drum 112, thereby
contaminating the cleaned transport air with particulate
matter in the transport air that bypassed the filter media
122. In accordance with the present invention, a very
effective seal is provided between the rotating drum 112
and the stationary face plate 128 in that the sealing strip
140, which may be formed of any suitable flaccid sealing
material such as felt or rubber, extends across the open
end of the annular suction channel 136 and is drawn into
sliding contact with the flat surface of the face plate 128
adjacent the edges of the annular suction channel 136.
It will therefore be readily understood by those
persons skilled in the art that the present invention is
susceptible of a broad utility and application. Many
embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other
than those herein described, as well as many variations,
modifications and equivalent arrangements will be apparent
from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and
the foregoing description thereof, without departing from
the substance or scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention has been described
herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment,
it is to be understood that this disclosure is only
illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is
made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling
disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is
not intended or to be construed to limit the present
invention or otherwise to exclude any such other
embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and
equivalent arrangements, the present invention being
limited only by the claims appended hereto and the
equivalents thereof.
