Apparatus for filtering and heating a liquid

An apparatus for filtering and heating a liquid, which apparatus comprises:

• means defining an elongate housing having first and second opposed end walls;
• means within said housing including a longitudinally extending imperforate wall means to define an inner chamber and cooperating with the elongate housing to define an outer chamber which substantially surrounds the inner chamber, the longitudinally extending wall means being spaced from the first end wall of the housing to permit filtered liquid to flow between the outer and inner chambers;
• means for introducing a liquid to be filtered and heated into the outer chamber of the housing;
• longitudinally extending filter means located in the outer chamber for filtering the liquid introduced into the housing, the filter means being spaced from the longitudinally extending wall means to define a liquid flow path between the filter means and the longitudinally extending wall means for flow of the filtered liquid towards the first end wall of the housing;
• the first end wall of the housing including a dependent portion of generally conical configuration which extends into the inner chamber and has a base external of the inner chamber and a vertex within the inner chamber, said portion cooperating with the longitudinally extending imperforate wall means to reverse the direction of the liquid moving towards the first end wall of the housing and to direct the liquid to flow into the inner chamber in a direction towards the second end wall of the housing;
• longitudinally extending heating means located in the inner chamber of the housing and extending from the second end wall of the housing towards the first end wall of the housing for heating the filtered liquid as it flows along the heater means;
• and
• means located proximate the second end wall of the housing for removing filtered and heated liquid from the inner chamber.