Liquid filter apparatus

In a liquid filter apparatus having a housing with a side wall connecting between an upper portion and a bottom portion and with an inlet located in one of said portions and an outlet located in the other of said portions, a first rigid perforated plate fittingly disposed in said other end portion of said housing, a second rigid plate slidingly arranged in said one end portion of said housing, filter media for filtering fluid located in said housing between said plates, means for maintaining said first plate spaced from said outlet against the force of said filter media thereagainst, said second plate being disposed between said filter media and said inlet and having one face engaging said media and an opposite face facing said inlet and being constructed and arranged to sealingly slide along the interior surface of said side wall of said housing, said second plate having an aperture therethrough located spacedly inwardly of said side wall for the flow of fluid through said aperture to said filter media whereby, with channeling of said filter media and pressure drop within the interior of said filter media, fluid pressure on said opposite face of said second plate causes said second plate to slide in the direction toward said filter media to compress the filter media against said first plate and to close the channels causing such pressure drop.