Vibrating filter apparatus

A vibrating filter apparatus for liquids containing sticky particles, including paint, comprising:

• a housing having a removable cover at one end, an upper chamber closed by said cover, a lower chamber, a seat between said chambers, and upper and lower flow ports respectively communicating with said upper and lower chambers;
• a filter unit comprising a top plate, a bottom plate, at least one filter element disposed between said top plate and said bottom plate and means fixing together said top plate, said bottom plate and said filter element;
• means supporting said top plate on said seat, said filter element being received in said lower chamber;
• means for locating said filter element in said lower chamber and means for laterally vibrating said filter element at an amplitude which is substantially constant along the length of said filter element, said means for laterally vibrating said filter element comprising
• (1) a plurality of support rods fixed to and depending from said cover into said housing upper chamber and circumferentially distributed around a central space, said filter unit top plate being fixed to and depending from said support rods to support said filter unit therefrom within said housing, and
• (2) means for laterally vibrating said support rods and said filter unit top plate depending therefrom, said means for laterally vibrating comprising a generally cylindrical vibrator laterally centered within said central space so as to be surrounded by said plurality of support rods and fixedly interconnect the same, said vibrator being axially spaced below said cover and above said filter unit top plate so that said vibrator laterally vibrates said rods and thereby said filter unit with respect to said cover,
• (3) energizing means connecting through said cover to said vibrator to energize said vibrator.