Device for cleaning and drying compressed gas

Device for drying a compressed gas comprising, in combination:

• a hollow housing defining an interior and including a collar having a vertical passage, an inlet, a horizontal opening to the vertical passage, and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior, with the vertical passage being in communication with the interior and having a lower open end;
• an assembly removably, vertically insertable into the housing through the lower open end, with the assembly including means for closing the lower open end of the housing and for dividing the interior into a first, coalescing portion located in the vertical passage and a second portion, and a desiccant canister insertable into the open end, the vertical passage and the interior, with the desiccant canister having desiccant means and first and second means for providing fluid communication to the desiccant means, with the outlet being in fluid communication with the second portion, with the closing and dividing means including a horizontal plate of a size and shape for slideable and sealing receipt in the vertical passage, with the first, coalescing portion being defined by the horizontal plate and the vertical passage, with the desiccant canister being removably attached to the horizontal plate with the first fluid communication means being in fluid communication with the first, coalescing portion and the second fluid communication means being in fluid communication with the second portion, with a U-shaped lip extending vertically downward from the horizontal plate and including first and second vertical legs having first ends connected by a connecting portion, with the connecting portion including a land projecting inward therefrom;
• a plug removably secured in the horizontal opening, with the plug having a through passage including a first port and a second port, first and second shoulders spaced from each other, a cross passage located between the first and second shoulders and intersecting with the through passage, and a filter nipple;
• a filter slideably received on the filter nipple and being in fluid communication with the second port and of a size and shape for passage through the horizontal opening for removal with the plug, with the first shoulder being of a size for slideable and sealing receipt within the horizontal opening, with the second shoulder being of a size for sealing the horizontal opening, with the inlet being in fluid communication with the cross passage, with the filter located between the first and second legs and sandwiched between the land of the lip and the first shoulder of the plug, with the horizontal plate and legs directing the flow of the compressed gas stream vertically downward and intermediate the first and second legs to enhance the wicking down of the coalesced liquid molecules to a wet zone located at the vertically lower portions of the filter, with the flow through the filter occurring through the filter above the wet zone;
• and a pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the first port.

Filter device for fluid flowing under pressure and including contaminates comprising, in combination:

• an inlet chamber having a first port and a second port;
• a filter in fluid communication with the second port;
• a pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the first port for automatically releasing fluid through the first port in the event that the pressure of the fluid in the inlet chamber reaches an undesired level;
• and an inlet intersecting with the inlet chamber intermediate the first and second ports with the fluid flowing under pressure through the inlet and into the inlet chamber and through the second port and the filter, with the filter removing the contaminates from the fluid flow.

Desiccant canister for a device for drying compressed gas including oil aerosols comprising, in combination:

• a bottom wall;
• a side wall upstanding from the bottom wall;
• at least a first porous pad impregnated with activated carbon and activated alumina supported on the bottom wall and having an outer periphery of a size and shape corresponding to the side wall;
• desiccant beads supported upon the porous pad and within the side wall;
• and means formed in the bottom wall for providing fluid communication of the compressed gas therethrough, with the porous pad diffusing the compressed gas from the fluid communication providing means throughout the area of the porous pad, with the porous pad having an affinity for and trapping oil aerosols of the compressed gas.

Desiccant canister for a device for drying compressed gas comprising, in combination:

• a bottom wall having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• a side wall upstanding from the bottom wall;
• at least a first porous pad supported on the bottom wall and having an outer periphery of a size and shape corresponding to the side wall;
• desiccant beads supported upon the porous pad and within the side wall;
• enlarged cavities extending from the top surface towards but spaced from the bottom surface, with the porous pad being supported on the top surface of the bottom wall and extending over the enlarged cavities;
• and axial passages extending from the enlarged cavities to the bottom surface, with the enlarged cavities diffusing the compressed gas from the passages throughout the area of the enlarged cavities.

Device for drying a stream of compressed gas including a canister having a side wall containing desiccant beads, a regeneration orifice allowing restricted flow of the compressed gas to and from the desiccant beads, a follower plate supported upon the desiccant beads, a check valve allowing flow of the compressed gas in a first direction out of the desiccant beads at a rate substantially greater than through the regeneration orifice and preventing flow of the compressed gas opposite to the first direction, with the check valve and the regeneration orifice being in a parallel arrangement, and a purge valve in fluid communication with the desiccant beads on the side opposite the regeneration orifice and the check valve, characterized in that the follower plate is in sealing engagement with the side wall of the canister, with the regeneration orifice and check valve carried by the follower plate, and with the follower plate being movable against the desiccant beads by the pressure differential when the flow of compressed gas is stopped in the first direction and the purge valve is open allowing flow of the compressed gas at a rate substantially greater than through the regeneration orifice and to a pressure less than the pressure of the compressed gas on the side of the regeneration orifice opposite the purge valve;

• wherein the check valve comprises a flexible disc positioned over passages formed in the follower plate, with the flexible disc being secured to the follower plate by a screw, with the regeneration orifice being in the screw.