Pleated belt filter with suction means to remove debris

A self-cleaning filter apparatus for use in removing particulate matter from a transport fluid, said filter comprising:

• (a) a substrate formed as an endless belt with a permeable center portion and opposed imperforate side edge portions, and said substrate having a plurality of generally U-shaped pleats of filter media extending outwardly from the outermost surface of said substrate, said pleats being arranged on said substrate so that the closed ends thereof are spaced from said substrate and with side portions extending generally perpendicularly outwardly from said substrate in spaced relation to one another so that said transport fluid can pass inwardly therethrough and deposit said particulate material on the exterior surface of said pleats;
• and
• (b) a housing that includes:
• (i) a pair of rollers spaced apart and supporting the interior surface of said substrate thereon so that it extends along a predetermined path that includes two generally curved reaches extending about the surfaces of said rollers and two generally parallel straight reaches extending between said rollers, at least one of said rollers being formed with an imperforate surface for supporting said substrate;
• (ii) drive means connected to one of said rollers for rotating said one roller and moving said substrate along said predetermined path;
• (iii) a pair of generally flat support surfaces extending in spaced parallel relation between said rollers at a position to support, respectively, said imperforate side edge portions of said endless belt, each said support surface being formed with a channel extending along the length thereof beneath said imperforate side edge portions of said substrate whereby said channels can be connected to a source of suction to draw said side edge portions of said moving substrate against said support surfaces in sealing relation therewith;
• (iv) a clean fluid chamber disposed at the interior portion of said endless belt from which said transport fluid can be removed after it has passed through said pleats and said substrate;
• and
• (v) a suction nozzle extending across the width of said substrate adjacent the curved reach of said substrate at said imperforate roller for removing said particulate matter deposited on the exterior surface of said pleats.

A method of filtering particulate matter from a transport fluid, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an endless perforate substrate with a plurality of pleats of filter media that extend outwardly from the outer surface thereof and that have surfaces extending in spaced relation to one another;
• (b) moving said endless substrate along a predetermined path that includes at least one generally straight reach at which said pleats extend in generally parallel relation to one another and at least one curved reach at which said pleats are disposed in angular relation to one another so that the spacing therebetween increases in the outwardly extending direction thereof;
• (c) causing the transport fluid to flow inwardly through said pleats and said substrate to deposit said particulate matter on the exterior surface of said pleats and thereby clean the transport fluid;
• and
• (d) creating a suction at said curved reach of said endless substrate to remove said particulate matter from the exterior surfaces of said pleats while they are disposed in said angular relation to one another.

A method of filtering particulate matter from a transport fluid, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an endless perforate substrate with a plurality of pleats of filter media that extend outwardly from the outer surface thereof and that have surfaces extending in spaced relation to one another;
• (b) moving said endless substrate along a predetermined path that includes at least one generally straight reach at which said pleats extend outwardly from said substrate with a relatively small normal spacing between each two adjacent pleats and at least one curved reach at which said normal spacing between each two adjacent pleats is increased;
• (c) causing the transport fluid to flow inwardly through said pleats and said substrate to deposit said particulate matter on the exterior surface of said pleats and thereby clean said transport air;
• and
• (d) creating a suction at said curved reach of said endless substrate to remove said particulate matter from the exterior surfaces of said pleats while they are disposed within said increased spacing therebetween.