Fuel filter and priming pump

A filter in combination with a filter head including a nipple portion having a valve element therein, said filter comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end, and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis;
• a first end cap attached to said media at said first end adjacent the first end of said housing;
• a second end cap attached at an annular portion thereof to said media at said second end and positioned adjacent to the second end of said housing;
• wherein said ring of filter media and said first and second end caps separate a central chamber located within said ring of filter media and first and second end caps from a peripheral chamber surrounding said ring of filter media;
• said first end cap including an annular portion surrounding and defining a central opening;
• and
• one of said first and second end caps including a longitudinally extending actuating projection extending axially in said central chamber, said longitudinally extending actuating projection having a base and a free end, said base being positioned closer to said second end cap than said free end and said free end in said central chamber positioned adjacent the central opening of said first end cap;
• and
• a first annular resilient seal in circumferentially surrounding relation and radially outwardly spaced from said free end of said actuating projection, said seal being adjacent said central opening for engaging the nipple portion when the nipple portion extends through said central opening for engagement of the actuating projection with the valve element in the nipple portion;
• whereby the free end of said actuating projection is configured and arranged to open the valve element within the nipple portion when the nipple portion is engaged with the first seal;
• and
• wherein said base is connected to said annular portion of said one of said first and second end caps by connecting structure extending through said central chamber and between said base and the annular portion of said one of said first and second end caps, said connecting structure includes a longitudinally extending annular end cap wall supported on said annular portion of said one of said first and second end caps, said annular end cap wall in said central chamber radially disposed inwardly from said media, and wherein said base of said actuating projection is supported on said annular end cap wall;
• said filter further comprising a tap plate closing the first end of said housing, said tap plate including a threaded first tap plate opening threadable onto said nipple portion at external threads on said nipple portion, and said first seal in longitudinally compressed relation between said first tap plate and said first end cap for sealing the first tap plate opening of said tap plate to the central opening of said first end cap;
• said nipple portion of said filter head being extendible through said first tap plate opening into said central chamber, said valve element in said nipple portion movable between open and closed positions wherein fluid flow through said nipple portion is enabled or prevented, respectively, and wherein said actuating projection moves said valve element to said open position when said nipple portion extends through said first tap plate opening.

A filter for mounting to a filter head including a nipple portion having a valve element therein, said filter comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end, and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis;
• a first end cap attached to said media at said first end adjacent the first end of said housing;
• a second end cap attached at an annular portion thereof to said media at said second end and positioned adjacent to the second end of said housing;
• wherein said ring of filter media and said first and second end caps separate a central chamber located within said ring of filter media and first and second end caps from a peripheral chamber surrounding said ring of filter media;
• said first end cap including an annular portion surrounding and defining a central opening;
• and
• said first end cap including a longitudinally extending actuating projection extending axially in said central chamber, said longitudinally extending actuating projection having a base and a free end, said base being positioned closer to said second end cap than said free end and said free end in said central chamber positioned adjacent the central opening of said first end cap;
• and
• a first annular resilient seal in circumferentially surrounding relation and radially outwardly spaced from said free end of said actuating projection, said seal being adjacent said central opening for engaging the nipple portion when the nipple portion extends through said central opening for engagement of the actuating projection with the valve element in the nipple portion;
• whereby the free end of said actuating projection is configured and arranged to open the valve element within the nipple portion when the nipple portion is engaged with the first seal;
• and
• wherein said base is connected to said annular portion of said first end cap by connecting structure extending through said central chamber and between said base and the annular portion of said one of said first and second end caps, said connecting structure includes a longitudinally extending annular end cap wall supported on said annular portion of said one of said first and second end caps, said annular end cap wall in said central chamber radially disposed inwardly from said media, and wherein said base of said actuating projection is supported on said annular end cap wall;
• and
• wherein said connecting structure includes a central portion spanning said annular end cap wall, said longitudinally extending projection supported on said central portion and whereby passage of a nipple portion into said central chamber beyond said central portion is prevented;
• and
• wherein said central portion comprises a generally disk shaped portion having said actuating projection extending therefrom, and wherein said disk shaped portion includes a plurality of fluid passages angularly spaced about said actuating projection.

A filter for mounting to a filter head including a nipple portion having a valve element therein, said filter comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end, and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis;
• a first end cap attached to said media at said first end adjacent the first end of said housing;
• a second end cap attached at an annular portion thereof to said media at said second end and positioned adjacent to the second end of said housing;
• wherein said ring of filter media and said first and second end caps separate a central chamber located within said ring of filter media and first and second end caps from a peripheral chamber surrounding said ring of filter media;
• said first end cap including an annular portion surrounding and defining a central opening;
• and
• one of said first and second end caps including a longitudinally extending actuating projection extending axially in said central chamber, said longitudinally extending actuating projection having a base and a free end, said base being positioned closer to said second end cap than said free end and said free end in said central chamber positioned adjacent the central opening of said first end cap;
• and
• a first annular resilient seal in circumferentially surrounding relation and radially outwardly spaced from said free end of said actuating protection, said seal being adjacent said central opening for engaging the nipple portion when the nipple portion extends through said central opening for engagement of the actuating protection with the valve element in the nipple portion;
• whereby the free end of said actuating projection is configured and arranged to open the valve element within the nipple portion when the nipple portion is engaged with the first seal;
• and
• wherein said filter further comprises a longitudinally extending post attached to the second end of said housing, said post having a head portion terminating outside said central chamber and in closely spaced adjacent relation with said second end cap, and wherein the head portion of said post is engageable with said second end cap to provide central support of the second end cap upon deformation of the second end cap or upon deformation of said housing;
• wherein said second end cap comprises a disk shaped member attached at a second end of said media, and wherein said post terminates in closely adjacent relation of said disk shaped member;
• wherein said filter further comprises a floatable member longitudinally movable on said post, and wherein said filter further comprises a contaminant collection area disposed interiorly of said housing and longitudinally from said disk shaped member in a first direction away from said filter media, and wherein said floatable member is in said contaminant collection area;
• wherein said housing comprises a radially in-turned portion, and wherein said disk shaped member includes a plurality of angularly spaced radially extending projections, said radially extending projections extending in said first direction from said disk shaped member towards said contaminant collection area, said radially extending projections engaged with said in-turned portion of said housing, and wherein said radially extending projections have spaces thereinbetween whereby contaminants are enabled to pass from said peripheral fuel chamber to said contaminant collection area through said spaces.

A filter assembly comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end, and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing coaxially surrounding said central axis, said filter media having a first and second ends spaced along said central axis;
• a first end cap attached to said media at said first end;
• a second end cap attached to said media at said second end and positioned adjacent to the second end of said housing;
• wherein said ring of filter media and said first and second end caps separate a central chamber located within said ring of filter media and first and second end caps from a peripheral chamber surrounding said ring of filter media;
• said first end cap including a central opening;
• a longitudinally extending actuating projection extending coaxially of said central axis in said central chamber, said actuating projection having a base and a free end, said base being positioned closer to said second end cap than said free end and said free end positioned in said central chamber closer to the central opening of said first end cap than said base;
• and
• a filter head including a nipple portion extendible into said central chamber through said central opening of said first end cap, said nipple portion having an opening positioned in said central chamber, said nipple portion further including a valve therein for controlling fluid flow therethrough, said free end of said actuating projection acceptable in said opening in said nipple portion, and wherein when said actuating projection is accepted in said opening, said valve is moved thereby to an open condition;
• end
• a first annular resilient seal having a seal opening therethrough, said seal in circumferentially surrounding relation of said free end of said actuating protection and wherein said seal annularly engages said nipple portion when said actuating projection is accepted in said opening of said nipple portion;
• and
• wherein said media is connected to said first end cap at a first longitudinal end thereof, said first end cap supporting said actuating projection, and wherein said first end cap includes an annular longitudinally extending end cap wall, and wherein said resilient seal extends radially inwardly and longitudinally interiorly adjacent said annular said end cap wall, and wherein when said actuating projection is accepted in said opening of said nipple portion said seal is positioned in annular intermediate compressed relation between said nipple portion and said annular longitudinally extending end cap wall.

A filter assembly comprising a filter and a filter head,

• said filter comprising:
• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis and separating a central chamber bounded by said media from a peripheral chamber surrounding said media;
• a longitudinally extending actuating projection mounted in said housing and positioned in said central chamber, said actuating projection having a free end and a base mounted with respect to said media, said free end being closer to said first end of said housing than said base;
• a tap plate at said first end of said housing, said tap plate including a threaded first tap plate opening therethrough axially aligned with said actuating projection;
• and
• said filter head including
• a nipple portion onto which said tap plate is threaded at external threads on said nipple portion,
• said nipple portion extending through said first tap plate opening into said central chamber,
• said nipple portion including a movable valve element therein,
• said valve element movable between open and closed positions wherein fluid flow through said nipple portion is enabled or prevented, respectively, and
• wherein said actuating projection moves said valve element to the open position when said nipple portion extends through said first tap plate opening.

A filter for mounting to a filter head including a nipple portion having a valve element therein, said filter comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis and separating a central chamber bounded by said media from a peripheral chamber surrounding said media;
• a first end cap proximate said first open end add being attached to said media at the first end thereof and including an annular portion surrounding and defining a central opening;
• a longitudinally extending annular end cap wall supported on said first end cap, said annular end cap wall disposed radially inwardly from said media;
• a central portion spanning said annular end cap wall;
• a longitudinally extending actuating projection having a base connected to said central portion and a free end extending from said central portion towards said first end of said housing, said actuating projection being stationary relative to said media, and at least one fluid passage through said central portion;
• and
• an annular seal adjacent said first end of said housing and circumferentially bounding said central opening, said free end of said actuating projection being smaller in transverse dimension than said central opening.

A filter for mounting to a filter head including a nipple portion having a valve element therein, said filter comprising:

• a generally cylindrical housing having a central axis, a first open end and a second end;
• an annular ring of filter media in said housing surrounding said central axis, said filter media having first and second ends spaced along said central axis and separating a central chamber bounded by said media from a peripheral chamber surrounding said media;
• a first end cap proximate said first open end and being attached to said media at the first end thereof, said first end cap including a longitudinally extending annular end cap wall, said annular end cap wall disposed radially inward from said media;
• a central portion spanning said annular end cap wall;
• and a longitudinally extending actuating projection extending longitudinally from said central portion and stationary relative to said annular end cap wall, and wherein said first end cap includes at least one fluid passage therethrough, said fluid passage positioned in said central chamber;
• and
• an annular seal adjacent said first end of said housing and circumferentially bounding a central opening in said first end cap, said actuating projection having a base and a free end, said base positioned closer to said second end cap than said free end, said free end of said actuating projection being smaller in transverse dimension than said central opening.