Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a canister, a power head connected to a top of the canister, an inlet defined by one of the canister and the power head, an outlet defined by one of the canister and the power head, and a pre-filter bag disposed within the canister and fluidly connected between the inlet and the outlet. The power head includes an impeller assembly operable to generate airflow through the canister from the inlet to the outlet. The pre-filter bag includes an inlet port connected to the inlet, a radial inner wall, and a radial outer wall. The radial inner wall and the radial outer wall at least partially define an internal cavity and extend circumferentially about a central axis of the pre-filter bag such that the internal cavity forms a continuous, closed loop.

Abstract: A neck-worn personal air filtration device for filtering aero-allergens and providing a zone of filtered air around or near a user's breathing zone is described. The device may include an air source adapted to deliver a pressurized airflow, a hose, and a neck-worn plenum including a filter. The airflow being caused to accumulate within the plenum and exit the plenum through the air permeable surface. The air is filtered by a filter for breathing by the user.

Abstract: A neck-worn personal air filtration device for providing a zone of filtered air around or near a user's breathing zone is described. The device comprises a blower, a hose, and a neck-worn plenum including a filter. Air blown from the blower, passes through the hose and into the plenum exiting the plenum. The air is filtered by a filter for breathing by the user.

Abstract: A filter is provided and includes filter media folded into itself to have increased surface area formed of at least two filtering sections including an outer filtering section and an inner filtering section.

Abstract: A filter to clean the air entering an alternator in a vehicle used in a dirty environment such as a crop harvesting machine includes a mesh filter which is coupled to an air intake of the alternator. The filter is constructed of a mesh material which is flexible and includes relatively small apertures. The apertures prevent chaff and other extraneous material from entering the alternator, while allowing air to flow freely into the alternator, preventing overheating. The flexible mesh sleeve can be vibrated during operation, as, for example, by the flow of air from the engine fan, to provide a self cleaning function in which the vibration causes extraneous material to be shook from the filter.

Abstract: An improved filtering bag combination having an increased area of filtering and a longer life of use. The improved structure includes a filtering member with multiple folds to cover a support formed of a plurality of rods. The rods of the support have a plurality of bracing members to support the filtering member, two ends of the support are mounted with two shaping pieces, and an upper and lower lid for fixing and sealing. The bracing members are all serrated members, and are provided on the outside with numerous equidistantly separated crests and corresponding hollows and on the inner side with a connecting base. The crests each have a clamping notch for placing a rod, so that the bracing members can be transversely arranged within a circle formed by encircling the rods of the support.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner apparatus (10) is provided which includes a vacuum motor (16), an air pervious membrane (26) and an air pervious material collection bag (22). The vacuum motor (16) is arranged to draw air downwardly in turn through the bag (22), the membrane (26) and the motor (16) so that, in use, the bag (22) retains material entrained in the air. There is also provided a spacing means (28) located intermediate the membrane (26) and the bag (22) for orienting the bag such that a first portion (35) of the bag is adjacent the membrane and a second portion (32) of the bag is spaced from the membrane.

Abstract: An induction type of vacuum assembly for use with wet and dry vacuums is described. It includes a motor chamber; a solution chamber and a lower chamber for use inside of a canister that holds water and/or cleaning solution. A central chamber is inside of a solution tank and is in fluid connection with the lower chamber through a cage so as to prevent ingress of water into the motor assembly in the even that the level of the water rises. Foam filter(s) are used in connection with the cylindrical chamber so as to collect dirt and dirty water throughout the vacuuming operation.

Abstract: A cloth bag filter is formed with a generally cylindrical porous sidewall through which a vacuum is drawn for filtering of contaminant from an air stream, an open upper end for connection to the vacuum source, and a generally closed but optionally porous lower end portion. The sidewall is sufficiently flexible such that it collapses radially inwardly when air is flowing therethrough, simultaneously causing the lower end portion of the bag to be drawn upwardly toward the upper end portion. Upper and lower rings are secured to the upper and lower end portions of the bag for radially supporting the end portions. The weight of the lower ring causes the lower portion of the bag to automatically drop when the vacuum source is turned off, thus causing the sidewall to automatically expand outwardly to a generally vertically hanging position, disrupting the cohesion of the contaminant collected thereon, and causing such contaminant to break-up and fall from the filter.

Abstract: Vacuum cleaner canisters and vacuum cleaner filter bags are provided with weir members disposed in the path of particle laden air flowing through the vacuum cleaner. The particle laden air flows across the top and/or side edges of the weir members creating a pressure drop thereacross and an area of low pressure on the downstream sides of the weir members whereby particles in the airstream are influenced to drop out of the airstream and into the low pressure areas.

Abstract: An energy and water conservation laundry mechanism which includes a plurality of automatic washing machines, a rinse water storage tank, plumbing which connects the storage tank to the each of the washing machines, and electrical controls which are tied into the existing control circuitry of the washing machines for selectively directing the flow of rinse water between the storage tank and the washing machines. The plumbing includes pumps and valves which enables rinse water, as stored in the storage tank, to be delivered to each washing machine at the beginning of a wash cycle and waste water from the wash cycle to be discharged into a conventional sewer line. Rinse water from each washing machine at the end of each rinse cycle, is pumped to the storage tank for reuse for subsequent wash cycles of the machines. The invention also includes a filter for the rinse water which includes a toroidal shape filter element.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner assembly for usage inn wet and dry environments. The interior main canister of the vacuum includes a chamber assembly having a capstan, interface plate and hourglass member for extending the vacuum effect downward from a vacuum motor placed atop a chamber that lies above the main chamber and above the canister assembly. The interior of the chamber is connected to a sweeper portion through the use of an inlet tube. The capstan and hourglass member each have small apertures in them. A Y-shaped inlet tube may be optionally used to connect the interior of the main chamber to the sweeper so that incoming fluid may be directed around the capstan for full "washing" effect.

Abstract: A disposable filter bag insert for use in a filter canister assembly that comprises a rigid ring of diameter to overlie a shoulder on the canister and be sealingly captured between the canister base and top. A filter stock of sheet stock construction is suspended from the ring and has a lock stitch extending along the bottom and one side edge thereof. A section of oil-adsorbent material is likewise suspended from the ring, but covers less than the entire surface area of the sock, such that fluid flow through the sock continues even if the oil-adsorbent material becomes clogged. The sock lock stitch is specially contoured where it is looped over the ring for enhanced sealing capture between the canister top and base.

Abstract: A seamless filter bag having a removable, reusable ring includes a heat sealed filter bag open on one end adapted to receive a removable ring therein. Openings are provided in the filter bag which receive inwardly extending protrusions on the ring thereby maintaining the integrity of the filter bag material. A handle adapted to be received by the inwardly extending protrusions on the filter ring permits the removal of the filter bag together with the ring and any material retained in the bag from a conventional filter basket.

Abstract: A flexible filter bag, the filter element of which is seamless and avoids prior leakage problems, is made by wrapping a flexible, preferably perforated, filtering fabric and a flexible nonfiltering transport material together onto a cylindrical mandrel to provide a tube. A thin metal ring is fitted into the tube, and the portion of the filtering fabric which extends beyond the edge of the transport material is folded inwardly around the ring to provide a cuff. A sleeve of a length about twice that of the tube is inserted into and pulled over the tube until the free ends of the sleeve are approximately coterminous with the ring-free end of the tube. The free ends of the sleeve and tube are gathered in the manner of a sausage casing and then subjected to pressure to form a seal, but the convolutions of the transport material terminate just short of the seal so as to avoid bunching at the seal.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner filter bag is made of a porous sheet of material which permits penetration and flow therethrough of air. The bag is generally horseshoe-shaped and has a comparably shaped internal cavity. The bag has two tubular leg portions and a tubular connecting portion between the leg portions. An air inlet opening is provided on the connecting portion for admitting a stream of air under pressure into the cavity and an opening, which permits removal of accumulated debris but which is closed during use of the bag, is also provided on the connecting portion. The air flow between the air inlet opening on the vacuum cleaner housing and the inlet opening of an exhaust motor situated within the vacuum cleaner housing generally tends to primarily penetrate or flow through a wall portion of the bag disposed between the respective inlet air openings.