Abstract: Electrostatic precipitator apparatus for cleaning a particle-laden gas flowing therethrough including a shell with a gas inlet duct and outlet duct, spaced collector electrodes suspended within the shell defining gas passages therebetween, discharge electrodes suspended within the gas passages for ionizing particles in the gas for collection by the collector electrodes, and hoppers suspended below the collector electrodes for collecting the particles dislodged therefrom. The inlet duct includes a gas distribution baffle having a rigid pervious upper portion and flexible substantially impervious lower portion, preferably a chain curtain, to permit particle accumulations in the inlet duct to pass into the shell for collection in the hoppers.