The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1999
Timothy R. Hedlund, Shoreview, MN (US);
Wilmer E. Blietz, New Richmond, WI (US);
Kevin D. Strand, Stillwater, MN (US);
James R. Sim, White Bear Lake, MN (US);
Gregory V. Spaulding, Golden Valley, MN (US);
Theodore W. Jagger, White Bear Lake, MN (US);
Michael S. Perreault, Hugo, MN (US);
Midmac Systems, Inc., St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A filter forming and joining apparatus of the present invention automatically forms a succession of metal-free cylindrical filter elements from a pleat block of pleated filter material, each pleat block having a first end pleat at a first end of the pleat block and a second end pleat at a second end of the pleat block. The apparatus including a pleat block isolator for isolating successive individual pleat blocks from other pleat blocks in a succession of pleat blocks in preparation for filter formation, a filter former that manipulates each isolated pleat block along a forming path into a hollow cylinder shape, the hollow cylinder-shaped isolated pleat block having a first end pleat and a second end pleat positioned adjacent each other, and a filter joiner that bonds together the adjacent first and second end pleats of each hollow cylinder-shaped isolated pleat block producing a metal-free cylindrical filter element.