Patent ID: 7014685

Claim:
An apparatus for filtering a natural gas stream, the apparatus comprising: a closed vessel having a length and an initially open interior; a partition disposed within the vessel interior, the partition having a planar inner and planar outer side, respectively, dividing the vessel interior into a first stage and a second stage; at least one opening in the partition; an inlet port in fluid communication with the first stage; an outlet port in fluid communication with the second stage; at least one tubular filter element, the tubular filter element being disposed within the vessel to sealingly extend from within the first stage, the filter element having a locking end, a tubular length, and a handle end; a mounting structure located on a selected planar side of the partition; a rotational mounting means on the locking end of the at least one filter element which cooperates with the mounting structure of the vessel for rotationally locking the filter element with respect to the partition upon rotational movement of the filter element from the handle end; and wherein the generally cylindrical locking end of the filter elements joins the tubular length of the filter elements at a neck region of each filter element, the neck region forming a region of increased external diameter along the tubular length of the filter element, and wherein a seal means is located at the neck region for sealing against the partition when the filter element is locked in position.