Patent ID: 8177975

Claim:
An apparatus for removing air or debris from a flow of liquid, the apparatus comprising: a shell having an inlet, an outlet, and an inner cavity in fluid communication with each of the inlet and the outlet; and at least one elongate coalescing medium assembly disposed within the cavity of the shell, each coalescing medium assembly including a plurality of wire mesh tubes oriented substantially parallel to each other, each wire mesh tube having ends, a longitudinal axis extending between the ends, and a side wall extending between the ends, and the flow of liquid being directed to travel in a radial direction across the plurality of wire mesh tubes to radially enter and radially exit the side walls of the plurality of wire mesh tubes; the at least one assembly further including at least one elongate core element contacting the plurality of wire mesh tubes and oriented substantially parallel to the plurality of wire mesh tubes, the elongated core element having a rigidity greater than the wire mesh tubes to support the plurality of wire mesh tubes against the flow of liquid in the radial direction across the plurality of wire mesh tubes.