Patent ID: 6836963

Claim:
A process for producing conical filter elements, comprising the steps of: arranging a plurality of support rods along substantially straight lines extending on an exterior surface of a cone from a base of the cone to an apex of the cone; winding a wire profile about the support rods in individual turns with slots between the individual turns through which fluid may pass; rigidly connecting the wire profile to outer surfaces of the support rods, at least in part, to form a support structure; pulling a one-piece, substantially conical screen grid onto the support structure such that the screen grid surrounds the wire profile and at least partially rests against the wire profile, the conical screen grid having a conical shape corresponding to the support structure and having an axial length greater than an axial length of the support structure to provide at least one projecting length portion of the screen grid extending from the support structure after the screen grid is pulled onto the support structure; and attaching first and second end components on opposite axial ends of the screen grid, the first end component being connected and retained, with precision fitting of the screen grid, to one end of the screen grid.