Liquids separating system
OwnerGeorge E. Huiet, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heavy liquid such as water in the bottom of a large tank is separated from a light liquid such as fuel which is on top of the water by the heavy liquid displacing a float actuated valve off its seat to open a drain. When the heavy liquid has drained from the tank, the float of the float actuated valve which has a specific gravity less than the heavy liquid and greater than the light liquid will sink with the level of the heavy liquid until the valve moves back to its seat to prevent the light liquid from draining out of the tank.
Claims5
Apparatus for draining heavy liquid from a tank which contains both heavy and light liquids comprising a flow passage communicating between outside the tank and inside the tank and valve means in open communication with the liquids in the tank, said valve means comprising a valve seat and a valve element arranged to engage said valve seat to open and close said flow passage, said valve element comprising a float valve with a specific gravity less than the heavy liquid and greater than the light liquid, and said valve means further including a valve housing positioned over said valve seat for confining said float valve to substantially vertical movement toward and away from said valve seat, said valve housing defining openings at its lower portion and being closed in its upper portion, an upper flow passage defined in the upper portion of said valve housing and an upper valve seat and an upper valve element arranged to engage said upper valve seat to open and close said upper flow passage, whereby when the level of the heavy liquid rises in the tank the heavier liquid displaces the lighter liquid up through the upper valve element and fills the valve housing and when the level of the heavy liquid recedes in the tank below the upper valve element the upper valve element closes and traps the heavier liquid in the valve housing and maintains the float valve high in the valve housing away from the valve seat as the heavy liquid continues to recede in the tank until the light liquid flows through the openings in the lower portion of the valve housing and displaces the heavy liquid in the valve housing and allows the float valve to move down against the valve seat.
Apparatus for draining heavy liquid from a tank which contains both heavy and light liquids comprising a flow passage communicating from inside the tank to outside the tank, valve means in open communication with the liquids in the tank for opening and closing said flow passage, and valve means including means for opening said flow passage in response to the rising level of the heavier liquid in the tank above a predetermined level in the tank and for closing said flow passage in response to the receding level of the heavier liquid in the tank, and means for maintaining a supply of the heavier liquid vertically above the entrance to the flow passage and above the level of the heavier liquid in the tank as the heavier liquid flows through the flow passage and for abruptly releasing the heavier liquid to the flow passage just prior to closing the flow passage.
Apparatus for draining heavy liquids from a tank which contains both a heavy liquid and a light liquid comprising a drain flow passage at the lower portion of the tank, internal valve means for opening and closing said drain flow passage, an external valve means for opening and closing said drain flow passage, said internal valve means comprising a valve seat, a float valve above said valve seat movable vertically toward and away from said valve seat to close and open said drain flow passage, a valve housing positioned about said float valve and including at least one opening at a lower portion thereof at a level above said valve seat, an upper flow passage formed in said valve housing, an upper valve means for opening and closing said upper flow passage, said upper valve means comprising an upper valve seat, an upper float valve above said upper valve seat movable toward and away from the upper valve seat of said upper valve means to close and open the upper flow passage, said float valve and said upper float valve both being of a specific gravity greater than the light liquid in the tank and less than the heavy liquid in the tank, whereby when the level of the heavy liquid rises in the tank and tends to cover the float valve of the internal valve means the float valve floats in the heavy liquid off its valve seat to open the drain flow passage, and when the level of the heavy liquid rises further in the tank the heavy liquid flows through the opening in the lower portion of the valve housing and then upwardly through the valve housing to displace any light liquid in the valve housing upwardly through the upper valve means from inside the valve housing, and when the external valve means is opened to open the drain flow passage and the heavy liquid recedes to a level below the upper flow passage a supply of heavy liquid is trapped in the valve housing and maintains the float valve at a high level in the valve housing as the heavy liquid in the tank outside the valve housing continues to recede in the tank until the light liquid communicates with the lower opening in the valve housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.