Compound separation device

In a compound separation device having a plurality of separators for removing suspended components from a liquid, including a basin and first and second separators which are arranged in said basin, said separators including corrugated plates defining separation passages therebetween, means mounting the separators at an inclined orientation relative to the horizontal, each separator including an inlet and an outlet and means to remove components which are separated, the basin including inlet means and outlet means and means forming compartments for collecting components separated from the liquid, said inlet means further comprising first and second supply ducts and said outlet means further comprising first and second discharge ducts, the inlet of said first separator being connected to said first supply duct and the outlet of said first separator being connected to said first discharge duct, the inlet of said second separator being connected to said second supply duct and the outlet of said second separator being connected to said second discharge duct, said first supply duct supplying the liquid to be treated, said second discharge duct providing a discharge for the treated liquid, common connecting means to provide a passage for liquid flow from the outlet of said first separator to the inlet of said second separator, the improvement comprising:

• flow switching means associated with said common connecting means and operable in a first position to effect series flow from the outlet of said first separator to the inlet of said second separator and operable in a second position to block the series flow and to effect parallel flow from said inlet means to the inlets of each of said first and second separators and to permit the flow from the outlet of the first separator to be merged with the flow from the outlet of the second separator, said flow switching means further comprising first closing means separating in said first position said first and second supply ducts from one another and second closing means separating in said first position said first and second discharge ducts from one another, such that said first discharge duct communicates with said second supply duct via said common connecting means to produce serial flow when said flow switching means are in said first position, said first closing means closing off in said second position said common connecting means from said second supply duct and joining said first and said second supply ducts, said second closing means closing off in said second position said common connecting means from said first discharge duct and joining said first and said second discharge ducts such that parallel flow is effected when said flow switching means are in said second position.