Liquid separating and recycling

A single tank apparatus for removing dirt and oil and recycling cleaning solutions from parts washers and the like which comprises an open top tank, a cover for said tank, an upstanding baffle in the tank dividing the tank into side by side first and second compartments communicating at the bottom, a coalescer unit in the first compartment, a first adjustable level outlet at the top of said first compartment, a second adjustable level outlet at the top of said second compartment at a level below said first outlet, a filter mounted on the tank, an electric motor driven pump mounted on the tank, piping having an inlet for receiving solutions to be treated to convey the solutions through the pump, filter and coalescer unit into said first compartment to separate oil from the solution and to fill both compartments, additional piping connecting the adjustable level outlet of said second compartment back to the solution source of said piping inlet for maintaining the level of the solution in the second compartment below the level of a column of separated oil on the solution in the first compartment, a drain for the second adjustable level outlet, and further piping connecting the bottom of the tank with the pump inlet.

A recovery and recycling unit for positioning adjacent parts washers and the like to receive contaminated aqueous detergent solutions for removing the contaminants, separating tramp oil from the solutions and recycling the solutions back to the washer which comprises, an open top tank, a lid closing the open top of the tank, an upstanding baffle in the tank terminating above the bottom thereof dividing the tank into narrow and wide compartments in side by side relation and communicating at the bottom under the baffle, a first adjustable level outlet for the top of said wide compartment, a second adjustable level outlet for the top of said narrow compartment at a level below said outlet for the wide compartment, upstanding coalescer cartridges in the wide compartment, a filter mounted on the tank, a motor driven pump mounted on the tank, and valved piping for circulating the solution from the parts washer through the pump, filter and coalescer cartridges into the wide compartment to separate oil from the solution and fill both compartments to their adjustable level outlets with a column of separated oil on the solution in the wide compartment, additional piping flowing solution from the adjustable level outlet of the narrow compartment back to the parts washer, and a drain for the adjustable level outlet of said wide compartment.

The method of removing dirt and tramp oil from aqueous detergent solutions from industrial equipment which comprises, collecting a pond of used dirt and oil laden detergent solution, pumping solution from the bottom of the pond, simultaneously sucking solution from just below the top of the pond, filtering solid contaminants from the pumped solution, flowing the filtered solution through a coalescer unit into a surrounding pond, flowing solution from the bottom of said surrounding pond into the bottom of a second pond in side by side relation with said surrounding pond, allowing coalesced oil to rise to the top of the surrounding pond, forming a column of said coalesced oil at the top of said surrounding pond, draining the oil from the top of said column of the surrounding pond, controlling the level of said ponds to maintain a column of oil in said surrounding pond above the top level of the second pond, and continuously recirculating solution from the top of the second pond back to the collecting pond.

The method of removing in a tank dirt and tramp oil from used cleaning solutions from parts washers and the like industrial equipment which comprises, continuously circulating the used solutions through a filter mounted on the tank to remove solid contaminants and a coalescer in the tank to separate emulsified oil from the aqueous constituent of the solution, forming a first pond of the coalesced solution in the tank surrounding the coalescer, allowing oil to rise to the top of the first pond, flowing the aqueous solution from the bottom of the first pond upwardly through a second pond in the tank alongside the first pond, continuously returning the solution from the top of the second pond back to the source of the solution, controlling and maintaining the level of the second pond below the level of the first pond, collecting a column of oil in the first pond above the level of the second pond, and draining oil from the top of said column.