# US 4,400,274 A · Separator

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- Number: US 4,400,274 A
- Document ID: US4400274A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/277,146
- Filed: 1981-06-25
- Granted: 1983-08-23
- Earliest claimed: 1981-06-25
- Inventors: Bill K. Protos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4400274A

## CPC

- B01D 17/00: Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion (devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02)
- B01D 17/0211: {with baffles}
- B01D 17/0214: {with removal of one of the phases}
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

A separator for separating low and high density constituents of a liquid includes a tank. The tank has a liquid inlet, an opposing liquid outlet and an upper side drain. A filter is mounted in the tank adjacent the inlet for filtering its discharging liquids. An input dam is located downstream of the filter and extends upward a given height. The drain is positioned to draw from locations downstream of the dam. In one embodiment, the tank has a top panel extending across the tank, its upper edge near the drain. The panel is inclined upwardly to cause an upward liquid flow. An internal baffle may be mounted across the tank between the the outlet and the panel. This baffle is spaced from the bottom of the tank to provide an upwardly accelerating liquid flow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A separator for separating low and high density constituents of a liquid, comprising:
a tank having a liquid inlet, an opposing liquid outlet, a top panel extending across said tank and an upper drain near the upper edge of said panel, said panel being inclined upwardly to cause an upward liquid flow;
an internal baffle having an upstream and downstream side mounted across said tank between said outlet and said panel, said drain opening exclusively on said upstream side of said baffle, said baffle being spaced from the bottom of said tank to produce at said downstream side an upwardly accelerating liquid flow away from said drain;
a filter means affixed adjacent said inlet for filtering its discharging liquid, said tank having between said filter means and said inlet a lower opening;
an input and output dam mounted in said tank, each being spaced from the top of said tank, said outlet being spaced below the top of said output dam, whereby liquid cascades over said output dam; and
a pair of spaced, upstream baffles mounted in said tank upstream of said internal baffle, said upstream baffles being tilted backwards.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

a separator according to claim 1 wherein said panel has an upwardly inclining portion and wherein said internal baffle and said upwardly inclining portion of said panel are contiguous.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A separator according to claim 1 wherein said upstream baffles are spaced from the top and bottom of said tank.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A separator according to claim 1 wherein said input dam has a notched upper edge mounted in said tank between said filter means and said internal baffle, said input dam further comprising:
an input gate slidably mounted on said input dam to cover said notched upper edge an adjustable amount.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 4)

A separator according to claim 1 or 4 wherein said output dam has a notched upper edge mounted in said tank downstream of said internal baffle, said output dam further comprising:
an output gate slidably mounted on said output dam to cover said notched upper edge an adjustable amount, said outlet being spaced below the top of said output dam whereby cascading of liquid occurs over said gate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A separator according to claim 1 wherein said inlet comprises:
a pair of spaced ports;
an input line; and
a commutating valve for feeding said input line to either one of said ports, said filter means comprising a pair of adjacent catches, each positioned to filter liquid discharging from a different corresponding one of said ports, both of said catches commonly communicating to said drain, said outlet and said internal baffle.