US 4,543,182 AGranted

Parts washing and/or fluid recovery apparatus

AssigneeSolvent Extractors Inc.

InventorsJack A. Gramse, Jon C. Pierce

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Apparatus for recovery and reuse of parts cleaning fluid or similar fluid such as oil upon separation and removal from water, including a tank for receiving and collecting the water and fluid which floats atop the water. A removable shelf may be slidably mounted in the upper part of the tank for directing the fluid flow to the rear of the tank for channeled passage to a sludge collector. A box-like housing having a water discharge chamber partitioned by a plate-like baffle into water entry and outlet compartments which open to the upper part of the chamber that is vented to atmospheric pressure may be mounted in the lower part of the tank by associated fluid drain fittings. The outlet compartment has a drain whereas the water entry compartment has a relatively small inlet closely adjacent the bottom of the tank so that only water will flow into the water discharge chamber for automatic discharge from the tank upon the level thereof exceeding the height of the baffle. Also contained within the tank is a fluid reservoir which opens to the interior of the tank at a level higher than the height of the baffle for receipt and storage of fluid floating atop the water. A pump may be used to recycle the fluid, such fluid flowing through filters placed in the lower part of the reservoir and hoses terminating at a nozzle located above the tank. Also, a sight glass may be mounted in a side wall of the tank to permit visual observation of the respective fluid and water levels in the tank.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A fluid recovery and water discharge apparatus comprising an open top tank for receiving and collecting water and an immiscible fluid which has a specific gravity less than that of water whereby such fluid will float as a layer atop the water;

water depth control means for maintaining the water collected in the bottom part of said tank below a predetermined level, said water depth control means including a chamber located in the lower part of said tank, said chamber having a bottom wall and side walls for separating the interior of said chamber from fluid and water collected in the lower part of said tank, a baffle between opposite side walls of said chamber and extending upwardly in said chamber to divide said chamber into a water inlet compartment and a water outlet compartment which open to an upper part of said chamber at opposite sides of a top spill edge of said baffle located at the predetermined level which is below the height of said chamber side walls, an inlet means to said water inlet compartment positioned below the predetermined level to allow water collected in the bottom part of said tank to pass into said water inlet compartment, and water drain means opening to said water outlet compartment below the predetermined level, whereby when the water in said water inlet compartment exceeds the predetermined level, water will spill over said top spill edge of said baffle for removal from said water outlet compartment via said water drain means;
and fluid recovery means located in the lower part of said tank and opening to the interior of said tank at a top skimming edge located at an elevation slightly higher than said top spill edge of said baffle whereby such fluid floating atop the water will spill over said top skimming edge into said fluid recovery means, said chamber side walls extending above the elevation of said top skimming edge, and fluid outlet means opening to said fluid recovery means and leading from said fluid recovery means to the exterior of said tank, said fluid outlet means and water drain means being operable independently of one another to provide for simultaneous fluid skimming and water level control.

A cleaning fluid recovery and water discharge device for a parts washing apparatus including an open top tank for receiving and collecting water and an immiscible cleaning fluid which has a specific gravity less than that of water whereby the fluid will float as a layer atop the water, said device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in the lower part of the tank, said housing having a bottom wall and side walls for separating the interior thereof from such cleaning fluid and wash water collected in the lower part of the tank, an inner wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall and between said side walls dividing the interior of said housing to form a first chamber and a second chamber which are completely isolated from each other, a baffle extending upwardly from said bottom wall and between said side walls within said first chamber partitioning said first chamber into a first compartment and a second compartment which open to an upper part of said first chamber on opposite sides of said baffle, water inlet means below the height of said baffle for admitting water into said first comparment from outside said housing, water drain means opening to said second compartment below the height of said baffle for discharging water from said second compartment, cleaning fluid inlet means located above the height of said baffle for admitting into said second chamber cleaning fluid floating atop the water in the tank, said inner wall and side walls extending above the height of said cleaning fluid inlet means, and cleaning fluid outlet means opening to the bottom of said second chamber for removal of cleaning fluid therefrom, said cleaning fluid outlet means and water drain means being operable independently of one another to provide for simultaneous discharge of water and removal of cleaning fluid from said first and second chambers, respectively.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.