Liquid separator

In a liquid separator for removing oil from a liquid body including an oil ingredient comprising the combination of:

• an endless belt fabricated from a material exhibiting oleophilic characteristics on its surface, said belt being disposed in an elongated substantially vertically extending loop when in use for conveying oil from said liquid body to a point of separation;
• a drive roller confined in the top loop of said belt mounted above said liquid body for imparting motion to said belt;
• a bottom roller within the bottom loop of said belt for retaining the belt within said liquid body;
• the provision of means designed for salvaging oil skimmed by the belt in a more efficient manner than wringer roll separators including a first doctoring roller downstream and spaced below said drive roller deflecting said belt inwardly from a normal downward flight line between said drive and bottom rollers to separate the oil on one surface of the belt from said surface and form a first trough between said roller and said belt surface for ggthering oil separated from said one surface of said belt;
• said first doctoring roller having a belt engaging arbor portion substantially the same width as said belt and cheeks diverging outwardly from the ends of said arbor portion defining oil channels on each edge of said belt in communication with said first trough providing a flow path for oil gathered in said first trough to the other surface of said belt for flow therealong downstream of said first doctoring roller;
• a second doctoring roller, downstream and spaced below said first doctoring roller deflecting said belt outwardly from said normal downward flight line to separate the oil on the surface of the belt and form a second trough between said roller and said belt other surface for gathering oil separated from said other surface of said belt;
• said second doctoring roller having a belt engaging arbor portion substantially the same width as said belt and cheeks extending substantially radially outward from the ends of said arbor portion blocking the flow of oil around said belt edges thus constraining the flow from said second trough to discharge by overflow therefrom for free falling from said second trough;
• said drive roller having means for precluding hydroplaning and unwanted belt slippage and providing a positive belt drive without significantly sacrificing the oil carrying capacity of the belt including adjacent arbor portions certain of which have a greater diameter than the diameter of other of said portions, the greater diameter portions contacting the belt, and the remaining portions having no contact with the belt to provide an area on the belt for liquid retention;
• and collector means below said first and second doctoring rollers for receiving oil falling from said first and second troughs.

In a liquid separator designed for salvaging oil skimmed by a belt from a liquid body having an oil ingredient in a more efficient and complete manner comprising the combination of:

• an endless belt of material exhibiting surface oleophilic characteristics disposed in an elongated substantially vertically extending loop;
• a bottom roller within the bottom end of the belt loop for retaining said belt bottom end within the liquid body;
• doctoring and collecting means above the liquid body and bottom roller and below the top of said loop in contact with said belt for dislodging and collecting oil carried by the belt from the liquid body;
• and means in engagement with the upper end of the belt for supporting the belt for movement in circuit from and to the bottom roller to and from positions above the liquid body and said doctoring and collecting means, said engagement means designed for precluding hydroplaning or unwanted belt slippage and to provide a positive belt drive without significantly scarificing the oil carrying capacity of the belt even if foreign material is carried by the belt including a roller having a plurality of coaxial adjacent arbor portions, each of certain of said arbor portions having a greater diameter than the diameters of each of certain other of said arbor portions and adapted to engage the belt over limited belt surface areas of contact to support the belt and allow the remaining areas of the belt to pass without engagement to the doctoring and collecting means for increased oil separation and collection.