Fluid coolant cleaning system for machine tool applications
AssigneeH & W Systems Corporation
InventorsKemble Widmer, II, George F. Coogan, Bobby L. Heffner, Bryce E. Bairey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved conveyor system for machine tool cleaning applications comprises a sump internal to a machine tool, a recirculating system in fluid communication with the sump, a hinge belt conveyor, portions of which are interposed between the sump and the recirculating system for removing coarse solids from the fluid, and a fine filter interposed between the sump and the recirculating system for removing fine solids from the fluid.
Claims21
A fluid coolant cleaning system for machine tool cleaning applications that is particularly useful for removing both coarse and fine solid materials and materials that may be either responsive or unresponsive to magnetic removal, said system comprising:
- a sump internal to a machine tool for being used in conjunction with the machine tool for receiving fluids such as coolants that are used in the operation of the machine tool and that drain from the machine tool to said sump during operation of the machine tool;
- means internal to the machine tool in fluid communication with said sump for recirculating fluids from said sump to the machine tool for further use;
- a conveyor internal to the machine tool, portions of said conveyor being interposed between said sump and said recirculating means, said conveyor having respective upper and lower portions in said sump for moving in substantially parallel paths to one another and in respective opposite directions, for removing coarse solids that are carried by the fluid from the machine tool and which coarse solids are of the type that predominantly tend to sink in such fluids, portions of said conveyor being positioned to carry solids out of fluid communication with said recirculating means so that the coarse solids are not returned to the machine tool with the recirculating fluids;
- and
- a fine filter internal to the machine tool interposed between said sump and said recirculating means for removing fine solids from fluids, in which the fine solids are of the type that predominantly tend to float in such fluids so that said fine solids are similarly prevented from returning to said sump or to the machine tool with the recirculated fluids.
The combination of a machine tool such as a machining center or a lathe with an improved fluid coolant cleaning system for machine tool cleaning applications that is particularly useful for removing both coarse and fine solid materials and materials that may be either responsive or unresponsive to magnetic removal, said system comprising:
- a machine tool;
- a sump internal to said machine tool for being used in conjunction with said machine tool for receiving fluids such as coolants that are used in the operation of said machine tool and that drain from said machine tool to said sump during the operation of said machine tool;
- means in fluid communication with said sump for recirculating fluids from said sump to said machine tool for further use;
- a hinge belt conveyor, portions of said conveyor being interposed between said sump and said recirculating means for removing coarse solids that are carried by the fluid from said machine tool and which coarse solids are of the type that predominantly tend to sink in such fluids, and other portions of said conveyor being positioned to carry solids out of fluid communication with said recirculating means so that the coarse solids are not returned to said machine tool with the recirculating fluids;
- and
- a fine filter interposed between said sump and said recirculating means for removing fine solids from fluids, in which the fine solids are of the type that predominantly tend to float in such fluids so that said fine solids are similarly prevented from returning to said sump or to said machine tool with the recirculated fluids.
A method of removing both coarse and fine solids from the fluid coolant in a machine tool such as a machining center or a lathe, and in which the coarse solids are of the type that tend to sink in the fluid coolant and the fine solids are of the type that tend to swim or float in the fluid coolant, the method comprising:
- directing coolant containing fine and coarse solids to a sump internal to the machine tool and onto a conveyor in said sump and wherein the conveyor removes the coarse solids from the coolant;
- directing the coolant from which the coarse solids have been removed to a rotating drum filter internal to said machine tool and with a circumferential filtering surface that removes the fine solids from the coolant and returns the fine solids to the conveyor;
- and
- recirculating the coolant from which the coarse and fine solids have been removed to the machine tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.