Oil and chip skimmer
AssigneeAbanaki Corporation
InventorMark T. Hobson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A skimmer for removing oil and paramagnetic chips from a contaminated body of machine tool coolant. The skimmer includes a frame and an endless tube partially trained within the frame that defines a travel path. The path of the tube includes a first section within the body of coolant and a second section out of the body of coolant. The skimmer further includes a magnet disposed within the tube, a drive system mounted to the frame and operatively coupled to the tube to power travel of the tube, and a wiper connected to the frame at a position along the travel path. The wiper is advantageously positioned adjacent to the tube such that the wiper removes oil and metal chips carried by the tube. A receptacle is includes that delineates a collection space positioned below the wiper to receive oil and metal chips.
Claims27
A skimmer for removing hydrocarbon and metal chip contaminants from a body of coolant, the skimmer comprising:
- a) a frame structure for positioning above a body of coolant;
- b) an endless tube trained partially within said frame structure and defining a travel path, said path having a first section within said body of coolant and a second section out of said body of coolant;
- c) a magnet disposed within said tube;
- d) a drive system mounted to said frame structure and operatively coupled to said tube for powering said tube into and out of said body of coolant along said travel path;
- e) a wiper connected to said frame structure at a position along said travel path, wherein said wiper is positioned adjacent to said tube such that said wiper will wipe hydrocarbon and metal chip contaminants carried by said tube as said tube is in motion;
- and
- f) a receptacle delineating a collection space positioned below said wiper to receive wiper removed hydrocarbon and metal chip contaminants.
A method of removing hydrocarbon and metal chip contaminants from a body of water, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) positioning a plurality of magnets with an endless tube in spaced apart relationship;
- b) locating said endless tube within a drive system mounted to a frame structure and thereby positioning a portion of said tube in a body of coolant;
- c) operating said drive system to cause said endless tube to travel on a descending path into said body of coolant, thereby causing hydrocarbons and chips to collect on an outer surface of said tube, wherein said chips are magnetically joined to said plurality of magnets on said outer surface of said tube;
- d) continuing to operate said drive system to bring said tube on an ascending path to a wiper, said wiper connected to said frame structure and positioned adjacent to said tube;
- e) wiping hydrocarbons and chips adhering to said outer surface of said tube by passing said tube by said wiper;
- and
- f) collecting said wiped hydrocarbons and chips that fall by gravity into a receptacle positioned below said wiper.
An apparatus for removing oil and metal chips contaminants from the surface of a body of coolant, the skimmer comprising:
- a) a frame structure for positioning above a body of contaminated coolant;
- b) a housing mounted to said frame structure;
- c) an endless tube trained within said frame structure and having a descending reach within said body of coolant and an ascending reach out of said body of coolant;
- d) a plurality of magnets disposed within said tube in a spaced relationship;
- e) a drive system mounted to said frame structure and operatively coupled to said tube for powering travel of said tube into and out of said body of coolant along a travel path;
- f) an annular wiper connected to said frame structure and along an ascending travel path relative to said body of coolant, wherein an interior surface of said annular wiper is positioned adjacent to an outer surface of said tube;
- and
- g) a receptacle delineating a collection space positioned to receive gravity feed oil and metal chip contaminants that are removed by said annular wiper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.