US20060143853A1 - Liquid separator for vacuum filter - Google Patents
Liquid separator for vacuum filter Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060143853A1 US20060143853A1 US11/026,391 US2639104A US2006143853A1 US 20060143853 A1 US20060143853 A1 US 20060143853A1 US 2639104 A US2639104 A US 2639104A US 2006143853 A1 US2006143853 A1 US 2006143853A1
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- Prior art keywords
- filter
- chamber
- valve
- float valve
- air chamber
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D45/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
- B01D45/04—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
- B01D46/0002—Casings; Housings; Frame constructions
- B01D46/0005—Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
- B01D46/0027—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours with additional separating or treating functions
- B01D46/003—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours with additional separating or treating functions including coalescing means for the separation of liquid
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
- B01D46/24—Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies
- B01D46/2403—Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies characterised by the physical shape or structure of the filtering element
- B01D46/2411—Filter cartridges
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
- B01D46/42—Auxiliary equipment or operation thereof
- B01D46/4272—Special valve constructions adapted to filters or filter elements
Definitions
- the invention relates to apparatus for removing and collecting droplets of water or other liquid in an in-line vacuum filter.
- This invention relates in general to air flow filter devices, and more particularly, to an industrial type in-line outer to inner flow vacuum filter with a transparent outer cylindrical enclosure so that a machine operator can easily see when it is time to disassemble and clean the filter of sediment and process debris buildup thereon equipped with “O” ring seals that are loose in the relaxed state facilitating repeated filter disassembly and reassembly yet subject to being drawn into the sealing state when a vacuum is drawn in the filter.
- spherical balls have been used in an effort to block the flow of collected water through the system.
- a hollow plastic ball is not aerodynamically shaped to form a suitable float valve in a system in which the flow rate of air is several hundred cubic feet per minute through a constricted area. The ball was drawn by rapidly moving air into outlet ports prematurely.
- the in-line vacuum filter disclosed herein is useable in a vacuum system including a filter cap having a central air chamber and arcuate slots formed in the lower surface of the cap, said arcuate slots being concentrically arranged around said central air chamber, said cap further having an inlet passage between the arcuate slots and an outlet passage communicating with the central air chamber.
- a transparent cylindrical enclosure extending into one of the arcuate slots forms an outer annular filter chamber.
- An inner liquid separator assembly is secured to the cap and extends into the outer annular filter chamber and has an inner cylindrical filter chamber formed therein.
- a cage having an upper end extending into one of said arcuate slots has an inner cylindrical filter chamber communicating with the annular outer filter chamber in the cylindrical enclosure and a float valve is movably mounted in said inner filter chamber in said cage, said float valve having a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface encircling a skirt portion and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface encircling an air chamber.
- the air chamber is filled with air or other gas to assist in controlling the buoyancy of the float valve.
- the float valve must be light enough to float in liquid collected in the filter chamber but heavy enough to prevent it from being prematurely drawn upwardly by the flow of air through the system.
- An upper portion extending across the upper end of said float valve forms an inverted cup shaped body with a top surface bounded by a beveled downwardly inclined conical sealing surface 95 , having an upper circular edge and a lower circular edge, and a ledge extending around the lower circular edge and outwardly to intersect with the upper end of cylindrical surface.
- a seal is provided on said cap adjacent the lower end of said central air chamber, said inclined conical sealing surface on said float valve moving into sealing relation with said seal when liquid accumulates in said outer filter chamber, said float valve being configured to float in accumulating liquid and to prevent the float valve being lifted by air flow through said inner filter chamber in said cage toward said central air chamber.
- the water line is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of the skirt portion and about 1 inch below the sealing surface to assure that the float valve will engage a seal on said cap adjacent the lower end of central air chamber before liquid is drawn into air chamber.
- the chamber forms an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift the float valve for positioning the sealing surface a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating.
- the upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve has a threaded hole formed in the lower surface to receive a threaded bolt for forming a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of the valve so that it floats at a level that prevents it being drawn by venturi effect into the central air chamber in the cap before a predetermined volume of liquid is collected in the annular outer filter chamber in the transparent cylindrical enclosure through which air flows en route to the filter element.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an in-line filter having a liquid separator mounted therein;
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an in-line filter having a liquid separator mounted therein;
- FIG. 3 is a crossectional view looking generally in the direction of the arrows taken substantially along line 3 - 3 of FIG. 1 .
- the numeral 10 generally designates a vacuum filter having a transparent outer cylindrical enclosure member 11 extending between a bottom filter plate 12 and a top filter cap 13 .
- Enclosure member 11 has indicia 11 a on the surface which reads, for example, “Stop Vacuum Pump, Drain Liquid at This Level,” to warn operators that water or other liquid should be drained by opening a drain valve (not shown) in passage 12 a.
- the top filter cap 13 has a threaded air inlet opening 16 , that is connectable to a vacuum pack machine through an air line (not shown), communicating through an arcuate passage 17 between the transparent outer cylindrical enclosure member 11 and the outer surface of a cylindrical filter screen 14 .
- Top filter cap 13 also has a center air chamber 19 , that is an upper extension of an inner cylindrical filter chamber 20 within an inner liquid separator assembly 15 , and therefrom a threaded air outlet opening 21 that is connectable to a vacuum pump through a vacuum line (not shown).
- stainless steel nipples 16 a and 21 a are screwed into inlet and outlet opening 16 and 21 .
- the outer enclosure member 11 is preferably a clear plastic tubular member with good optical properties and very high transparency formed of synthetic resinous material, such as acrylic, which is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) commonly known as by the brand names “Plexiglas” or “Lucite.” Acrylic is FDA approved, making it ideal for use in food service applications and offers a safe alternative to glass products, reducing problems with breakage and sanitation. “Plexiglas” is a registered trademark of Rohm & Haas Company. The material can be made with hydrophilic properties, which means that it has an affinity for water.
- synthetic resinous material such as acrylic, which is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) commonly known as by the brand names “Plexiglas” or “Lucite.” Acrylic is FDA approved, making it ideal for use in food service applications and offers a safe alternative to glass products, reducing problems with breakage and sanitation. “Plexiglas” is a registered trademark of Rohm & Haas Company. The material can be made with hydrophilic properties, which means that it
- Droplets of water or other liquid are attracted to and stick to the acrylic material and run down to the bottom of the clear plastic tubular member that forms outer enclosure member 11 , which is, for example 101 ⁇ 4 inches long and has an outside diameter of about 51 ⁇ 2 inches, with a wall thickness of one quarter inch.
- Air containing droplets of liquid will impinge the inner surface of member 11 where the water is collected on the inner surface of the clear plastic tubular member 11 .
- Arcuate slots 33 and 35 are formed in the lower surface of cap 13 and are concentrically arranged around a central air chamber 19 . Slots 33 and 35 have grooves 52 and 37 formed in inner walls in which O'ring seals 50 and 39 are mounted. The lower end of the wall 19 a of central air chamber 19 has a groove 99 formed in the lower end thereof in which an O'ring seal 98 is mounted.
- the transparent outer cylindrical enclosure member 11 and the inner liquid separator assembly 15 are held between the bottom filter plate 12 and the top filter cap 13 by a pair of stainless steel rods 22 threaded into threaded openings 23 in top filter cap 13 with the lower ends 27 of rods 22 extending through slots or openings 24 in bottom filter plate 12 and held in place by wing nuts 25 and washers 26 on the threaded lower ends 27 of rods 22 .
- Vacuum gauge 28 is threaded into a sleeve 28 a with internal and external threads secured in opening 29 in top filter cap 13 with opening 30 providing fluid communication with arcuate passage 17 that is an extension of an inlet opening 16 .
- Liquid separator assembly 15 comprises a cylindrical cage 60 and a float valve 80 .
- Cage 60 preferably has a cylindrical wall with a perforated central portion 62 and non-perforated upper and lower end portions 64 and 66 .
- a generally conical shaped deflector 70 has an upper end 72 , secure adjacent the upper end 63 of the upper non-perforated end portion 64 of the cylindrical cage 60 , and has an outwardly projecting lower end 74 positioned above the elevation of the lower edge 65 of the upper non-perforated end portion 64 of the cylindrical cage 60 .
- a mounting plate 61 is welded or otherwise secured to close the lower end 69 of the lower non-perforated lower end portion 66 of cylindrical cage 60 and an internally threaded nut 75 is welded to a central portion of mounting plate 61 .
- the upper end of a thread rod 76 is screwed into nut 75 and secured in place by a lock nut 75 a .
- thread rod 76 is screwed into a nut 77 through a washer 77 b and secured in place by a lock nut 77 a .
- nut 77 a is positioned in a hole 77 c in bottom plate 12 .
- Mounting plate 61 has a drain/vent opening 78 formed therein to permit flow of liquid and gas through mounting plate 61 into the lower non-perforated lower end portion 66 of cylindrical cage 60 .
- a piece of wire mesh 79 is spot welded over opening 78 to prevent entry of contaminants.
- the conical shaped deflector 70 directs air into engagement with the inner surface of the plexiglass tubular member 11 such that droplets of water or other liquid are collected on the inner surface of the clear plastic tubular member 11 .
- a float valve 80 is movably mounted in cage 60 and has a chamber 85 formed in a skirt portion 84 thereof.
- Float valve 80 has a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface 82 encircling the skirt portion 84 and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface 83 encircling the chamber 85 .
- An upper portion 86 extends across the upper end of valve 80 to form an inverted cup shaped body.
- a threaded hole 87 is formed in the center of the lower surface of upper portion 86 for receiving a threaded end on a bolt 88 , which functions as a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of valve 80 .
- Washers 88 a may be added or removed from bolt 88 to further adjust the weight of valve 80 .
- valve 80 The upper end 90 of valve 80 is beveled and has a top surface 92 bounded by a downwardly inclined conical sealing surface 95 , having an upper circular edge 91 and a lower circular edge 96 .
- a ledge 97 extends around the lower circular edge 96 and outwardly to intersect with the upper end of cylindrical surface 82 .
- the angle or inclination of sealing surface 95 is about 30 degrees relative to top surface 92 .
- a float valve 80 is preferably formed of high density polyethylene (HDPE) which can be used in a variety of applications and industries where excellent impact resistance, high tensile strength, low moisture absorption and chemical-and corrosion-resistance properties are required.
- the material is light weight and meets FDA/USA food handling guidelines.
- the float valve 80 is machined from round stock and has an outside diameter of 2.863 inches and an over-all height of 2.183 inches.
- the chamber 85 has a depth of 1.068 inches and a diameter of 2.443 inches.
- the diameter of the top surface 92 is 2.016 inches. Without the ballast bolt 88 , the weight of float valve 80 is 4.5 ounces. With the ballast bolt 88 installed, the weight is 5.5 ounces.
- the weight is preferably adjusted such that the float valve 80 will float with the lower half submerged in water.
- the water line is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of the skirt portion 84 and about 1 inch below the sealing surface 95 to assure that the float valve will engage a seal 98 on said cap 13 adjacent the lower end of central air chamber 19 before liquid is drawn into air chamber 19 .
- the chamber 85 forms an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift the float valve 80 for positioning the sealing surface 95 a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating.
- the outer surface 82 is closely spaced relative to the inner surface of the cage 60 to prevent tipping of the valve member 80 which would allow the trapped air to escape. However, it moves freely upwardly through the inner cylindrical filter chamber 20 in cylindrical cage 60 .
- the vacuum filter 10 is approximately 151 ⁇ 2 inches tall and the outside diameter of cap 13 is about 71 ⁇ 2 inches.
- the cylindrical cage 60 is 7 inches tall and has an outside diameter of 3 inches.
- the outer cylindrical filter screen 14 is a 60 mesh screen supported on a stainless steel cylindrical cage 60 , which is in turn supported by a 1 ⁇ 4 inch stainless steel thread rod 76 . It should be appreciated that the dimensions set forth herein are intended to assist in describing a specific embodiment of the general configuration of the invention and are not in any way limiting. The dimensions may change depending on operating conditions in other environments, such as air flow rate, pressure and other conditions that may vary for specific applications.
- the upper end of cylindrical cage 60 of liquid separator assembly 15 is received, in annular groove 33 in the top cap 13 to help keep sediment out of inner vacuum chamber 20 .
- the top of transparent cylindrical enclosure member 11 that is made of clear plexiglass tubing, is received in top plate annular groove 35 , and the bottom of enclosure member 11 is received in bottom plate annular groove 36 .
- O'ring 37 retained in inner rectangular in cross section annular groove 39 in the inner cylindrical wall of groove 35 , seals the top of enclosure member 11 to the top cap 13 against outside to vacuum filter air leakage.
- a flat gasket 38 in groove 36 in bottom plate 12 sealingly engages the lower end of tubular enclosure 11 .
- the “O” ring 37 and gasket 38 be generally loose sliding fits against the inner cylindrical surface of the enclosure member 11 at the top and against the end of enclosure 11 at the bottom thereof to permit frequent, perhaps daily, disassembly of the filter for cleaning of process debris and sediment from the filter screen 14 .
- the loose O'ring 37 and gasket 38 allow such frequent disassembly and reassembly without material wear and yet when a vacuum is drawn within the assembled filter structures the “O” ring 37 and gasket 38 are drawn up tight to seal the spacing tolerance between the inner edge of the grooves 39 and 40 and the inner cylindrical surface of the transparent enclosure member 11 from leakage flow of air from the outside to the inside of the vacuum filter 10 .
- the inner liquid separator assembly 15 is a structural support element supporting the outer cylindrical filter screen 14 that is in the form, for example, of wire cloth of 304 SS (stainless steel), 40 mesh, 0.010 diameter wire.
- the cage 60 of inner liquid separator assembly 15 has staggered relatively large holes 46 with, typically, specification 16 gauge 304 SS (stainless steel) 1 ⁇ 4′′ staggered, 0.250′′ diameter holes 5/16′′ CTR (center spacing) 58 percent open.
- the inner screen provides the structural support for the outer screen that does substantially all the system filtering without the inner screen materially impeding air flow through the filter screen assembly as induced by system vacuum pump suction.
- the machine operator may easily and quickly remove wing nuts 25 and the bottom plate 12 along with transparent enclosure member 11 , and the inner liquid separator assembly 15 and the outer filter screen 14 sub-assembly for quick wash flushing of process debris and sediment off and away from the outer surface of screen 14 .
- the lower plate 12 and cap 13 both may be made of high density polyethylene for long service life, sanitation and non-contamination reasons, enhanced ease of service and savings in cost.
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Abstract
A float valve 80, made of HDPE, is movably mounted in a stainless steel cage 60 in an in-line vacuum filter. The float valve has a chamber 85 formed in a skirt portion 84 thereof. Float valve 80 has a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface 82 encircling the skirt portion 84 and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface 83 encircling the chamber 85. A upper portion 86 extends across the upper end of valve 80 to form an inverted cup shaped body. The upper portion 86 extending across the upper end of said valve 80 has a threaded hole 87 formed therein to receive a threaded bolt 88 for forming a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of said valve 80 so that it floats at a level that prevents it being drawn by venturi effect into the central air chamber 19 before a predetermined volume of liquid is collected in the cylindrical enclosure 11 through which air flows en route to the filter element 14. The water line is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of the skirt portion 84 and about 1 inch below the sealing surface 95 to assure that the float valve will engage a seal 98 on said cap 13 adjacent the lower end of central air chamber 19 before liquid is drawn into air chamber 19. The chamber 85 forms an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift the float valve 80 for positioning the sealing surface 95 a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating.
Description
- The invention relates to apparatus for removing and collecting droplets of water or other liquid in an in-line vacuum filter.
- This invention relates in general to air flow filter devices, and more particularly, to an industrial type in-line outer to inner flow vacuum filter with a transparent outer cylindrical enclosure so that a machine operator can easily see when it is time to disassemble and clean the filter of sediment and process debris buildup thereon equipped with “O” ring seals that are loose in the relaxed state facilitating repeated filter disassembly and reassembly yet subject to being drawn into the sealing state when a vacuum is drawn in the filter.
- This application relates to improvements in devices of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,387, issued Oct. 1, 1985, to Charles G. Agerlid, entitled “Outer To Inner Flow Vacuum Filter With See Through Outer Enclosure,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
- It is important to know when filter elements in an industrial type in-line air filter need to be either service cleaned or replaced. Air vacuum filtering systems used in vacuum packaging of, for example, foods and other substances where sediment and some debris are drawn off to the air vacuum system in the vacuum pack process require good filtering be provided in protecting the system vacuum pump from damage and for efficient pumping action. This requires not only use of a good filter but also knowing by visual inspection when a filter should be disassembled and cleaned. Further, it is important that service work requirements be as convenient as possible to facilitate quick and easy efficient service cleaning of filter air filtration elements. It is important that the vacuum system pull an adequate vacuum at the vacuum pack location and not just down stream from the filter. If the filtration elements are heavily clogged with sediment silt and process debris the vacuum system is reduced to not pulling an adequate vacuum to properly vacuum pack food and other product ingredients to provide proper protection from deterioration. Further, debris and sediment passed through a filter to a vacuum pump and some through the pump can possibly contaminate the environment where sanitation considerations are quite important. Furthermore, it is also important that vacuum system filter systems be cleaned of food debris often enough that undesired spoilage and bacteria growth are kept under control and the vacuum system is up to health and safety standards at all times. With frequent filter disassembly and reassembly for filter cleaning and servicing seal wear and damage can be and in many seal structures is a serious problem.
- It is also important that droplets of water or other liquid be collected and efficiently removed from air flowing through the filter. Heretofore, spherical balls have been used in an effort to block the flow of collected water through the system. However, a hollow plastic ball is not aerodynamically shaped to form a suitable float valve in a system in which the flow rate of air is several hundred cubic feet per minute through a constricted area. The ball was drawn by rapidly moving air into outlet ports prematurely.
- A long felt need exists for a float valve for use in vacuum filter systems which is suitable for use in close proximity to high velocity air streams that permits collection of water and blocks flow of water out of the filter to the vacuum pump under normal operating conditions.
- The in-line vacuum filter disclosed herein is useable in a vacuum system including a filter cap having a central air chamber and arcuate slots formed in the lower surface of the cap, said arcuate slots being concentrically arranged around said central air chamber, said cap further having an inlet passage between the arcuate slots and an outlet passage communicating with the central air chamber. A transparent cylindrical enclosure extending into one of the arcuate slots forms an outer annular filter chamber. An inner liquid separator assembly is secured to the cap and extends into the outer annular filter chamber and has an inner cylindrical filter chamber formed therein.
- A cage, having an upper end extending into one of said arcuate slots has an inner cylindrical filter chamber communicating with the annular outer filter chamber in the cylindrical enclosure and a float valve is movably mounted in said inner filter chamber in said cage, said float valve having a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface encircling a skirt portion and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface encircling an air chamber. The air chamber is filled with air or other gas to assist in controlling the buoyancy of the float valve. The float valve must be light enough to float in liquid collected in the filter chamber but heavy enough to prevent it from being prematurely drawn upwardly by the flow of air through the system.
- An upper portion extending across the upper end of said float valve forms an inverted cup shaped body with a top surface bounded by a beveled downwardly inclined
conical sealing surface 95, having an upper circular edge and a lower circular edge, and a ledge extending around the lower circular edge and outwardly to intersect with the upper end of cylindrical surface. - A seal is provided on said cap adjacent the lower end of said central air chamber, said inclined conical sealing surface on said float valve moving into sealing relation with said seal when liquid accumulates in said outer filter chamber, said float valve being configured to float in accumulating liquid and to prevent the float valve being lifted by air flow through said inner filter chamber in said cage toward said central air chamber.
- The water line is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of the skirt portion and about 1 inch below the sealing surface to assure that the float valve will engage a seal on said cap adjacent the lower end of central air chamber before liquid is drawn into air chamber. The chamber forms an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift the float valve for positioning the sealing surface a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating.
- The upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve has a threaded hole formed in the lower surface to receive a threaded bolt for forming a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of the valve so that it floats at a level that prevents it being drawn by venturi effect into the central air chamber in the cap before a predetermined volume of liquid is collected in the annular outer filter chamber in the transparent cylindrical enclosure through which air flows en route to the filter element.
- A specific embodiment representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
- Drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention are annexed hereto so that the invention may be better and more fully understood, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an in-line filter having a liquid separator mounted therein; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an in-line filter having a liquid separator mounted therein; and -
FIG. 3 is a crossectional view looking generally in the direction of the arrows taken substantially along line 3-3 ofFIG. 1 . - Numeral references are employed to designate like parts throughout the various Figures of the drawing.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, thenumeral 10 generally designates a vacuum filter having a transparent outercylindrical enclosure member 11 extending between abottom filter plate 12 and atop filter cap 13.Enclosure member 11 has indicia 11 a on the surface which reads, for example, “Stop Vacuum Pump, Drain Liquid at This Level,” to warn operators that water or other liquid should be drained by opening a drain valve (not shown) inpassage 12 a. - The
top filter cap 13 has a threaded air inlet opening 16, that is connectable to a vacuum pack machine through an air line (not shown), communicating through anarcuate passage 17 between the transparent outercylindrical enclosure member 11 and the outer surface of acylindrical filter screen 14.Top filter cap 13 also has acenter air chamber 19, that is an upper extension of an innercylindrical filter chamber 20 within an innerliquid separator assembly 15, and therefrom a threaded air outlet opening 21 that is connectable to a vacuum pump through a vacuum line (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment,stainless steel nipples - The
outer enclosure member 11 and is preferably a clear plastic tubular member with good optical properties and very high transparency formed of synthetic resinous material, such as acrylic, which is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) commonly known as by the brand names “Plexiglas” or “Lucite.” Acrylic is FDA approved, making it ideal for use in food service applications and offers a safe alternative to glass products, reducing problems with breakage and sanitation. “Plexiglas” is a registered trademark of Rohm & Haas Company. The material can be made with hydrophilic properties, which means that it has an affinity for water. Droplets of water or other liquid are attracted to and stick to the acrylic material and run down to the bottom of the clear plastic tubular member that formsouter enclosure member 11, which is, for example 10¼ inches long and has an outside diameter of about 5½ inches, with a wall thickness of one quarter inch. - Air containing droplets of liquid will impinge the inner surface of
member 11 where the water is collected on the inner surface of the clear plastictubular member 11. - Arcuate
slots cap 13 and are concentrically arranged around acentral air chamber 19.Slots grooves 52 and 37 formed in inner walls in which O'ringseals wall 19 a ofcentral air chamber 19 has agroove 99 formed in the lower end thereof in which anO'ring seal 98 is mounted. - The transparent outer
cylindrical enclosure member 11 and the innerliquid separator assembly 15 are held between thebottom filter plate 12 and thetop filter cap 13 by a pair ofstainless steel rods 22 threaded into threadedopenings 23 intop filter cap 13 with thelower ends 27 ofrods 22 extending through slots oropenings 24 inbottom filter plate 12 and held in place bywing nuts 25 andwashers 26 on the threadedlower ends 27 ofrods 22.Vacuum gauge 28 is threaded into asleeve 28 a with internal and external threads secured in opening 29 intop filter cap 13 with opening 30 providing fluid communication witharcuate passage 17 that is an extension of aninlet opening 16. -
Liquid separator assembly 15 comprises acylindrical cage 60 and afloat valve 80.Cage 60 preferably has a cylindrical wall with a perforatedcentral portion 62 and non-perforated upper andlower end portions - A generally conical
shaped deflector 70 has anupper end 72, secure adjacent theupper end 63 of the uppernon-perforated end portion 64 of thecylindrical cage 60, and has an outwardly projectinglower end 74 positioned above the elevation of the lower edge 65 of the uppernon-perforated end portion 64 of thecylindrical cage 60. Amounting plate 61 is welded or otherwise secured to close the lower end 69 of the lower non-perforatedlower end portion 66 ofcylindrical cage 60 and an internally threaded nut 75 is welded to a central portion ofmounting plate 61. The upper end of athread rod 76 is screwed into nut 75 and secured in place by alock nut 75 a. The lower end ofthread rod 76 is screwed into anut 77 through awasher 77 b and secured in place by alock nut 77 a. As illustrated inFIG. 3 ,nut 77 a is positioned in a hole 77 c inbottom plate 12.Mounting plate 61 has a drain/vent opening 78 formed therein to permit flow of liquid and gas throughmounting plate 61 into the lower non-perforatedlower end portion 66 ofcylindrical cage 60. A piece ofwire mesh 79 is spot welded over opening 78 to prevent entry of contaminants. - The conical shaped
deflector 70 directs air into engagement with the inner surface of theplexiglass tubular member 11 such that droplets of water or other liquid are collected on the inner surface of the clear plastictubular member 11. - A
float valve 80 is movably mounted incage 60 and has achamber 85 formed in askirt portion 84 thereof.Float valve 80 has a generally cylindrical shapedouter surface 82 encircling theskirt portion 84 and a generally cylindrical shapedinner surface 83 encircling thechamber 85. Anupper portion 86 extends across the upper end ofvalve 80 to form an inverted cup shaped body. A threadedhole 87 is formed in the center of the lower surface ofupper portion 86 for receiving a threaded end on abolt 88, which functions as a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight ofvalve 80.Washers 88 a may be added or removed frombolt 88 to further adjust the weight ofvalve 80. - The upper end 90 of
valve 80 is beveled and has atop surface 92 bounded by a downwardly inclinedconical sealing surface 95, having an uppercircular edge 91 and a lowercircular edge 96. A ledge 97 extends around the lowercircular edge 96 and outwardly to intersect with the upper end ofcylindrical surface 82. The angle or inclination of sealingsurface 95 is about 30 degrees relative totop surface 92. - A
float valve 80 is preferably formed of high density polyethylene (HDPE) which can be used in a variety of applications and industries where excellent impact resistance, high tensile strength, low moisture absorption and chemical-and corrosion-resistance properties are required. The material is light weight and meets FDA/USA food handling guidelines. In the illustrated embodiment, thefloat valve 80 is machined from round stock and has an outside diameter of 2.863 inches and an over-all height of 2.183 inches. Thechamber 85 has a depth of 1.068 inches and a diameter of 2.443 inches. The diameter of thetop surface 92 is 2.016 inches. Without theballast bolt 88, the weight offloat valve 80 is 4.5 ounces. With theballast bolt 88 installed, the weight is 5.5 ounces. The weight is preferably adjusted such that thefloat valve 80 will float with the lower half submerged in water. The water line is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of theskirt portion 84 and about 1 inch below the sealingsurface 95 to assure that the float valve will engage aseal 98 on saidcap 13 adjacent the lower end ofcentral air chamber 19 before liquid is drawn intoair chamber 19. Thechamber 85 forms an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift thefloat valve 80 for positioning the sealing surface 95 a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating. Theouter surface 82 is closely spaced relative to the inner surface of thecage 60 to prevent tipping of thevalve member 80 which would allow the trapped air to escape. However, it moves freely upwardly through the innercylindrical filter chamber 20 incylindrical cage 60. - In the illustrated embodiment, the
vacuum filter 10 is approximately 15½ inches tall and the outside diameter ofcap 13 is about 7½ inches. In the illustrated embodiment, thecylindrical cage 60 is 7 inches tall and has an outside diameter of 3 inches. The outercylindrical filter screen 14 is a 60 mesh screen supported on a stainless steelcylindrical cage 60, which is in turn supported by a ¼ inch stainlesssteel thread rod 76. It should be appreciated that the dimensions set forth herein are intended to assist in describing a specific embodiment of the general configuration of the invention and are not in any way limiting. The dimensions may change depending on operating conditions in other environments, such as air flow rate, pressure and other conditions that may vary for specific applications. - The upper end of
cylindrical cage 60 ofliquid separator assembly 15 is received, inannular groove 33 in thetop cap 13 to help keep sediment out ofinner vacuum chamber 20. The top of transparentcylindrical enclosure member 11, that is made of clear plexiglass tubing, is received in top plateannular groove 35, and the bottom ofenclosure member 11 is received in bottom plateannular groove 36. O'ring 37, retained in inner rectangular in cross sectionannular groove 39 in the inner cylindrical wall ofgroove 35, seals the top ofenclosure member 11 to thetop cap 13 against outside to vacuum filter air leakage. Aflat gasket 38 ingroove 36 inbottom plate 12 sealingly engages the lower end oftubular enclosure 11. It is important that the “O” ring 37 andgasket 38 be generally loose sliding fits against the inner cylindrical surface of theenclosure member 11 at the top and against the end ofenclosure 11 at the bottom thereof to permit frequent, perhaps daily, disassembly of the filter for cleaning of process debris and sediment from thefilter screen 14. The loose O'ring 37 andgasket 38 allow such frequent disassembly and reassembly without material wear and yet when a vacuum is drawn within the assembled filter structures the “O” ring 37 andgasket 38 are drawn up tight to seal the spacing tolerance between the inner edge of thegrooves 39 and 40 and the inner cylindrical surface of thetransparent enclosure member 11 from leakage flow of air from the outside to the inside of thevacuum filter 10. - The inner
liquid separator assembly 15 is a structural support element supporting the outercylindrical filter screen 14 that is in the form, for example, of wire cloth of 304 SS (stainless steel), 40 mesh, 0.010 diameter wire. Thecage 60 of innerliquid separator assembly 15 has staggered relativelylarge holes 46 with, typically,specification 16 gauge 304 SS (stainless steel) ¼″ staggered, 0.250″ diameter holes 5/16″ CTR (center spacing) 58 percent open. Thus, the inner screen provides the structural support for the outer screen that does substantially all the system filtering without the inner screen materially impeding air flow through the filter screen assembly as induced by system vacuum pump suction. Further, when it becomes apparent thatscreen 14 should be cleaned of sediment and process debris buildup thereon either visually through the transparent outercylindrical enclosure member 11 and/or by excessive vacuum indication onvacuum gauge 28 the machine operator may easily and quickly removewing nuts 25 and thebottom plate 12 along withtransparent enclosure member 11, and the innerliquid separator assembly 15 and theouter filter screen 14 sub-assembly for quick wash flushing of process debris and sediment off and away from the outer surface ofscreen 14. It may be of interest to note that thelower plate 12 andcap 13 both may be made of high density polyethylene for long service life, sanitation and non-contamination reasons, enhanced ease of service and savings in cost. - Terms such as “left,”” “right,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” and “down” when used in reference to the drawings, generally refer to orientation of the parts in the illustrated embodiment and not necessarily during use. These terms used herein are meant only to refer to relative positions and/or orientations, for convenience, and are not to be understood to be in any manner otherwise limiting.
- Whereas this invention has been described with respect to several embodiments thereof, it should be realized that various changes may be made without departure from the essential contributions to the art made by the teachings hereof.
Claims (9)
1. An in-line vacuum filter useable in a vacuum system including a filter cap having a central air chamber and arcuate slots formed in the lower surface of said cap, said arcuate slots being concentrically arranged around said central air chamber, said cap further having an inlet passage between said arcuate slots and an outlet passage communicating with said central air chamber; a cylindrical enclosure extending into one of the arcuate slots forming an outer annular filter chamber, the improvement comprising:
an inner liquid separator assembly secured to the cap, said liquid separator assembly extending into said outer annular filter chamber;
a cage in said liquid separator assembly having an upper end extending into one of said arcuate slots, said cage having an inner cylindrical filter chamber communicating with said annular outer filter chamber and with said central air chamber;
a float valve movably mounted in said inner filter chamber in said cage, said float valve having a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface encircling a skirt portion and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface encircling an air chamber;
a upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve to form an inverted cup shaped body;
a top surface bounded by a downwardly inclined conical sealing surface, having an upper circular edge and a lower circular edge; and
a seal on said cap adjacent the lower end of said central air chamber, said inclined conical sealing surface on said float valve moving into sealing relation with said seal when liquid accumulates in said outer filter chamber, said float valve being configured to float in accumulating liquid and to prevent the float valve being lifted by air flow through said inner filter chamber in said cage toward said central air chamber.
2. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 1 , said a upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve having a threaded hole formed therein; and
a threaded bolt forming a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of said valve.
3. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 1 , said outer wall of central air chamber has a groove formed in the lower end thereof in which an O'ring seal is mounted.
4. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 1 , said seal on said cap adjacent the lower end of said central air chamber comprising: an O'ring seal in a groove formed in said central air chamber.
5. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 1 , said cylindrical enclosure extending into one of the arcuate slots forming an outer annular filter chamber comprises: a transparent cylindrical tube with indicia thereon to provide visual indication of the amount of liquid that has accumulated in said outer annular filter chamber.
6. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 1 , wherein said filter element means is two cylindrical concentric filter elements with the first element a fine mesh screen filter outer element; and the second element a structural support filter inner element having larger through air flow openings therein than the openings in said fine mesh screen filter outer element.
7. A liquid separator assembly configured to be mounted in an annular filter chamber in a vacuum filter, comprising:
a cage in said liquid separator assembly having an upper end, said cage having an inner cylindrical filter chamber;
a float valve movably mounted in said inner filter chamber in said cage, said float valve having a generally cylindrical shaped outer surface encircling a skirt portion and a generally cylindrical shaped inner surface encircling an air chamber;
a upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve to form an inverted cup shaped body;
a top surface bounded by a downwardly inclined conical sealing surface, having an upper circular edge and a lower circular edge, said air chamber forming an air pocket in which air is trapped to lift the float valve for positioning the sealing surface a predetermined distance above the surface of water or other liquid in which it is floating.
8. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 7 , said a upper portion extending across the upper end of said valve having a threaded hole formed therein; and
a threaded bolt forming a ballast to permit adjustment of the weight of said valve.
9. An in-line vacuum filter according to claim 8 , with the addition of means for adjusting the weight of said float valve such that it will float with the lower half submerged in liquid wherein said float valve is positioned such that the surface of liquid is about 1 inch above the bottom edge of the skirt portion and about 1 inch below the sealing surface.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/026,391 US20060143853A1 (en) | 2004-12-30 | 2004-12-30 | Liquid separator for vacuum filter |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/026,391 US20060143853A1 (en) | 2004-12-30 | 2004-12-30 | Liquid separator for vacuum filter |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060143853A1 true US20060143853A1 (en) | 2006-07-06 |
Family
ID=36638700
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/026,391 Abandoned US20060143853A1 (en) | 2004-12-30 | 2004-12-30 | Liquid separator for vacuum filter |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20060143853A1 (en) |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080000045A1 (en) * | 2006-06-28 | 2008-01-03 | Kuo-Chin Cho | Vacuum dust-collecting barrel loaded on a movable loading frame |
US20090307866A1 (en) * | 2008-06-16 | 2009-12-17 | Oneida Air Systems, Inc. | Shop Vacuum Cleaner with Cyclonic Separator |
US20130098405A1 (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2013-04-25 | Gregory Boltus | Self-limiting vacuum nozzle and methods for using same |
US20150059300A1 (en) * | 2013-08-30 | 2015-03-05 | American Sterilizer Company | Compact filter assembly for removing oil mist and odor from an airstream |
WO2020003058A1 (en) * | 2018-06-26 | 2020-01-02 | Atlas Copco Airpower, Naamloze Vennootschap | Filter device and method for installing such filter device |
CN111025517A (en) * | 2019-12-29 | 2020-04-17 | 西北核技术研究院 | Particle field holographic 4F imaging system and method based on filtering |
CN111025518A (en) * | 2019-12-29 | 2020-04-17 | 西北核技术研究院 | Particle field holographic 4F imaging device based on filtering |
USD917807S1 (en) * | 2020-04-17 | 2021-04-27 | Li Tian | Cyclone dust collector |
WO2021085390A1 (en) * | 2019-10-30 | 2021-05-06 | 三菱重工エンジン&ターボチャージャ株式会社 | Element device and mist separator having element device |
US11071931B1 (en) | 2018-12-28 | 2021-07-27 | United Launch Alliance, L.L.C. | Self-cleaning inline filter |
BE1030389B1 (en) * | 2022-04-11 | 2024-03-14 | Atlas Copco Wuxi Compressor Co Ltd | MOUNTING DEVICE FOR FILTER ELEMENT AND AIR BLOWER |
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Cited By (17)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080000045A1 (en) * | 2006-06-28 | 2008-01-03 | Kuo-Chin Cho | Vacuum dust-collecting barrel loaded on a movable loading frame |
US20090307866A1 (en) * | 2008-06-16 | 2009-12-17 | Oneida Air Systems, Inc. | Shop Vacuum Cleaner with Cyclonic Separator |
US8161597B2 (en) * | 2008-06-16 | 2012-04-24 | Oneida Air Systems, Inc. | Shop vacuum cleaner with cyclonic separator |
US20130098405A1 (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2013-04-25 | Gregory Boltus | Self-limiting vacuum nozzle and methods for using same |
US9089882B2 (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2015-07-28 | Gregory Boltus | Self-limiting vacuum nozzle and methods for using same |
US20150059300A1 (en) * | 2013-08-30 | 2015-03-05 | American Sterilizer Company | Compact filter assembly for removing oil mist and odor from an airstream |
US9120042B2 (en) * | 2013-08-30 | 2015-09-01 | American Sterilizer Company | Compact filter assembly for removing oil mist and odor from an airstream |
BE1026434B1 (en) * | 2018-06-26 | 2020-02-03 | Atlas Copco Airpower Nv | Filter device and method for mounting such filter device |
WO2020003058A1 (en) * | 2018-06-26 | 2020-01-02 | Atlas Copco Airpower, Naamloze Vennootschap | Filter device and method for installing such filter device |
US11071931B1 (en) | 2018-12-28 | 2021-07-27 | United Launch Alliance, L.L.C. | Self-cleaning inline filter |
WO2021085390A1 (en) * | 2019-10-30 | 2021-05-06 | 三菱重工エンジン&ターボチャージャ株式会社 | Element device and mist separator having element device |
JP2021071079A (en) * | 2019-10-30 | 2021-05-06 | 三菱重工エンジン&ターボチャージャ株式会社 | Element device and mist separator including element device |
JP7323427B2 (en) | 2019-10-30 | 2023-08-08 | 三菱重工エンジン&ターボチャージャ株式会社 | Mist separator with element device and element device |
CN111025517A (en) * | 2019-12-29 | 2020-04-17 | 西北核技术研究院 | Particle field holographic 4F imaging system and method based on filtering |
CN111025518A (en) * | 2019-12-29 | 2020-04-17 | 西北核技术研究院 | Particle field holographic 4F imaging device based on filtering |
USD917807S1 (en) * | 2020-04-17 | 2021-04-27 | Li Tian | Cyclone dust collector |
BE1030389B1 (en) * | 2022-04-11 | 2024-03-14 | Atlas Copco Wuxi Compressor Co Ltd | MOUNTING DEVICE FOR FILTER ELEMENT AND AIR BLOWER |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CHARLES G. AGERLID, DBA CLEAR-VU VACUUM FILTER CO, Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AGERLID, CHRISTOPHER;REEL/FRAME:016346/0187 Effective date: 20041230 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO PAY ISSUE FEE |