US2491801A - Centrifugal liquid cleaner - Google Patents

Description

@um mi, 'WLQ M. DEHRIEY LB-@LWR .CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID CLEANERS Filed June 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l DEERE??? Um. 21% w49 CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID GLEAN'RS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1946 mw; CU), RM@ v M. Ummm' ALB GENTRIFUGAL LIQUID CLEANERS Filed June 5' 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Elmzr Z h 7 y J5 /2/ 'Y IN VEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 20. 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE 4 Claims.

The invention aims to provide a new and improved device for centrifugally separating foreign matter from a liquid and depositing the separated foreign matter, commonly known as sludge, in a sump, from which `it may be periodically drained to keep the device in perfect working condition.

The device is particularly adapted for continuously cleaning engine lubricating oil and cooling liquids used in some types f machines and is, therefore, useable toY advantage in place of custoniary lters which require periodic replacement of filter cartridges instead of mere draining off of accumulated sludge.

Figure l of the` accompanying drawings is a vertical sectional View of one form of cleaner constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional view-s substantially on lines 2--2 and 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing another form of construction.

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The construction shown in the drawings will be rather specically described but attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In Figs. 1 to 3, a casing 5 is provided,` said casing having a verticalV cylindrical side wall 6, a dome-like top l and a cupped bottom 8. A suitable flange-gasket-and-bolt connection 9 is shown between the top l and the side wall 6, and the bottom 3 is permanently connected with said side wall. A mounting bracket 3l] is provided on wall 6.

An upper partition disk IIJ extends across the casing 5 and is anchored at itsV peripheral edge by means of the connection 9, said partition disk ill being declined from said edge to its center and having an opening II at the latter; and a lower partition disk I2 extends across said casing and divides the latter into an upper liquid-cleaning chamber I3 and a lower sump chamber I4. This lower partition disk I2 has a flat outer portion the peripheral edge of which is spaced inwardly from the side wall 6 to provide a continuous passage !5 placing the two chambers I3 and I4 in communication with each other. The lower partition disk i2 has a raised central portion and its intermediate portion declines from said central portion to said flat outer portion. The lower partition disk I2 is provided in its declined intermediate portion with openings I'Za and is centrally secured at I5 to the lower end of a central verticalV shaft I'I which is securedto and projects downwardly from the casing top l, said shaft extending centrally through the opening II. In the presentdisclosure, the upper end of the shaft Il is threaded into the lower end of a liquid outlet connection EB, said connection i8 being secured in a central opening in the cone-shaped casing top 'i and adapted for connecting a hose or pipe to the casing 5 to conduct the cleaned liquid from said casing. The portion of the shaft i? between the two partition disks I0 and I2 is rotatably surrounded by the hub I9 of a paddle wheel 2t; and a liquid inlet connection 2|, for connection with a liquid conducting hose or pipe, is secured in an opening in the casing side wall 5 at the periphery of said paddle wheel, said connection being substantially midway of the height of the chamber I3. The connection 2| has a liquid-injectingv opening 22 for circumferentially directing a jet of liquid in the cleaning chamber I3 and against the paddles 23 of the paddle wheel ZIJ. IhiswvheelV ZIJ has openings 26a near its center.

Radial upright1 baffles 24 are located in the sump chamber Ill, and a drain valve 25 is pro vided for the lower end of said chamber |41 in the center of the inverted cone-shaped bottom wall` il. Said valve is held normally closed by means of a spring 26 and carries a yoke 2l against which a` cam or the like may be upwardly pushed to eiiect valve opening. To admit air to the casing 5 and` permit sump draining, through holes 25a, a` suitable spring-closed, manuallyopened `valve 28 has been shown. It will be noted that the radial upright bailles 2li have their outer edges in contact with the side wall t and the bottomwall 8, and that their upper edges are spaced below the raised central and intermediate p0rtion-s of the partition I2 while their lower edges are spaced Aabove Athe valve 25.

The liquid to be cleaned is forced into the casing throughtheinlet connection 2l, rotates the paddle wheel 20, and gradually fills said casing. During this initial filling, as soon as the liquid rises to the paddle wheel 20, said liquid will be circumferentially whirled by said wheel, and when the liquid rises Vabove the jet opening 22, the incoming liquid jet alsoacts directly on the rising body of liquid t0 exert a whirling force. Due `to the whirling ofthe liquid, relatively heavy foreign matter, in suspension in said liquid, will be centrifugally thrown against the side wall 6 and will gravitate through the passage i5 into the sump chamber I4, and the cleaned liquid will rise through the opening i I, and when it reaches the outlet connection I8, will gradually discharge. The liquid and foreignmatter entering the sump chamber le are quieted by the baffles 24 and the foreign matter settles to the lower end of -said sump chamber, the liquid in the upper portion of this chamber being, therefore, comparatively clean. Foreign matter descending into the sump chamber I4 through the passage I5, must displace liquid from the upper end of said sump chamber I4 and this liquid rises through the openings I2a into the central zone of the cleaning chamber I3 without mingling with the descending foreign matter and is subjected to rewhirling and re-cleaning. Any foreign matter descending onto the lower partition I2 will be directed toward the passage I5 for entrance into the sump chamber Ill, and any which has passed the upper partition I0 will gravitate onto said partition, descend through the opening II and enter the cleaning chamber I3 where it will be further subjected to the Separating action. The openings a in the paddle wheel 20 permit the relatively quiet liquid at the center of the whirling body to ascend with little agitation toward the opening I I for upward flow to the outlet connection |81, but if a spoke-type wheel were used, these openings would not be necessary. Periodically, the sludge must be drained from the sump by opening the valve 25. When this is done, the air admission valve 28 must be opened to admit air unless the installation be such that air can enter through the outlet line. Otherwise the sump could be drained only very slowly if at all. After each draining, the device will again operate efciently for a period of time depending of course upon the quantity of foreign matter with which the liquid is laden.

Attention is invited to the fact that upward removal of the casing top 'I will effect upward withdrawal of the shaft I'I, partition IU, paddle `wheel 2e and partition I 2, unitarily with said top 1. This is of advantage should it be necessary to disassemble the apparatus for any reason and when reassembling. Then too, the unitary connection of these element-s is of particular advantage when initially assembling at the factory.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a simplified construction is disclosed having no paddle wheel and no upper partition. The elements used in the construction have been given the same reference numbers as the corresponding elements of Fig-s. 1 to 3, plus the exponent b, and the only additional explanations necessary are that the partition IZb is welded at 29 to the baffles 24h, and the jet of liquid from the opening 22D of the inlet connection 2lb alone acts to whirl the liquid in the cleaning chamber. This simplified construction 'is adequate for cleaners of the smaller sizes, but

the rst described construction is more eicient for larger cleaners.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a novel and efficient cleaner has been provided which will require only periodic draining off of sludge instead of any renewal of lter cartridges. While preferences have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. In a centrifugal liquid cleaner, a casing having an upright cylindrical side wall, a coneshaped top wall having its periphery fixed to the top of said side wall and having at its center a clean liquid outlet, `an inverted cone-shaped bottom wall having its periphery secured to the bottom of said side wall and provided at its center with a valve-controlled sediment outlet, a circular partition supported horizontally in said casing approximately midway of the height of saidy side wall and dividing said casing into an upper liquid-cleaning chamber and a lower settling chamber, said partition having a iiat outer portion with its peripheral edged spaced inwardly from said s-ide wall to provide a continuous passage placing said chambers in communication with each other, said partition also having a raised central portion and an intermediate portion which declines from said central portion to said fiat outer portion, an inlet connection for the liquid to be cleaned positioned in said side wall at a point substantially midway of the height of said liquid cleaning chamber, said connection having a liquid-injecting opening directed to circumferentially whirl the liquid in said liquid-cleaning chamber, whereby relatively heavy foreign matter suspended in the liquid will be centrifugally moved to said side wall and will gravitate through said continuous passage into said settling chamber, said continuous passage being the sole means for admitting descending foreign matter into said settling chamber, and a plurality of upright radial baliies in said settling chamber extending from the under side of the flat outer portion of said partition down to said bottom wall, the upper edges of said baffles being spaced downwardly from the raised central and intermediate portions of said partition and the lower edges of said baflies being spaced upwardly from said valve-controlled sediment outlet, the outer edges of said baiiles being in contact with said side wall and bottom wall of said casing whereby said baffles will quiet the liquid in said settling chamber and permit the foreign matter entering through said continuous passage to settle into the low central portion of said settling chamber above said sediment outlet, leaving comparatively clean liquid in the upper part of said settling chamber, said partition having in its declined intermediate portion a plurality of small openings through which comparatively clean liquid in the upper part of the settling chamber may ascend into the central zone of said liquid-cleaning chamber without mingling with foreign matter descending from said liquid-cleaning chamber as said comparatively clean liquid is displaced by foreign matter entering said settling chamber only through said continuous passage.

2. A structure as specified in claim l, together with a second circular partition extending entirely across said casing above the aforesaid partition and having its outer periphery at the juncture of said top wall with said side wall, said second partition being declined from its peripheral edge toward its center and having a central opening through which the outgoing liquid ascende, a paddle wheel in said liquid-cleaning chamber between said two partitions and having peripheral paddles in close proximity to the casing side wall, and means mounting said paddle wheel on a vertical axis in position to be driven solely by the liquid jet from said liquid-injecting opening.

' 3. In a centrifugal liquid cleaner, a casing provided with a cylindrical vertical side wall having an inwardly projecting inlet for the liquid to be cleaned, a bottom, and an upwardly removable top having a cleaned liquid outlet; a central vertical shaft secured to and projecting downwardly from said top, a disk centrally secured to the lower end of said shaft and dividing said casing into an upper liquid-cleaning chamber and a lower liq- `uid-settling chamber, said disk being declined from its center toward its peripheral edge and having the latter spaced from said side wall to provide a continuous passage placing said chambers in communication with each other, and a paddle Wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft within said liquid-cleaning chamber, said disk and paddle wheel being of sufciently small diameter to, clear said inwardly projecting liquid inlet when said casing top, said cleaned liquid outlet, said shaft, said disk and said paddle wheel are upwardly moved as a single unit from said side wall, said liquid inlet having a liquid-injecting opening for directing a liquid jet against the paddles of said paddle Wheel to drive the latter and thereby whirl the liquid in said liquid-cleaning chamber, whereby relatively heavy foreign mattei' suspended in the liquid will be centrifugally moved to said side Wall and will gravitate through saidcontinuous passage into said settling chamber, gsaid continuous passage being the sole means foradmitting descending foreign matter into said fsettling chamber, and*` means in said settling chamber for quieting the liquid therein to permit the foreign matter entering said settling chamber through said continuous passage to settle into the lower end of said settling chamber, leaving comparatively clean liquid in the upper end of said settling chamber, said disk having at least one opening near its center through which said comparatively clean liquid in the upper end of said settling chamber may ascend to the central zone of said liquid-cleaning chamber without mingling with foreign matter descending from said liquid-cleaning chamber as said comparatively clean liquid is displaced by foreign matter entering said settling chamber only through said continuous passage,

4. A structure as specified in claim 3; together with a second partition extending entirely across said casing above said paddle wheel and held in place by said casing top, said second partition being declined toward its center and having a central opening through which said shaft extends, this opening being of greater diameter than said shaft to permit it to upwardly conduct the outgoing cleaned liquid.

MICHAEL DEBREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,301,544 Crombie Apr. 22, 1919 1,753,403 Cushman et al. Apr. 8,` 1930 1,818,476 Green Aug. 11, 1931 1,900,394 Cottrell Mar. 7, 1933 1,921,689 Meurk Aug. 8 1933 1,972,057' Somers Aug. 28, 1934 2,313,896 Scheble Mar. 16, 1943

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