Lubricating oil clarifier and coalescer

Claim 1

IN A FILTERING DEVICE FOR REMOVING FREE WATER AND SOLID CONTAMINANTS FROM A LIQUID HYDROCARBON, A FLUIDTIGHT HOUSING HAVING INLET MEANS FOR PASSING HYDROCARBON INTO SAID HOUSING, FIRST-STAGE FILTER MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR RECEIVING HYDROCARBON FLUID FROM SAID INLET MEANS AND INITIALLY COALESCING FREE WATER IN SAID HYDROCARBON FLUID INTO FINE DROPLETS, SECOND-STAGE HYDROPHOBIC FILTER MEANS IN SAID HOUSING VERTICALLY ABOVE AND IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRST-STAGE FILTER MEANS FOR PASSING HYDROCARBON FLUIDS AND FURTHER COALSECING SAID WATER INTO LARGER DROPS WHICH DESCEND IN SAID FLUID WITHIN THE HOUSING OUTLET MEANS FOR PASSING OIL FROM SAID SECOND-STAGE FILTER MEANS OUT OF THE DEVICE, INCLINED PERFORATED SCREEN MEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FILTER MEANS HAVING PERFORATIONS SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO PASS MOST OF THE INITIALLY COALESCED WATER AS IT FLOW UPWARD WITHIN THE SURROUNDING HYDROCARBON FLUID FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND FILTER MEANS, SAID PERFORATIONS BEING SUFFICIENTLY SMALL SO THAT SAID DROPS CANNOT DESCEND THERETHROUGH, AND MEANS AT THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INCLINED PERFORATED SCREEN MEANS PROVIDING A QUIESCENT ZONE FOR THE ACCUMULATION AND SETTLING OF SAID LARGER DROPS.