Filter for coolant oils for cutting tools

Claim 2

In a filter for coolant oils for cutting tools and the like, in combination, coolant tank having an active zone and a settling zone, a dirty coolant inlet leading into said active zone, particle-separating means supplied with dirty coolant solutions from said active zone and mixing the dirty coolant inlet solutions of different specific gravities and stripping off the solid particles for return to said settling zone and comprising a cyclone having an inlet for dirty coolant solutions adjacent the top thereof leading thereinto tangentially of the wall thereof, said cyclone having a frustoconical interior wall disposed beneath said inlet and converging to a downwardly opening apex, a clean coolant outlet leading from the top of said cyclone, a separated particle outlet leading from the apex of said cyclone, a barometric leg having communication with said apex and conducting the solid particles and oil entrained therein to said settling zone of said tank, and an air inlet leading into said barometric leg adjacent the apex of said cyclone, whereby the Venturi effect of entrained oil and solid particles passing through said apex draws air into said barometric leg and maintains the required balance of liquid and air to accommodate the free discharge of solid particles and entrained oil into said settling zone of said tank.

Claim 3

A coolant oil cleaner in accordance with claim 1, including means in communication with said air inlet means selectively operable to regulate the flow of air drawn into said barometric leg by the Venturi action of oil and solid particles passing through the apex of said cyclone.

Claim 4

The coolant oil cleaner in accordance with claim 2, wherein the means in communication with the air inlet for regulating the flow of air drawn into said barometric leg comprises a manually operable valve.

Claim 5

A coolant oil cleaner in accordance with claim 1, including a closure means for the upper end of saId barometric leg and forming a support for the apex of said cyclone, and having the air passageway leading therethrough, and a valve regulating the flow of air through said closure means.

Claim 6

A filter for coolant oils in accordance with claim 1, including, a liquid-separating tank in said coolant tank having, a dirty coolant area in communication with said active zone and having, a clean coolant area separated from said dirty coolant area, an outlet from said dirty coolant area to said inlet of said cyclone, an inlet into said clean coolant area connected with said clean coolant outlet leading from the top of said cyclone, and an outlet from said clean coolant area to use.

Claim 7

A filter for coolant oils in accordance with claim 5, including, a manually operable valve for regulating the flow of air drawn into said barometric leg by the Venturi action of oil and solid particles passing through the apex of said cyclone.

Claim 8

In a filter for coolant oils for cutting tools and the like, in combination, a coolant tank having an active zone and a settling zone spaced along said tank from said active zone, a dirty coolant inlet trough at one end of said tank in said active zone and having a screened discharge opening facing towards said active and settling zones, a drag conveyor removing settled solids from the bottom of said coolant tank and having a conveying run having scraper flights movable along said tank in scraping engagement with the bottom of said tank along said active and settling zones for dragging the settled solids from said tank, and having a return run movable along the top of said tank and downwardly therefrom along said screened discharge opening of said dirty coolant inlet into the active zone of said tank, swarf separating means facing said screened discharge opening of said dirty coolant inlet trough and on the opposite side of said return run of said drag conveyor from said discharge opening for separating floating particle swarf from the grinding wheels, from the coolant in said active zone, said swarf separating means including, a grate extending downwardly along said tank and facing said discharge opening from said dirty coolant inlet trough and extending along the inner side of the run of said conveyor movable along said discharge opening, in position to be wiped by the flights of said conveyor passing along said grate downwardly from the top to the bottom thereof and to progress the swarf tending to float in the coolant oil to the bottom of said tank.

Claim 9

In a filter for coolant oils for cutting tools and the like, in combination, a coolant tank having an active zone and a settling zone spaced along said tank from said active zone, a dirty coolant inlet trough at one end of said tank in said active zone and having a screened discharge opening facing towards said active and settling zones, a drag conveyor removing settled solids from the bottom of said coolant tank and having a conveying run having scraper flights movable along said tank in scraping engagement with the bottom of said tank along said active and settling zones for dragging the settled solids from said tank, and having a return run movable along the top of said tank and downwardly therefrom along said screened discharge opening of said dirty coolant inlet into the active zone of said tank, swarf separating means facing said screened discharge opening of said dirty coolant inlet trough and on the opposite side of said return run of said drag conveyor from said discharge opening for separating floating particle swarf from the grinding wheels, from the coolant in said active zone, said swarf separating means including, a grate extending downwardly along said tank and facing said discharge opening from said dirty coolant inlet trough and extending along the inner side of the run of said conveyor movable along said discharge opening, in position to be wiped by the flights of said conveyor passing along said grate downwardly from the top to the bottom thereof and to progress the swarf tending to float in the coolant oil to the bottom of said tank.

Claim 10

A filter in accordance with claim 7, wherein the grate comprises a series of closely spaced parallel rods facing said dirty coolant inlet and extending along the downwardly moving portion of the return run of said conveyor and oriented in the direction of travel of said conveyor, and wherein said flights have wiper blades extending therealong having wiping engagement with said rods when traveling downwardly therealong to progress the swarf along said rods to the bottom of said tank.

Claim 11

The coolant oil cleaner of claim 8, wherein the wiper blades are flexible and extend in opposite directions from said chain and flights, wiping the bottom of said tank along the flexible end portions of said wiper blades extending in one direction from said flights and wiping said screened inlet rods when traveling downwardly therealong along the same end portions of said flights and wiping said rods along the opposite flexible end portions of said flights.

Claim 12

A filter for coolant oils in accordance with claim 9, wherein the swarf separating means also includes a series of closely spaced rods extending across said tank along the active zone thereof, above and extending parallel to and in the direction of the plane of travel of the conveying run of said conveyor, dragging solid particles along the bottom of said tank, and wiped by the same flexible end portions of said flights wiping said downwardly extending rods, during travel of said drag conveyor alOng the active zone of said tank.