Liquid separator

Claim 1

A device according to claim 1 wherein said means defining said lighter liquid collection tank portion in cludes a wall having a passage adjacent the bottom thereof for the passage of heavier liquid said passage being connected to said outlet tank portion.

Claim 5

A device for separating the individual liquids of a liquid mix of liquids of different densities particularly for separating soluble oil coolant to remove tramp oil therefrom, comprising a housing, a settling tank in said housing having an inlet, baffle flow means in the path of flow from said inlet connected to said settling tank preventing turbulent inflow of a liquid mix into said settling tank whereby to permit settling of the liquids of different densities in said settling tank, a lighter liquid receiving tank defined in said housing, top overflow means connected from the top of said settling tank to said lighter liquid receiving tank for the flow of the lighter liquid off the top of said settling tank into said lighter liquid receiving tank, a heavy liquid collecting tank in said housing, loWer passage means in said settling tank connected to said heavy liquid collecting tank for the flow-off of the heavier liquid from said settling tank into said heavier liquid collecting tank, heavy liquid flow baffle means between said settling tank and said heavier liquid collecting tank for regulating the flow of liquid off from said settling tank into said heavier liquid collecting tank and a heavy liquid flow passage defined between said lighter liquid receiving tank and said heavier liquid receiving tank and located adjacent the bottom of said lighter liquid receiving tank in order to permit the passage over of the heavier liquid portion of that quantity of the lighter liquid which is removed from the liquid mix in said settling tank.

Claim 12

A method of treating a liquid mix of liquids of different densities using a tank which is divided up into a plurality of individual tank portions including a large settling tank with an overflow for the light liquid and with a bottom passage for heavier liquid, a lighter liquid storage tank, an intermediate tank and a heavy liquid storage tank, comprising directing a fluid mix into the settling tank in a manner to control the inflow velocity and permit the maintenance of settling conditions in the settling tank and the continuous overflow of the top of the settling tank, withdrawing the heavier liquid from the bottom of the settling tank and permitting it to flow outwardly to a heavy liquid tank at a rate determined by a head of water comparable to the height of the liquid in the settling tank, removing the lighter liquid from the settling tank from the top thereof at a rate set by the height of the liquid in the settling tank to produce the overflow of the lighter liquid, directing the overflowed lighter liquid into an intermediate tank, and permitting simultaneous overflow of the lighter liquid from the intermediate tank into a lighter liquid storage tank and the withdrawal of the heavier liquid from the bottom of the intermediate tank to the heavy liquid tank.