Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
417 words
An electrostatic separating apparatus for separating oil, floatable foreign bodies and water from waste liquid, comprising: a separator tank adapted to contain a liquid dielectric solvent, being capable of dissolving oil, having a specific gravity greater than thAt of water and capable of defining a substantially distinct level at its upper surface; inlet means in said separator tank at its bottom adapted to introduce said waste liquid into said separator tank as a multiplicity of droplets; a pair of electrodes in said separator tank, positionable to be within said solvent and defining an interelectrode space, said electrodes connectable to a substantially high voltage D.C. potential in order to produce an electrostatic field in said interelectrode space such that when waste liquid is introduced through said inlet means, said waste liquid is separated into oil, floatable foreign bodies and water due to an electrophoretic effect of said electrostatic field, said oil being substantially dissolved in said solvent near said upper surface thereof, said floatable foreign bodies forming a substantially distinct layer above the level of said solvent and said water forming a substantially distinct layer aobve the layer of floatable foreign bodies; first outlet means positionable on said separator tank slightly below the upper surface of said solvent for discharging oilcontaining solvent; second outlet means disposed above the upper surface of said solvent for discharging floatable foreign bodies separated from said waste liquid in said separator tank; third outlet means disposed above the level of said floatable foreign bodies for discharging water separated from said waste liquid in said separator tank; and a drain conduit assembly in communication with said first outlet means, said drain assembly comprising: an upflow conduit in direct flow communication with said first outlet means, a downflow conduit, a plurality of intermediate branch conduits positionable above the upper surface of the solvent and connecting said upflow conduit and said downflow conduit in flow communication with each other at different levels above the upper surface of said solvent, and ON-OFF valves in said branch conduits for selectively opening and closing said branch conduits in order to maintain the upper surface of said solvent at a substantially fixed level regardless of inflow of waste liquid into the tank, such that said floatable foreign bodies are discharged through said second outlet means, said water is discharged through said third outlet means and said oil-containing solvent near the upper surface of said solvent is discharged through said first outlet means in flow communication with said drain conduit assembly.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
417 words
An electrostatic separating apparatus for separating oil, floatable foreign bodies and water from waste liquid, comprising: a separator tank adapted to contain a liquid dielectric solvent, being capable of dissolving oil, having a specific gravity greater than thAt of water and capable of defining a substantially distinct level at its upper surface; inlet means in said separator tank at its bottom adapted to introduce said waste liquid into said separator tank as a multiplicity of droplets; a pair of electrodes in said separator tank, positionable to be within said solvent and defining an interelectrode space, said electrodes connectable to a substantially high voltage D.C. potential in order to produce an electrostatic field in said interelectrode space such that when waste liquid is introduced through said inlet means, said waste liquid is separated into oil, floatable foreign bodies and water due to an electrophoretic effect of said electrostatic field, said oil being substantially dissolved in said solvent near said upper surface thereof, said floatable foreign bodies forming a substantially distinct layer above the level of said solvent and said water forming a substantially distinct layer aobve the layer of floatable foreign bodies; first outlet means positionable on said separator tank slightly below the upper surface of said solvent for discharging oilcontaining solvent; second outlet means disposed above the upper surface of said solvent for discharging floatable foreign bodies separated from said waste liquid in said separator tank; third outlet means disposed above the level of said floatable foreign bodies for discharging water separated from said waste liquid in said separator tank; and a drain conduit assembly in communication with said first outlet means, said drain assembly comprising: an upflow conduit in direct flow communication with said first outlet means, a downflow conduit, a plurality of intermediate branch conduits positionable above the upper surface of the solvent and connecting said upflow conduit and said downflow conduit in flow communication with each other at different levels above the upper surface of said solvent, and ON-OFF valves in said branch conduits for selectively opening and closing said branch conduits in order to maintain the upper surface of said solvent at a substantially fixed level regardless of inflow of waste liquid into the tank, such that said floatable foreign bodies are discharged through said second outlet means, said water is discharged through said third outlet means and said oil-containing solvent near the upper surface of said solvent is discharged through said first outlet means in flow communication with said drain conduit assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
An electrostatic separating apparatus according to claim 1, having three intermediate branch conduits positioned low, intermediate and high with respect to each other between said upflow and downflow conduits, said low and intermediate conduits having ON-OFF valves, and, further comprising a baffle plate mounted in said separator tank on its inside wall below said first outlet means, said baffle plate mounted in spaced-away parallel facing relation with said first outlet means and extending above said first outlet means to prevent water and foreign bodies from being drawn into said first outlet means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
An electrostatic separating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said inlet means is formed with a peripheral wall adjacent said solvent, said peripheral wall having a plurality of substantially small holes formed therein, and, which further comprises a flow controlling plate disposed above and in substantially close proximity to said peripheral wall, said flow controlling plate being formed with a plurality of pores smaller than the holes in said peripheral wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
200 words
An electrostatic separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second and third outlet means are formed by said separator tank which further comprises: an inner wall, an outer wall and a vertically extending pocket defined between said inner and outer walls, said outer wall having an upper edge extending a distance above that of said inner wall such that the upper edge of said inner wall extends aBove the upper surface of said solvent to enable floatable foreign bodies above said solvent to flow over the upper edge of said inner wall into said vertically extending pocket, and, the upper edge of said outer wall extending above the layer of floatable foreign bodies to enable separated water to flow over said upper edge of said outer wall; a trough formed on said outer wall along its outside near the upper edge of said outer wall to collect separated water which flows over said upper edge for discharging said separated water; and at least one drain valve in said vertically extending pocket substantially near its bottom, said foreign bodies being removed from said pocket when said drain valve is opened as accumulation of said floatable bodies reaches a predetermined level.