Separator of oil and water

Claim 1

A separator for oil and water in which an oil and water mixture is caused to flow successively through a plurality of separating stages adapted to separate from the water oil particles of progressively decreasing size, wherein the separator comprises a cylindrical vertical container housing the successive separating stages in concentric chambers defined by the wall of the container and internal annular partitions, each chamber having at its upper end a collecting zone for separated oil, a first separating stage comprising a plurality of annular radially spaced shells of which at least portions are inclined to the verticle and which are located in an annular chamber open at the top and bottom between the wall of the container and a concentric partition and means for feeding liquid to be treated to the lower end of said chamber, a second separating stage comprising a coagulator located adjacent to the lower end of said container, means for directing liquid leaving the upper end of said annular chamber of the first stage to the lower end of said coagulator, a third separating stage comprising a filter located within an annular foraminous screen above said coagulator, said screen being in direct communication with the upper end of said coagulator and being fine enough to remove from the water leaving the second stage oil of molecular dimensions, a central chamber in direct communication with the upper end of said filter, means for withdrawing clean water from the upper end of said central chamber above said filter and means for drawing off oil from said collecting zones at the upper ends of said concentric chambers.