Disposable centrifugal separator

Claim 1

In a centrifugal separator for separating contaminants from contaminated fluids and being disposable by virtue of its economical construction, comprising shroud means having ends and intermediate sides defining a first chamber, vertically extending spindle within said shroud means and having a hollow rotor rotatably mounted thereon, said hollow rotor defining a second chamber for receiving contaminated fluids to be separated, inlet port means at one end of said spindle and shroud means, passage means through said spindle to said second chamber, means to rotate said rotor and thereby cause contaminants in contaminated fluids within said second chamber to migrate toward a sidewall of said second chamber under the influence of centrifugal force and to be separated from such contaminated fluids, said means to rotate said rotor comprising tangentially mounted outlet port means on said rotor in fluid communication with said second chamber to cause said rotor to rotate upon discharge of fluid from said second chamber to said first chamber, outlet port means from said first chamber, in combination therewith the improvement wherein said shroud is a permanently closed assembly substantially fully defining said first chamber with its sides and ends, said inlet port means at said one end of said spindle being axially aligned with the axis of said spindle, said inlet port including attaching means adapted to releasably attach said inlet port to a fitting on a crankcase, said attaching means being permanently fixed to said shroud means, said attaching means of said inlet port being constructed and arranged to be capable of providing substantially the sole support of said separator on said crankcase whereby said separator is readily removed from said crankcase by release therefrom of said attaching means, and said outlet port means being at the other end of said shroud means.