Oil reclaimer and muffler assembly and system

Claim 1

In a vacuum system including a vacuum pump having lubricating oil and water vapor entrained in its outlet gas stream and means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump, the improvement comprising a vertically disposed oil reclaimer and muffler assembly for the gas stream leaving the vacuum pump, said assembly including a cylindrical casing having an inlet for the gas stream connected with the outlet of the vacuum pump, inner wall means to circulate the gas stream adjacent the inner surface of the casing and to provide for collection of oil and condensed water vapor within the assembly comprising an inner cylinder coaxially mounted within the casing with spiral wall means and an annular ring located thereon between said casing and said inner cylinder and forming a spiral passageway leading from the inlet to a chamber below the inner wall means, said inlet entering the casing tangent to its inner surface to direct the gas stream from the vacuum pump into the spiral passageway, said inner cylinder forming at its interior an internal passageway for the gas stream leading from the chamber to an exhaust opening at the top of said assembly, said casing and inner wall means permitting flow of collected oil and water down the inner surface under the influence of gravity to a collection pipe and thereby to an oil reservoir enclosing said collection pipe, said casing at its bottom being formed by a bell-shaped closure with the collection pipe at its lowest point, said oil reservoir being a cylindrical housing with the collection pipe for oil and water leading to adjacent its lowest point and having a separate transparent water collection pipe attached at its bottom, said oil reservoir being provided with a fitting located above the bottom of the oil reservoir for reclaimed oil that is connected with said means to deliver a flow of lubricating oil to the vacuum pump.