Device for separating a mixture

Claim 1

A device for separating a mixture of a carrier medium and at least one substance which is insoluble therein, for example, water and oil, said device comprising, in combination: a housing having a top and a bottom and an intermediate wall sealing the interior of the housing into upper and lower compartments; intermediate separator means in one of said compartments and post-separator means for promoting the separation of said mixture in the other of said compartments; said intermediate separator means comprising a first vertically elongate chamber having a bed of particulate filter material therein and a second vertically elongate chamber having a bed of particulate filter material therein, each such chamber terminating at its upper end at the same level within said housing, conduit means communicating said upper ends of the two chambers, the conduit means comprising the upper portion of the compartment in which said intermediate separator means is located and a horizontally extending partition within said housing bridging the upper ends and said first and second chamber, and there being first collection means in lateral communication with said conduit means at a point intermediate said first and second chambers, said collector means comprising a further chamber exterior to said housing laterally displaced and extending above said conduit means.

Claim 2

A device for separating a mixture of a carrier medium and at least one substance which is insoluble therein, for example, water and oil, said device comprising, in combination: a housing having a top and a bottom and an intermediate wall sealing the interior of the housing into upper and lower compartments; intermediate separator means in one of said compartments and post-separator means for promoting the separation of said mixture in the other of said compartments; said intermediate separator means comprising a first vertically elongate chamber having a bed of particulate filter material therein and a second vertically elongate chamber having a bed of particulate filter material therein, each such chamber terminating at its upper end at the same level within said housing, conduit means communicating said upper ends of the two chambers, the conduit means comprising the upper portion of the compartment in which said intermediate separator means is located and a horizontally extending partition within said housing bridging the upper ends and said first and second chamber, and there being first collection means in lateral communication with said conduit means at a point intermediate said first and second chambers, said collector means comprising a further chamber exterior to said housing laterally displaced and extending above said conduit means.

Claim 5

A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1-3 wherein said post-separator comprises at least two inclined parallel plates spaced from each other within said other compartment and there being a third collection means above the parallel plates.

Claim 6

A device for separating immiscible liquids, for example oil and water, one of which is lighter than the other, comprising in combination: a housing having a top and a bottom and an intermediate wall sealing the interior of the housing into upper and lower compartments; a pre-separator means and an intermediate separator means in one of said compartments and a post-separator for promoting the separation of said immiscible liquids in the other compartment; said intermediate separator means comprising first and second vertically elongate chambers each having a bed of particulate filter material therein and said pre-separator means comprising at least a pair of vertically elongate chambers disposed in side-by-side relationship between said first and second chambers, said chambers of the pre-separator means being in communication at their upper portions and there being means for introducing a mixture of the liquids into the lower portion of one of such chambers and for withdrawing liquid from the lower portion of the other of such chambers whereby a unidirectional flow path is created through such chambers whereby some of the lighter liquid tends to collect at the upper portions of such chambers; means for directing liquid from the pre-separator means alternately to the bottom of one of said first and second chambers while withdrawing liquid from the other of such chambers, and vice versa, and there being conduit means within said housing communicating the upper portions of said first and second chambers whereby a flow path is created through said first and second chambers in which one of said filter beds is expanded by the flow while the other is compacted by the flow, and vice versa dependent upon the direction of flow, whereby the lighter liquid coalesced by the expanded bed tends to collect in said conduit means; and collection means for collecting the lighter liquid from said conduit means and from said upper portions of the pre-separator means chambers, said collection means comprising separate collection chambers in lateral communication respectively with said conduit means and with said upper portions of the pre-separator means chambers.

Claim 7

A device for separating immiscible liquids, for example oil and water, one of which is lighter than the other, comprising in combination: a housing having a top and a bottom and an intermediate wall sealing the interior of the housing into upper and lower compartments; a pre-separator means and an intermediate separator means in one of said compartments and a post-separator for promoting the separation of said immiscible liquids in the other compartment; said intermediate separator means comprising first and second vertically elongate chambers each having a bed of particulate filter material therein and said pre-separator means comprising at least a pair of vertically elongate chambers disposed in side-by-side relationship between said first and second chambers, said chambers of the pre-separator means being in communication at their upper portions and there being means for introducing a mixture of the liquids into the lower portion of one of such chambers and for withdrawing liquid from the lower portion of the other of such chambers whereby a unidirectional flow path is created through such chambers whereby some of the lighter liquid tends to collect at the upper portions of such chambers; means for directing liquid from the pre-separator means alternately to the bottom of one of said first and second chambers while withdrawing liquid from the other of such chambers, and vice versa, and there being conduit means within said housing communicating the upper portions of said first and second chambers whereby a flow path is created through said first and second chambers in which one of said filter beds is expanded by the flow while the other is compacted by the flow, and vice versa dependent upon the direction of flow, whereby the lighter liquid coalesced by the expanded bed tends to collect in said conduit means; and collection means for collecting the lighter liquid from said conduit means and from said upper portions of the pre-separator means chambers, said collection means comprising separate collection chambers in lateral communication respectively with said conduit means and with said upper portions of the pre-separator means chambers.