Abstract:
A low cost oil, grease removal assembly includes a rotomolded plastic container having an inlet and an outlet; a rotomolded plastic basket support located at the inlet inside the container; a rotomolded plastic outlet baffle located in the container at the outlet; a plurality of container cover sections including a first section to cover the basket support, a second container cover section having an oil, grease removal mechanism downstream of the basket support and upstream of the outlet baffle, and a third container cover section to cover the outlet baffle.

Description:
This application is a division of utility application Ser. No. 10/767,145 filed Jan. 29, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,270, which is a division of utility application Ser. No. 10/161,814 filed Jun. 4, 2002 which issued Oct. 5, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,195. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a low cost assembly for the removal and recovery of oil, grease and solid wastes found in drains or effluent discharge of restaurants, food processing, or like facilities, industrial plants, maintenance facilities, or other circumstances involving mixtures of oil, grease and solid waste material to be recovered or removed. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Oil, grease and solid waste contaminant removal or recovery systems are well known in the prior art. Over the past thirty years there has been a steady move towards requiring food handling facilities to have systems for servicing kitchen grease and solid waste bearing water flows. Sewer system lines can become clogged from the oil and grease waste materials put into the sewer system from food handling facilities. This has led more and more sewer authorities to implement fats, oils and grease control programs. These programs regulate food handling facilities and the manner in which they process oil, grease and solid waste material. The object of many of these programs is to ensure that food handling facilities remove as much of the oil and grease as possible from the effluent flow, thereby releasing only grey water to the sewer system. 
     One method recognized in the prior art of accomplishing such removal is the use of a container including one or more rotating disks formed of a plastic or like applicable material to which oil and grease contaminants are attracted. Typically, the rotation of the disk is in an at least partially immersed condition, which allows the oil to cling to one or both sides of the disk so that contaminants are removed from the body of water upon rotation of the disk. Scrapers are typically used to force the oil contaminants from the opposite sides of the disk and channel such contaminants to a collection or disposal storage unit. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,881 to Miller et al. is representative of such oil and grease removal systems containing one or more rotating disks. The Miller et al. patent discloses an oil or grease removal assembly which removes such contaminants from the surface of the body of water and includes a rotatable disk made of plastic or other material to which such oil contaminants have an affinity so they adhere to the disk. The disk is disposed in cooperative relation to an elongated trough having scraper blades for engaging the opposite sides of the disk for the removal of the oil contaminants therefrom with the trough disposed and structured to direct such oil contaminants away from the disk and the body of water via the trough to a storage container. This patent, issued to B. Glenn Miller and William C. Batten and assigned to Thermaco, Inc. in Asheboro, N.C., is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     The existing devices may be difficult to service and are very often permanently installed at facility sites. Because many of the parts are coated with oil and grease, servicing can be messy and time consuming. In addition, these systems tend to be expensive and represent a significant capital investment. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus for separation of oil, grease and solid waste from wastewater which is simple in design, low in cost and capable of being serviced easily in the field because of the availability of low cost replaceable parts which are easily installed and do not require extensive and costly repair. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention fulfills one or more of these needs by providing an oil, grease and solid waste removal assembly which does not require significant capital outlay and is easy to service in the field. 
     The low cost oil, grease and solid removal assembly includes a container with stainless steel sectional covers for holding effluent water containing oil, grease and solid waste to be removed from said effluent water. The assembly further includes at least one rotatable disk which is supported by one of the sectional container covers and which is partially immersed within the body of effluent water, a drive means mounted on one of the sectional covers in driving engagement to provide rotation of the disk when the drive means is engaged, and an elongated trough mounted on the sectional cover in engaging relation to the opposite sides of the rotatable disk. Two elongated scraper blades mounted on the trough extend inward of the trough into sliding engagement with opposite sides of the disk, having the trough cooperatively disposed and structured to direct oil and grease from opposite sides of the disk along the scraper blades and flowing into the trough and into a storage container. The assembly has a basket support for holding a means to trap solid waste material. The container is constructed of rotomolded plastic and includes a thin stainless steel wrap to provide strength to the container assembly. The stainless steel wrap is constructed by two identical stainless steel pieces fastened at opposing corners by welding, attaching screws, rivets or some other mechanical means. The container may also be constructed of welded stainless steel The container further includes inlet and outlet pipes with the basket support immediately downstream from the inlet pipe. The basket support is designed to hold a strainer which traps solid waste material from the effluent water flow. The basket support further contains cutouts to permit the effluent water with oil and grease to flow downstream of the basket support once the solid waste material has been contained. The basket support section has a sectional cover which is also made of stainless steel, and provides easy access for removal and emptying of the strainer basket when the strainer basket is full of solid waste material. 
     The low cost oil, grease and solid waste assembly further includes a center sectional cover. This center sectional cover is constructed of stainless steel and has at least one rotatable disk constructed of molded plastic, a gear drive motor, a drive sprocket and a trough constructed of rotomolded plastic. The trough has the elongated wiper blades, which are constructed of a soft plastic or rubber material. When the gear motor drive is engaged, it rotates the drive sprocket in rotation. The disk, which is cooperatively attached to the drive sprocket, rotates in an opposite direction. The wiper blades come into contact with the disk, forcing the oil and grease from the rotating disk into the trough and into the storage container. 
     Downstream of the center sectional cover the container further includes an outlet baffle constructed of rotomolded plastic. The outlet baffle permits the grey water to flow from the bottom of the container through the outlet pipe into the sewage system after the oil, grease and solid waste materials have been removed. The outlet baffle has a cover, as well, and constructed of stainless steel. These three covers are hinged together. 
     The center sectional cover in a completed assembly has a cover for the gear drive motor, the disk and trough. These covers are constructed of plastic. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood by a reading of the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments along with a review of the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container with the basket support and the outlet baffle installed; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the container and basket support with the strainer basket being installed; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the basket support; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the outlet baffle; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the container depicting the stainless steel wrap; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the center sectional cover with the gear drive motor, the disk, and the trough; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective side view of the center sectional cover with the gear drive motor, the disk, the trough and the timer; 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of the center sectional cover with the gear drive motor, disk, and trough; 
         FIG. 7A  is a bottom perspective view of the center sectional cover with the disk and heating element; 
         FIG. 8  is perspective view of the complete oil, grease and solid removal assembly with all the covers installed; and 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the complete oil, grease and solid removal assembly with the oil/grease storage tank attached to the trough. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures. It should be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  includes a container  12  with sectional covers  14   a ,  14   b , and  14   c . In a preferred embodiment as seen in  FIG. 1 , the sectional covers are joined by hinges. Alternatively, they can be separate units, the view of  FIG. 6  being an example. The assembly  10  has at least one rotatable disk  16  supported by the center sectional cover  14   b .  FIG. 1  also depicts the gear drive motor  20  and the trough  22  which are attached to the center sectional cover  14   b . The container  12  also includes an inlet pipe  26  and an outlet pipe  28 . The effluent water with waste materials enters through the inlet pipe  26 , and the grey water, after oil, grease and solid waste have been removed, exits out of the outlet pipe  28 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , the trough  22  has scraper blades  24 . The gear drive motor  20  supports and rotates the drive sprocket  38  which is cooperatively meshed with peripheral holes in the disk  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the container  12  is constructed from rotomolded plastic and is covered by a thin stainless steel wrap  32  to provide strength and esthetics to the container  12 . The stainless steel wrap  32  is applied in two sections fastened together at the right and left corners in the view of  FIG. 5  by welding, screws, rivets, or any other desired mechanical means. In another embodiment, the container  14  may be constructed of stainless steel sections welded together. 
     The basket support  34  is depicted in  FIGS. 2 ,  2 A,  3  and  5 . The basket support  34  is constructed of rotomolded plastic and is designed to hold a strainer basket  54 . The basket support  34  is immediately downstream of the inlet pipe  26  and has a cutout  36  to align with the inlet pipe  26 . Basket support openings  37  permits the effluent water with oil and grease to flow downstream of the basket support  34  after the solid waste material has been trapped in the strainer basket  54 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the sectional covers  14   a ,  14   b  and  14   c  cover each of the sections of the oil, grease and solid waste removal assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the sectional covers are hinged, providing easy access to the strainer basket  54  within the basket support  34  and the outlet baffle  46 . 
     The center sectional cover  14   b  is depicted in  FIGS. 6 ,  6 A,  7 , and  7 A. The center sectional cover  14   b  is constructed of stainless steel and includes a depending flange  15  seen in  FIG. 7A  that supports a rotatable disk  16 . The rotatable disk  16  is constructed of oleophilic plastic or is at least covered with an oleophilic material. The disk  16  has equally spaced indentations  17  on its outer circumferential edge. The center sectional cover  14   b  further supports the gear drive motor  20 . The gear drive motor  20  drives a sprocket  38 . The sprocket  38  meshes with the holes  17  in the disk  16 . The disk  16  is rotated clockwise in the view of  FIG. 6A  when the gear drive motor  20  rotates counter-clockwise. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  6 A,  7  and  7 A the center sectional cover  14   b  supports the trough  22 , which is constructed of stainless steel. The trough  22  further includes elongated scraper blades  24  which are constructed of a flexible plastic or rubber material. As seen in  FIG. 7A , the center sectional cover  14   b  also supports the heating element  50  which is utilized to maintain a sufficiently warm enough water temperature to melt any grease contained in the grey water, permitting it to flow to and be removed by the rotating disk  16 . The heating element  50  is a 300 watt heater with a quick reaction thermostat and is designed to run continuously. The timer  50  is connected to the gear drive motor  20  and controls the start and stop operation of said gear drive motor  16  and ultimately the rotation of the disk  16 . It permits a selected duty cycle to remove grease at times when grease is likely to be present. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 , the outlet baffle  46  is downstream of the center sectional cover  14   b . The outlet baffle  46  is also covered by a sectional cover  14   c  which is constructed of stainless steel and hinged to the center sectional cover  14   b . The outlet baffle  46  is constructed of rotomolded plastic with an open bottom to permit water to flow from the bottom of the container to the outlet pipe  28 . The outlet baffle  46  is mounted to the inside of container  12  with a clearance at the bottom of the container to let grey water into the volume of the outlet baffle  46 . The outlet baffle  46  also has a baffle cap  48 , which closes a temporary opening in the outlet baffle  46 . The temporary opening permits access to the interior of the outlet baffle, so it can be welded to the plastic container  12 . 
     The complete oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  is depicted in  FIG. 8 . The gear drive motor cover  42  is shown, as well as the trough cover  44 . These covers are constructed of stainless steel. When the trough cover  44  is removed, a safety switch (not shown) is activated which will not permit the assembly  10  to operate. When the trough cover  44  is in place, the assembly power can be engaged and the apparatus can be operated. 
     The oil/grease storage tank  52  is depicted in  FIG. 9 . The oil/grease storage tank  52  is attached to the trough  22  and receives the oil which has been scraped from the disk  16  by the scraper blades. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  is connected to drain from a sink or other device that discharges effluent water with waste materials to be separated. The water containing waste materials flows from the device&#39;s drain into the oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  through the inlet pipe  26 . The effluent water flows into the basket support  34  containing a strainer basket  54  and the solid waste materials are trapped and removed from the effluent water. The effluent water containing oil and grease flows downstream from the basket support  34  through openings  37  into the center section. The center section cover  14   b  supports the oil and grease removal assembly. In the volume of the container  12  between the basket support  34  and the outlet baffle  46 , the effluent has time to reside, permitting oil and grease to rise to the top of the water. The grease is maintained in a liquid state by the heater  50 . When the gear drive motor  20  turns the drive sprocket  38 , the disk  16  is rotated in a clockwise direction by the counter clockwise rotation of the drive sprocket  38 . The disk  16  is positioned in the center cover  14   b , so that its lower portion is below the surface of the effluent water having the oil and grease which has floated to the surface. As the disk  16  rotates through the water, oil and grease are picked up on the sides of the disk  16 . As the disk  16  rotates, the scraper blades  24  which are attached to the trough  22  remove the oil and grease from the sides of the disk  16 . The oil and grease flows down the trough  22  to oil and grease storage container  52 . Once the oil and grease have been removed from the effluent water, the grey water flows downstream under the baffle outlet  46  and exits the oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  through the outlet pipe  28  into the sewage system. 
     The oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  is easy to maintain. The center section cover  14   b  containing the gear drive motor  20 , the drive sprocket  38 , the disk  16 , the trough  22  and the scraper blades  24  is a single, low cost unit. If there is a malfunction in any of the components of this unit, it is more cost effective to replace the entire unit than to repair the malfunctioning component. By stocking an extra unit at the facility site, virtually no down time in operation of the low cost oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  would be experienced. In addition, because the center section cover  14  contains all of the oil and grease removal components, there is a greater flexibility in the installation process. The sectional cover  14   b  can be installed to have the trough  22  facing in opposite directions by placing the sectional cover one way or the opposite way, depending on the needs of the installation. The hinged sectional covers  14   a  and  14   c  are thus both possibly positioned over the strainer basket, depending on the selected orientation. 
     The container  12  of the low-cost oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10  is constructed of a rotomolded plastic or welded stainless sheets. The container  12  is constructed with an inlet pipe  26  and the outlet pipe  28  both made of plastic. The basket support  34  constructed of rotomolded plastic is then welded downstream of the inlet pipe  26  of the container  12  with the cut out  36  aligned with the inlet pipe  26 . The outlet baffle  46  constructed of rotomolded plastic is welded in place immediately upstream of the outlet pipe  28  in the container  12 . Access to the interior of the outlet baffle is provided by the opening in the outlet baffle. The baffle cap  48  is then installed so that the only water entering the outlet baffle is from below the baffle. The next step in the installation process, if the container  12  is rotomolded plastic, is to install the stainless steel wrap  32  around the body of the container  12 . The stainless steel wrap  32  comes in two sections and each section covers one end and one side. The stainless steel wrap  32  has appropriate cutouts to accommodate the inlet pipe  26  and the outlet pipe  28 . Once in place around the container  12 , the stainless steel wrap  32  sections are fastened together. The sectional covers  14  can then be installed, although they may well be removed and reinstalled at the jobsite. The center sectional cover  14   b  has the gear drive motor  20 , the drive sprocket  38 , the rotating disk  13  and the trough  22  with scraper blades installed in the cover. Once the three sectional covers  14  are in place, the gear drive motor cover  42  and the trough cover  44  are then put in place, thus completing the assembly of the low-cost oil, grease and solid removal assembly  10 . 
     Rotomolding is the preferred fabrication method for the several components because of its low cost. 
     Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been omitted for the sake of conciseness and readability, but are properly within the scope of the following claims.