An Improved Oil Separator for use with Steam Boiler Feed Water Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Oil Separator for use with Steam Boiler Feed
Water Apparatus.
I, ISAAC SHIMWELL MCDOUGALL, of High Bank, Didsbury, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to the separation of oil or greasy matters from water used
as feed water for steam boilers and it is particularly intended for application to
engines in which the water condensed by surface or jet. condenser is pumped back
to the boiler again.
In surface condensing engines, it is well known that the condensed water pumped
into the boilers is apt to contain a considerable amount of oil and grease introduced
into the cylinders for lubricating purposes. Such oil or grease has a most
disastrous effect on the boiler flues and even on the boiler itself. Many cases of
bulging in flues are due entirely to the deposit of a film of oil or grease on the top
of the flue and the consequent overheating of the flue because of insufficient contact
of the steam boiler water with the flue.
My invention is intended to obviate such accidents by separating the oil or grease
from the water of condensation before returning it to the boiler.
In carrying the invention into effect I construct a conical cylindrical vessel
preferably of cast iron and I so place it that the apex of the cone points upwards.
At the upper part of the cone I bolt on a suitable cylindrical cap vessel by flanges
and a convenient facing. At the base of the conical vessel in its exterior I arrange
a number of short partition plates passing across the base from side to side.
Between these short partition plates I arrange a number of long partitions dipping
into the spaces between the short plates louvre wise, and extending upwards within
the conical vessel towards the upper extremity. The upper edges of the said
division plates approach together in such manner as to leave a limited aperture or
space between each. And each of these apertures may be further diminished by
means of plates laid in position, which can be conveniently taken out for cleaning
purposes. The apertures may be arranged as round holes or slots as desired.
Inlet and outlet pipe branches are arranged at the bottom of the conical vessel
on opposing sides or on opposing sides of the partition plates. At the upper part
of the conical vessel a number of drain taps are placed one above the other to drain
off the oil. Small hand holes provided with cross bars and nuts complete, or other
convenient method, are placed at the bottom of the vessel between each of the
short partition plates for cleansing purposes.
The action is as follows:-Water from the condenser is pumped into the base of
the conical vessel and it flows across passing up and down between the baffle plates
so that the current assumes a wavy course now bent upwards and now downwards.
By this tortuous course the oil is separated and flows upwards rising through the
water up the sides of the longer partition plates and accuinulating in the cylindrical
cap and upper part of the cone. At each partition a little oil or grease ascends and
when the feed passes all the partitions it is entirely freed from separable oil or
grease. The oil is collected from the upper part of the conical vessel by means of
the taps herein before mentioned and it is caused to flow off at such rate that the
lower tap in the upper part does not discharge oil when opened.
The water passes from the conical vessel free from oil to the boilers or feed
heater. The feed and discharge pipes of the conical vessel are arranged of such
height that the said vessel is always kept full of water to the very top of the
cylindrical can

page_text: The force pump for the boilers may force through the oil extractor or separator
or clean from it as desired.
I do not limit myself to the conical shape of the extractor although I prefer
it, but other shapes of oil separators may be used provided the wave or up
and down movement of the water is retained and still be within the scope of my
invention.
Dated this 28th day of November 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Oil Separator for use with Steam Boiler Feed
Water Apparatus.
I, ISAAC SHIMWELL MCDOUGALL, of High Bank, Didsbury, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the separation of oil or greasy matters from water used
as feed water for steam boilers and it is particularly intended for application to
engines in which the water condensed by surface or jet condenser is pumped back
to the boiler again. The water however may be used for other purposes.
In surface condensing engines, it is well known that the condensed water pumped
into the boilers is apt to contain a considerable amount of oil and grease introduced
into the cylinders for lubricating purposes. Such oil or grease has a most
disastrous effect on the boiler flues and even on the boiler itself. Many cases of
bulging in flues are due entirely to the deposit of a film of oil or grease on
the top of the flue and the consequent overheating of the flue because of insufficient
contact of the steam boiler water with the flue.
My invention is intended to obviate such accidents by separating the oil or
grease from the water of condensation before returning it to the boiler.
Referring to the four accompanying sheets of drawings―
Figure 1 is a section showing a simple apparatus carrying my invention into
effect.
Figure 2 is a section through a similar apparatus arranged with more complete
detail parts.
Figure 3 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a section of another modification.
Figure 6 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 5.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of a detail.
Figure 7 is a section of a further modification of the invention and
Figure 8 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 7.
In carrying the invention into effect I construct a conical cylindrical vessel such
as A Figure 1 of cast iron or other suitable metal and I so place it that the apex
of the cone points upwards. At the upper part of the cone I bolt on a suitable
cylindrical cap vessel C by flanges and a convenient facing. At the base of the
conical vessel in its interior I arrange a number of short partition plates E passing
across the base from side to side. Between these short partition plates I arrange a
number of long partitions B dipping into the spaces between the short plates louvre
wise, and extending upwards within the conical vessel towards the upper extremity.
The upper edges of the said division plates approach together in such manner as to
leave a limited aperture or space between each. And each of these apertures may
be further diminished by means of plates such as B' laid in position, which can be
conveniently taken out for cleaning purposes.

page_text: The apertures may be arranged as round holes or slots as desired. This can be
determined by means of the configuration of the plates B' and I bolt the said plates
to the upper edges of the partitions B in any convenient manner.
Inlet and outlet pipe branches F and G are arranged at the bottom of the conical
vessel on opposing sides or on opposing sides of the partition plates. At the upper
part of the conical vessel a number of drain taps as D D' D' are placed one above
the other to drain off the oil.
Small hand holes provided with cross bars and nuts complete, or other convenient
arrangement, are placed at the bottom of the vessel between each of the short
partition plates for cleansing purposes.
In Figure 1 cleaning plugs H are shown.
The action is as follows:- -Water from the condenser is pumped into the base of
the conical vessel by way of the inlet pipe F and it flows across passing up and
down between the baffle plates E B so that the current assumes a wavy course now
bent upwards and now downwards as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. By this
tortuous course the oil is separated and flows upwards rising through the water up
the sides of the longer partition plates B and accumulating in the cylindrical cap
and upper part of the cone. At each partition a little oil or grease ascends, and
when the feed passes all the partitions it is entirely freed from separable oil or
grease.
The oil is collected from the upper part of the conical vessel by means of the
taps herein before mentioned and it is caused to flow off at such rate that the lower
tap D2 in the upper part does not discharge oil when opened.
The water passes from the conical vessel free from oil to the boilers or feed
heater by way of the outlet pipe G. The feed and discharge pipes F G of the
conical vessel are arranged of such height that the said vessel is always kept full
of water to the very top of the cylindrical cap C.
The force pump for the boilers may force through the oil extractor or separator
or draw from it as desired.
The modifications of the invention shown in Figures 2 to 8 inclusive are identical
with that shown in Figure 1 in all essential features but the number of separating
plates used is varied as are also the detail methods of cleaning, and indicating the
oil level.
In Figure 2 the separator or extractor is shown as applied with mud hole doors K
arranged between the short plates E and the said doors are fastened in any well
known manner. Below the doors K, I arrange also blow off cocks L which cocks
lead into a mud discharge or blow off pipe M.
On the end elevation Figure 3 and plan Figure 4 the cocks L and pipe M are
clearly indicated.
An oil discharge cock O is arranged at the upper part of the cap C and the oil
level is indicated by the gauge glass held between the gauge cocks I I'.
In Figure 2 and succeeding figures the same letters are used for like parts as are
adopted with reference to Figure 1.
With some feed waters it is necessary to open the blow off cocks L at moderately
frequent intervals to prevent the accumulation of mud deposit in the lower part of
the conical vessel A and in order to facilitate this blowing off operation I sometimes
arrange my invention as indicated at Figures 5 to 8 inclusive. In these figures I
illustrate blow off arrangements which dispense with the large number of cocks L
shown in Figures 23 and 4 and accomplish the blow off with great rapidity.
The general arrangement of the modification illustrated in section at Figure 5
and in end elevation at Figure 6 is the same as hereinbefore described. The spaces
between the partition plates E open downwards into a chamber R by means of
passages. These passages are controlled by flap or butterfly valves Q attached to
the spindle P in any convenient manner. One mode of attachment is shown at
Figure 6 where the valve Q is inserted into a slot in the spindle P. To do this
the spindle P may be pushed into the position shown at Figure 5, and the flap or
butterfly valves may be inserted into position by passing through the mud holes

page_text: covered by the mud hole doors K. The flaps may be held in position in the
spindle P by wedging or other convenient device.
When the flaps Q are turned into the position shown at Figure 5 by the spindle P
then each of the spaces between the plates E opens freely into the chamber R.
The blow off cock S leading from the said chamber when opened causes the mud to
be discharged from the chamber, the mud in the spaces above the chamber falls
down and is also blown out.
I thus blow out the mud through one cock S. When the blow off is completed
I turn the spindle P into the cross position and the flaps then close the passages
and the extractor resumes its oil separating functions.
By this arrangement I only require to turn the spindle P and the cock S to
perform the blow off operation.
R is an oblong mud hole intended to allow access to the chamber R.
The arrangement shown in section at Figure 7 and end elevation at Figure 8 is
similar to that shown at Figures 5 and 6 but here a long plug cock T operated by
the spindle P has in it passages T₁ which open to the chamber R in one position
making communication between the lower partition spaces and the said chamber.
In another position, that shown at Figure 7 the passages T' are closed and the
separator acts as hereinbefore described.
I do not limit myself to the conical shape of the extractor although I prefer it,
but other shapes of oil separators may be used provided the wave or up and
down movement of the water is retained and still be within the scope of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An oil extractor or separator in which water containing oil is passed through
the said extractor by way of inclined or upright partitions so arranged as to give
the current an alternate up and down motion causing the oil to rise between the
upper set of the said partitions to a suitable chamber from which it is drawn off
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. An oil extractor or separator having inclined or upright upper and lower
partitions, the top ends of the upper partitions being arranged to reduce the spaces
between the said partitions in such manner as to leave space for oil to pass without
leaving sufficient space to cause a flow of water over the said top ends, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. An oil extractor or separator as claimed in the preceding claims in which blow
off cocks as L are arranged to blow off mud or deposit or butterfly or flap valves
as Q, or a plug cock as T is or are used to discharge the said deposit, substantially
as herein before described.
4. The conical oil extracting apparatus herein before described with reference to
Figure 1 of the drawings.
5. The oil extracting apparatus hereinbefore described in which blow off cocks
are applied as illustrated at Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The oil extractor apparatus hereinbefore described in which butterfly or flap
valves are applied for blow off as illustrated at Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
7. The oil extracting apparatus herein before described in which a plug cock is
applied for blow off as illustrated at Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Dated this 28th day of September 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.