Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
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.
This invention relates to the method of and apparatus or appliances for the
separation of oil and water and of other ordinarily immiscible fluids and has been
designed especially for effecting the separation of oil from the water of condensation
of steam engines.
I will describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:-
Figure 1 represents a partial longitudinal vertical section,
Figure 2, a partial plan, and
Figure 3, a transverse section taken along the line y-y, Figure 2.
To economise space Figures 1 and 2 shew a central part of the apparatus as having
been partly removed.
The mixed fluid arrives by the pipe A, from which it enters the vessel B, in which
some initial separation may take place naturally, owing to difference in specific
gravity, and which vessel may or may not contain a filtering medium. An outlet
controlled by a cock may be provided in the upper part of the vessel to draw off any
separated oil from time to time. At the bottom of the vessel B there is an outlet
pipe C the exit from which may be controlled or regulated by the cock D.
E E¹ are parallel sunk tanks of which there may be any convenient number, two
being the minimum preferred, so that there may be always at least one tank in use
while the other or others are being cleansed. By means of a transverse pipe the
liquid from C can be directed into any desired tank or tanks.
Referring to Figure 1 which shews a vertical longitudinal section along the
line x-x, Figure 2, and to the latter Figure, it will be seen that at the end of
the two tanks E E¹ there is a similar number of smaller receiving tanks plus one,
the additional tank, F, being the common receiver. From each of the smaller
receiving tanks F F¹ there extends through the length of the nearer large tank, an
inverted trough G, which is perforated throughout its length. The passages from
these troughs to the smaller tanks are controlled by the valves G1 G2 which may be
opened and closed by the hand wheels H¹ H2 on the upper end of the sufficiently
long valve spindles. There is a similarly controlled passage from each of the.
tanks F F¹ to the common receiving tank F2 the respective valves being indicated
at I and I
In each of the tanks E E¹ there is placed above the inverted perforated trough G,
a bed of gravel or equivalent material J and above this a bed or layer of sand K.
The fluid entering
All the tanks may be covered as shewn to keep out the rain.
the tank or tanks from the vessel B, spreads over the layer of sand and gradually
percolates downwards through the sand and gravel to the space enclosed by the
inverted trough whence it flows to the smaller tank, where, in the case of water of
condensation having been treated, the water will be found separated and perfectly

page_text: "
clear, the oil and greasy matters having been left in the larger tank contents. From
the smaller tank or tanks, the water flows to the common receiver F2 whence it may
be pumped for re-use in the condenser.
The arrangement of the tanks may be variously modified, and the tank F2 may
be omitted if it be practicable to do so in particular cases. The inverted trough
also instead of being arranged diagonally may be arranged longitudinally or it may
be modified so as to consist of a longitudinal trunk with lateral branches. The
vessel B also with the preliminary partial separation therein may be dispensed with
in some cases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The hereinbefore described method for the separation of oil and water and
of other similar mixed liquids, substantially as and by the means herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. Apparatus for the separation of oil and water and of other similar mixed liquids,
constructed arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th. day of September A.D. 1897.