Improvements in Apparatus for the Recovery and Purification of Waste Oil.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1995
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Recovery and Purification of
Waste Oil.
We, VITO CAMIZ, Commander, of Via 2 Aprile No. 5049, Venice in the
Kingdom of Italy and ANGELO BETTONI, 3rd Class Chief Engineer, of Ponte
San Sovero No. 4932, Venice, in the Kingdom of Italy both of the Royal Italian
Navy, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the recovery and purification of oil which has been used
in lubricating engines and other machinery on board ship and in factories, work-
shops or the like wherever mineral or other oil or liquid lubricating agent is
employed to neutralize the friction of the working parts of machinery.
For this purpose we provide a device which will automatically perform its work
while either the engines and machinery of steamers, factories and the like, or the
sink-well and drain-reservoir pumps and other draining contrivances, or both, are
at work, the said device effecting, first, the recovery or recuperation of the oil
from the ship's hold, sink-well or drain-reservoir; second, the separation of the oil
from the water and air with which the former is ejected from the said hold, sink-
well or reservoir and the like, and, third, the purification of the oil, by filtering.
The apparatus which we have designed for carrying out the above mentioned
operations is divided into three sections, which can be separated and mounted in
different places, or arranged to work together in the same place, at will. This is
owing to the fact that each section works automatically. The apparatus is
illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved apparatus
Figure 2 is an elevation thereof and
Figure 3 is plan of Figure 1 partly in section.
The recuperator A is connected with the discharge pipes through which, by
means of pumps or other draining arrangements the holds, sink-wells and drain-
reservoirs are emptied of their contents. The said recuperator may be of cylin-
drical or other suitable or convenient shape and is made up of iron plates or other
material or it may be constructed of bricks, masonry, cement or similar materials.
The interior of the recuperator is divided into 3 compartments by means of two
diaphragms or partitions B and F.
Diaphragm B, which is situated Bear the orifice C of the discharge pipe, is of
any suitable shape and firmly fixed to the body of the recuperator at D and E.
The object of this arrangement is to moderate the influx of water, and prevent the
oil conveyed by it from sinking to the bottom. Similarly, the diaphragm F,
which is perforated is intended to keep back the molecules of oil which would
otherwise be carried on by the force of the current falling in the interior of the
recuperator A.
The oil, being of less specific gravity than the water will collect on the surface
of the latter in the state of an emulsion. As above mentioned C indicates the
point where the discharge pipe or pipes or other appliance for the drainage of the
holds, sink-wells and reservoirs, is connected with the recuperator.
G is a valve, provided with a spring or weight, and with or without a lever
attached, the use of which is to keep the recuperator A full when both the engines
and the draining appliances are at rest. H is a discharge pipe for the purpose of

page_text: .
carrying off the water after the oil has been recuperated, and which in ships leads
directly to the discharge valve in the vessel's side, the said pipe being connected
with the recuperator at its lower end.
I is a device of a shape and material to suit requirements, which is intended to
automatically eject, through the valve I connected with float M, the air pumped
into the recuperator together with the water. This device is shown of cylindrical
shape, and is connected with the recuperator A by means of pipes N and O, but it
may sometimes be found more convenient to connect the pipe N directly to the
bottom of the vessel I. The water or oil contained in the recuperator A is
forced up into the vessel I through the pipe N and the air in the said recuperator
is forced through the pipe into the vessel I near the top thereof and ejected
together through valve L, the opening of which is regulated by a spring P. The
automatic working of this valve varies according to the level of the liquid in the
interior of the vessel I, which level varies in its turn with the working energy of
the various pumps or other draining contrivances, and can be ascertained by means
of the glass gauge tube Q.
Tis the separator and is shown as a cylinder vessel constructed of metal plates,
but the shape of the vessel may be modified to suit requirements and it may if
desired be made of any other suitable material. It is provided internally with a
steam pipe U for heating purposes. By means of a thermo-chemical process the
oil is separated here in the first place from the emulsion in which it was conveyed,
and then freed from acids, as follows: By opening a cock R in the pipe S con-
nected to the vessel I the emulsion contained in the latter flows into the separator,
where an even temperature of 140° Fahrenheit is maintained by regulating the
supply of steam to the pipe U by means of the valve a which steam passes out.
through the outlet b.
The separation of the oil from the emulsion is first effected which can be seen by
a glance at the glass gauge tubes e and d. The oil is then purified by reason of
the chemical action of the salts contained in the water on the latter's reaching the
above mentioned temperature, the volatile acids being eliminated through the
escape pipe e, thereby causing the acidity and offensive odour of the oil to be
greatly diminished. Moreover the salts contained in the water itself contribute to
the elimination of other elements foreign to the oil and contained therein in a state
of suspension or emulsion, owing to the peculiar action of chloride of sodium on
substances of a mucilaginous nature. This process takes about an hour and the.
separation of the oil can be observed in the glass tube d, as already mentioned.
Finally, indicates an out-let by which the water is drawn off after the separation
of the latter from the emulsion is completed.
Z is a filter which consists of a box or chest of a rectangular or other suitable
shape made of metal or other suitable material and divided into two compartments
in order to provide for a double filtering process. The oil passes from the
separator through a cock or valve V and undergoes the first filtering process by
passing through woollen cloths, or other filtering materials, adjusted to, and
kept in place by frame K, and, under ordinary circumstances, this first filtration
should suffice. In case however it is found desirable to completely eliminate all
substances injurious to the purity of the oil, a second filtration can be obtained by
means of a stratum of cotton-wool, slightly compressed with special screws, or of
more woollen cloths or the like, arranged in the same way as in the first compart-
ment. The steam pipe X is intended to keep the filter warm, if the surrounding
temperature should not be sufficiently high to ensure the success of the operation.
Whenever it is necessary or desirable to increase the ordinary output of the
filter, the process can be accelerated by having recourse to the pneumatic action
developed by the vacuum in the condenser of the engine. This is effected by the
opening of the valve in a pipe W, which connects the filter with the condenser,
thus taking advantage of the atmospheric pressure on the oil to gain the end in
view. The same result can be otherwise obtained when necessary or desirable,
either by producing a vacuum in the lower part of the filter, or by exercising

page_text: pressure on the oil contained in the top, by any one of the various well-known
methods practised for similar purposes. By means of the cock or valve y, the
purified oil can be removed from the filter and stored for future use.
The several parts constituting the above described apparatus may be varied as
to the shape to be given to the said parts or the materials of which they are to be
constructed, the said parts to work as a whole, and be considered as such, whether
mounted together in the same place, or separated for convenience, and set up in
different places on board ship or in work-shops, factories, or the like.
In the use of the above described apparatus we obtain the following advantages-
Economy in expenditure on account of oil; economy of space, as a much smaller
quantity will need to be carried on board ship, or stored and accordingly, also
economy of weight. The use of the apparatus will enable oils of the best quality
to be substituted for all others, greatly to the advantage of the engines and
machinery, the maintenance of which will be facilitated and prolonged. It will
moreover enable the use of water, for cooling over-heated parts of engines and
machinery, to be dispensed with, and oil to take its place, with results too obviously
advantageous to require enumeration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1
1st. The hereindescribed apparatus for the recovery and purification of oil or
other lubricating agent which have been used in lubricating the parts of machinery,
consisting of a recuperating vessel for receiving the oil mixed with water and
other impurities, and a separating vessel maintained at a temperature of 140°
Fahrenheit for further separating the impurities in combination with a filtering or
purifying vessel provided with means for accelerating the output, the said vessels
being constructed and arranged substantially in the manner above described and
shown in the drawing.
2nd. A recuperating vessel for automatically collecting from bilge or drain water
the oil or other lubricating agent which has been used for lubricating engines and
machinery, by means of one or more diaphragms in the interior of said vessel, or
other obstructing surfaces or bodies, whether large or small, designed to break
up the water passing in, moderate the influx and prevent the oil from being
carried on.
3rd. An accessory vessel, for automatically ejecting the air carried together
with the water and oil into the above-mentioned recuperator, by means of a valve
controlled by a float, as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.
4th. A separating vessel for receiving the oil from the recuperator, and auto-
matically separating it from the water, at the same time partially purifying it by
reason of the heating of the apparatus by steam, and a filtering vessel connected
therewith, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of June 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.