US2122119A - Process for straining liquids - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1938. N. R. THIBERT PROCESS FOR STRAINING LIQUIDS Origin'alFiled Nov. 14, 1935 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 2 fl .1. t 1' 2 ww r, h 3 w 5M m MN 5N w m In .a mm WWO n 2 NW .T... A N m S w S wN M f W m We I \N T L 4 d R m 1 y W m m M w m m m N S M S n E i C E m .n P 0 June 28, 1938 Patented June 28, 1938 j one STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 14, 1935, Serial No. 49,717 Renewed May 18, 1938 5 Claims.

This. invention relates to improvements in straining devices for liquids and more particularly for lubricating oils and to an improved process for straining, reconditioning or purifying the same.

A principal object of the invention is to provide means of forcing the medium to be strained through straining layers under pressure and at the same time providing means for passing thickened or heavy congealed liquids freely in an unstrained condition until the liquid arrives at a thinner or more fiowable condition, thereby relieving pressure, preventing injury to the strainer and maintaining the liquid in the strainer in a flowable and strainable condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide means that will automatically pass heavy, thick liquids through the device in an unstrained condition direct from the circulation or source of supply.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and economical means for straining that are easily assembled and unassembled for access to inspect the accumulation of sediment sludge, grits .and impurities.

Another object of the invention is to provide cheap and compact means for straining, easily assembled, and which take up a small amount of space and make the device accessible and cleanable.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient straining layers and a supporting medium therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method of straining a medium containing heavy accumulations or in a congealed state by automatically and freely capturing the same in an unstrained condition, and straining the thinner or more flowable portion of the liquid.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent that many changes may be made in the arrangement of parts, the details of construction and the steps of the process without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims. I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the exact arrangements and methods shown and described as the preferred forms have been shown by way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. I is a longitudinal cross-section through the device of the invention;

Fig. III is a cross-section on line III-III of Fig. I;

Fig. IV is a perspective of the aligned parts of a modification; and 1 Fig. V is a longitudinal cross-section of the modification of Fig. IV.

In the straining of liquids such as lubricating oil which are liable to become thickened and still or to contain a heavy sludge under certain conditions, it has been found that the heavy unflowable material and sludge resists the strain- Fig. II is a cross-section on line 11-11 of Fig. I;

ing operations, clogs up the working mechanism 1 matically removing the congealed material and sludge and always keeping the medium being strained in a flowable, workable condition.

It is a common mistake to believe that lubricating oils lose their lubricating Value after a short period of use, and should be drained off and. be replaced by fresh oil. Authorities now hold that this is not only not so but that the lubricating value of the oil is increased by use. The oil, however, does become dirty and contaminated by foreign substances; hence, it is an important object of my invention to remove these foreign substances and permit of the continued use of the oil by straining it in the process of its circulation.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout, I have shown a straining device comprising broadly an inlet, an outlet, 2. receiving chamber, and two straining units.

The receiving chamber of the device comprises the two dome shaped end portions or casings I having the attaching flanges 2, abutting the ends of the central casing 3, threaded at the portions 4. There is a gasket between the flanges 2 and the central casing 3. The flanges 2 are held securely against the casing 3 by means of the cap nut 5; engaging the threads 4.

The straining mechanism comprises the tubular support (i threaded on the inside adjacent its ends. I The nipple supports 7 are threaded into the threads of the support 6. To the outer ends of the nipples I are secured by spot welding or otherwise the strainer supports 8. This may be a tube with the outer end closed and perforated at 9, or it may be in the form of a spiral spring or other form of support with interstices to pass the strained liquid. Over the support 8 is placed the strainer sleeve H] which is preferably of felt, but other fabrics or straining layers may be used. I have found a hard pressed smooth surfaced felt of high grade to be particularly eficacious, although softer and looser felts also work very well.

The inlet is at X. An inlet pipe which leads to the force pump, not shown, is attached at the connection ii to the inlet elbow l2, which has a threaded connection with the casing 3. The inlet connection ll discharges into the space l3 between the casings 3 and 6. Secured in the casing 6 is the tube and valve seat M, the bore of which is aligned with the bore of the elbow ll. Seated on the valve seat of the part M is the valve ball member l5, which is resiliently held on the valve seat by the spring l6 which is held in alignment by the pressure adjusting plug ll having the centering extension l8 extending into the core of the spring. The plug ll is screw threaded in the casing 6.

The outlet is provided by the tubular member it screw threaded in the casings 6 and 3, and having a bore leading out of the space within the casing 6. The member 19 is coupled with tubular means leading into the crank case or other receptacle within the circulation system], not shown. The member I9 is supported and held in place by the nut 20.

The strainer device may be supported and held in place by a strap standard 2| extending around the casing 3 and provided with the feet connections 22, or it may be otherwise supported and held in place by other means as desired.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The liquid is pumped under pressure from the pump through the elbow l2 into the space I3. If

the liquid is congealed orcontains heavy sludge the pressure in the space 13 will be increased and the heavy liquid or sludge will exert a pressure on the ball valve IS, the spring l6 having been regulated to a desired adjusted pressure by the plug I1. Thisincreased pressure will lift the ball l and allow the heavy liquid to enter the space in the casing 6 and to be discharged therefrom through the outlet IS, without going through the strainers. When the liquid entering the space l3 becomes thinner and more fluid the pressure will be reduced and the liquid will be forced through the strainer layer It! into the space in casing 6, and thence to the outlet IS. The strainer layer ID will remove all foreign material and dirt from the liquid.

The pressure for operating the ball valve [5 may be regulated as desired by means of the plug ll acting on the spring l6.

By removing the nuts 5 the casings I may be readily removed and access had to the strainer layers ii]. The strainer supports 8 may be removed by unscrewing the connection I. All the parts are screw connected, hence may be easily removed and replaced for cleaning or replacement of the parts. Most of the parts are of the simplest forms of pipe connections, well understood and easily operable for inspection or cleaning.

In Figures IV and V, I have shown a modification that in many respects has advantages over the device of Fig. I and for those reasons may be considered a preferred form.

Instead of the nipple supports 1, the strainer supports 8 and the strainer of the device of Fig. I, I thread a strainer container 23 at 24 to the part 6. The container 23, has the retaining flange 25 adjacent the opposite end from the threaded portion 2&. Into the container 23 I slip a number of strainer layer pads 26 of felt or other material suitable for straining. Each of the pads 26 is made to fit the container and is supported by a wire mesh support 27. Between the layers of pads and mesh support I place a spacer member 28. The pads, mesh supports and spacers are made to fit the container. The parts are assembled as shown in Fig. V. The outermost pad is held in place by the flange 25. When the pads, mesh supports and spacers have been assembled in the container 23, the container is screwed on to the member 6 at the threads 24 until engagement is made to hold the parts in the required alignment.

The operation of this modification is identical with that described above for the device of Fig. I, with the exception that the liquid to be strained enters the container 23 at the end through the opening of the flange 25 and traverses each strainer pad in order until it enters the space internally of the member 6.

The number of strainer pads may be increased or decreased compatible with the results desired as shown by experience.

One of the chief advantages of this modification is that it provides simple and convenient means of regulating the amount of strainer layer the liquid has to traverse and provides successive straining operations.

Another advantage lies in the simplicity of the strainer pads, economical and easy of application and replacement. The disks and spacers are of the very simplest construction.

The complete device is small in size and of the simplest and most economical construction.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple, inexpensive, efficient and easily operable means for attaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a cylindrical shaped member, a hollow member extending into and forming a passageway through the side wall of said member, a smaller cylindrical shaped member supported internally of the first cylindrical shaped member by said hollow member, said hollow member forming an outlet passageway, the walls of said cylindrical members being in spaced relation with each other and each of said cylindrical shaped members having attaching means adjacent the ends thereof, a cup shaped member having a solid wall and having attaching means detachably secured to each of the attaching means of the outer cylindrical shaped member and a hollow member having a perforated wall and attaching means secured to each of the attaching means of the internal cylindrical shaped member, said hollow members extending within the cup shaped members on the respective ends of the outer cylindrical member with the perforated walls thereof lying substantially entirely within said cup shaped members, strainer means supported by each of said hollow members so as to close the perforations, the said outer cylindrical shaped member having an inlet opening in a side wall thereof communicating with the space between said cylindrical shaped members and the inner cylindrical shaped member having an opening therein and a valve member closing said opening.

2. A device of the character described comprising a tubular shaped member, a hollow member extending into and forming a passageway ing means detachably secured to each of the at-- taching means of the outer tubular member, a hollow member having a perforated wall and attaching means detachably secured to each of the attaching means of the internal tubular member, strainer means supported by each of said hollow members so as to close the perforations, the said outer tubular member having an inlet opening in a side wall thereof communicating with the space between said tubular members, the inner tubular member having an opening therein in alignment with the inlet opening of the outer tubular member and a valve member closing the opening in said inner tubular member whereby the means coming through the inlet openings will be discharged directly on the valve member.

3. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a hollow support extending into and forming a passageway through the side wall of said member, a smaller tubular member supported internally of the first tubular member by said hollow support, said hollow support forming an outlet passageway, the walls (if said tubular members being in substantially concentric spaced relation with each other, each of said tubular members having threaded portions adjacent the opposed ends thereof, a cup shaped member having a solid wall and connecting means adjacent its open end, detachably secured to each of the threaded portions of the outer tubular member, a hollow member having a perforated wall and a threaded portion detachably secured to each of the threaded ends of the internal tubular member, strainer means supported by each of said hollow members so as to close the perforations, the said outer tubular member having an inlet opening in a side wall thereof communicating with the space between said tubular members, the inner tubular member having an opening therein in alignment with the inlet opening of the outer tubular member and a valve member closing the opening in said inner tubular member whereby the means coming through the inlet openings will be discharged directly on the valve member.

4. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a smaller tubular member, means for supporting said tubular members in spaced substantially concentric relation with each other, each of said tubular members having attaching means adjacent the opposed ends thereof, a cup shaped member having a solid wall detachably secured to each of the attaching means on said outer tubular member, a hollow member having a perforated wall and attaching means secured to each of the attaching means of the internal tubular member, strainer means supported by each of said hollow members so as to close the perforations, the said inner tubular member having a passageway leading outwardly thereof, the said outer tubular member having an inlet opening in the side wall thereof communicating with the space between said tubular members, the inner tubular member having an opening therein in alignment with the inlet opening of the outer tubular member and a valve member closing the opening in said inner tubular member, whereby the means coming through the inlet opening of the outer tubular member will be discharged substantially directly on the valve member.

5. A device of the character described comprising a tubular shaped member, a hollow member extending into and forming a passageway through the side wall of said member, a smaller tubular member supported internally of the first tubular member so that the said tubular members are in spaced relation with each other, said hollow member forming an outlet passageway from the inner tubular member, each of said tubular members having attaching means adjacent the opposed ends thereof, a cup shaped member having a solid wall and attaching means detachably secured to each of the attaching means of the outer tubular member, a hollow member having a perforated wall and attaching means detachably secured to each of the attaching means of the internal tubular member, said hollow members extending within the cup shaped members on the respective ends of the outer tubular member with the perforated walls thereof being substantially entirely within said cup shaped members, strainer means supported by each of said hollow members so as to close the perforations, the said outer tubular member having an inlet opening in a side wall thereof communicating with the space between said tubular members and the inner tubular member having an opening therein and a valve member closing said open- NAPOLEON R. THIBERT.

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