Abstract: A filter apparatus (10) for filtering machine tool coolant is disclosed as including a filter assembly (12) including a foraminous non-reticulated metal screen (30) having minute openings and a smooth planar surface for providing improved scrape cleanability and preventing movement of machining chips, particulate and also elongate contaminants from one side of the filter (12) to the other side thereof.

Abstract: The pump includes a discharge head having a pair of axially spaced end walls defining in part an annular chamber therebetween. The tank includes a housing in communication with a liquid outlet conduit. By seating the discharge head in the tank housing, an annular pump discharge chamber is defined with the housing and between the end walls of the pump. Clean coolant from the suction side of a filter disposed in the tank flows through the pump inlet and discharge head into the tank outlet conduit for delivery to machine tools. The pump is driven through a releasable coupling by an electric motor disposed above the tank mounted for movement between operative and out-of-the-way positions whereby the pump may be readily removed from and reinstalled in the tank without disconnection or connection of pipe fittings within the tank. Alternatively, a submersible electric motor may be provided.

Abstract: The pump includes a discharge head having a pair of axially spaced end walls. The tank includes a housing in communication with a liquid outlet conduit and forms part of a substantially permanently stationary pipe column which receives clean coolant from the receptor side of a filtration system. By freely suspending the pump by its discharge head in the tank housing of the pipe column, the removal of the pump is facilitated by minimizing the criticality of its mounting connections in the filtration system. The pump is thus mounted for movement between operative and out-of-the-way positions whereby the pump may be readily removed from and reinstalled in the tank without disconnection or connection of pipe fittings within the tank and without aligning the pump with the receptor.

Abstract: A flushing system 10 for a machine tool coolant return system is disclosed which is readily removable for servicing or replacement. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a flush nozzle assembly 34 is submerged beneath a normal coolant level 14 in flumes 16 and 18 to provide coolant for flushing machine waste and maintaining the flow of coolant and machine waste toward the filter. A lower member 20 is provided between flume sections 16 and 18 which is adapted to receive the flush nozzle assembly 34. A hollow elongated guide 28 is secured to the lower member 20 and has an open end 29 located for easy access. A flexible hose 32 has the flush nozzle assembly 34 attached to end 33 and is inserted into guide 28 where it is securely received in the lower member 20. The other end 35 of the flexible hose is connected to a source of coolant 46 to provide coolant to the nozzle assembly 34 and into the flumes 16 and 18.

Abstract: The pump includes a discharge head having a pair of axially spaced end walls defining in part an annular chamber therebetween. The tank includes a housing in communication with a liquid outlet conduit. By seating the discharge head in the tank housing, an annular pump discharge chamber is defined with the housing and between the end walls of the pump. Clean coolant from the suction side of a filter disposed in the tank flows through the pump inlet and discharge head into the tank outlet conduit for delivery to machine tools. The pump is driven through a releasable coupling by an electric motor disposed above the tank mounted for movement between operative and out-of-the-way positions whereby the pump may be readily removed from and reinstalled in the tank without disconnection or connection of pipe fittings within the tank. Alternatively, a submersible electric motor may be provided.

Abstract: The filtration system includes a tank and a pump for suctioning clean filtrate from the tank and pumping filtrate into a discharge manifold. The pump includes a suction inlet port, an impeller and a discharge head. A suction connection to the filtrate is provided in the side wall of the tank and a fixed discharge housing includes an annular enclosure which cooperates, when the pump is installed, with the pump discharge head to connect the pump discharge to the manifold. To install the pump, the inlet suction port and impeller are passed horizontally through the annular enclosure for sealing connection with the tank receptor ring. The discharge head mates with the annular enclosure whereby filtrate may be pumped from the tank through the discharge head to the manifold. To remove the pump, the pump is displaced in the opposite horizontal direction by withdrawing the head from the annular housing and the impeller and suction inlet port through the annular housing.

Abstract: Solid particles with entrained liquid are removed from a filtration tank and deposited on a chute inlet to a pair of rollers. One roller is pressed toward the opposite roller such that the solid particles pass through the nip of the rollers and the liquid is squeezed therefrom. The solid particles are scraped from the rollers on the outlet side of the deliquifier for collection. The liquid is collected on the inlet side of the rollers for reuse.

Abstract: The pump mounting includes vertical guide tracks and horizontal supports whereby a pump can be lowered in a filtration tank along the vertical guide tracks to connect its axial inlet port with an inlet conduit and rotated to connect its radial discharge port with an outlet conduit. Positive pump displacement means are provided to rotate the pump into its operative position in the tank and to release the pump from its operative position for removal from the tank. Cams cooperate between the tracks and the pump mounting frame to rotate to the pump to disconnect its radial discharge port and the outlet conduit in response to lifting the pump from the tank.

Abstract: A vacuum filter having a filter tank provided with a lower vacuum chamber covered with a filter medium and connected to the intake of a pump. The filter medium, either a paper web or a fibrous filter aid, is removed when contaminated by a chain and flight conveyor after the vacuum is relieved. The vacuum is relieved by a single power actuated valve operable to supply clean liquid to the pump from a clean liquid tank and to supply a limited amount of liquid to the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of preventing the build-up of particulate waste, such as machining chips, on the surface of a body of machining coolant having a filtration apparatus immersed therein. Machining chips of light metals, such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and the like, generally have a large surface area and, particularly in the presence of tramp oil, tend to accumulate on the surface of a body of coolant. The present invention proposes bubbling air or other suitable gas upwardly through the body of coolant, the air bubbles increasing in volume as they rise through the coolant body and bursting at the surface to wet the machining chips with coolant, so that the chips sink into the body of coolant for removal at the chip-coolant separating means immersed in the body of coolant. The air can be introduced intermittently or continuously through a perforate conduit which, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, is incorporated into the separating means.

Abstract: A method of filtering coolant for a central coolant system supplying clean coolant to a plurality of machining stations. The method simultaneously filters the coolant in a single tank through both a perforate drum filter and a paper filter to obtain clean coolant of two distinct clarity levels. The coolant of enhanced clarity resulting from the operation of the paper filter either can be supplied to a machine requiring such coolant clarity (e.g., a gun drill) or can be used as a "polishing filter" to remove fines from the coolant in the central system.

Abstract: This invention relates to a central coolant system utilized to circulate filtered soluble oil coolant to a plurality of machining stations to flush machining waste from the stations. According to the invention, only the coolant required at the stations is continuously circulated in the system, and the machining waste is allowed to accumulate in the return flumes. This waste is periodically flushed, e.g., for 2-10 minutes every 2 hours or so, by additional coolant injected into the flumes. The flumes can be intermittently flushed by injecting a relatively small additional volume of additional coolant into individual collection flumes in series or by injecting a larger volume of coolant into all of the flumes simultaneously, both for a limited period of time. Substantial savings in pumping energy and overall coolant system size can be obtained.

Abstract: A reservoir of liquid having a false bottom forming a lower chamber of reduced pressure produced by a plurality of removable pumps suspended in apertures in said false bottom, each of which apertures is provided with a two-piece receptor and check valve assembly; the receptor of which forms a guide and hydraulic slip-fit for the lower intake end of its pump and the other part below said receptor extends into said reduced pressure chamber comprises a cylindrical housing with a check valve at its lower end to close off that aperture to the reduced pressure chamber when its pump is not running or has been removed for repair.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a smooth continuous steel trough, free of longitudinal weld joints except for a flanged frame attached to its open top for supporting a cover grating. The apparatus for performing these steps comprises a conveyor table for moving and clamping a parallel edged sheet of steel while it is cut, such as by a torch, to predetermined length sides, and angled ends corresponding to the flow pitch for the resulting trough. The resulting isosceles trapezoidal section is then conveyed and aligned under an oscillatable convex mandrel or roller having a longitudinal clamping rib axially along its periphery for clamping the trapezoidal sheet near its center at the bottom of what is to be one of the equal side walls of the resulting trough. The conveyor and/or support for the sheet at the mandrel is vertically adjustable to compensate for different size mandrels and thicknesses of the sheets.

Abstract: An easily removable tubular filter assembly, such as from a cylindrical array of parallel filter tubes arranged between two spaced parallel circular plates, which array is immersible in a liquid to be filtered. Each filter tube comprises a central open-ended perforated rigid tube with flanged tubular bushings for each end, and a fabric tubular sock which surrounds the perforated tube and tucks in the ends of the tube around the outer flanges of said bushings. A flanged tubular ferrule snugly fits in the bushing at one end of the fabric-covered tube to hold the tucked-in sock in place and seal its flange into an aperture in a wall of a suction chamber which may comprise one of the parallel circular plates of the array assembly.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a smooth continuous steel trough, free of longitudinal weld joints except for a flanged frame attached to its open top for supporting a cover grating. This trough is, for example, of the type embedded in the floor of a factory for the gravity and/or jet flow of contaminated coolants from machining operations.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an apparatus for separating various sizes, shapes, and textures of solid particles from a liquid, comprising: a settling tank having an elongated ramp at one end with a scraper flight conveyor, driven at the upper end of the ramp, to scrape settlings from the bottom of the tank up the ramp out of the tank; and at least one cylindrical rotatable filter drum assembly snapped between spaced rigid guide and supporting brackets in the tank. An axial end of the filter drum has a ball duct seating in a socket duct connected to the intake of a continuously-operating pump for circulating filtered liquid to the machine tools with a bypass into a clean tank that overflows into the settling tank. The other end of the filter drum assembly is axially outwardly resiliently pressed, such as by a spring against an opposite wall of the tank, to urge the ball and socket joint together.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an apparatus for separating various sizes, shapes, and textures of solid particles from a liquid, comprising: a settling tank having an elongated ramp at one end with a scraper flight conveyor, driven at the upper end of the ramp, to scrape settlings from the bottom of the tank up the ramp out of the tank; and at least one cylindrical rotatable filter drum assembly snapped between spaced rigid guide and supporting brackets in the tank. An axial end of the filter drum has a ball duct seating in a socket duct connected to the intake of a continuously-operating pump for circulating filtered liquid to the machine tools with a bypass into a clean tank that overflows into the settling tank. The other end of the filter drum assembly is axially outwardly resiliently pressed, such as by a spring against an opposite wall of the tank, to urge the ball and socket joint together.