Abstract: Apparatus for returning cooling lubricant, which adheres to the swarf when machining metals, consisting of the combination of a swarf conveyor 2 for discharging the swarf with a vacuum filter unit 3 located therebelow for cleaning the cooling lubricant contaminated with the fine swarf. The swarf conveyor 2 as well as the vacuum filter unit 3 consists of horizontal flat box sections 2a,3a, which can be pushed below a machine tool 4, as well as of inclined flat box sections 2b or 3b for receiving the drives 31 or 15 for a hinge belt 5 of the swarf conveyor 2 or a scraper belt 16 of the vacuum filter unit 3 and for receiving a filter band storage roll 21, from which the scraper belt 16 withdraws a filter band 14.

Abstract: A part of the arcuate guides for the hinged belt (13) of the conveyor consists of solid curved pieces (247, 270) which are fastened releasably to parts of the conveyor frame. In the region of the drive station, guide plates (35; 299) which are fastened to the side pieces (17, 18; 220) are assigned to the empty side of the hinged belt. A U-shaped baseplate (20; 232) is connected with its upwardly projecting legs, to the side pieces (17, 18; 220). If the conveyor is a lifting conveyor with a lower and an upper horizontal longitudinal section as well as with a longitudinal section which is directed obliquely upwards, the arcuate guides consist of curved crosspieces (33, 34; 276, 294) which extend between the side pieces (17, 18; 220), in the region of the mutually angled longitudinal sections.