Fluid rectifier

April 1, 1941. r. e. Parker 2,236,629

FLUID RECTIFIER

Filed June 14, 1937

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Patented Apr. 1, 1941

2,236,629

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,236,629 FLUID RECTIFIER Ross E. Parker, Toledo, Ohio

Application June 14,

Claims.

This invention relates to liquid rectifiers or purifiers but more particularly to a device for rectifying oil used in connection with internal combustion engines with the view of removing sediment, water, sludge, etc. from the oil during its circulation.

An object is to produce a simple and efficient liquid rectifier in which the liquid is caused to travel through a circuitous or tortuous path in such manner that the sediment, impurities and water will be gravitationally separated or dissociated from the remainder.

Another object is to produce a new and im. proved oil rectifier for use in connection with internal combustion engines which is inexpensive to manufacture, efficient in operation and reliable and sturdy in construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing in which

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an oil rectifier with a portion of the parts broken away to show the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pipe or tube through which the clean oil passes and also through which the sediment and the like is drained;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the partition or plug which is disposed inside of the tube;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the casing with a portion of the wall broken away to show the interior structure and with the cap and outlet fitting omitted;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5—5 of Fig. 6 indicating the manner in which the strip or sheet is wound about the inner tube;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation partly diagrammatic showing the manner in which the sheet is applied to and wound about the inner tube;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the tube illustrating diagrammatically the manner in which the sheet is wound thereabout;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detailed view of an edge of the plate or strip which is wound about the inner tube showing the tongues or flanges on the side edge portions; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of an edge of an alternate form of spirally wound sheet which is corrugated instead of being flanged as indicated in Figure 8.

The illustrated embodiment of this invention' comprises a housing which is made up of two frusto-conical sections la and. lb, the section

1937, Serial No. 148,247 (Cl. 210—58)

7b being deeper than the section 7α. The housing sections are each made from pressed metal cups and one cup fits over the other. Each cup is grooved at their meeting edges to provide an 5 opening to receive an inlet pipe or duct 8 which may lead to the oil pump (not shown) of an internal combustion engine.

Disposed centrally within the housing is a pipe or tube 3 which extends through the housing, 10 the upper end being screw-threaded to receive a cap 2 which carries a smaller pipe which is of a size similar to the inlet pipe 8 and which delivers rectified oil to the working parts of the engine.

The opposite end portion of the pipe 3 may extend a substantial distance below the housing drid’ fhe lower end portion is screw-threaded to receive a coupling 10 to which is attached a petcock It, the handle of which is held in posi20 tion by a lock spring 1.2 which may also serve to prevent the lock screw of the petcock valve stem from becoming disengaged. The coupling 10 is so designed that should any water freeze within the lower portion of the pipe or tube 3, 25 its expansion will be resisted by the coupling.

If desired, a rubber¹ hose may be interposed in the lower portion of the pipe 3 to militate against bursting of the pipe in the event of water freezing{ih the inside thereof.

Disposed in the upper portion of the pipe 3 hear the’ upper end of the . housing section 7α is a transverse elongate port 4 through which the rectified or treated oil is adapted to pass, and disposed in a lower portion of the pipe 3 is an35 other transverse elongate port 9 through which sludge and residue may pass into the lower portion of the pipe and be discharged therefrom through'the petcock H. Fitting within the tube 3 at a point juxtaposed to the upper port 4 is a plug or bulkhead 5.· Preferably the plug 5 is in the form of a soft metal'disk which’ is inserted in the pipe 3. By the use of suitable tools, its diameter may be sufficiently increased so that it will be securely ’held frictidnally against the iri45 ner walls of the piper ' Figure 3 indicates the condition of the disk after it has been expanded in this manner.

A tortuous passage' is provided through which the oil passes from'the inlet pipe 8 to the outlet 50 port 4,' the flow of the liquid being such that residue or extraneous matter such as dirt, grit, sludge; etc. is separated· by gravitation. The means, making up the chamber through which the tortuous path:extends /comprises a sheet 6 55 of flexible material -such as sheet metal, the in2 2,236,629 ner end portion A, or that portion which engages the pipe 3, being the widest and tapering to a relatively small end B (Figure 7). The sheet 6 is approximately thirty-five times greater in length than its maximum width. The in- 5 ner end, as indicated in Figure 5, may be tapered to fit snugly against the tube 3 and is then wound in spiral overlapping fashion about the tube, the inner end being secured as by welding to the tube. 10

At the opposite side edge portions of the sheet 6 are inturned flanges 6α which are formed into a series of tongues by notches 6b, it being noted that the tongues or flanges extend inwardly at an angle of 45°, and the length of the tongues deter- 15 mine the breadth of the channel formed when the ribbon or sheet 6 is spirally wound. By providing the series of notches 6b, it enables the tongues to fit closely together as indicated on Fig. 4 after the sheet has been wound in spiral 20 manner. It will be apparent that the flanged tongues 6α serve to space one convolution from the next convolution. In order to hold the convolutions in place, the edges of the flanged tongues 6 α are suitably fastened to the outer wall of the 95 preceding convolution by solder or other suitable means and at the outer end of the ribbon or sheet 6, a pipe fitting 8 or inlet duct is swetted or otherwise suitably secured. As shown, the fitting is screw-threaded to receive a connecting θθ pipe.

It will be apparent that the sheet or ribbon 6 is irregularly graduated from its maximum width at one end to its minimum width at the opposite end. It will also be apparent that the lower por- 35 tion of the sheet is longer than the upper portion, thereby to fill substantially the housing section 7b. The upper end of the sheet 6, as will readily be apparent from the drawing extends slightly above the outlet port 4 and the lower 40 end of the sheet terminates at a point below the outlet port 9, there being a liquid-tight seal between the sheet and the pipe 3 as will be readily apparent.

In operation it will be understood that fluid or ₄₅liquid such as oil is introduced to the rectifier through the inlet 8 from which it passes into a spiral channel of gradually increasing depth. After this channel or the main chamber of the rectifier is filled with the oil, it eventually reaches ₅₀the outlet port 4 and then passes upwardly to the discharge line I. The lower portion of the chamber is deeper than the upper portion as will be readily apparent from an inspection of Figure 1. Thus any sediment, grit or other ex- _5gtraneous matter, including water, will tend gradually to settle to the lower portion and eventually reach the sediment port 9 and thence into the lower portion of the tube 3 to be drained at intervals from the petcock If.

In the use of the rectifier in connection with internal combustion engines where the oil is pumped, a certain pulsatory or vibratory action will be imparted to the oil and thereby cause a certain pulsation to the column of air in the θ_ tube 3 between the sediment port 9 and the partition or bulkhead 5. This action of the air column in the tube 3 tends to militate against clogging of the sediment port 9 and empirically it is found that this pulsatory action, even though 70 it is relatively slight, is sufficient to keep the port 9 relatively clean and free from clogging. This action also is of assistance in causing the sludge or other solid or semi-solid particles to be deposited in the lower portion of the tube 3. 75

According to the alternate form shown on Fig. 9, the side edges of the sheet 6' are formed with corrugations 6”. Such corrugations will satisfactorily space the convolutions from each other and thereafter the interstices may be filled by solder or other suitable material which also serves to produce a liquid tight joint.

It will also be understood that the strip or ribbon 6 may be of more than one piece and may be of a material other than sheet metal although sheet metal is preferred.

Although the invention has been shown and described in connection with an oil rectifier, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited but can be used to advantage in handling other fluids. It is to be understood that changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.