US2467143A - Pipe-line strainer - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1949. o. N. MITCHELL PIPE-LINE STRAINER Filed Jan. 20, 1948 L E H C n M N O [NVENTOR ,2 M Mm;

AT RN EY Patented Apr. 12, 1949 PIPE -LINE STRAINER Ora N. Mitchell, Hawthorne, Calif., assignor to Parkhill-Wade, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation Application January 20, 1948, Serial No. 3,220

1 Claim.

This invention relates to strainers of the type adapted to be placed in pipe lines for the removal of pipe scale or other solid matter from flowing liquids, Vapors or gases.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a form of strainer in which the solids removed from the flowing stream are collected in a pervious receptacle which may readily be removed for cleaning.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a form of strainer which may be constructed at a low cost by welding assemblages of stock fittings.

The structure is illustrated in the tWi figures of the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the assembled strainer, and

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures, the body of the strainer is a plain pipe nipple Ill, closed at its upper end by a cap or bull nipple ll, preferably a forging and preferably welded in place. The inlet element i2 is a 90 bend of pipe of the same diameter as the pipe line in which the strainer is to be placed, this element being passed through and welded to the wall of the body in such position that the downwardly looking end is centrally disposed within the body while the outwardly looking end lies in a plane normal to the axis of the body. The outer end of element I2 is provided with a means of attachment to the end of a pipe, as illustrated by the half union [3. On the opposite side of the body an outlet element l4, also a plain pipe nipple, is welded in alignment with the outer end of element 12, the outlet also having a half union l5.

A flange I6 having an outside diameter not less than that of body nipple I is welded to the lower end of that element, this flange having a plurality of bolt holes ll. As illustrated, this flange projects inwardly and the ring of bolt holes is within the circumference of the body member, but the flange may project outwardly if preferred, bringing the bolt holes outside the body. Facing this. flange is a flat ring I8 of metal to which is attached a cylinder of wire mesh screen. This cylinder is illustrated as consisting of an outer layer i 9 of heavy, coarse mesh screen, adapted to resist a high internal pressure, and an inner layer 20 of finer screen of such mesh as will retain the smallest solid particles which it is desired to remove from the fluid. This showing is illustrative only and the cylinder may be composed of a single layer or a plurality of layers of screen, according to the conditions of service. If more than one layer is used, the layers should fit within each other snugly and the upper end of the inner layer should be of such diameter as to be a neat sliding fit over the downwardly looking end of inlet L l2, as at 2].

The lower end of body [0 is closed by a plate or blind flange 22 detachably retained in position, as for example by stud bolts 23 and nuts 24. If desired, a central opening 25, closed by a plug not shown, may be provided for draining liquid from the body prior to detaching the plate for cleaning the straining element. The collars shown at 26 and 21 are optional but are convenient for the attachment of pressure gauges, blowdown connections and the like. The lower end of the screen cylinder is permanently attached to the inner edge of ring I8, as at 28. The ring 3 is clamped between plate 22 and flange I'I, suitable gaskets not shown being inserted if desired.

This structure has material advantages over forms of pipe line strainer heretofore proposed.

Being constructed of relatively thin and elastic metal, it is not liable to breakage by sudden changes of temperature and will withstand considerable distortion without damage. The use of thin metal makes the structure amenable to assembly by welding, no machining being required other than for the facing of the flanges. The direction of flow being from the inside of the wire mesh basket outwardly into the body, the solids are collected in the basket and maybe withdrawn with it on removal of the bottom plate. This direction of flow also ensures against the collapse of the basket by external pressure in the event of choking of its meshes. As the wire mesh cylinder is seated on the bottom closure plate, there is no tendency to dislodge or displace the cylinder when used with the pressure coming inside, and as the-re is no accumulation of solids outside the basket, the inner diameter of the body member need be only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the screen cylinder. Finally, the screening cylinder itself may be changed, in case of damage or for the substitution of screen of different mesh, in a of time and at small cost, being a minor element of the cost of the assembly as a whole.

I claim as my invention:

A pipe line strainer comprising: a cylindrical body member; a cap closing the upper end of said body; an L passing through the side of said body and fastened therein, one end of said L projecting laterally from said body and the other end directed downwardly there-in; a flange attached to the lower end of said body; a plate arranged to be bolted to said flange and closing said lower end; UNITED STATES PATENTS a ring of metal clamped between said flange and said plate; a cylinder of Wire mesh attached at 22 gj g 5 its lower end to said ring and arranged at its 1 152831 j g t 9 5 upper end to fit snugly around the downwardly 5 1273656 Page; July 9 directed end of said L; a nipple laterally pro- 1539020 gg hgfi May 1925 jected from the wall of said body in axial align- 1579205 Blakesla, et a1 Apr 2 ment With the laterally projecting end of said L, 1642863 Williams 927 nd means on the'end of each aid la 211 p I u jectio-n for inserting said strainer in a gap formed 10 OREIGN PATENTS in a pipe line. Number Country Dat ORA N. MITCH-ELL- 99s r at, ritain 1894 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 file of this patent:

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