US 11,980,834 B2
Fractionator annular drain apparatus and method
David A. Bell, Farmington, UT (US); C. Michael Miller, Anaconda, MT (US); Kristen Tucker, Midwest City, OK (US); and John Michael Higley, Brigham City, UT (US)
Filed by Snorkels IP, LLC, Las Vegas, NV (US)
Filed on Oct. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/973,003.
Application 17/973,003 is a division of application No. 17/244,718, filed on Apr. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,478,728.
Application 17/244,718 is a division of application No. 16/217,294, filed on Dec. 12, 2018, granted, now 10,994,224, issued on May 4, 2021.
Application 16/217,294 is a division of application No. 15/234,216, filed on Aug. 11, 2016, granted, now 10,159,914, issued on Dec. 25, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/259,856, filed on Nov. 25, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/208,945, filed on Aug. 24, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0114788 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01D 17/02 (2006.01); B01D 21/00 (2006.01); B01D 21/24 (2006.01); B01D 21/30 (2006.01); C02F 1/40 (2023.01); F16L 39/00 (2006.01); C02F 1/00 (2023.01); C02F 103/10 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 17/0214 (2013.01) [B01D 21/0024 (2013.01); B01D 21/2433 (2013.01); B01D 21/2444 (2013.01); B01D 21/307 (2013.01); C02F 1/40 (2013.01); F16L 39/005 (2013.01); C02F 2001/007 (2013.01); C02F 2103/10 (2013.01); C02F 2201/008 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus operable as a separator comprising:
a flange having an inside surface and an outside surface, and being sized and shaped to be capable of fitting around an opening through a wall in, and proximate a bottom of, a tank settling a plurality of liquids separable by density and the tank operably connected to the flange;
a first channel fixed to and extending through the flange to be capable of connecting to a snorkel line extending into the tank;
a second channel fixed to the flange and capable of being exposed directly to an interior of the tank;
the first and second channels, being sized and shaped to define respective, first and second flow paths, extending separately through the flange from proximate the inside surface to proximate the outside surface;
the snorkel line capable of passing a fluid therethrough, from a first end thereof maintained at a position proximate a liquid level in the tank, into the first channel operably connected to the snorkel line at a second end of the line; and
the second channel operably connected to be open proximate the inside surface of the flange.