Waste Oil Handling Apparatus

Abstract

A waste oil handling apparatus features a tank with draining compartments for receiving waste oil containers in inverted and elevated positions above the tank floor. Multiple drain ports communicate with the tank interior at different elevations relative to the floor for draining accumulated contents of varying density that have gravitationally separated into distinct layers at those elevations. The ports feature adjustable fittings for adjusting the levels from which the layered contents are drawn through the ports from the tank interior. The tank has a large cleanout access by which personnel can access the tank interior for thorough cleanout. The compartments are organized into one or more troughs, each having a pivotal lid thereon. Lift brackets under the floor enable lifted transport of the tank by pallet jack or forklift.

1 . A waste oil handling apparatus comprising:
 a handling tank comprising an interior space delimited above a bottom floor of said handling tank between a plurality of perimeter walls upstanding from said bottom floor around a perimeter thereof; and   a plurality of draining compartments situated in elevated relation above the bottom floor of the handling tank, each draining compartment having a drain and each being sized to receive a respective waste oil container therein in an inverted state dumping contents of said oil container through said drain into the interior space of the handling tank;   wherein the apparatus is further characterized by at least one of features (a) through (d) below:   (a) multiple drain ports communicating with the interior space of the tank at different elevations relative to the floor thereof for respective draining of accumulated tank contents of varying density that have gravitationally separated into distinct layers at said different elevations;   (b) at least one drain port in fluid communication with the interior space of the tank and having an adjustable fitting coupled thereto to adjust an elevation at which fluid is drawn from the interior space of the tank through said drain port;   (c) a cleanout access sufficiently sized to admit one or more personnel to the interior space of the handling tank for cleanout purposes;   (d) lift brackets attached to the tank below the floor thereof and defining elongated open-ended channels for receiving blades of a pallet jack or forklift blades therein for lifted transport of the tank.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  characterized by inclusion of feature (a). 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the multiple drain ports comprise a primary drain port at an elevation spaced above the floor of the tank for draining of an upper layer of waste oil therefrom, a secondary drain port at a lower elevation between the oil primary drain port and the floor of the tank for draining a lower layer of greater density fluid than said oil, and a tertiary drain port at an even lower elevation between the secondary primary drain port and the floor of the tank for draining of a sediment layer that has settled out from the upper and lower fluid layers. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the tertiary drain port is of greater size than the primary and secondary drain ports to better accommodate flow of thickened sludge from the sediment layer. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  comprising a pump operably connected to at least one of the drain ports for forced evacuation of the accumulated tank contents from the tank through said at least one of the drain ports. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the pump is mounted to the tank for carrying therewith as an on-board component during transport of the tank. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  comprising a level gauge by which an overall fill level of the tank can be visually identified from outside said tank. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the level gauge comprises a tubular level gauge mounted externally of the tank and fluidly communicating with the interior space of the tank near the floor thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2  comprising a sight glass built into one of the perimeter walls of the tanks and through which the distinct layers of the accumulated tank contents are visibly identifiable from one another. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  characterized by inclusion of feature (b). 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the adjustable fitting comprises an angled fitting having one end coupled to the drain port in a manner rotatable relative thereto, and an opposite end whose elevation is adjustable by rotation of the angled fitting relative to the drain port. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  characterized by inclusion of feature (c). 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the cleanout access is a climb-in access situated at a top end of the handling tank. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  comprising an additional draining station that is larger than any of the draining compartments, said additional draining station sharing a common opening with the cleanout access by which personnel can enter the interior space of the tank, and through which a larger waste oil container can be lowered into said additional draining station. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the additional draining station comprises an elevated floor suspended beneath a partial area of the common opening for receipt of the larger waste oil container atop said elevated floor. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12  comprising:
 a first container trough running along a first one of the perimeter walls in elevated relation above the bottom floor of the handling tank; and 
 a second container trough running along a second one of the perimeter walls in elevated relation above the bottom floor of the handling tank; 
 wherein the plurality of draining compartments comprise a first set of draining compartments situated in the first trough and a second set of draining compartments situated in the second trough, and the cleanout access resides between said first and second troughs. 
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  characterized by inclusion of feature (d). 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  comprising support feet carrying the floor in an elevated position above ground, wherein the lift brackets are mounted beneath the floor and are also elevated above ground by the support feet. 
     
     
         19 . A waste oil handling apparatus comprising:
 a handling tank comprising an interior space delimited above a bottom floor of said handling tank between a plurality of perimeter walls upstanding from said bottom floor around a perimeter thereof, said perimeter walls denoting respective sides of the handling tank;   a first container trough running along a first one of the perimeter walls in elevated relation above the bottom floor of the handling tank;   a second container trough running along a second one of the perimeter walls in elevated relation above the bottom floor of the handling tank;   each container trough being subdivided into a plurality of draining compartments each having a drain and each being sized to receive a respective waste oil container therein in an inverted state dumping contents of said oil container through said drain into the interior space of the handling tank; and   a respective lid for each container trough, wherein each lid is hinged to the respective trough for pivoting between a closed position closing off the trough at a topside thereof and a lifted open position revealing the topside of the trough for access to the draining compartments.   
     
     
         20 . A method of draining accumulated content from a handling tank of a waste oil handling apparatus in which said accumulated content has gravitationally separated into multiple layers, including an upper fluid layer of waste oil and a lower fluid layer of a greater density fluid than said oil, said method comprising:
 (a) evacuating oil from the upper fluid layer into a primary oil collection tank through a primary drain port of the handling tank at a first elevation above a floor of the handling tank;   (b) upon detection that accumulation of the lower fluid layer is building in height and approaching the first elevation, ceasing evacuation of oil through the primary drain port and initiating evacuation of the greater density fluid from the lower fluid layer into one or more fluid collection containers through a secondary drain port of the handling tank that is situated at lower elevation than the primary drain port; and   (c) once the lower fluid layer has been reduced to a safe level sufficiently below the first elevation, ceasing evacuation of the greater density fluid through the secondary drain port and re-initiating evacuation of the oil from the upper fluid layer into the primary oil collection tank through the primary drain port of the handling tank.