GB1559894A - Method for eparating liquid from liquid-charged material - Google Patents

Description

(54) A METHOD OF SEPARATING LIQUID FROM LIQUID-CHARGED MATERIAL (71) We, LOTHAR WEININGER, of Kirchgasse 5, 5227 Windeck 1, Schladern, Germany, and Aloes MULLER of Talsperrenweg, 5202 Hennef-Happerschoss, Germany, both of German nationality, trading as WMV APPARATEBAU, of AUf Teichhardt, D-5227 Windeck 1, Schladern/Sieg, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a method of separating liquid from liquid-charged materials in the centrifugal basket of a centrifuge.

Many materials and wastes have liquids adhering to them or bound in their substance.

Such materials include machine tool chips or bolts which have oils, oil emulsions or coolants wetting their surfaces. These liquids are often valuable products and it is therefore desirable to recover them from the solids to which they adhere.

Sometimes the liquids are bound in the substance of the materials. This applies for instances to sludges and slurries.

A well-known technique of separating liquids from solids is that of centrifugation.

This method is used more particularly for the recovery of the cutting oils from machine tool chips. However, other materials, such as small bolts and screws which have been wetted with oil, emulsions or other liquids, can also be treated by this technique. Even in the case of sludges and slurries the removal of liquid by centrifugation is a well known process.

The major drawback of these conventional methods is that the materials which have become charged with liquids cannot be applied to the wall of the centrifugal basket in the form of a uniform layer because the distributing means inside the centrifugal basket is located in predetermined fixed position. Since the material leaving the distributor plate is always ejected at one and the same level by centrifugal force there is a considerable accumulation of material in an annular zone where a notional plane containing the surface of the distributor plate intersects the centrifugal wall, the thickness of the accumulation tapering away in the upward and in the downward directions.This non-uniformity in the thickness of the centrifuged layer adversely affects the separation of the liquid from the material because it is a well known fact that a liquid is not as readily abstracted from a thicker layer as from one which is thin. In this respect the known methodology is imperfect and for this reason it will often not work at all.

It is an object of the present invention to develop a method of separating liquid from liquid-charged material by distributing the material on the inside wall of a rotating centrifuge basket in such a way that the thickness of the layer of material on the basket is uniform and the desired rate of separation of the liquid will be achieved.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of separating liquid from liquid-charged material, comprising depositing the material onto a spinning distributor plate mounted inside a rotating cylindrical centrifuge basket open at its ends, whilst the spinning distributor plate is simultaneously reciprocated up and down in the centrifugal axis, so that the material is uniformly applied by centrifugal force to the inside wall of the basket and forms a layer of substantially uniform thickness thereon, and then reducing the speed of rotation of the basket to allow the material to drop out of the lower end of the basket.

The advantage afforded by this method is that the up and down movement of the distributor plate in the centrifugal axis ensures that the materials which are centrifugally thrown off the spinning plate will impinge on the inside wall of the basket in an even distribution and that they will thus form a layer of uniform thickness. As has already been explained this is essential for a satisfactory separation of a liquid whether adhering to and bound in the substance of a usually solid material. It is also extremely advantageous that this desirable procedural effect can be achieved with a minimum expenditure in means contrived to enabling the distributing mechanism to be reciprocated to and fro in the centrifugal axis.

The present method not only permits for instance oils or emulsions or coolants to be removed from machine tool chips, screws, bolts and the like, it is also suitable for treating sludges or slurries in order to dewater the same. The decisive factor in determining the wide applicability range of the method is that it definitely ensures an even distribution of the treated materials on the inside wall of the centrifugal basket.

The thickness of the layer which is applied to the basket wall depends on the rate at which the distributing means throws off the materials and upon the number of reciprocations it performs in the centrifugal axis. In this respect the further advantage arises that the thickness of the layer can be controlled, since the number of reciprocations of the distributor in the centrifugal axis can be increased or diminished, according to the material that is being treated.

The proposed method will now be further explained and described with reference to an embodiment of a centrifuge for removing the cutting oil from machine tool chips, shown in the accompanying drawing.

The chips drop through a chip loading tube 1 from above into the interior 2 of a cylindrical centrifugal basket 3 where they are thrown by a spinning distributing plate 4 radially outwards against the inside wall 5 of the basket 3. The distributor plate 4 is attached to an inner cylinder 6 and together with the rotary drive 7 which is associated with this system it is reciprocable up and down in the centrifugal axis 8 as indicated by a double arrow F. This reciprocating movement can be generated by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuating device 9. The number of reciprocations of the distributor plate 4 and of the inside cylinder 6 can be controlled and the thickness of the layer 10 of chips can thus be determined as desired. The centrifugal basket 3 also rotates, but its drive 11 is independent of that of the inner cylinder 6.As soon as the liquid has been separated from the centrifuged material the centrifugal basket 3 is slowed down and this allows the clean chips to drop through the annular channel 12 and thus to leave the machine. The separated oil is collected in a chamber 13 whence it can be drained through an oil outlet 14 to the outside.

In our co-pending patent application No.

7219/77 we have claimed a top loading centri- fuge for removing adhering liquids from machine tool chips and the like, comprising a centrifugal basket provided with its own drive means, the basket being fitted at the lower end of an upright hollow drive shaft of the drive means, a tube for feeding the chips into the basket, which tube extends downwards through the inside of the hollow drive shaft, a cylinder fitted co-axially within the basket and closed at the top with a centrifugal distributor plate, a separate rotary drive means for rotating the cylinder and distributor plate, and an auxiliary actuator device operable to reciprocably raise and lower the cylinder and distributor plate during rotation of the cylinder and plate by the rotary drive means.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of separating liquid from liquid-charged material, comprising depositing the material onto a spinning distributor plate mounted inside a rotating cylindrical centrifuge basket open at its ends, whilst the spinning distributor plate is simultaneously reciprocated up and down in the centrifugal axis, so that the material is uniformly applied by centrifugal force to the inside wall of the basket and forms a layer of substantially uniform thickness thereon, and then reducing the speed of rotation of the basket to allow the material to drop out of the lower end of the basket.

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Claims (1)

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   material. It is also extremely advantageous that this desirable procedural effect can be achieved with a minimum expenditure in means contrived to enabling the distributing mechanism to be reciprocated to and fro in the centrifugal axis.

   The present method not only permits for instance oils or emulsions or coolants to be removed from machine tool chips, screws, bolts and the like, it is also suitable for treating sludges or slurries in order to dewater the same. The decisive factor in determining the wide applicability range of the method is that it definitely ensures an even distribution of the treated materials on the inside wall of the centrifugal basket.

   The thickness of the layer which is applied to the basket wall depends on the rate at which the distributing means throws off the materials and upon the number of reciprocations it performs in the centrifugal axis. In this respect the further advantage arises that the thickness of the layer can be controlled, since the number of reciprocations of the distributor in the centrifugal axis can be increased or diminished, according to the material that is being treated.

   The proposed method will now be further explained and described with reference to an embodiment of a centrifuge for removing the cutting oil from machine tool chips, shown in the accompanying drawing.

   The chips drop through a chip loading tube 1 from above into the interior 2 of a cylindrical centrifugal basket 3 where they are thrown by a spinning distributing plate 4 radially outwards against the inside wall 5 of the basket 3. The distributor plate 4 is attached to an inner cylinder 6 and together with the rotary drive 7 which is associated with this system it is reciprocable up and down in the centrifugal axis 8 as indicated by a double arrow F. This reciprocating movement can be generated by a hydraulic or pneumatic actuating device 9. The number of reciprocations of the distributor plate 4 and of the inside cylinder 6 can be controlled and the thickness of the layer 10 of chips can thus be determined as desired. The centrifugal basket 3 also rotates, but its drive 11 is independent of that of the inner cylinder 6.As soon as the liquid has been separated from the centrifuged material the centrifugal basket 3 is slowed down and this allows the clean chips to drop through the annular channel 12 and thus to leave the machine. The separated oil is collected in a chamber 13 whence it can be drained through an oil outlet 14 to the outside.

   In our co-pending patent application No.

   7219/77 we have claimed a top loading centri- fuge for removing adhering liquids from machine tool chips and the like, comprising a centrifugal basket provided with its own drive means, the basket being fitted at the lower end of an upright hollow drive shaft of the drive means, a tube for feeding the chips into the basket, which tube extends downwards through the inside of the hollow drive shaft, a cylinder fitted co-axially within the basket and closed at the top with a centrifugal distributor plate, a separate rotary drive means for rotating the cylinder and distributor plate, and an auxiliary actuator device operable to reciprocably raise and lower the cylinder and distributor plate during rotation of the cylinder and plate by the rotary drive means.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of separating liquid from liquid-charged material, comprising depositing the material onto a spinning distributor plate mounted inside a rotating cylindrical centrifuge basket open at its ends, whilst the spinning distributor plate is simultaneously reciprocated up and down in the centrifugal axis, so that the material is uniformly applied by centrifugal force to the inside wall of the basket and forms a layer of substantially uniform thickness thereon, and then reducing the speed of rotation of the basket to allow the material to drop out of the lower end of the basket.