US1946725A

US1946725A - Automatic gyration control means for centrifugal extractors

Info

Publication number: US1946725A
Application number: US614726A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathaniel R Andrews; Jacob J Neuman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-06-01
Filing date: 1932-06-01
Publication date: 1934-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1951-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1934. N. R. ANDREWS Er AL 1,946,725

AUTOMATIC GYRATION CONTROL MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTORS Filed June -l, 1932 4- Sheets-Sheet l .4T ORNEY Feb. 13, 1934. N W r AL 1,946,725

AUTOMATIC GYRATION CONTROL MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTORS Filed June 1, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JKJZ flrzafi'ews and B YJ:

Feb. 13, 1934. N, R: ANDREWS El AL 1,946,725

AUTOMATIC GYRATION CONTROL MEANS FOR CENTRIF UGAL EXTRACTORS Filed June 1, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I v I l 1 l JTTOL'NEY 1934- N. R. ANDREWS ET AL AUTOMATIC GYRATION CONTROL MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTORS Filed June 1, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORS BY 7.1m,

ATT RNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC GYRATION CONTROL MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTORS Nathaniel R. Andrews; Yonkers, and Jacob J. Neuman, New York, N. Y.

Application June 1, 1932. Serial No. 614,726

11 Claims. (Cl. 210-72) This invention relates to automatic gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, and has for its primary object and purpose to provide an automatically operated switch for controlling the accelerating and decelerating circuits, or the clutch and brake governing the operation of the centrifugal basket whereby, in the event of uneven loading of the basket, the destructive gyratory motion incident thereto will be speedily corrected, and without appreciable interruption in the continuous operation of the machine.

It is a more particular object of the inven tion to provide such an automatic gyration controi means particularly designed for application and use in connection with sugar refining centrifugals, and which is so constructed, that the automatic charging of the centrifugal basket may also be thereby controlled in the event that such gyratory motion of the basket should occur during the charging operation.

It is another important object of the invention to provide means embodying an automatically actuated switch for opening and closing the decelerating and accelerating circuits and which includes means operable after the decelerating circuit has been closed to delay or retard move ment of the switch to a position whereby the accelerating circuit is closed, and thus afford ampie time for gyratory motion of the basket to cease before the said basket is again rotated at maximum speed.

With the above and other. objects in view, the invention consists in the improved automatic gyration control means for centrifugal machines, and in the form, construction andrelative arrangements of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein we have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of our present invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a centrifugal extractor of more or less conventional form having our improved automatic gyration control device mounted upon the basket casing or housing;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the operation of the switch actuating arm upon gyratory movement of the centrifugal basket;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the control device;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of said device with the cover of the housing removed and certain parts broken away and shown in section; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing the oscillatory mercury switch in normal position for the high speed operation of the centrifugal basket.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, we have shown a well-known type of centrifugal extractor such as is used in refining sugar, and in which the rotating basket 5 is enclosed within an outer housing 6 provided at its upper end with an inwardly extending annular curb or flange 7. The

basket 5 is also provided at the upper end thereof with an inwardly extending annular rim 8. Within the basket to rotate as a unit therewith, the usual distributor plate 9 is arranged whereby the raw sugar falling by gravity upon said plate is centrifugally distributed and walled up against the cylindrical wall of the basket 5 in the manner indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Upon the curb '7 of the basket housing 6, there is suitably mounted or secured a casing 10 enclosing the principal movable elements of the control device. This casing at one of its ends has 2. depending tubular part 11 disposed beyond the edge of the curb 7 and extending within the housing 6. In this depending part 11 of the casing, a vertically disposed shaft 12 is mounted in the spaced bearings 13. This shaft at its lower end has a reduced threaded extension 14 to which the upper end of the spindle 15 is detachably connected. The lower end of this spindle is formed with the bearing flange 16 for the collar 18 on one end of a radially disposed arm 17. In longitudinally spaced relation from the collar 18, a second collar 19 is fixed upon the spindle 15. The upper end of a coil spring 20 is suitably attached to the collar 19, while the other or lower end thereof is attached to the collar 18.

Upon the upper end of the shaft 12 within the casing 10, a gear 21 is fixed and is in constant mesh with a pinion 22, secured upon the horizontally disposed shaft 23 journalled in the spaced bearings 24.

Upon one end of the shaft 23, and. extending at right angles to the axis thereof, a bar 25 is centrally fixed. The opposite ends of this bar are adapted for engagement with the spaced lugs 26 on one end wall of the casing 10 to thereby limit the oscillatory motion of the shaft 23 in each direction.

Upon the shaft 23 between pinion 22 and the bar 25, a radially disposed upwardly projecting arm 27 is fixed. On one side of this arm at its upper end, a mercury switch tube 28 is suitably mounted. Within this tube at one end thereof, the spaced circuit closing terminals 29 and 30 respectively are arranged, the terminal 30 being connected by wire 31 with the coil of a relay or other type of switch arranged in the motor accelerating circuit, or with a solenoid for operating a driving clutch, while the other terminal 29 is connected by wire 32 to the current feed line of the circuit. The switch 28 also has a third terminal 33 centrally arranged therein and connected by wire 34 with the coil of the relay or other type of switch controlling the decelerating circuit of the operating motor. Insofar as our present invention is concerned, it is not believed to be necessary to further illustrate the accelerating and decelerating circuits. An example of one arrangement of circuits in which the present invention might be connected, is disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 17,378 issued to us on July 23, 1929. If the centrifugal machine is equipped with automatic charging means, such for instance as that disclosed in our co-pending application for patent Serial No. 399,900, filed October 16, 1929, a second mercury switch tube 35 may also be mounted upon the arm 27 and provided with a simflar arrangement of spaced terminals in one end of said tube for effecting movement of the charging gate to closed position, in the event that gyratory motion of the centrifugal basket should occur during the charging operation.

To one end of the bar 25, a coil spring 36 is attached at one of its ends, the other end of said spring being suitably attached to the end wall of the casing 10. This spring operates to return the mercury switch tubes to a normal position, as seen in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and wherein the accelerating circuit of the operating motor is closed by contact of the globule of mercury with the spaced switch terminals 29 and 30.

At the other end of the shaft 23, a yoke member 37 is fixed thereto. The arms of this yoke member straddle a vertically disposed cylinder 38 fixed to the bottom wall of the casing 10. This cylinder, together with the valved piston operating therein within a body of oil or other liquid, constitutes a dashpot retarding the return movement of the mercury switch to normal accelerating position under the action of the spring 36. While this dashpot might be of various approved forms and operatively connected in any desired manner with the shaft 23, we have herein shown the rod 39 centrally connected at its lower end to the annular piston 40, and extending through a guide boss on the upper end head of the cylinder 38. Below this cylinder head, a horizontal rod 41 is centrally connected to the piston rod 39 and is movable at its opposite ends in the vertical slots 42 provided in the wall of the cylinder 38. To said ends of the rod 41, the upper ends of the links 43 are pivotally connected, the lower ends of said links being pivotally attached to the arms of the yoke 37.

The dashpot piston 40 is provided with a suitably formed seat against which the valve disc 44 is yieldably held by the coil spring 45 surrounding the piston rod 39 to thereby normally prevent the upward flow of the liquid through said annular piston, and yieldably resisting such flow of the fluid in the downward movement of the piston. In the upward movement of the piston, said valve is closely held upon its seat so that the fluid may flow only between the periphcry of the piston and the wall of the cylinder 38.

Having above described the several structural features of our present invention, its operation will be understood as follows:---

In mounting the device upon the curb of the basket housing, the arm 17 is adjusted and arranged so that normally there is a slight clearance between the free end of this arm and the edge of the basket rim 8. In the event of an unbalanced distribution of the sugar charge against the wall of the basket, there will result a gyratory motion of the basket, and the rim 8 thereof rotating off its true center will press inwardly against the free end of the arm 17. The spring 20 is of such tension that shaft 12 and gear 21 rotate as a unit with arm 1'7, thus rocking or oscillating the shaft 23 in one direction and moving the mercury switch 28 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The globule of mercury in the switch tube thus moves out of contact with terminals 28 and 29, breaking the accelerating circuit, and in its movement into the other end of the tube, establishing a circuit connection between terminals 29 and 33 to close the decelerating circuit, or to operate the brake. In this oscillation of shaft 23, the dashpot piston moves downwardly, valve 44 being unseated so as to permit of the substantially free or unchecked downward movement of the piston. In this manner, the driving motor is slowed down, or if the machine is driven by a clutch, the clutch is released and the brake applied, thus affording an opportunity for the fillmass to readjust itself in the basket, whereupon the gyrating motion of the basket ceases. Pressure of the basket rim against arm 17 being thereby relieved, spring 36 contracts to return the parts to normal position. The dashpot above described will effectually prevent continuous contact of the arm 17 against the rim of the basket as the gyratory motion of the latter gradually decreases, thereby obviating a back and forth motion of this arm. This dashpot also retards the re-closing of the motor accelerating circuit, after the decelerating circuit is closed, and thereby provides for ample opportunity for the com plete cessation of gyratory motion of the basket before the latter is again rotated at maximum operating speed.

In the event of a sudden excessive gyratory motion of the basket tending to move the arm 1'7 beyond the position necessary to actuate the switch to its decelerating position, the spring 20 yieldingly permits of a rotation of this arm on the lower end of the spindle 15, and thus obviates damage or injury to the parts of the mechanism.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of our invention as herein disclosed will be clearly and fully understood. It will be evident that we have provided a very simple and practical device for the effective automatic control of gyratory motion of the basket of a centrifugal extractor. Such a device will operate in a reliable and efficient manner for the intended purpose to quickly cause the complete subsidence of such gyration of the basket and restore rotation of the latter about its true axial center so that continuous productive operation of such centrifugal extractors will not be appreciably interrupted. We have herein referred to the use of a mercury switch for the control of the accelerating and decelerating circuits or the clutch and brake means of the centrifugal drive.

It is, however, more or less evident that other types of switches might be substituted to function in substantially the same manner as above described. Accordingly, it is to be understood that although we have herein disclosed one practical and satisfactory embodiment of the device, the same is nevertheless susceptible of exemplification in various other alternative structural forms, and we accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim: I

1. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including movable means controlling the transmission of power to the centrifugal basket, means acting to move said movable means to a normal position, and means operatively connected with said movable means having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter, to shift said movable means from its normal position, said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and the shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the basket.

2. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including movable means controlling the transmission of power to the centrifugal basket, means acting to move said movable means to a normal position, means operatively connected with said movable means having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter, to shift said movable means from its normal position, and means for retarding the return of said movable means to its normal position, said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and said shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the basket.

3. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including movable means controlling the transmission cf power to the centrifugal basket, means acting to move said movable means to a normal position, means operatively connected with said movable means having a member en gaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter, to shift said movable means from its normal position, and a dashpot connected with said movable means and operable to retard its return to normal position, said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and said shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the basket.

4. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including oscillatably mounted means for controlling the transmission of power to the centrifugal basket, means for oscillating said power transmission control means in one direction and yieldingly holding the same in a normal position and means for oscillating said control means in the opposite direction having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and said shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the besket.

5. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including oscillatably mounted means for controlling the transmission of power to the centrifugal basket, means for oscillating said power transmission control means in one direction and yieldingly holding the same in a normal position, means for oscillating said control means in the opposite direction having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter, said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and said shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the basket.

6. Gyration control means for centrifugal extractors, including oscillatably mounted means for controlling the transmission of power to the centrifugal basket, means for oscillating said power transmission control means in one direction and yieldingly holding the same in a normal position, means for oscillating said control means in the opposite direction having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter, and a dashpot connected with said operating means and acting to retard the return oscillatory movement of said control means to its normal position, said normal position corresponding to one rotary speed of the basket and said shifted position corresponding to another rotary speed of the basket.

7. Gyration control means for a centrifugal extractor having a motor driven basket, a motor therefor and accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, comprising movable switch means for opening and closing said accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, and means including a member engaged and operated by a part connected with the basket upon the development of gyratory motion to actuate said switch means and open the accelerating circuit and close the decelerating circuit of the motor to thereby reduce the rotary speed of the basket.

8. Gyration control means for a centrifugal extractor having a motor driven basket, a motor therefor and accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, said means including an oscillatable switch to open and close said accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, means to oscillate said switch in one direction and yieldingly hold the same in a normal position closing the motor accelerating circuit, and means embodying a member engaged and operated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter to oscillate said switch in the opposite direction and thereby open the accelerating circuit and close the decelerating circuit of the motor to reduce the rotary speed of the basket.

9. Gyration control means for a centrifugal extractor having a motor driven basket, a motor therefor and accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, said means including an oscillatable switch to open and close said accelerating and decelerating circuits for the motor, means to oscillate said switch in one direction and yieldingly hold the same in a normal position closing the accelerating motor circuit, means embodying a member engaged and operated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter to oscillate said switch in the opposite direction and thereby open the accelerating circuit and close the decelerating circuit of the motor to reduce the rotary speed of the basket, and a dashpot connected with a part of said switch operat ing means to retard the return oscillating movement of the switch to normal position and the reclosing of the motor accelerating circuit.

10. In a centrifugal extractor having a rotary charge receiving basket, and a motor, the combination of movable means for controlling the transmission of power from said motor to said basket, additional means movable as a unit with said first named means, means acting to move both of said means to a normal position, and means operatively connected with said unitary control means having a member engaged and actuated by a part connected with the basket upon gyratory motion of the latter to move said control means irom its normal position to thereby de-' crease the rotary speed 0! the basket, and stop or prevent the charging of the basket.

11. In a centrifugal extractor having a rotary charge receiving basket, and a motor, the combination of movable means for controlling the transmission of power from said motor to said basket, and supply means for charging the basket mal position.

NATHANIEL R. ANDREWS. JACOB J. NEUMAN.