US2501179A - Centrifuge - Google Patents

Description

T. R. KOMLINE March 21, 1950 CENTRIFUGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed. March 5l, 1944 lNvENToR TRJComZz'ne ou-L ATTYS March 231, E950 T. R. KoMLlNE CENTRIFUGE Filed March 5l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR YTRJComZL'ne Patented lit/lar 2i, 1950 sind 2,501,179 CENTRIFUGE Thomas R. Komline, Ridgewood, N. J., assigner to Komline-Sanderson Engineering Corpora tion, Glen Rock, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 31, 1944, Serial No. 528,879

S Claims. i

This invention relates in general to, and it is an object to provide, an improved centrifuge; the device being generally adaptable in processing industries for the removal of solid matter from water, or thickening or classifying operations. In particular the device is designed for use in con nection with the treatment of sewage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device, for the dewatering and thickening of sludge, garbage, or the like, which is simple, sturdy, safe, and practical in structure and operation; the device being constructed so that it will withstand stresses induced when processing ma terial which is not homogeneous and which may produce a condition of unbalance in the device.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is operative to discharge the thickened solid matter without stopping the rotary body of such device, or disturbing its other contents; this being an obviously important feature.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge which is operative to handle bulky solids without clogging in the working parts.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate with the centrifuge, a novel receiver and centrifugal discharge unit for the thickened material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will be exceedingly eective 'for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as 4 will fully appear by a perusal oi the following speciiication and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference :indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of the improved Icentrifuge.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section of the rotary body; the solenoid control circuit being shown diagrammatically.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, my improved centrifuge comprises a heavy-duty, U-shaped frame i including upstanding pedestals 2 of substantial height. A horizontally disposed, influent or feed pipe 3 is nxedly mounted in connection with one of the pedestals 2, while a horizontal,

in connection with the other pedestal 2 the pipes 3 and 4 being axially alined and terminating at their inner ends in substantial spaced relation.

A circular rotary body, indicated generally at 5, is disposed between the pedestals 2 and is rotatably supported by the adjacent end portions of the pipes 3 and 4, which in effect form trunnions. At opposite ends the body 5 includes hubs t and 'i respectively, said hubs housing antifriction bearings 8 and packing glands 9 which cooperate with the pipes in supporting and sealing relation.

The hub l` is fitted with a drive pulley Id which may be driven from a source of power in any suitable manner, as for example a belt drive from an electric motor mounted to one side of the frame I.

The rotary body 5 comprises the following:

A frustoconica1 bowl I I extends from connection at its small end with hub 5 in radially outwardly flaring relation to connection with a front wall I2 which is annular and radiates from the large end of bowl lI. A circular and radial back wall I3 is secured in connection with the inner end of hub 'l and extends outwardly to a termination at its periphery of the same diameter as that of the front wall I2.

A short distance radially inwardly of the peripheries of walls I2 and I3 the body includes an annular and concentric cross wall ifi having a plurality of equally and circumferentially spaced ports I5 therethrough.

V-shaped separators I 6 are secured transversely between the walls l2 and I3 and project radially inwardly from the wall I4 between adjacent ports l5; said separatorsforming outwardly converging hoppers Il between walls i2 and It; each hopper communicating with one of the ports l5. The radial extent oi the separators i6 is such that the inner ends of the hoppers are disposed in substantially the peripheral plane of the inner end of frusto-conica'l bowl II.

Each of the ports I5 is normally closed by a slide valve I8 mounted exteriorly of the wall Iii for circumferential movement to open or close said ports. The siide valves I8 may be held in place by any suitable means. Circumierentially alined angularly spaced solenoids lil are mounted eXteriorly on wall I4 between adjacent slide valves I8, with opposed connecting rods 26 on said solenoids secured to corresponding ones of said slide valves. Alternate solenoids actuate in opposite directions, and circuits are employed so that the set of solenoids working in one direction or the set of solenoids working in the other direction may be selectively energized. It will thus be seen that when one set of solenoids is actuated,

the slide valves IB will all simultaneously open, whereas when the other set of solenoids is actuated all of the slide valves will simultaneously close. Also, by virtue of the fact that the solenoids, connecting rods, and slide valves i8 are connected in endless unitary relation, positive control of the slide valves, without sticking of certain ones thereof, is accomplished.

The circuit arrangement for the solenoids, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2, comprises a pair of circuits indicated generally at ZI and 22. The circuit 2| runs from a slip ring and brush units 23 on hub G to one of the terminals of every other one of the solenoids I9, the other terminals of which are connected to the rotary body 5, which, in turn, is grounded as at 29. The other circuit 22 runs from another slip ring and brush unit 23a, on the hub 6 to one of the terminals of the other solenoids, the other terminals of which are similarly connected to the ground. 25

is a feed line which, by moving a manually controlled switch 2E, can be connected to the slip ring and brush unit 23 or to the slip rin-g and brush unit 23a. Selective closing of the switches 26 will result in operation of the sets of solenoids in the manner hereinbefore described.

The eflluent pipe 44 projects some distance into the rotary body 5, and a concentrically disposed conical baflle 2l of lesser diameter than the bowl I i is mounted within the latter in clearance and facing relation to the influent pipe 3. As the conical baille 2l is of lesser diameter than the bowl ample clearance is provided between the baille and bowl. The baille is supported by a spider 2S and the eilluent pipe 4 terminates at its inner end in substantially the plane of the ad jacent end of said baille.

The walls I2 and I3 extend some distance radially out from the annular wall I as flanges 29, and at their peripheries said flanges project into an annular trough 30 with a running iit. Vanes 3i radiate in circumferentially spaced relation from wall Ill between walls I2 and I3, and such vanes extend to the periphery of the latter.

The annular trough is formed at the bottom 3 In operation, the rotary body 5 is driven at relatively high speed, and the sludge or other material tc be treated is fed through influent pipe into the bowl. I i. force the material outwardly into engagement with the bowl along which it travels toward the hoppers I. The centrifugal action causes the solids in the material to deposit in hoppers Il, while the liquid from which such solids have been separated builds up to the rear of baffle 2'! and ows out of the body 5 through the eilluent pipe 4.

When the hoppers II are loaded with solids, the slide valves are opened through the medium of the solenoids and without stopping the rotary body, whereupon the collected solids are fed through ports I5 and into the annular channel C defined by the flanges 29 and trough 3U. rlhe vanes SI carry the solids about said channel C and discharge them through pipe 32. When the hoppers have been substantially emptied the slide valves are closed.

If the thickened material being collected in hoppers I 'I remains so viscous that an undue The baille 2l' tends to amount of short-circuiting of the original influent or excessive splashing should occur during the unloading of said hoppers, the influent may be thickened or tempered by the addition of some powder, such as sawdust, dried sludge, coal, or the like thereto. This additive may also be useful to raise the B. t. u. content of the thickened material for a heat balance if incineration is the final goal.

With the above described centrifuge it is pos sible to thicken and classify materials having bulky solids therein, as the device does not tend to clog. Due to the centrifugal discharging force which is exerted on the solids in the hoppers at all times, the solids are forcefully discharged through the ports I5 when the valves are opened.

In addition, my improved centrifuge is effective with material where the specific gravity of the liquid and solid portions is Very nearly the same, and this is true for the reason that there is no undue disturbance of the contents of the rotary body resulting from removal of the co1- lected solids in the hopper.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A centrifuge comprising a frame including a pair of rigid, upstanding legs, influent and effluent pipes mounted on corresponding ones of said legs in Xed relation, said pipes being axially alined and spaced apart at adjacent ends, a rotary centrifuge body concentric to and extending between said pipes, and means rotatably supporting the body solely from said pipes; said means comprising hubs on opposite ends of said body surrounding corresponding pipes, antifriction bearings between each hub and the surrounded pipe, and packing glands between said hubs and pipes axially inwardly of the bearings.

2. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to be power driven, and influent and eilluent pipes in communication with the body at opposite ends; said body including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ports therein, a slide valve normally closing each port, said valves being slidable circumferentially of the body to open or close said ports, solenoids mounted lengthwise on the exterior of the body between the slide valves, connecting rods extending from opposite ends of the solenoids to connection with adjacent valves whereby the valves and solenoids are linked in continuous unitary relation, alternate ones of said solenoids being oppositely acting, and circuit means to selectively actuate said alternate solenoids or the remaining solenoids.

3. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to be power driven, and influent and efuent pipes in communication with the body at opposite ends; said body including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ports therein, a slide valve normally closing each port, said valves being slidable circumferentially of the body to open or close said ports, solenoids mounted lengthwise on the exterior of the body beyond opposite ends oi said valves, the solenoids corresponding to each valve being cppositely acting and connecting to such valve in actuating relation, and circuit to selectively energize the solenoids which are operative to move the valves in one direction or the other.

4. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to be power driven, and inuent and effluent pipes in communication with the body at opposite ends; said body comprising radial front and back walls disposed in adjacent spaced, parallel relation, the front wall having a relatively large diameter circular opening therein in communication with a frusto-conical bowl included in said body, a circumferential cross wall closing the body between the front and back walls radially out from the inner end of the bowl, said cross wall having a plurality of circumierentially spaced ports therethrough, transverse separators in the body between the front and back walls outwardly of the bowl, said separators forming separate, circumferentially spacedmaterial receiving pockets in the body beyond and radially out from the inner end of said bowl, the pockets communicating at their outer ends with said ports, movable valves normally closing the ports, and means to open and close said valves.

5. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to be power driven, and influent and eiuent pipes in communication with the body at opposite ends; said body including a frusto conical bowl enlarging in the direction of the eiiiuent pipe, means forming a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets in the body beyond and radially out from the large end of the bowl, said pockets being in communication at their radially outer ends with ports in the body, normally closed valves on the body cooperating with said ports, and a spider mounted conical baie of lesser diameter than the bowl disposed in the body and projecting into said bowl; the eiiluent pipe projecting some distance into the body across the radial plane of said pockets, and the peripheral edge of the conical bafe being disposed in substantially the same radial plane as the inner end of said eiuent pipe.

6. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to b'e power driven, said body including a circumfereni wall having a plurality of discharge ports therethrough, valves normally closing said ports, means to open and close said valves, and an annular receiver and centrifugal discharge unit formed in part with and surrounding the body,v

whereby to receive thickened material from said ports and to discharge the same from a common outlet included in said unit; said annular receiver and centrifugal discharge unit including radially outwardly extending annular flanges on the body on opposite sides of said ports, an annular trough into which said ilanges project, impeller vanes mounted between the flanges, and 'a discharge conduit in communication with and leading from said trough.

7. A centrifuge'as in claim 6 in which the varies are disposed between the ports, extend the full width between the flanges, and are of substantially the same height as the latter.

3. A centrifuge comprising a circular rotatably mounted centrifuge body adapted to be power driven, said body including a circumferential wall having a plurality of discharge ports therethrough, valves normally closing said ports, means to open and close said valves, and an annular receiver and centrifugal discharge unit formed in part with and surrounding the body, whereby to receive thickened material from said ports and to discharge the same from a common outlet included in said unit; said annular receiver and centrifugal discharge unit including radially outwardly extending annular flanges on the body on opposite sides of said ports, an annular trough into which said flanges project, and a discharge conduit in communication with and leading from said trough.

THOMAS R. KOMLINE.

REFERENCES CITED y The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,132,814 Weston et al. Mar. 23, 1915 1,339,211 lVIcKerahan May 4, 1920 1,390,398 Fraser Sept. 13, 1921 1,717,753 Bouillon June 13, 1926 1,917,792 Bowen July 11, 1933 2,276,824 Carruthers Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 47,361 Netherlands Dec. 15, 1939

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