US617865A - skinner - Google Patents

Description

No. 6l7,865. Patented Jan. l7, I899 c. SKINNEB.

APPARATUS FOR SEP ARATING MATERIALS BY GENTRIFUGAL FORCE.

(Application med Dec. 7, 1896.)

3 Sheeis$heet L (No Model.)

Mfwwea: Imyazfir:

Patented lan.- [7, I899.

(Application filed Dec. '7, 1896.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

QNo Model.)

Patented Ian. l7, I899.

No. amass.

C. SKINNER. ATING MATERIALS BY GENTRIFUGAL F0 (Application filed Dec. 7, 1896.)

RUE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPAR (No Model.)

3 SheetsSheet 3.

NI'IE COUR'ILAND SKINNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK (l.

AUSTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,865, dated January 17, 1899. Application filed December 7, 1896. 7 Serial No. 614,741. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OOURTLAND SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chieago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Separating Materials by Centrifugal Force, of which the following is a specification. v,

' My invention relates in general to centrifugal apparatus adapted for treating pulverized or granular masses composed of substances having different degrees of specific gravity, so as to separate the heavier from the lighter ones, and it relates in particular to a variety of centrifugal apparatus in which the lighter particles ofthe outwardly-movin g mass of material are stopped and carried back inwardly by an opposing fluid stream or current, while the heavier ones are allowed to continue their outward movement. y

In an application for Letters Patent of the United States serially'numbered 614, 7 40, filed contemporaneously herewith, I have illustrated and described a novel and useful improvement in means for and method of treatin g materials in the above-mentioned manner.

The distinctive feature or characteristic feature of my said invention is that the fluid stream or current isforced directly in opposition to the outwardly flying material by means operated and controlled independently of. the means by which the material is sub jected to centrifugal force-that is,;the mate rials while, moving outwardly through the passages of the rotary receptacle are opposed by an inflowing fluid current which is varied independently of and without varying the speed of the rotary receptacle; also, the arrangement permits a variation of the outward movement of the materials through -said passages without varying the opposing fluidpressure. By so doing I obtain certain novel 7 and useful results particularly set forth in my said other application. 7

In carrying out my invention I can force either a liquid, such as water,or a gas, such as air, in opposition to the outwardly-projected material and to such end can employ means for supplying either a liquid or a gas under pressure. However, the apparatus which I nave invented and which I desirably employ in carrying out my invention is preferably somewhat modified when one or the other of such fluids is employed. Consequently I have set forth and claimed in my said other application both the broader features of my invention and the minor features which adapt it for utilizing a liquid as the opposing fluid and have hled the present application setting forth and claiming the features relating particularly to the use of a gas as the opposing fluid.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure] is a View illustrating an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the separator in which the separating process occurs, taken on a plane passing through the axis of rotation of its treatmentchamber; and Figs. 3 and 4: arehorizontal sections taken on lines 8 3 and I 4, respectively, in Fig. 2.

The material to be treated-sueh, for instance, as mineral-ore pulpis desirably 0on fined in a dry state in a suitable reservoir,

such as the reservoir A, Fig. 1, which can be conveniently supported upon a standard A .From the reservoir-A the material is fed to the rotary treatment-chamber provided by a rotary receptacle 13 Fig. 2-as, for example, byway of a feed-pipe A, extending downward from the reservoir A through an opening in the top of the it aeptacle B and into l and nearly to the bottom or floor of the. lat-.

ter. The material thus delivered to, the rotary treatmentchamber is projected .outwardly in all directions from the axis of rotation of the receptacle IS in opposition to a gaseous stream or current which is forced into and inwardly within anexterior or surrounding gas-receivin g chamber conveniently provided by a vertically-arranged iuclosing shell or casing B-as, forv example, by way of a supply-pipe C, attached near the upper end of the latter, and thence into the rotary treatment-chamber provided by the rotary receptacle B by way of suitable side openings with which the latter is provided. As a result the particles of the lighter substance are stopped at the side openings of .the recep tacle B and carried back within the treatment-chamber which it provides and are carwhile the particles of the heavier substance continue their outward movement through. the side openings' in the rotary receptacle and into the chamber provided by the shell or casing B. preparatory to their recovery.

The construction and arrangement of the rotary reoep acle 13 its inclosing shell or casing 13', and adjuncts, which together comprise what I term the separator, are in the main similar to the preferred construction andarrangement' of the corresponding members of the apparatus of my said other application, and hence will be described herein only briefly. Thus briefly described the rotary receptacle comprises a flat disk-shaped top having an opening which receives the feedpipe A, a similarly shaped bottom, and an upwardly-flaring or conicallyi-shaped body portion secured in position between the top and bottom and .arranged with the opening ,of its upper end in communication with the opening of the top. The conical body portion, however, in place of having longitudinal openings extending its entire length, as in the apparatus of my said .other application, is constructed with openings only at its upper end. In this Way the dry material fed into the lower end of the receptacle providing the treatment-chamber works upwardly, and so acquires a uniform momentum'sufflcient for separating purposes before coming into opposition to the gaseous stream'or current. The openings at the upper end of the conical body portion of the receptacle 1? are desirably formed by longitudinally-extending and inwardly-pointed slats b, which are arranged in circular form, withtheir outer edges in close proximity to one another, and which are respectively inclined transversely from the radial. The rotary receptacle thus formed is conveniently mounted for rotation upon a vertically-arranged rotary drivingshaft E, which is attached to the lower end of the receptacle and is provided with a suitable pulley E.

The upper end of the rotary receptacle B is desirably constructed with a tubular cylindric extension B, which serves as an outlet for the gaseous stream or current and the lighter particles and also as a bearing or journal for the upper end of the receptacle.

As a simple arrangement for receiving and removing the gas and lighter particles arising .from the treatment-chamber byway of they tubular extension B", an annular vessel B having an internal opening B and is arranged above the casing 13' upper edge of the latter. The casing B is conveniently mounted upon a support orv ard' D. The portion of the chamber providedby the casing B, surrounding or exterior to a spout B and around the upper end of the extension 13, so that the lower edge of its opening B registers with the thereceptacle B serves as a chamber for receiving the heavier particles preparatory to their recovery. As an arrangement for withdrawing or recovering such heavy particles I I other gas can be forced into the separator by any suitable means adapted for supplying a gas under pressure and capable of being regulated so as to vary such pressure. As one arrangementI have shown, Fig. 1, a rotary fan or blower 0, attached to the pipe 0 and adapted to supply air under a pressure dependent upon its speed of rotation. In my said other application I have shown a method of obtaining the relation which must exist between the speed' of rotation of the rotary receptacle and the pressure under which the fluid issupplied. Such method islikewise applicable to the apparatus herein described, it being observed, however, that in water and in air a difierent ratio exists between equal falling sizes of substances having unequal degrees of specific gravity.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A centrifugal separator comprising an outer stationary inclosin g shell or casin g, providing an exterior chamber adapted for primarily receiving and containing air under pressure, and also for receivingthe comparatively heavy particles of material after separation and preparatory to recovery; means for supplying air under pressure, and an-internally-arranged rotary receptacle inclosed within said shell or casing and providing a centrifugal treatm e'nt-chamber having its upper end provided with an opening adapted to serve both as a material-inlet and an air-outlet; said rotary receptacle also having its side walls provided with openings adapted to serve both as inlets for the air and as outlets for the comparativelyheavy particles of material, substantially as described.

2. In a separator in which the materials are separated by the cooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air, a rotary material-receiving chamber adapted to sub ject the materials to centrifugal force, and having upwardly flaring or divergent side walls; a feed-pipe arranged to deliver the materials to the said chamber at a point near the latters lower end or bottom; means for rotating the said chamber, and means for sup plying air under pressure; the said rotary chamber'being provided at its upper end with a series of side openings or the saidmaterials and air will meet in opposition, the relatively heavy particles of matter being allowed to pass out, while the relatively light particles are carried back into the rotary chamber and, with the air, discharged from the separator. i

3. In a separator in which the materials are separated by the cooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air under and air will meet in opposition, substantially as described.

4. In a separator in which the materials are separated by the cooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air, a rotary material-receiving chamber adapted to sub= ject the materials to centrifugal force, and having upwardly flaring or divergent side walls; the said rotary chamber being provided at its upper end with a series of side openings or passages wherein the said materials and air will'meet in opposition; the relatively heavy particles of matter being allowed to pass out, while the relatively light particles are carried back into the rotary chamber, and with the air discharged from the separator;

means for supplying air under pressure, and means for preventing rotation on the part of the air outside of the said rotary receptacle; substantially as described.

5. In a separator in which the materials are separated by the cooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air under pressure, a rotary receptacle having upwardly flaring or divergent side Walls, the upper portions of said walls being composed of slats or the like, arranged to provide side openings or passages for the admission of air and wherein the said materials and air will meet in opposition; the said rotary receptacle being also provided with a top opening for discharging the air and lighter particles of matter, substantially as described. 7

GOURTLAND SKINNER

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