US82314A - Improvement in centrifugal machines - Google Patents

Description

2 Shegts-Sheet 1, S. S. HEPWORTH. GENTRLE'UGAL MACHINE.

No. 82.314. Pat-entedSept.' 22, 1868.

im a@ o@ Winesses:

I by the cup and roller. but with a noiseless and elastic action, which is @eine gisten gamut @Hirn LettersPatent No. 82,314, dated September 22, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENTRIIUGAL MACHINES,

@te ttrhnle referat tu in time4 sftets atent mit makina gaat nf its same.

To ALL wnoM 1T MAY coNcEnN:

Be it known thatI, S. S. HEPWORTH, ofBost'on, in the county of Suiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Machines; .and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention refers to a class of machines used in the refining of sugar, by which the molasses is separated from the sugar by centrifugal action.

Heretoi'ore the principal dimculty experienced in the employment of centrifugal machines was, that the weight of the revolving parts, together with the contents, when revolving with great velocity, caused a gyratory vibration, which necessitates the use of the machine in the lower part of the building, where a firm and'expensive foundation must be formed, to prevent the detrimental vibration of the building.

The wear of "such machines was rapid, occasioning frequent repairs.

This tendency to gyration or irregular action is due to the impossibility of distributingthe crude sugar uniformly around the central axis of the machine, and all attempts at imprevement heretdfore made were ineffective, as tho curb or hoop exterior to the sugar-basket was fixed, which necessitated the restriction, as much as possible, of the shaft'oi' the machinefrom vibration.

In my improved machine, I permitthis gyration, and provide a device by which itshall be uninjurious, and suspend the curb so that it also shall partake equally of the gyratory mo'tion, and thereby remain concentric with the shaft and the sugar-basket. u v

To accomplish these objects, I employ a sugar-basket, R, made and axed to the shaft B, in the usual manner.

A is the curb, exterior to the basket, and provided with an annular trough, A', to receive the molasses or sirup, and discharge it at U into the funnel T, as previously done. But, instead of attempting to conne the shaft B to perfect axial rotation, I provide a step-bearing for its reduced end, 1', in a metallic cross-bar, f, as shown. y Y

vThis bar is aixed securely to an concentric. v

Tapped into or otherwise axed to the said cross-bar, is a gudgeon, b, which works loosely within an elastic roller, c, of rubber, or other suitable material, and both the roller and gudg'eon are allowed space for gyration within a'stout iron cup, J', so that when the shaft revolves, its tendency to gyrate also will be permitted d across the bottom of the curb A, so that the curb and basket shall be building. Y

The cup .I forms part of the pedestal I, which is rmly-aiiixed to the bed-plateL, but this cup does not 'sustain any portion of the weight ofthe parts above, as will now be shown.

The shaft B is suspended within a sleeve, a, by means of its head, g, the oil-cup j, which latter, ns shown.

This swelled sectionits a corresponding surface, l', of the next sleeve l, as shown, whereby the weight o'f the shaft, and sugar-basket, and the contents of the latter, are supported-by the sleeve Z.

together with the bearing-ring 1.' and swelled section a', forms part of -the said sleeve,

perfectly harmless to the machine or the resting ou a. bearing-ring, t', 'within The sleeve Z is held by a large screw-bolt, d, which screws into the cap e of the sleeve l, as shown, the said screw-bolt d being upheld by a cam-link, h, which latter is pivoted to the screw-bolt, as shown,-

A and rests upon washers, c, in a. recess in the top of exterior sleevem,

the latter sleeve being a part of the frame K, as shown. which, in turn, y, sustainsthe weight of the revolving parts .on the bearing- Thus, the sleeve m sustains the screw-bolt, and the screw-bolt sustains the second sleeve l, sustains, at a', the inner sleeve a, which latter, lastl ring z'.

The cnrbA is suspended directly from the inner sleeve a b lugs on the cast part ,of the cu'rb A, as shown. i

y arms G and rods E, which pass down through The holes in the sleeves Z andm are only suciently large to permit the vibratie-n' or gyration of the arms G, caused by the gyration of the shaft B: y

Now, when the machine is in motion, the curb A, suspended as shown, will always be concentric withvthe shaft B and sugar-basket, for the shaftsupporting the latter has its lower bearing inthe cross-barf ailixed to the curb, as aforesaid.

a The bottom, S, of the basket lis held on the shaft by a nut, n, on the reduced endo-f the shaft B, which reduced end rests, as shown, in a step-bearing in the bar f.

- This .construction is better shown in the enlarged detail view at Figure 4.

The pulley C is keyed in the shaft B, and a belt from the pulley D to the pulley C drives the shaft B and its basket R.'

l When it is desired tolstop the machine, the lever P is moved so as to bring the cam-link vertical, when 'theshaft will be elevated a short distance, which will bring the hemispherical cavity, c, of the pulley C in contact with the corresponding hemispherical surface .m of the sleeve fm, whereby a braking-effect will result from the friction of the two parts, and the revolution of the shaft be retarded, and iinallyl stopped.

The rod F,^which connects the lever with the cam-link 7L, also connects with the cam-link L, which is so ,shaped as to its lower part, which rests on washers around the screw-bolt supporting the shaft P, that when the -said cam-link Zz' is brought forward by the lever P and rod F, -the shaftv will belowered, and the base of the friction-cone M brought in contact with the Afriction-cup N, as shown, which'will produce a braking-edect.

The shaft P and the parts Q Q Q B. Z O' X Y W, and the arrangement thereof, forming no part of the inventionclaimed, will net be further dwelt upon, the drawing exhibiting their construction and operation sucientlv. l

The gudgeon b is separate and distinct from the reduced end of the shaft B, and, therefore, does not revolve with That expedient has been attempted, in connection with a roller, many years ago, but the revolution of the gndgeon caused the roller to bound from side to side within its bearings, and the device was abandoned at once, and never came into practical use. n

In practice, the gudgeon b is cast on the-cross-bar j', in preference to being tapped into the said bar, as shown in the drawings, but in whatever manner it may be affixed or formed, its rigid character is what conduces, in connection with the roller and cup, to the perfect working of the machine.

The hemispherical form of the lower part, m', of the sleeve m, and the corresponding form of the cavity of theA pulley C, permit the gyration of theshaft without jar or hindrance when the brake is applied, Vfor these surfaces are concentric, and their radii terminato'at the centre of the vibration of the shaft B, which is at some point above the friction-surfaces. This, -of course, will be determined by the builder to suit the other dimensions.

The gyratory vibration of the shaft is permitted by the loose character of the bearing, resulting from the employment of a head, g, resting upon a bearing-ring, as shown, and the spherical tting of the sleeves a and Z, as shown at a' Z', will accord the requisite amount of play at the lower end of the shaft, without otherwise providing therefor.

The lower end of the link h is composed of a plane surface, as shown, and a circular profile', k.

This latter profile is what sustains the weight of the shaft P', and keeps the friction-cones still from contact when the plane Zz" of the cam-link his brought to sustain the shaft B, when the machine is stopped to remove the drained sugar from the basket.

This device, therefore, enables vthe basket to be turned easily by hand in so removing the sugar, as the surfaces c and m are then notl in contact, nor are the friction-cones, as whenl the shaft B is supported by the plane of the cam-link h, which is employed when the shaft B is rotating.

This invention supplies a want long felt in the employment of centrifugal machines for refining sugar,.and greatly conduces to the economical working of such machines.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The suspension of the shaft-B and curb A, of a centrifugal machine, from a sleeve, a, or other equivalent device, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. Supporting the sleeve a bythe spherical surfaces a and Z, or surfaces approximating to a spherical surface, for the purpose of supporting and permitting the vibration or gyration' of the basket-shaft B of a centrifugal machine, all as set forth.

3. Supporting .the sleeve Z, or its eq and described, when these said parts con as set forth.

4. The bolt d and cam-lin stantially as shown and describ Bof a centrifugal machine. an m', all as set forth.

5. Employing the pul and stopping the revolution of the bas Making the surfaces c and m sp B, all substantially as shown and described.

7. Two or more rods, E, or the equival with arms Gr and curbA, for the purpose of supper concentricity with the shaft B, all as set forth.

8. The gudgeon b, axed rigidly to the cross-bar f,

uivalent, by a bolt, d, or the equivalent thereof, substantially as shown duce to the support of the basket-shaft B'of a centrifugal machine, all

k h, or their equivalent, in combination with the sleeve Z and sleeve m, all subed, and for the purpose of indirectly supporting the weight of the basket-shaft' d elevating ,the said shaft to produce the contact of the breaking surfaces c and ley C and lower end of the sleeve m as friction-surfaces, for the purpose of retarding liet-shaft B of a centrifugal machine, all as setforth.

herical, for the purpose of permitting the gyration of the basket-shaft ent thereof, substantially as shown and described,in combination ting the curb A, and thereby enabling it to maintain its or other equivalent bottom part of the curb A, substantially as shown anddesribed, in combination with a roller, r, and cup J, or its equivalent, as and for the purpose set forth.

9. Theemployrnent of an elastic roller, 1*, substantiollyras shown and described, in combination with the fixed gudgeon Z1, or other equivalent device, and cup J,lorrit,s equivalent, al1 as and for the purpose set forth.

The above speoification of my invention signed by me, this tbirty-rt day of December, 1867. v yS. S. HEPWORTH.

Witnesses:

C. B. TnoMPsoN, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

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