USRE2845E - Improvement in centrifugal machines for draining sugar and other substances - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES AIIEATENT OFFICE.

nnvrn M. ivn'sTOsgor1 BOSTON, MAssAcnUsETTs.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENIRIFUGAI. MACHINES FOR DRAINING SUGAR AND OTHER sUBsTANcEs.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 63,770, dated Aprilv9, 1867 Reissue No. 2,845, dated J anuary 14,1868.

To all whom it may comxermv Be it known 'that I, .DAVID M. WESTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts have invented a new and useful Improvement iniCentrifugal Machines for Separating Fluid `from Solid Matters; and I do hereby declare lthat the following is a full,

if clear, and exact description of the construccentrifugal machine. Fig. 2 is aver-tical section of the same. Fig is an elevation of the cylinder or basket and its shaft,with the drivingpulley shown detached therefrom. Fig. 4 isa plan of the top of the cylinder and the casing which surrounds it. Fig. 5 is a plan of the under side of the cylinder,`showing the outllets at the bottom; and-Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the cylinder and casing on the line w m of Fig. 2, part of the valve being removed,

so as to partially exhibit the outlets inthe bot- The subject-matter of my invention, in the first place, consists in the method vand means, of avoiding or overcoming the injurious effects which were caused by the irregular or unequal distribution of the material to 'be operated upon within the cylinders or baskets of centrifugal machines while rotating with great velocity; and this result'is attained by so suspending the cylinder or basket that the re- Yolving mass will most readily and certainly .approximate an axis ofl revolution in equz'-,

libm'o, and will therefore communicate the least practicable amountl of injurious motion or vibration to the iixed-parts of the mechan- 4parte of the machine and the contents are car-- I ried, which bearing is so applied -as to allow the-cylinder to revolve eccentrically, so far as `is necessary to permit it to find an axis of revolution in equilibrio, even when the weight of the material to be acted uponI is not equably distributed inthe cylinder, while at the same time the elasticity of the bearing itself,

or of other equivalent spring-connection, is s0 applied that in aid Vof and in addition to the force o'f gravity it will exert a restraining force, which increases asl the eccentricity of movement of the cylinder increases, and tends to control or prevent any unnecessary 'and injurious 'gyration of the revolving parts.

My invention relates, in the second place, to the construction yof the bearing by whichr the cylinder and its attachments are suspended, so as to permit and insure the action'of the centrifugal machine before mentioned. In order'that the essential character of the bearing may be better understood, I will briefly state the conditions under-'which it is required lto operate. lWhen the machine is in motion the cylinder and its attachments revolve with high velocity, and when they revolve .eccentrically, by reason ot' an unbalanced load, the rapidity with which the bearing must vibrate .'will equal the rapidity of its revolution. vTo

meet this 'condition of things it is necessary, first, that the bearing shall have suicient vfreedom of motion to allow the revolving mass to find and revolve around its center of gravity second, that in rderto permitsuch rapid vibrations the spindle or bearing should have asl little weight as is consistent with proper strength, and that part by which it is counected Vwith the ixed support should move through the least practicable space, so that the momentum of the vibrating parts should be reduced to .-a minimum third, that while the shaftis free to vibrate when in a vertical position it shall meet with a rapidly-increasing resistance when it leaves that position, so as to prevent the cylinder from being thrown into gyrations about the point of suspension,

and so as to compelit to revolve, as nearly as p may be, about its center, of gravity; and

I fourth, that the bearing should be connected with its tixedsupport by means of some iexible or'elastic medium, which, by virtue of its elasticity, will permit the necessarymovement of the bearing without making andl breaking its contact with its support; otherwise the rapid succession of suchcontaets or impacts of their surfaces would produce a veryobjectionable noise and jar, and would soon derange' the iachine.

rPhis part ot', my iuvention consists in the employment ot' a spindleji'or the bearing ot' the revolving cylinder, which works 'within the hollow shaft ofthe same, the lower end of which is provi-ded with anti-friction collars or y other suitable means to support the weight oi' the revolving parts, andthe upper end of which is held by-a bushing1 or cushion of india-rubber or other elastic inaterialnvhich-is itself held in a socket iixed to the traine which supports the machine, the elasticity of such` connection serving to permit the necessary freedom of vibration of the shaft, and-also the necessary restraint, to prevent a too great de parture ot' the same from a vertical position.

My invention relates, in the third place, to the construction of the, cylinder, by means of whichthc contents of the same may be more i' readily discharged than by the method usually Y employed; and consists in forming openings in the bottom ot' the cylinder around the shaft, which are closedV by a valve or cover, as will be vmore particularly described.- v

@ther peculiarities of construction will be mentioned. in the description. A'is a frame, from which the machineis suspended. B is a socket, attached iirmlytothe traine A, containing the india-rubber bushing or spring (Lin which the upright spindle D is held, and by the elasticity of which a limited vibra-tion oi' the spindle in all directions ispermitted. y rllhe spindle is held lirmly in the rubber f bushing, and is supported by a flange on its upper-end, as shown.4 Upon this spindle the rotary partsof the machine are hung and revolvo.

E is an upright hollow shaft, encircling the spindle D, having a driving-pulley, F, at-

tached to its upper end, and the cylinder or basket G, in which the materials to be acted upon by ce1itriiug ;alA force are placed, attached to its lowcrend, as shown. The shaft, by bcingmade hollow, affords great stiffness, with little weight, and also affords a very compact andconvenient arrangement for the bearing.

The cylinder and its connections are supported on the spindle by mea-ns of a shoulder upon the interior oi the shaft, resting upon the series ot' anttfriction collars K, which are supported by a screw-nut, L, fitted to the lower end of the spindle.

The cylinder may be constructed in anyot the common forms, with the usual opening at the tcp, and with perforated sides.

In the bottom ot1 the cylinder l construct the openings l I l around the shaft, which may be varied in form, aud'which are closed by the movable valve orcover J, which surrounds the shaft E, and slides loosely up and down upon it, as is shown in Fig. 2. That part oi' the valve that embraces the shaft is ,formed with a sleeve, which extends upward around the shaft a sufiicient height to prevent any liquid matters that may be put into the cylinder from escaping between the valvean-d the shaft, and also forms a suitable `guide to the movement of the valve.

, The pulleyFis'so for-modas to project above theshaft E and surround the xedsocket B, by 'which means the vibratory movement of the shaft produces but little disturbance of the belt; and for greater security the pulley is pro vided with lianges, which prevent the belt from` wearing ott'.l Y

lll is a casing, within whichthe cylinder revolves, forming a receptacle for the liquids which are separated by centrifugal t'orce from l the materials acted upon.

` The operation oi:l the machine is as follows: The cylinder or basket G- is iilled'through the opening in the top, with the valve J resting Iupon and .covering the openings I in the bottom. Power is applied to the puiley F, ai"- lixed to the upright sha-ft E, and the cylinder, with its contents, revolves rapidly and freely upon the spindle suspended in the rubber` bushing C, which enables the revolving mass,-

however runcvenly its weight may be distributed, to lind its own center of gravity and an axis, about which it revolves without jar or concussion. After the materials contained in the revolving cylinder have been acted upon and the liquids separated and discharged through the apertures in the sides by the centrifugal force thus created, the valve J is raised, sliding upward freely on the shaft out ol the way, and the contents of the cylinder are discharged through the openings l in the bottom.

lt is not essential to my invention that the flexible bearings by which the rotary parts of the machine are allowed to revolve with an eccentric movement should be made in the form l have above described. Other forms of bearings or joints or llexible connections may be made to ciiect this purpose, such as what is commonly called the universahjoint, or by connecting the upright shaft with its support by means of a ball-joiut or a thin dislrlilate, or other flexible connections, so arranged as to give the necessary freedom of movement to the shaft when it is nearly vertical, and also l' the restraining force necessary to prevent the revolving parts from gyrating from that position, as has been before explained.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In" the construction of centrifugal inachines for separating liquids from other snbstances, suspending such. machines at the top by 'llexi'ble connections, operating substantially as described.. y

2. The combination 'of the spindle D and its accessories with the scclrct i3 and its india rubber bushing C, or other equivalent spring on which it runs, to support the cylinder or` -pulley F upon the shaft E thatit shall surj 5. The construction of the openings linthe k .bottom of the cylinder in such machines, and

the Valve J, for the purpose of closingl the connection, to form a flexible and elastic bearsame, substantially as described.

ing` for the shaft E, bywhich thcylinder may be suspended, substantially as described. I 3. The employment, in a centrifugal machine, ot' a hollow shaft, and a spindle or axlev l hollow shaft E, the driving-pulley F, the spindle D, its elastic bushing C, and socket B, to forni the operative part of a centrifugal ma'- Ichine, substantially as described.

basket, substantially as described.

Executed at Boston, October, 1867.

Aet. So form-ing and arranging; the driving round the spring-bearing, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. Witnesses: L.

. CHAs. A. J ORDAN,

a N. C. LOMBARD.

6. The combination of the cylinder G, the

` 13A-VID M. WESTON.

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