Centrifugal machine

Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,285.

This invention relates more especially to continuously operating centrifugal separating machines of the type shown, described and claimed in my copending application, 5 Serial No. 118,131, which was filed in the United States Patent Office under date of June 23, 1926.

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved construction, combination 10 and arrangement of parts in a machine of this charactre whereby a more effective separation of ingredients may be secured, and whereby the machine may be more economically operated and whereby the machine may 15 be better adapted to withstand the wear and tear of continuous active service.

Another object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal machine of improved construction whereby a better distribution of 20 stresses and strains may be secured and an improved balance maintained in the operations of the several parts.

My invention contemplates a centrifugal separating machine in which a plurality of 25 cylindrical baskets are symmetrically arranged with respect to a common axis about which they revolve, while at the same time rotating planetarily on their own axes. In machines of this nature, the cylindrical bas30 kets which receive the materials to be separated, may be caused to rotate by means of an eccentric loading of a series of peripheral compartments with which said baskets are provided, the velocity of these planetary 35 movements depending upon the rapidity with which the materials are supplied thereto.

Other and further objects of invention will appear in the specification, the particular 40 features relating thereto being recited in the claims in connection with the accompanying drawings which exemplify my invention in a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings— ⁴⁵ Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of my improved centrifugal separating machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2—2 of Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts shown in elevation. - gg

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 3—3 of Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the baskets; and gg

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5—5 of Figure 2, parts being shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, an outer fixed housing of the machine comprises an imperforate cylindrical wall 1 60 surmounted by a peripheral top flange 2. A hopper 3 depends from the lower edge of the cylindrical wall 1, a conical plate or wall 4 which is presented upwardly and inwardly from around the lower edge of the cylindn- 65 cal wall 1 being arranged to form an annular trough which discharges outwardly through outlet pipes 5.

Centrally arranged with respect to and de- pending within the stationary housing is a 70 rotary shaft 6 which constitutes a preferred means for rotating a movable housing to be presently described. The rotary shaft 6 is provided near its lower end with a conical surface 7 below which extends a threaded re- 75 duced end 8. Mounted upon the conical portion 7 of the shaft 6 is the hub 9 of a spider frame comprising radial arms 10. A nut 11 which is threaded to the reduced end 8 of the shaft 6 secures the spider frame to said shaft, 80 a check-nut 12 being provided to retain the nut 11 in position. Each of the radial arms 10 of the spider frame is provided with a plate or flange 14, and an arcuate lug 15 which interlocks with a corresponding recess 85 formed around the inner edge of an annular plate 16 which is secured in position by means of bolts 17. Annular plate 16 constitutes the base of a rotary housing which includes a cylindrical wall 18 and an upper annular 00

1,794,702 stitute a rotary inner frame which is journalled upon the shaft 6 and rotatably supported by the collar 22. Suitable means for retaining the planetary baskets in proper cooperative relation to the several spouts 33 γθ may be provided as follows. Referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, it will be seen that each of the depending spouts 33 is provided .with a laterally-presented lug 41^a in which is mounted a stud 42. Projecting laterally from a lateral wall of each baffle 38 and arranged oppositely with respect to the lug 41^a, is another lug 43 which carries a stud 44. Journalled upon the studs 42 and 44 are rollers 45 which bear against the inner wall ₃₀of circular flange or tread 32, said rollers cooperating with the circular track 19 in rotatably supporting each of the planetary baskets against undue displacement under the action of centrifugal force while at the gg same time operating to revolve the central supporting frame around the shaft 6 whenever an eccentric loading of the planetary baskets causes them to travel around the track-bar 19. 90

It will be understood that when the machine is at rest, the planetary baskets are permitted to sag toward the rotary shaft 6 by reason of the downwardly sloping top surfaces of the upper cap rings 30, the lower 95 treads 32 being in bearing engagement with the-bottom bearing plate 40 until the speed of the machine becomes sufficient to displace the planetary baskets outwardly under the action of centrifugal force. 100

When the machine is in use, the material to be treated is permitted to flow into distributor bowl 20 from pipe 25 during the rapid whirling of the planetary baskets about the axis of shaft 6. If, for example, massecuite 105 is thus discharged into distributor bowl 20, it is thrown outwardly against the inner wall of said bowl; forming itself into an annular mass. Under high velocity this mass builds up with a substantially vertical inner wall no which as it reaches the discharge openings 34 of the spouts 33, begins to spill out into the peripheral chambers 35 of the planetary baskets. During the progress of this operation the planetary baske's are caused to ro- 113 tate on their own axes under an eccentric loading; of the chambers 35 as fully explained in iny above identified copending application, Serial No. 118,131. After all of theplanetary, baskets have become fully loaded, the eccen- 120 trie loading thereof will remain due to the fact that the molasses content of the massecuite in chambers 35 which are moving outwardly from the axis of shaft 6 is of greater weight than that of the massecuite contained 125 within the chambers 35 which are moving inwardly on the opposite side of the rotary axis of each of said baskets owing to the separation of the molasses therefrom. The effect of this condition is to maintain the drying 130 plate 19. The annular plates 1C and 19 are presented inwardly from the upper and lower edges of the cylindrical wall 18 and in effect form an annular chamber which revolves - around the axis of shaft 6. Within this an° nular chamber is collected the separated liquids which may be discharged outwardly through suitable openings. 18^a formed along the lower edge of cylindrical wall 18. The ₁₀ liquids which are thus thrown off by centrifugal force, drain into the annular trough formed between the cylindrical wall 1 and the conical plate 4 and flow from thence through the outlets 5.

ig A distributor bowl 20 which is rotatable with and relatively to the shaft 6, is provided with a hub portion 21 which is freely journalled upon the,shaft 6 and axially supported by means of a collar 22 secured to said go shaft. Said distributor bowl is provided with a central opening 23 through which the shaft 6’depends and into which depends the outlet end 24 of a supply pipe 25. The distributor bowl is provided around its upper peripheral 2g. edge with an annular chamber 26 into which water may be discharged from a pipe 27.

Symmetrically arranged with respect to the rotary shaft 6, as shown in Figure 1, are a plurality of planetary baskets, said planetary baskets’ being movably supported in a peculiar way. As shown in Figures 2, 3, apd 4, each of said planetary baskets comprises an outer cylindrical wall or plate 28 provided with perforations, an inner screen 29 35 of fine mesh, and with upper and lower apnular cap-plates 30 and 31 which are provided with upwardly and downwardly presented flanges or treads 32 which roll upon and are supported by the annular plates or .,,₀ track-bars 16 and 19. Depending from the distributor bowl 20 within each of the planetary baskets, is a spout 33 provided with an inwardly-presented orifice 34 which is thus arranged to discharge into successive compartments 35 which are formed within the cylindrical wall 28 by means of rearwardly deflected partitions 36. As shown best in Figure 3 of the drawings, each of the spouts 33 is provided with a laterally-presented 50 flange or plate 37 by means of which it is rigidly connected to a side wall of a chute or baffle 38 which as shown in Figure 4 is provided with a trough-like cross-section and which in side elevation as shown in Fig55 ure 2, is approximately triangular. Each of the opposite lateral walls of baffle 38 is provided with a base flange 39. As indicated in Figures 2 and 4, all of the base flanges 39 are rigidly connected to and serve to support so a bottom bearing plate 40 which is provided ” at its center with a bushing 41 which rotatably bears on the shaft 6. It will be understood from this description that the distributor bowl 20, depending spouts 33, baffles 65 38, and bottom bearing plate 40 together con1,784,792 baskets in slow rotation at a speed which varies with the rate at which massecuite is introduced thereinto. When and if desired, water may be supplied to the massecuite in _e chambers 35 by means of perforated pipes (not shown) connected up with the annular water chamber 26 and discharging into said chambers.