Untitled record

Application filed October 16,1885. Serial No. 180,100. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonathan Evans, of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in5 vented new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Liquid - Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of centrifugal separators which to are employed for separating compound liquids into their constituent liquids of different densities or gravities.

The object of this invention is theconstruction of a machine by which a liquid composed 15 of three or more component liquids of different gravities can be separated by a continuous operation into its component parts, each product of the separation being discharged separately and continuously from the separator. 20 My invention consists to this end of the improvements in the construction of the separator, which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting 25 of two sheets, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of my improved separator mounted upon a vertical spindle. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line x x, Fig. 1. Figs. 3,4, and 5 are vertical sections showing modified con30 structions of my improved separator. Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing a separator of the construction represented in Fig. 5 mounted upon a horizontal shaft. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of a separator adapted to 35 separate a compound liquid into four component liquids.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents theseparating-drum provided 40 with an upwardly - tapering outer wall, a, mounted upon a vertical spindle, b, which is rapidly rotated by a belt running around a pulley, B, or other suitable means.

V represents the stationary base of thesepa45 rator, and V’ the stationary ease resting on the base V and inclosing the drum A.

c represents the bottom of the drum, and C its central hub, which is secured to the spindle b.

D is an annular collecting-chamber for the 50 heavy material, arranged below the bottom c, and secured to the lower portion of the drum. This chamber communicates with the large end of the tapering drum by openings d, formed in the bottom c, closely to the outer 55 wall of the drum.

d' is a skimming-pipe, which is secured to the stationary frame or casing of the machine, and which projects with its bent receiving end into the annular chamber D, so as to re- 60 move the material therefrom.

e is an annular flange secured to the upper contracted end of the drum and projecting inwardly therefrom.

E represents upright wings or blades se- 65 cured to the interior of the drum and extending from the bottom c to the top flange, e. These wings do not extend to the outer wall, A, at the enlarged end of the drum, but leave spaces e' between their outer edges and the 70 1 wall of the drum at the enlarged end thereof, which spaces permit the heaviest material to distribute or equalize itself over the inner surface of the outer wall of the drum, in the enlarged portion thereof. 75

F is an annular collecting-chamber for the liquid of medium gravity, secured to the upper contracted end-of the drum above the top flange, e, and communicating with the interior of the drum by openings/, formed in the 80 top flange, e, closely to the outer wall of the drum.

f' is a skimming-pipe secured to the stationary frame or case of the machine, and projecting with its bent receiving end into the 85 annular chamber F, to remove the liquid therefrom. g is a similar skimming-pipe projecting with its bent receiving end below the top flange, e, into the body of the drum in the proper position to remove the lightest liquid. 90 The upper ends of the wings E are notched on their inner sides, as shown at h, to clear the pipe g.

I represents the feed-pipe, which depends into the body of the drum and terminates near 95 the bottom thereof on one side of the central hub.

The improved machine, constructed as here347,702 iubcforc explained, is adapted to separate a compound liquid into three liquids of different densities. It is adapted, for instance, for separating the wool-bath or wool-scourings into 5 its three component liquids, consisting of the wool grease Or oil. which is the lightest ingredient, the washing solution, which is the next heaviest ingredient, and the semi-liquid impurities, which constitute the heaviest ingreio dient. The wool bath or scourings is fed into the rapidly-rotating drum through the feedpipe I, and is driven by the centrifugal force against the outer wall of thedrum. Under the influence of the cent rifugal force the constitu15 ent parts of the wool-bath are separated, and arrange themselves in three distinct concentric layers or strata against the outer wall of the drum, as indicated in Fig. 1. The outer layer, K, isscmi-liquid, and is composed of the heavy 20: semi-liquid impurities with an admixture of the solution. This material is forced by the inclined outer wall of the drum: through the discharge-openingsdinto the lower receivingchambei·, I),(from which it is removed by the 25 skimming-pipe <T. The next inner layer, L, is composed of the washing solution, and escapes through the discharge-openings f into the upper collecting-chamber, F, from which it is removed by the skimming-pipe/'. Thein33 nermost layer, M, is composed of the wool oil or grease, and is removed from the drum by the . skimming-pipe g. The skimming-pipe g and the openings/ and d constitute the three pas: sages through which the three products of 35 the separation escape from the separating-drum proper, and these three: passages are located at different distances from the axis of rotation, corresponding with the three concentric layers of the separated component liquids, while 40 the mouths of the skimming-pipes constitute the final discharges, and are arranged at nearly the same distance from the axis of rotation. In this manner the compound liquid fed into the drum is separated by centrifugal force into 45 three component liquids, and the three products of the separation are discharged continuously from the drum.

In the same manner the machine may be used for separating crude starch from the 50 gluten and other impurities, and for various, other purposes.

In the modified construction represented in Fig. 3 a deflecting-plate or false bottom, in, is arranged in the drum above the bottom c, and 55 the discharge-openings for the heaviest material (marked d* in this figure) are arranged at the outer edge of this deflecting-plate. The feed-pipe I delivers the liquid to be separated upon this deflecting-plate, and the skimming60 pipe for the discharge of the heaviest material (marked d⁵ in this figure) enters the space D' between the deflecting-plate and the bottom, which space performs the function of the collecting-chamber I) in the construction 65 represented in Fig. 1.

In the construction represented in Fig. 4 the heavy liquid is discharged ΙΪΌΠΙ the space between the deflecting-plate «I and the bottom c by overflowing through openings n in the bottom. : 70

In the construction represented in Fig. 5 the drum is enlarged upwardly, and the collecting-chambers for the heaviest material and the material of medium gravity arc both arranged at the upper end of the drum, and 75 marked, respectively, D’ and F² in this figure. The chamber D² is arranged above the top flange, e, and the chamber F² is formed between the top flange and an annular plate, 0, secured in the drum below the top flange.: 80

In the construction represented in Pig. (i the drum, having both collecting-chambers D²and F² at its enlarged end, is mounted upon a.:_:horizontal shaft.

In the construction represented in Fig. 7 85 the drum is provided with four separate discharges for discharging four separated component liquids continuously. For this purpose the drum is provided with three annular collecting-chambers, I.):', and F^l, which re- 90 ccive the separated liquids at different distances from the axis of rotation corresponding with the three outer concentric layers of the separated component liquids, and from which the liquids are continuously discharged by 95 suitable skimming-pipes, <Z’ /’ f^r'. The lightest liquid is discharged by the skimming-pipe g, which opens in the innermost layer in the body of the drum.

The receiving ends of the skimming-pipes 100 may be made tapering or spoon-shaped, as may be preferred.

When the liquid fed into the separator is variable in its composition—for instance,when it contains more heavy material at one time 105 than another—the discharge of the heavy material is intermittent and occurs when a sufficient layer of heavy material has been separated.

It is obvious that the chambers D'D² D’, no which receive the heaviest material, in the modified constructions represented in Figs. 3, 5, G, and 7 are the equivalents of the chamber D, represented in Fig. 1, and that the chambers F² and F², which receive the liquid of medium 115 gravity in the modified constructions represented in Figs. 4, 5, and G, are the equivalents of the chamber F, which receives the liquid of medium gravity in the constructions represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; also, that the 120 skimming-pipes which remove the liquid from equivalent chambers in the several constructions perform the same functions in each construction and arc equivalents of each other.