other Crystalline or Granular Substances.
Year: 1885

page_text: other Crystalline or Granular Substances.
We, GEORGE FLETCHER, of Masson Works, Litchurch in the county of Derby,
Engineer and WILLIAM PRICE ABELL of Kirkby Lodge, near Hinckley, in the
county of Leicester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES FOR DRYING SUGAR AND OTHER
素
CRYSTALLINE OR GRANULAR SUBSTANCES " to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a continuous feed and discharging
centrifugal dryer for sugar and other crystalline or granular substances.
For extracting liquid and syrup from granular substances centrifugal machines
have been extensively used, but these machines as hitherto constructed have
necessitated a stoppage every time they are charged and discharged, thus wasting
labour and rendering them effective for only a portion of the time they are in use.
We are aware that devices for continuous centrifugal machines have been
proposed but their inability to perform the work required of them is apparent to
anyone versed in the characteristics and behaviour of sugar and molasses as masse
cuite.
Our invention consists of a centrifugal machine for drying granular and
crystalline substances in which a constant feed of masse cuite is mechanically given
into the machine, and which substance in passing through has its solid constituents
separated from the liquid, the grain, or crystals, leaving the machine at one outlet
and the liquid or syrup at another. This is accomplished by the masse cuite
continuously passing from a pug mill into a quick revolving basket, or separator,
having gauze arms ranging spirally from the centro making angles with the radii.
The masse cuite on entering the basket or separator, impinges against the concave
surface of these arms which by their inclination to the radii prevent the solid
matter from flying off radially before it has traversed the whole length of the
gauze at a speed dependent on the curve and radial angle; on reaching the
extremity of the curved arms the unimpeded centrifugal force of the grain, or
crystals carries them into an annular trough, or collector; whilst the solid
substance is passing along the gauze the perforations therein allow the molasses, or
liquid, to percolate through in radial lines into a collector from which it is
delivered by virtue of its centrifugal force into the molasses trough,
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: other Crystalline or Granular Substances.
We GEORGE FLETCHER of Masson Works, Litchurch, in the county of Derby,
Engineer, and WILLIAM PRICE ABELL of Kirby Lodge near Hinckley, in the
county of Leicester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:-
This invention relates to the construction of a continuous feed and discharging
centrifugal dryer for sugar and other crystalline or granular substances.
For extracting liquid and syrup from granular substances, centrifugal machines
have been extensively used, but these machines as hitherto constructed have
necessitated a stoppage every time they are charged and discharged, thus wasting
labour and rendering them effective for only a portion of the time they are in use.
We are aware that devices for continuous centrifugal machines have been
proposed but their inability to perform the work required of them is apparent to
any one versed in the characteristics and behaviour of such substances as sugar and
molasses as masse cuite.
Our invention consists of a centrifugal machine for drying granular and
crystalline substances in which a constant feed of masse cuite is mechanically
given into the machine, and which substance in passing through has its solid con-
stituents separated from the liquid, the grain or crystals leaving the machine at
one outlet and the liquid or syrup at another. This is accomplished by the masse
cuite continuously passing from a pug mill into a quick revolving basket, or
separator, having gauze arms ranging spirally from the centre making angles with
the radii and having other spiral arms not perforated and forming chambers or
enclosed spaces by their junction with the gauze arms.
The masse cuite on entering the basket or separator, impinges against the
concave surface of these gauze arms which by their inclination to the radii prevent
the solid matter from flying off radially before it has traversed the whole length of
the gauze (the speed being dependent on the curve and radial angle). The grain
or crystals are thus carried along the curved arms and on reaching the extremity
thereof are by the then unimpeded centrifugal force delivered into an annular
trough or collector; whilst during the passage of the solid substance along the
gauze the molasses or liquid percolates through the perforations therein into a
collector from which it is delivered by the centrifugal force into the molasses
trough.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure I,
represents a vertical section and figure 'II a plan of an under driven continuous
centrifugal machine constructed according to our invention, figure III is a side
elevation and figure IV a plan of a top driven continuous centrifugal machine;
figure.V, is a vertical section of the drum or basket drawn to a larger scale and
figure VI, is a sectional plan of figure V, shewing the arrangement of the arms or
partitiong

page_text: In figure I, A is the driven pulley or wheel of the machine fixed upon the
vertical centre spindle B which carries and revolves with the drum or basket C.
D is a gutter for the reception of the molasses or other liquid separated from the
solid matter, and E, is a belt or casing which receives the dried sugar or other
material as it leaves the basket. The sugar falls into the hopper F, and slides
down the shoot or spout G, into the receptacle provided for the dried material.
H is the bottom bearing and I is the bracket carrying the top bearing J for the
centre spindle and also carrying the brake K for stopping the machine.
In figure III, A is the driven wheel or pulley fixed upon the countershaft B;
C, and D shew the bevel gearing transmitting the motion from the countershaft B
to the centre shaft E.
In figure V, A is the centre spindle upon which the drum or basket is carried
and with which it revolves; B2, B%, are the spouts which conduct the molasses or
other liquid separated from the dried material out of the basket into the gutter.
The wet sugar or other material to be dried is admitted into the basket in a
regular and continuous stream, preferably from a pug mill.
In figure VI, A, A¹, are the arms or partitions of a spiral form made of strong
gauze or perforated sheet metal and covered with fine gauze or perforated sheet
metal or with a combination of the two; B, B¹ are non-perforated arms or
partitions also of a spiral shape.
B2, B are the molasses spouts.
It will be seen that the basket is open at the side from A to B, and from A¹,
to B2, and is closed in from A to B, and from A¹, to B₂
The sugar or other material to be dried is poured in a continuous stream into
the basket at the centre, and as the basket revolves in the direction indicated by
the large arrows on the drawing, the centrifugal force tends to drive the sugar
from the centre towards the periphery of the basket but the curve of the arms A, A¹
causes the sugar to pass along in the path indicated by the small arrows on the
drawing, the gauze and perforations allowing the molasses or other liquids to pass
through into the chambers C, C, whence they escape by means of the spouts B₂
and B, while the sugar as it arrives at the periphery of the basket flies off at a
tangent, and striking against the belt falls into the hopper shown at F figure I;
D, D Figures 5 and 6 are two tubes for the admission of water or steam, &c. for
cleaning the sugar.
Although the basket is shown provided with two sets of arms or partitions
we do not confine ourselves to this number, as it may be varied according to
requirement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The construction and use in centrifugal machines for drying sugar and other
crystalline or granular substances of a basket having perforated and non-perforated
spiral arms arranged as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. The improved centrifugal machines herein before described and represented in
the accompanying drawing.