IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS PROAL- RA, SUCH AS IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Smith and William Smith, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North' Britain, Engineers, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Smith and
William Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 29th October 1864.
We, ALEXANDER SMITH and WILLIAM SMITH, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CENTRIFUGAL APPA-
RATUS, SUCH AS IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements designed to render centrifugal
apparatus, such as is used in the manufacture of sugar, simpler in construction,
more convenient for being erected, and when in use, more efficient in action,
and less liable to get out of order than machines of the kind as hitherto
constructed.
And in carrying out the Invention the vertical spindle of the turbine or
rotating centrifugal basket is fitted with a small cone to be driven by a conical
pulley fast on a horizontal or nearly horizontal shaft, so far not differing from
arrangements already in use.

page_text: One improvement consists in driving the said horizontal shaft directly from
one or more steam cylindes which may be either oscillating or fixed, and with
common piston rods or with trunks. The cylinder or cylinders is 'or are
carried or fixed upon the casing or framing of the machine in either a vertical,
inclined, or horizontal position, and the machine is thus rendered self-con-
tained and independent of other machinery or shafting, whilst engaging and
disengaging gear is dispensed with, the parts remaining always in driving
contact, and the-machine being started and stopped in a gradual manner, and
so as to avoid unequal action on the cones by gradually admitting the steam
to and shutting it off from the steam cylinder or cylinders.
In one convenient modification, an inverted vertical cylinder is bolted to the
side of the casing, and works a crank on the end of the horizontal shaft placed
below the machine. The bearings.for this horizontal shaft may be provided
for in the casting forming the casing, or in a separate casting connected there-
with, and if a separate casting-is adopted it may also carry or be formed with
one or both bearings for the turbine spindle. It is preferred to place the upper
bearing for the turbine spindle below the top of the turbine, but as high as can
be conveniently managed inside of the hollow conical centre of the turbine.
Another improvement applicable to the arrangements herein-before
described; and also to other arrangements, consists in fitting on the driving shaft
placed nearly horizontal, two conical driving pulleys facing each other, one of
which is in contact with the cone on the turbine spindle, whilst the other is in
contact with a similar cone on a short intermediate spindle, the intermediate
cone being in contact with the cone on the turbine spindle on its other side.
By this means the turbine spindle will be driven from both sides, and the
friction in its bearings will be greatly reduced, whilst it will run more smoothly
and continue longer in good order than when driven on one side only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Smith and William Smith, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
SMITH and WILLIAM SMITH, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Alexander Smith and William Smith, Her special licence that we,
the said Alexander Smith and William Smith, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others. as we, the said Alexander Smith and William
Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. AND
BELATING TO CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS, SUCH AS is USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SUGAR," upon the condition (amongst others). that we, the said Alexander
Smith and William Smith, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands. and seals,. should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW. KNOW YE, that we, the said Alexander Smith and William
Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to improvements designed to render centrifugal
apparatus, such as is used in the manufacture of sugar, simpler in construction,
more convenient for being erected, and when in use,. more efficient in action,
and less liable to get out of order than machines: of the kind as hitherto
constructed.
And in order that our said Invention and. the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a. Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to and representing a self-
contained centrifugal machine as constructed with a modification of our
improved arrangements.
Figure is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine,
whilst Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the duplex brake for stopping the motion
of the basket. The same reference numerals mark the same parts in all. the
Figures.
In this machine the vertical spindle 1 of the turbine or rotating centrifugal
basket 2 is fitted with a small cone or conical pulley 3, to be driven by a
conical pulley 4 fast on a horizontal shaft 5 carried in bearings 6 on the

page_text: under side of the machine. This shaft 5 instead of being fitted with fast and
loose pulleys to be driven by a strap from a line of main shafting according to
one plan hitherto in use, or instead of its being. itself part of a:long main-shaft
working two or more machines, and requiring engaging and disengaging appli-
ances in connection with the turbine spindle, according to another plan hitherto
in use, is by our said Invention driven directly from a steam cylinder 7; bolted
to the side of the casing or framing 8 of the machine., The cylinder 7 is
inverted; its piston. rod 9' issuing below and being jointed to a slide block; 10,
working in guides on the side of the casing 8, and connected by a rod 11, to a
crank on the horizontal shaft 5. The machine is thus rendered. completely
self-contained and independent of other machinery or shafting, whilst, engaging
and disengaging gear is dispensed with, the parts remaining always in driving
contact, and the machine being started in a gradual manner, and so as to avoid
unequal action on the cones 3, 4, by gradually admitting, the steam to the
steam cylinder 7.
In stopping the machine the steam is shut off, and the momentum of the
moving parts, which would continue the motion. longer than is desirable, is
overcome by. means of.a duplex frictional brake 12, actuated by a lever 18.
This brake comprises two frictional .blocks, which are applied to opposite sides
of the boss of the cone 3 by means of crossed levers centred on a fixed stud 14,
and connected to the lever.13 by.links 15 and a rod 16.
:
In applying this brake the-turbine spindle 1 cannot in any way be strained
out of its central position. The bearings 6. for the horizontal shaft 5 may be
provided for in the casting forming the casing 8, or in a separate casting 17
bolted thereto, as shown. This casting 17,is formed with.a.bridge piece 18,
in which is formed or fixed the bottom or footstep bearing, for the. turbine
spindle 1. The upper bearing might also be formed or fitted in connection
with the lower casting 17; it is, 'however, shown at 19, as fixed to the centre
of the bottom shell 20 of the casing 8, being within the hollow conical centre
of the basket 2, and as we prefer it, below the top of the basket..
In using a single steam cylinder, as shown in the Drawing, smooth working
is insured by fixing a weight 21 on the horizontal shaft 5, to. counterbalance
the weight of the moving parts in connection with the steam cylinder; but if
preferred two steam cylinders may be used, and the cylinder or cylinders may
be either fixed or oscillating, .and with common rods or with trunks. The
cylinder or cylinders may also be either vertical, inclined, or horizontal, but in
all case's attached to the casing or framing of the machine, so that the machine
with its driving power will be completely self-contained, and can be erected
or set down in any position that may be most convenient, without reference

page_text: to shafting or other machinery, the only connection required being that of a
pipe to supply steam.
Another improvement applicable to the arrangements herein-before
described, and also to other arrangements is shown in the Diagram, Figure 4,
and consists in fitting on the driving shaft 5, placed with a slight inclination
to the horizontal, two conical driving pulleys 4, 23, facing each other. One, 4,
of these driving pulleys is in contact with the cone 3 on the turbine spindle 1,
whilst the other 28, is in contact with a similar cone 24, on a short inter-
mediate spindle; this intermediate cone 24 being in contact with the cone 3
on the turbine spindle 1 on its other side. By this means the turbine spindle 1
will be driven from both sides, and the friction in its bearings will be greatly
reduced, whilst it will run more smoothly, and continue longer in good order
than when driven on one side only.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not
claim to have invented any of the separate details herein described or
delineated; but that what we believe to be novel and original and claim as
the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the arranging or combining together of the parts of centrifugal
apparatus, substantially in the improved manner herein-before described, and
more particularly the attaching of one or more steam cylinders directly to
each machine to drive a horizontal or nearly horizontal shaft below the
machine, and to render each machine self-contained and independent, and
the driving of the turbine spindle on both sides by means of pulleys arranged
as shown in Figure 4.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Smith and William Smith,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
0
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ALEXANDER SMITH. (L.S.)
Wч. SMITH.
(L.B.)