IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND REMOVING CREAM FROM MILK
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Powley Alexander at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1879. A communication
from abroad by the Firm of W. Lefeldt and Lentsch, of Schöningen Braunsweig,
in the Imperial German Empire, Engineers.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND REMOVING CREAM FROM
MILK." A communication from abroad by the Firm of W. Lefeldt and Lentsch, of
Schöningen Braunsweig, in the Imperial German Empire, Engineers.
This Invention relates to improvements in centrifugal apparatus for effecting the
separation & removal of cream from milk by a continuous process.
According to one arrangement the new milk enters a horizontal revolving drum
by a partially hollow horizontal spindle under a given pressure or head, & issues
thence by lateral apertures from the said spindle into a central tube, which may be
slightly tapered or conical, provided with a flange at the further or inner end, an
open space or apertures being left between the said flange & an adjustable end of
the drum and the inner circumference of an inner vessel, provided or not with
radial wings or partitions for compelling the entering liquid to follow the revolving
drum or vessel, which wings or partitions may be removeable for facilitating the
more easy cleansing of the drum. By suitable openings at one end of the inner
vessel the milk enters a space or groove outside such vessel, and thence passes into
the hollow spindle, the outflow of the skim milk being regulated by a valve or cock
on the further end of the horizontal spindle. The cream leaves the revolving drum,
which may be of any convenient shape, by a lipped opening in the end cover, &
flows into a cream collector with outlet spout.
By another arrangement the new milk enters a vertical partially hollow spindle,
& passes thence by lateral apertures into a conical tube, whence it flows around
the edges of a flange on the bottom of the said tube into an inner vessel provided
or not with radial partitions. The skim milk passes by openings in the top of the
inner vessel into an open space, or grooves, or channels outside such vessel, thence
leaving the vertical revolving drum by openings in the bottom, & passing into an
annular collecting trough with outlet spout. By turning a loose bottom to the
drum, provided with radial channels or grooves, the outflow of the skim milk can be
regulated. The cream leaves the drum by inner openings in the cover, & enters
the upper cream collector, also provided with an outlet spout,

page_text: By a third arrangement the new milk enters a vertical partially hollow spindle,
thence, passing by lateral apertures-into-a-conical tube, & escaping round the
edges-of-a-bottom flange into an inner-vessel provided or not with radial partitions.
The skim milk escapes from the above named vessel by openings in the cover, &
enters a collecting ring on the top, provided with an outlet spout. By lowering or
raising an adjustable cover the outflow of the skim milk can be regulated. The
cream leaves the drum through openings near the centre, and rushes above the
adjustable cover into a cream collector provided with proper outlet spout or tube.
The centrifugal separating drums may be driven in any convenient manner, and
may be cast in one piece, or made of sheet iron rivetted or otherwise fixed to the
bottom.
According to a further improvement in continuous action centrifugal apparatus
for separating cream from milk, & whereby a higher degree of creaming power is
attained than heretofore, it is proposed to employ a centrifugal drum with unper-
forated sides, & with or without radial partitions, & to apply thereto a ring
cover of such a construction & so fitted to the drum that the inner diameter
of the drum shall be less than the inner diameter of the cover itself just above
the part where it joins the drum. This may be obtained either by making
the cover with a rim to fit over the outside of the drum, & curving it
upwards above the edge thereof, or by forming a bulge or overhanging
annular recess round the cover, extending beyond or over the outside of the
drum itself. The milk or heaviest part of the fluid will naturally tend to collect
at the part of the cover furthest from the centre, & in order to allow of its
escape suitable valves or cocks are fitted into the cover itself at the place where the
radius is greatest; or may be fitted into any other part of the cover, provided they
. take the milk from the annulus of largest diameter. The amount of opening of the
said valves or cocks may be regulated by hand or otherwise during the running of
the drum, or whilst it is at rest. The skim milk flows from a lip on the outer
.circumference of the drum cover into an annular milk collector, whilst the creain
flows over a lip round the central opening in the cover into a separate cream
collector above: The new milk enters in a regulated continous stream at the bottom
of the drum under the bottom edge of a revolving or stationary spreader, which
spreader may be adjustable vertically in any convenient manner, as described in the
Specification of Letters Patent, No 2455, A.D. 1878.