Improvements in or applicable to Centrifugal Machines for Separating Liquids.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Centrifugal Machines for
Separating Liquids.
We, ROBERT ASHTON LISTER, of The Victoria Iron Works, Dursley, in the
County of Gloucester, Engineer, and MIKAEL PEDERSEN, also of Dursley,
aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
1
This invention relates to improvements in or applicable to that class of
centrifugal machines employed for separating the lighter from the heavier
constituent of a liquid such as in the separation of fatty milk into cream and
skim milk.
In carrying out our invention we form the vertical spindle carrying the drum in
two parts or lengths, the lower end of the upper and longer part being tapered so
as to fit into a taper hole in the upper end of the lower part of the spindle which
carries the pinion by which the spindle is driven; the turning of one part on the
other being prevented by means of a pin on one part fitting in a slot or groove in
the other part. The upper end of the spindle is spherical headed to carry the
drum or bowl as usual.
By this arrangement it will be obvious that while the weight of the drum will
keep the two parts of the shaft in position when at work, the upper part of the
spindle can be easily raised from the lower part.
We prefer to countersink the lower end of the pinion portion of the spindle to
receive a ball which turns with the spindle and bears on a roller in the footstep
bearing.
The footstep bearing is carried in the spherical shaped end of a tube or sleeve
enclosing the spindle, an opening being left in the sleeve to allow the pinion to
gear with its spur wheel and also to allow of the easy removal and replacing of
the lower part of the spindle with its pinion and footstep bearing. The main
or neck bearing of the spindle is placed in the upper part of the sleeve, which is
also provided with two collars for receiving a rubber ring to give elasticity to
the spindle.
We provide the receiving vessel for holding the full milk with a taper socket
adapted to fit on a tapered pin on a bracket fixed on the cover of the separator.
The centre of the top cover of the separator is formed with a funnel for the inlet
of the milk and as a seat for the milk regulator strainer and float.
The said funnel is conically shaped at the bottom to receive the regulator and has
a slot on one side to allow of the milk passing to the bowl or drum.
The regulator is made to fit into the said funnel and is formed with a tapered slot
so that by turning the regulator over the slot in the funnel more or less, milk is
allowed to enter the bowl.
The strainer is conically shaped and has a ring adapted to rest on a flange inside
the regulator.
Inside the strainer is the float, also conically shaped, its pin end entering the tap
of the receiver tin.
We form the bowl or drum with a passage or pipe through which the milk from
the inlet funnel enters from the central receiving cup, the milk running from this
pipe between two plates or vanes, one of which is so shaped as to prevent the milk
entering and disturbing the milk already in process of separation, while the other
vane is so shaped as to cut through all the liquid except that which is perfectly
separated, which latter it allows to pass out of the bowl up a division next to the
CD 01

page_text: wall of the drum between the two vanes, so that the skim milk leaves the bowl
without mixing with the rest of the milk or cream in the bowl; it passes over the
neck of the bowl and is collected in a groove or gutter in the casing.
The cream passes out through the opening in the neck of the bowl and is
collected in a cylindrical vessel or tray fitted in the upper end of the casing over
the bowl.
The bottom of this tray is inclined downwards from the centre towards the
circumference so as to convey the cream to an outlet tube which passes through a
hole in the casing.
Over the said cream tray we place a metal cover which leads the separated milk
to the before named groove or gutter in the casing.
In the case of hand machines the handle is fixed on the outer end of the shaft of
a bevel wheel, the said shaft running in a long bearing in the frame of the machine,
the bevel wheel being placed on the end of the shaft inside the frame with the
teeth facing the handle, and, as the handle is constructed to form a shoulder, the
shaft is prevented from moving backwards out of gear. The bevel wheel is bored
to fit the shaft and has an excentric slot in the centre of the bore from which
excentric slot runs another slot to the back of the wheel.
On the shaft is fitted a key or stud so that when the shaft is moved into the
wheel the key or stud enters the excentric slot and on the shaft being turned, the
key will be moved into the shallow part of the excentric slot and be firmly fixed so
that the shaft can be easily adapted to or removed from the bevel wheel.
It will be obvious that the same result can be obtained by making the excentric
and cross slots in the shaft and fixing the key in the bore of the wheel.
The said bevel wheel gears with a combined bevel and cylindrical wheel the teeth
of which latter gear with a combined spur pinion and wheel which gears with the
pinion on the vertical spindle.
To the bottom of the main frame is firmly fixed by screws, a crosspiece, holding
the bottom ends of two pins, carrying the aforesaid combined bevel and cylindrical
wheel and combined spur pinion and wheel, the top ends being held in the main
frame. These pins have studs fixed in them and are so fitted into the crosspiece
as to prevent them from twisting or rising. The whole of these working parts we
enclose with a cover, which prevents the pins from falling out, and forms the base
of the separator the whole being arranged so that the gearing can easily be taken
out and replaced.
It is to be understood that our improvements can be employed separately or in
combination.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Centrifugal Machines for
Separating Liquids.
We, ROBERT ASHTON LISTER, of The Victoria Iron Works, Dursley, in the
County of Gloucester, Engineer, and MIKAEL PEDERSEN, also of Dursley,
aforesaid, 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 improvements in or applicable to that class of
centrifugal machines employed for separating the lighter from the heavier
constituent of a liquid such as in the separation of fatty or full milk into cream
and skim milk.
In carrying out our invention we form the vertical spindle carrying the drum in

page_text: two parts or lengths, the lower end of the upper and longer part being tapered so
as to fit into a taper hole in the upper end of the lower part of the spindle which
carries the pinion by which the spindle is driven.
We prefer to countersink the lower end of the pinion portion of the spindle to
receive a ball which supports the spindle and bears on a roller in the footstep
bearing.
The footstep bearing is carried in the spherical shaped end of a tube or sleeve
enclosing the spindle, an opening being left in the sleeve to allow the pinion to gear
with its spur-wheel and also to allow of the easy removal and replacing of the
lower part of the spindle with its pinion and footstep bearing. The main or neck
bearing of the spindle is placed in the upper part of the sleeve, which is also
provided with two collars for receiving a rubber ring to give elasticity to
the spindle.
The centre of the top cover of the separator is formed with a funnel for the
inlet of the milk and as a seat for the milk regulator, strainer and float.
The said funnel is conically shaped at the bottom to receive the regulator and
has a slot on one side to allow of the milk passing to the bowl or drum.
The regulator is made to fit into the said funnel and is formed with a tapered
slot so that by turning the regulator over the slot in the funnel, more or less milk is
allowed to enter the bowl.
The strainer is conically shaped and has a ring adapted to rest on a flange inside
the regulator.
Inside the strainer is the float, also conically shaped, its pin end entering the tap
of the receiver tin.
We form the bowl or drum with a passage or pipe through which the milk from
the inlet funnel enters from the central receiving cup, the milk running from this
pipe between two plates or vanes, one of which is so shaped as to prevent the
entering milk disturbing the milk already in process of separation, while the other
vane is so shaped as to cut through all the liquid except that which is perfectly
separated, which latter it allows to pass out of the bowl up a passage between the
wall of the drum and a division plate between the two vanes, so that it leaves the
bowl without mixing with the rest of the milk or cream in the bowl; it passing
over the neck of the bowl and being collected in a groove or gutter in the casing
provided with an outlet tube.
The cream passes out through an opening in the neck of the bowl and is
collected in a cylindrical vessel or tray fitted in the upper end of the casing over
the bowl.
The bottom of this tray is inclined downwards from the centre towards the
circumference so as to convey the cream to an outlet tube which passes through a
hole in the casing.
Over the said cream tray we place a metal cover which leads the separated milk
to the before named groove or gutter in the casing.
It is to be understood that our improvements can be employed separately or in
combination.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :
:-
Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved separator; and,
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2-2, Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a view of a detail drawn to an enlarged scale:
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a detail hereinafter described:
Figure 5 is a central vertical section at right angles to the section Figure 2:
Figure 6 is an underside view of the apparatus with the dish forming the base
removed:
Figure 7 is a plan of the centrifugal bowl detached and drawn to an enlarged
scale:
Figure 8 is a central vertical section of the same:
coction on the line 99 Figure 8: and.

page_text: Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10, Figure 8.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
a is the frame or standard of the machine, upon the head of which standard is
mounted a casing 6 for containing the centrifugal bowl or drum c. d, d¹ are the
two parts of the vertical spindle carrying the said drum, the longer part d having
at its upper end a semi-spherical head upon which the said drum c is directly
supported and having its lower end tapered so as to fit into a correspondingly
tapered hole in the shorter or lower part d' of the spindle, as shewn most clearly in
Figure 3, which lower part d' is provided with gear-teeth d² to form it into a
pinion. The turning of one part of the spindle relatively to the other is prevented
by forming in the tapered part of the spindle d a groove designed to engage with a
pin d³ in the hole in the part d' also as shewn in Figure 3 or rice versú.
With this arrangement it will be obvious that whilst the weight of the drum will
keep the two parts of the spindle in position when in work the upper part of the
spindle can be easily raised and detached from the lower part.
e is the tube or sleeve enclosing the spindle, the main or neck bearing of which
is formed in the upper end of the said sleeve by a bush e¹ whilst the lower end e³ is
of spherical shape, as shewn most clearly in Figure 3 and provided with a central
vertical hole which forms the bearing at the lower end of the spindle, the said
lower bearing, as shewn, being provided with a lining or bush which projects
downwardly below the bottom of the spherical end e². One side of the tube is cut
away at ein order to allow a gear-wheel to engage with the teeth on the part d¹
of the spindle. The tube e is supported at its lower end in a cup-shaped hanger or
bracket formed upon the frame a, and having a seat in which the spherical end e²
of the said tube rests, as shewn in Figure 2, in such a manner that slight lateral
movements of the tube can take place. The sleeve is prevented from turning by a
projection on it engaging with a notch in the frame a. is the ring of india-
rubber or other flexible material which fits upon the tube e between two collars y', g₁
near its upper end and also fits within an opening g² in the upper end of the
standard a for allowing slight lateral movements of the spindle to take place. The
weight of the spindle is supported in the tube e by means of a roller h inserted
transversely through the projecting portion of the bush e³ in the spherical end e²,
an antifriction ball being placed between this roller and the lower end d' of
the spindle, which lower end is preferably countersunk, as shewn.
i is the cover of the casing b, the said cover being provided with an india-rubber
or other packing ring i to prevent the escape of liquid between the cover and the
casing and adapted to be fixed in position by pivot bolts 12.
jis the funnel which is formed integral with the said cover and serves to direct
the milk into the central receiving cup c' of the drum c, the said funnel in its
conical portion being provided with a groove or recess j¹ extending downwards to
the spout of the funnel. k is the regulator which fits within the funnel, as shewn,
and which is provided with a tapering opening k¹ formed in it in a circumferential
direction in such a manner that the quantity of milk flowing through the funnel
may be regulated by turning the regulator so as to present a broader or narrower
part of its opening k¹ opposite to the groove j¹ in the funnel. The arrangement of
the groove in the funnel and of the opening k¹ in the regulator will be readily
understood by reference to Figures 2 and 4.
or
7 is the strainer which is composed of wire-gauze or other suitable material and
provided at its upper part with a ring resting upon a shoulder within the
regulator. m is the float which is also of conical shape and which normally rests
upon the ring, suitable distance-pieces m¹ being arranged upon the ring
upon the float in order to afford a space between the said float and the ring through
which the milk can flow. The upper end of the float is arranged in conjunction
with the cock m³ through which the milk flows from the receiver to the separator
in such a manner that if the milk is flowing into the funnel faster than it flows from
the funnel into the separator the said float will rise and more or less close the outlet
of the cock, m² is a wire upon the top of the float which enters the passage of the

page_text: cock m² and serves to retain the said float in its proper position relatively with
the cock.
n is the passage or pipe through which the milk which enters the central
receiving cup c' of the drum flows into the drum proper, and o, o' are the two
plates or vanes between which the passage or pipe n is situated. The vane o
extends right across one side of the drum between the centre dome and the inner
periphery except where it is represented as being cut away by the dotted line o²,
whilst the other plate o' does not extend quite to the periphery of the drum at that
part having the largest diameter so that it will not cut through that
part of the
liquid which is perfectly separated, but leave an opening or passage o³.
p is the
division plate or partition between the two vanes and which serves to form a
passage between the vanes through which the skim milk which enters through the
opening o between the vane o' and the wall of the drum may be conveyed to the
skim milk outlet pl formed in the neck of the drum and also to direct the incoming
milk to the edge o* of the vane o where it mingles with the milk already in process
of separation with the least possible disturbance. Or the skim milk may be con-
veyed to the outlet in the neck of the drum by a tube in the usual manner.
this case, however, we dispense with the division p and opening o³.
C
In
q is the cream outlet which is arranged near the top of the vane o', as shewn in
Figure 10, where the discharge of cream is not liable to be interfered with by the
incoming milk, the cream having to pass all around the interior of the vessel before
it escapes through the said outlet 4. is the tray fitted in the upper end of the
casing over the drum c and into which the cream escaping through the opening y
is discharged, the cream passing out from the said tray through the exit pipe r
s is a cover which is placed over the tray r and which serves to direct the skim
milk escaping through the outlet pl into the groove or gutters around the upper
part of the casing b, from which groove or gutter the said milk flows out through
the pipe s².
t, t are plates arranged within the drum for preventing any great disturbance of
the milk from vibration and for balancing the plates or vanes o, o' so as to ensure
the drum rotating as evenly as possible.
The arrangement of gearing which we advantageously employ for imparting
motion to the drum comprises a bevel-wheel u mounted on the driving-shaft u and
gearing with a bevel-pinion u formed integral with a cylindrical gear-wheel u³ ;
which wheel u engages with a pinion u formed integral with a wheel ³ engaging
with the gear-teeth upon the lower part of the drum spindle. In practice we
prefer to employ gearing having skew teeth so that the said gearing will run as
noiselessly as possible. The shaft u' of the bevel-wheel u runs in a long bearing in
the frame of the machine and the wheel itself is placed on the end of the shaft
inside the frame with the teeth facing outwardly, the handle or driving pulley on
the end of the said shaft serving to prevent the shaft from moving backwards and
thus prevent the bevel-wheel getting out of gear with its pinion 2.
In order to facilitate the assembling of the gearing we advantageously connect
the wheel u to its shaft u¹ by the following means, that is to say, in the centre of
the bore of the said wheel we form an eccentric slot from which slot another
slot extends to the back of the wheel.
On the shaft u is fitted a key or stud w so placed that when the shaft is moved
into the wheel the said key or stud passes through the slot into the eccentric
slot e, and that on the shaft being turned the said key or stud will be moved into
the shallow part of the eccentric slot and so be wedged and firmly fixed.
It is to be understood that the same result can be obtained by making the
eccentric and cross slots in the shaft and fixing the key in the bore of the wheel.
The shafts, carrying the combined bevel-wheel u² and cylindrical wheel u³
and the combined spur-pinion and spur-wheel u are supported at their upper
ends in the framing a and at their lower ends in a cross-piece y attached to the
base of the frame a by screws y', y'. These shafts, have keys or studs ',
fixed to them and adapted to enter key-ways a³, in the cross-piece y, the said

page_text: keys being bevelled at their ends and the said key-ways being correspondingly
shaped so that when the said keys a', ' are pushed upwards into position they will
be tightly wedged. The shafts x, x are prevented from falling out by a plate.y
forming part of a dish which is attached to the base of the separator by screws y³
and forms a suitable bottom for the same.
2 is the receiving vessel for the milk. This vessel is provided with a tapered
socket adapted to fit on a tapered pin of a bracket : secured to the cover i of
the separator. By thus mounting the receiving tin the latter can be readily turned
so as to bring the discharge cock m³ over the funnel j of the separator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a centrifugal separating machine having the drum carrying spindle in two
parts, the lower and shorter part constituting the bearing end formed with gear-
teeth so that it serves as a pinion, substantially as described.
2. In a centrifugal separating machine a footstep bearing for the vertical spindle
provided at its base with a seat for a roller on which a ball forming the bearing
point of the said vertical spindle runs, substantially as described.
3. In a centrifugal separating machine the combination with the vertical spindle
of a tube or sleeve enclosing the said spindle and carrying the footstep and main
bearings therefor, the said tube or sleeve having a seat for an elastic bushing or
collar near its upper end, an opening for allowing the pinion end of the spindle to
gear with its driving wheel and the pinion or shorter end of the spindle to be easily
removed and put in its place, a lug or projection to prevent the tube or sleeve
twisting and a spherical lower end, substantially as described.
4. In a centrifugal separating machine the main frame constructed with a seat
for the spherically shaped end of the tube or sleeve which carries the bearings for
the spindle and with a slot to receive a lug or projection upon the said tube or
sleeve to prevent the latter from twisting, substantially as described.
5. In a centrifugal separating machine a top cover having an inlet funnel within
which is fitted a hollow regulator having a rectangular shaped tapering opening
and adapted to be turned so as to place a wider or narrower part of the said opening
opposite a groove or channel in the funnel, substantially as described.
6. In a centrifugal separating machine having a regulator combined with the
inlet funnel or opening, the combination with the said regulator of a strainer,
substantially as described.
7. In a centrifugal separating machine a bowl or drum having two plates or
vanes placed near together to form a narrow passage through which the fluid to be
separated enters the drum, substantially as described.
8. In a centrifugal separating machine having two plates or vanes of the kind
referred to in the preceding claiming clause, a partition for dividing the space
between the said plates or vanes into two parts, substantially as described.
9. In a centrifugal separating machine, a tray fitting inside the bowl casing for
receiving the lighter constituent of the liquid as it leaves the bowl or drum, the
said tray being provided with a cover which serves to direct the heavier constituent
into a groove around the said tray, substantially as described.
10. In a centrifugal separating machine connecting the first motion wheel to its
driving shaft by forming in the said wheel an eccentric slot in its bore from which
at its deepest part runs another slot to the back of the wheel, so that the driving
shaft which is fitted with a stud when introduced into the wheel and turned round
towards the shallowest part of the eccentric slot fixes or keeps the said wheel
firmly in position, substantially as described.
11. The combination with a centrifugal separating machine of a bracket attached
to the cover or casing of the machine and adapted to pivotally support the milk
receiving tin, substantially as described.
12. The improved centrifugal separating machine consisting of the parts

page_text: constructed and combined substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Dated this 13th day of June 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.