Improvements in or relating to Centrifugal Testing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Centrifugal Testing Machines.
I, MORIZ EGGEMAN, of 123, West 125th Street, in the City, County and State
of New York, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to that class of centrifugal testing machines which are
adapted to be operated by hand power and which are employed for testing milk
or other liquids for scientific purposes, and my invention has for its object to
provide a machine, of the class referred to, which may be constructed at a
minimum cost, but which will be strong and durable and convenient in use.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved
machine, and Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the rotating disk or drum which
carried the liquid-receiving vials. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3
of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings A denotes a bracket adapted, by means of a clamp-
ing screw a, for attachment to a table, shelf or other support. Secured within
ears a¹, a¹ of the bracket A, in any suitable manner, as by clamping screws a³,
are sleeves 6 and 6' affording ball bearings c for the rotary shaft or spindle C to
which latter is attached, as by a set screw d, a flanged sleeve ¹ to which the
rotating disk or drum D is in turn secured as by screws . Said drum or disk D
is provided with a low peripheral flange 3. A pin c¹ attached to the shaft C
is preferably employed for convenience in causing the set screw to register
with its seat in the shaft C, the said pin c¹ being received in a small notch in
the lower end of the sleeve d¹.
The
The rotating disk or drum D is provided with a series of elastically mounted
vial holders each of which consists preferably of an open metallic sleeve E,
adapted to frictionally clasp the body or enlarged portion of a testing vial F,
and a spring plate e by which the said sleeve is carried and which is preferably
integral with said sleeve. The spring plates e of the vial holders are attached
near their inner ends to the disk or drum D leaving their outer ends free.
necks of the vials F are, in practice, preferably provided with graduated scales.
G is a cover the peripheral flange of which fits snugly within the flange d
of the disk or drum D so that when the said cover is in place, as represented
in Fig. 1, the testing vials are safely enclosed within the said cover and disk or
drum. The cover G is provided with a central boss g suitably attached thereto,
and within the said boss is housed a small spring-catch h adapted to engage
annular grooves or recesses c², c³ formed in the shaft C and suitably located so
that the cover may be retained either in the operative position shown in Fig. 1,
with the said spring catch in frictional engagement with the groove ², or the
said cover may be lifted when it is desired to obtain access to the vials either in
charging the machine or in moving the vials therefrom; and when the said cover
is lifted the said spring-catch will hold the said cover in raised position by reason
of its frictional engagement with the groove 3. It will be understood that the
frictional engagement between the spring catch h and the grooves c², c³ is only

page_text: sufficiently strong to hold the cover in either of the positions referred to, and
the frictional engagement of the said spring catch with the said grooves can be
readily overcome either by lifting or pressing downward with a gentle force
exerted on the cover.
When
When the cover is lifted, so as to be out of the way, the testing vials F may
be readily inserted or removed without entirely removing the cover from the
machine, as has been required with similar machines heretofore in use.
the cover has been lifted, as referred to, the vials may be inserted or removed
simply by raising the elastically supported vial holders, as denoted by dotted
lines at the left side of Fig. 1, a sufficient distance to enable the vials to clear
the low flange d³ of the rotating disk or drum D as the said vials are inserted
or taken out.
I is a rotating sleeve fitted for easy movement about the sleeves b, b¹, said
sleeve I being provided with inwardly projecting pins i adapted, when the said
sleeve is lifted slightly, to engage the projecting ends of a transverse pin c
fixed in the shaft C, the said pins i and forming a clutch connection between
the said sleeve and shaft, so that the latter may be rotated by the former. The
sleeve I is rotated by hand power by means of a strap J provided at its ends with
suitable handles K.
When it is desired to rotate the disk or drum D the operative takes hold of the
handles with which the ends of the strap J is provided, and by pulling upward
slightly on the strap, as denoted by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the sleeve I is
lifted, so that its pins i will register with and will engage the ends of the pin c
extending through the shaft C, and thus the rotary movement imparted to said
sleeve will be communicated to the said shaft. The upward movement of the
sleeve I is limited by the ear a¹ of the bracket A. The sleeve being rotated in
one direction with the clutch pins in engagement, the operative can, by slacken-
ing the strap, or by reversing the inclination thereof, permit the sleeve to
descend to free its clutch pins from the pin c, when the movement of the strap,
and consequently of the sleeve, is reversed for a new rotating impulse, and thus
any desired speed may, by repeated back and forth movements of the strap, be
imparted to the rotating disk or drum D from the sleeve I through the shaft C,
as will be readily understood.
The construction above described is convenient in use, and efficient in opera-
tion owing to the fact that it is not necessary to entirely remove the cover from
the machine in charging the machine, or in changing the vials, so that much
time is thus saved. Also the simple clutch connection between the sleeve I and
shaft C afforded by the pins i and may be cheaply manufactured and is very
durable in use; and even should these parts at any time become worn or broken
they may be readily replaced at little cost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. In a centrifugal testing machine, the combination with a rotating drum
or disk provided with a series of vial-holders, of a cover for the said drum or
disk, and means for retaining the said cover in an inoperative position without
entirely removing it from the machine.
2nd. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with a rotating drum or disk
provided with a low peripheral flange, of a series of elastically supported vial
holders attached to said drum or disk in such a manner as to permit the outer
ends thereof to be lifted to the top of said flange when the vials are to be inserted
or removed.
3rd. In a centrifugal testing machine, the combination with a rotating shaft
provided with an operating pin and with a vial-carrying drum or disk, of a
rotating sleeve surrounding the said shaft and provided with inwardly projecting
pins for engagement with the operating pin carried by said shaft.

page_text: 4th. In a centrifugal testing machine, the combination with a rotating drum
or disk D, of a series of vial holders each of which consists of a sleeve E having
a hinged or elastic connection with the said disk or drum so that the outer ends
of each of the said sleeves may be lifted in inserting or removing the vials.
5th. In a centrifugal testing machine, the combination with the rotating
shaft C provided with two annular grooves or recesses, of the vial-holding disk
or drum D attached therto, and the cover G provided with a spring catch adapted
to engage either of the said grooves or recesses to hold the said cover either in an
operative or a raised position.
6th. In a centrifugal testing machine, the combination with the bracket A,
of the sleeves b, b₁ provided with ball bearings, the shaft C suitably journalled
in said sleeves and provided with a vial-holding disk or drum 1), the cover G
rotating with said disk or drum, the rotary sleeve I, and clutch connections
between said sleeve I and the said shaft C.
Dated this 11th day of December 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.