IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Alfred Pontifex and John Barton,
both of Shoe Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th April 1871, and dated the 17th November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex
and John Barton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th November 1870.
We, EDMUND ALFRED PONTIFEX and JOHN BARTON, both of Shoe
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES," to be as
follows:
The object of this Invention is, firstly, to construct centrifugal machines
employed for separating liquids from solids in such manner that they
can be filled and discharged without being stopped, and thus be made to
work continuously. Several previous attempts have been made to effect

page_text: this object, but either from great complication or from other causes
hitherto without much success.
According to our Invention we employ a scoop or discharging blade
partaking of the revolving motion of the centrifugal machine, but
capable of being retarded by the application to it of a brake where it is
carried from the central axis or by other suitable means to such an
extent as will cause sufficient difference in the speed of the revolutions
of the revolving cylinder and scoop to cause the scoop to travel round
the circumference of the cylinder but not sufficient to produce concussion
or injury when the scoop is brought into action. The scoop is made
of such a form as to conduct the material along its plane and to eject it
from the machine. A charge of material is first dried in the machine
whilst the scoop is out of action and previous to the machine being
emptied the supply of fresh material to the machine is shut off and
the machine is subsequently emptied by the scoop as above described.
When the machine is arranged to be emptied by a scoop in the manner
above described, the machine may be mounted in the ordinary manner,
or as herein-after described, or it may be horizontally, or at an angle.
Also according to our Invention we mount the cylinders of centrifugal
machines on the top of the vertical axes which carry them in the reverse
position to that usually adopted, that is to say, we place them with the
mouth or opening downwards, and we feed the material from which fluid
is to be separated to the circumference of machines through the upper.
end of the axis which is there enlarged for the purpose and is hollow,
this hollow portion is by preference of a conical form, the base of the
cone being downwards, so that when the axis is revolved there is a
tendency to draw inwards the material from which fluid is to be
separated. Near the base of the conical hollow lateral openings, are
formed through the axis through which the material is discharged into
the body of the machine; other arrangements may also be adopted for
feeding the material from which fluid is to be extracted to the circum-
ference of the revolving cylinder.
When the machine is mounted and fed as above described it may be
emptied without stopping its revolving motion by a scoop as above
described, or the machine may be stopped and the material to be dis-
charged may be readily raked out
the open bottom of the machine.
the machine in the manner before
from it and allowed to fall through
When a scoop is employed to empty
described a receiver which is caused

page_text: to revolve together with the machine may be employed to receive the
material as it is discharged from the scoop in order to obviate any incon-
venience which might arise owing to the high velocity with which the
material may be discharged from the machine. This receiver is made
capable of being retarded or stopped independently of the machine, and
may be emptied at leisure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex and John Barton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDMUND
ALFRED PONTIFEX and JOHN BARTON, both of Shoe Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex
and John Barton, Her special license that we, the said Edmund Alfred
Pontifex and John Barton, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex and John
Barton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex and John
Barton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us or them, should particularly 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
·Potent

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Barton on behalf of myself
and the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :—
The object of this Invention is, firstly, to construct centrifugal
machines employed for separating liquids from solids in such manner
that they can be filled and discharged without being stopped, and thus
be made to work continuously. Several previous attempts have been
made to effect this object, but either from great complication or from
other causes hitherto without much success.
According to our Invention we employ a scoop or discharging blade
partaking of the revolving motion of the centrifugal machine but capable
of being retarded by the application to it of a brake where it is carried
from the central axis or by other suitable means to such an extent as will
cause sufficient difference in the speed of the revolutions of the revolving
cylinder and scoop to cause the scoop to travel round the circumference
of the cylinder but not sufficient to produce concussion or injury when
the scoop is brought into action. The scoop is made of such a form as
to conduct the material along its plane and to eject it from the machine.
A charge of material is first dried in the machine whilst the scoop is out
of action, and previous to the machine being emptied the supply of
fresh material to the machine is shut off and the machine is subsequently
emptied by the scoop as above described. When the machine is arranged
to be emptied by a scoop in the manner above described the machine
may be mounted in the ordinary manner or as herein-after described, or
it may be horizontally or at an angle.
Also according to our Invention we mount the cylinders of centrifugal
machines on the top of the vertical axes which carry them in the reverse
position to that usually adopted, that is to say, we place them with the
mouth or opening downwards, and we feed the material from which fluid
is to be separated to the circumference of machines through the upper
end of the axis which is there enlarged for the purpose and is hollow, or
through a chamber surrounding the axis. This hollow portion or hollow
chamber is by preference of a conical form, the base of the cone being
downwards, so that when the axis is revolved there is a tendency to
draw inwards the material from which fluid is to be separated. Near

page_text: the base of the conical hollow or conical chamber lateral openings are
formed through which the material is discharged into the body of the
machine.
When the machine is mounted and fed as above described it may be
emptied without stopping its revolving motion by a scoop as above
described, or the machine may be stopped and the material to be dis-
charged may be readily raked out from it and allowed to fall through the
open bottom of the machine. When a scoop is employed to empty the
machine in the manner before described a receiver which is caused to
revolve together with the machine may be employed to receive the
material as it is discharged from the scoop. In order to obviate any
inconvenience which might arise owing to the high velocity with which
the material may be discharged from the machine this receiver is made
capable of being retarded or stopped independently of the machine and
may be emptied at leisure.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect we have shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed a
centrifugal machine, the cylinder or basket of which is inverted, and
which is fed with material to be dried by a centrifugal feeder as above
described, and which is also arranged to be emptied by a travelling scoop
the action of which is controlled by a brake.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a sectional elevation of the machine.
A is the axis, having upon it a conical chamber at B, the base of
which chamber is downward, the chamber is open at the top and closed
at the bottom, and is provided with lateral openings. The sugar or other
material to be dried is fed or run into this hopper at the open top by a
trough or other convenient means and is discharged by centrifugal force
through the lateral openings D, D, into the basket or body of the
machine C, where the liquid is separated from the solid part in the
ordinary way. This basket is carried by the plate E and is open at the
bottom. The plate E may be stayed on the under side by radial ribs or
may be otherwise stayed to give it the requisite strength. The stays are
not shewn in order to avoid confusion. F, F, are scoops carried on a hollow
spindle G, which is loose upon the shaft A, but fits closely to it so as to
partake of its motion. This hollow spindle rests upon the pulley H
which is keyed to the shaft A and by which the basket is driven. I is a

page_text: brake lever to retard the motion of the scoop spindle G. The brake
apparatus is so arranged that two brake blocks are simultaneously pressed
against opposite sides of the spindle. For this purpose the lever I by a
short arm I¹ upon it carries one of the brake blocks, whilst other short
arms are connected by links to arms on an axis Is on the opposite side
of the spindle and which carries the other brake block. By this arrange-
ment when the lever I is carried both blocks are simultaneously pressed
against opposite sides of the spindle. Or in place of this arrangement for
retarding the spindle whenever desired other arrangements may be adopted.
J is the external case to the machine, having a gutter and spout K to
run off the liquid in the ordinary way; L, L, are the brackets for carrying
the machine, and M is a plate to receive the sugar or other material when
discharged from the basket; N is the sole plate with a foot bearing O.
The axis H is carried up above the hollow chamber B, and is received
in a bearing Q, which is carried by the bracket P, springs being
interposed between the bearing and the bracket as shewn to admit
of its having a slight play. The material to be operated upon is
charged into the basket of the machine when in rapid motion through
the lateral openings in the chamber B, and when sufficiently purged is
emptied out by means of the scoops F, F, the revolving motion of which
is retarded just sufficiently by means of the brake I as to cause the
material in the machine to travel along the inclined plane of the scoops
and to be thrown on the plate M. In order to diminish the centrifugal
force required to be overcome by the scoops before the material can be
removed from the periphery of the basket the speed of the machine may
be slackened, but time will still be greatly saved by the necessity being
avoided of the machine being altogether stopped. In place of emptying
the basket in the manner above described the scoops may be removed
and the machine be altogether stopped, and be emptied by hand, which
as the basket is open at the bottom can very readily be effected. When
scoops are employed to empty the basket in place of their being arranged
to discharge on to the plate M, a basket receiver may as before stated be
arranged to partake of the motion of the machine, and be capable of
being stopped and emptied without the machinery being also stopped,
and for this purpose it may be mounted on a hollow axis capable of
turning freely round the spindle of the scoop and may rest upon a disc
or cone upon this scoop when it is to partake of its motion and be raised
off from it when it is desired to stop its rotation. The employment of

page_text: such a basket receiver would only be necessary if the force with which
the material is discharged from the machine is inconvenient.
Various modifications may be made in the construction of the machine
shewn in the Drawing, for instance, the bracket P, P, P, and upper
bearing Q, may be removed as well as that part of the axis A, which is
above the hopper, and the lower part of the axis may be lengthened so
as to admit of a steady bearing being fixed below the brake, or the
machine may be made to lie on its side and emptied by means of the
retarding brake, as described, but what we claim is,—
First. The mounting the cylinders or baskets of centrifugal machines
in an inverted position, that is to say, with the open end downwards.
Second. The adaptation of a centrifugal feeder to feed the material
to be dried into such cylinders or baskets as herein described.
Third. The adaptation to centrifugal machines of a discharging scoop
which revolves with the drum or basket whilst the material is being dried
and which can be retarded by a brake when it is desired to empty the
cylinder or basket as herein described.
Fourth. The general combination and arrangement of centrifugal
machines, substantially as herein described and shewn by the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.