Improvements in Centrifugal Liquid Separators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Liquid Separators.
We, PHILIP M. SHARPLES, Iron Manufacturer, of 415 North Franklin Street,
West Chester, in the County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania and DAVID
TOWNSEND SHARPLES, Business Manager, of 54 South State Street, Elgin, in the
County of Kane and State of Illinois, both in the United States of America, 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 more especially to that class of centrifugal machines
which are adapted to separate the lighter from the heavier constituents of a
compound liquid, as cream from the blue milk.
The improvements relate mainly to the method of operating the centrifugal
vessel and of increasing its capacity; the centrifugal vessel is suspended in a casing
and is operated directly by the motive power, a driving spindle being entirely
dispensed with and the balancing of the vessel only being required. The motive
power is applied to the outer wall of the vessel and is preferably a heated jet
or jets (as of steam) which while driving the vessel at the same time by contact
with said outer wall imparts to the heavier constituent of the compound liquid
(as milk) undergoing separation, an increased heat which materially assists in
hastening the complete separation of the lighter constituent (cream) without
materially heating the latter. Other features are set forth in connection with the
accompanying Drawings in the following detailed description of the practical
application of the invention.
Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of a machine embodying our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the skim milk and cream receptacles
removed and showing the arrangement of three jets.
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a sectional elevation and partial plan view of a
modified machine.
Fig. 5 illustrates another modification.
b
The centrifugal separator vessel C which is represented as mainly of a well known
form in vertical machines, is dished at the bottom and provided with a central
pivot which is socketed in a step ỗ forming part of the casing or frame A. This
step is projected upward in the dished base of the vessel so as to bring the suspension
point to about the centre of gravity of the vessel and its load when the machine
is in operation. The casing A rests upon a suitable base a and is formed with a
central passage a¹ having an outlet at its lower end. The step 6 extends upward
from a partition plate which is located between the base of the separator vessel
and the mouth of the passage forming a space b³ communicating by openings b²
with the upper portion of the casing.
On the upper edge of the casing is supported in an ordinary manner, receptacles
D and E and cover F which extend inward to the open throat e and receive
respectively the skim milk and cream which are continuously delivered during the
operation of the machine. The new milk is admitted in any suitable manner, as
through a tube in front of the blade which compels it to rotate with the vessel.
The motive power which we employ to rotate the vessel C consists preferably of
one or more jets as of steam, directly by suitably located nozzles a² against' wings
or brackets projecting from the periphery of the vessel.
These projections which are represented as forming part of a band secured to the
periphery of the vessel are preferably arranged in the same horizontal plane with
the point of suspension c¹ and a single jet may be thus employed without effecting
the balancing of the vessel. The projections d may be arranged and shaped in

page_text: any desired manner but are here shown as forming an acute angle with the
periphery of the vessel on the side against which the jet impinges, and also out of
line axially, the lower edge being behind the upper. The nozzles a² of which three
are represented in fig. 2 are shown as directed downward in fig. 1 and are arranged
symmetrically so that their combined action when properly adjusted does not
effect the balancing of the vessel. Immediately above the projections d an annular
partition of glass or other non-heat-conducting material, is supported on a
circular ledge of the casing A, its inner edge being arranged to clear the
periphery of the rotating vessel.
Our machines may be operated by the action of any escaping jet but we prefer
to use generally either steam or some heavier fluid projected thereby; firstly;
because the great speed at which vessels of this character are rotated necessitates
the use of a jet of high velocity; and secondly because of the effect which the heat
thus applied has in accelerating and completing the separation of the cream from
the milk, which effect we will now describe.
As the new milk is admitted to the vessel in a continuous stream it is gradually
brought under the centrifugal action and almost immediately there is an in-
complete separation of the cream from the blue milk, the latter with a proportion
of the cream still mixed with it being thrown towards the outer wall of the vessel.
On account of the greater facility with which these particles of cream can tear
loose from their mechanical mixture with the blue milk it has been customary and
advantageous to feed the new milk into the vessel at a higher temperature than
would otherwise be done. In our machine however though the new milk be at a
lower temperature the separation will be more rapid and thorough than with
warmer milk ordinarily, which is due to the fact that after the main portion of the
cream has been separated by the first effect of the centrifugal force the milk, which
still contains a considerable proportion of cream, is thrown against the outer wall
of the vessel and heated thereby owing to the contact of the hot jet or jets with the
outer surface. The temperature being thus raised every particle of cream is
quickly released from the skim milk, and finds its way to the inner wall of cream
the temperature of which may be slightly raised thereby though it will still be
considerably cooler than usual, and yet a larger proportion of it will be obtained
in less time.
Though the incoming milk be exposed at once to the heat as in the case to some
extent in the apparatus illustrated, the separation of the cream will be accelerated
without materially raising the temperature and it is thereafter protected from the
heat by the outer mass of blue milk.
The purpose of the annular partition h is to prevent any noticeable effect of the
heat upon the parts above the same. The downward direction of the jet tends to
deflect it below the projecting buckets & and the fan like action of the latter assists
in exhausting the steam exclusively through the openings 63 and central passage
or exhaust outlet al, the deflected plate 61 which extends nearly to the periphery
of the vessel tending to prevent contact of the steam with the bottom of the vessel;
it being thought preferable, though not essential to separate the main body of the
cream before heating the milk as described.
In figs. 3 and 4 we have illustrated a modified construction embodying however
the main features of our invention. The separator vessel is suspended in sub-
stantially the same way except that the point of suspension m is shown considerably
above the centre of gravity. It is rotated by reaction instead of impact, steam
being admitted through a pipe n and central steam passage k through the step b,
said passage communicating by a ball joint at m with branches 17 terminating in
nozzles at the periphery of the vessel. These nozzles are shown decidedly
below both the centre of gravity and point of suspension of the vessel which
arrangement though inferior to that already described is yet quite satisfactory if
the jets are symmetrically arranged so as to balance each other. The exhaust in
this case is through openings g in the wall of the casing.
In fig. 5 the steam is represented as injected from above through the central

page_text: fixed nozzle n' and with a single peripheral outlet thus dispensing with the
steam joint m fig. 3, and permitting the use of any desired anti-friction step, as
indicated.
The advantages of our improved construction and method of operation over
those heretofore in use are very decided. The method of suspending and operating
the separator vessel directly as described, has the very great, advantage of neces-
sitating, the balancing of but a single piece of machinery whereas when a shaft is
used, whether operated by a steam jet or otherwise not only must the shaft and
the vessel as well as the steam wheel and other attachments be placed and kept in
balance, but bearings for the shaft must be used which are a great source of trouble.
The extremely high speed at which these vessels revolve makes the propor
balancing of them highly important and the accomplishment of this is greatly
simplified by employing but one revolving body and but one step, as in our con-
struction. When a shaft is used the centre of balance of the vessel and spindle
combined (which is the centre of rotation) must be exactly in the centre of the
shaft or else the bearings will necessarily become heated. The minutest variation
of the centre of the spindle from the true centre of rotation will thus cause trouble
in the bearings, whereas in our construction the variation of the centre of
suspension from the true centre of rotation may be comparatively large without
noticeable effect on the single bearing required.
When the point of suspension is at the centre of gravity of the loaded vessel
and the jet of steam, compressed air or other suitable medium act upon the
periphery on the same horizontal plane as the centre of suspension the highest
degree of efficiency will be secured though slight variations do not materially affect
the results.
The important advantages gained by heating the milk during the operation of
the machine, thus securing cooler cream and yet a perfect and rapid separation of
it from the blue milk, has been already referred to.
We do not limit our invention to the particular forms of machine illustrated as
other modifications may be readily devised.
Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by
patent is:
(1) The improvement in the process of creaming milk by centrifugal force
which consists in increasing the temperature of the portion of the liquid in the
rotating separator vessel, which is farthest from the centre of rotation, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(2) The improvement in the process of creaming milk by centrifugal force
which consists in heating the wall of the separator vessel during its operation
whereby the heavier outer portion of the liquid is made warmer than the lighter
inner portion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(3) The method of operating centrifugal separators by means of a jet as of
steam acting directly upon the vessel to be rotated substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
(4) The method of operating centrifugal separators which consists in suspend-
ing the separator vessel substantially as described and rotating the same by means
of a steam jet or jets operating upon said vessel on the same horizontal plane as
the centre of suspension, substantially as set forth.
(5) In a centrifugal machine a separator vessel suspended at the centre of
gravity of the loaded vessel upon a fixed bearing in combination with means
for applying rotating power at the periphery of said vessel substantially as
set forth.
(6) In a centrifugal machine the combination with the casing provided with
an exhaust outlet or outlets, and with the receptacle supported thereon, of a
separator vessel suspended within said casing and provided with a series of
peripheral projections located above said exhaust outlet and arranged at an angle
to the axial plane substantially as described, and a nozzle arranged to direct a jet
(as of steam) against said projections, substantially as set forth.

page_text: (7) In a centrifugal machine the separator vessel suspended upon a fixed
bearing in combination with means for applying rotating power to the periphery
of said vessel upon the same horizontal plane as the centre of suspension, sub-
stantially as set forth.
(8) In a centrifugal separator the combination with a suspended rotary vessel
operated directly by steam substantially as described, of a casing provided with a
central exhaust outlet as a¹ and an intermediate perforated plate forming an
exhaust chamber 6³, and a central support, as b, for said vessel, substantially as
set forth.
(9) In a centrifugal machine the combination with a suspended separator vessel
and a steam nozzle located at the periphery thereof, substantially as described, of a
casing provided with an exhaust outlet below said vessel, liquid receptacles sup-
ported on said casing above said nozzle, and a non-conducting annular partition,
ash, between said nozzle and receptacles, substantially as set forth.
Signed at Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., this 28th day of May 1890.
DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES.
In presence of:
CHAS. O. SPEED.
Jos. H. FRENCHI.
H. B. Barlow,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.