Improvements in Centrifugal Machines or Hydro-extractors for Extracting Sugar Juice from Crystals and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application. 19th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines or Hydro-extractors for
Extracting Sugar Juice from Crystals and for other purposes.
A communication from abroad by the MASCHINENFABRIK GREVENBROICHI, of
Grevenbroich, Prussia, German Empire, Manufacturers.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to construct a continuously working
centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor, that is to say one that can be emptied
during rotation, so that stoppage of the rotary motion of the machine and restarting
between the fillings or charges become unnecessary; again with this machine the
emptying of its contents by manual work is done away with, such emptying being
simply effected by moving a hand lever and then the centrifugal force of the drum
automatically and very quickly empties the contents of the drum.
It is obvious that there are many advantages in such a machine as compared with
the constructions hitherto adopted; it will be only necessary to mention, that a
machine constructed according to the present invention is preferable to those
centrifugal machines which continuously receive the material to be treated during
constant revolution of the drum and allow it to pass through the drum automatically.
As in such known machines the forward movement or progress in the machine of
the material under treatment must be well and exactly regulated according to the
nature of such material, the devices for producing such movement or progress of
the material must be arranged adjustably and must be adjusted or set for each kind
of material to be treated separately; it has been found difficult to exactly adjust
or set such devices for the different purposes. However for a machine of the
present invention it will be only necessary, to fix by one or two trials the time
required for the centrifugal operation in order to afterwards work the lever for
filling and emptying exactly to the minute and thereby always obtain a uniform
product by the centrifugal operation.
This result is obtained by constructing or combining or forming the centrifugal
drum or vessel of the machine of or with a series of parts protruding in an angular
manner into the drum which parts during the centrifugal operation are pressed
together or kept in close contact by suitable mechanism or by leverage, while for
emptying purposes the separate parts may by the said mechanism or leverage be
moved apart or shifted, so that apertures, slots or openings between the said parts
will be formed. The material under treatment, being thus no longer held, will
slide on the inclined surfaces of the interior of the drum and will under the action
of the centrifugal force escape through the said apertures into the casing,
surrounding the revolving drum.
The machine, the main feature of which has been above set forth, may have
either a horizontal or a vertical shaft. I will describe a machine as constructed for
a vertical shaft.
The drum may be composed of horizontal rings built up one over another having
angular V-shaped or inclined surfaces projecting inwards.
There is a base plate or strong disc rigidly connected to the central vertical shaft
and forming the lower support of the drum, this disc carrying near its periphery
several upright bolts or rods, the upper ends of which are supported or kept steady
by a ring shaped disc at top of the drum. The bolts serve as guides for the super-
posed rings which are capable of being moved up and down. The lowest ring
TDOJ1

page_text: consisting of only one incline is rigidly connected to a plate forming the botton of
the drum. This plate is connected to the above mentioned base plate by means of
levers and joints in such a manner that by actuating the lever mechanism, the
lowest ring and the ring resting on the same can be moved up or down.
If the bottom plate of the drum is forced upwards, the separate rings will all be
brought into close contact and the top one will press against a ring, which is fixed
to the disc at top of the drum, so that a drum with a closed circumference is formed.
If however the bottom plate of the drum is lowered, there will be spaces-formed
between the separate rings the bottom plate and the top dise; the material under
treatment, by the action of the centrifugal force presses the rings apart from each
other, and in this way ring shaped or circular apertures will be formed for the
material freed from liquid to escape. The width of the apertures between the
rings may be limited by suitable washers or projecting parts on the bolts.
The levers that lift the bottom plate of the drum are attached to the base plate
and they support the said bottom plate with their other ends which are provided
with antifriction rollers; the said levers receive their movement from a sleeve
through the intermediation of other levers and links. The sleeve is mounted on
the central vertical shaft, connected to the latter by groove and key, so that the
sleeve will rotate with the shaft, but may be shifted vertically thereon up or down.
Into the circumferential groove of the said sleeve the forked end of a hand lever
may take, this lever being pivoted on a suitable part of the framing of the machine
and by moving this lever in the one or the other direction, the sleeve can be raised
or lowered at will during the rotation of the shaft.
The rings forming the drum, may be perforated and may be covered with wire
gauze on the inside, as usual, for allowing the liquid to escape under the centrifugal
action, or they may be provided on the inclined surfaces with gutters, covered with
wire gauze, the gutters forming channels for the liquid to escape. These channels
terminate where the rings meet. It will be found preferable, to unite or fix the
wire gauze to its supporting surface by soldering.
The drum thus constructed may be surrounded by a casing which is tapered at
bottom to serve as a hopper for receiving and conducting away the material after
treatment and after being ejected from the drum. The driving device for the
machine is above the drum.
For receiving the ejected liquid a vessel is arranged which is suspended between
the revolving drum and the casing above mentioned, in such manner that the vessel
may be held in a high position up to the upper level of the revolving drum during
the centrifugal operation, and that it may be lowered when the drum has to be
emptied. In this position the material ejected by the centrifugal action from the
drum and thrown against the casing will drop down between the said casing and the
said vessel into the hopper. The vessel serving to catch or to receive the ejected
liquid is provided at bottom with an outlet pipe which for the sake of allowing the
vessel to be raised or lowered, works within a stuffing box and is led through
another pipe within the hopper. The arrangement just described for conducting
away the solid and the liquid materials may however be altered, so that the vessel
serves for receiving and conducting away the solid material after treatment while
the outer casing serves to catch the syrup or other liquid.
centric ones.
Without departing from the principle of the invention the construction of the
drum may be varied in such manner that the parts of the drum, which have to be
moved for creating openings for the ejection of the solid material, are caused to
make a swinging motion, which motion produces radial openings as well as con-
In this case, the main parts forming the circumference of the drum
are divided by radial cuts or slots, which cuts or slots are closed, if the drum is
closed, as all the parts forming the circumference of the drum will form closed
circles and thereby form a closed drum whereas, if the emptying of the drum is to
take place, a swinging motion is imparted to these parts, by which radiai openings
are created besides the concentric openings.
The drum in this modification is composed of the ring shaped disc at the top of
1.

page_text: the drum and of the bottom plate, both rigidly connected together, the top disc
carrying at its lower surface and the bottom plate at its upper surface conical rings
facing each other with their wider edges. These rings have an opening between
them for the ejection of the solid material after treatment For closing this opening
during treatment or centrifugal action, a ring is arranged with its conical part
towards the inside of the drum; this ring is cut by radial slots into four or more
sections. Each of the sections is connected by means of links to the bottom plate
and to the top disc respectively in such a manner that the parts may by a swinging
motion be made either to close the openings or to produce openings. The swinging
motion both ways is caused by shifting the base plate up or down which may be
done by a forked lever taking around a boss below the base plate or by a fixed nut
with hand-wheel which by turning the same to the right or to the left causes a
sleeve provided with suitable screw thread, to be raised or lowered, and consequently
the base plate which is connected to the said sleeve by a long sleeve surrounding
the revolving shaft and revolving with the base plate and with the shaft, is raised
or lowered. On the base plate there are movable levers or links connected by
joints to the levers or links which connect the ring sections to the bottom plate.
If the nut is turned in the proper direction, the base plate will be shifted into a
lower position the consequence of this being, that the sectional ring swings in an
outward direction, whereby concentric openings are produced between the rings
while radial openings are formed between the sections of the movable ring, all
openings helping to allow the material after treatment to quickly leave the drum.
Then the turning of the nut in the reverse direction will cause the sectional ring to
swing back and close all the openings. From the foregoing description it is obvious
that the drum for the purpose of being emptied during rotation may be provided
with concentric slots or openings or with radial slots or openings, the latter running
parallel with the central shaft of the machine.
The operation of the machine is very simple.
It may be mentioned that the chief advantage of the machine is due not only to
its being a continuously revolving machine whereby much time and power are
gained, but also to the use of inclined parts protruding inwardly into the drum
whereby the draining surface of the druin is considerably increased as compared
with the old drums of the same diameter.
Dated this 19th day of November 1901
J. C. MEWBURN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines or Hydro-extractors for
Extracting Sugar Juice from Crystals and for other purposes.
A communication from abroad by the MASCHINENFABRIK GREVENBROICH, of
Grevenbroich, Prussia, German Empire, Manufacturers.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the present invention is to construct a continuously working
centrifugal machine or hydroextractor that is to say one that can be emptied
during rotation, so that stoppage of the rotary motion of the machine and restarting
between the fillings or charges become unnecessary; again with this machine the
emptying of its contents by manual work is done away with such emptying being
simply effected by working a hand lever and then the centrifugal force of the drum
automatically and very quickly empties the contents of the drum.
It is obvious, that there are many advantages in such a machine as compared
with the constructions hitherto adopted; it will be only necessary to mention that
a machine constructed according to the present invention is preferable to those

page_text: centrifugal machines which continuously receive the material to be treated during
constant revolution of the drum and allow it to pass through the drum auto-
matically. As in such known machines the forward movement or the progress in
the machine of the material under treatment must be well and exactly regulated
according to the nature of such material, the devices for producing such movement
or progress of the material must be arranged adjustably and must be adjusted or
set for each kind of material to be treated separately; it has been found difficult
to exactly adjust or set such devices for the different purposes. However for a
machine of the present invention it will be only necessary, to fix by one or two trials
the time required for the centrifugal operation, in order to afterwards work the
lever for filling and emptying exactly to the minute and thereby always obtain a
uniform product by the centrifugal operation.
This result is obtained by constructing or combining or forming the centrifugal
drum or vessel of the machine of or with a series of parts, protruding in an angular
manner into the drum, which parts during the centrifugal operation are pressed
together or kept in close contact by suitable lever mechanism while for emptying
purposes the separate parts may by the said mechanism be moved apart or shifted,
so that apertures, slots or openings between the said parts will be formed. The
material under treatment being thus no longer held, will slide on the inclined
surfaces of the interior of the drum and will under the action of the centrifugal
force escape through the said apertures into the casing, surrounding the revolving
drum.
'
The machine, the main feature of which has been above set forth, may have
either a horizontal or a vertical shaft. The following description relates to the
construction of a machine with a vertical shaft.
The accompanying drawing represents the machine in vertical section, the left
hand side A showing the parts of the drum in close contact and the left hand side B
showing the parts moved apart or opened for the ejection of the solid material.
The drum may be composed of movable horizontal rings built up one over
another having angular V-shaped or inclined surfaces projecting inwards as seen in
the figure.
There is a strong base or bed plate a rigidly connected to the central vertical
drum shaft or boss and forming the lower support of the drum this plate carrying
near its periphery several upright bolts or rods the upper ends of which arc
supported or kept steady by a ring shaped disc e. The bolts serve as guides for
the rings ddd which are capable of being moved up and down. The lowest
ring d which has only one incline is rigidly connected to a plate e forming the
bottom of the drum.
This plate e is connected with the base plate a by means of levers ƒ in such a
manner that by actuating the lever mechanism, the lowest ring d and the rings d' d²
resting on the same can be moved up or down.
If the bottom plate e is forced upwards the separate rings will all be brought into
close contact and the upper one will press against the ring d³ which is fixed to
the disc c so that a drum with a closed circumference is formed.
If however the bottom plate e is lowered, there will be spaces or apertures formed
between the rings; and the material under treatment by the action of the centrifugal
force will escape through the said spaces or apertures. The rings are then sup-
ported by the washers on the bolts b.
The levers are attached to the base plate a and they support the bottom plate e
of the drum with their other ends, which are provided with antifriction rollers the
said levers receive their movement from a sleeve g through the intermediation of
other levers and links f as shown the levers f being connected together by
rods. The sleeve g is mounted on the central shaft being connected to it by
groove and key, so that the sleeve will rotate with the shaft but may be shifted
vertically thereon. Into the circumferential groove of the said sleeve the forked
end of a lever m worked by hand may take, this lever being pivoted on a suitable
part of the framing of the machine and by moving this lever in the one or the other

page_text: direction by means of a screw, the sleeve can be raised or lowered at will during
the rotation of the shaft.
The rings d d d d forming the drum, may be perforated and may be covered
with wire gauze on the inside as usual, for allowing the liquid to escape under the
centrifugal action, or they may be provided on the inclined surfaces with gutters,
covered with wire gauze, the gutters forming channels for the liquid to escape.
These channels terminate, where the rings meet. It is preferable to unite or fix the
wire gauze to its supporting surface by soldering.
The drum thus constructed may be surrounded by a casing which is tapered or
conical at i to serve as a hopper for receiving and conducting away the material
after treatment and after being ejected from the drum. The driving device for the.
machine is above the drum.
For receiving the ejected liquid the vessel k is suspended between the revolving
drum and the casing above mentioned, in such manner, that the vessel k may be
held in a high position up to the upper level of the revolving drum during the
centrifugal operation, as shewn at the left hand A of the drawing and that it may
be lowered when the drum has to be emptied. This lowered position is seen at the
right hand B of the drawing. In this position the material ejected by the
centrifugal action from the drum and thrown against the casing will drop down
between the casing hand the vessel k into the hopper i. The vessel & serving to
catch or to receive the ejected liquid is provided at bottom with an outlet pipe /
which for the sake of allowing the vessel k to be raised or lowered works within a
stuffing box and is led through another pipe within the hopper i. The arrangement
just described for conducting away the solid and the liquid materials may however
be altered, so that the vessel k will serve for receiving and conducting away the
solid material after treatment while the outer casing will serve to catch the syrup
or other liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is :-
In a centrifugal machine or hydro-extractor in which the revolving drum is
composed of horizontal rings capable of being moved towards each other so as to
constitute a closed drum for the centrifugal operation, or away from each other so
as to constitute a drum with openings for emptying purposes, the arrangement of a
base plate a fixed to the shaft of the centrifugal drum and carrying the lever
mechanism fff" which is operated by a movable sleeve g on the central spindle
so as to raise or lower the rings dd'd of the centrifugal drum as required,
substantially as herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 15th day of August 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN.