Improvements in Centrifugal Separators for Cream and Butter.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1893-Accepted. 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Separators for Cream and Butter.
I, ADOLPH WAHLIN, a subject of the King of Sweden, at present residing at
No. 15 Front Street, Bainbridge, in the State of New York, United States of
America, General Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to separate the buttery particles from the watery
portions in milk and to provide for arresting the butter making operation and
delivering the cream from the apparatus when desired.
The milk is supplied gradually from a suitable holder, provided with a float and
valve for regulating the delivery, as usual in cream separators heretofore constructed,
and the cream is received into an auxiliary separating vessel which is removable
and preferably sustained by a lip around the edge. In this vessel, any foreign
substances and gummy materials that sometimes are found in the milk are arrested,
and as the milk is thrown over the edge of the vessel by the centrifugal action,
there is a partial separation of the cream from the watery portions, and the
materials pass into the main separating vessel, composed preferably of a hollow
conical vessel having a partially flat bottom, the centre portion of which is conical
upwardly and provided with one or more downward openings at the line of the
cream wall, and there is a cylindrical lip around these downward openings, and
the central shaft of the centrifugal apparatus is connected to the bottom of this
vessel, and extending downwardly is supported in suitable bearings, and rotated by
a belt to a pulley or otherwise.
In the separation of the butter, the cream passing downwardly through the
openings and discharged from the cylindrical lip, is received upon the conical under
surface of the bottom, and it is there spread out by the centrifugal action, in such a
thin layer that the watery particles pass off, and the buttery globules substantially
float and coalesce, and the materials are received into an annular chamber below
the centrifugal separating vessel, and there are discharge openings for the buttery
portions and also for the watery portions, both from the the upper cream separator
and from the lower butter separator, and suitable trays or vessels surround the
respective parts, into which the materials pass and are discharged by spouts, and
below the butter separator is a movable receiver that can be raised or lowered;
when lowered, it is out of the way, and the butter making operation progresses, but
when raised such vessel receives the cream from the annular lip so as to prevent the
same passing to the butter separating apparatus. In this case the cream is
discharged by a suitable spout from this intercepting vessel.
In the modifications of the aforesaid apparatus, the conical surface, for the
reception of the cream and the separation of the buttery particles, is sometimes
placed at the upper part of the separating vessel instead of at the bottom, and the
watery and buttery particles pass either upon the upper conical surface or the
lower conical surface, and the annular butter receiving vessel that causes
the particles of butter to coalesce is either above or below the cream separator;
and in some instances a series of surfaces are provided over which the cream and
watery portions are caused to pass centrifugally for driving off the watery portions
in a very thin film or layer and causing the buttery globules to float and coalesce.
The tubes that are provided for the escape of the watery particles or skim milk
from the cream and the watery particles from the butter are somewhat similar to
those heretofore provided in cream separating devices, and the size of the openings
for these watery portions may be regulated by an adjusting screw, the point of
which passes into the tube; and under some circumstances I allow the watery

page_text: portions from the cream separating chamber to pass into the butter separating
chamber, in order to supply the liquid that is sometimes advantageously present in
the butter separating portion of the apparatus.
Dated this 6th day of June 1893
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Separators for Cream and Butter.
I, ADOLPH WAHLIN, a subject of the King of Sweden, at present residing at
No. 15 Front Street, Bainbridge in the State of New York, United States of
America, General Manager, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to separate the buttery particles from the watery
portions in milk and to provide for arresting the butter making operation and
delivering the cream from the apparatus when desired.
The milk is supplied gradually from a suitable holder provided with a float and
valve for regulating the delivery as usual in cream separators heretofore constructed,
and the cream is received into an auxiliary separating vessel which is removable
and preferably sustained by a lip around the edge. In this vessel any foreign
substances and gummy materials that sometimes are found in the milk are arrested,
and as the milk is thrown over the edge of the vessel by the centrifugal action
there is a partial separation of the cream from the watery portions and the
materials pass into the main separating vessel composed preferably of a hollow
conical vessel having a partially flat bottom, the center portion of which is conical
upwardly and provided with one or more downward openings at the line of the
cream wall, and there is a cylindrical lip around these downward openings and the
central shaft of the centrifugal apparatus is connected to the bottom of this vessel
and extending downwardly is supported in suitable bearings and rotated by a belt
to a pulley or otherwise.
In the separation of the butter the cream passing downwardly through the
openings and discharged from the cylindrical lip is received upon the conical under
surface of the bottom and it is there spread out by the centrifugal action in such
a thin layer that the watery particles pass off and the buttery globules substantially
float and coalesce, and the materials are received into an annular chamber below
the centrifugal separating vessel, and there are discharge openings for the buttery
portions and also for the watery portions, both from the upper cream separator
and from the lower butter separator, and suitable trays or vessels surrounding the
respective parts into which the materials pass and are discharged by spouts, and
below the butter separator is a movable receiver that can be raised or lowered;
when lowered it is out of the way and the butter making operation progresses, but
when raised such vessel receives the cream from the annular lip so as to prevent
the same passing to the butter separating apparatus. In this case the cream is
discharged by a suitable spout from this intercepting vessel.
In the modifications of the aforesaid apparatus the conical surface for the
reception of the cream and the separation of the buttery particles is sometimes
placed at the upper part of the separating vessel instead of at the bottom, and the
watery and buttery particles pass either upon the upper conical surface or the lower
conical surface, and the annular butter receiving vessel that causes the particles
of butter to coalesce is either above or below the cream separator; and in some
instances a series of surfaces are provided over which the cream and watery
portions are caused to pass centrifugally for driving off the watery portions in a
very thin film or layer and causing the buttery globules to float and coalesce.
The tubes that are provided for the escape of the watery particles or skim

page_text: milk from the cream and the watery particies from
similar to those heretofore provided in cream separating devices, and the size of
the openings for these watery portions may be regulated by an adjusting screw,
the point of which passes into the tube, and under some circumstances I allow the
watery portions from the cream separating chamber to pass into the butter
separating chamber, in order to supply the liquid that is sometimes advantageously
present in the butter separating portion of the apparatus.
In the drawing,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section representing my present improvements.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan below the line xx.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent modifications in the apparatus.
The central shaft A is supported in any suitable framework and rotated in the
usual manuer.
I have shown a portion of the frame at B and the upper journal or
bearing C. The bowl D has a flat central portion d and a conical bottom c
extending to the nearly flat annular portion b, around which is the cylindrical
portion e, and above this is the conical portion of the bowl; and below the flat
annular portion b and at the bottom end of the cylindrical portion e is the inwardly
projecting annular rim g forming a butter separating chamber E, and there are one
or more skim milk pipes F within the conical portion of the bowl, opening near
the interior of the largest portion of the conical cream chamber G for the reception
of the skim milk, and the discharge end of such pipe F is at or near the mouth of
the bowl, as usual in most separators, and around the upper end of the separator
I have
any suitable cover or pan is provided for the reception of the skim milk.
shown the conical vessel H with a removable cover T and a delivery pipe or
spout at h, and this vessel H is preferably supported by a rim or curb I.
The milk is supplied to this centrifugal separating apparatus in any suitable
manner. It is advantageous to make use of a supply pipe K with a downwardly
projecting pipe L from which the milk runs into the vessel M that rests upon the
cover T and has a downward discharge spout N. Within the vessel M is a Hoat O.,
the upper end of which acts as a valve against the end of the pipe L to check the
flow of the milk when the liquid rises too high in the vessel M, and the reverse;
and this float O is guided by a stationary pipe U that conducts coloring material
from the vessel P into the milk.
One feature of my present improvement relates to the auxiliary separator R
which is in the form of a pan within the bowl D). The upper edges of this auxiliary
separator are formed as an outwardly flaring rim below the top edge of the conical
bowl D, and this auxiliary separator may be supported by a ledge i extending
inwardly and below the rim of the auxiliary separator, and this ledge is inclined or
grooved to form an annular channel, and there are holes at V. This auxiliary
separator receives a rotary motion from the main cream separating bowl and the
milk running into this auxiliary separator is spread in a comparatively thin layer
upon the interior thereof and is delivered from the edge of this auxiliary separator
into the annular channel and runs through the holes V to the interior surface of
the conical portion of the bowl, and such materials follow along this conical
surface and the watery portions separate from the cream, the cream passing
towards the axis of the centrifugal separator and the watery portions moving
outwardly to the portion of the bowl that is of the largest diameter, and from
there the skim milk is discharged through the pipe F, as in creain separators, and
passes to the cover and conical vessel HT.
In the flat or nearly flat portion of the separator bowl there are cream
discharge openings k, and these openings are slightly further from the center than
the edges of the conical portion of the bowl, so that the cream will discharge
downwardly from the vertical cream wall, instead of upwardly over the top edge
of the bowl, and there is below the bottom d and outside of the cream openings /
a downwardly projecting annular rim j upon which the cream spreads and from the
outer edge of which it is delivered.
In the manufacture of butter the cream is delivered from the edge of the rim j

page_text: upon the interior of the conical bottom c, and such cream is spread in a very thin
layer upon such conical surface by the very rapid centrifugal action in order that
the watery portions may be thrown off and the battery portions caused to float
and coalesce upon the surface of the watery portions, hence when the materials pass
from the conical surface of c into the butter separating chamber E the separation
is still further continued by the watery portions being thrown to the outer part of
such butter separating chamber, while the buttery portions still further coalesce
in the inner portion of such butter separating chamber, and from this chamber the
watery portions and the buttery portions may be removed in any convenient manner
I have represented the pipe las passing from near the surface of the materials
in the butter separating chamber for the butter globules to be passed off from
this chamber, and the pipe m as passing from the outer portion of such chamber E
inwardly and discharging over the edge of the annular rim 9 for the watery
portions to be discharged from such butter separating chamber E. The pipe / is
preferably screw-threaded and received into a screw-threaded hole in the wall e so
that it may be adjusted to bring its inner end nearer to or further from the axis of
rotation and regulate the discharge of the buttery and watery materials. The
pipe m may be provided with a screw, as shown at a to regulate the discharge
through such pipe.
The buttery portions and the watery portions may be led away separately if
desired, but I find it advantageous to discharge these materials into the same
annular receiving chamber in order that the presence of the watery portions may
lessen the risk of the buttery portions adhering to the surface of such annular
chamber and I have represented the pan n at the bottom of the annular rim or
curb I with a discharge pipe o through which the buttery and watery particles are
led away, and it is advantageous to make the interior surface of this rim or curb I
concave, as represented, so that the buttery portions will strike against an
inclined surface and glance off. instead of adhering thereto.
;
In order to adapt this separator to the delivery of cream instead of the
separation of butter, I employ the annular cream receiver S below the separating
bowl and provided with a discharge pipe p at the bottom, and the open annular
upper end of this cream receiver is of a size to receive within it the rim j, hence
when this receiver S is raised to the position shown by full lines, the cream is
delivered from the rim j into this cream receiver and flows away by the pipe p,
but when this receiver S is lowered to the position shown by dotted lines, it is
below the bottom of the rim j, and the cream is thrown off from such rim upon the
conical interior surface of the bottom portion c of the bowl, to be separated in
the butter accumulator portion of the apparatus, as before described.
Any desired mechanism may be made use of for raising and lowering the
annular cream receiver S. A convenient way of accomplishing this object is to
lift the receiver by hand and place two or more blocks W beneath the same, such
receiver being held in its proper position by the rim q that surrounds the journal
bearing C, or a clamping screw w may be used to hold the pipe p and receiver when
elevated.
Several skim milk pipes F may be provided at equal distances around and within
the separating bowl D, and each pipe should be provided with a regulating
screw Y to determine the discharge of the watery portions the same as heretofore
made use of in centrifugal separators.
In cases where the presence of watery material in the butter separating
apparatus is required or advantageous, holes may be provided at r around the
interior of the separating bowl and passing through the flat annular portion b of
such bowl into the butter separating chamber E, and such holes should each be
provided with a screw s introduced from the outside by which such holes can be
wholly or partially closed to regulate the quantity of watery materials passing into
the butter separating chamber.
I find it also advantageous to provide an annular rim or lip u at the lower
portion of the under surface of the conical bottom a with two or more tubular

page_text: outlets t extending outwardly to near the bottom or larger diameter of the butter
separating chamber E in order that the buttery and watery portions may pass
from the conical butter separating surface into the butter separating chamber, and
the lighter and buttery portions will pass towards the axis of the separator and
5 the heavier or watery portions are driven outwardly by the centrifugal action.
The auxiliary separator R may receive its supports from a column or stand
below the said separator and connected at the interior of the main bowl, as shown
by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and wings may be introduced inside this separator as
at v to give motion to the milk as introduced into the same.
In Fig. 3 the parts are arranged so that the inclined surface upon which the
cream is delivered is above the bowl, instead of at the bottom; in other respects
the devices correspond, D being the cream bowl, j the rim from which the cream
is delivered, and c the conical portion of the bottom upon which the cream is
subjected to the separating action to cause the watery particles to flow off in a
very thin layer and the buttery particles to float; and it is advantageous to make
an annular recess at 2 into which the cream passes from the edge j of the
centrifugal separator so as to accumulate in this annular recess and flow uniformly
over the conical surface c.
The butter separating chamber E receives the materials and they are subjected
to a centrifugal action and the buttery particles pass off by the pipe and the
watery particles are delivered by the pipe m.
In Fig. 4 the conical surface c is made as a continuation of the upper end of the
bowl D, and in this figure I have represented a scoop 3 that may be employed for
discharging the buttery portions from the surface of the liquid within the annular
butter chamber E, or the buttery portions may pass off by the pipe las before
described.
Sometimes it is advantageous to make the parts more compact than those
represented in Fig. 4, in which instance the conical or dishing upper end c of the
bowl D upon which the watery and buttery portions are separated may pass up within
the annular butter receiving chamber E and the watery portions will pass off by
the pipe m and the buttery portions will pass off by the pipe 1, and in Fig. 6, I
have represented a series of butter separating surfaces which are annular and
cylindrical, the cream passing from the upper edge j of the bowl D upon the first
annular and cylindrical surface and spreading over the same, and from the lower
edge thereof passing to the second annular surface and from there to the third, and
so on, and finally being delivered from the top edge 4 of the annular separating
apparatus.
Although I prefer the form of apparatus represented in Figs. 1 and 2, I have
represented the varying arrangements of substantially the same parts in the other
figures to illustrate modifications that may be availed of for performing the same
operations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. In a centrifugal apparatus for separating cream from milk, the combination
with a holding vessel in which the cream is separated from the milk to a greater or
less extent, of a surface connected to and revolving with the separating vessel upon
which the cream is delivered and exposed to a centrifugal action that separates the
watery portions from the buttery portions for concentrating the cream and causing
the buttery particles to coalesce, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination in a separating apparatus of the following elements;
cream separating vessel, an inclined surface upon which the cream passes for
further separation, an annular receiving vessel in which the buttery particles aro
caused to coalesce, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination in a separating apparatus, of a rotating auxiliary milk
receiving vessel R that acts as a partial cream separator and detains foreign.

page_text: substances, said vessel being separable from the cream separating vessel, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a separating apparatus, of a cream separator and a
butter separator, and a movable receiver which when brought into use takes off the
cream before it passes to the butter separator, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a centrifugal separating apparatus, a bowl having a conical bottom
rising within the separating chamber and having an opening passing downward
through the bottom and adjacent to the smaller diameter of the conical portion, so
that the cream as delivered from the cream separating bowl is passed downwardly
and spread upon the conical under surface of the bowl for the separation of the
watery from the buttery portions, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination in a centrifugal separating apparatus, of a bowl, means
for supplying milk into such bowl, a conical bottom rising within the separating
chamber of the bowl, and having openings therethrough for the downward delivery
of the cream from the cream separating bowl upon the under conical surface of the
bowl, and an annular butter separating chamber below the bottom portion of the
bowl, and an annular chamber for the reception of the buttery and watery
portions from the butter separating chamber, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. A combined cream and butter separating bowl having a conical bottom
rising within the separating chamber, and having cream discharge openings through
the bottom and a downwardly projecting rim upon the bottom and around the cream
discharge openings for delivering the cream from the edge of the rim upon the
conical butter separating surface, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. A combined cream and butter separating bowl having a conical bottom
rising within the separating chamber and cream discharge openings through the
bottom and a downwardly projecting rim upon the bottom and around the cream
discharge openings for delivering the cream from the edge of the rim upon the
conical butter separating surface, and an annular butter separating chamber below
the bowl and into which the buttery and watery particles pass from the conical
surface, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. A combined cream and butter separating bowl having a conical bottom,
cream discharge openings through the bottom and a downwardly projecting rim
upon the bottom and around the cream discharge openings for delivering the cream
from the edge of the rim upon the conical butter separating surface, an annular
butter separating chamber below the bowl and into which the buttery and watery
particles pass from the conical surface, a lip below the conical surface and around
the larger diameter thereof and tubular outlets from such rim into the butter
separating chamber, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The combination with a centrifugal cream separating bowl having a
butter separating surface, cream discharge openings and an annular rim around the
cream discharge openings, of a movable cream receiver adapted to pass around the
annular rim for intercepting the cream before it reaches the butter separating
surface so as to change the centrifugal butter separating apparatus into a cream
separator, substantially as set forth.
Eleventh. The combination with a centrifugal cream separator, of a separate
auxiliary milk receiving and separating vessel of smaller diameter than the opening
in the top of the cream separator, so that such auxiliary vessel may be removed or
replaced, and means for supporting said auxiliary vessel with its annular upper edge
below the top of the cream separator, whereby the milk is subjected to a
centrifugal action and delivered in a thin layer over the upper edge of the
auxiliary separator to the interior of the cream separator, substantially as set
forth.
Twelfth. The centrifugal cream separating bowl having a conical cream
separating chamber, a conical bottom to the bowl forming on its under side a butter
separating surface, cream delivery openings through the bottom, in combination.
with an annular cream receiver below the bottom and adapted to being raised or
lowered in relation to the cream separating outlets, and a rim and pan for the

page_text: reception of the buttery and watery portions from the butter separator, substantially
as set forth.
Thirteenth. A centrifugal cream and butter separating bowl having a conical
bottom extending up into the cream separating chamber, and having cream openings
extending downwardly through the bottom of the bowl, through which the cream
passes to the conical under surface of the bottom for the watery portions to separate
from the buttery portions by the centrifugal action, an annular butter separating
chamber below and around the conical butter separating surface, the bottom of the
cream separator also having one or more openings near the inner surface of the
cream separating bowl for allowing the skim milk or watery portions from the cream
separating chamber to pass into the said annular butter separating chamber,
substantially as set forth.
BREWER & SON,
Agents.