IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CENTRIFUGAL DRAINING MACHINES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and Robert Lafferty,
of the City of Gloucester, State of New Jersey, and United States
of America, Sugar Refiners, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CENTRIFUGAL DRAINING MACHINES.'

page_text: Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to grant unto us, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her. Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that we are the first and true
Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and t
Robert Lafferty, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, to
be as follows:-
:-
Our Invention consists in providing simple and efficient means for
rotating the drum or basket of a centrifugal draining machine, and for
arresting its motion quickly and noiselessly when required; and also in 1
providing convenient means for discharging the dried or purged material,
and protecting the same from the access of oil and other impurities, by
combining with a drum or basket having radial openings in its bottom
a movable cover for said openings, an outer casing having openings
corresponding with those of the drum or basket, and a shute or casing:
encircling the driving spindle.
These improvements are particularly applicable to the centrifugal
machine for which the petitioners Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and Robert
Lafferty were granted Letters Patent by Her most Excellent Majesty
Queen Victoria, No. 3322, dated December 8th 1872, and it is designed
by them to produce. a complete, compact, and durable centrifugal
draining machine, free from jar or vibration, prompt in its action, and
easily managed, having only one driving belt leading directly from a
pulley on a line of shafting to the driving pulley of the machine, and
being ready for immediate use without a special foundation, as well as
providing efficient means for discharging the dried material from the
drum or basket, the last-named feature being an advantage hitherto
unattained in centrifugal machines which receive their support from the
floor only.

page_text: The cylindrical outer casing A of the machine is substantially similar
to those now in use, and is provided with proper legs or supports for
securing it to the floor. A corrugated drum or basket B, similar in
form and construction to those used heretofore by us is attached to and
supported by a vertical steel spindle D. This spindle passes centrally
through a hub or cylindrical projection A' of the outer casing, which
hub is provided with a conical gland or bushing O made to fit the
spindle, and adjustable thereon by standing bolts and one or more
longitudinal slots. By forcing the gland downward the slots will permit
the opening or bearing for the spindle to contract, and any lost motion
consequent upon long continued use may be readily taken up. Tho
bottom of the drum or basket is provided with a cylindrical projection B',
which surrounds and covers the hub A', leaving sufficient space for the
free movement of the drum or basket, and is fitted and fastened to the
spindle, upon which it is supported by the collar D'. The lower end of
the spindle D rests and revolves upon a steel step d inserted in the
bottom of a box E resting upon a lever F, and encased in an outer
box G in which it freely moves. The box E forms the lower bearing
of the spindle D, and is provided with suitable oil channels to afford
proper lubrication to the step and the end of the spindle. The lever F
has its fulcrum point upon a cross bar H, which also supports the
casing G, and it will be seen that by raising or lowering the end of the
lever the box E will be correspondingly raised or lowered in the
casing G, and with it the spindle D. A conical friction wheel I of metal
is attached to the spindle D, and when the latter is raised is brought in
contact with a corresponding wheel K of hard wood, paper, or other
suitable material, which is attached to a shaft L mounted in boxes or
bearings M, N, secured to the outer casing A. The outer box M. is
made to fit the shaft, but the inner box N is provided with a movable
sleeve or bushing O. Steel friction collars i, i, i, are placed between the
inner end of the sleeve O and the hub of the friction wheel K, to
prevent the excessive wear of these surfaces when the machine is in
operation. Between the sleeve O and the outer box M. is placed a spiral
spring Q, which surrounds, without touching, the shaft L, and has its
respective ends resting, the one in an annular groove m on the inner
face of the box M, and the other on a shoulder formed upon the adjacent
face of the sleeve O. The spring Q bears against the movable sleeve O,
and this in turn against the friction collars i, i, i, and the wheel K, and
thus imparts a lateral motion to the shaft L, simultaneously with the

page_text: lowering of the spindle D, and the consequent release of the wheel I
from its contact with the wheel K. To limit the lateral motion of the
shaft L, and to prevent wear of the surfaces when the drum is not being
rotated, as well as to prevent the sleeve O from turning in the box N,
we provide a set screw n, the end of which enters a slot o in the 5
sleeve O.
Another advantage of imparting lateral motion to the shaft L is found
in the fact that the deviation of the spindle from its perpendicular line,
by reason of any irregularities in the friction wheels is thereby prevented.
A flanged pulley P is attached to the outer end of the shaft L, and 1
receives motion by a direct belt from a pulley of suitable size on a line
of shafting.
An annular V shaped projection 6 is formed upon the under side of
the drum or basket B, and a ring a of wood or other suitable material,
having a corresponding V shaped channel or groove, is inserted in and 1
secured to the bottom of the outer casing A beneath the projection b,
forming a powerful and almost instantaneous brake when its surface and
that of the projection are brought into contact by the lowering of the
spindle and drum or basket.
Radial openings 61, 61, are formed in the bottom of the drum or 2
basket, and corresponding openings a', a', are formed in the bottom of
the outer casing, which latter openings communicate with a shute A³
for conveying the dried or purged material from the drum or basket.
This shute is united to or formed in a piece with a casing a³ which
encircles the spindle D. The top of the casing a³ is enlarged and fitted 2
into a recess in the bottom of the outer casing A, and the casing a³
passing down through the shute A² has its lower end fitted into a cup r
formed in the hub of the friction wheel I, the casing being made long
enough to be retained by the cup when the spindle D is lowered. A
channel is formed in the hub of the friction wheel I, to allow the oil 3
to pass freely from the cup to the bottom step.
The shute A³ conveys the dried material from the basket and protects
it from oil, and the casing prevents the access of oil or other impurities
to the shute A2 or to the friction wheels.
A light cover B² encircles the cylindrical projection B₁ of the drum or 3.
basket B, for the purpose of allowing or preventing the passage of
material through the openings therein, as may be required.

page_text: The end of the lever F is connected by means of an adjustable rod F¹
to an eccentric or a bell-crank lever Fs secured to the outer casing,
within convenient reach of the operator.
The operation of our machine is as follows:-By raising the lever F
the box E which rests upon the lever, and the spindle D which has its
stop in the box E will be simultaneously raised, and the conical friction
wheel I will be brought into contact with the wheel K, which will
impart its motion to the wheel I, and consequently to the spindle D and
drum or basket B. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the
spindle D the annular projection 6 will be raised from the ring a, and
free rotation of the drum and spindle will thereby be permitted. Upon
lowering the lever F the friction wheels I and K will be separated, and
the annular projection 6 will be brought into contact with the ring a,
the contact of these two members inducing the action of a powerful,
noiseless, and almost instantaneous brake to stop the rotation of the
drum or basket. By moving the cover B³ the dried material is allowed
to pass through the openings 6, 61, in the drum, and the openings a¹, a',
in the outer casing into the shute A², by which it is conveyed to a
proper receptacle.

page_text: entirely from below, of a shute A³, casing a³, and a cup r upon the
friction wheel of the vertical spindle, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and Robert
Lafferty, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
February. A.D. 1874.
HUGH WALBRIDGE LAFFERTY. (L.S.)
ROBERT LAFFERTY.
(L.S.)