IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Wilson Thomas, of the Firm of Messrs.
Fawcett, Preston, & Co., of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CENTRIFUGAL
MACHINES. A communication from abroad by Jean Adolphe Leon, re-
siding in Upper Egypt.
Sealed the 3rd December 1861, and dated the 4th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Wilson Thomas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1861.
I, DAVID WILSON THOMAS, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, & Co., of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CENTRIFUGAL
MACHINES," as communicated to bim from abroad by Jean Adolphe Leon,
residing in Upper Egypt, to be as follows (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its objects the construction of centrifugal machines
of greatly increased strength, to admit of their being constructed of a larger
size, and driven with safety at a higher rate of speed than now commonly
practised. And certain improvements in the apparatus for the more readily
feeding the machine with the substance to be operated upon, and consists in

page_text: constructing the revolving drum on the open or receiving side of the machine
with radial arms or spokes springing from the boss or nave on the axle, in
place of being entirely open, as now practised, and in surrounding the opening
with a conical receiving lip, the outer edge of which travels round and in close
proximity to the inner side of an internal flanch, which runs round the opening
of the case which encloses the revolving drum, to prevent any portion of the
charge falling between the revolving drum and the inside of the casing. And
in forming the outer casing with one or more vent openings on the top or side.
The revolving drum is charged from trucks having box-like bodies, the front
ends of which hang over at an angle of, say, about 45°. The sloping front of
the truck about one-third down is fitted with two or more bearing hooks,
which, upon the truck being run up to the opening in the side of the machine,
come in contact with a fixed horizontal transverse bar, upon which the fore
end of the truck rests whilst being elevated by a fall tackle hooked on to the
back of the truck, and discharges its contents into the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Wilson Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
WILSON THOMAS, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, & Co., of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
David Wilson Thomas, Her special licence that I, the said David Wilson
Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said David Wilson Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES," as communicated to me. from
abroad by Jean Adolphe Leon, residing in Upper Egypt, upon the condition
(amongst others) that i, the said David Wilson Thomas, my executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Wilson Thomas, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
This Invention has for its, objects the construction of centrifugal machines of
greatly increased strength, to admit of their being constructed of a larger size,
and driven with safety at a higher rate of speed than now commonly practised,
and certain improvements in the apparatus for the more readily feeding the
machine with the substance to be operated upon; and consists in constructing
the revolving drum on the open or receiving side of the machine, with radial
arms or spokes springing from the boss or nave on the axle, in place of being
entirely open, as now practised, and in surrounding the opening with a conical
receiving lip, the outer edge of which travels round and in close proximity to
the inner side of an internal flanch, which runs round the opening of the case.
which encloses the revolving drum, to prevent any portion of the charge falling
between the revolving drum and the inside of the outer casing, and in forming
the outer casing with one or more vent openings on the top or side. The
revolving drum is charged from trucks having box-liko bodies, the front ends
of which hang over at an angle of, say, about 45°. The sloping front of the
truck about one-third down is fitted with two or more bearing hooks, which,
upon the truck being run up to the opening in the side of the machine, conie
in contact with a fixed horizontal transverse bar, upon which the fore end of
the truck rests whilst being elevated by a fall tackle hooked on to the back of
the truck, and discharges its contents into the machine.
That the said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood, I have
hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration of an improved centrifugal machine
constructed according to this Invention, with one of the trucks, and so forth,
used for charging the apparatus. Like letters and figures marked thereon
are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the improved machines; and Figure 2 is
a vertical cross sectional elevation of the same, and a side elevation of one of
the trucks used to feed the apparatus.

page_text: A is the external casing, provided with B, opening to allow the moist air to.
escape; C, the revolving drum, for containing the charge to be operated upon;
D, a conical flanch surrounding the annular opening, through which the charge.
is inserted; E, circular opening in the side of external casing, which is
surrounded by an annular lip or flanch, which projects over the outer edge of
the conical flanch D, to prevent any portion of the charge falling between the
inner side of the outer cover and the outside of the revolving drum, by which
arrangement the apparatus can be charged during the time it is in motion;.
F, a loose pulley on axle of the revolving drum; G, a fast pulley on ditto;
H, friction pulley on the axle of the machine, against which acts I, the
friction strap; K, the lever to actuate the break gear for stopping the
machine; L, division to prevent the syrup falling on the strap; M, a transverse
horizontal bar, upon which the truck rests during the time it is being emptied
of its contents; O, the improved truck for charging the machine, which is
mounted on a pair of wheels, and a single one in front, the bearings of which
turn on a vertical axis, to enable the carriage to be re-turned round with:
facility; P, pulley block and tackle for elevating the rear of the truck.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and how the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, dimentions, or relative
proportions of the various parts of the apparatus, as herein-before described
and set forth, as it will be readily seen that the same may be considerably
varied without departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,-
Firstly, constructing the external casing enclosing the revolving drum or
cylinder of-centrifugal machines with one or more vent openings in the top or
side thereof, for the purpose of allowing the moist air to escape, as herein-
before described, or any near modification of the same."
Secondly, constructing the revolving drums of centrifugal machines with
strengthening bars or spokes radiating from the nxis thereof, as herein-before
described, or any near modification of the same.
Thirdly, constructing the circular opening of the revolving drum of centri-
fugal machines with an annular conical lip or flanch, as herein-before described,.
or any near modification of the same.
Fourthly, the peculiar form of truck herein-before described, when employed:
as a vehicle for the charging of centrifugal machines, and the use of the
horizontal transverse bar upon which the truck rests during the process of
discharging the same.
And, lastly, the peculiar arrangement and combination of the various parts

page_text: herein-before described and set forth, for the purposes of constructing centrifugal
machines, whereby they may be made of greater size and strength than those
now commonly used.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Wilson Thomas, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord 1861.
DAVID WILSON (L.S.) THOMAS.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street, Liverpool.