Improvements in Drum Insertions for Centrifugal Milk Separators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drum Insertions for Centrifugal Milk Separators.
A communication by THEODOR HEILBRON, of the Milk Separator Works, Hanover,
in the Empire of Germany, Maker of Milk Separators.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., Agent for Foreign Patent.
Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to a drum insertion for milk separators which effects
a rational separation of the milk in the drum, by both full milk which is to be
creamed, and milk from which already a portion of the skim milk has been
separated out, being driven laterally, or from the inside to the outside through
an insertion of discs or dishes provided with concentric excrescences and recesses
and radial passages. These insertion discs act in such a way that the richer milk
is gradually forced in layers towards the interior, such layers becoming constantly
richer in cream and the skim milk separated from each layer flows towards the
discharge pipe or passage, so that thus the skim milk when once separated out
from one layer cannot again be mixed with the milk which is not yet entirely
creamed.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2,
a plan view of the improved insertion.
It consists of discs or dishes a loosely arranged one above the other which are
placed round the hub by means of guides b which extend to the entire height
of the layers of discs, which latter are all provided with a notch or groove to
engage a narrow bar c on one guide b, whereby they are held firmly in a hori-
zontal position. This object may of course be attained in any other suitable
manner. The group of discs closed above and below by closing plates d, the
upper or under one of which must be capable of being removed by loosening a
nute. Beneath the lower closing plate there are the ordinary pipes f for the milk
introduced.
The discs on the upper side only have a certain number of concentric non-
continuous ribs, ridges, corrugations or suitable excrescences stamped or pressed
out, and are placed one above the other in such a way that the flat parts of the
under side of one disc rest on the excrescences on the upper side of the following
disc, so that concentric through passages are formed.
The excrescences do not form an uninterrupted ring but are interrupted or
broken at certain places so that radial passages i are formed on the discs. The
separate discs are then placed one above the other in such a way that between
two passages i of the upper disc there always lies one passage i of the disc next
beneath it, and therefore these passages i always lie displaced as regards one
another. The passages may also have any other suitable position to one another
without the action being essentially affected.
This placing of the discs one above the other in layers in such a way that on
the one hand the upper excrescences g of the discs encounter the flat parts of the
next superimposed disc, and on the other hand the arrangement of the grooves h

page_text: between these excrescences (lying as regards each separate disc displaceed to one
another) as well as of the passages i, produce the result that on the one hand
the milk coming, between the discs forms rings of milk between the excrescences
of the same, and on the other hand, passages for the flowing of the milk are
formed both concentrically throughout the entire annular surface of the discs,
and also radially;
The full milk is conveyed into the drum through the hub of the insertion
and through the pipe f either above or below, or by means of small holes formed
in the hub between the upper and under closing plates d. This milk is alone
thrown outwardly and of course forms annular layers of skim milk-on-the-casing
of the drum & richer milk internally and gradually a layer of milk rich in cream
is forced into the discs or dishes.
roite. A
By the arrangement of several concentric excrescences 'g side by side on the
discs, several milk rings of small height are now formed in the insertion (6: for
instance, as shown in Figure 1), in each of these separate milk rings there takes
place an automatic separation process.
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The milk passes for instance from the outside, first into the layer 1, (Figure 1)
of the disc; it then passes between the encountering excrescences g of the two
discs lying one above the other, and is rubbed in forcing itself through into a
concentric channel h. Here in consequence of centrifugal force it divides into
two layers, one of which contains more skim milk and the other more cream.
The first part as the heaviest has a tendency to force itself to the outside and
flows into the radial grooves i. The other part which contains more cream and
which has a lighter specific weight presses inwardly and passes into the next
layer 2 of the disc insertion and is again rubbed or scrubbed by the two next
encountering excrescencies and divided in the radial channel into two layers,
of which again the heavier one which contains more skim milk flows to the out-
side through the radial passage i, whilst the cream-containing part of the milk
again passes towards, the inside into the next disc layer 3. This process, is
repeated until the milk has traversed all the layers of the insertion (in the pre-
sent instance 6). When this has been done, there are 3 different layers in the
drum, outside the insertion, towards the drum wall, skim milk; inside the same
towards the hub, cream; and between the discs of the insertion, graduated
mixtures of these two elements of milk. The whole milk is..introduced at the
hub & is immediately thrown outwardly causing an immediate separation of the
cream & skim milk." Whole milk thus never reaches the drum wall. By, free
passages, being arranged between the discs of the insertion through which ilie
separated skim milk particles flow again to the outside, and by the more cream-
containing parts being caused to pass further inwards, a second centrifugalling
of the already separated skim milk and a second mixing of the already separated
portions of the milk is avoided, whereby the whole creaming process takes place
more rapidly. In order that when the drum is stationary the milk contained in
the insertion may flow back in the drum towards the bottom and can run out of
the same, holes or slits m must be formed in the closing plates d.
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Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
A drum insertion for centrifugal milk separators consisting of discs arranged
in layers one above the other, said discs being provided with concentric 'excres-
cences and recesses which are interspersed with radial passages, substantially
as herein before set forth.
19
T.
: F
Dated this 22nd dox of Docomber 1800