IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FLUID FROM OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DICKASON ROTCH, of Furnival's Inn, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of
February (One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one), in the fourteenth year
of Her reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Dickason Rotch, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Thomas Dickason Rotch, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Dickason Rotch, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and
also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FLUID FROM OTHER
MATTERS" (communicated to me from a certain Foreigner residering abroad);
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said
Thomas Dickason Rotch, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Dickason Rotch, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists,―
First. of suspending the axes of centrifugal machines used for separating
fiuid from other matters on ball and socket bearings, and causing the driving
bands or straps to act on hemispherical drums in such manner that when the
axes carrying the centrifugal machines vibrate in their ball and socket
bearings the driving straps or bands shall constantly maintain a correct
position for driving, owing to the hemispherical drums (exterior of the ball
and socket bearings) being concentric with such bearings, and so that the
circumference of the drums, where the straps or bands act to drive them, are
constantly of the same diameter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shows so much of the axis of a centrifugal machine, with its
ball and socket bearing and spherical drum, as will enable me to describe the
Invention. The centrifugal machine is to be fixed to the axis, and and thus
hang suspended from the ball and socket bearing, so that in its rotation the
axis may vibrate and assume an inclined position in respect to the vertical line
in which it will hang when quiet. a is the axis, having fixed or formed
thereon the ball b, which works in the socket c, fixed to the framing of the
machinery. d is a section of a spherical drum, on which the endless driving
strap or band acts to give motion to the axis a, and consequently to the centri-
fugal inachinė affixed thereto. By this arrangement any tendency of the
centrifugal machine to vibrate will not be material or injurious, and the
driving band or strap will, by working on a portion of a sphere, at all times
remain in a working condition, notwithstanding the axis a assumes an angular
position by vibrating.
Secondly, the Invention consists of making the perephery of the drums or
vessels. (which contain the matters to be separated) of corrugated metal, and
preventing the wire gauze coming in contact at all parts with the periphery of
the drums. It will be found that by the use of corrugated metal greater
stiffness with a given thickness of metal can be obtained,, and at the same

page_text: time the wire gauze used on the interior of such centrifugal drums does not
come in contact in all parts, but only at intervals, with the perephery of the
drums, which is found advantageous; and when using plain uncorrugated
metal the wire gauze may be kept at a distance from the perephery of the
drum by coiling a strong wire within the perephery, and between it and the
wire gauze.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the details, as herein shewn and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the Invention. But what I claim is,―
First, the mode herein described of suspending and driving the axes of
centrifugal machines for separating fluid from other matters; and,
Secondly, forming of the drum of corrugated metal, and keeping the wire
gauze from coming in contact with the perephery of the drum.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dickason Rotch, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight-hundred and fifty-one.