Improvements in Centrifugal Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines.
I, JOHN. LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson Laidlaw & Company, of 98 Dundas
Street, South, Glasgow, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that class of centrifugal machines which are driven from
above and wherein the dried material is discharged through an annular opening in
the bottom of the revolving basket.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the valve which has hitherto been
employed in such machines, and which requires to be opened in order to discharge
the sugar or other solid material.
In carrying out my invention I make the opening in the bottom of the revolving
basket equal or almost equal in diameter to that of the opening in the top of the
basket, and I make the bottom slope down from the side to the lip of this opening
at such an angle that when the basket is at rest the sugar or other solid material
will not lie on its surface but will fall out through the opening. The angle must
therefore be greater than the angle of repose of the material which is to be dried
in the centrifugal. This opening may extend to the spindle, and the basket may
be connected by radial rods to the spindle, or it may be an annular ring sufficiently
wide to allow the sugar or other solid material to fall through. Attached to
spindle and some distance from the bottom I provide a conical surface sloping
downwards from the spindle, on which the raw material. falls. From this conical
surface the material is caused to fly out to the side of the basket by centrifugal
force. This conical surface is fixed at such a height that the solid material shall
form nearly a vertical wall and fill the basket to the openings in the top and
bottom. The conical surface may be a fixed conical surface, or it may be made to
slide up the spindle when required, or it may be like an umbrella and fold up when
the basket is at rest, and fly out and form a conical surface when the basket is
revolving. This conical surface serves to direct the raw material outwards while
it is being run into the machine--the machine being in motion-and prevents it
falling down to the opening in the bottom; but when the basket stops the dried
sugar or other material falls down the inclined bottom of the basket and out.
through the opening.
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Dated this 2nd day of March 1894.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.

page_text: I, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson Laidlaw & Co. of 98 Dundas Street,
South, Glasgow, 'North Britain, Engineers, 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 :-
My invention relates to that class of centrifugal machines which are driven from
above and wherein the dried material is discharged through an annular opening in
the bottom of the revolving basket.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the valve or cover which has
hitherto been employed in such machines and which requires to be raised in order
to discharge the sugar or other solid material.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawings on both figures
of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a centrifugal machine; and Figure 2 is a similar
view of a somewhat modified form of a machine made in accordance with and
constituting my invention.
I
In carrying out my invention I make the opening a in the bottom 6 of the
revolving basket A equal, or as nearly equal as working conditions will admit-in
diameter to that of the opening c in the top of the. said. basket A, and I make the
bottom slope down from the side, as well as from the centre of the basket A to the
lips d of this opening a at such an angle that when the said basket A is at rest,
the sugar or other solid material will not lie on its inclined surfaces but will fall
out through the said, openings, a. The angle must therefore, be greater than the
angle of repose of the material. which is to be dried in the centrifugal. This
opening may extend to the spindle; in which case the basket will be connected by
radial arms to the spindle é, or it may be an annular ring sufficiently wide to allow
the sugar or other dried material to fall through: Attached to spindle e and some
distance from the bottom, I provide a conical surface E sloping downwards.or
upwards from the spindle e on which the raw material falls, as seen more
particularly in Figure 1; or instead of the conical surface E the surface
may be a
level or flat surface as shown in Figure 2. From the said conical or flat surface E
the material is caused to fly out to the side of the basket by centrifugal force..
The said conical or flat surface E is fixed at such a height that the solid and liquid,
or semi-liquid material to be dried will form nearly a vertical. wall and fill the
basket A to the openings a and c in the top and bottom.. The conical or flat
surface may be a fixed conical or flat surface, or it may be made to slide up the
spindle when required, or it may be like an umbrella and fold up when the basket
is at rest; and Hy out and form a conical or flat surface when the basket is
revolving. This conical or flat surface serves to direct the raw material outwards
while it is being run into the machine-the machine being in motion-and prevents
it falling down to the opening a in the bottom b, but when the basket stops.the
dried sugar or other material falls down the inclined bottom of the basket and out
through the opening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said, inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that I am
aware of the Specifications of Letters Patent Nos. 1936 & 1937 of 1883 granted
to Alfred George Brookes, and I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
anything described and claimed therein, but what I claim is :-
The improvements in that class of centrifugal machines which are suspended and
driven from above and have the dried material discharged through a central

page_text: opening in the bottom of the basket, consisting of a basket without valve or cover
in the bottom discharge opening, and a flat or conical surface attached to the
spindle at some distance from the bottom, substantially as described and illustrated
on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Dated this 24th day of November 1894.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.