NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION DRAINING MACHINES DRYING SUGAR AND OF CENTRIFUGAL SUBSTANCES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and Robert Lafferty,
of the City of Gloucester, in the County of Camden, State of New
Jersey, and United States of America, Sugar Refiners, for the
Invention of "NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
DRAINING MACHINES
DRYING SUGAR AND
OF CENTRIFUGAL
SUBSTANCES."
FOR
OTHER
Sealed the 26th January 1872, and dated the 8th December 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Hugh Walbridge Lafferty
and Robert Lafferty at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition and Declaration, on the 8th December 1871,
pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act,
1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HUGH
WALBRIDGE LAFFERTY and ROBERT LAFFERTY, of the City of Gloucester,
in the County of Camden, State of New Jersey, and United States of
America, Sugar Refiners, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CENTRIFUGAL DRAINING MACHINES
FOR DRYING SUGAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," and have petitioned Her Majesty
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 true and first Inventors thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and
Robert Lafferty, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specifi-
cation, under our hands and scal, fully describes and ascertains the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, in and by the following statement:—
Our Invention relates to the placing of a vertical spindle carrying the
drum or basket of a centrifugal machine upon a lever or other movable
support for the purpose of obtaining a movement of the spindle in the
line of its axis, and in the combination with said spindle,―
First. Of a suitable friction surface, to bear against a counterpart
fixed surface in the casing of the machine to serve as a brake.
And, second. Of a friction cone to engage a friction pulley connected
with the motive power of the machine, said brakes and pulleys being so
arranged as that by a vertical movement of the spindle the brakes may
be removed or applied, and the friction pulley driving the spindle be
simultaneously connected or disconnected.
The object attained by these improvements is the production of a.
compact, complete, centrifugal draining machine, so constructed as that
when finished ready for transportation it is in condition for immediate
use upon being secured in position without requiring any fitting up.
other than the mere connection of a driving belt to the pulley, and
which shall also be free from jar or vibration, quick in its action, and
under ready control.
A, A, is the outer casing of the machine; it differs in no essential
particular from the old style of casing found in machines now in use,
although we do not require a foundation of brick or stone therefor,
but are enabled from the improved construction of the machine to
place it and operate it upon an ordinary solid floor. R is a corrugated
drum or basket of the usual form and construction, which is attached
to and supported by an upright steel spindle D. This spindle passes
down centrally through an enlarged opening in the casing and ter-
minates in a centre point e, which rests and revolves upon a steel step
in a cup-shaped block G resting upon the arm of a lever F which passes
through a slot in said block, and whose fulcrum is fixed upon a cross
bar H attached and secured to the feet of the casing. L is a hollow
shaft or stud bolted to the under side of the casing immediately in
the centre thereof, so as to enoircle and form a continuation of the
opening therein, and through which, as has been described, the spindle

page_text: D passes.
M is the hub and M¹ the face of a friction pulley running
freely upon the hollow shaft L. This pulley bears up against a
shoulder and is kept in its place by a nut m screwing upon the
lower end of said shaft. The upper face or top of the nut m is made
hollow to serve as an oil cup for lubricating the lower end or face of
the hub M of the pulley. The outer face M' of the pulley is formed to
receive and carry the belt communicating motion from a main driving
sliaft. Its inner face forms a conical seat to receive a counterpart
cone N fixed to the spindle D below the hollow shaft L, and made
hollow to enclose the end of the latter and project up into the pulley M,
as illustrated in the Drawing. This cone N of the friction pulley is
secured to the spindle by means of a nut O screwed upon its lower end,
and the contact of the cone with the friction pulley to engage the same
and be carried thereby, is produced by an upward movement of the
spindle. It will be observed that by removing the nut O the spindle
may be lifted entirely out from the machine, and that the friction cone N
of the pulley M may be thus released and withdrawn when required.
I is a brass box or bushing encircled by a thick washer or packing K
of india-rubber or other elastic material, and secured centrally in the
top of the upwardly projecting portion C, forming the centre of the
bottom of the casing A, the elastic washer K being interposed between
the box I and its seat in the casing. The upper end of the spindle
passes freely through this box I, which serves to counteract the lateral
vibratory motion that would otherwise be communicated to the casing,
by the drum when the machine is first started. T, T, are layers or blocks
of wood encircling the central projection C of the bottom of the casing.
These wooden blocks or layers form an exterior cone, the counterpart
of the conical cavity formed by the elevation of the centre of the drum,
as illustrated in the Drawing, so that the two when brought together
shall closely approximate and fit one upon the other. The approximation
of the two surfaces serves to produce the friction required to retard and
stop the revolution of the spindle and drum of the machine; this
approximation being obtained by lowering the spindle and its attached.
drum so far as may be required.
As the brake and the friction cone
are both fixed to the spindle it is evident that the lowering of the spindle
to disengage the cone from the driving pulley will simultaneously bring
the brake into operation, and contrariwise the release of the brake will
be simultaneous with the connection of the spindle to its motive power.
Instead of forming the lower cone of the brake of wood, as above

page_text: described, the projection C of the casing may be made conical, so
as to be the counterpart of the conical centre of the bottom of the
drum, and wooden strips may then be secured at intervals upon either
of the surfaces to produce requisite friction when the surfaces are
approximated. To place the movements of the spindle and drum
under ready control, and facilitate the starting and stopping of the
machines, the lever F, upon which the spindle D is stepped and
pivoted, is connected by means of a rod U with a cam or eccentric
wheel V secured to the side of the casing within easy reach of the
operator. As by raising the spindle to its highest point and forcing
the friction cone into closest contact with the driving pulley M, the
pulley is forced upon its shaft with undue pressure against the offset
or shoulder r, which limits its play upon said shaft, we contemplate so
placing the stop, limiting the revolution of the eccentric V, as that after
the eccentric shall have reached its extreme or dead point and forced up
the spindle to the utmost, it may pass beyond it slightly, and thus allow
the spindle to drop back sufficiently to relieve the driving pulley from
pressure without disengaging the cone. The pulley M¹ is driven by a
single belt W from the main line of shafting, instead of by a counter-
shaft and two belts, as in other styles of centrifugal machines. This
belt is alternately tightened or loosened as the machine is started or
stopped by means of idle pulleys Y, Y, placed in a frame X, made
to slide horizontally in ways on arms or brackets secured to the
casing of the machine at a point immediately opposite to the eccentric
operating the lever. This frame X is connected by a horizontal ad-
justable extensible rod or link to an upwardly bent arm F¹ of the lever
on the opposite side of its fulcrum H from that on which the spindle
rests (as fully illustrated in the Drawing), so that the movement of the
lever to lower the spindle in stopping the machine will draw tlie frame X
inwards toward the friction pulley M, and thus loosen the belt, passing
over the idle pulleys Y, Y, and vice versa.
The operation of our machine is easily understood by reference to
the Drawing.
As the drum R rests upon the spindle D, the spindle D upon the step
block G, and the step block G upon the lever F, when the lever is
lowered by a movement of the cam or eccentric V in front of the
casing, the spindle is lowered and with it the drum, so that the concave
or inner surface of the cone in the centre of the drum comes into
contact with and bears upon the convex surface of the cone T, C, in the

page_text: centre of the casing, thereby forming by the weight of the drum and
its load a noiseless, powerful, self-acting brake, requiring the exertion
of no bodily force on the part of the operator. The wooden surface T
of the cone C serves to increase the friction in the brake. The friction
cone N being made fast to the spindle is lowered when the spindle is
lowered, and is thereby withdrawn from the..friction pulley M, so as to
wholly disconnect the drum and spindle from the motive power simul-
taneously with the application of the brake. At the same time the
movement of the lever F, by which the spindle is lowered operates,
through its bent arm F¹ to draw inward the sliding frame X, carrying
the idle pulleys Y, Y, thereby slackening the driving belt during the
time that the machine is not in use. It is to be understood however
that while the machine is stopped and the driving belt is slackened,. as
set forth, that there is nevertheless sufficient tension maintained on said
belt to keep the pulley running, so that although the belt is relieved.
from. strain it is not subjected to damage by friction in dragging over
the face of the pulley. By a reverse movement of the cam V the
lever F is raised, carrying with it the spindle D, which simultaneously
lifts the centre of the drum off of the brake T, C, in the centre of the
casing A, and forces the friction cone N into contact with the friction
pulley M, whilst the idle pulley frame is at the same instant pushed
out, and the belt tightened, so that the machine is at once started.
The movement of the cam V to accomplish these results is produced
with great ease, and the entire machine is thus readily controlled by
simply turning the crank handle operating said cam. It will be observed.
that when the machine is first started the spindle is kept in an upright
position by means of the box I and its elastic bushing K until the drum
has attained its appointed speed and its load has become equalized; but
so soon as this is accomplished the spindle in its rapid rotation will
stand vertically and spin upon its centre point, like a boy's top, entirely
independent of any support or bearing at its upper end. The drum
and spindle in this machine are not pulled out of a perpendicular line
to one side by the belt, as is the case with other machines, causing their
bearings to wear unequally or upon one side, for the strain of the belt
is received by the fixed hollow shaft or stud L, upon which the friction
pulley M runs and although said hollow shaft encircles the spindle
(and is in turn itself encircled by the hub of the friction pulley), yet
as it does not touch the spindle and there is no connection between
the belt and spindle, except by and through the friction cone, the

page_text: We claim as new and as of our Invention,―
1. Placing the vertical spindle carrying the drum or basket of a
centrifugal draining machine upon a movable support to obtain a
movement of the spindle in the line of its axis, substantially as herein.
set forth.
2. The combination in a centrifugal machine of a friction surface
upon its drum with a counterpart friction surface upon its casing when
said friction surfaces are brought together or separated by a movement of
the spindle in the line of its axis, substantially as herein set forth.
3. A friction conc N secured to, the movable spindle D carrying the
drum or basket B of a centrifugal machine in combination with a
friction pulley M revolving upon a fixed hollow shaft encircling said
spindle, but wholly disconnected therefrom, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Hugh Walbridge Lafferty and
Robert Lafferty, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
HUGH WALBRIDGE LAFFERTY.
ROBERT LAFFERTY.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
Declared and subscribed at the British
Consulate, Philadelphia, United States,
by the above-named Hugh Walbridge
Lafferty and Robert Lafferty, this
Fifteenth day of November. A.D. 1871.