Improvements in Centrifugal Separators.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Separators.
I, CARL ALRIK HULT, of 14, Carlavägen, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to centrifugal separators, the drums of which have their
axis located in a horizontal plane. In such centrifugal apparatus as hitherto
constructed, the centrifugal action has been effected by the rotatory motion of the
apparatus upon its horizontal axis.
According to my invention not only is a rotatory motion imparted to the drum
upon its horizontal shaft, but it also has a rotary motion given to it upon a vertical
shaft.
•
The apparatus is constructed of arms or frames projecting from a vertical shaft
put in rotatory motion in any suitable manner, these arms or frames being fixed one
on each side of the said shaft and holding horizontal centrifugal drums secured to a
common shaft and put in motion by a disc or tyre fixed on one of the drums; or
the shaft is caused to run on a circular track surrounding the vertical shaft with
the view of securing a sufficient rotatory speed of the drums with a comparatively
slow revolution of the vertical shaft and, by the influence of the double centrifugal
force acting in opposite directions of causing the cream to gather in a concentrated
mass at a comparatively great distance from the skimmed milk.
In the centrifugal drums I arrange discs placed upon a central pipe or other
central part, the said discs being located in planes perpendicular to the rotatory shaft
of the drums, for the purpose of facilitating the separation of the cream and the
milk into different routes in the liquid mass by dividing the liquid contained in a
drum into layers.
Dated the 25th day of April 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Separators.
J, CARL ALRIK HULT, of 14, Carlavägen Stockholm, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, Engineer, 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 :—
This invention relates to centrifugal separators, the drums of which have their
axis located in a horizontal plane. In such centrifugal apparatus as hitherto
constructed, the centrifugal action has been effected by the rotatory motion of the
apparatus upon its horizontal axis.
According to my invention not only is a rotatory motion imparted to the drum
upon its horizontal shaft, but it also has a rotary motion given to it upon a vertical
shaft.
.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can he
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a centrifugal separator constructed according to
my invention.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 are views of parts of the separator detached, Figure 3 being
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
A is a support in which two centrifugal drums B are located. These drums are
fixed on a common horizontal shaft C journalled in a frame D. This frame is at
its middle fixed on and supported by the end of a vertical shaft E journalled in the
support A, which shaft can be caused to rotate by another shaft F, (likewise
journalled in the support A) by means of a gearing G, H. In the support A below
the drums is a platform I provided on the top with a circular track K, over which
runs a flanged disc or tyre L fixed on the outer end of one of the drums as shewn,
or on the shaft C. In order that the tyre may always rest upon the track K the
end of the shaft C supporting the drum provided with the tyre runs in a bearing
sliding in a vertical slot in the frame D, so that the end of the shaft can move up
and down and the drum thus rest upon the said track with its entire weight. The
opposite end of the shaft C is on the contrary journalled in the frame D, so that
this latter will support this end of the shaft. Between the two drums B and
centrally above the vertical shaft E the frame is provided with a vessel M, having
at its bottom two pipes N projecting in opposite directions one towards each drum.
Above this vessel and the two drums there is a reservoir O placed upon the
support A and having in its bottom an outlet P located above the vessel M. Upon
the inner side of the support A and at about on a level with the drums are two
surrounding troughs R placed one above the other and serving to receive the milk
and the cream discharged from the drums.
The two drums being alike in construction it is only necessary to describe one of
them. It consists of a cylinder 1 having one of its ends 2 projecting inwards, the
other end 3 being a kind of cover the joint between which and the cylinder is made
air-tight by means of suitable packing. Each end is provided with a central
opening corresponding to the shaft C, and surrounded with a flange directed towards
the inside of the cylinder and fitting tightly upon the shaft. The part of the shaft C
where the end 3 is placed is somewhat conical and the aforesaid flange of the end 3
is correspondingly shaped. The end of the shaft C protrudes from the end 2 of the
cylinder where it is threaded and provided with a nut (see Figure 3) so that when
the nut is tightened, the whole drum will be forced along the shaft, and the end 3
pushed tight upon the conical part of the shaft, in consequence of which the whole
drum will be secured firmly to the shaft and the end 3 will be perfectly tight
against the rim of the cylinder. The end 3 is further provided with a chamber 4
(Figure 2) surrounding the shaft and extending inside of the cylinder in a direction
towards its circumference. Towards the end 3 the chamber 4 is open but the
bottom or part within the cylinder is provided with a number of holes 5. The
pipes N projecting from the vessel M have their mouths directed so as to be
located in the open part of the chamber 4 in the end 3 of the cylinder.
On the shaft C inside the cylinder is a tube 6 extending almost the whole length
of the cylinder. This tube is of a somewhat larger inner diameter than the
diameter of the shaft and is fixed to the flange which embraces the shaft and
projects inwards from the end 2 of the cylinder. In the shaft C near the inner edge
of this flange are holes 7 extending from the periphery of the shaft to a central
hole 8 bored from the end of the shaft. Near the outer end of the shaft is a
longitudinal groove 9 extending from within the cylinder to the outside thereof. At
the inner end of the groove 9 a hole 10 is made in the flange of the end 2 such hole
communicating with a tube 11 fixed to the end 2 and extending nearly to the
periphery of the cylinder. At or near the outer end of the groove 9 another
hole 12 is made in part of the said flange, projecting outside the end 2 of the
cylinder, against which part the nut upon the shaft bears. The holes 10 and 12
are thus arranged so that both may at the same time be in communication with
the groove 9. The frame is provided with an annular vessel 13 which surrounds' the
shaft and reaches over the flange outside of the end 2 of the cylinder so that the
hole 12 is located inside the vessel 13. This vessel 13 is at its lower part provided

page_text: with a discharge pipe 14. The tube 6 mounted upon the shaft is provided with a
number of discs 15 perpendicular to the pipe and united to the same (see Figures 3
and 4). These discs are of somewhat smaller diameter than that of the interior of
the cylinder and all are united by means of radial wings 16 (Figures 3 and 4)
secured to the tube 6. Each disc is at the circumference of the hole for the pipe 6
provided with a number of small notches or cuts 17.
The operation of my centrifugal separator is as follows:-By turning the shaft F
the shaft E is rotated by means of the gearing G H. The frame D partakes of
the rotary motion of the shaft E thereby causing the drums B journalled in the
frame to swing round with the frame, the drums owing to the flanged tyre L
bearing on the track K having a revolving motion upon their shaft and thus having
a double motion imparted to them. As soon as the requisite speed has been
attained, the milk required to be separated is let out from the reservoir O into the
vessel M fixed to the frame D and partaking of the rotatory motion of the same.
From this vessel the milk is thrown out through the pipes N by which it enters the
chambers 4 in the ends 3 of the cylinders, from which chambers however the milk
immediately passes through the holes 5 into the cylinders. The surface of the milk
thus collected in the cylinders will in consequence of the double motion upon the
shafts C and E of course be neither perpendicular to, nor parallel with, the shaft C
but will occupy an inclined position with relation to the cylinder shaft so as to form
cones having the same axis as that of the cylinder shaft and their bases at the ends 3
of the cylinders. The cream will thus accumulate next to these cones, the surfaces
of which when feeding in the milk will approach the ends 3 until they reach the
ends of the tubes 6 which are directed towards the cylinder ends 3 and then stop
there. The cream will now pass through the space between the tubes 6 and the
shaft C and out through the holes 7 and 8 to the ends of the shaft. The skim milk
on the other hand gathers towards the bottoms of the cylinders the poorest being in
the corners between the bottoms and the walls of the cylinders whence it is led off
through the tubes 11, the holes 10, the grooves 9 and the holes 12 into the
vessels 13, from which it passes out through the discharge pipes 14. The passage
through the grooves 9 can be regulated by turning the cylinders in either direction
on their shaft, so that the holes 10 and 12 may be brought more or less in com-
munication with the groove 9. The cream as it streams out from the holes 8 is
collected in the upper trough R and the skim milk, as it passes out from the
pipes 14 is collected in the lower trough. From these troughs the milk and the
cream are led off through the pipes S.
While the milk and the cream are separating in the drums during which action
the cream is tending to move towards the ends 3 of the cylinders and the milk
towards the ends and both in a direction perpendicular to the conical surfaces of
the liquid turned towards the ends 3 the cream globules will follow those surfaces
of the discs 15 which are turned from the ends 3 inwards to the centres of the
cylinders and pass through the notches or cuts 17 to the surface of the cream and
the milk globules will follow the opposite surfaces of the discs outwards to the
cylinder walls and ends 2. The milk and the cream will by this means be
perfectly separated, and the cream will therefore be of a very superior quality.
A particular advantage obtained by this construction of centrifugal apparatus
consists in the arrangement for the transmission of the motion. In ordinary
centrifugal separators the gear wheel, which puts the drum in rotation, corresponds
to the stationary track K of this apparatus. In such centrifugal apparatus the
large gear wheel has therefore to be put in motion while the revolving shaft is
secured. Here the reverse is the case, that is to say, the track (the large gear
wheel) is stationary and the revolving shaft is movable. Owing to the revolving
shaft being thus rendered movable in lieu of the part which puts it in rotation the
centrifugal force which has heretofore been wasted in the large gear wheel, has
here been utilized in a practical way, having been changed into what may be called
skimming capacity.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A centrifugal separator consisting of arms or frames projecting from a vertical
shaft put in rotatory motion in any suitable manner, these arms or frames being 6
fixed one on each side of the said shaft and holding horizontal centrifugal drums
secured to a common shaft and put in motion by a disc or tyre fixed on one of the
drums, or on the shaft, and running on a circular track surrounding the vertical
shaft with the view of securing a sufficient rotatory speed of the drums with a
comparatively slow revolution of the vertical shaft and, by the influence of the 1
double centrifugal force acting in opposite directions, of causing the cream to
gather in a concentrated mass at a comparatively great distance from the skimmed
milk, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a centrifugal separator such as is claimed in Claim 1 the arrangement in
the centrifugal drums, of discs placed upon a central tube or other central part, the 1
said discs being located in planes perpendicular to the rotatory shaft of the drums,
for the purpose of facilitating the separation of the cream and the milk into
different routes in the liquid mass by dividing the liquid contained in a drum into
layers, substantially as herein before described.
3. The improved centrifugal separator hereinbefore described aud illustrated in a
the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 25th day of January 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.