Improvements in or appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or Dressing Machines, especially applicable to the Separating or Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct. 1801
TROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or
Dressing Machines, especially applicable to the Separating or
Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
I JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32 Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:--
This invention relates to centrifugal separating or dressing machines, and more
5 especially to machines of this description such as are now commonly used for the
separating or dressing of flour, middlings, semolina, grain, seeds or other dry
granular or pulverulent material, the principal object of the invention being broadly
to so improve the construction of such machines-and especially that type of
machine set forth in my Patent Specification No. 6370-that the material under
treatment may be separated or dressed more rapidly and thoroughly than hereto-
fore. The above type of machine, to which my present invention is more especially
applicable, may be briefly described as follows:
A cylindrical or polygonal casing of wire or silk gauze or the like, placed
horizontally or nearly so and revolving at a comparatively slow rate, is provided
internally with a series of rapidly revolving beaters. The latter are attached by
suitable means to carriers mounted on a shaft whose axis is concentric with that of
the casing. The casing generally revolves in the same direction as the carriers, but
at a slower speed. The beaters are generally flat blades fixed at an angle to the
axis of the cylinder and with their beating surfaces set at an angle to a line drawn
tangentially to the casing for the purpose of driving the material to be dressed
against the inside of the gauze covering of the casing in such a manner that the
small particles may be driven through the meshes of the gauze and the large
particles denuded of adhering particles of finer material. The casing is provided
at one end with a suitable feed orifice, and at the other end with a suitable d
orifice to allow the large particles to escape. A deflecting strip or plate is mounted
e discharge
in advance of the forward face of each of the beaters and partakes of the rotary
movement of the same.
heaters, and the forward edge of each deflector is so located that it travels approxi-
The deflecting strips extend the entire length of the
mately in the same circular path as the outer edge of the beater. The rear and
inner edge of each deflector is located at a greater distance from the surface of the
casing than the front edge of the deflector and the outer edge of its corresponding
beater. The forward edge of each deflector is bevelled so as to present a knife
edge to the material towards which it travels.
Reflector is thus inclined to the forward face of its beater, forming a re-entering
The inner or forward face of each
ngle therewith, and the inner rear edge of the deflector is placed at a suitable
listance from the said forward face, so that the narrow cnd of the trough-shaped
pace between the two forward faces opens out towards the surface of the casing.
As the beaters revolve, particles, which would, in the absence of the deflectors,
aye been prevented-by centrifugal force and it may be also by gravity-from
oming into direct contact with the beaters, are caught up by the deflectors-the
orward narrow edges of which are some distance in advance of the faces of their
espective beaters and offer little resistance in passing through the air-and the
id particles are forced, by the rapid motion of the deflectors through the air, to
avel along the inner or forward faces of said deflectors.
the inner rear edges of the deflectors, such particles are thrown by centrifugal
On reaching the openings
ree (heing also assisted, it may be, by gravity) towards the surface of the casing,
t, before they have time to get clear out of the path of their respective bastame
5

page_text: they receive a direct blow or impact from the latter and are hurled against the said
surface with greater force than would have been the case had the deflectors not
been used. The beaters are placed at such an angle that the material is thrown off
them in lines approximately perpendicular to the surface of the casing.
I have found that a machine such as above described, and patented by me (under
No. 63709) obviates, to a great extent, the tendency which the centrifugal action of
the ordinary beaters (combined with gravity, has to cause the material to accumu-
late on the sides and lower portions of the casing, as the combined beater and
deflector will pick up any particles hovering at a short distance from the surface of
the casing, and, having picked them up, will hurl them, by direct blows or impacts,
with an accelerated velocity towards said surface. The increased number of direct
impacts between the beaters and the particles of material had the effect of producing
a more perfect dressing or separation of the material under treatment all over the
casing surface, so that I was enabled to use a finer gauze covering on the casing
surface while dressing a given amount of material in the same time, or to use the
same covering and dress a greater amount in the same time.
The above describes briefly my former invention as patented under No. 6370º,
and indicates how I then obtained the impact effect with the beaters.
In making further experiments with the above machine, however, I have
discovered that there are several points in which it may be improved: Firstly,
with a view of obtaining a maximum efficiency of the impact action. Secondly,
for the purpose of obtaining a better separation and removal of the lighter material
from the heavier material contained in the feed going to the machine. Thirdly
with a view to lessening the cost of construction: and Fourthly, with a view to
cause the material to travel quicker lengthwise through the machine. On the basis
of the information thus obtained, I have elaborated the following improvements,
which form the subject matter of the present application.
Generally speaking, in order to obtain the maximum benefit of the impact effect
it is necessary to so proportion the deflectors and beaters in relation to their rate
of revolution that any particle-(which has left the inner rear edge of the deflector
and which owing to the forces naturally operating on such particle under the
circumstances is caused to move in a direction towards the inner face of the cylinder)-
shall be struck by the beater at or near the extreme outer edge of the beater.
In order that the particles shall be so struck with maximum effect by the beaters,
it is necessary to have the deflectors so located that their rear edges shall be only a
very little nearer to the axis of rotation than their forward edges and the outer
edges of the beaters. Also the distance of the inner rear edge of the deflector
from the forward face of its contiguous beater must be proportionate to the speed
at which the deflector and its beater are caused to revolve. Also the forward face
of the beater should be set at such an angle as to cause the particle (after impact
with the beater) to strike the inner surface of the cylinder as near as possible at
right angles thereto.
To more efficiently separate the lighter particles from the heavier particles when
the machine is being employed for treating mixed material, consisting of particles
of the same size but of different specific gravity, it is very desirable to force the
heavier particles through the meshes of the cylinder, and at the same time to cause
as large a proportion as possible of the lighter particles to be separated and removed
by the action of the beaters.
Now it is well known that in dressing machines of the type to which these
improvements are applicable, the material being operated upon, is in a state of
agitation as it is driven upon the inner surface of the cylinder and that the heavier
particles by reason of their greater comparative momentum tend to keep closer to
such inner surface than is the case with the lighter particles.
In other words the bulk of the heavier particles are in agitation near the inner
surface of the cylinder while the lighter particles are forced to take up a position
nearer the axis of the cylinder.
To accomplish the separation of a proportion of these lighter particles I form a

page_text: single beater with an external face and deflector as above described, also a single
beater with an internal face and deflector. I preferably set these combined beaters
and deflectors alternately with each other, or I make a double beater with two
deflectors. In either case the action is to drive the heavier particles by means of
5 impact against the cylinder and to drive the lighter particles by means of impact
towards the axis of the cylinder. Also I accomplish the removal of the larger and
heavier particles which cannot be driven through the meshes of the covering, and
the removal of the lighter particles aforesaid by arranging the beaters in a spiral
direction as is well understood by millers, or 1 place the beaters and deflectors
parallel or nearly parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and I place vanes between
the deflectors and the beaters in a spiral manner, as hereinafter described, to propel
the material in the desired direction and at the desired rate while such material is
in the act of passing between the deflector and the beater and preferably before
such material is struck by the beater. By these means the lighter particles are
assisted in accumulating as far as possible away from the inner surface of the
cylinder and by the action of the spiral vanes they, together with the larger particles
aforesaid, are more rapidly discharged through the discharge orifice.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, I form each of my deflectors
preferably with a wedge-shaped cross-section, and I make then in duplicate of cast
metal and arrange them in such manner that the outer face of each deflector is
placed coincident, or almost coincident with the circular path taken by the forward
or knife edge of the deflector, the forward or inner face of the same having only
just, so much inclination as will be given to it by the tapered form of the wedge.
The heel of the wedge is also, by preference, rounded off at its inner edge. I am
thus enabled to pick up the particles from the surface of the casing with as great
facility as in my original machine which was constructed of wrought metal, and I
am, by making the above parts in duplicate castings, enabled to produce the machine
more cheaply.
I have found also, when working with the machine as originally constructed, that
although the quality of the dressing was excellent, the material took too long to
travel from end to end of the machine, and that thereby the material was too long
under action. It is also difficult and costly to produce the deflectors and beaters
when made of a spiral form.
To overcome these difficulties I now propose to make the deflectors and beaters
parallel or nearly parallel to the axis of the cylinder and to introduce between each
deflector and its adjacent beater, a series of transverse vanes or diaphragms located
at suitable intervals in its length and having such an inclination with respect to the
plane of revolution of the machine, that they shall act as a worm and shall cause
the material to travel more rapidly along the machine in the direction of the length
of the cylinder.
Adjacent to the rear or inoperative faces of these vanes, I also propose to place
other vanes or diaphragms, making an angle therewith, and having their edges
meeting at or about the forward edge of the deflectors, or I make single vanes of a
vedge shape. It will thus be seen that one of the first named vanes and the
additional vane opposite its working face or the single wedge shaped vane, form in
conjunction with the parts of the adjacent beater and deflector (or two opposing
leflectors) which lie between them, a short tapering trough, funnel or nozzle having
ll four sides converging, the wide end of the nozzle so formed facing forward and
s rear narrow end opening outwards towards the face of the beater. Thus I
btain a condensed condition of the air and particles in the narrow end of the nozzle
haped spaces, so that heavier and lighter particles will be driven with greater
ffect by the direct impact of the beaters against the cylinder and towards the axis
E the cylinder respectively.
The above improved beaters may be constructed in several ways. One way
hich I prefer for dealing with coarse heavy materials, as tending to reduce the
st of the machine, is to string a series of carriers on to the beater shaft and to
rnish each of the said carriers at equidistant points on its circumference with one

page_text: or a group of two or more of the above described deflectors, vanes, funnels, nozzles
or beaters. The latter may be cast or formed in one with the carriers or may be
attached thereto in any suitable manner. Also, the groups on one carrier may be
placed either in line with, or in advance of, the corresponding groups on the
adjacent carriers. Or, instead of this arrangement, when dealing with fine light
materials, I may cast or form one entire length of single or double external or
internal beaters, deflectors and vanes (forming funnels or nozzles) in one piece and
secure them in any suitable manner to two or more carriers fixed at convenient
points on the shaft. Also the form of the transverse section of the deflector may
be either parallel or wedge shaped or a combination of both these forms.
It will be obvious that there are many ways of constructing my improved beaters,
but the above will serve to illustrate the scope of my invention.
Dated this 12th day of November 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or
Dressing Machines, especially applicable to the Separating or
Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32, Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to centrifugal separating or dressing machines, and more
especially to machines of this description such as are now commonly used for the
separating or dressing of flour, middlings, semolina, grain, seeds or other dry
granular or pulverulent material, the principal object of the invention being broadly
to so improve the construction of such machines and especially that type of
machine set forth in my Patent Specification No. 6370-that the material under
treatment may be separated or dressed more rapidly and thoroughly than hereto-
fore. The above type of machine, to which my present invention is more
especially applicable, may be briefly described as follows, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings, which also illustrate the improvements forming the
present invention.
In the drawings:-
Figures 1,
beater.
and 3 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the improved
Figure 4 is a transverse section of a duplicated form of the beater.
Figure 5 is a section on the lineæa, Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a transverse section illustrating a cheaper method of construction as
applied both to the single and duplicated form of beater.
Figures 7 and 8 are side elevation and plan respectively of the form of beater
shown in the upper part of Figure 6.
Figures 9 and 10 are section and side elevation respectively illustrating a
modified construction.
A, is a cylindrical or polygonal casing of wire or silk gauze or the like placed
horizontally or nearly so, and revolving at a comparatively slow rate. It is
provided internally with a series of rapidly revolving beaters B, which are attached
by suitable means to carriers C mounted on a shaft D, whose axis is concentric
with that of the casing. The casing generally revolves in the same direction as
the carriers, but at a slower speed. The beaters B are generally flat blades
fixed, as regards their length, at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, but, in the
drawing, they are shown parallel with the axis for a reason hereinafter described.
Their beating surfaces bare set at an angle (usually about 45°) to a line drawn

page_text: tangentially to the casing, for the purpose of driving the material to be dressed
against the inside of the gauze covered casing in such a manner that the small
particles may be driven through the meshes of the gauze and the large particles
denuded of adhering particles of finer material. The casing is provided, at one
5 end, with a suitable feed orifice, and, at the other end, with a suitable discharge
orifice to allow the large particles to escape. A deflecting strip or plate E (herein-
after called a deflector ") is mounted in advance of each beater and partakes of the
rotary movement of the same. The deflectors extend the entire length of the beaters,
and the forward edge e of each deflector is so located that it travels approximately
in the same circular path as the outer edge of the beater. The rear inner
edge e of each deflector is located at a greater distance from the surface of the
casing than the front edge e of the deflector and the outer edge of its corre-
sponding beater. The forward edge of each deflector is comparatively narrow, or it
may be bevelled so as to present a knife edge to the material towards which it
travels. The inner or forward face e² of each deflector is thus inclined to the
forward face of its beater, forming a re-entering angle therewith, and the inner
rear edge of the deflector is placed at a suitable distance from the said forward
face b, so that the narrow end of the trough-shaped space between the two forward
faces opens out towards the surface of the casing.
The impact action of the beaters and deflectors may be understood by reference
to Figures 1, 2 and 3, which show, in a graphic manner, the various operations to
which a particle is subjected. Z, Figure 1, is a particle supposed to be hovering
near the surface of the casing. Under ordinary circumstances, in the absence of
deflectors, such a particle would have been prevented from coming into direct
contact with the surface of the beater B, as the action of the rapidly revolving
beaters and the centrifugal force of the air moving with them-assisted also, it may
be, by gravity is such as to cause the material to accumulate on the sides and
lower portions of the casing, with the result that, speaking generally, the beaters
only act upon the material with their tips, driving the particles against the casing
at a very obtuse angle so that a large portion of the material is only imperfectly
treated.
When, however, there is employed a deflector such as E, which, by reason of
its form and position, offers comparatively little resistance in passing through the
air, such deflector catches up the particle % before it has come within the repelling
or disturbing influence of the advancing beater. The deflector tends to carry the
particle forward with it as it travels round a circular path 1-1, concentric with
the machine axis. The inrush of air between the deflector and its beater, however,
imparts to the particle a movement in the reverse direction, as shown by the
arrow 6, so that its resultant forward movement is relatively slower than that of
the deflector. The inclination of the deflector face 2 also causes the particle to be
moved inwards, that is, towards the axis of the machine, and it thus arrives at the
position, Figures 1 and 2. The deflector E, with its greater velocity, now leaves
the particle behind, and the latter, being unsupported, tends, by centrifugal force,
to follow the tangential path -2, Figure 2, towards the surface of the casing.
The force of the air, however, passing out between the deflector and beater-and it
may be, also, the action of gravity-tends to divert the particle more or less from
its tangential path, so that it takes a direction somewhere intermediate to the
tangential path -2, and the radial path :-3, probably along a line 2-4, or there-
abouts. The particle still continues its movement towards the casing, and would,
f not interfered with, strike the casing at the very obtuse angle z-4-7.
t reaches the casing, however, (say, when its position is at ', Figures 2 and 3) the
eater, advancing at a relatively greater speed, strikes the particle and hurls it
gainst the casing, which it strikes with greater force than it would have done were
n ordinary beater arrangement employed. The angle of the beater is also so
djusted that the particle is thrown off it along a line -5, more or less radial to
he casing, as will be readily understood from the drawing.
2
=
Before

page_text: From the foregoing, it will be understood that—
1st. The particles strike the casing in a direction approximately at right angles
theret and not at an obtas angl, as in the case of the old style of beats
2nd. The angle of impart with the casing being smaller, the number of repeated
impacts to which any given particle will be subjected in a given time will be
proportionately large;
3rd. Assuming the speed of the beaters to be the same as in the old style of
machine, the distance which the particles have to travel from the beaters to the
casing being less, the force with which they strike the casing will be proportionately
great;
4th. The deflectors, offering little resistance to the air, catch up the particles,
lead them inwards, and afterwards discharge them in such manner that they are
placed directly in the path of the advancing beaters, and receive a direct blow
from them while in mid air.
It will thus be readily understood how it is that, in a machine constructed as
above described (and patented by me under No. 6370 %), I have been enabled to
obviate, to a great extent, the tendency of the ordinary beaters to cause the material
to accumulate on the sides and lower portions of the casing, and how I have been
enabled to obtain a more perfect dressing or separation of the material under treat-
ment all over the casing surface, so that I could use a finer gauze covering on the
casing surface while dressing a given amount of material in the same time, or use
the same covering and dress a greater amount in the same time.
In making further experiments with the above machine, however, I have discovered
that there are several points in which it may be improved firstly with a view of
obtaining a maximum efficiency of the impact action; secondly, for the purpose of
obtaining a better separation and removal of the lighter material from the heavier
material contained in the feed going to the machine; thirdly, with a view to cause
the material to travel more quickly lengthwise through the machine; and, fourthly,
with a view to lessening the cost of construction. On the basis of the information
thus obtained, I have elaborated the following improvements, which form my present
invention.
Generally speaking, in order to obtain the maximum benefit of the impact effect,
it is necessary to so proportion the deflectors and beaters in relation to their rate of
revolution that any particle which has left the inner rear edge e¹ of the deflector and
which owing to the forces naturally operating as aforesaid on such particle-is
caused to move in a more or less tangential direction towards the inner face of
the casing, shall be struck by the face of the beater at or near its extreme
outer edge.
This will be seen by a glance at Figure 3, for, if a particle be struck by the
beater at a point at or near its extreme edge, it will have a shorter distance
to travel to the casing than if it were struck at a point nearer to the axis of
the casing. Consequently, the effect of the impact against the casing will be
greater.
In the practical construction of the machine, it is necessary, in order that the
particles shall be struck as aforesaid with maximum effect by the beaters, to have
the deflectors E so located that their inner rear edges e' shall be only a very little
nearer to the axis of rotation than their forward edges e and the outer edges of
the beaters. Also the distance of the inner rear edge e¹ of the deflector from the
forward face of its contiguous beater must be proportionate to the speed at
which the deflector and its beater are caused to revolve. Figure 4 shows, in full
size, a good working proportion when operating in flour mills on fine dust and flour
at a speed of 240 to 260 revolutions per minute, with a casing or cylinder 24 inches
in diameter and with 4 beaters in the cylinder. The proportions may vary, however,
for different speeds and for different materials to be treated, the exact proportions
being found in each case by actual experiment.
In any case, in order to obtain the maximum impact effects, the beater must

page_text: strike the particles of material directly with its beating surface, at a point as near
as possible to the casing, and in such a direction that they shall strike the casing
approximately at a right angle. It is not sufficient that the particles be simply
blown outwards towards the casing by the inrush of air between the deflector and
5 beater. Nor will it even suffice if the particles be delivered upon the beater in
such manner that they slide outwards along its surfaces, or bound along it with
a kind of ricochetting motion. They must receive a direct blow by the face of the
beater at a point as near as possible to its outer edge.
To more efficiently separate the small lighter particles from the small heavier
10 particles when the machine is being employed for treating mixed material, consisting
of small and large heavy particles, and small and large light particles, it is very
desirable to force the small heavy particles through the meshes of the cylinder, and,
at the same time, to cause as large a proportion as possible of the small light
particles to be separated and removed by the action of the beaters through the tail
5 of the machine along with the large particles, both heavy and light.
Now it is well known that, in dressing machines of the type to which these
improvements are applicable, the material being operated upon is in a state of
agitation as it is driven upon the inner surface of the cylinder and that the heavier
particles, by reason of their greater comparative momentum, tend to keep closer
0 to such inner surface than is the case with the lighter particles.
In other words, the bulk of the heavier particles is in agitation near the inner
surface of the cylinder while the lighter particles are forced to take up a position
nearer the axis of the cylinder.
To accomplish the separation of a proportion of these small light particles, I
employ, in conjunction with a beater B having an outwardly-turned face band a
deflector E, as above described, a beater B' with an inwardly-turned face 2 and a
deflector E, the construction and operation of the latter being similar to that
already described with respect to the beater B and deflector E. The beaters and
deflectors B E' may be placed upon their carriers C alternately with the beaters B
and E. I prefer, however, to combine the two, so as to form a duplicate beater
device, as shown in Figures 4 to 10. In either case, the action of the combined
beaters is to drive the small heavier particles by means of direct impact against the
casing A and to drive the small lighter particles by means of direct impact towards
the axis of the cylinder.
When working with the machine as originally constructed, and as set forth in
the former part of this Specification, I have found that, although the quality of the
dressing was excellent, the material took too long to travel from end to end of the
machine, being thus too long under treatment. This difficulty could be overcome
in the well known manner, by making the beaters and deflectors of a slightly spiral
form with respect to their length. The spiral beaters and deflectors being,
however, difficult to make and costly of construction, I prefer to effect the travel of
the material through the machine by placing the beaters and deflectors parallel or
nearly parallel to the axis of the machine, as shown on the drawings, and by
introducing a series of transverse vanes or diaphragms F between each single or
double beater and its respective deflector or deflectors, the vanes being arranged at
suitable intervals in such manner that they shall form parts of a spiral or spirals, of
the required pitch, about the axis of the machine, so that they act as a worm and
ropel the material at the required rate towards the discharge end of the machine,
while such material is in the act of passing between the deflectors and beaters, and
referably before it is struck by the latter.
I am thus enabled, by means of the arrangement of vanes F, beaters B and B
nd their corresponding deflectors E E' as above described, to accomplish the more
apid removal from the machine of the larger particles (both heavy and light)
hich cannot be driven through the meshes of the casing A, and also to assist &
ortion of the small lighter particles, as aforesaid, to accumulate towards the
entral part of the casing away from the inner surface thereof, and to carry such
ghter particles towards the tail of the machine, at which point they are caused to

page_text: be more readily accumulated and are discharged along with the larger particles
aforesaid through the discharge orifice at the tail end of the machine.
Adjacent to the rear or inoperative faces of the vanes F, I also propose to place
other vanes or diaphragms G, making an angle therewith, and having their edges
meeting at or about the forward edgee of the deflectors. Or I make single vanes of a
wedge shape equivalent to the vanes F and G. It will thus be seen that one of the
vanes F and the additional vane G opposite its working face form, in conjunction
with the interlying parts of the adjacent beater and deflector, (or of the two
adjacent opposing beaters and deflectors) a short tapering trough, funnel, nozzle or
compartment, tapering in both dimensions, (that is, having all four sides converging)
the wider end of the nozzle so formed facing forward, and its rear narrower end
opening outwards towards the rear edge of the beater. Thus I obtain a condensed
condition of the air and particles in the narrower ends of the nozzle-shaped spaces,
so that heavier and lighter particles, as aforesaid, will be driven outwards or inwards,
as the case may be, between the beaters and their respective deflectors with an
increased velocity, with the result that the ultimate effect of the direct impact of
the beaters on the particles will be increased.
Figures 4 and 5 show a form of construction suitable for a light machine for
treating light and comparatively soft material such as dunst. The beaters B B¹,
deflectors EE, vanes F G are all formed of strips of light sheet metal secured
together by soldering or otherwise, the vanes being, for this purpose, flanged as
at f' g. The combined beater thus formed is nailed or otherwise secured
to V-shaped laths of wood H, running lengthwise of the machine and fixed upon
lugs C on the carriers (by means of bolts H¹. The latter may be provided with
lock nuts, as shown, and they pass through elongated slots C³ in the said lugs, for
the purpose of permitting the beater to be adjusted with respect to the casing A.
The full-lined arrows in Figures 4 and 5 show the direction of revolution of the
beaters. The dotted arrow (Figure 5) shows the direction in which the material is
fed through the machine by the vanes F.
For treating coarse and heavy materials, however, a stronger and cheaper
construction than the preceding is advisable. For such purpose, I prefer to make
the beaters, deflectors and vanes of cast metal, as shown in Figures 6 to 10.
The deflectors are, in this case, formed of a wedge shape in cross section, and are so
arranged that the outer (that is, the inoperative) face of each deflector is placed
coincident, or almost coincident, with the circular path taken by the forward or
knife edge of the deflector, the forward or working face of the same having only
just so much inclination as will be given to it by the tapered form of the wedge.
The particles are picked up by this form of deflector with as great facility as by the
slighter form shown in Figures 4 and 5.
In the construction shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, a series of carriers C, having, in
this case, four equidistant arms C³, are strung upon the shaft D. Each of the
arms is provided, at its extremity, with any convenient length of the combined
beater, deflector and vane. In the drawing, a length comprising five of the
aforesaid nozzle shaped spaces is shown, such length being cast in one piece with
the arm of the carrier, though it may, if desired, be formed separately and attached
thereto in any suitable manner. The lengths of beater on one carrier may be placed
either in line with, or in advance of, the corresponding lengths on the adjacent
carrier or carriers. In Figure 6, I have, by way of illustration, shown the carrier
provided with both a double beater device (as at the top of the figure) and with a
single beater device (as shown at the left hand of the figure). In the latter case,
the beater B may be conveniently extended forward to the edge of the carrier arm,
as shown.
Or, instead of the preceding arrangement, I may cast one entire length of beater,
(either single or double) with its requisite deflector (or deflectors) and vanes, in one
piece, as seen in Figures 9 and 10, and secure them in any suitable manner, as by
set screws H2 and lugs C', to the arms or peripheries of two or more carriers C
fixed to convenient points of the shaft D.

page_text: It will be obvious that there may be other ways of constructing my improved
beaters in actual practice, but the above will serve to illustrate the scope of my
invention.
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. In a centrifugal separating or dressing machine of the kind described, the
combination of a pair of inclined beaters B B facing in divergent directions
towards the outside and inside respectively of the path of revolution; a pair of
inclined deflectors E E, moving with and mounted in advance of their respective
beaters B B, with their opposing faces converging towards the beaters, and adapted
to pick up the heavier and lighter particles of material hovering, as described, at
different distances from the surface of the casing A, and to lead them separately
into the path of their respective beaters, so that they are driven by the latter in
opposite directions; and a series of transverse vanes located at suitable intervals
between the beaters and their respective deflectors, and arranged in such manner as
to form parts of a spiral or spirals about the axis of revolution, for the purpose of
causing the material to travel towards the tail of the machine, substantially as
described.
2. In a centrifugal separating or dressing machine of the kind described,
the combination, with the outwardly acting beater device described herein and
patented under my Patent No. 6370 %, of an inwardly acting beater device,
substantially as described for the purpose of picking up the lighter portion of the
small particles hovering at a short distance from the casing and causing them to
accumulate towards the axis of the machine at a distance from the casing, so that
they may be discharged at the tail of the machine and prevented from passing
through the casing and mixing with the heavier portion of said small particles,
substantially as described.
3. In a centrifugal separating or dressing machine of the kind described, a series
of funnel shaped compartments tapering in both dimensions and placed in advance
of and moving with the inclined beater or beaters, their larger ends facing in the
direction of revolution and their smaller or rear ends opening out in front of the
beater or beaters, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 12th day of August 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London,
Patent Agents.