IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Shears at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1881.
WILLIAM SHEARS, of Bankside, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES."
Heretofore the revolving baskets of contrifugal machines have, as described in
the Specification of a Patent, No. 118, in the year 1875, been suspended by an axis
carried up through the interior of a tubular axis, and secured to a hemisphero which
rests in a hemispherical cup at the top of the tubular axis, and this tubular axis
has been carried in fixed bearings carried by a standard or frame, and has been
driven by a belt pulley and belt.
The object of this Invention is to check and limit the gyrations of the revolving
basket when hung in the above manner. For this purpose I form an enlargement
at the top of the hemispherical cup in the hollow axis; into this I place a coiled
metal spring or other elastic substance, and press the spring or elastic substance on
to the surface at the top of the hemisphere by means of a cover or other arrange-
ment secured by the hemispherical cup.
By this means the axis by which the basket is suspended is by the spring held
concentric with the tubular axis, or if through the basket being loaded unequally
the basket should gyrate and shift the axis from its concentric position, the spring.
will tend constantly to bring it back to its proper position.
Another means I adopt of carrying out this Invention of limiting the gyrations
of the revolving baskets of centrifugal machines is by forming an enlargement at
the top of the hollow axis of a cylindrical shape, on the bottom of which I place a
coiled spring or other elastic substance, and a similar spring or elastic substance is
placed above a metallic disc inserted between them. In the centre of this metal
disc I fix the axis by which the basket is suspended, and a cover or other arrange-
ment is fastened to the cylinder containing the springs and metal disc to press them
into the cylinder. By this means the axis by which the basket is suspended is held
concentric with the tubular axis, or if through the basket being unevenly loaded it
should gyrate and take the axis from its concentric position, the springs or elastic
substances on either side of the disc on the axis will constantly tend to maintain it
in its proper position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Shears in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
December 1881.
WILLIAM SHEARS, of Bankside, in the County of Surrey.
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES."
66
IMPROVEMENTS IN
Heretofore the revolving baskets of centrifugal machines bave, as described
in the Specification of a Patent, No. 118, in the year 1875, been suspended by an
axis carried up through the interior of a tubular axis, and secured to a hemisphere
which rests in a hemispherical cup at the top of the tubular axis, and this tubular
axis has been carried in fixed bearings carried by a standard or frame, and has been
driven by a belt pulley and belt.
The object of this Invention is to check and limit the gyrations of the revolving
basket when hung in the above manner. For this purpose I form an enlargement
at the top of the hemispherical cup on the hollow axis; into this I place a coiled
metal spring or other elastic substance, and press the spring or elastic substance on
to the surface at the top of the hemisphere by means of a cover or other arrange-
ment secured to the heinispherical cup.
By this means the axis by which the basket is suspended is by the spring held
concentric with the tubular axis, or if through the basket being loaded unequally
the basket should gyrate and shift the axis from its concentric position, the spring
will tend constantly to bring it back to its proper position.
Another means I adopt of carrying out this Invention of limiting the gyrations
of the revolving baskets of centrifugal machines is by forming an enlargement at
the top of the hollow axis of a cylindrical shape, on the bottom of which I place a
coiled spring or other clastic substance, and a similar spring or elastic substance is
placed above a metallic disc inserted between them. In the centro of this metal
disc I fix the axis by which the basket is suspended, and a cover or other arrange-
ment is fastened to the cylinder containing the springs and metal disc to press them
into the cylinder. By this means the axis by which the basket is suspended is
held concentric with the tubular axis, or if through the basket being unevenly
loaded it should gyrate and take the axis from its concentric position, the springs
or elastic substances on either side of the disc on the axis will constantly tend to
maintain it in its proper position.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Ficure 2 is cortical section of a contrifugal

page_text: The exterior of the cup e² is cylindrical, and it receives the brake which is used
in bringing the apparatus to rest. Figure 3 is a plan showing clearly the arrange-
ment of the brake apparatus. The lubricating arrangements are also clearly shown
by the Drawing; the oil supplied to the upper bearing is again collected by a
trough a upon the frame, and is conveyed by a pipe to the lower bearing; after
lubricating this, it is again collected by the bowl a³ on the frame, and led away
by a pipe; h is a collar upon the axis c, it is supported within the bowl a³ by a
coiled spring.
In the bottom of the basket b there are two openings b', b', for discharging the
material at the end of the operation; until this time the openings are covered by
the cover plate i, which can be turned round about a quarter circle upon the central
boss of the drum. In the position indicated by the Drawing, the plate i closes the
apertures b', but when turned round it leaves them exposed, and the material can
then be cleared out through the apertures and made to descend into a receiver
below.
Sometimes, as is indicated in the Figures 4 and 5, I form the upper surface of the
segmental block d with clutching parts d' upon it to engage with corresponding
clutching parts fix upon the cover ƒ', and then the axes c and e are no longer free
to revolve independently.
Figure 6 is a section of the upper part of a machine in which a disc & takes the
place of the segmental block d, it is held between a lower spring block 7 and the
upper spring block g corresponding to the spring g in Figure 2. The spring blocks
represented in the Drawing are of vulcanized india rubber, but other springs may
be employed. Between the disc and the india rubber l, l, thin sheet brass is
introduced to prevent risk of the india rubber being galled by friction upon it.
This arrangement, like that of the Figures 1 and 2, affords to the axis c of the
basket a freedom which is controlled within due limits by a spring.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The method of applying a spring g over the point of suspension to control
the gyrations of the revolving basket, substantially as described.
Second. The method of suspending the revolving basket from a cylinder or
disc held between the two springs or clastic blocks g and 2, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shears, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
WILLIAM SHEARS. (L.s.)