Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Separating Fluids of Different Densities.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Separating Fluids of
Different Densities.
I, JOHN LAIDLAW of the firm of Watson Laidlaw & Company, of 98 Dundas
Street, Kingston, Glasgow, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for separating fluids of
different specific gravities by centrifugal action. It is more particularly applicable
to the separation of cream from milk, and has for its object a quicker and more
perfect separation than has hitherto been attained.
In carrying out my invention I divide the separating drum into a series of small
chambers, the whole of which rotate along with the drum. These chambers may
be vertical cylindrical holes similar to the chambers for carrying the cartridges in a
revolver, the milk being introduced from a central receptacle to the top of each
chamber. The rotation of the drum causes the cream to separate from the milk,
the skim milk going to the outer edge, while the cream runs down the vertical
wall of the inner part of the tube. The skim milk is removed over a
lip in the
bottom of the drum, while the cream rises up through tubes and is discharged over
a lip at the top.
In order to allow of the chambers being easily and thoroughly cleaned, I may
construct the series of chambers independently. In this case I construct an outer
drum of sufficient strength to resist the pressure due to centrifugal force, and fit
inside this drum a liner containing the chambers in the form of a nest of holes like
a honeycomb. These chambers may be vertical holes, or to facilitate the flow of
cream towards the centre I may make them inclined to the vertical at a suitable
angle, so that instead of the cream being obliged to go to the bottom of the drum
and from thence by other tubes rise to the top, it will now flow up and towards the
centre through the separating tubes. An annular ring is left between the outer
edge of the liner and the drum into which the skim milk flows. In the centre I
provide a tube which conveys the whole milk to the bottom of the drum. The
cream runs up the outside of this tube to the top, whence it is discharged. The
skim milk is also discharged at the top, but further from the centre than the cream.
Between the inner edge of the liner and the tube several vanes are provided which
carry the cream round with the drum.
Instead of one liner with a series of holes like a honeycomb, I may provide
two such liners with an annular space between them. I introduce the whole
milk by a tube in the centre of the drum to the bottom of this annular space.
Between the two liners I provide a number of vanes to carry the milk round with
the drum. By centrifugal force the cream is separated from the milk and flows
through the cells of the inner liner towards the centre of the drum, rises up the
inner wall of this liner, and is discharged over a lip at the top, while the skim
milk flows through the cells of the outer liner into the annular space between the
outer liner and the shell of the drum, and rises up and escapes over a lip at the
top of the drum.
At the bottom of the drum I provide a sludge chamber into which the solid
particles in the milk are conveyed so that they may not block up the passages in
the liners.
Dated this 28th day of November 1892.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Separating Fluids of
Different Densities.
1, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the firm of Watson Laidlaw & Company, of 98 Dundas
Street, Kingston, 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 improvements in apparatus for separating fluids of
different specific gravities by centrifugal action. It is more particularly applicable
to the separation of cream from milk, and has for its object a quicker and more
perfect separation than has hitherto been attained.
In carrying out my invention I divide the separating drum into a series of
small chambers the whole of which rotate along with the drum. These chambers
may be vertical cylindrical holes similar to the chambers for carrying the cartridges
in a revolver, the milk being introduced from a central receptacle to the top of
each chamber. The rotation of the drum causes the cream to separate from the
milk, the skim milk going to the outer edge while the cream runs down the vertical
wall of the inner part of the tube. The skim milk is removed over a lip in the
bottom of the drum while the cream rises up through tubes and is discharged over
a lip at the top.
In order to allow of the chambers being easily and thoroughly cleaned I may
construct the series of chambers independently. In this case I construct an outer
drum of sufficient strength to resist the pressure due to centrifugal force and fit
inside this drum a liner containing the chambers in the form of a nest of holes like
a honeycomb. These chambers may be vertical holes, or to facilitate the flow of
cream towards the centre I may make them inclined to the vertical at a suitable
angle, so that instead of the cream being obliged to go to the bottom of the drum
and from thence by other tubes rise to the top it will now flow up and towards the
centre through the separating tubes. An annular ring is left between the outer
edge of the liner and the drum into which the skim milk flows. In the centre 1
provide a tube which conveys the whole milk to the bottom of the drum. The
cream runs up the outside of this tube to the top, whence it is discharged. The
skim milk is also discharged at the top, but further from the centre than the cream.
Between the inner edge of the liner and the tube several vanes are provided which
carry the cream round with the drum:
Instead of one liner with a series of holes like a honeycomb, I may provide two
such liners with an annular space between them. I introduce the whole milk by a
tube in the centre of the drum to the bottom of this annular space. Between the
two liners I provide a number of vanes to carry the milk round with the drum.
By centrifugal force the cream is separated from the milk and flows through the
cells of the inner liner towards the centre of the drum, rises up the inner wall of
this liner, and is discharged over a lip at the top, while the skim milk flows through
the cells of the outer liner into the annular space between the outer liner and the
shell of the drum, and rises up and escapes over a lip at the top of the drum.
At the bottom of the drum I provide a sludge chamber into which the solid
particles in the milk are conveyed, so that they may not block up the passages in
the liners.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended three explanatory sheets of drawings in the
several figures of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.

page_text: Figure 1 is a cross section of a centrifugal drum showing my improvements.
A A is the outer drum which is of sufficient strength to resist the pressure due to
centrifugal force. Inside the drum there is a liner or annular ring B B in which
are bored a series of holes bb forming chambers of small cross sectional area by
which the milk is divided into small quantities. These chambers are holes bored
out of the solid metal ring, and may be vertical, but it would be difficult to bore holes
of such length if they were vertical, and I prefer for ease of construction to make
them inclined to the vertical, as shown on the drawings. Between the outer edge
of the liner and the drum an annular space C is left, into which the skim milk
flows from the chambers. The whole milk is brought into the drum at the
bottom by means of a central tube D and passes through a series of holes at
the bottom of a vertical cone E to the separating chambers. Between the
inner edge of the liner and the cone E there are several vanes which carry the
liquid round.
The whole milk passing through the holes at the bottom of the cone E is
brought to the separating chamber near the middle of the mass of liquid so
that when the drum is rapidly rotated the cream and skim milk begin to separate
as soon as the liquid passes through the holes in the cone. The cream flows
upwards along the vanes to the cone and travels up its outer surface and is
discharged over the upper lip F into its receptacle. The skim milk with prob-
ably some cream passes by, centrifugal force into the chambers and is thus
divided up into small quantities which assists the separation of the cream from
the milk. The skim milk passes down the holes into the annular space between
the liner and the drum, and then up through passages G, and is discharged
over the lip H into the skim milk receptacle.
The cream as it becomes
separated from the milk in the chamber flows along the upper surfaces of the
holes in the chamber towards the middle of the drum, and along the surface of
the cone and is discharged over the upper lip F.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a modification of my invention in which instead of
the vanes and cone I have two annular rings or liners B, B₁ with an annular
space between them. Each of these annular rings has a series of holes bored
out of the solid metal forming chambers in which the milk is divided up into
small quantities so as to assist the separation of the cream from the milk. In
Figure 2 the holes in the outer and inner liners are bored upwards towards the
centre line of the drum, while in Figure 3 the holes in the inner liner are
bored downwards towards the centre line of the drum. In the annular space
between the two liners a series of vanes are provided to carry the milk roun
with the dram. The whole milk passes down the central tube D and through
a series of holes at the bottom of the drum into the space between the two
liners. By centrifugal action the cream is separated from the milk and flows
through the cells of the inner liner towards the centre of the drum, then up the
inner wall of this liner and is discharged over the upper lip F into the cream
chamber. The skim milk flows through the cells of the outer liner into the
annular space between the liner and the drum, then through the passages G and
is discharged over the lip H into the skim milk chamber.
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 separator for separating fluids of different specific gravities,
the combination of an annular ring divided into small chambers in which the
separation takes place with vanes and cone along which the lighter liquid flows to
its discharge lip substantially as described with reference to Figure 1.
2. In a centrifugal separator for separating fluids of different specific gravities,
the use of two annular rings separated by an annular space and divided into small
chambers in which the separation takes place, the liquid to be separated being

page_text: brought into the space between the rings substantially as described with reference
to Figures 2 and 3.
Dated this 19th day of April 1893.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.