IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES OTHERWISE KNOWN AS HYDRO-EXTRACTORS
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN LAIDLAW, of the firm of Watson Laidlaw and' Company of 98 Dundas
Street, Kingston, Glasgow, in the Counties of Lanark and Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES OTHERWISE KNOWN AS HYDRO-EXTRACTORS 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 Centrifugal Machines otherwise
known as Hydro-extractors and has for its object to provide a revolving
bearing for such centrifugal Machines or Hydro-extractors, whereby the friction
encountered in driving such machines is considerably less than the friction
encountered by the bearings hitherto used for the purpose.
In applying my improvements to that class of centrifugal machines or Hydro-
extractors in which the basket is carried upon a hollow vertical shaft which is
supported upon and is rotated around a suspended stationary shaft, I arrange one
set or tier, or two or more such sets or tiers of rollers of truncated conical form
between correspondingly coned rings or washers the whole being situated around
the inner stationary shaft and within the outer rotating shaft.
For a bearing for supporting a vertical rotating shaft at its lower extremity,
I arrange the rollers, which may be in one two or more tiers, around a short
vertical shaft or plug and the whole of the bearing surfaces within an oil-containing
vessel.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, is in part an elevation and in part a vertical section of portion of
an elastically suspended centrifugal machine or Hydro-extractor shewing the
application thereto, of a bearing constructed according to and constituting my
present Invention.
Figures 2, and 3, are respectively a vertical and a horizontal or transverse
section through the said bearing and represented at these Figures upon an
enlarged scale.
Figure 4, is a vertical section through my improved bearing as applied to a
centrifugal machine, the rotating shaft of which is supported from below.
In constructing a bearing according to my present Invention for a vertically
suspended rotating tubular shaft such as is represented at a, Figures 1, 2, and 3,
of the annexed drawings, I arrange the conical rollers b, with their axes, and
consequently their peripheries upon lines radiating to a point in the axis of the

page_text: stationary shaft c,-Each of these rollers b, as shewn, presents a truncated conical
appearance, and the inner and outer extremities are spherical.-The rollers b, are
arranged around the shaft c, in such number, and they are of such proportions that
their peripheries are preferably contiguous or as nearly so as is practicable When
two sets or tiers of rollers b, are used as represented at Figure 2, of the annexed
drawings, the said tiers of rollers, rotate between the rings d, and l, and e, and I,
respectively, the bearing surfaces of these rings being in planes radiating from the
points to which the axes of the respective tiers of rollers radiate.-The outer faccs
of the rings d, and e, are made convex, and with these convex faces, the opposing
concave faces of the gun-metal or equivalent collars f, engage. To the outer
rounded extremities of the rollers b, the annular convex surfaces of the rings g,
are presented. The lower of the two collars f, is supported upon the nut h,
which is screwed upon the stationary shaft c, while the upper of these collars f,
directly supports the gun-metal or equivalent bush i.-This bush i, is secured to
the rotating shaft a, by means of the pin j, which is passed tangentially there-
through. The lock-nut k. is screwed upon the shaft c, in order to prevent the
nut h, from coming off or otherwise shifting by vibration.
The bearing herein before described, I have mentioned as having two sets or
tiers of rollers 6; but it is to be understood that one, or three or more such sets or
tiers may be used.-At Figure 4 of the annexed drawings, I have represented a
bearing having one set or tier of rollers b, as applied to that class of centrifugal
Machines or Hydro-extractors, in which the baskets are carried upon vertical
shafts supported at their lower extremities. In this form of bearing where one set
or tier of rollers b, is used, the said rollers and rings d, e, and g, are arranged in the
manner herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the annexed
drawings. The collars m (Figure 4,) have each a hole formed at its centre which
holes admit, the lower one of the short shaft or plug n, and the upper one, of the
pin or plug o, passing therethrough.-The short shaft or plug n, serves to maintain
the lower collar m, and the rings d, and e, in their central position, while the pin
or plug o, which is formed upon the lower extremity of the rotating shaft p, serves
to maintain the upper collar m, in position.-The shaft p, is guided in the tube q,
the internal diameter of whose lower extremity is preferably reduced, as represented
at Figure 4, so as to embrace the rollers b, and their directly-connected parts.-
The cap is preferably provided with the lugs 8, whereby the said cap 7, is screwed
tightly upon the tube q, and thereby constitutes a closed vessel for containing the
oil necessary for lubricating the rolling or friction surfaces of the bearing, the holes t,
and channels u, being respectively provided for the passage and circulation of the
oil to such surfaces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in centrifugal Machines or Hydro-extractors wherein the
bearings are constructed of one or more annular sets or tiers of truncated conical
rollers and rings, all operating substantially as herein before described and shewn
on the annexed drawings.