IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of the invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES" (a communication to me from abroad by Emil Rothe,
of Breitenau, in the Empire of Germany) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to Centrifugal machines of the ordinary well known kind
in which a vertical drum is made to revolve at a high speed by means of a shaft
which carries it, the material or objects which are to be subjected to the action of
the centrifugal force being placed within the drum.
It has for its object the regulation of the rotation of the vertical drum described.
Round the exterior drum or vessel are secured at suitable distances apart
a sufficient number of strong metal hoops which strengthen the vessel and serve to
prevent the liability to disruption by centrifugal force.
Below each of these hoops is arranged a similar hoop or regulating ring of
greater internal diameter so that they are some distance from the sides of the
drum or vessel. These regulating rings may either rest upon and be supported by
the hoops first described or be suspended to the latter by means of small chains,
and are formed either tubular and filled partially with water or other liquid, or
they may contain metal or other balls the diameters of which are somewhat less
than the inner diameter of the hollow or tubular rings. Or, they may be partially
filled with water or other liquid in addition to the balls described.
Instead of the hollow rings described I sometimes employ flexible rings formed
of endless ropes, or chains, or endless india rubber pipes, or other equivalent
devices.
If the objects which are to be subjected to the action of centrifugal force
are unequally distributed in the drum or vessel, which is unavoidable in practice,

page_text: irregularity is caused in the revolution of the vessel, but in such case the liquid or
the balls respectively will go to the side which is diametrically opposite to the
overcharged side of the vessel, and increase in this way the regulating action of
the rings.
The bollow tubular regulating rings and their contents as described may in
some cases be rigidly secured to the outer circumference of the drum.
Regulating rings similar to those described, may also be suspended by chains
to the bottom of the vessel, cylindrical guards descending from the latter and
serving to restrain and limit their lateral movement.

page_text: Improvements in Centrifugal Machines.
: I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Emil Rothe, of Breitenau, in the Empire of Germany) and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying drawing (that is to say) :-
:-
This invention relates to centrifugal machines of the ordinary well-known kind
in which a vertical drum is made to revolve at a high speed by means of a shaft
which carries it, the material or objects which are to be subjected to the action of
the centrifugal force being placed within the drum.
The object of the invention is a device for regulating the rotation of centri-
fugal machines, and the two figures of the accompanying drawing represent those
parts of a centrifugal machine, which relate to the invention and the following
specification.
Both of these figures are side views and show different modifications, to which
the improved regulating device may be subjected without departing from the
essential feature of the invention.
Round the rotary vessel or drum A of the centrifugal machine are secured
strong iron hoops a which protect the vessel A from disruption by centrifugal
force and serve at the same time for holding in place the regulating rings b, b², 62,
63, 64. These rings are arranged preferably with their interior circumference
somewhat distant from the outside of the vessel A, and may either be freely carried
by the hoops a or suspended to the latter by means of the small chains c. Similar
regulating rings may be suspended to the bottom of the rotary vessel A, as shewn
in figure 1, by means of the chains c, and prevented from excessive displacement
by means of the rings d attached to the bottom of the vessel A (figures 1 and 2).
If the objects which are to be subjected to the action of the centrifugal machine
are unequally distributed in the vessel A, which is practically unavoidable, and
the latter therefore makes irregular revolutions, the rings b 61 62 6³ b* will occupy
such position that they re-establish the equilibrium and at the same time lean
against the overcharged side of the vessel, by so doing increasing the security from
explosive disruption.
The regulating rings may be made either hollow and filled partially with water
or any other liquid, as shewn at b, or they may contain balls the diameter of
which exceeds the inner radius of the hollow ring, as shewn at b¹, or they may be
filled entirely with a liquid containing only some balls, as shewn at b² (tigure 2).
In all cases the liquid or the balls, respectively, will go to the side which is
diametrically opposite to the overcharged side of the vessel and increase in this
way the regulating action of the rings b, b¹, b². Instead of the hollow rings,
flexible rings formed by endless ropes may sometimes be used, as shown at 6³, or
endless chains as at 6', or endless india rubber pipes etc.

page_text: The regulating rings as shewn at b 61 and 62 will also regulate, in cases where
they are rigidly secured to the vessel A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In combination with the vessel or drum A of a centrifugal machine, the
hollow rings b 61 62, filled either partially with a liquid as at b, or partially with
balls as at b¹, or entirely with a liquid containing some balls as at 6' which rings
rest at some distance from the drum A upon the hoops a which are fixed to the
drum, or are suspended to the chains c, attached on the said hoops a, round the
latter, and may move more or less round in a horizontal way, substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with the drum A the flexible rings 63 64 formed by endless
chains or ropes and supported by the hoops a, or suspended to the chains c,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
.t
Dated th: Oth
1000
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Inventor.