IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR SEPARATING SYRUP FROM SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Corby, of Dunoon, in the County of Argyle,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR SEPARATING SYRUP FROM
SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME."
Sealed the 20th October 1864, and dated the 30th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Corby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th June
1864.
I, JOHN CORBY, of Dunoon, in the County of Argyle, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES, SUCH AS ARE USED FOR SEPARATING
SYRUP FROM SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the constructing of centrifugal machines, such as
are used for separating syrup from sugar in a stronger and simpler manner,
and so as to be more efficient in use than such machines as hitherto con-
structed; and the Invention also comprises improved apparatus to be used
in making the improved machines.
The baskets of centrifugal machines of the kind referred to have hitherto
been made with flat external strainer plates separated from the internal lining

page_text: of metallic cloth by a spiral wire; by the present Invention, however, the
spiral wire is dispensed with, and the external strainer plate or shell is
corrugated, the corrugations being, by preference, made to run round the
shell. The internal metallic cloth bears against the internally projecting
ridges of the corrugations, and the spaces between such ridges form a series
of narrow channels running round between the metallic cloth and the external
shell. Perforations are formed in the corrugated shell for the egress of the
syrup, and these consist, by preference, of elongated slits formed in and along
the externally projecting ridges of the corrugations. With this construction
the syrup has very free egress, with a greatly diminished tendency to lodge in
and choke the spaces between the metallic cloth and outer shell. The basket
is, by preference, constructed with a hollow conical cast-iron centre, by which
it is fixed on its actuating spindle, and this centre is formed with a checked
flange, upon which an annular iron bottom plate is shrunk and rivetted, the
cylindrical shell being fixed to the rim of this bottom plate.
The corrugated shell is shaped or formed out of a sheet of metal in
improved apparatus comprising four rollers, two of which form the corru-
gations, whilst the other two assist in curving the sheet to the cylindrical
form of the basket. The two corrugating rollers are placed one above the
other in the middle of the machine, and the two bending rollers one on each
side, and a little above the bottom corrugating roller to give the required
curve. All the rollers are grooved to correspond to the required corrugations,
and the bottom one and side ones are formed with flanges to guide the sheet
when passing through. The driving power is applied by suitable gearing, by
preference to the bottom corrugating roller, and the top roller is forced into
closer contact as the process proceeds by means of a wedge acted on by a
hand lever, or in any convenient way, the roller being elevated by springs
when not so depressed.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Corby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th a
December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CORBY, of Dunoon, in the County of Argyle, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Corby, Her special license that I, the said John Corby, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Corby, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES, SUCH
AS ARE USED FOR SEPARATING SYRUP FROM SUGAR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Corby,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Corby, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the constructing of centrifugal machines, such
as are used for separating syrup from sugar in a stronger and simpler manner,
and so as to be more efficient in use than such machines as hitherto con-
structed; and my Invention also comprises improved apparatus to be used in
making the improved machines.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing modifi-
cations of apparatus embodying my improvements.
The baskets of centrifugal machines of the kind herein-before referred to
have hitherto commonly been made with flat external strainer plates, that is
to say, with plates which are "flat" before being bent to the plain cylindrical
form of the basket, such plates being separated from the internal lining of
metallic cloth by a spiral wire; by my present Invention, however, I dispense
with the spiral wire, and I make the external strainer plate or shell of a
corrugated form, preferring to make the corrugations to run round the shell.
Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, is a side elevation of

page_text: my improved centrifugal basket, with one half shown in vertical section. The
outer shell 1 of the basket is corrugated, and with the corrugations running
round horizontally. The internal metallic cloth 2 bears against the internally
projecting ridges of the corrugations, and the spaces between such ridges form
a series of narrow channels running round between the metallic cloth 2 and
the external shell 1. Perforations are formed in the corrugated shell 1 for
the egress of the syrup, and these consist by preference of elongated slits
formed in and along the externally projecting ridges of the corrugations, and
shown in short thick black lines in the Drawing. With this construction the
syrup has very free egress, with a greatly diminished tendency to lodge in and
choke the spaces between the metallic cloth and the outer shell, whilst
greater strength is obtained for the weight of the materials employed. I
prefer to construct the basket, as shown, with a hollow conical centre 3, by
which it is fixed on its carrying and actuating spindle 4, and this centre 3 is
formed with a checked flange 5, upon which an annular iron bottom plate 6.
is shrunk and rivetted, the cylindrical shell 1 being fixed to the rim of this
bottom plate 6. The form and proportions of the corrugations may obviously
be varied, and three varieties are shown full size in section in Figures 2, 3,
and 4, by way of example, whilst Figure 5 is a face view corresponding to
Figure 2.
The corrugated shell 1 is shaped or formed out of a sheet of metal in
improved apparatus such as is represented in elevation in Figures 6 and 7,
these two views being taken at right angles to each other. This apparatus
comprises four rollers 7, 8, 9, 10, carried between two massive standards or
side frames 11, two of the rollers 7, 8, forming the corrugations, whilst the
other two 9, 10, assist in curving the sheet 1 to the cylindrical form of the
basket. The two corrugating rollers 7, 8, are placed one above the other in
the middle of the machine, and the two bending rollers 9, 10, one on each
side, and the latter are disposed a little above the bottom corrugating roller 7
in order to give the required curve. All the rollers are grooved to correspond
to the required corrugations, and the bottom one 7, and the side ones 9, 10,
are formed with flanges to guide the sheet 1 at the edges when passing
through. The driving power is applied to the bottom corrugating roller 7,
the spindle of this roller having fast on it a spur wheel 12, with which there
gears a pinion 13, carried on a stud pin, and connected with a pulley 14 to
be driven by a belt from any convenient prime mover. The top corrugating
roller 8 is forced into closer contact as the process proceeds by means of
wedges 15 acted on by a lever 16 and rocking shaft 17, the roller being
elevated by springs 18 when not so depressed. In using the machine a plain

page_text: sheet of suitable dimensions is entered between the rollers, and is by them
gradually brought to the required form.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the making of the outer shells
or strainer plates of centrifugal machines with corrugations, substantially as
herein-before described, and the making of such corrugated shells by means of
apparatus substantially such as is berein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Corby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JNO. CORBY. (L.S.)