Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Drying Sugar and other Granular Substances.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date UI Application NOV., 1000
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Drying Sugar and other
Granular Substances.
I, WILLIAM PRICE ABELL, Whitworth Scholar, A.M.I.C.E., of L'Union
House, Essequebo, British Guiana, and Tooley Park, Hinckley, England, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in continuously running centrifugal
machines for drying sugar and other granular substances.
According to my invention I form the perforated basket, into which the
massecuite or other substance is discharged from a pug-mill, of cones, preferably
two in number, placed base to base and having an opening between the peripheries
of their bases, which opening is closed by a perforated door revolving with the
basket. When the said basket revolves the liquid from the massecuite or other
substance in the basket is all driven out by centrifugal force through the
perforations in the basket and door and directed into a molasses casing surrounding
the basket, the solid constituents of the massecuite or other substance being
retained in the basket. The dried grains are then discharged automatically into
a suitable casing through the opening left between the peripheries of the cones by
the withdrawal of the perforated door closing the said opening. The joints of this
door with the basket are made grain tight by the use of "flyers" or strips of
gauze or the like held tight against the door by centrifugal force, and by other
means as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings,
"
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine constructed according to my invention,
one half of the section shewing the door in its closed position and the other half
shewing the door in its open position :
Figure 2 is a section shewing the door and centrifugal flyers or grain tight seals
on an enlarged scale :
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified arrangement:
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 of a second slighty modified
arrangement :
Figure 5 is a section similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of a modification of the door
and joints:
Figure 6 is a similar view of a further modification.
Similar reference letters indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
a is a pug-mill and a¹ the outlet valve of the same. b is the basket shewn as
made of two perforated cones c, c (although more cones may be employed) lined
with gauze c and secured by bolts c² or by other suitable means to one another and
to the boss e rigidly attached to the usual vertical spindle c' in such a nanner that
there is a permanent opening d left between the peripheries of their bases. This
opening d is alternately opened and covered by the perforated door e which is
rigidly secured to a molasses casing or directer f and partakes of all its movements,
the said molasses casing or director being connected by bolts g or by other
suitable means to the flange h of a sleeve i on the spindle c' and to the flange ¹ of
the sleeve on the boss c. The sleeves and are free to move up and down on
the spindle c and boss c³ and the sleeve i is connected to a collar j adapted to
Price RI

page_text: receive a reciprocating movement from the lever k actuated by a cam & mounted ou
the shaft or by other well known means.
In Figure 1 the sleeves i and are shewn in their two extreme positions.
The basket b is thus rigidly secured to, and caused to revolve with, the spindle c
whilst the molasses casing f, door e and sleeves i, although also carried round
and revolving with the said basket 6 have an independent reciprocating movement
on the spindle c*.
m is a fixed casing arranged to receive the molasses or liquids discharged from
the basket direct, and from the revolving director f, and n is the molasses gutter
having an outlet n¹.
o is a fixed casing to receive the dried material after it leaves
the basket b, the said casing being arranged so that its upper end, which is curved
inwards, is below the upper edge of the molasses director f when the opening d
between the cones c, c of the basket 6 is closed or covered by the perforated door e.
In the drawings this casing o is provided with inclined vanes o¹ for deflecting the
dry material and is made conical at the bottom to bring the discharged dry
material to a central outlet.
P, p, p, Figure 2, are the strips or fringes of gauze forming the "flyers" for
making a grain tight joint between the door e and the basket b, the said fringes
being secured, preferably by means of the angle iron rings 7 and bolts r, to the
cones c, c.
The perforated door e is curved inwards at the bottom and, when raised so as to
cover the opening d between the cones c, c presses against the gauze fringes p, p
and raises them above the plane of their centrifugal suspension so that when the
whole is revolving the centrifugal force acting on the gauze presses it tightly
against the top and bottom of the door and thus forms grain tight joints. The
upper and lower fringes p and p2 are preferably made of sufficient length to overlap
the edges of the door e whilst the fringe p¹ is made of just sufficient length to
impinge against the said door, which projects beyond the molasses director f, so
that no dried sugar gets into the latter when discharge takes place, and is fixed a
sufficient distance away from the said director to allow of liquids passing between
the door and the director.
In Figure 3 the fringes p and p² are shewn replaced by brushes whilst the
fringe plis dispensed with.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 4, the bases of the two cones c, c are flanged
to prevent low graded massecuite banking at the outlet and the gauze lining cof
the upper cone (or the lower one) is continued outside the said basket so as to
form the fringe or flyer p. In this case the bottom edge of the door is sealed
grain tight by the lower inturned edge of the same coming into contact with the
lower cone of the basket.
Figure 5 shews a similar arrangement to that shewn in Figure 4 except that the
joint is rendered grain tight on the top side by causing the door to project suffi-
ciently beyond the angle of repose of the wet massecuite to prevent the escape of
the latter. The joint on the bottom side is made as described with reference to
Figure 4.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 6 the joint between the door and the basket
is made at the bottom as described with reference to Figure 4 but at the top by
replacing the centrifugal fringe with a perforated flanged ring or disc s attached to
the upper cone. When the door is in its closed position the flange s projects over
its top edge whilst the joint is made by the said door forming its own bed on
the light layer of sugar or other substance that, in practice, is left on the
flange s.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Whilst the basket b is rapidly
revolving, the massecuite is fed from the pug-mill a through the outlet valve a
which is opened by suitable means such as the lever t mounted on the shaft and
revolving into contact with the projection a³ on the valve a². The amount of
opening and consequently the quantity of massecuite fed in at each charge can be
regulated by lengthening or shortening the lever t by means of the thumb nut t

page_text: T'he
After the basket has received the regulated charge of massecuite the pug-mill
opening is shut and the basket b revolves for a length of time that has been
previously decided upon as necessary to dry the quality of massecuite dealt with..
During this revolution the granular substances are retained in the basket 6 by the
perforated cones c, c and door e, whilst the liquids are driven by centrifugal force
through the perforations of the same, either directly into the fixed molasses
casing m or into the director or revolving molasses casing f which also delivers by
centrifugal force the molasses into the said casing m, and prevents the aforesaid
molasses or other liquid from passing into the fixed dry sugar casing o.
discharged liquids gravitate down the sides of the casing m and pass with the air
into the lower half of the said casing m, there collecting in the gutter n and finally
flowing out at the outlet n'. When the massccuite is sufficiently dry the sleeve i is
lowered in the manner herein before described and with it the molasses director f
and the door e whereby the dry sugar is discharged by centrifugal force through
the permanent opening d on to the inturned edge of the fixed dry sugar casing o
down which it is deflected by the inclined vanes o' and is discharged through the
central outlet into a suitable receptacle.
Although I have described the basket as composed of two perforated cones, it is
obvious that it can be composed of four or more cones arranged in pairs as above
described, that is to say, having an opening left between the bases of adjacent
cones but being united at their apices.
Dated this 29th day of November 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Drying Sugar and other
Granular Substances.
I, WILLIAM PRICE ABELL, Whitworth Scholar, A.M.I.C.E., of L'Union
House, Essequebo, British Guiana, and Tooley Park, Hinckley, England, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in continuously running centrifugal
machines for drying sugar and other granular substances.
According to my invention I form the perforated basket, into which the
massecuite or other substance is discharged from a pug-mill, of cones; preferably
two in number, placed base to base and having an opening between the peripheries
of their bases, which opening is closed by a device such as a perforated door
revolving with the basket. When the said basket revolves the liquid from the
massecuite or other substance in the basket is all driven out by centrifugal force
through the perforations in the basket and closing device or door and directed into
a molasses casing surrounding the basket the solid constituents of the massecuite or
other substance being retained in the basket. The dried grains are then discharged
automatically into a suitable casing through the opening left between the
peripheries of the cones by the withdrawal of the perforated door closing the said
opening. The joints of this door with the basket are made grain tight by the use
of "flyers
or strips of gauze or other suitable flexible material held tight against
the door by centrifugal force, and by other means as hereinafter described.
"
In the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine constructed according to my inven-
tion, one half of the section shewing the door in its closed position and the other
half shewing the door in its open position :

page_text: Figure 2 is a section shewing the door and centrifugal flyers or grain tight seals
on an enlarged scale:
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified arrangement:
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 of a second slightly modified
arrangement :
Figure 5 is a section similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of a modification of the door
and joints:
Figure 6 is a similar view of a further modification.
Similar reference letters indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
a is a pug-mill and a' the outlet valve of the same. b is the basket shewn as
made of two perforated cones c, c (although more cones may be employed) lined
with gauze e and secured by bolts or by other suitable means to one another and
to the boss e rigidly attached to the usual vertical spindle c¹ in such a manner that
there is a permanent opening d left between the peripheries of their bases. This
opening d is alternately opened and covered by the perforated door e which is
rigidly secured to a molasses casing or director so as to leave a passage between
them and partakes of all its movements, the said molasses casing or director f
being connected by bolts g or by other suitable means to the flange h of a sleeve i
on the spindle and to the flange of the sleeve on the boss c³. The
sleeves i and are free to move up and down on the spindle c¹ and boss c³ and the
sleeve is connected to a collar adapted to receive a reciprocating movement
from the lever actuated by a cam / mounted on the shaft or by other well
known means.
Instead of the sleeves i and it will be obvious that I can employ a rod sliding
within the spindle the said rod being connected at its ends to the collar j and
casing respectively by cotters or the like passing through slots in the said
spindle.
In Figure 1 the sleeves i and are shewn in their two extreme positions.
The basket b is thus rigidly secured to, and caused to revolve with, the spindle c
whilst the molasses casing, door e and sleeves i, il although also carried round and
revolving with the said basket b have an independent reciprocating movement on
the spindle c*.
m is a fixed casing arranged to receive the molasses or liquids discharged from
the basket direct, and from the revolving director f, and n is the molasses gutter
having an outlet n¹. o is a fixed casing to receive the dried material after it leaves
the basket b, the said casing being arranged so that its upper end, which is curved
inwards, is below the upper edge of the molasses director when the opening d
between the cones c, c of the basket b is closed or covered by the perforated
door e.
In the drawings this casing o is provided with inclined vanes o' for
deflecting the dry material and is made conical at the bottom to bring the
discharged dry material to a central outlet.
P, p', p², Figure 2, are the strips or fringes of gauze forming the "flyers" for
making a grain tight joint between the door e and the basket b, the said fringes
being secured, preferably by means of the angle iron rings q and bolts r, to the
cones c, c.
The perforated door e is curved inwards at the bottom and, when raised so as to
cover the opening d between the cones c, c presses against the gauze fringes p, på
and raises them above the plane of their centrifugal suspension so that when the
whole is revolving the centrifugal force acting on the gauze presses it tightly
against the top and bottom of the door and thus forms grain tight joints. The
upper and lower fringes p and p³ are preferably made of sufficient length to overlap
the edges of the door e whilst the fringe p¹ is made of just sufficient length to
impinge against the said door, which projects beyond the molasses director /, so
that no dried sugar gets into the latter when discharge takes place, and is fixed a
sufficient distance away from the said director to allow of liquils passing between
the door and the director,

page_text: In Figure 3 the fringes p and p² are shewn replaced by brushes whilst the
fringe p is dispensed with.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 4, the bases of the two cones c, c are flanged
to prevent low graded massecuite banking at the outlet and the gauze lining cof
the upper cone (or the lower one) is continued outside the said basket so as to form
the fringe or flyer p. In this case the bottom edge of the door is sealed grain
tight by the lower inturned edge of the same coming into contact with the lower
cone of the basket.
Figure 5 shews a similar arrangement to that shewn in Figure 4 except that the
joint is rendered grain tight on the top side by causing the door to project
sufficiently beyond the point of intersection of the line marking the angle of
repose of the wet massecuite with the door to prevent the escape of the latter.
The joint on the bottom side is made as described with reference to Figure 4.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 6 the joint between the door and the basket
is made at the bottom as described with reference to Figure 4 but at the top by
replacing the centrifugal fringe with a perforated flanged ring or discs attached to
the upper cone. When the door is in its closed position the flange s projects over
its top edge whilst the joint is made by the said door forming its own bed on the
light layer of sugar or other substance that, in practice, is left on the flange s.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Whilst the basket 6 is rapidly
revolving, the massecuite is fed from the pug-mill a through the outlet valve a¹,
which is opened by suitable means such as the lever t mounted on the shaft l¹ and
revolving into contact with the projection a³ on the valve a³. The amount of
opening and consequently the quantity of massecuite fed in at each charge can be
regulated by lengthening or shortening the levert by means of the thumb nut t¹.
After the basket has received the regulated charge of massecuite the pug-mill
opening is shut and the basket 6 revolves for a length of time that has been
previously decided upon as necessary to dry the quality of massecuite dealt with.
During this revolution the granular substances are retained in the basket 6 by the
perforated coues c, c and door e, whilst the liquids are driven by centrifugal force
through the perforations of the same, either directly into the fixed molasses
casing m or into the director or revolving molasses casing which also delivers the
molasses by centrifugal force up the passage between the door e and casing finto
the said casing m, and prevents the aforesaid molasses or other liquid from passing
into the fixed dry sugar casing o. The discharged liquids gravitate down the sides
of the casing m and pass with the air into the lower half of the said casing m,
there collecting in the gutter n and finally flowing out at the outlet n¹. When the
massecuite is sufficiently dry the sleeve i is lowered in the manner herein before
described and with it the molasses director f and the door e whereby the dry sugar
is discharged by centrifugal force through the permanent opening d on to the
inturned edge of the fixed dry sugar casing o down which it is deflected by the
inclined vanes o¹ and is discharged through the central outlet into a suitable
receptacle.
Although I have described the basket as composed of two perforated cones, it is
obvious that it can be composed of four or more cones arranged in pairs as above
described, that is to say, having an opening left between the bases of adjacent
cones but being united at their apices.
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 drying machine the combination with the basket formed of.
two perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening between
their bases, of a casing which encircles the basket, is adapted to revolve therewith
and has an independent movement in respect thereto, and a closing device or door
secured to the casing and adapted to close the opening between the edges of the
cones, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the basket comprising
two perforated cones, placed base to base and having a permanent opening between
their bases, of a casing which encircles the basket, is adapted to revolve therewith
and has an independent movement with respect thereto, a closing device or door
which is secured to the said casing, is adapted to close the permanent opening and
forms a passage between the closing device and the casing, substantially as
described.
3. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the basket formed of
two perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening between
them, of a fixed casing surrounding the basket an inner casing encircling the
basket, the said casing being adapted to revolve therewith and having an
independent movement parallel with the axis of rotation of the basket and a closing
device or door secured to the inner casing and forming a passage between them, the
said closing device being adapted to close the opening of the basket, substantially
as described.
4. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the basket formed of
two revoluble perforated cones, placed base to base and having a permanent
opening between the bases, of a casing which encircles the basket and is adapted
to revolve therewith but has an independent movement with respect thereto
parallel with its axis of rotation, a closing device or door for the permanent
opening of the basket which device is secured to the casing and forms a passage
between it and the casing, a fixed casing adapted to receive granular material, and
which surrounds the revoluble casing and has its upper edge below the discharge
of the said passage when the revoluble casing is in its operative position, and a
fixed casing adapted to receive fluid material and surrounding the casing for
granular material, substantially as described.
5. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening
between them, of a movable closing device or door adapted to close the permanent
opening and of actuating devices connected with the closing device substantially
as described.
6. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening
between their bases, of a movable closing device or door adapted to close the said
permanent opening, devices for feeding material to the basket, and actuating devices
connected with the feeding devices and with the closing device whereby the action
of the machine is rendered continuous, substantially as described.
7. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble perforated
basket formed of cones placed base to base, of devices for opening and closing the
said basket and of continuously operating mechanism connected with the said
devices for opening and closing the basket, substantially as described.
8. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble perforated
basket formed of a pair of cones placed base to base and having a permanent
opening between them, of a movable closing device or door for the permanent
opening, of a continuously rotating shaft and mechanism between the shaft and
the closing device for opening and closing the basket, substantially as described.
9. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the basket formed of
two cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening between them, of a
driving shaft for rotating the basket, a movable device for closing the permanent
opening, an outer sleeve or a centre shaft adapted to slide on or in the driving shaft
and connected with the closing device, a continuously rotating shaft and mechanism
connecting the shaft and sleeve for intermittently moving the closing device with
respect to the basket, substantially as described.
10. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and rigidly secured together and
having a permanent opening between their bases, of a strip of flexible material
secured to one of the said cones and of a movable closing device or door adapted

page_text: to close the said opening in the basket and to come in contact with the flexible
strip, substantially as described.
11. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of two perforated cones placed base to base with a permanent annular
opening between them, of a movable closing device for the basket consisting of a
ring adapted to close the permanent opening, which has at its lower edge an
inwardly turned flange, adapted to engage the exterior of the lower cone, and has
its upper edge extended to a point beyond the point of intersection of the line
marking the angle of repose of the massecuite with the door whereby the closing
device prevents the massecuite from leaving the basket, substantially as described.
12. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening
between their bases, of a closing device adapted to close the said opening and
provided at one edge with an inwardly extending flange, and of strips of flexible
material secured to the basket on opposite sides of the permanent opening the said
strips being adapted to be held against the flange, and the other edge of the closing
device, substantially as described.
13. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening
between their bases, of an annular closing device adapted to be moved over the
opening, the said device having its lower edge provided with an inwardly extending
flange, of a flexible strip on the lower cone adapted to be held against the said
flange and of flexible strips on the upper cone, one adapted to come in contact.
with the inner side of the closing device and another extending beyond and
coming in contact with the top of the said closing device, substantially as.
described.
14. In a centrifugal drying machine the combination with the revoluble basket,
formed of perforated cones placed base to base and having a permanent opening
between them, of an annular closing device adapted to be moved over the
opening, and having at one edge an inwardly extending flange, and of a flexible
strip secured to the basket in the path of the closing device, substantially as.
described.
15. In a centrifugal drying machine having a basket formed of cones placed
base to base and with a permanent opening between the said bases and a device or
door for closing the permanent opening, forming the top joint between the basket
and the door by means of a ring or disc, attached to the top cone and having its
outer edge flanged downwards, against which the upper edge of the door beds itself
substantially as described.
16. The manufacture and use of the improved centrifugal machine for drying
granular substances hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
00
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.