Patent ID: 6932757

Claim:
A single motor centrifuge for separating contaminants from a fluid, comprising: a first shaft configured to rotate about an axis, a bowl attached to the first shaft to rotate therewith, the bowl being configured to receive the fluic containing the contaminants; a second shaft received through a passageway defined by the first shaft, the second shaft being configured to rotate about the same axis as the first shaft; a plurality of scraper blades attached to the second shaft to rotate therewith, the scraper blades being received in the bowl to selectively remove the contaminants accreted on an interior surface of the bowl; positive lock means for selectively coupling the first shaft and the second shaft to rotate the bowl and the blades in tandem at the same speed during a processing mode and to rotate the bowl alone in a scraping mode; and, a variable frequency drive electrically connected to the single motor, and wherein the single motor is rotatably connected to the first shaft.