Patent ID: 6997860

Claim:
In a centrifugal separator having a centrifuge bowl defining an interior cavity and an axial centerline; a scraper blade positioned within the interior cavity for rotational movement synchronous with the centrifuge bowl and rotational movement independent from the centrifuge bowl; a shaft member aligned with the axial centerline of the centrifuge bowl, one end the shaft member attached at one end to the scraper blade; a spindle member positioned about a portion of the shaft member and being attached at a first end to the centrifuge bowl, the opposed end of the spindle member and the shaft member both engaged with a clutch member for engaging and disengaging the shaft member with the spindle member; the invention comprising a single drive motor directly engaged with the opposed end of the shaft member that is in opposition to the end of the shaft member engaged with the scraper blade, the single drive motor being aligned with the axial centerline of the bowl, wherein the direct engagement between the single drive motor and the scraper blade drives the scraper blade independent of the centrifugal bowl to provide the high torque necessary to scrape the interior cavity of the bowl and wherein the clutch member engages to lock the shaft member and spindle member together only when the centrifugal bowl and scraper blade are intended to operate at a synchronous speed.