US2128575A - Driving means for centrifugal machines - Google Patents

Description

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. ROBERTS DRIVING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES 16 lIlIIIIIIl/lz Filed Jan. 31, 195s Aug. 30, 1938.

Aug. 30, 1938. 5, RQBERTS 2,128,575

DRIVING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Filed Jan. 31, 1936 3 SpeetS-Sheet 2 Aug. 3o, 193s.

E. reolzrersA DRIVING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES f Filed. Jan; 31, 1936 3 .Sheets-Sheet 5 Z I ii 7p commun 0 o o A A., 9 Jl. Q I 8 mO 1 u Z Patented Aug. 30, 1938 I i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVING MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES Eugene Roberts, Hastings, N. Y., assignoi-.to The Western States Machine Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Utah Application January 31, i936, seria.; No. 61.335

v14 claims. (ci. ,21o- 7.1)

This invention relates to new and improved adaptable for various conditions of installation. centrifugal apparatus for use in the centrifuging I have found that the speed and acceleration of sugar and like materials, and it is intended to f ggylatory centrifugals may be greatly increased provide means for driving suspended gyratory while renderingtheir operation entirely safe and centrifugals of the type used in sugar refineries satisfactory ffrorn both an economical and a me- 5 at considerably higher speeds than has heretochanical point of view by providing a new arfore been the practice, while at the same time rangement 0i powering, power transmission and enabling ar much quicker ratev of kacceleration coupling means intermediate a source yof power which .I have found to Vbe an important factor andthe basket spindles of several centrifugals.

in the successful and practical operation'of high I have found also that an individual centrifugal l0 speed centrifugals for sugar and analogous work. may be improved for flexibility of. installation and Heretofore, under the best commercial pracoperation and for operation at high or low speeds, tice, sugar centrifugals employing the prevalent with or without unusually rapid acceleration to 40" basket have been operated at a top speed such speeds, by providing it with an improved of from 1100 to 1200 R. P. M. either by means driving unit in accordance with my invention. 15 of a quarter turn belt passing over a pulley on Apreferred general arrangement of apparatus the basket spindle or by means of an overhead inwhich the present invention is embodied comelectric motor directly connected to the spindle. prises a horiaonal line shaft positioned above or When charged with its full load, each centrifugal adjacent a series ,of suspended gyratory cen- Weighs approximately one ton, and even at the trifugalmachines, each of which is independently 20 speeds above mentioned it is necessary in the drivenfromthe same line shaft through apower case of the rdirectly connected motor driven transmitting mechanism, preferably a centrifucentrifugal to use avery much oversize motor to .gall-y actuated clutch, and an intermediate driveiect satisfactory results. A well designed ceningunit including a train of transmission gears.

trifugal canbe accelerated slowly to a speed under Oneof thel transmission gears lS Connected With a 2,5

1200 R. P. M.;by means of an electric motor conrotatable Vdriving member which, in turn, is consuming approximately 20 horsepower, but to obnected Wlth'a 'pulley fOr 'the Clutch 01' With Other tain the desired higher rate of acceleration would power.transmittingmeans. Anotheris secured to require a consumption of power rising as high as a vertical-non-.gyratory transmission shaft having 60 horsepower, with peak power loads much aeX-ible but positivefdriving connection with the 30 higher under certain conditions. In consequence underneath gyratory centrifugal shaft'or spindle. of these requirements, motors must be built very A n. important feature of this general'arrangemuch oversize, which means heavy additional eX- ment iS. thalzit 'permits SubSlaIllial DOWGI SaVngS pense and difficulties in installation and furtherin the OperatOn 0f a Series 0f Celll'flllgals'at more involves a wasteful expenditure of power. high Speeds andwith rapid aelelalioll t0 S11-Ch 35 To raise the speed of the centrifugal still further Speeds. The Cycle 0f treatment 0f materials and .quicken its acceleration would greatly agsuch as mixtures 0,.f. Sugar grains and syrup ingravate the diaiculties incident to the use of vol-ves..braki-naunloading, reloadinsand accelerdirectly connected electric motor drives. On the ation of some of the centrifugals of a series while 4 0 other hand, any marked increase of speed and acothers are spinning at llll $l3eed- During the 40 celeration with belt driven machines would rebraking, unloading and reloading stages of the quire the use of wider, heavier belts which, in CYClC, lh?. Cerllll'ffugal does not exert av Substantial .view of tlfieir being of the quarterturn type, are drain 0n, GheRQWel Soula During. the acceleraalso subject to practical objections, and it would tion stage, however, the DOWer per Gentlflfllgal .45 `-ilnpose other severe operating requirements on rises abruptly to its lilighasl'l point, and it later 45 such machines which are inconsistent with their tapersdown to a normal Vamount vafter f ull speed .operating capacity. hasbeen attained. My improved arrangement of A further important disadvantage of the appacen-trifugals, driving unitsand power transmitting ratus heretofore used consists in the fact that meansr on a common line shaft greatly reduces 5 0 after Ithe vicentriiugals are installed f or a certain ythepower peak normallyrequired for acceleration 5,0

.type .of operation, it is -extremely `diiicult to var-y of each centrifugal, due to the Vstrong momentum their operation to any substantial extent. The ofthe line shaft and-heavy4 parts revolving thereapparatus has no t been ycharacterized by exiwithtogether with that of the severalfcentrifugals bility such as I have found to be important for of ay series which revolve in unison at highspeed Q5 @best Itp11messing operations, nor has itbeen readily while the acceleration takes place. 55

In addition to the aforesaid novel .general arrangement of centrifugals and centrifugal driving means, my invention provides an improved driving unit for connecting each of the centrifugals with a source of power, which is of impor-v tance because of its usefulness in either a group drive or an individual driving arrangement. This improved driving unit comprises an enclosing casing which is accurately machined to provide a mounting for the essential moving parts of the unit, including the train of intermeshing gears referred to above. A rotatable driving member is mounted within the casing and provided with an extension projecting outside of the casing for connection with another rotatable member, for example a pulley or shaft through which power is transmitted. A bevel vgear is keyed to this rst rotatable member. A transmission shaft is mounted within the casing with its axis at an angle to the axis of the rotatable drivingmember, and this shaft carries a bevel gear in accurate mesh with the bevel gear rst mentioned. The transmission shaft has an extension which projects outside the casing and is positively and constantly coupled to the gyratory spindle of the centrifugal. In conjunction with the parts mentioned, the unit comprises suitable bearing members within the casing arranged for precise alignment and smooth operation of these parts,l and the casing includes means facilitating attachment of the unit to framework above the centrifugal.

By the use of a driving unit of this type substantial improvements may be obtained in centrifugal operations. The Vsource of power, of

3 whatever nature, may be arranged to one side of the basket spindle to provide a more satisfactory plant arrangement. The powering means may be changed without reconstructing the unit or the centrifugal spindle or intermediate couplings. The unit may be moved and attached to the conventional motor base for a directly-driven centrifugal, or to any other suitable framework, without danger of misalignment of its moving parts and consequent diiiculties, because a proper setting of the bearings, rotatable driving member, gears and'transmission shaft remains accurate and insures precise operation for an indefinite period." It may be constructed with any gear ratio appropriate to the power and speed of the power transmitting means with which it is connected and the desired speed of the basket, and it fully withstands the continual severe strains of rapid acceleration to high speeds and short operatingv cycles.

A further improvement in driving construction resides in the construction of the line shaft in individual sections, one lfor each centrifugal mounted in its own individual bearings and ilexibly coupled to adjacent sections, thereby permitting the removal of one shaft section without disturbing the other line shaft sections.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision for driving the line shaft from a powering device located intermediate the series of centrifugals whereby the centrifugals on one side of the powering device may be maintained in normal operation, while a centrifugal on the other sidel may be removed for repairs or replacements withoutrstopping the centrifuging of the massecuite or magma. 'This is an important feature of. advantage because should anV accident happen, which ordinarilyrwould require the stopping of the line shaft, the massecuite in the overhead mixer trough, which suppl iesl the centrifugals, might become set or hardened. While awaiting the comlarly described in the following specification and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated a practical and eflcient embodiment of. my improvements, in which Fig. 1 is a small scale elevation showing the arrangement of a battery of centrifugal machines operated from a common sectional line shaft with a powering motor for the shaft located intermediate of the group of centrifugals.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the driving mehcanism of, a single centrifugal.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section showing the coupling between the vertical non-gyratory transmission shaft and the basket shaft, as well as the brake and the brake drum.

Fig.'5 is an end elevation on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2 further illustrating the driving mount of the centrifugal.

According to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the drawings there is provided a horizontal line shaft I, which is made in individual sections for each centrifugal, which 'g sections are coupled together as shown at 2 by any suitable type of flexible transmission coupling members, and each line shaft section is supported in anti-friction bearings contained in suitable housings or containers 3 and 4 provided with closure caps or covers 3e, lla. The housing 3 for supporting one end of a shaft section, the right hand end as shown in Fig. 2, is supported in a hollow casing 5 whose opposite sides are provided with annular bearing seat members 5b and 5C, respectively, for the insertion and removal of anti-friction bearing elements. The casing 5 forms an upstanding hanger whose bottom portion or bed 5aL is provided with means enabling it to be accurately positioned and bolted upon a bed plate 6, which is provided at its left hand end with an upstanding supporting bracket 6a on which the bearing housing 4 is secured. Thus each shaft section is supported near its opposite ends by supporting members projecting upwardly from a common bed plate which is mounted upon and secured to suitable longitudinal beams a and cross-beams b that are usually found in the framework of centrifugal apparatus beneath the sloping overhanging portion of they mixer trough ofthe centrifugal apparatus, which it is unnecessary to show herein as it is an old feature of sugar centrifugal apparatus construction.

The casing 5 forms the enclosure and mounting of a precisely machined and assembled driving unit which permits displacement of the power transmitting means to a point laterally of the centrifugal `and effects a positive connection between said means and the basket spindle such that severe strains of rapid acceleration and high speed operation on short cycles will not interfere with the freedom of the spindle to gyrate and seek its own axis of rotation. This improved driving unit includes a rotatable driving member which is keyedto a bevel gear inclosed within the casing and provided with a portion extend- `ing outside the casing for attachment to the Vpower transmitting means, together with a vertically positioned non-gyratory transmission shaft Cil provided with bearings and bea-ring seatsin parts of the casing structure and having a portion extending outside the casing for attachmentV to flexible coupling elements. intermediate the driving unit and the gyratory basket spindle, and another bevel gear keyed to this transmission shaft and located in accurate meshing relation tothe bevel gear irstk mentioned. The construction of the unit as embodied in the improved group driving arrangement illustrated in the drawings is described in further detail below, but it will be understood by personsskilled in the art. that details of construction employed in this particular arrangement are not essential to the invention and may be varied within the scope of the claims.

In the illustrated apparatusjthe casing 5 for each driving unit is provided with structure c0- operating with parts of a liquid cooled clutch pulley forming an element of the powerA transmitting means for each centrifugal and secured to the extended portion of the above mentioned rotatable driving member. Outside of annular flange 5c is anannular flange 1 integral with, or secured to, the casing` 5 the opening' ofvthis flange being considerably larger than the opening in the flange 52 which it surrounds concentrically, to permit the projection through it of an annular flange 8' 1 forming, part of the hollow pulley 8, which is loosely mounted about the shaft section I for free rotationthereon. The rim portion of the pulley 8, as well as the spider portion Bb, are both made hollow for the circulation of cooling liquid which enters through a supply pipe 50 and whose outlet is through the annular passage between the flange 5 of the casing and the flange 8@ of thevrevoluble clutch pulley. The space between the annular flange 'I and the adjacent wall of the casing forms a recepta= cle orspil'l-way into which the cooling liquid flows after having performed its cooling function and from which it may be drawn off and cooled for recirculation. This cooling of the pulley, however, forms no part of the present invention herein claimed and is claimed in a copending application, so that more detailed description thereof is unnecessary here.

Between the line shaft I and the driving unit of each centrifugal means are employed which may be controlled to establish power transmitting connections of progressively increasing transmitted speed and thereby to effect smooth acceleration of the centrifugal notwithstanding constant rotation of the line shaftat full speed, as well as to. establish a positive non-slipping connection which couples the driving unit, and through it the basket-carrying spindle, with the line shaft for rotation in unison at full speed. h

The illustrated means for forming such aconnection between the continuously rotating line shaft i and the loose pulley 8 is in substance like the clutch mechanism sho-wn and described in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,184,- 873 granted October 25, 1932, so that full description thereof in this application is unnecessary. The clutch mechanism comprises a radial arm spider I0 fastened o n the line shaft I, on which arms are fulcrumed oppositely disposed pivotal shoe-carrying arms -I5 on which are pivotally mounted friction shoes I6 which under centrifugal force press outwardly powerfully against the interior face of the rim of the pulley 8. 'Ivo retract the clutch shoes from engagement with the pulley rim there is also fulcrumed on the spider a pair of retracting arms II, which are connected with the shoe-carrying arms I5 by means of retracting links I 4, so that when the free ends of the arms Il are moved inwardly by the toggle links I2 fulcrumed to the sliding hub member I3 the shoe-carrying arms I5 are drawn inward, thus separatingA the friction shoes from the pulley rim. The lhub member is forced inwardly to effect retraction Iof the clutch shoes by meansv of a lever Il fulcrumed at Ila, whose upper end is forked to engage opposite sides of a collar I3a which is anti-frictionally mounted ron the hub; I3 to permit it to resist rotation by reason of its engagement or connection with the fork portion of the arm VI. The lower end of the lever Il is provided with a toothed sector I8 meshing with a pinion I8a on the control shaft I9 which carries a hand wheel I9a by which it can be operated in starting'the machine and setting in action, the automatic timing mechanism. disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 732,114, the details of which are not claimed herein but form, in part, the subject matter of the said pending application.

The spider of the clutch pulley 8 is secured to a rotatable driving member for the driving unit,

in this embodiment an elongated sleeve or hub v 9 surrounding the shaft I and mounted on bearing supports precisely positioned in the bearing seats 5b and 5c of casing 5. A large bevel gear 3G is splined to driving member 9 inside the casing 5 so that it rotates when the clutch pulley is energized by engagement of the centri-fugally actuated clutch shoes I6 with the rim of the pulley 8.

Directly beneath the line shaft I is located the vertical non-gyratory transmission shaft 32 of each driving unit which carries at its upper end a smaller bevel pinion 3l intermeshing with the much larger bevel gear 30. This vertical transmission shaft 32 is mounted in upper and lower anti-friction bearings, accurately fixed within casing 5, for rotation abo-ut a constant axis, and it is provided 4at its lower end with means for connecting it directly to positive butv flexible coupling elements for a gyratory basket spindle. Thus a flange clutch of coupling lingers 32a, and these are interposed betwen similarngers 33a of a coupling :member 5?, fastened to the projecting upper end of the gyratory centrifugal basket spindle 40 inorder to connect shaft 32 and spindle 40 together. This coupling forms a positive drive connection between the non-gyratory transmission shaft 32 and the gyratory centrifugal shaft dll, which latter in accordance with well known practice is carried by combination thrust and radial bearings 4I mounted on the outside of a tubular suspender 34 having a spherical supporting ball 35 seated in a socket in the fixed hangar 35, which is secured to a depending hanger member 5b forming a downward extension of the bed plate 5. It will therefore be seen that the shaft section and the drive transmission mechanism for each centrifugal, as

well as the centrifugal itself, are carried by a unitarysupporting structure so that, when the ilexible joint couplings 2 are disconnected, the whole bed plate with its supporting members can be removed after the 'hanger 36 with the centrifugal has ben disconnected from the depending hanger element 6b of the bed plate. Any slight variation in perfect alignment of the shaft sections is taken care Vof by providing flexible joint couplings 2 ywhich may be of any well known type 'of construction. It will valso be seen that, in the illustrated form of apparatus, driving `coupling between the integral with the lower end of the. shaft is connected to downwardly projecting ngers 32a and 33a takes place substantially in the plane of the center of gyration of shaft 40, which is located at the center of ball 35 and its supporting socket.

An outer meber l2-on the basket suspension shaft 40 carries a rigidly and removably attached brake pulley $3 embraced by opposite brake bands 22 which are contracted to braking position or expanded to inactive position by means of a vertical spindle 23 carrying at its upper end a crank arm 2l, which is connected by intermediate link members with a crank arm 2li secured to the control shaft i9 which carries the hand control or starting wheel lga. Since the details of this control mechanism are explained in my copending application Serial No. 732,114 and are not herein claimed, it will suffice to explain how the control is exerted to energize and to stop the centrifugal. Assuming one of the centrifugals to be at rest after having been unloaded so that it is ready to be re-charged, the attendant throws the hand wheel I5!a and the control shaft I9 in a clockwise direction, thus effecting at the same time the releasing of the centrifugally actuated clutch shoes from their inactive position to their active position in engagement with the pulley rim 8. At the same time, through the crank arm 2E) on that shaft and the crank arm 2| secured to the vertical brake spindle by intermediate link connections, the brake shoes are freed from engagement with the brake pulley 43 and the centrifugal begins to rotate with increasing speed. During the initial part of starting the centrifugal in operation, a charge of sugar is loaded into the centrifugal basket 135 in accordance with well known practice and rapidly builds up into a ring or wall of even thickness inside the basket. At the same time, through another connection at 26, the timing mechanism is started which controls the timing of the different operations of the centrifugal, as explained in my copending application mentioned above. Through the timing control, after a given interval of acceleration of the centrifugal, the spray is turned on for a further time regulated interval and, the centrifugal, still accelerating, the moisture is rapidly expelled and the sugar dried to the desired degree. Next the control shaft 9 is released and returned to initial position by means of the torsion spring 2l, and practically at the same instant the line shaft clutch is released and the brake is set to stop the revolution of the centrifugal.

It will be noted that bevel gear 30 of the driving units is of relatively large diameter in comparison with the bevel pinion 3| secured to the underneath transmission shaft. No exact ratio is prescriptive, since the gear ratio will vary according to the type of po-wering means used to' drive the centrifugals, but in practice very satisfactory results are obtained in a general arrangement of the type illustrated by driving the line shaft at from 400 to 450 R. P. M. and making the ratio of gears approximately 31/2 to 1, or slightly greater. Thus there is a large diameter of driving gear and a correspondingly large diameter of clutch pulley which, in View of the special type of power transmission, results in a very rapid and powerful pick-up without shock or jolt or chattering. Speeds are obtainable with this construction and arrangement that could be only attained at great difficulty and at much expense through an overhead directly-connected motor, or by means of the usual quarter turn driving belt. The variability of powering means and gear ratios .and consequently, of speeds and rates of acceleration, also lends important advantages to the arrangement. By providing, intermediate the series of centrifugals driven from the line shaft, a powering element, which as shown at 28 may be a V-belt driving pulley or a motor secured directly to the line shaft, several advantages are gained. In the first place, when several machines are running and one is stopped for unloading the momentum of the active machines acts measurably as a y wheel to accelerate the pick-up of the inactive machine when it is started in operation. Moreover, when the machine is disconnected from the line shaft, the braking action is more economical because there is no oversize motor of large mass to be retarded by the brake, as in the case of a directly-connected centrifugal drive. Both the clutch pulley 8 and the brake pulley 43 are readily provided with a water cooling circulation so that excessive heating of these frictional parts is prevented and injury to the driving belt or to an overheated motor is avoided. The casing 5 makes a complete enclosure for lubricating oil, so that there is no objectionable heat generated by the driving gears, and as the driving coupling between the spindle 32 and the basket shaft of the centrifugal takes place at the level of the center of gyration no heat is generated at that point.

The apparatus disclosed and claimed in the present application is particularly well suited for use in practicing improved methods of centrifuging sugar which involve subjection of massecuites and magmas to high centrifugal forces and novel control over` the acceleration of the centrifugals, together with control over other treatments connected with centrifuging, to secure most eicient elimination of syrups and improved results from washing and syrup-seperating operations. It is also well suited for other types of treatment, on mixtures of sugar crystals and syrup and in other fields where efficient separation of constituents of mixtures may be effected by centrifugal force.

The arrangement and construction of apparatus disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,826,675, while effective at the lower centrifugal speeds in common vogue at the time said invention was made, is not suited for operations involving rapid acceleration to high speeds such as I have actually obtained with the present invention, partly because the energizing clutch used on the line shaft was of the wedging or clamping type so that when the clutch was set to active position it would result in so suddenly gripping the driving gear to the line shaft that it was necessary to use a slip clutch intermediate the vertical transmission shaft and the centrifugal, and a slip clutch of this type would involve too much lost motion to accelerate the loaded centrifugal quickly enough to make possible the attainment of such high speed within the time limited as is ,effected by my present construction. It will be noticed that when the driven member of the clutch on the line shaft is energized in the present construction the further transmission of power to the centrifugal itself is effected through positive coupling means. It is therefore highly important when rapid acceleration is employed that the pick-up of the power transmitting means should be very smooth to avoid breakage of the gears from any sudden powerful shock such as might be caused by the sudden gripping or Wedging of the clutch mechanism employed in my earlier type of construction.

I recognize that particular parts and details of construction of the improved driving means for centrifugals suspended beneath it `and a series ofv vertical non-gyrating transmission shafts intermediate the centrifugals and the line shaft, means for positively but exibly coupling the transmission shafts with their respective centrifugals to cause their rotation in unison and drive transmitting mechanism foreach centrifugal comprising centrifugally actuated clutch shoes having pivotal connections with the line shaft to revolve Ytherewith and retractable at willl to inactive position while revolving, a clutch* pulley andV a connected gear element loosely mounted on the line shaft .and arranged to be energized at a progressively accelerating speed when the clutch shoes-are released from retracted position, and a gear secured" tothe transmission shaft in' mesh with the aforesaid gear.

2,-, In a driving mount for suspended gyratory centrifugals the combinationvwitha continuously rotating line shaft, a centrifugal clutch member comprising centrifugally actuated clutching members-connected to the shaft for rotation in unison therewith, and a driven friction pulley loosely mounted upon the shaft, a relatively large bevel gear securely connected with the pulley, a vertical non-gyratory' transmission shaft below the line shaft having positive but flexible coupling connection with a centrifugal suspended beneath in coaxial alignment therewith, and a relatively ,small bevel gear secured to the upper end ofv said transmission shaft and in constant mesh with the aforesaid large gear.

-3. A driving'mount for centrifugals'comprisingv acontinuously running horizontal line shaft and a series of gyratory centrifugals suspended at a distance below said shaft, the line shaft comprising a series'of individual sections coupled together end to end by flexible couplingmembers, ar drive transmission mechanism comprising avertical non-gyratory shaft arranged intermediate the line shaft and the centrifugal and having flexible but positive driving coupling'with said centrifugal, a gear train 4comprisingva relatively large bevelgear loosely revoluble about 'a section of the line shaft and meshing with a relatively small bevel gear on the transmission shaft, and a rotatable driving member connecting said gear train with a centrifugal clutch mechanism carried by the line shaft section upon which the large bevel gear is loosely mounted.

4. A driving mount for centrifugals embracing in its construction a supporting bed plate provided at its opposite end portions with axially aligned anti-friction bearings for supporting an individual section of a line shaft, the support for secured to the shaft section, a vertical transmission shaft mounted in fsaid casing-and carrying a 'relatively small bevel gear in mesh with said large bevel gear, said transmission shaftbeing provided with means for positively but flexibly coupling it with anvunderneathsuspended centrifugal. Y, f' y Y 5. A driving mount for v centrifugals embracing a' single bed plate'providedat its opposite ends with upwardly projecting anti-friction bearing s'uppolftrlg members, a horizontal vline shaft section mounted thereinI and'provided with means for coupling it Etoasi'm'ilar adjacent section, said bed' plate being provided with a depending socket hanger forfthe-s'u's'pension of agyratory centrifugal and' being also lprovided with upper and lower'anti-fri'ctien bearing members' for support`` ing a vertical Vdrivetransmitting shaft having flexible coupling connection with the centrifugal suspended ben'eatlr'it, a centrifugally actuated clutch,mounted upon saidv horizontalv shaft to energize atwil'l a largey beveliigear also'mounted on said shaft-said gear 'having driving connec tion with a relatively `sin'all gear secured to said transmission shaft,I |said 'gears 'and' transmission shaft being mounted inv a' hollow `casing forming one of the supports for the anti-friction bearing supporting saidv horizontal shaft.

6.v A driving mount for centrifugal machines embracing in combination a series of suspended gyratory centrifugals,v an overhead line shaft comprising individual sections for each centrifugal flexibly coupled together, each section being provided with its own individual bearing support,

a centrifugallyv actuated clutch mounted on each section, the driven memberof which has driving connection witharbevel gear train, and a line shaft powering element located intermediately of the'series of centrifugals, thereby permitting the centrifuging operationsto be continuously performed `by the centrifugals on one side of the poweringV element while centrifugals on the other side thereof are inactive.

, 'l'.` Driving means for a suspended gyratory centrifugal comprising' a non-gyratory transmission shaft co-"axially arranged above the'centrifugal and flexiblyec'oupled therewith, and an overhead', continuously rotating horizontal power shaft having interruptible driving connection with the transmission'shaft by means of a centrifugal clutch device mounted on the` line shaft, the driven member of which clutch/.is directly connected with a -bevel gear transmission train proportioned to transmit from the line-shaft to the* transmission shaft multiple speed rotation.

8. In a driving unit for a suspended gyratory centrifugal, the combination of a driving member rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a vertical non-gyratory transmission shaft interconnected with the driving member by bevel gearing, a gyratory centrifugal basket-carrying shaft suspended for gyration and rotation about a center in coaxial alignment with said transmission shaft, and flexibly interlocking coupling members for positively transmitting rotation to the basket lshaft at substantially the level of the center of gyration.

9. In a driving unit for a gyratory centrifugal, the combination of a gear casing having bearing supporting openings bored at right angles to each other, anti-friction shaft bearing elements mounted in the respective bearing openings, a horizontal rotatable driving member supported in one bearing element, a vertical non-gyratory transmission shaft revolubly mounted in another bearing element, a centrifugal basket spindle suspended to gyrate and rotate about a center below said vertical shaft and in coaxial alignment therewith, and flexibly but positively interconnected coupling members secured to the transmission shaft and spindle for positively transmitting rotation to the basket spindle at substantially the level of said center of gvration. v

10. Apparatus for driving a series of suspended gyratory centrifugals comprising a common line shaft located adjacent a plurality of centrifugals of a series, means for powering said line shaft, a driving unit intermediate the line shaft and each of said centrifugals, said driving unit comprising a vertically extending transmission shaft, a driving member rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of said transmission shaft and intermeshing gears connecting said transmission shaft and driving member together for simultaneous rotation, means positively and constantly coupling each of said transmission shafts with a gyratory centrifugal spindle, and power transmitting means nterruptibly connecting each of said rotatable driving members with said line shaft to transmit power from the line shaft through said driving units to said spindles.

l1. In a driving unit for a gyratory centrifugal, the combination of a casing having seats for shaft bearings with axes at an angle to each other, anti-friction shaft bearings mounted in said seats, a horizontally extending rotatable driving member supported on bearings in one of said seats and extending outside of the casing, the extended portion of said member embodying means for positive connection with power transmitting means, a vertical non-gyratory transmission element supported on bearings in another of said seats and extending below the driving member at an angle thereto, means flexibly but positively and constantly coupling the extended portion of said element with said spindle, and accurately intermeshing gears within said casing including a gear securely fastened to each of said driving member and transmission element.

12. In a driving unit for a gyratory centrifugal, the combination of a casing having seats for shaft bearings with axes at right angles to each other, anti-friction shaft bearings mounted in said seats, a horizontal rotatable driving member supported on bearings in one of said seats and extending outside of the casing, a pulley for transmitting power to the unit, disconnectible coupling elements on the extended portion of said driving member and said pulley fastening the same together, a vertical non-gyratory transmission shaft supported lon bearings on another of said seats and extending outside the casing at right angles to the driving member, a .suspended gyratory basket-carrying spindle, means flexibly but ,positively and constantly coupling the extended portion of said shaft with said spindle, and a pair of accurately intermeshing bevel gears within said casing including a gear securely fastened to each of said driving member and shaft.

13. In a driving unit for a gyratory centrifugal, the combination of a mounting and enclosing casing for the unit made of upper and lower mating unitary sections, the lower section forming an integral bed supportffor other parts of the unit and having footings for anchorage to supporting framework abovea suspended gyratory centrifugal, said casing having precisely machined openings with their axes in angular relation, a non-gyratory transmission shaft extending vertically into the casing through one of said openings and maintained in accurate position by spaced anti-friction shaft bearings seated in parts of the casing, an underneath gyratory basket-carrying spindle, means outside the casing positively and constantly coupling said shaft with said spindle, a bevel gear secured to the shaft within the casing, a rotatable driving member extending into the casing at an angle to said shaft through another of said openings and maintained in accurate position by other spaced antifriction bearings seated in parts of the casing, said driving member embodying means outside the casing for connection toI power transmitting means, and a second bevel gear secured to said rotatable drive member inside the casing in precise meshing relation with the bevel gear on said shaft.

14. Driving means for centrifugal machines comprising a group of centrifugals each having a suspended gyratory basket-carrying spindle, a common line shaft for the centrifugals of the group, powering means for revolving the line shaft, a driving unit positively and constantly coupled to each spindle, each unit including a train of intermeshing gears and a horizontally extending rotatable driving member secured to one of said gears, and means nterruptibly connecting each of said driving members with said line shaft, said connecting means being operative when actuated to establish progressively increasing speed transmitting connections between the line shaft and each driving unit as well as a full speed connection therebetween EUGENE ROBERTS.

CERTlFIGA'IE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,128, 575. August 50, 1958.

v EUGE1\1Ev ROBERTS n It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, first column, line 59, claim ll, after the comma and before "means" insert the words and icommflai a suspended gyratory basket-carrying spind1e,; and that the said Letters. Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of December, A. D. 1958.

Henry Van Arsdale i (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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