US3595469A

US3595469A - Centrifuge

Info

Publication number: US3595469A
Application number: US773174A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodor Stoferle
Original assignee: Hueller Gmbh K
Current assignee: KARL HULLER GmbH
Priority date: 1967-11-04
Filing date: 1968-11-04
Publication date: 1971-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-27
Also published as: FR1591672A; GB1237240A; CH481680A

Abstract

A centrifuge, especially for separating chips from cooling fluids and lubricants, which includes rotatable substantially vertical drum means having a bottom and also having inlet opening means for admitting the mixture containing the media to be separated from each other in said drum and also having first and second outlet means for respectively discharging the lighter and heavier separated medium, said first outlet means for the lighter separated medium being located above and in spaced relationship to said bottom of said drum.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Theodor sloierle Ludwigsburg-Pflugfelden, Germany Appl. Nov 773,174 Filed Nov. 4, 1968 Patented July 27, 1971 Assignee Karl Huller Gwellschaft mit beschrankter Battling Ludwigsburg, Germany Priority Nov. 4, 1967 Germany P 16 32 296.6

CENTRIFUGE 2| Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 233/7 Int.Cl 1304b 1/00, B04b 3/00 FieldoiSearch ..233/7, 6,8,

I 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,592 1/1910 Phillips 233/7 930,966 8/1909 .lahn 233/7 2,054,058 9/1936 Laughlin. r. 233/7 3,081,026 3/1963 Lacker 233/7 Primary ExaminerRobert We Jenkins Attorney-Walter Becker ABSTRACT: A centrifuge, especially for separating chips from cooling fluids and lubricants, which includes rotatable substantially vertical drum means having a bottom and also having inlet opening means for admitting the mixture containing the media to be separated from each other in said drum and also having first and second outlet means for respectively discharging the lighter and heavier separated medium, said first outlet means for the lighter separated medium being located above and in spaced relationship to said bottom of said drum.

PATENTEU m2? 197; 3, 595 .469

sum 2 BF 3 //I ran 10/" minnow-(m1 SHEET 3 OF 3 Inn en lor: 7200 0! 614x114.

' CENTRIFUGE The present invention relates to a centrifuge, especially for separating chips and cooling or lubricating means, which is provided with a rotatable conveying worm arranged in a rotatable substantially vertical drum. The present invention specifically concerns a centrifuge of the type just described with an inlet opening in the drum and with outlet openings for the separated media being located within the drum when viewed axially.

A centrifuge of this type is known according to which the outlet openings for the lighter medium are formed by downwardly directed pipe sections which are arranged at the bottom of the drum. This design has the drawback that with the lighter medium easily also particles of the heavier medium are able to leave the drum because the heavier medium can at least partially collect at the bottom of the drum.

A further disadvantage of the above-mentioned heretoforeknown centrifuge consists in that the inlet opening for the medium to be separated is located at the upper side of the drum whereby a fast separation of the medium is prevented inasmuch as the still intermixed media will only slowly pass from the top to the bottom to the outlet openings for the lighter medium.

When with the heretofore-known centrifuge at the bottom of the drum parts of the heavier medium have collected, the latter can leave the drum only through the outlet openings for the lighter medium.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a centrifuge of the above-mentioned general type which will overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a centrifuge of the above character which will assure a high degree of purity of the separated media.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a centrifuge with the above-mentioned general features which, however, will be smaller and more compact and will nevertheless be able to process a relatively large quantity of a mixture in a minimum of time.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a centrifuge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the centrifuge according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a vertical section through a modified centrifuge according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the centrifuge according to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line V-V of FIG. 3.

In a centrifuge, especially for separating chips and cooling or lubricating means, with a rotatable conveyor worm arranged in a rotatable substantially vertical drum, and with an inlet opening in the drum for the medium to be separated and outlet openings for the separated media of which the outlet opening for the lighter medium is located within the drum when viewed axially, the outlet opening for the lighter medium is, in conformity with the present invention, arranged in spaced relationship to and above the bottom of the drum. This will assure a high degree of purity of the separated media. For purposes of increasing the degree of efficiency of the centrifuge, expediently a plurality of the outlet openings are preferably uniformly distributed around the axis of rotation of the drum. In order to assure that the lighter medium, following its separation, can quickly flow off, the outlet openings are located in a substantially vertical plane.

The centrifuge according to the invention is of particularly simple construction when at the bottom of the drum there is arranged a hollow body, preferably a cylinder which is closed at its upper end face and which comprises the outlet openings. The rotatable hollow body may, in a simple manner, form the support for the drum.

For supporting the feeding worm in a safe manner, the latter may at the circumference of the hollow body be supported by rollers or the like.

The lighter medium leaving the drum can immediately be collected if directly below the hollow body, which at the lower end is at least partially open, there is provided a collecting vessel or container for the lighter medium.

According to a further feature of the invention, the drum and the worm are at least partially conical so that when the drum rotates, a force component in downward direction acts upon the medium. Against this force, the heavier medium is moved upwardly by the feeding worm.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drum'and the worm are cylindrical up to the level where the outlet opening is provided, and from this cylindrical portion upwardly the worm is conical so that a particularly favorable shape is obtained for the separation of the centrifuged material.

According to a further development of the invention, the inlet opening is located within the worm above the bottom of the drum, preferably coaxially with regard to the axis of the drum so that the material to be centrifuged can be introduced into the drum in a simple manner.

It is particularly advantageous to form the inlet opening by the end of a conduit preferably located in the axis of the drum. Such conduit is advantageously surrounded by an annular guiding surface which preferably is of a frustoconical shape and the circumference of which is located in the immediate vicinity of the inner surface of the worm. In this way, the material to be centrifuged will be uniformly introduced into thedrum. The guiding surface may be formed by a guiding plate or the like arranged at the conduit.

The introduction into the drum of the material to be centrifuged may be further improved by locating the inlet opening directly above the upper end face of the hollow body and preferably directed toward a dish.

Expediently, the hollow body is closed at its upper end face while the upper end face is preferably indented in a frustoconical manner so that the material to be centrifuged flowing into the hollow body will by centrifugal force be deviated at an incline upwardly away from the hollow body. For the heavier medium, the drum, below the upper end of the worm, is provided with an outlet opening. The drum ends preferably below the upper end of the worm so that the outlet for the heavier medium is formed by the upper opening of the drum. Advantageously, below the outlet opening of the drum for the heavier medium there is provided a guiding surface surrounding the drum which guiding surface is preferably connected to the drum and assures an accelerated withdrawal of the heavier medium in radial direction toward the outside. The guiding surface may be formed in an advantageous manner by a guiding plate which is preferably frustoconical or crowned. This guiding plate expediently protrudes beyond the housing surrounding the drum.

For conveying the heavier medium away, for instance to-a collecting station, an inclined discharging path for the heavier medium is provided below the circumference of the guiding surface. The said guiding surface preferably ends at a receiving container located adjacent the receiving container for the lighter medium. However, it is advantageously likewise possible to provide followers which are preferably mounted so as to be able to carry out a pendulumlike movement, said followers or transporting elements being located in an annular chamber between the housing and an outer housing. The said transporting elements or followers are driven, for instance, in a reciprocatory manner and transport the heavier medium, dropped from the guiding surface into the annular chamber, to a collecting station. In order to prevent the heavier medium from collecting at the bottom of the drum, the conveyor worm is provided with a scraping member arranged in the vicinity of the bottom of the drum. This scraping member or device picks up the heavier medium at the bottom of the drum. As a result thereof, the heavier medium can be transported upwardly by the conveyor worm. The scraper member may, in a simple manner, be formed by the downwardly inclined lower end of the worm.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a transmission for driving the drum and the conveyor worm is arranged at the upper side of the centrifuge. It is, however, of particular advantage to arrange the transmission at the bottom side of the centrifuge because in such an instance a relatively large inlet can be obtained for the material to be centrifuged, and small dimensions will be obtained while the centrifuge is in a stable condition. In this instance, advantageously, of the coaxially arranged driving shafts, the inner driving shaft is connected to the dish fastened to the conveyor worm, whereas the outer driving shaft is connected to the drum.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof in particular, these last-mentioned figures show a centrifuge according to the invention which has a cylindrical outer housing 1 having arranged therein a cylindrical inner housing 2 which is coaxially arranged with regard to the outer housing 1. The inner housing 2 is firmly connected to the outer housing 1. Within the inner housing 2 there is provided a drum 3 which is rotatable about a vertical axis which is coaxial to the housings 1, 2. The bottom part 4 of the drum 3 is connected to a hollow cylindrical body 5 arranged coaxially with regard to the drum and connected to said hollow body 5. The hollow body 5 is by bearing means, such. as ball bearings, rotatably journaled on a shaft 6 so that also the drum 3 is rotatably mounted. The hollow body 5, which is closed at its upper side by a frustoconical end member 7 has above the bottom portion 4 of the drum in its sidewall outlet openings which are uniformly distributed over the circumference. Below the hollow body 5 there is located a collecting container 9 and immediately below the hollow body 5 there is provided a downwardly widening guiding plate 10. The lower range 11 of the drum 3 is approximately up to the level of the outlet openings 8 of the hollow body 5 cylindrical, said cylindrical part 11 merging with an upwardly decreasing conical part 12. The upper end of drum 3 is by means of a flange 13 connected to a gear 14 in such a way that the drum 3 through a toothed belt 15 or the like can be driven by a motor 16 located at the outside of the housing 1.

Provided in the drum 3 is a suspended conveyor worm 17 the helical conveying section 18 of which is arranged in the direct vicinity of the inner wall of the drum and extends from the bottom 4 of the drum 3 beyond the upper edge 19 thereof. The said helical section 18 is connected to a plurality, preferably three, webs 20 which are uniformly distributed over the circumference, said webs being located at the inner side of the helical section 18 and inserted thereinto. At the lower end of the webs 20 there is fastened a supporting ring 21 having rotatably journaled thereon supporting rollers 22 by means of which the conveyor worm l7 rests against the outer circumference of the cylindrical hollow body 5.

The upper ends of the webs 20 or the helical section 18 are connected to a flange 23 which is connected to a gear 24 arranged coaxially with regard to the gear 14 of the drum 3. The drive for the drum 3 and the conveyor worm I7 is advantageously effected by the same driving motor 16 and is so selected that the conveyor worm 17 which rotates in the same direction as the drum 3 rotates faster to a definite extent which means that the conveyor worm 17 carries out a conveying rotation relative to the drum 3.

Below the upper edge 19 of drum 3 and to the outside thereof there is connected an obtuse-angled guiding plate 25 which extends beyond the inner housing 2. In the annular chamber 46 between the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 there is provided an inclined flowotf path 26 which extends to an opening 27 in the bottom of the outer housing 1, said opening being located above the collecting container 28.

In the axis of rotation of drum 3 or conveyor worm l7 and in the upper range of the drum 3 there is provided an inlet pipe 29 which leads upwardly from said drum. At the lower end of the inlet pipe 29 there is connected a frustoconical annular guiding plate 30 which is located directly above the end portion 7 of the hollow body 5.

For purposes of separating, for instance, a mixture of chips and cooling or insulating fluid, this mixture is .introduced through the inlet pipe 29 into the drum 3. The drum 3 and the conveyor worm l7 rotate in the same direction but at different speeds so that the conveyor worm 17 rotates faster than the drum 3. The mixture which flows against the obtuse-angled end portion 7 of the hollow body 5 is moved between the guiding plate 30 and the end portion 7 radially outwardly against the wall of the drum 3 in such a way that the liquid, in view of the rotation of the drum, forms a parabolic surface as indicated in dot-dash lines at 31. in view of the rotary movement of the drum 3, the heavier medium of the mixture will be located radially farther outwardly than the lighter medium which through the openings 8 flows into the hollow body 5 and from there into the collecting container 9. The heavier medium is along the inner wall of the drum moved by the conveyor worm 17 upwardly to the upper edge 19 of the drum and there is centrifuged radially outwardly onto the discharge path 26 from where it passes into the collecting container 28. lf desired, particles of the heavier medium collecting at the bottom of the drum, are received by the end 32 of the helical section 18, which end is designed as scraper member, and are conveyed upwardly out of the drum 3. To this end, the lower end 32 of the conveyor worm 17 is by an inclined portion designed so that it is approximately sharp and is located directly above the bottom 4 of the drum. The upper side of the outer housing 1 may be closed by a cover.

According to the modification illustrated in FIGS. 35, the drum 3a and the conveyor worm 17a are driven by a drive motor which is located below the drum 3a within the range of the collecting container 9a. The motor 16:: has two

shafts

33, 34 which are coaxially arranged with regard to the drum 3a, said shafts also being coaxial with regard to the worm 17a. The outer shaft 33 forms a hollow shaft and through a corresponding plug coupling is drivingly connected to the hollow body 5a connected to the drum 3a. The inner shaft 34 is by means of a further plug coupling drivingly connected to a disc 35 located above the drum 5a. Said disc 35 is located directly above the hollow body 5a and is directed against the obtuse-angled conical guiding plate 30a of the inlet pipe 29a. The outer circumference of the guiding plate 30a is located in the immediate vicinity of the inner edge of the helical section 18a of the conveyor worm 17a.

The drive of the two

shafts

33, 34 is effected through the intervention of two separate transmission stages 36, 37 and 38, 39. The driving gear 36 pertaining to the transmission stage of the driving shaft 33 for drum 30 has the same number of teeth as the driven gear 39 of the transmission stage which pertains to the drive for the conveyor worm 17a. The driving gear 38 of the last-mentioned transmission stage has the same number of teeth as the driven gear 37 of the

transmission stage

36, 37 pertaining to the drum 3a. Finally, the number of teeth of the driving gear 38 of the transmission stage pertaining to the conveyor worm 17a is higher than the number of teeth of the driven gear 39 of the same transmission stage.

As will be evident from FIG. 5, the plug couplings of the

shafts

33, 34 may be formed by polygonal profiles. However, instead of such polygonal profiles, also other splined shaft profiles of any standard type may be employed.

The drum 3a and the conveyor worm 17a rest against the upper side of the outer housing through the intervention of coaxially arranged antifriction bearings.

Arranged in the annular chamber 46a between the outer housing In and the inner housing 2a are transporting blades 46 which are mounted so as to be movable on a corresponding circular path. The lower ends 41 of said blades 46 extend in the vicinity of the bottom of the annular chamber 46a. The blades 40 are at their upper ends journaled in a pendulumlike manner about shafts 42 which are radially arranged with regardto the annular chamber 46a and in this range are guided by rollers 43 along a path 44 provided on the inner housing 2a.

The blades 40are driven by a reversible electric motor 45 in such a way that they carry out pendulumlike movements and convey chips or the like which pass over the crowned guiding,

plate 250 into the annular chamber 46a into the Collecting container 28a.

With embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end portion 7a of the hollow body 5a is conically depressed at an obtuse angle downwardly toward the axis of rotation so that particles of the mixture to be processed which drop into the end portion 7a are by centrifugal force thrown at an angle upwardly and cannot pass into the outlet openings 80.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular embodiments shown in the drawings but also comprises modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A centrifuge especially for separating chips from cooling fluids and lubricants, which includes: rotatable substantially vertical drum means having a bottom and also having inlet opening means for admitting the mixture containing the media to be separated from each other in said drum and also having first and second outlet means for respectively discharging the lighter and heavier separated medium, said first outlet means for the lighter separated medium being located above and in spaced relationship to said bottom of said drum, said bottom having its central portion designed as a hollow body having upwardly extending wall means and having one end closed and together with said upwardly extending wall means extending into said drum, said first outlet means being located in said upwardly extending wall means.

2. A centrifuge according to claim 1, in which said hollow body is rotatably journaled and supports said drum.

3. A centrifuge according to claim '1, which includes worm conveyor means rotatably arranged within said drum and provided with roller means engaging the outer surface of said upwardly extending wall means of said hollow body for resting said conveyor worm means thereagainst.

4. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which said drum and said conveyor worm means are each at least partially conical.

5. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which the lower portion of said drum and said worm conveyor means are substantially cylindrical up to approximately said first outlet means, and in which said drum and said worm conveyor means above said cylindrical portion are conical.

6. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which said inlet opening means is located within said drum and above the central portion of the bottom of said drum.

7. A centrifuge according to claim 6, which includes conduit means leading into said drum and having one end forming said inlet opening means.

8. A centrifuge according to claim 7, which includes first conical hood means adjacent to and surrounding said inlet outlet means for the heavier separated medium is located in the vicinity of but lower than the upper end of said worm conveyor means.

11. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which said worm conveyor means has the lower end thereof designed as a scraper adjacent tothe bottom of said drum.

12. A centrifuge according to claim 3, which includes driving means for driving both said drum and said worm conveyor means.

13. A centrifuge according to claim 1, in which the other end of said hollow body is at least partially open for releasing into a collecting vessel the separated lighter medium passed through said first outlet means into the interior of said hollow d l A centrifuge according to claim 1, in which said inlet opening means is located in the vicinity of and above said one closed end of said hollow body.

15. A centrifuge according to claim 1, which includes hood means arranged on the outside of said drum at a level lower than the level of said second outlet means and forming guiding surface means for the medium discharged through said second outlet means for the heavier separatedmedium.

16. A centrifuge according to claim 15, which includes first housing means surrounding said drum, and in which said hood means extends beyond said first housing means.

17. A centrifuge according to claim 16, which includes inclined discharge guiding means for the separated heavier medium and also includes a collecting container for receiving separated heavier medium discharged through said second outlet means.

18. A centrifuge according to claim 16, which includes housing means surrounding said first housing means in spaced relationship thereto so as to form an annular chamber therewith, and transporting means movably arranged in said annular chamber for imparting movement onto the separated medium discharged over said hood means into said annular chamber.

19. A centrifuge according to claim 1, which includes driving means arranged at the lower portion of said centrifuge for driving both said drum and said conveyor means, said driving means including first shaft means drivingly connected-to said worm conveyor means and also includes second shaft means drivingly connected to said drum.

20. In a centrifuge, especially, for separating chips from cooling fluids and lubricants and including a rotatable substantially vertical drum means having a-bot tom and also having a conveying worm as well as inlet opening means for admitting the mixture containing the media to be separated from each other in the drum and havingv first and second outlet means for respectively discharging the lighter and heavier separated medium so that first outlet means for the lighter separated medium is located above and in spaced relationship to the bottom of the drum, the improvement therewith which comprises: a hollow body extending upwardly where the first outlet means for the lighter medium is in an area above the bottom of the drum.

21. The improvement of claim 20, wherein said hollow body is formed by a cylinder having a closed top and a mantle portion through which the outlet means are provided.

Claims

3. A centrifuge according to claim 1, which includes worm conveyor means rotatably arranged within said drum and provided with roller means engaging the outer surface of said upwardly extending wall means of said hollow body for resting said conveyor worm means thereagainst.

8. A centrifuge according to claim 7, which includes first conical hood means adjacent to and surrounding said inlet opening means.

9. A centrifuge according to claim 3, which includes partition means interposed between said outlet means and above said closed end of said hollow body, said partition means being connected to said worm conveyor means.

10. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which said second outlet means for the heavier separated medium is located in the vicinity of but lower than the upper end of said worm conveyor means.

11. A centrifuge according to claim 3, in which said worm conveyor means has the lower end thereof designed as a scraper adjacent to the bottom of said drum.

13. A centrifuge according to claim 1, in which the other end of said hollow body is at least partially open for releasing into a collecting vessel the separated lighter medium passed through said first outlet means into the interior of said hollow body.

14. A centrifuge according to claim 1, in which said inlet opening means is located in the vicinity of and above said one closed end of said hollow body.

15. A centrifuge according to claim 1, which includes hood means arranged on the outside of said drum at a level lower than the level of said second outlet means and forming guiding surface means for the medium discharged through said second outlet means for the heavier separated medium.

19. A centrifuge according to claim 1, which includes driving means arranged at the lower portion of said centrifuge for driving both said drum and said conveyor means, said driving means including first shaft means drivingly connected to said worm conveyor means and also includes second shaft means drivingly connected to said drum.

20. In a centrifuge, especially for separating chips from cooling fluids and lubricants and including a rotatable substantially vertical drum means having a bottom and also having a conveying worm as well as inlet opening means for admitting the mixture containing the media to be separated from each other in the drum and having first and second outlet means for respectively discharging the lighter and heavier separated medium so that first outlet means for the lighter separated medium is located above and in spaced relationship to the bottom of the drum, the improvement therewith which comprises: a hollow body extending upwardly where the fiRst outlet means for the lighter medium is in an area above the bottom of the drum.