# US 4,397,637 A · Apparatus and method for centrifuging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,397,637 A - Document ID: US4397637A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/282,825 - Filed: 1981-07-13 - Granted: 1983-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1981-07-13 - Assignees: The Garrett Corporation - Inventors: Theodore W. Place - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397637A ## CPC - B04B 1/02: without inserted separating walls - B04B 11/02: Continuous feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor - B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N) ## Abstract A centrifuge having automatic purging elements for discharging contaminants from the centrifuge in response to the rotational speed of the centrifuge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A centrifuge of the type used to separate a generally flowable mixture of components having differing specific gravities on a continuous process, comprising: separation chamber means rotatable generally about its axis for separating said mixture into generally flowing component layers; means for rotating said separation chamber means about said axis to separate said mixture; inlet means for communicating said separation chamber means with said mixture; outlet means for individually communicating said components with generally segregated outflow paths; and means operably associated with said separation chamber means and responsive to the rotational speed thereof for automatically purging said separation chamber means of component contaminant buildup. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The centrifuge of claim 1 wherein said means for automatically purging includes: flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity adjacent to said separation chamber means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid wherein said fluid permits the liner to expand with decreasing rotational speed of the separation chamber to thereby dislodge and automatically purge the chamber of contaminant buildup. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The centrifuge of claim 2 wherein said separation chamber means includes recess means for sealingly engaging said flexible liner and said flexible liner includes sealing bead means for insertion in said recess means to form said cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The centrifuge of claim 1 wherein said separation chamber means includes: drum means rotatable about said axis for separating said mixture; and end bell means for sealingly mating with said drum means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The centrifuge of claim 4 wherein said means for automatically purging includes: flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity adjacent said drum means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid wherein said fluid permits the liner means to expand with decreasing rotational speed of the separation chamber to thereby dislodge and automatically purge the drum of contaminant buildup. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The centrifuge of claim 5 wherein said drum means includes recess means for cooperative interaction with said end bell means to sealingly retain said flexible liner generally near said drum means to form said fluid tight cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The centrifuge of claim 6 wherein said flexible linear means includes sealing ring means for insertion in said recess means; and said end bell means includes lip means for cooperative interaction with said recess means to retain said sealing ring means therein when said end bell and drum means are sealingly mated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The centrifuge of claim 1 wherein said separation chamber means includes: an axially open ended drum means rotatable about said axis for separating said mixture; and end bell means for sealingly mating with said drum means near said axially open ends to form a flight tight seal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The centrifuge of claim 8 wherein said means for automatically purging includes: flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity between said drum means and said liner means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid wherein said fluid permits the liner means to increasingly expand with decreasing rotational speed of the separation chamber to thereby dislodge and automatically purge the drum of contaminant buildup on said liner means. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The centrifuge of claim 9 wherein said liner means includes sealing ring means generally near its ends; said drum means includes recess means generally near said axially open ends for receiving said sealing ring means; and said end bell means include lip means for cooperatively interacting with said recess means to retain said sealing ring means in said recess means and thereby form said fluid tight cavity when said drum and end bell means are sealingly mated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5, 6, 7, 9) The centrifuge of claims 5, 6, 7, 9, or 10 wherein said drum means includes check valve means for supplying said cavity with a charge of said compressible fluid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) The centrifuge of claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 including load bearing yoke assembly means wherein said end bell means include: means for interacting with said load bearing yoke assembly means for supporting said separation chamber means for said rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The centrifuge of claim 12 wherein said end bell means includes inlet end bell means generally near said inlet means having sleeve means for interacting with said load bearing yoke assembly means and communicating said separation chamber means with said flow of mixture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The centrifuge of claim 13 wherein said inlet means includes diffuser plate means operatively coupled to said inlet end bell means for diverting said mixture outwardly away from said axis to prevent said mixture from passing through said outlet means before separation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The centrifuge of claim 14 wherein said diffuser plate means includes ridge means for directing the mixture to reduce contaminant buildup near said inlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The centrifuge of claim 12 wherein said end bell means includes outlet end bell means generally near said outlet means having sleeve means for interacting with said load bearing yoke assembly means and communicating said separation chamber with at least one of said segregated outflow paths. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The centrifuge of claim 16 wherein said outlet end bell sleeve means communicates the denser of said components with a first segregated outflow path. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The centrifuge of claim 17 wherein said outlet end bell means includes plate means operably associated therewith having sleeve means for communicating a lesser dense one of said components with a second of said segregated outflow paths. ### Claim 19 A centrifuge of the type used to separate a generally flowable mixture of components having differing specific gravities, at least one of said components being a heavy particulate contaminant entrained in said mixture, on a continuous process basis, comprising: separation chamber means rotatable about its longitudinal axis for separating said mixture into generally discrete flowing component layers; means for rotating said separation chamber means about said longitudinal axis to separate said mixture; inlet means for communicating said separation chamber means with a sustained flow of said mixture; outlet means for individually communicating said component layers with generally segregated outflow paths; and means operably associated with said chamber means and responsive to the rotational speed thereof for automatically purging said separation chamber means of dense particulate contaminant buildup in said separation chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The centrifuge of claim 19 wherein said means for automatically purging includes: flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity adjacent to said separation chamber means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid wherein said fluid permits the liner to expand with decreasing rotational speed of the separation chamber to thereby dislodge and automatically purge the chamber of particulate buildup thereon. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The centrifuge of claim 20 wherein said separation chamber means includes recess means for sealingly engaging said flexible liner and said flexible liner includes sealing ring means for insertion in said recess means to form said cavity. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) A centrifuge of claim 19 wherein said separation chamber means include cylindrical hollow drum means rotatable about said longitudinal axis for separating said mixture; and end bell means for sealingly mating with said cylindrical drum means. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The centrifuge of claim 22 wherein said means for automatically purging includes: flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity adjacent said cylindrical drum means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid therein, wherein said fluid permits the liner means to expand with decreasing rotational speed of the separation chamber to thereby dislodge and automatically purge the cylindrical drum means for particulate contaminant buildup thereon. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The centrifuge of claim 23 wherein said cylindrical drum means includes recess means for cooperative interaction with said end bell means to sealingly retain said flexible liner generally near said cylindrical drum means to form said fluid tight cavity. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The centrifuge of claim 24 wherein said flexible liner means include sealing ring means for insertion in said recess means; and said end bell means includes lip means for cooperative interaction with said recess means to retain said sealing ring means therein when said end bell and cylindrical drum means are sealingly mated. ### Claim 26 A centrifuge of the type used to separate a generally flowable mixture of oil water and particulate contaminants having differing specific gravities, said particulate contaminants being of a denser nature than said oil or water, on a continuous process basis, comprising: an axially open-ended drum means rotatable about its longitudinal axis for separating said mixture into generally discrete flowing component layers; means for rotating said axially open-ended drum means about said longitudinal axis to separate said mixture into its component elements; inlet and outlet end bell means for sealingly mating with said axially opened drum means near said axially open ends to form a fluid tight seal; inlet means for communicating said separation chamber means with a sustained flow of said mixture; outlet means for individually communicating said separated and generally flowable oil and water layers with segregated outflow paths; and flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity between said drum and said flexible liner means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid therein wherein said fluid permits the flexible liner means to increasingly expand with decreasing rotational speed of the axially open-ended drum means to thereby dislodge dense particulate contaminant buildup on said flexible liner means and into said flowing water layer for wash away and purging of the drum means. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The centrifuge of claim 26 wherein: said flexible liner means includes sealing ring means generally near its ends; said axially opened drum means includes recess means generally near said axially opened ends for receiving said sealing bead means therein; and said end bell means include lip means for cooperatively interacting with said recess means to retain said sealing bead means in said recess means and thereby form said fluid tight cavity when said cylindrical open-ended drum and end bell means are sealingly mated. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The centrifuge of claim 27 wherein said axially open-ended drum means includes check valve means for supplying said cavity with a charge of said compressible fluid. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The centrifuge of claim 27 including inlet and outlet end load bearing yoke assembly means, wherein said inlet and outlet end bell means include sleeve means for interacting with said load bearing yoke assembly means for supporting said axially open-ended drum means for said rotation about said longitudinal axis. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26, 29) The centrifuge of claims 26 or 29 including diffuser plate means operably coupled to said inlet end bell means for diverting said mixture outwardly away from said longitudinal axis to prevent said mixture from passing through said outlet means before separation. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The centrifuge of claim 30 wherein said diffuser plate means include ridge means for acting as a turbine to capture energy from said flowing mixture as it enters said cylindrical drum means, and for directing said mixture in a direction having a vector component opposed to the direction of rotation of said cylindrical drum means to thereby wash particulate buildup away from the inlet end bell to prevent clogging of the entry to the cylindrical drum means. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26, 29) The centrifuge of claim 26 or 29, said outlet means including outlet plate means operably coupled to said outlet end bell means for diverting said oil and water layers after separation into said segregated outflow paths. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The centrifuge of claim 32 wherein said outlet plate means is smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of said open ended drum means, said outlet end bell means and said outlet plate means are spaced a sufficient distance relative to each other to form the beginning of the segregated outflow path for said water in the separation; and said outlet plate means includes inner sleeve means generally near said longitudinal axis for forming the beginning of the segregated outflow path for said oil after separation. ### Claim 34 A method for separating flowing mixtures of components having differing specific gravities into generally flowing and segregated components on a continuous process basis comprising the steps of: providing a flow of said mixture to a rotatable separation chamber to form a flowing mass therethrough; rotating said separation chamber about its axis to separate said flowing mass into discrete generally flowing layers of said components; and funneling said components out of said separation chamber and into segregated outflow paths; and automatically purging said separation chamber of component contaminant buildup in response to the rotational speed of said separation chamber. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 including the step of diffusing the mixture radially outwardly from a point generally near its point of entry into said separation chamber to prevent the mixture from being funneled out of said separation chamber before separation into said components. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35 including the step of directing said mixture in a direction having a component opposed to the direction of said separate chambers to prevent contaminant buildup near said point of entry. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein said separation chamber includes flexible liner means operably associated therewith to form a fluid tight cavity; and said step of automatically purging includes the steps of: providing a charge of compressible fluid in said cavity; sufficiently rotating said separation chamber to compress said fluid, reduce the volume of said cavity and separate said mixture into said component layers; and reducing the rotational speed of said separation chamber to allow said fluid cavity and flexible liner to expand thereby dislodging said contaminants for wash away. ### Claim 38 A method for mechanically separating flowing oil water and particulate mixtures having differing specific gravities into generally flowing and segregated components on a continuous process basis comprising the steps of providing a flow of said mixture to a rotatable separation chamber to form a flowing mass therethrough; rotating said separation chamber about its axis to separate said flowing mass into discrete generally flowing layers of said components; and funneling said components out of said separation chamber and into segregated outflow paths; and automatically purging said separation chamber of particulate component contaminant buildup in response to the rotational speed of said separation chamber by providing flexible liner means operably associated with said separation chamber to form a fluid tight cavity; providing a charge of compressible fluid in said cavity; and sufficiently rotating said separation chamber to compress said fluid, reduce the volume of said cavity and separate said mixture into said component layers and reducing the rotational speed of said separation chamber to allow said fluid cavity and flexible liner to expand thereby dislodging said contaminants for wash away by the outer or water layer. ### Claim 39 A centrifuge of the type used to separate a generally flowable mixture of oil water and particulate contaminants having different specific gravities, said particulate contaminants being of a denser nature than said oil or water, on a continuous process basis, comprising: an axially open ended drum means rotatable about its longitudinal axis for separating said mixture into generally discrete flowing component layers therewithin, said drum means having recess means near its axially open ends and adjacent the inner surface thereof; electric motor and belt means operatively associated with said drum means for rotating said axially open ended drum means about said longitudinal axis to separate said mixture into its component elements; inlet and outlet end bell means for sealingly mating with said axially open ended drum means near said axially open ends to form a fluid tight seal, said end bell means including ridge means for interacting with said recess means when said inlet and outlet end bell means are mated with said drum means; inlet means for communicating said separation chamber means with a sustained flow of said mixture including inlet end bell sleeve means having a corrosive resistant liner; outlet means for individually communicating said separated and generally flowable oil and water layers with segregated outflow paths including outer end bell sleeve means having a corrosive resistant liner for communicating said water layer with a first segregated outflow path and an outlet end plate having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the drum means and operably associated with the outlet end bell means and spaced a sufficient distance with respect thereto to form the beginning of said first or water flow path, said outlet end plate including integral inner sleeve means concentrically distributed about said longitudinal axis and extending through said outer sleeve means for aligning with the generally flowable oil layer; flexible liner means for forming a generally fluid tight cavity between said drum and said flexible liner means to receive a pressurized and generally compressible fluid therein wherein said fluid permits the flexible liner means to increasingly expand with decreasing rotational speed of the axially open ended drum means to thereby dislodge dense particulate contaminant buildup on said flexible liner means and into said flowing water layer for wash away and purging of the drum means, said flexible liner means including sealing ring means generally near its ends for insertion in said recess means of said axially open ended drum means for retention therein by said lip means of said end bell means when said cylindrical open ended drum means and end bell means are sealingly mated; inlet and outlet load bearing yoke assembly means for interaction with said inlet and outlet end bell sleeve means to support said axially open ended drum means for said rotation; and diffuser plate means having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of said axially open ended drum and operably associated with said inlet end bell means for rotation therewith about said axis for preventing said mixture from entering said outlet means before separation of the mixture into its component elements, said inlet diffuser plate means including ridge means for directing said mixture into said drum means in a direction having a vector component opposed to the direction of rotation of said drum means to prevent dense particulate buildup near said inlet and thereby prevent centrifuge clogging, and for acting as a turbine to capture some of the energy in said flowing mixture and to convert said energy into rotational energy of the axially open ended drum.