US 5,180,358 AGranted

Adjustment mechanism for low speed particle concentrator

AssigneeOccam Marine Technologies Ltd.

InventorDan R. Pace

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Abstract

Adjustment mechanisms for a low speed decanting centrifuge (10) for separating relatively large particulate material (e.g. yeast) from a feedstock are disclosed. The centrifuge is clamped to a container (12) and the centrifuge housing (18) is pressurized to, in turn, pressurize the container and force feedstock upwardly into the lower bowl (116) of the centrifuge. A stack of inverted frustoconical discs (278, 280, 282) carry supernatant downwardly and inwardly for vertical transfer to a discharge chamber (76). Particulate matter is centrifugally discharged continuously between engageable surfaces (146, 148) of the lower bowl member (116) and the upper bowl member (140). The invention provides for automatic or manual adjustment of the maximum gap available between the bowl members during operation. In one embodiment the drive motor (422), transfer tube (454), upper bowl members (470) and disc stack (482) are connected together so that the assembly thereof can be vertically adjusted through a gear train (434 to 444). In another embodiment an adjusting nut (512) on the transfer shaft (506) is used to determine the upper limit of the upper bowl member (502). A gear train (516, 536, 540) is used to move the adjusting nut on the transfer tube (506). In each case adjustment can be effected while the centrifuge is running.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a centrifugal particle concentrator having:

a housing mountable on a container;
upper and lower rotatable bowl members within the housing, the upper bowl member being vertically movable relative to the lower bowl member;
rotatable separator means within the bowl members;
and a transfer tube extending axially of said concentrator, mounting said upper bowl member and said separator means at one end thereof and being drivingly connected to a drive motor at the other end, said transfer tube having a bore extending longitudinally thereof and communicating said separator means with a discharge chamber of said housing;
the improvement in means for adjustably establishing a maximum available gap between said bowl members during operation of said concentrator, comprising:
an annular sun gear extending circumferentially about said drive motor;
a plurality of planetary gears engaging said sun gear and spaced circumferentially thereabout, each planetary gear being threadedly engaged with a non-rotatable mounting screw extending parallel to said transfer tube and being anchored in a boss affixed to said housing;
mounting means secured to said drive motor and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said mounting means being slidably receivable on each mounting screw between the respective planetary gear and boss, there being a first compression spring on each screw between the mounting means and planetary gear and a second compression spring on each screw between the mounting means and boss;
and
an adjustment motor on said housing, drivingly connected to an adjustment gear engaging said sun gear;
whereby rotation of said adjustment gear will cause rotation of said sun gear and consequent rotation of said planetary gears, such rotation of said planetary gears causing movement of each planetary gear along its mounting screw to further compress or to relax said compression springs and thereby control the amount of vertical movement available to said drive motor, transfer tube, separator means and upper bowl member relative to said lower bowl member.

8 more elements

In a centrifugal particle concentrator having:

a housing mountable on a container;
upper and lower rotatable bowl members within the housing, the upper bowl member being vertically movable relative to the lower bowl member;
rotatable separtor means within the bowl members;
and a transfer tube extending axially of said concentrator, slidably mounting said upper bowl driving connected to a drive motor at the other end, said transfer tube having a bore extending longitudinally thereof and communicating said separator means with a discharge chamber of said housing;
the improvement in means for adjustably establisihing a maximum available gap between said bowl members during operation of said concentrator, comprising:
an adjusting nut threadedly mounted on said transfer tube above said upper bowl member, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced compression springs between said upper bowl member and said adjusting nut;
a primary gear cluster rotatably mounted on said adjusting nut, said gear cluster including a greater adjusting gear thereon spaced therealong from a lesser adjusting gear thereon;
bi-directional overrunning clutch means drivingly connecting said primary gear cluster to said adjusting nut;
a plurality of secondary gear clusters spaced circumferentially about said transfer tube, each secondary gear cluster including a transfer drive gear at one end thereof, spaced therealong from a lesser transfer gear and an adjacent greater transfer gear;
a drive gear slidably and drivingly mounted on said transfer tube drivingly engaging each transfer drive gear;
a transfer shaft for each secondary gear cluster, extending parallel to said transfer tube and rotatably mounting the respective secondary gear cluster thereon;
and
means for raising and lowering said transfer shafts in synchronism;
whereby, as said transfer tube rotates said drive gear will cause each said secondary gear cluster to rotate on its transfer shaft, vertical movement of said transfer shafts from a neutral position thereof bringing either the greater or lesser transfer gears of said secondary gear clusters into driving engagement with the lesser or greater adjustment gear respectively of said primary gear cluster to either increase or decrease the rotational speed of said adjusting nut relative to said transfer tube so as to cause said adjusting nut to advance or retreat along said transfer tube and thereby increase or decrease the degree of compression in said springs to control the maximum available gap between said bowl members.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.