US 5,307,567 A · Horizontally-spinning and horizontal loading centrifuge and method for de-watering bulk materials in large volumes

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes an open-ended, non-spinning housing, which is fitted with an inner lining that rotates within the housing at speeds sufficient to de-water material loaded from within and along the length of the inner liner. A loading conveyor system has a discharge end that can be relatively positioned horizontally at various depths within the inner liner to deposit product at continuously variable layer depths on the inner liner while it is spinning. Once loaded, the inner liner is accelerated to a drying speed and the housing is swiveled to vertical on gudgeons. Once drying is complete, the inner liner is slowed down, or stopped, and the de-watered product can fall out to land on an unloading conveyor.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A centrifuge, comprising:

a non-spinning housing with swivels that allow an open-end of the housing to face vertical down or horizontal;
a rotatable inner liner disposed within the housing and having an open end concentric with the open end of the housing;
product introduction means positioned for transporting a product horizontally to a variety of points along an inside length of the inner liner while it and the housing are in a horizontal attitude;
motor means connected to rotate the inner liner at a plurality of speeds including a loading speed, a drying speed that is substantially faster than said loading speed and sufficient to cause dewatering of said product substantially by operation of centrifugal force and an unloading speed that is substantially slower than said drying speed and that permits said product to drop out by gravity from the inner liner when said open end is facing vertically downward;
and
swiveling means for positioning the housing in a horizontal attitude for a loading of said product while the inner liner is spinning at said loading speed and a vertical attitude for an unloading of said product while the inner liner is spinning at said unloading speed.

3 more elements

A centrifuge, comprising:

a cylindrical non-rotating housing with two opposite open ends;
a perforated-surface right-circular-cylinder sleeve with two opposite open ends disposed within the cylindrical housing;
bearing means for allowing the sleeve to rotate within the housing;
motor means connected to rotate the sleeve at a plurality of speeds including a loading speed, a drying speed that is substantially faster than said loading speed and sufficient to cause dewatering of a material substantially by operation of centrifugal force and an unloading speed that is substantially slower than said drying speed and that permits said material to drop out by gravity from the inner liner when positioned in the vertical;
axial-flow conveyor means for horizontally depositing a substantially uniform layer of said material to be de-watered on said perforated surface of the sleeve from one of said open ends in the housing;
and
de-watered material unloading means for tilting the centrifuge such that one of said open ends may be positioned to allow said deposited material to fall out of the centrifuge.

4 more elements

A centrifuge, comprising:

a cylindrical non-rotating housing with two opposite open ends;
a perforated-surface open-ended right-circular-cylinder sleeve disposed within the cylindrical housing the cylindrical sleeve and including a plastic sieve and a plurality of expansion hoops for maintaining a circular inner diameter of the sleeve;
bearing means for allowing the sleeve to rotate within the housing and including a chain-linked conveyor belt mat connected to itself in a continuous cylindrical loop within which the sleeve is disposed and further comprising a system of sprockets mounted within the housing on axes parallel to a common axis of both the housing and sleeve wherein said sprockets are positively engaged with said conveyor belt mat and sleeve and couple-in power drive to forcibly rotate the sleeve within the housing;
motor means for rotating the sleeve within the housing through said sprockets and said chain-linked conveyor belt mat;
axial-flow conveyor means for horizontally depositing a substantially uniform layer of material to be de-watered on said perforated surface of the sleeve inside from one of said open ends in the housing, the conveyer means further comprising a tube and auger with a loading-end and a discharging-end for moving said material from said loading-end to said discharging-end where said material can fall inside the sleeve;
insertion means for moving said discharging-end into and out of one of said open ends of the housing and inside the sleeve while the sleeve is rotating;
a linear motion controller for moving said discharging-end at a rate that permits a uniform thickness of said material to be deposited inside the sleeve while the motor means is rotating the sleeve within the housing;
de-watered-material unloading means for tilting the centrifuge such that one of said open ends may be positioned to allow said deposited material to fall out of the centrifuge, and including a pair of trunnions mounted on the housing and a motor to rotate the housing between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation wherein said opposite open ends may be placed one vertically above another and alternatively at equal elevations;
and
a motor controller for starting and stopping the motor means, wherein the sleeve may be stopped from rotating after the housing has been rotated into said vertical orientation, thereby canceling a centrifugal force that would otherwise hold said deposited material inside the sleeve regardless of its orientation.

7 more elements

A tandem centrifuge system, comprising:

a hopper bin for receiving input material to be centrifuged;
a first horizontal delivery system for transporting a portion of said material to be centrifuged from the hopper bin to a point "A";
a second horizontal delivery system for transporting a portion of said material to be centrifuged from the hopper bin to a point "B";
a first centrifuge unit including an rotatable inner liner;
a motor drive for rotating said rotatable inner liner at a loading speed, a drying speed greater than the loading speed and an unloading speed less than said drying speed;
an outer liquid containment housing;
a pivoting means for pivoting the first centrifuge unit to a horizontal axis of rotation of said inner liner and a sliding means for moving the first centrifuge unit horizontally along the direction of said rotation of said inner liner such that said point "A" may be engulfed by a variable amount by an inside length of said inner liner;
a second centrifuge unit including an rotatable inner liner;
a motor drive for rotating said rotatable inner liner at a loading speed, a drying speed greater than the loading speed and an unloading speed less than said drying speed;
an outer liquid containment housing;
a pivoting means for pivoting the second centrifuge unit to a horizontal axis of rotation of said inner liner and a sliding means for moving the second centrifuge unit horizontally along the direction of said rotation of said inner liner such that said point "B" may be engulfed by a variable amount by an inside length of said inner liner;
first unloading means for withdrawing the first centrifuge unit clear of point "A" and for pivoting the first centrifuge unit to a vertical orientation and for decelerating said rotatable inner liner such that gravity may cause said material to be centrifuged to drop out of said inner liner by force of gravity;
and
second unloading means for withdrawing the second centrifuge unit clear of point "B" and for pivoting the second centrifuge unit to a vertical orientation and for decelerating said rotatable inner liner such that gravity may cause said material to be centrifuged to drop out of said inner liner by force of gravity.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Horizontally-spinning and horizontal loading centrifuge and method for de-watering bulk materials in large volumes

Life of this patent

Horizontally-spinning and horizontal loading centrifuge and method for de-watering bulk materials in large volumes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23