Centrifuge

Claim 1

IN A CENTRIFUGE, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST VERTICAL SHAFT; A SECOND SHAFT COAXIAL WITH AND SURROUNDING SAID FIRST SHAFT, EACH OF THE SHAFTS HAVING AN UPPER END PORTION; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID SHAFTS; A ROTARY CENTRIFUGING DRUM HAVING AN AXIS NORMALLY INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO AND INTERSECTING THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID SHAFTS, SAID DRUM COMPRISING A CENTRAL PORTION LOCATED ABOVE THE UPPER END PORTIONS; A UNIVERSAL JOINT COMPRISING A FIRST COMPONENT RIGID WITH THE END PORTION OF SAID FIRST SHAFT AND A SECOND COMPONENT DRIVEN BY SAID FIRST COMPONENT AND RIGID WITH SAID CENTRAL PORTION SO THAT THE DRUM SPINS ABOUT ITS AXIS IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID FIRST SHAFT; AN ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE ARTICULATED JOINT COMPRISING A SOCKET RIGID WITH THE END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHAFT AND A ROLLER RECEIVED IN THE SHARING ROTARY MOVEMENTS OF SAID SOCKET IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID SECOND SHAFT, SAID ROLLER ROTATABLY RECEIVING SAID SECOND COMPONENT AND BEING TURNABLE IN SAID SOCKET ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS WHICH INTERSECTS THE AXIS OF THE DRUM IN THE POINT WHEREIN THE AXIS OF THE DRUM INTERSECTS SAID COMMON AXIS WHEREBY, IN RESPONSE TO TURNING OF SAID ROLLER, THE SECOND COMPONENT CHANGES THE INCLINATION OF THE AXIS OF THE DRUM WITH RESPECT TO SAID COMMON AXIS; ADJUSTING MEANS FOR TURNING THE ROLLER ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS TO ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF PREDETERMINED POSITIONS; AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE AXIS OF SAID DRUM IN SUCH PREDETERMINED POSITION.