Centrifuges

Claim 1

IN A CENTRIFUGE, IN COMBINATION, A ROTARY SHAFT; A OUTER CENTRIFUGE DRUM OF SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTOCONICAL CONFIGURATION HAVING OPPOSED ENDS ONE OF WHICH IS LARGER THAN THE OTHER AND HAVING AN END WALL CLOSING THE SMALLER END OF SAID DRUM AND CENTRALLY FIXED TO SAID SHAFT WITH THE LATTER EXTENDING COAXIALLY INTO SAID DRUM SO THAT THE LATTER ROTATES WITH SAID SHAFT, SAID END WALL BEING FORMED WITHIN SAID DRUM WITH AN ANNULAR CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND COMMUNICATING WITH A SPACE WITHIN SAID DRUM, AND SAID DRUM HAVING A FRUSTOCONICAL SIDE WALL JOINED TO SAID END WALL, SAID DRUM BEING FORMED IN ITS INTERIOR AT THE JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID END AND SIDE WALLS THEREOF WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE SURROUNDING AND SPACED FROM SAID CHAMBER, SAID END WALL BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF CUTOUTS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED ABOUT SAID SHAFT AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND GROOVE AND WITH AN ADDITIONAL PLURALITY OF CUTOUTS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED ABOUT SAID SHAFT AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID GROOVE AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID DRUM; A SIEVE CARRIED BY SAID DRUM IN THE INTERIOR THEREOF AND COVERING SAID CHAMBER; AN INNER SOLID DRUM COAXIALLY SURROUNDING AND FIXED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID INNER DRUM BEING SURROUNDED BY SAID OUTER DRUM AND ALSO HAVING A FRUSTOCONICAL CONFIGURATION PROVIDING SAID INNER DRUM WITH LARGE AND SMALL OPEN ENDS, SAID LARGE END OF SAID INNER DRUM BEING SITUATED ADJACENT BUT SPACED FROM SAID END WALL OF SAID OUTER DRUM AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARD AND TERMINATING ADJACENT SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID OUTER DRUM, SAID FLANGE HAVING AN ANNULAR CONVEXLY CURVED OUTER SURFACE DIRECTED TOWARD SAID END WALL OF SAID OUTER DRUM TO DEFINE THEREWITH A GAP WHICH GRADUALLY DIMINISHES IN CROSS SECTION AS IT INCREASES IN DIAMETER, SAID GAP BEING SITUATED AT LEAST IN PART OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER AND FORMING A TRANSITION PATH FOR MATERIAL MOVING FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID INNER DRUM TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER DRUM; AND MEANS SITUATED IN THE REGION OF THE SMALL END OF SAID INNER DRUM FOR THROWING AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF MATERIAL WHICH IS TO BE CENTRIFUGED WHILE ACCELERATING THE MATERIAL.