Continuous flow centrifuge head construction

Claim 1

A centrifuge head, or the like, which permits a continuous flow of liquid through the centrifuge head and which permits the liquid to be exposed to centrifugal forces as it passes through the centrifuge head so as to separate certain constituents out of the liquid, said centrifuge head including: a housing defining an internal chamber mounted for rotation about a particular axis; a fixed hub section mounted on said housing in coaxial relationship therewith with respect to said particular axis and including a first bracket extending into said chamber and held stationary as the housing rotates about said particular axis; a central dishshaped bracket rotatably supported on said first bracket within said chamber in axial alignment with said hub section for rotation with said housing about said hub section, a bag supported on said dish-shaped bracket, said dish-shaped bracket having a peripheral shoulder within said chamber coaxial with said particular axis and receiving the neck of the bag to support the bag in the chamber; inlet means including a first conduit extending along said particular axis and through said hub section and through said dish-shaped bracket into said chamber so as to introduce liquid into the center of the chamber; outlet means including a second conduit extending along said particular axis through said dish-shaped bracket and through said hub section coaxially with said first conduit and having an entrance within said chamber displaced radially from the center of said chamber by a predetermined amount; and an extensible pick-up pipe extending horizontally in said chamber and slidably mounted in said second conduit in telescoping relationship therewith and protruding from the entrance thereof.