Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
273 words
In a high speed bowl centrifuge including a bowl having a central longitudinal axis, a first support means for rotatably mounting said bowl, a first power means for rotating said bowl about its longitudinal axis, a central support member coaxially disposed within and completely enclosed by said bowl, a second support means for rotatably mounting said central support member independent from said bowl, a second power means for rotating said central support member, and a set of disks, rigidly and coaxially mounted upon said central supporting member so as to define an annular space between the periphery of said disks and the inner surface of said bowl, and a sludge outlet from said bowl, the improvement comprising that at least one of said disks includes at least one radial extension which extends into said annular space and is pitched to urge sludge therein toward said outlet on relative rotation between said bowl and said one disk, that at least one of said first and second power means is capable of various speeds of rotation, and including means for changing the mode of operation of said one power means so that, in the centrifuging mode, said bowl and said central support member may be rotated at a common rotational speed but, in the cleaning mode, said bowl and said central support member may be operated at different rotational speeds so that said extension urges sludge towards said sludge outlet, said changing means comprising a sludge sensor for measuring sludge buildup on the inner surface of said bowl and a control circuit connected to said sensor for controlling the operation of said one power means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
273 words
In a high speed bowl centrifuge including a bowl having a central longitudinal axis, a first support means for rotatably mounting said bowl, a first power means for rotating said bowl about its longitudinal axis, a central support member coaxially disposed within and completely enclosed by said bowl, a second support means for rotatably mounting said central support member independent from said bowl, a second power means for rotating said central support member, and a set of disks, rigidly and coaxially mounted upon said central supporting member so as to define an annular space between the periphery of said disks and the inner surface of said bowl, and a sludge outlet from said bowl, the improvement comprising that at least one of said disks includes at least one radial extension which extends into said annular space and is pitched to urge sludge therein toward said outlet on relative rotation between said bowl and said one disk, that at least one of said first and second power means is capable of various speeds of rotation, and including means for changing the mode of operation of said one power means so that, in the centrifuging mode, said bowl and said central support member may be rotated at a common rotational speed but, in the cleaning mode, said bowl and said central support member may be operated at different rotational speeds so that said extension urges sludge towards said sludge outlet, said changing means comprising a sludge sensor for measuring sludge buildup on the inner surface of said bowl and a control circuit connected to said sensor for controlling the operation of said one power means.