Centrifuge (Patent No: 638426)

Inventor: Coulson, Gordon Raymond

Location: Calgary

Comments: N/A

Description: The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a centrifuge having a main bowl, an initial chamber integral with one end wall of said main bowl and concentric therewith, at least one inlet in said initial chamber for the introduction of material to be separated in said bowl, a plurality of outlets from said initial chamber communicating with said bowl, said outlets extending tangentially from the initial chamber and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the chamber, whereby said material may be introduced into said centrifuge bowl with a minimum of turbulence between the constituents.

2. In a centrifuge having a main bowl, an initial chamber concentric with said main bowl, at least one
inlet in said initial chamber for the introduction of material to be separated in said bowl, said initial chamber being formed with a plurality of integral vanes adapted to drive said material out of the chamber and into the bowl tangentially and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the chamber, whereby said material may be introduced into said centrifuge bowl with a minimum of turbulence between the constituents.

3. A centrifuge having a main bowl mounted upon a rotatable shaft, said shaft having inner and outer annular passages for the introduction of materials to be separated therein, said annular chambers terminating in an initial chamber concentric with said shaft and integral with said main bowl, means for urging said materials along said passages into said initial chamber, at least one outlet from said initial chamber communicating with said main bowl, whereby said material may-be introduced into said centrifuge bowl.


4. A centrifuge adapted to separate oil from bituminous sands and like-oil-bearing material which comprises a main bowl, an initial chamber concentric and integral with said main bowl, an inlet in said initial chamber for the introduction of the oil sands, a further inlet in said chamber for the introduction of aqueous medium, a plurality of outlets from said-initial chamber communicating with the centrifuge bowl, said main bowl being provided with a sand outlet towards its outer periphery and at least one oil and water outlet towards its inner periphery.


5. A centrifuge as claimed in claim 4 wherein the outlets from said initial chamber are located substantially outwardly from the inner water and oil outlets.