Patents Represented by Attorney Cyrus S. Hapgood
  • Patent number: 4820256
    Abstract: In a previously known centrifugal separator the separation chamber (4) of the centrifuge rotor has an inlet (9) for a mixture of two liquids and relatively heavy solids, a central outlet (23a) for separated light liquid and a periphery outlet (12) for separated solids. A third outlet (35) from the separation chamber (4), situated radially between the first said two outlets (23a, 12), communicates with a recirculation channel, which extends partly through a stationary structure and through which liquid may be conducted from the separation chamber (4) through a sensing device (38) and back to said inlet (9) for mixture. The sensing device (38) is arranged to initiate opening of the periphery outlet (12), when a certain amount of heavy liquid has been separated in the separation chamber (4). A throttle is arranged for limiting of the flow through the recirculation channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Separation AB
    Inventor: Torbjorn Nordstrom
  • Patent number: 4814093
    Abstract: A rotatable filter assembly comprises a rotor in a container for fibre suspension. The center of the rotor is formed by axial discharge tubes into which hollow filter elements, forming annular filter discs open. A collecting hopper extends into the center of the filter assembly. The filter elements keep separately, at least during part of the rotation turn, a lower pressure inside than outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Celleco AB
    Inventor: Rune H. Frykhult
  • Patent number: 4800808
    Abstract: In order to produce a milk concentrate by membrane filtration of the milk produced at a milking plant the milk is during the milking continuously led to the concentrate space (2) of a member filter unit (1) possibly after heating to a temperature of 50.degree.-70.degree. C. The degree of concentration of the outgoing concentrate from the concentrate space is determined in that two positive pumps (13, 16) are arranged to work at a constant internal relation in capacity each arranged to control a flow chosen among arriving milk flow to the concentrate space (2), outgoing concentrate flow from the concentrate space (2) and outgoing permeate flow from the permeate space (3) of the membrane filter unit (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Agri International AB
    Inventor: Magnus Lidman
  • Patent number: 4800007
    Abstract: This invention relates to anodic corrosion protection for heat exchangers and comprises cathodes put into the inlet channel and the outlet channel for the corrosive medium and an anode constituted by the metal being the partition walls in the heat exchanger. The anode and the cathodes are integral parts of a direct current circuit, the amperage of which is influenced by a control reference electrode placed in the flow way for the corrosive medium. The characterizing feature of the invention is that the control reference electrode (11) is arranged in the ordinary or a separate flow way for the corrosive medium at an essential distance from the cathodes (9, 10) so that the corrosion protection of all parts of the heat exchanger, which are to be protected, is secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Thermal AB
    Inventors: Bertil Karlsson, Leif Berthagen
  • Patent number: 4762171
    Abstract: A plate evaporator comprises several heat exchange plates arranged substantially vertically in spaced face-to-face relationship to define between the plates evaporation passages alternating with heating medium passages. An increasing cross-sectional area and a decreasing perimeter of the evaporation passages are achieved by so arranging the two heat transfer surfaces of adjacent plates defining an evaporation passage that they diverge from each other in the flow direction of the medium to be evaporated and by decreasing the width of said heat transfer surfaces in said direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval AB
    Inventors: Bengt Hallstrom, Olle Olsson, Ulf Bolmstedt, Bjorn-Olow Johansson
  • Patent number: 4735172
    Abstract: A milking means comprising a number of teat cups, each having necessary connections for the milking function. According to the invention the milking means has such a design that when the milking means is in the position for application of the teat cups (11; 21; 31; 40; 50) onto the teats of the animal, each teat cup freely from the remaining teat cups is hanging down from a point (13; 25; 32; 45; 54) above the teat base (14; 26; 33; 46; 55) of the udder of the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Agri International AB
    Inventors: Lennart Wahlstrom, Michael Mayntz
  • Patent number: 4731978
    Abstract: A closable bag of flexible material is provided with a separate inlet member (3) with an opening for filling the bag with a substance, for instance liquid, which inlet member is fastened to the bag. A separate member (7) is arranged for closing the filling opening from inside the bag. The closing member (7) for its closing of the filling opening is arranged for releasable sealing engagement with the inlet member (3), thereby enabling a subsequent partial discharge and reclosing of the bag. The separate inlet and closing members (3, 7) are substantially resistant to deformation and have means (6, 12) for engagement by respective elements of an operating equipment (13-16) arranged outside the bag. The operating equipment includes a filling member connectable to the inlet member, and means for sterilizing a space formed between the filling and closing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Food & Dairy Engineering AB
    Inventor: Karl Martensson
  • Patent number: 4710160
    Abstract: Centrifugal separator, the separation chamber (9) of which is surrounded by a first rotor part (1) and a second rotor part (2), an annular flange portion (3) of the first rotor part (1) being axially inserted into a sleeve formed end portion (5) of the second rotor part (2) and connected thereto by means of a locking joint. The locking joint comprises locking elements (8), which are brought radially outwards from a position radially inside said sleeve formed end portion (5) and axially outside said annular flange portion (3), such that one part of each locking element (8) is located in an internal recess (7) in the sleeve formed end portion (5), whereas the remaining part of the locking element (8) is located radially inside the periphery of said flange portion 3, whereby the locking element 8 is arranged to transmit axial forces from the first rotor part (1) to the second rotor part (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval AB
    Inventors: Kjell Klintenstedt, Zoltan Foldhazy, Bjorn Forsberg
  • Patent number: 4710159
    Abstract: In a centrifugal separator for instance for purifying oil from water and solids there is a central outlet for separated water, comprising an overflow outlet maintaining a free water surface at a certain level in the door. According to the present invention this central outlet may be closed by means of an axially movable slide (23), which is rotatable together with the rotor. The rotor also has a further overflow outlet (22a) situated radially inside said predetermined level (20) such that upon supply of a so called displacement liquid to the rotor--in connection with the opening of periphery outlets (21) from the separation chamber for discharge of separated solids--separated water cannot leave the rotor through its outlet (12, 15) for separated oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Separation AB
    Inventor: Per Gullers
  • Patent number: 4706741
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger of falling film type comprising heat exchange plates with area enlarging corrugation forming ridges and valleys extending in the falling film direction, repeated redistribution of the falling film is brought about by having the ridges and the valleys extending continuously within each of a number of zones formed one after the other in the falling direction, whereas the ridges and the valleys with regard to two consecutive zones are laterally displaced in relation to each other such that the ridges and the valleys, respectively, in one zone extend in alignment with the valleys and the ridges, respectively, in a consecutive zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Food & Dairy Engineering AB
    Inventors: Ulf Bolmstedt, Bengt Lundblad
  • Patent number: 4706504
    Abstract: A device for indicating changes of a fluid flow, comprises a housing (1) and a support member (7), connected with the housing. A valve member (11) is slidable on the support member (7) and is adapted to increase or decrease the through-flow area of a passage (14) provided in the housing for the fluid flow. A spring (13) supported by said support member (7) is urging the valve member to decrease the through-flow area of the passage. Indicating means (15, 16) is arranged to indicate the position of the valve member (11) in the housing. According to the invention, the support member (7) is adjustable relative to the housing in the moving direction of the valve member (11) for adapting the position of the valve member (7) to various magnitudes of fluid flow through the passage (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Marine & Power Engineering AB
    Inventor: Vladimir Jonak
  • Patent number: 4703606
    Abstract: A conveyor moves empty containers for single-piece goods one-by-one below an openable bottom on which successive accumulations of the goods are supported. A device for holding an empty container is raised by a control system from a lower position adjacent the conveyor to an upper position below said bottom, the control system being operable to impart to said device with a container thereon a dampened and continuous downward movement from its upper to its lower position in response to falling of a said accumulation against the container when said bottom is opened. The control system includes a valve having a first position for supplying compressed air to one side of a plunger-cylinder assembly to raise said device, a second position for supplying compressed air to the other side of said assembly to hold said device in its upper position, and a third position for venting said one side of said assembly to effect said continuous downward movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: Tetra Pak International Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Kjell Andersson
  • Patent number: 4700770
    Abstract: In a plate evaporator, a tube (8) is removably inserted through aligned openings in the heat exchange plates (3). The interior of the tube (8) communicates with an inlet (4) for evaporation liquid, situated at one side of the plate package, and also communicates with every second plate interspace by way of distribution holes (10) in the tube wall. The tube may contain a piston (15-16) movable to adjust the capacity of the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Food & Dairy Engineering AB
    Inventors: Ulf Bolmstedt, Bjorn-Olow Johansson
  • Patent number: 4699212
    Abstract: In a plate heat exchanger having a frame plate and a pressure plate, at least one of these plates has holes for flow of the heat exchanging media to and from respective passages in the pack of heat exchange plates. Each of these holes has a lining of corrosion-resistant metal comprising a hollow cylinder with thin flanges at its opposite ends engaging opposite sides of the frame plate or pressure plate. One of these flanges has a seamless connection with the hollow cylinder and is sealingly compressed between a heat exchange plate and an undepressed surface of the inner side of the adjacent frame plate or pressure plate. Lining of the hole is effected by plastically deforming a metal disc into a hollow cylinder with a flange at one end, inserting the other end of the cylinder through the hole to engage the flange with said undepressed surface, and then providing said other end of the cylinder with a flange engaging an undepressed surface of the outer side of the frame or pressure plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Thermal AB
    Inventors: Jarl Andersson, Lennart Edso, Nils-Ake Jonsson, Per Rissler
  • Patent number: 4698310
    Abstract: A horizontal cylindrical tank contains a conveyor screw rotatable on a horizontal axis below the symmetry axis of the tank, the latter having at its lower part an inlet at one end for organic material and an outlet at the other end for fermented material. A heating medium is circulated through one of the bearings, a frame supporting the screw, and the latter's peripheral portion. The screw moves sludge along the tank bottom toward the outlet and recirculates fermented material back to the inlet region via a space at one side of the screw, while evolved gas discharges through an outlet in the top of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval AB
    Inventors: Bert S. Wikholm, Torsten L. T. Carlsson, Ake R. ster
  • Patent number: 4698053
    Abstract: In a centrifuge rotor, the separation chamber (21) of which contains a set of conical separation discs (10), these are guided radially by means of guiding means (11) extending axially through the discs. At their ends, the guiding means (11) are fixed relative to the rotor body (1,2) in its periphery direction and radially. The rotor body has an upper part (1) and a lower part (2), which are held axially together at their peripheral portions. A distributor has a base portion (7) on which the separation discs (10) rest, and a neck portion (6) which extends centrally up through the disc set. The distributor is radially guided relative to the lower part and the upper part, respectively, of the rotor body. Cylindrical guiding surfaces (9) are present between the neck portion (6) and the upper rotor part (1) and, possibly, also between the base portion (7) and the lower rotor part (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval Separation AB
    Inventor: Klaus Stroucken
  • Patent number: 4684330
    Abstract: A compressor of the rotary type is driven by a motor via a gear wheel arranged on the shaft of the compressor and cooperating with a gear wheel arranged on the shaft of the motor, the gear wheels and the shafts being enclosed in a gear housing. The motor is fastened to a detachable wall part of the gear housing, and the motor shaft is journalled solely in the bearings of the motor and protrudes into the gear housing through an opening in the wall part. The opening is provided with sealing means which prevent a medium from forcing its way out of the gear housing. The gear wheels are accessible for dismantling and assembly when the wall part together with the motor is detached from the rest of the gear housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Stal Refrigeration AB
    Inventors: Lars Andersson, Rune Glanvall, Kjell Ericson, Anders Lundberg
  • Patent number: 4676809
    Abstract: In a hydrocyclone plant for separating a fiber pulp suspension into a light phase and a heavy phase, comprising at least two hydrocyclones (1, 2) connected in series, there is provided a device (20) arranged both for degassing a first stream of separated heavy phase coming from one of said hydrocyclones (1) and a second stream of liquid supplied to dilute the first stream, and for mixing said two streams before they are supplied to the other one of said hydrocyclones (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Celleco AB
    Inventors: Roland Fjallstrom, Rune Frykhult
  • Patent number: 4662866
    Abstract: In a centrifugal separator, an outlet member (9) is rotatable in the centrifuge rotor (1, 2) in a way such that it may be entrained in rotation by liquid supplied to the rotor. The outlet member (9) has an outlet channel (11) leading from one place within the rotor, where a separated mixture component is present, to a reception place (13) for the mixture component. A first means (19) is arranged to counteract rotation of the outlet member (9) so that a desired relative movement is obtained between the outlet member (9) and the separated mixture component in the rotor which is to be removed. A second means (27-30) senses the magnitude of the force by which the outlet member (9) is counteracting the braking effect of said first means. The first means (19) is connected with the second means (27-30) and arranged to accomplish a desired relative movement between the outlet member (9) and the separated component in the rotor in response to the magnitude of said sensed force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval AB
    Inventor: Lars Ehnstrom
  • Patent number: 4662867
    Abstract: In a centrifugal separator an outlet member (9) is rotatably arranged within the centrifuge rotor (1, 2) such that it can be entrained in rotation by liquid having been supplied to the rotor. The outlet member (9) forms a groove (13) which is open towards the rotor axis and in which there opens an outlet channel (11) starting in the part of the rotor which contains, during operation of the rotor, a separated liquid component. A non-rotatable outlet member (7) has at least one outlet passage (8), one end of which opens in said groove (13) at a level where separated liquid component will be present during operation of the rotor only when the rotatable outlet member (9) is caused to rotate with a certain lower speed than the liquid within the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Alfa-Laval AB
    Inventor: Lars Ehnstrom