Hanger for centrifuge buckets

Abstract

A centrifuge rotor is provided which has a circumferential wall and a plurality of spaced arms which radiate outward from the center to the circumferential wall. A plurality of buckets are mounted on the rotor, one between each arm. Each bucket has two outwardly extending pivot pins situated on a common axis. A plurality of hangers are mounted in the spaced arms of the rotor. Each hanger comprises an elongated housing containing an opening which is transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the housing for receiving the pivot pin of a bucket. A longitudinal bore intersects the opening and contains a spring for exerting a clamping force on the pivot pin when the rotor is stopped. This prevents the bucket from rocking when being loaded or unloaded, but does not prevent the bucket from pivoting to a horizontal position when the rotor is rotating, nor does it prevent the bucket from resuming a vertical position when the rotor is stopped. The opening in the hanger for receiving the pivot pin of a bucket is intersected by an elongated longitudinal slot. The pivot pin is movable in this slot when the centrifugal force acting on both the bucket and the pin overcomes the clamping force of the spring. This movement of the pivot pin enables the bucket to be extended radially outward, so that it engages the centrifugal wall of the rotor.