Patent GB-1462466-A (GB)
Title: Methods and apparatus for preparing sugarcane stalks for subsequent processing
IPC: C13B10/02
Filed: 1974-04-22
Abstract: 1462466 Removing trash from sugar cane stalks CANADIAN CANE EQUIPMENT Ltd 22 April 1974 [26 April 1973] 17498/74 Heading B2H An apparatus for removing trash from a mass of trash-containing sugar cane stalks comprises two endless conveyors 130, 132, Fig. 12, or two pairs of vertically spaced superposed rollers, e.g. 80, 82 and 84, 86, Fig. 2, arranged in series with a gap therebetween, the upstream conveyor 130 or pair of rollers 80, 82 being arranged to engage and convey the mass of stalks in a first direction of travel towards the downstream conveyor 132 or pair of rollers 84, 86 which in turn is arranged to engage and convey the mass of stalks in a second direction inclined upwardly from the first direction, the downstream conveyor 132 or the lower roller 86 of the downstream pair of rollers being positioned to deflect trash material downwardly into said gap. Sugar cane stalks intermingled with trash, such as dirt, rocks, leaves and metal objects, are transported by rail cars 14, Fig. 4, from which they are dumped onto a table conveyor 6 which drops the mass of stalks and trash onto a rising conveyor 8 travelling faster than the conveyor 6 and thereby tending to spread out the stalks in the direction of travel. A certain amount of trash falls rearwardly through the gap between the conveyors 6 and 8. The stalks are levelled by tines 20 of a revolving rake 18 and at the upper discharge end of the conveyor 8 they are grabbed by rapidly moving arms 34 of a transport drum 30, Fig. 8, and conveyed over the drum into a vertical gap 26. Stalks and trash falling between the conveyor 8 and the drum 30 are redirected by conveyors 46, 48, 50 and a ramp 56 onto the conveyor 8, most of the trash being separated out through a gap between conveyors 48 and 50 and above which a power-rotated drum 54 may be disposed to assist in transferring the stalks across the gap. Air directed by a blower 36 transversly through the stalks falling down the gap 26 picks up light pieces of trash such as stems and leaves and carries them out of the stalk mass against freely swinging rods 38 which screen out the pieces of trash from the air stream allowing them to fall on a removal conveyor 42. The stalks passing through the air stream fall onto a conveyor 10 which delivers them to a right-angled conveyor 58, Fig. 5, in a manner tending to untangle, align and spread out the stalks. The stalk material is then passed across a gap 68 through which trash falls, metallic trash being removed by a magnet 70. The stalk material is then fed by a conveyor 60 to a detrashing conveyor assembly which may be of the roller type, Fig. 2, or of the endless conveyor type, Fig. 12. In Fig. 2, the stalk material is fed through initial feed rollers 76, 78 and 80, 82 in a first direction of travel and through rollers 84, 86 and 88, 90 in a second, upward direction. The leading ends of the stalks strike the lower roller 86 below the nip zone defined between this roller and roller 84. Since the stalks are supported at their trailing ends by the rollers 80, 82, they are deflected upwardly by the roller 86 into the nip zone and are carried off along the second direction of travel. Trash material which strikes the roller 86 below the nip zone is deflected downwardly for removal. The upper rollers 76, 80, 84 and 88 are shiftably mounted by means of springs 100 to conform to non-uniform stalk masses or to let large trash objects pass safely therethrough. Both upper and lower rollers are driven through chain and sprocket wheels by approriate motors. Coverings of resilient material may be fitted around the rollers to provide additional gripping force. In Fig. 12, the stalks material is propelled by the conveyor 60 onto the upwardly inclined flight 134 of a conveyor belt 130. Heavy trash striking the flight 134 is deflected rearwardly and falls through the gap between the conveyors 60 and 130. The flight 136 of the conveyor 130 then redirects the stalk material in a comparatively downward direction where it is subjected to a similar operation in conjunction with a conveyor belt 132. Subsequent to passage through the detrashing conveyor assembly the stalks are chopped by cutting rollers 144 and are conveyed to the top of a conveyor 64 from which they fall onto a conveyor 66, leaves and other light debris being removed from the stalk portions by blowers 152-158 and being directed against freely swinging rods 160. The chopped stalk portions are delivered by the conveyors 66 to a hopper 164 and thence via conveyors 67, 166, 168 to subsequent processing stations.