Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-04
HIND-OGG CANE
|. CONvEY0R TAKEN
UP IN REPORTS
R. Renton Hind Explains Plan
of "Dry Flume" for Quick
Loading Purposes

Writing to James Glib, chairman
of tho committee on labor-saving de
vices, r. Renton Hind OF Honolulu
gives some interesting facts and fig
ures about the Hind-0gg cane con-
veyor or dry fiume," which will be
discussed at the annual meeting of
the planters. lie says:
"In reply to your letter of 29th ult.
asking for a contribution to the pa
per to be submitted by our committee,
! wish to say that the only thing of
interest which / can submit is a few
details concerning the Hind-Ogg con-
veyor or dry hume" which was touch
ed on briefly at the last annual meet
ing OF this association. Contrary to
expectations, no actual work has been
done with this conveyor during the
past year owing to delays in shipment
of motors, which were ordered for
equipping 20 sections or units of fume.
A few details, however, concerning
the mechanism itself may be of in
terest
1.-The fumes are to be 20 feet long,
and the carrier will consist of sim
gle chain made CT No. As link belt
with F-2 attachments, which are SINH
lar to those employed on Juice strain
ers for the attachment of the Stats.
about Is inches apart. The motor win
be 1-3 h. p. OF the back geared type
so as to give a speed reduction sufi-
cient to drive the conveyor at the rate
of between 200 and $50 feet per min
ute. The .conveyor itself will be made
for the present of wood, but it is hoped
that galvanized iron of a heavy gauge
will later be utilized in place of
wood
! The motor will be of the enclosed
type, and from 10 to Is sections, each
unit equipped with its own motor, will
be operated by generator and gas
engine, mounted on a truck, complete
,ly equipped with switchboard and at
.tachments. - ''.s'-
"The .conveyors will be arranged so
that they can be moved easily and be
set directly in line one behind the
other, and can be operated at almost
any angle horizontally or vertically
with reference to one another. 1t is
important that the weight of each
unit be not greater than 300 lbs. so
that they can easily be handled by
two men. 1t is expected that the
complete unit will weigh about ESQ
lbs, which weight will undoubtedly
be reduced in time when aluminium
can be substituted for cast iron bear
ings and fittings.
"At the present time ten units are
being constructed on the Hawi Plan
tation, and ten more will be added
later. / have had the opportunity of
seeing this conveyor in operation, and
firmly believe it will be very useful
labor saving device. In operation, the
fumes will be. laid in the field very
much as are the portable fumes using
water; loading will be done by gang
Of men placing the cane three or four
sticks at time in the conveyors, l. e..
as soon as the cane is cleared past
one unit, this unit will be lifted or
skidded sideways about 60 feet to its
new position, this system continuing
until the first or head unit has been
shifted. 1t is expected that the con-
yeyors will handle all of the cane
which ten men can place upon them.
Instead of placing portable water
fumes, as is now done, about lzV
feet apart, they will need to be shift
ed once in every $50 feet, as the con-
yeyors will feed the fumes easily and
thus much of the flume breakage, due
to constant shifting, will be avoided
ct is difficult at this time to say
what the approximate cost of one unit
will be, but that set of fumes Will
nav for themselves in one season
there seems to be no question. AS
soon as the conveyors are in opera
ton. which will be some time in jan
nary next, details of their working
will be given in the Planters Record.
Interest is being manifested in the
use of electric hoists for handling
mill rollers as substitute for the
hand operated chain blocks now in
common use. These hoists are very
much on the same order as the du-
plex or triplex blocks now being used,
but being operated electrically not
only causes a saving in labor but also
in time. The rollers and other parts
of the mills can be lifted at the rate
of about feet per minute, and should
be a means for cutting down the labor
required for the overhauling OF mills
during the of season.
at would seem that the warehouses
and sugar rooms of our factories
might well be equipped with some
form of portable conveyor, such as
the Brown" which is being used in
several places today. The handling
of sugar, particularly at the time when
the plantations are obliged to store
sugar awaiting shipment. is always
a very expensive item. Many OF the
mills are equipping the Moore clutch
es on the cane carriers with some
power operated device for applying
the friction, in many cases operated
by foot, which enable the cane car
riers men to- use both hands IN ar
ranging the cane as 1t passes into the