IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Charles Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd May
1861.
I, JOHN CHARLES WILSON, Manager for G. Buchanan & Co., Engineers,
25, Bucklersbury, London, Civil & Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to, firstly, that part of the machinery or appa-
ratus for the manufacture of sugar from the cane, termed a steam sugar cane mill;
secondly, to the steam boiler of steam sugar cane mills; thirdly, to the ",
gear".
or "gearing" which intervenes between the steam engine and sugar cane
mill; fourthly, to the rollers of sugar cane mills; fifthly, to the side frames or
standards which support the rollers of sugar cane mills and the trash turner;
sixthly, to sugar cane mills driven by water power, and the water wheel which
or drives them; seventhly, to the "cattle power," or gear for
transmitting the power of animals to a sugar cane mill; eighthly, to the
vaporization and evaporation of the aqueous portions of saccharine fluids.
Firstly, with regard to the steam sugar cane mill. I propose to construct the
same in a novel manner so as to obviate many of the defects which attach
to their present construction, and, more particularly, to increase their strength,
compactness, and portability, as well as to lessen their cost. Heretofore, in
consequence of the unconnected character of the machinery, the planter has

page_text: been put to very great expense in building extensive foundations to which
the various parts of the machinery must be fixed, and in setting the boiler in
brickwork, and erecting a brick chimney.
In this Invention the steam engine & sugar cane mill are both fastened or
conjoined to the steam boiler either directly or by means of intervening
girders or base plates, and a description of boiler is employed which requires
no brick setting and is provided with an iron chimney, under which arrange-
ment advantage is taken of the weight of the boiler and the water in it to
impart increased steadiness to the machinery in motion, and dependence is
placed upon the cohesive strength of the iron framework to resist the working
strain instead of the brick foundations above alluded to. At the same time
the whole is rendered quite portable and may be set to work a very few
days after its arrival on the estate, no foundation of any kind being required
except the solid ground. The boiler is suited to burn wood or "megass"
fuel.
"
Secondly, with regard to the steam boiler of steam sugar cane mills of
whatever kind. This Invention consists in the employment of a boiler formed
with a circular top and straight or curved sides which terminate in a flat base
for it to rest upon. The fire-place is placed in an internal flue of large
capacity suited to burn wood fuel. When it is desired to increase the
vaporizing power of said boiler, without increasing its size, I propose placing
a water tube or tubes in the main flue.
-
Thirdly, with regard to the "gear" or "gearing" which intervenes between.
the steam engine and sugar cane mill. This Invention consists in the
employment either wholly or in part of what is termed "bevil gearing instead
of the "spur" gear heretofore adopted. Further I propose to construct
the gearing of whatever kind used for sugar cane mills of wrought iron or steel
in lieu of cast iron as heretofore.
..
Fourthly, with regard to the rollers of sugar cane mills of whatever kind.
I propose to construct them and their shafts entirely of wrought iron or steel,
or of a combination of both metals instead of the defective combination of
cast and wrought iron-hitherto employed; I also propose to forge or cast solid
with the shaft the pinion which actuates or drives the roller, instead of making
it in a separate piece and "keying " it on as heretofore.
Fifthly in regard to the side frames or standards which support the rollers
of sugar cane mills. I propose to construct them in.a novel manner entirely of
wrought iron or steel; or a combination of both metals, whereby greater
strength, lightness; and portability is obtained. In these improvements the
lower rollers are not adjusted or drawn out in a horizontal direction, but are

page_text: adjusted in the direction of a line passing through the centres of the top and
lower rolls, and are drawn out in a direction at right angles to the same. Further
I propose to entirely dispense with the adjusting screw as hitherto made, and
to substitute in lieu thereof a solid wedge placed between the brass of lower
roll bearing and the seat on the side frame, the latter being at right angles to the
line of thrust as before stated. This wedge may be drawn out or pushed in by
any convenient mechanism, and the roller elevated or depressed accordingly.
The advantages of this arrangement are that the crushing angle of the rollers
is kept the same at whatever distance they may be set apart (a point of great
importance in thoroughly expressing the juice of the sugar cane) and the
whole of the thrust or strain is transferred directly to the lower and strongest
part of the side frames; instead of as in the old arrangement partly through
the comparatively weaker medium of the adjusting screw. Another important
advantage. is that in " opening." the rollers the space between the lower
roller and trash turner is increased to a comparatively trifling extent where
a fixed trash turner is adopted without the self-adjusting spring to be
immediately alluded to. In regard to the trash turner of sugar cane mills,
I propose to construct it with a steel spring which shall constantly press
against the lower roller in whatever position it may be adjusted, and thus
obviate the great objection of the present arrangement, namely, the space
which is left when the rollers are "opened," and through which the crushed
cane is apt to fall amongst the juice, besides forming a point to catch and
obstruct its passage through the mill. Instead of attaching a sing to. the
trash turner the latter may be so constructed as to act a similar part itself,
and the same arrangement may be applied to the "trash" as well as the
"front" lower roll.
Sixthly, in regard to sugar cane mills driven by water power and the water
wheel which actuates or drives them. I propose placing the water wheel in an
iron trough or "breast" so as to dispense with the present brickwork breast
or foundations and to attach the cane mill to the same.
Seventhly, in regard to the cattle power or gear for transmitting the power
of animals to a sugar cane mill. I propose to substitute a bell or pan shaped
casting for carrying the gearing in lieu of the present open frame so as to
cover in the wheels and protect them from breakage, besides giving the
machinery increased stability and compactness. Further, when it is desired
to greatly increase the speed of the horizontal driving shaft I employ with a
view to compactness what is termed "internal" gearing.
Eighthly, in regard to the vaporization and evaporation of the aqueous
portions of saccharine fluids. I propose to effect the same by passing heated

page_text: air over their surfaces, gradually removing the upper stratum of the liquid as
it becomes concentrated; by this means the watery particles are vaporized on
the surface of the liquid in contradistinction to the present mode of converting
them into vapour in the body of the solution by the well-known process of
"boiling," and I consequently get rid of the chief objection to the present
system; namely, that of subjecting the entire bulk of the sugar solution. to a
high temperature for a lengthened period of time. In this Invention the
heated air operates on the surface of the liquid, and its temperature is such
as to effect the instantaneous vaporization of the watery particles without
affecting those foreign matters in the solution, whose decomposition through
excessive heat would discolour and impede the crystallization of the sugar,
and the evaporation proceeds in the quickest possible manner, as after the
vapour has once been formed it is free to escape at once instead of as in the
process of "boiling" having to force its way out through the denser medium
of a highly concentrated saccharine solution. As before alluded to, when the
watery particles pass off in the state of vapour, and the upper stratum of the
solution is concentrated thereby to some extent it is gradually removed until
every portion of it has been in turn subjected to the, action of the heated
air, when the process is repeated until the point of crystallization is attained.