IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BAGASSE DRIERS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents.
of 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BAGASSE DRIERS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the treatment of bagasse for fuel, and consists mainly
in the combination of certain means for diffusing and agitating, for a prolonged
period of time, the bagasse under treatment, with certain means for subjecting the
same in its diffused. and agitated state to the direct action of a hot blast, as will be
fully described hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 represents a plan view of the boilers, flue and stack employed in the
practice of this invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the drier, and the parts immediately connected
therewith.
Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the receiving end of the
cylinder.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the cylinder, and
Figure 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional. view of the discharge end of the
cylinder.
A Figure 1, represents the grate bars of a boiler furnace and a a openings in the
top of the furnace chamber, through which the dried bagasse may be fed, as will be
hereinafter described.
a¹ represents the flue extending from the furnace chamber to the stack a' in the
usual manner.
B represents an inlet or suction pipe connected with the flue a¹ at a point in
rear of the boilers, as shewn in Figure 1, which pipe leads to a fan or blower b,
Figure 2, located at any proper point, having the usual outlet or blast pipe 61.
extending away to a point within the discharge end of the drier as shewn in
Figures 2 and 5.
b² represents a detachable section closing the outlet end of the blast pipe, which
section is made of wire gauze for purposes hereinafter explained; and b³ represents
a shield or deflector plate located at the end of the pipe section, as shewn.
C, Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 represents the drier, consisting generally of a sheet iron
cylinder of any suitable diameter and length, which is supported in an inclined
position upon friction bearings, as shewn in Figures 2 and 4.

page_text: c, c Figure 3 represent plates located in the cylinder at its receiving end, which
plates preferably in three sets of three each, are held paralled with each other at an
angle of forty-five degrees with the sides of the cylinder, the second set of plates
breaking joint with the first and the third set with the second as shewn.
clc Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent lifting buckets, consisting of sheet iron plates
bent to about three quarters or five eighths of a circle, and bolted to the interior of
the cylinder in longitudinal rows extending nearly the length of the cylinder, the
adjacent rows being located in different vertical planes, and overlapping each other
as shewn in Figures 3 and 5.
c²² Figures 2 and 5 represent openings in the end of the cylinder, through
which the dried bagasse is discharged upon the carrier c³ extending over the
openings in the top of the furnace chamber, as shewn.
D represents a fixed head located at the receiving end of the cylinder and closing
the same, which head is provided with an opening to receive the bagasse from the
mill, and an inclined side d to conduct the same to the diagonal plates c c of the
cylinder as shewn.
d represents a pipe or chimney leading from the upper plate of the head; and d²
the exhaust pipe from the engine leading into the said pipe or chimney.
E, E represent the ordinary rollers of the cane mill; e represents a sprocket
wheel upon one of the roller shafts, and e¹ a chain leading to a similar wheel e³
⚫upon a transverse shaft supported upon the framework of the drier, as shewn.
e represents a bevel gear wheel engaging with a similar gear wheel upon the
adjacent end of the longitudinal shaft e as shewn.
es represents a sprocket wheel upon the removable end of the shaft c* which
wheel is adapted to engage with a chain surrounding the cylinder of the drier..
The operation of this apparatus is substantially as follows; that is to say: The
cane mill having been set in. motion, the cylinder of the drier is caused to revolve
in harmony therewith, by the intermediate connecting mechanism described.
The bagasse made by the mill being delivered through the opening in the head
and sliding down the inclined plate d to the diagonal plates c c of the cylinder, is
compelled by the worm like action of the latter to move forward to the lifting
buckets c¹ c
By the action of these, it is lifted to the top of the cylinder, and then dropped
more or less gradually in an inverted position upon the outer side of the bucket, in
the same vertical plane, below.
By the continued movement of this latter bucket, it is again dropped when the
proper point is reached into the inner side of the bucket, in the same vertical plane,
which is then below it.
This series of actions is repeated a great number of times, and hence each particle
of bagasse is subjected to treatment for a considerable period of time. The move-
ments being rapid however, the general effect is to quickly convert the wet bagasse
into a suitable fuel for the boiler furnaces.
By means of the inclined position of the cylinder, the bagasse at each falling
movement, is caused to advance slightly towards the discharge end of the cylinder.
When this end is finally reached, the treated bagasse passes out through the
openings, c, and, falling upon the carrier, is automatically conveyed to the
opening in the top of the cylinder, and delivered through the same to the fire.
By reason of the peculiar construction of the cylinder the bagasso is caused to
have a slow movement through the same, in a diffused and agitated condition, and
while thus diffused by falling through the cylinder space, and agitated by its
constant change of position it is subjected to the action of the hot blast which is
drawn from the flue behind the boilers, through the fan or blower to the discharge
end of the cylinder.
By means of this general construction, the wet bagasse from the mill, in a
diffused and agitated state, is subjected to the prolonged action of a very high
degree of heat, the interior space of the cylinder being kept always full of dropping
bagasse.

page_text: By the use of the section of wire gauze pipe, the hot blast is delivered into the .
cylinder free from sparks, and hence the ignition of the bagasse cannot occur.
By means of the shield plate, the hot blast is deflected to the sides of the drier.
The draught through the drier may be increased by means of the exhaust pipe
leading from the engine, if desired.
For a drier six feet in diameter, the diameter of the circle of the buckets, may
be say eighteen inches, a clear space of one half of the diameter of the cylinder thus
being left for the falling bagasse.
In a drier of this size the buckets may be thirteen inches long, and be arranged
in ten rows, the adjacent rows breaking joint as before described.
The dimensions and number of some of the parts may however be changed and
the lifting bucket may be made either in the form of a half circle, three quarters
of a circle, or five eighths of a circle or some of each forin may be employed, if
desired.
Some of the advantages of the described construction are as follows:-
The important results produced by the practice of this invention, that is, the
conversion of the wet bagasse quickly into suitable fuel for boiler furnaces, aro
obtained by very simple means, a drier of simple construction and a hot blast pipe
being the effective instrumentalities.
The boilers may be located at any desired point and the hot blast be led to the
drier, located adjacent to the mill.
The prepared bagasse in this case can be delivered to the furnace by a carrier, in
the inanner well unders'ood.
The drier also, may be located near the furnace and the wet bagasso be conveyed
thereto by carrier.
By the employment of the blast, the draught of the furnace inay be increased at
will. By the employment of the hot blast also, with a discharge end protected by
wire gauze, a high heat is obtained without the danger of ignition.
By increasing the strength of the hot blast it is possible to dry an increased
quantity of bagasse in a given time and thus provide for the increased consumption
of the furnace, resulting from increased strength of blast.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. In the treatment of bagasse for fuel, the combination of means, sub-
stantially as described for diffusing and agitating the bagasse for a long period of
time, and ineans substantially as described for causing a lot blast to pass directly
through the same.
Second. In combination with a revolving cylinder substantially as described for
diffusing and agitating the bagasse, a hot blast pipe for subjecting the diffuse I and
agitated bagasse directly to the action of a high degree of heat.
Third. In combination with the drier C having the lifting buckets c¹, c¹, the hot
blast pipe b' leading into the discharge end of the cylinder as described.
Fourth. The drier C having the diagonal plate c, c, and the lifting buckets c¹, c¹,
in combination with mechanism for revolving the same, substantially as described.
Fifth. In combination with the revolving drier, the blast pipe having the wire
gauze section and the deflector plate, as describe l.
Dated this 24th day of December 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.