Soluble Matter from Sugar Cane and other Substances.
Year: 1887

page_text: Soluble Matter from Sugar Cane and other Substances.
I, MARO ALFRED PERRET of 16 Rue Jeanne Hachette, Paris, France, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 an improved construction of apparatus for treating sugar
cane, in which the cane, cut up into small pieces is kneaded, macerated, split, or
disintegrated and pressed by a continuous action, and out of contact with the
atmosphere, the cane being delivered at one end of the machine as megasse exhausted of
saccharine matter, while at the other end the extracted saccharine juice is made to flow
off.
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The apparatus is constructed for this purpose of three principal parts namely:
The disintegrating or defibring apparatus shewn in general view, partly in section, at
Figs. 1 and 1 of the accompanying drawings, and to a larger scale in longitudinal and
transverse section at Figs. 2 and 3; secondly the diffusing and pressing apparatus
shewn in longitudinal and transverse section at Figs. 4 and 5; and thirdly the final
conical pressing apparatus shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 6.
The cut cane is delivered from the hopper a into the revolving vertical feeding
screw A which delivers it into the horizontal screw A, being during this time
saturated with hot juice and softened by steam. The screw A feeds the mass into
the disintegrator or defibrer A"; this has a cone B Figs. 2 and 3 with a helical
blade C that pushes the charge against the cage or drum b which may be either
cylindrical or polygonal, and which has also an external helical blade in openings
between the convolutions of which are fixed inwardly projecting cutters d. The
cone B and drum b receive rotary motion in contrary directions, the cone being driven
by the central shaft D and the drum by means of the toothed wheel E driven by the

page_text: pinion F. During the reversed motion of the cone and drum, the cane passing along
the cone is forced outwards thereby through the openings of the drum and in contact
with the cutters d, which cut up the pieces so that these arrive in a disintegrated
condition in the annular space e, in which they are pushed forward by the screw
blade e towards the annular opening in the end plate, through which they pass
into the first diffusing and pressing compartment A. The disintegrating apparatus,
like all the other parts of the machine, is supplied with liquid through a pipe y and it
also has an escape pipe for liquid.
The casing containing the disintegrating apparatus, is, like the casings of the other
parts of the apparatus, mounted on wheels i running on rails, and it has also one or
more sight holes G for observing the action of the cutters. "By the action of this
apparatus the liquid is made to penetrate more intimately through the mass, while the
pressure is rendered more effective and the diffusion and maceration more rapid and
perfect.
The necessity for finely cutting up the cane is obviated without loss of power as by
this apparatus pieces of cane measuring from 14 to 4 are reduced to a kind of
pressed and exhausted felt that is readily dried and burnt.
The mass passing into the diffusing and pressing compartment A4 from the dis-
integrating apparatus A³, is treated therein as will be presently decribed and passes
thence consecutively through other diffusing and pressing compartments A3 A² A¹
which have precisely the same action as A, and issues from A into the chamber k
from which the screw blade H forces it through the pipe to the hopper a¹ of the part
of the machine shewn at Fig. 1, in which it is subjected to a precisely similar series of
treatments as before described in the compartments A to A, the fibrous mass being
eventually forced out through the conical press K.
I will now describe the action of one of the compartments A to A', referring to
Figs. 4 and 5, which shew sections of compartment A³. The screw blade m of the
compartment A having forced the mass through the diaphragm n, it is received by the
blades "
which knead it and push it over the partition p, behind which the screw
blade m of A3 acts upon the mass so as to force it towards the opening n' of the
diaphragm ; during this time cane juice is forced in at t through pipe y by an
injector or pump 2. This liquid assists the kneading action of the revolving blades o,
by which it is at the same time forced forward with the fibrous mass and mixed with the
saccharine juices of the latter, the fibrous matter being eventually forced by the screw
blade m through the opening into the next compartment, while the extracted juices
drain through the perforated sides of the casing and are conveyed by the pump atr
and pipe y back to the point t of the previous compartment A, and in like manner the
mass is treated consecutively in the compartments A² A¹ the fibre being fed continuously
forward, while the liquid is fed backward from one compartment to the preceding one.
The screw blades mare made of perforated metal, as is also the diaphragm . The
opening is variable in size according to the pressure which it is desired to exert in
cach compartment, whereby the liquid is expressed at r.
The fibrous mass exhausted of its saccharine matter, eventually passes into the cone L
Figs. 1 and 6, in which blades s push it into the conical press K having two screw
blades, one of which is solid while the other is formed of a series of blades. The blades
exercising a continuous forward pressure on the material, while the cone reduces the
sectional area, a gradually increasing compression of the mass will be effected until
it is eventually forced as exhausted megasse through the annular opening at which
is rendered adjustable by means of the screw which adjusts the position of
the cone in its casing. The expressed liquid flows off through the perforated inner
lining of the casing K and is conducted back into the compartment A' through the
branch Z and pipe y.
The temperature of the mass is regulated while undergoing the above described
process, by regulating the temperature of the injected cane juice, and if necessary by a
special steam pipe a² Fig. 1.
The above described reversed motions of the fibre and the extracted juices are shewn

page_text: more clearly at Fig. 8; the arrows indicate the direction in which the cane travels,
and those marked indicate the direction of flow of the juices. dare the diaphragms
against which the mass is pressed by the screw blades.
From this it will be seen how the liquid is forced first to travel forward in each
compartment, being pressed through the perforated sides thereof, and then conveyed
back to the rear end of the preceding compartment, where the operation is repeated,
the forward motion being effected by the rotation of the shaft D driven by gearing gl
Fig. 9, while the backward motion is effected by the injectors or pumps at » Figs. 1
& IA.
The apparatus is driven as follows: the shaft of the fast and loose driving pullies el
Fig. 1 carries a pinion gearing with a toothed wheel g¹ fixed on the cast iron hollow
shaft D which gears with a suitable clutch with another length of shaft D formed in
one with the screw blade of A as shewn at Fig. 7. The hollow shaft or bosses D
of all the separate elements of the apparatus have a wrought iron shaft passed
through the m, and which also passes through the conical boss of K, the several parts D
and K being tied together on the shaft by the screw nuts. The casings of the
several compartments A to A fit together in a watertight manner, caoutchouc packing
being provided at k¹ between the meeting surfaces, and the whole being tied together
by tie bolts Fig. 1ª.
If pumps are employed for propelling the liquid, in place of injectors, they may all
be driven by one and the same longitudinal shaft, at the same or different speeds.
The press K. Fig. 1" is replaced by the conduit pipe / in the first part of the apparatus,
which may either deliver the material into the second part of the apparatus Fig. 1ª, as
described, or into any other suitable macerating or diffusing apparatus.
The above described apparatus may also be employed for extracting the juices from
beetroot, as also for extracting juices or liquids from other fibrous substances.
The casings of the several compartments are provided with a door and a cock m¹
Figs. 3 and 5 for clearing out any deposits, and also with a strainer m² for retaining
such deposits.
In each of the compartments are effected the imbibing of liquid by the solid
particles, the kneading of the two together, the diffusion and pressure, and the
expelling of the solid matter into the next compartment, through a more or less
restricted opening, where it is again made to absorb liquid, the action being therefore
similar to that of a sponge that is made to imbibe a solution, which is then pressed
out of it, the sponge being then made to absorb a weaker solution.
The cane juice produced by this process is very limpid, on account of its repeated
filtration through the fibrous matter at each successive stage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. The construction of apparatus for extracting saccharine or other soluble matter
from sugar cane and other substances, wherein the sugar cane or other substance is
made to travel continuously forward from the hopper a to the exit of the exhausted
material at n, passing successively through compartment A, A, and any desired
number of the diffusing compartiments As in each of which the material is successively
saturated with liquid, kneaded together therewith and then subjected to pressure for
extracting the liquid again, while on issuing from the last of such compartments, the
material is subjected to a final compression for extracting the remaining liquid,
substantially as herein described.
2. In apparatus operating as set forth in the preceding claim, the described
arrangement whereby the extracted liquid is made to flow backward in the contrary
direction to that in which the solid material advances.
3. The construction of the disintegrating apparatus described with reference to
Figs. 2 and 3 whereby the softened cane is subjected to the action of an inner
revolving cone with screw blades in combination with an outer drum having openings
and cutters revolving in the contrary direction.

page_text: 4. The construction of the diffusing apparatus described with reference to-Figs. 4
and 5 whereby the material is consecutively saturated with liquid, kneaded together
therewith, and subjected to pressure for extracting the liquid again, the fibrous
material being conveyed into the next compartment forward, while the liquid is
conveyed backward by an injector or pump to the preceding compartment.
5. Constructing the apparatus referred to in the preceding claims of separate
sections, each of which is mounted on wheels and which are all tied together by tie
bolts, so that they can be readily connected together disconnected to form a combina-
tion of any desired number of sections.
6. In apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claims, mounting the
revolving parts of each section on a hollow length of shaft, such lengths of shaft
being coupled together and united by means of a shaft passing through the whole of
them, substantially as herein described.
7. The herein described construction of conical press K with two helical blades,
one of which is solid while the other has openings, arranged and operating as set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.