Year: 1885

page_text: I, DUNCAN STEWART, of the London Road Iron Works, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to save labor, time, and expense in feeding
the canes to sugar cane mills; and my present improved apparatus is specially
designed to work in conjunction with hydraulic mills of the kind described in the
Specification of my Patent No 3269 of 1871; although it may also be used with
other kinds of mills if found suitable. In hydraulic mills of the kind referred to
a uniform pressure is automatically maintained notwithstanding variations in the
quantity or thickness of the stream of canes passing through the mill, so that
particular personal care and attention in feeding the canes is not so necessary as
with ordinary mills, and so that automatic feeding apparatus is available in con-
junction with such hydraulic mills provided such apparatus can be made to work
in an approximately regular manner.
In carrying out my Invention in cases in which the canes are brought to the
mill in punts or lighters along shallow trenches or canals I arrange apparatus to
lift the punts and to tip or turn them partly over so as to empty their contents
upon a feeding stage or scaffold. The canes so tipped are received upon an endless
carrier consisting of transverse boards held and moved by two or more parallel
endless chains, the canes being laid longitudinally or parallel to the direction in
which the endless carrier moves. The endless carrier takes the canes to the
ordinary feeding shoot or inclined trough of the mill, but in doing so moves them
in succession under a series of paddles which are arranged to regulate the feed.
The regulating paddles turn in blocks which work in vertical guides and are
subjected to suitable downward pressures applied by means of weights, springs, or
hydraulic apparatus. If the feed becomes excessive it causes one or other of the
regulating paddles to rise, but when any paddles rises to a certain predetermined
point its rotation is stopped and it keeps back the excess of canes. The set of
regulating paddles are to be arranged in a graduated manner and so that those
nearer the mill are lower than those nearer the other end. When through the
action of the regulating paddles, the canes accumulate at the entering end the
workmen who attend to the getting of the canes out of the punts will delay

page_text: the getting of fresh canes and vice versa. Instead of a series of separate
regulating paddle wheels there may be a set of paddles fixed to two or more
endless chains.
In a preferred modification of apparatus for lifting and tipping the punts which
are in trenches on opposite sides of the feeding stage, the punts are lifted from
each side alternately. Along each side of the stage there is a horizontal rocking
shaft to which crane arms are fixed, and to the outer ends of the crane arms there
is jointed a skeleton cradle which when the crane arms are turned down is passed
under the punt and secured so as to lift the punt when the crane arms are turned
up again. And when the cradle is raised it encounters a rail or stop and the con-
tinued motion of the crane arms makes it turn over and empty the canes out of
the punt down upon an incline which leads them down to the endless carrier. The
rocking shaft is by preference worked by means of a toothed sector fixed on it and
gearing with rack teeth on a straight bar which may be worked by an hydraulic
cylinder or by a steam cylinder. One cylinder may be arranged to work both
rocking shafts, the crane arms on one side being lifted whilst those of the other
side are being lowered and vice versa.
The lifting and tipping apparatus may be modified to suit cases in which the
canes are taken to the mill in carts or otherwise.
Dated this twants with
1002

page_text: Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Sugar Cane Mills.
I, DUNCAN STEWART of the London Road Iron Works, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, 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, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its object to save labor, time, and expense in feeding
the canes to sugar cane mills; and my present improved apparatus is specially
designed to work in conjunction with hydraulic mills of the kind described in the
Specification of my patent N° 3269 of 1871; although it may also be used with
other kinds of mills if found suitable. In hydraulic mills of the kind referred to
a uniform pressure is automatically maintained notwithstanding variations in the
quantity or thickness of the stream of canes passing through the mill, so that
particular personal care and attention in feeding the canes is not so necessary as
with ordinary mills, and so that automatic feeding apparatus is available in con-
junction with such hydraulic mills provided such apparatus can be made to work
in an approximately regular manner.
The canes are in many cases brought to the mill in punts or lighters along
shallow trenches or canals and my apparatus is arranged to lift and tip the punts
so as to empty their contents upon a feeding stage, by means of cradles carried by
crane arms fixed to horizontal rocking shafts. The rocking shafts are worked by
toothed sectors and racks and hydraulic cylinders. The canes from the feeding
stage are fed upon an endless carrier and pass under a series of revolving paddles
for regulating the feed to the mill.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing my improved feeding apparatus.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation partly
in section and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is an end elevation of my improved feeding
apparatus. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The canes are emptied from the punts down upon inclined plates or boards, 3,
upon a raised stage or scaffold, and pass downwards to an endless carrier, 4, which
consists of transverse boards, held and moved by four parallel endless chains, 5, the
canes being laid longitudinally or parallel to the direction in which the endless
carrier, 4, moves. The endless carrier, 4, takes the canes to the ordinary feeding
shoot or inclined trough of the mill (not shown) but in doing so moves them in
succession under a series of paddles, 6, which are arranged to regulate the feed.
The regulating paddles, 6, rotate by the action of the canes passing under them
and turn in blocks, 7, which work in vertical guides, 8, and are subjected to suitable
downward pressures applied by means of springs, 9, adjustable by hand wheels, 10,
or by hydraulic pressure as shown applied to the last paddle, 6. If preferred, the
pressure may be applied by means of weights. If the feed becomes excessive it
causes one or other of the regulating paddles, 6, to rise, but when any paddle rises

page_text: to a certain predetermined point its rotation is stopped by one of the blades coming
in contact with a rod, 11, fixed across from one guide, 8, to the other and thus
keeps back the excess of canes. The regulating paddles, 6, are arranged in a
graduated manner and so that those nearer the mill are lower than those nearer
the entering end. When through the action of the regulating paddles, 6, the canes
accumulate at the entering end the workmen who attend to the getting of the canes
out of the punts will delay the supply of fresh canes and vice versa. Instead of a
series of separate regulating paddle wheels there may be a set of paddles fixed to
two or more endless chains.
The endless carrier, 4, passes over and under pulleys, 12, carried by shafts, 13,
running in bearings, 14, bolted to brackets formed on pillars, 15. The carrier, 4,
is driven by means of spur gearing, 16, 17, 18, 19, the wheel, 19, being on the shaft
of the end pulley, 12, of those carrying the endless carrier, 4.
The punts, 22, which are in trenches on opposite sides of the feeding stage, are
lifted and lowered at each side alternately. Along each side of the stage there is
a horizontal rocking shaft, 23, on which levers or crane arms, 24, are fixed, and to
the outer ends of these crane arms there is jointed a skeleton cradle, 25, which when
the crane arms are turned down is passed under the punt, 22. The punt, 22, is secured
to the cradle, 25, at its inner side by being placed in a small recess, 26, and at its
outer side by means of a small lever, 27, jointed at the outer end of the cradle, 25,
and having its other end hooked on the outer side of the punt, 22.
When the cradle, 25, is raised, arms, 28, encounter a rail, 29, and the continued
motion of the crane arms, 24, makes the cradle turn over and empty the canes out
of the punts, 22, down upon the incline, 3, which leads them down to the endless
carrier, 4. The rocking shafts, 23, are worked by means of toothed sectors, 30,
fixed on them, and gearing with rack teeth on a straight bar, 31, which bar is
guided on the top of an hydraulic cylinder, 32. This hydraulic cylinder, 32, has a
partition at its middle, and rams, 33, work in each end of it, the outer ends of the
rams, 33, being fixed to the end of the rack, 31. Water is admitted and exhausted
on each side of the partition so as to force out each arm alternately. Both rocking
shafts, 23, are thus worked so that the crane arms, 24 on one side are lifted whilst
those on the other side are being lowered and vice versa.
The lifting and tipping apparatus may be modified to suit cases in which the
canes are taken to the mill in carts or otherwise.
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
1. Improved feeding apparatus for a sugar cane mill and comprising an endless
carrier to convey the canes to the feeding shoot of the mill and having in combi-
nation with it a series of regulating paddles arranged and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. Apparatus for lifting and tipping punts so as to discharge sugar canes upon
the feeding apparatus, such lifting and tipping apparatus being constructed and
operating substantially as herein before described.
Dated this twenty third day of July 1886
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.