IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herman James Sillem, of the firm of Fawcett,
Preston & Co., of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SUGAR."
Sealed the 19th October 1858, and dated the 23rd April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herman James Sillem
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1858.
.
I, HERMAN JAMES SILLEM, of the firm of Fawcett, Preston & Co., of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," to be as follows (that is to say):-
This Invention consists of an apparatus formed of suitably shaped scrapers,
plates, or other like appliances which may be attached to or brought into
proximity with the centrifugal machine in such a way that their distance from
the inner perforated surface of the revolving drum may be regulated at
pleasure, for the purpose of equally distributing the charge at its introduction
into the machine, and also for the purpose of removing the charge from the
rotating surface after it has undergone the operation of the machine without
the necessity of stopping the machine. The before-named scrapers, plates, or
other 'like appliances removing the sugar from the rotating surface of the
machine, and which do not rotate with the revolving drum, will also through

page_text: the means given for regulating the distance from the perforated surface,
discharge the sugar through a spout, passage, or other conveyance into suitable
receptacles by pressure received from the revolving cylinder acting upon the
charge, when the plates, &c., are brought up to or towards the inner circular
surface of the rotating cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herman James Sillem in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMAN
JAMES SILLEM, of the firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Co., of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Herman James Sillem. Her special licence that I, the said Herman
James Sillem, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Herman James Sillem, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
SUGAR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Herman James
Sillem, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and. seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Herman James Sillem, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement (that is to say):
5.
The objects of this my said Invention are to obviate the necessity of stopping
the centrifugal machine now used in the manufacture of sugar, which has

page_text: heretofore been the practice for charging the revolving drum with the
" uncured" sugar and to spread it equally over the perforated surface
thereof, to insure greater accuracy in the action of the machine, as well as to
deliver the charge into suitable receivers after it has undergone the operation
of the machine. My Invention consists of an apparatus formed of suitably
shaped scrapers, plates, and brushes, or other like appliances, which may be
attached to or brought into proximity with the centrifugal machine in such
way that their distance from the inner perforated surface of the revolving drum
may be regulated at pleasure, for the purpose of equally distributing the
charge at its introduction into the machine; and also for the purpose of
removing the charge from the rotating surface after it has been converted into
"cured" sugar, without the necessity of stopping the machine. The before-
named scrapers, plates, and brushes, or other like appliances, I likewise use to
remove the sugar from the rotating surface of the machine, and which, as they
do not rotate with the revolving drum, will, through the means given for
regulating their distance from the perforated surface, discharge the sugar
through a hopper, spout, or other conveyance into suitable receptacles by the
means of the pressure received from the revolving cylinder acting upon the
charge when the plates, and so forth, are brought up to or towards the inner
circular surface of the revolving cylinder.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration of its practical application to
a centrifugal sugar-curing machine. Like letters marked thereon have refer-.
ence to similar parts.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, and Figure 2 a cross sectional elevation of
a centrifugal machine having my improvements applied thereto.
A, the bed plate of the machine; B, the bottom; and C, the top half of the
cylindrical casing containing the revolving basket; D, the driving shaft of
machine; E, the driving pully; F, the bearing in which the driving shaft
revolves; G, a dise upon which the basket cage. is secured; H, the basket,
composed of a perforated or a wire gauze cylinder contain within a strong
cage; I, an opening in the side of the machine to introduce the sugar and
obtain access to the interior of basket; K, a bridge fixed across the opening.
to carry the discharge and spreader; L, a spindle vibrating on the two
bearings M & N, and furnished with a handle O; P, a plate or scraper fixed
upon the arm Q of the spindle L, and adjustable by means of the slot holes
shown; R, a brush (made adjustable, with slot holes), attached to the lever
S, which lever is loose upon the spindle L; T, an arm projecting from the
lever S to the outside of the machine.

page_text: Introduce the sugar into the machine at I, and after it has remained therein
until "cured," by hand move the lever O, which carry the scraper P with it
until the scraper is nearly in contact with the inner circular surface of the
revolving cylinder, as shown in the Drawing, then move back the lever O
until the scraper P comes into contact with the brush holder S, and the hole U
in the lever O comes opposite to the hole V in the projecting arm T, then
attach the lever O to the arm T by means of the pin W, (or other convenient
arrangement,) then again move the lever O forward, which now carries with
it the brush which act in the rear of the scraper, by which means the inside of
the basket is brushed clean, and the cured sugar falling into the shute X is
carried outside of the machine, where it falls into suitable receivers.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and what I consider the best means of carrying the same into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not mean or intend to
confine myself to the precise forms, dimensions, or details of the various parts
of the machinery herein-before described, for the purpose of enabling centri-
fugal sugar-curing machines to be worked without intermission during the
time the perforated revolving drum is in motion, as the same may be variously
modified without departing from the Invention; but what I claim as new, and
my Invention is the construction and use of mechanical apparatus when
applied to centrifugal sugar-curing machines for the purpose of obviating the
necessity of stopping the revolving drum when its contents are to be removed,
as now practised; also to spread the sugar evenly over the perforated surface of
the revolving drum, substantially and in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herman James Sillem, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-first day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
HERMAN JAMES (L.S.) SILLEM.