IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR MILLS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hughes, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Machinist, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR MILLS."-A communication from abroad
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 22nd July 1871, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HUGHES, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SUGAR MILLS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that the same has been
-communicated to me from abroad by Charles Hughes, of the Island of
Cuba, Engineer.

page_text: t
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hughes, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to sugar mills used for crushing sugar canes,
and consists,-
First. In the employment of a midfeather or centre board at or
about the middle of the conductor or creeper which conducts the canes
to the crushing rollers, the midfeather being for the purpose of pre-
venting the crossing or entanglement of the canes in their passage to
the rollers, and also in the employment of screws and nuts for tightening
the chains of the conductor when required.
Secondly. In the peculiar form or construction of the knife holder
and knife used in connection with the crushing rollers with its parts for
arranging the curve to be regulated to the rollers at any angle required
according to the work to be performed in order to guide the cane
properly through to the back or baggasse roller, and also to be capable
of being moved vertically, as well as horizontally, for the purpose of
enabling the knife and holder to be set to the proper position or angle
required to guide the cane to the back roller, and also for enabling
them to be lowered or removed when the passage for the crushed canes
is choked or clogged up.
Thirdly. In the employment at each end of the top crushing roller
of a flange or rim working in a brass shoe or guide fixed to the knife
and knife holder for the purpose of preventing the cane from getting
between the side frames and the roller ends, and for preventing any
lateral movements of the rollers, and thereby avoid the excessive noise
and wear and tear and breakages that occur in the old method.
Fourthly. In the employment of an improved friction clutch for
enabling the conductor or creeper to be more quickly stopped and
set on.
And fifthly. In making the jaws for the bearings in the frame sides
much wider than at present, so that when a wheel breaks it can be
taken out of gear with the other wheels and taken off and a new one
put on without taking out the roller, thus saving much time and labour,
which is of great importance when busy grinding or crushing.

page_text: By means of the midfeather, the flanges on the roller, and the proper
position of the knife the cane passes straight between the rollers, not
doubled up and crossed as in the old method, and thus it is so much
better crushed that from ten to fifteen per cent. more juice is extracted
and the baggasse or refuse is much drier and better adapted for fuel.
These improvements will be clearly understood by the following
particular description thereof, reference being had to the figures and
letters on the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, in which Figure 1
is a longitudinal elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of part of a sugar mill
having a conductor or creeper provided with the midfeather in the
middle; Figure 3 is a transverse section of part of the same, and Figures
4 and 5 are plans of detached parts; Figures 6 and 7 are side and end
views, Fig. 8 a detached section, and Figure 9 a plan representing the
knife holder and knife, the flanged roller with its shoes or guides, and
also one arrangement for lowering and raising the knife and knife
holder when required; and Figures 10 and 11 are views of the friction
clutch for working and stopping the conductor.
In Figures 1 and 2; a represents part of the mill; b, the cane shoot;
C, the conductor or endless apron; d, Figures 1, 2, and 3, the outer
boards or sides enclosing the conductor; e, f, Figures 1, 4, and 5, the
chain wheels; g, h, the shafts of the chain wheels; i, Figures 1 and 2,
the rows of chains, and j the wheels or pulleys which support the con-
ductor. The midfeather may be made in one piece and fixed to the
cross bars k, but I prefer it to consist of two parts l, m, the part m being
fixed to the cross bars k, and the part bolted upon it by bolts n, the
screwed ends of which enter nuts fixed to the under sides of the cross
bars, and when desired there is a piece of iron tubing driven into the
part m for each bolt to pass through in order to prevent the wood from
being cut or frayed when the bolts are turned. By the use of the mid-
feather the canes pass straight to the rollers and the juice is extracted
more easily and effectually than when the canes are crossed and crooked,
but if for experiment or other purpose it is desired to remove the mid-
feather the bolts n have only to be unscrewed from the nuts to separate
the two parts l, m, from each other, and the part can be hoisted by
means of the ropes and levers oor by ropes and balance weights, by racks
and pinions, or other contrivance. The chain wheels e near the mill
which drive the conductor are fixed to the shaft g, having on it drums p
for carrying and guiding the boards of the conductor, and to each side of
l

page_text: the maleather at that chu
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vane
bolted a piece of sheet iron q, so that when the canes are tumbling over
into the mill 'they cannot cross each other. The shaft h carrying the
chains wheelsf works in pedestals to which are fixed nuts each having
in it a screw with a hand wheels fixed to its outer end, so that by
turning the wheels and screws in the proper direction the pedestals,
shaft, and chain wheels can be pulled back and tighten the chains when
required.
In Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, representing the moveable knife and knife
holder the flanged roller and parts connected with them the knife is
marked t, the knife holder u, v, and the flanged roller w. The ends v
of the knife holder pass through holes in the side frames of the mill
and are held by regulating screws x to the brackets y bolted to the
side frames 2, and the middle of the knife holder rests upon a column a¹
having at the top a square projection fitting a slot in the holder and
at the bottom a screw 6¹ on which there is a nut c¹ resting on the
support d'. When the column is in its highest position it keeps the
middle of the knife at its proper level or angle required, the knife being
adjusted close to the roller e¹ by the screws x, but when from the
passage being choked the knife is required to be adjusted, or it is required
to move or lower the knife the brackets y are unbolted from the side
frames, and the screws x and nut c¹ turned so as to remove the knife to
its proper position or from the roller and move it downwards to give
space between the knife and the rollers for the passage to be cleared.
After the clearance the knife is raised by turning the nut c¹ in a reverse
direction, and when the knife is set in its proper position or angle the
brackets y are bolted to the side frames and the knife is adjusted to
the roller et by the screws x. In the side frames there is a space fl
wider than the knife and knife holder, and therefore when desired for
repairs or other purpose the knife and holder can be entirely removed
through this space without taking out the rollers. The shoes or guides g¹
in which the flanges h² of the top roller w revolve are bolted to the ends
of the knife and knife holder, and by means of the flanges and shoes
the cane is kept from getting between the framing and the ends of the
rollers and is properly guided between the top and back or baggasse
rollers, and the roller is not only prevented from moving laterally
but the bottom rollers are also prevented by the flanges from moving
sideways).

page_text: The friction clutch and parts connected with it, shewn in Figures 10
and 11 are drawn about one quarter size, k' representing a chain wheel
running loose on the shaft g and driven-by-the chain and chain wheel
m², Figures 1 and 2. To the chain wheel is fixed the disc o¹ having
at the side a conical circular groove p¹, and to the shaft is held by
means of two feathers q', the wheel¸¹ having a conical rim &³, and to
the wheel is fixed the handle wheel. t having in its boss a screwed
thread fitting a screw u¹ on the end of the shaft. When the rim 8¹ and
groove p¹ are unclutched the wheel r¹ and shaft g are stationary, but
when the operative turns the wheel t¹ in one direction it moves forwards
on the screw u¹ and forces the rim 8¹ into the groove p¹ so that the two
shall be tightly clutched together and thereby cause the wheel ³ and
shaft g with the chain wheels fixed to it to revolve and give travelling
motion to the conductor. When the conductor has to be stopped
the wheel is turned by the operative in the reverse direction so that
it shall move back on the screw and loosen the rim from the groove and
then the wheel r¹, shaft g, and conductor become stationary, and as a
very small movement is required to separate the parts the conductor
is stopped instaneously and no bad grinding or crushing of the canes
takes place.
In another arrangement instead of forming the screwed thread in the
boss of the hand wheel I form it in the boss of a skew wheel gearing
into another skew wheel having a handle, and when the operative turns.
the skew wheels in their proper direction the chain wheel ' and wheel r¹
are clutched or unclutched as required, and instead of skew wheels
bevil wheels may be used for the same purpose.
I also make the jaws in the frame sides in which are placed the
bearings of the bottom rollers much wider than hitherto, made so that
when a wheel breaks it can be taken out of gear with the other wheels
and taken off and a new one put on without taking out the roller, thus
saving much time and labour, which is of great importance when busy
grinding or crushing.
Having now described the nature and particulars of this said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, as commu-
nicated to me from abroad, I desire it to be understood that I claim,—
First. The midfeather in the conductor or creeper.
Secondly. The screws and nuts for tightening the chains of the

page_text: Thirdly. The peculiar form or construction of the knife and knife
holder with its parts for arranging the curve to be regulated to the
rollers at any angle required according to the work to be performed.
Fourthly. The improved method of making the knife and knife holder
capable of being moved vertically as well as horizontally to enable the
knife to be set at the angle required.
Fifthly. The flanges at the ends of the top roller and the shoes or
guides in which they work.
And sixthly. The widening or enlargement of the jaws for the bearings
of the rollers as all such improvements are herein described and illus-
trated in the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named William
Hughes, in the presence of
*
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
WILLIAM HUGHES. (L.S.)