IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE, AND
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN." -A communication from abroad by
Tim Th
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th August 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,' a communication to me from
abroad by Jean François Cail, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be
as follows:-
:―
"

page_text: obtained both as to quantity and quality, great economy is effected in
the process, and the refuse is more serviceable than by the ordinary
processes. For this purpose the cane to be crushed is fed by means
of a moveable feed table worked by a chain connected with it, and
operated by a pinion between a front pair of rollers where it undergoes
the first crushing or pressure, and whence it issues in 'the form of
split flat strips, and passes on to an intermediate horizontal table; being
forced forward by the crushed cane behind it it slides forward upon this
table until it reaches another pair of rollers, and is in its course wetted
by a suitable quantity of cold water which issues in the form of a
fine spray from a spout above. Having undergone a second pressure
under this second pair of rollers the same operation is continued and
the crushed cane being again wetted passes between a third pair of
rollers, and so on, the numbers of pairs of rollers employed depending
upon the extent to which the cane is required to be exhausted. On
leaving the last pair of rollers the crushed cane is received upon a
table, along which it passes to an endless travelling apron, by which it,
is carried off, being prevented from rising during its passage by pressing
rollers above. The crushing rollers with their gearing are mounted
upon a foundation plate, the surface of which is formed of three inclined
planes which all lead to the same point, and form a receiver for the juice,
which flows therefrom through an opening in one of its sides. On
issuing from the first pair of rollers the juice is at its normal density,
and becomes less dense as it issues from each succeeding pair of rollers.
It is therefore important in order that the medium density shall not
be too much diminished to regulate the quantity of water to be dis-
tributed upon each intermediate section of cane. The proportion of
water preferred to be employed is about 20 per cent. or from 10 to 12
per cent. on the weight of each intermediate section of cane.
This improved method may be applied to ordinary crushing mills
having three rollers, and for this purpose the cane is fed in between the
top and lower front rollers by means of a travelling feeding table, as
in the former arrangement, where it is submitted to the first crushing
action, whence it passes along an intermediate table between the top
roller and back bottom roller, where it undergoes a second crushing
action; thence the cane passes along a table where it is wetted by a
trough above, and after being again operated upon by two supplementary
rollers is conveyed away by a travelling apron.

page_text: In case it should be found that the cane being too much crushed by.
the three roller mill does not possess sufficient rigidity to pass of itself
along the stationary table, intermediate between the three rollers and the
last two rollers a moveable table operated in any convenient manner
may
be substituted for this stationary table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN,' a communication from abroad by Jean François
Cail, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The said Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus
for extracting juice from the sugar cane, whereby a better product is
obtained both as to quantity and quality, great economy is effected in
the process, and the refuse is more serviceable than by the ordinary
processes. For this purpose the cane to be crushed is fed by means of a
moveable feed table, worked by a chain connected with it, and operated
by a pinion between a front pair of rollers, where it undergoes the first
crushing or pressure, and whence it issues in the form of split flat strips,
and passes on to an intermediate horizontal table. Being forced forward
by the crushed cane behind it it slides forward upon this table until it
reaches another pair of rollers, and is in its course wetted by a suitable
quantity of cold water which issues from a spout or vessel above.
Having undergone a second pressure under this second pair of rollers.
the same operation is continued, and the crushed cane being again
wetted passes between a third pair of rollers, and so on, the number of
pairs of rollers employed depending upon the extent to which the cane
is required to be exhausted. On leaving the last pair of rollers the
crushed cane is received upon a table, along which it passes to an endless
travelling apron by which it is carried off, being prevented from rising
during its passage by pressing rollers above. The crushing rollers with
their gearing are mounted upon a foundation plate, the surface of which
is formed of three inclined planes which all lead to the same point and
form a receiver for the juice which flows therefrom through an opening
in one of its sides. On issuing from the first pair of rollers the juice is
at its normal density, and becomes less dense as it issues from each
succeeding pair of rollers. It is therefore important in order that the
medium density shall not be too much diminished to regulate the
quantity of water to be distributed upon each intermediate section of
cane. The proportion of water preferred to be employed is about
twenty per cent., or from ten to twelve per cent. on the weight of each
intermediate section of cane.
This improved method may be applied to ordinary crushing mills
having three rollers, and for this purpose the cane is fed in between the
top and lower front rollers by means of a travelling feeding table, as in

page_text: the former arrangement, where it is submitted to the first crushing action,
whence it passes along an intermediate table between the top roller and
back bottom roller, where it undergoes a second crushing action;
thence the cane passes along a table where it is wetted by a trough
above, and after being again operated upon by two supplementary rollers
is conveyed away by a travelling apron.
In case it should be found that the cane being too much crushed by the
three roller mill does not possess sufficient rigidity to pass of itself along
the stationary table, intermediate between the three rollers and the last
two rollers a moveable table operated in any convenient manner may
be substituted for the stationary table..
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the corresponding. Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings. represents a partial side elevation
and longitudinal vertical section of a cane mill constructed so as to
carry out the said Invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding front eleva-
tion of the same looking upon the feeding end of the mill, and. Figure 3.
is a partial horizontal section and plan of the mill corresponding to
Figure 1.
The cane is supplied to the machine by a feeding device consisting of
an endless travelling table A driven from the mill itself by the chain B
which passes round a chain pulley keyed on to the end of the shaft of
the roll C. The cane first passes between the two first rolls C and C²;
where it receives its first crushing. On leaving these two rolls thẻ
cane trash in lieu of being broken, torn, and wrenched into small
fragments, as is the case when it is passed through a mill composed of
three combined rolls, presents the form of laths of sufficient rigidity to lie
capable of sliding easily along the fixed intermediate horizontal table D;
the surface of-which is rather below the upper surface of the lower roll:
Pushed forward by the cane, which constantly passes out from between
the first pair of crushing rolls the cane trash slides as above.described.
along this table or surface D until it arrives at the intermediate pair of
rolls C and C+, and during its traverse along the said table it is sprinkled

page_text: or moistened with a proper quantity of cold water by means of the
sprinkler E, the cane trash readily absorbing the moisture by reason of
its spongy and absorbent nature.
After having undergone a second.
crushing between the rolls C³ and C the same operation is repeated, and
the cane trash again moistened passes between the last pair of rolls,
where it receives a third pressure or crushing. If desired the number
of pairs of rolls may be increased so as to subject the cane to a corre-
sponding number of repeated pressures and moistenings. On leaving
the last pair of rolls the crushed cane or trash is received on a table or
smooth surface F, along which it slides until it falls on to the endless
travelling surface A², which conveys it away. This travelling surface
is driven by the shaft of the roll C in the same way that the feeder A¹
is driven from the roll C. Motion is transmitted from the prime mover
to the mill in the same manner as in ordinary mills by the aid of inter-
mediate spur gearing. The last shaft of this driving gear is coupled to
the end of the shaft of the roll C³ by a suitable coupling. The shaft
of this roll carries a pinion G' which gears directly with a pinion G³
keyed on to the shaft of the upper roll C* of the pair. The pinion G*
also gears into two others keyed on to the intermediate shafts H¹ and H2
which impart the rotatory motion to the lower rolls of the end pairs of
rolls, and thence to the upper rolls as in the case of the intermediate
pair. The various rolls and the intermediate shafts are supported by
two frames I fixed to a foundation plate K, the surface of which is so
inclined as to form a reservoir for the reception of the cane juice which
flows off thence through an opening made for that purpose in one side
of the reservoir: The journals of the lower rolls turn in bearings which
rest directly upon the bottom of the slots made to receive them in the
side frames. The journals of the upper rolls turn in bearings, which
are supported by the screws L. Each of these screws terminates at its
The
upper extremity in a worm wheel M driven by an endless screw.
two endless screws corresponding to the same roll are mounted on a
common shaft, to the extremity of which is keyed a fly wheel N, which
is rotated by hand, by this means the distance between the rolls in
each pair may be regulated at pleasure, which distance will vary
according to circumstances. This raising or adjustment of the height
of the upper rolls of the several couples or pairs may be effected by any
other suitable and well known mechanical contrivance. The sprinklers
or droppers intended for moistening the cane trash consist of two sheet

page_text: metal plates united together at the lower edge in the form of a letter V
and closed at the two sides by two other plates so as to form an open
mouthed vessel. One of the two longitudinal plates is perforated at
or near its upper edge and throughout its length with a number of fine
vertical slits which allow the water to flow therefrom without any
pressure, such water being supplied to the vessel through a pipe and
stop-cocks. The said water on escaping through the slits flows down
the outside of the vessel until it reaches the lower part thereof,
which is dentated or divided so as to subdivide the water as much as
possible and distribute thereby equally over the surface of the cane
trash as it passes onwards. The cane trash tables D consist of hori-
zontal metal plates resting upon lugs or projections cast on the side
frames. The cane trash by reason of its form and peculiar consistence
herein-before alluded to slides easily along the tables being urged
forward by the movement of the rolls from which it issues, but in
order to prevent it rising the intermediate tables are provided with a
number of cast-iron rollers P, situate transversely a little above the.
surface and revolving freely in slots in the sides of the said tables, the
slots being left open so as to allow the rollers to rise in case any undue
accumulation of cane trash should tend to choke up the tables. As
already stated the cane trash after each pressure is moistened by a
fine shower of cold water distributed by the vessels E¹, E². On issuing
from the first pair of rolls the juice is at its normal density and becomes
less and less dense after each operation. It is therefore important in
order not to unduly diminish the medium density to calculate and
moderate the quantity of water distributed over each intermediate batch
of cane trash; the greater the quantity of water the nearer perfection
will be the exhaustion of the cane, therefore the Inventor does not
limit himself to quantity which will be dependent on the cost of fuel,
and on the more or less efficient nature of the evaporating apparatus
subsequently to be employed, but in most cases I would recommend
the employment of from twenty to twenty-five per cent. of water, or
say from ten to twelve per cent. of the weight of cane on each inter-
mediate table. As an example, and with a view to demonstrate by
calculation the advantages derivable from moistening or sprinkling the
cane trash, supposing twenty per cent. of water be employed, or say, ten
per cent. for each intermediate table, if one hundred parts by weight
(say for example one hundred kilogrammes) of cane, of which the

page_text: juice marks 10° Beaumé, be caused to pass between the first pair of rolls,
conveniently adjusted so as to extract sixty parts by weight of juice
therefrom it follows that there will enter upon the first table forty parts
by weight of cane trash, containing ten parts by weight of woody
matter and thirty of juice at 10°. If as before stated this is caused to
absorb ten per cent. of water of the weight of the cane, or ten parts
by weight, for example, the cane trash entering the second pair of
rolls will weigh fifty parts or kilogrammes, of which forty kilogrammes
or parts are juice of 7° Beaumé, and these rolls, being adjusted so
that only thirty parts by weight of cane trash shall pass through, I
shall have extracted twenty kilogrammes or parts by weight of juice
of 7 Beaumé. Finally, I cause the thirty parts by weight of cane
trash passing along the second table to absorb ten parts by weight of
water, there will then enter between the third pair of rolls forty parts
by weight of cane trash, containing thirty parts by weight of juice of
5° Beaumé, and the rolls being adjusted so as only to allow twenty-five
parts by weight of cane trash to pass through I shall have extracted
fifteen parts by weight of juice at 5° Beaumé, definitively I shall have
obtained sixty kilogrammes or parts by weight of juice at 10°, con-
taining 10-830 parts by weight of sugar; twenty parts by weight of
juice at 7° containing 2.690 parts by weight of sugar and fifteen
parts by weight of juice at 5° containing 1.340 by weight of sugar,
making a total of 95 parts by weight of juice containing 14-860 parts
by weight of sugar in lieu of 12.600 parts by weight which would
be extracted by the best crushers or 2.260 per cent. in excess, whilst
in the remaining cane trash in lieu of twenty parts by weight of
juice at 10° Beaumé, representing 3.600 parts by weight of sugar,
there will only remain fifteen parts by weight of juice at 5°, representing
1.340 parts by weight of sugar. As I have already stated the quantity,
namely, twenty per cent. of water, which I have indicated as giving
the best results is by no means restricted to that amount, the proportion
being greatly exceeded provided a thoroughly efficient evaporating appa-
ratus be employed, such for example, as that which is described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the Fifth of July One
thousand eight hundred and seventy, No. 1900.

page_text: Catic is accompris
Тие саme moreover
when treated and crushed or pressed according to this system dries
much more readily in the sun, and constitutes a combustible much
superior to the ordinary cane trash which has been simply crushed.
The latter by reason of their containing much more sugar are more
hygrometric, and consequently retain more moisture and dry less readily,
and can only be burnt effectually in conjunction with supplementary
fuel.
The improved method of extraction and arrangement of sugar cane
mill, herein-before described, may be wholly or partially applied to
existing mills, of which Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings affords
an example.
Figure 1 (Sheet 2) is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 is a
corresponding plan; and Figure 3 is an end elevation of a three roll mill
with the said improvements adapted thereto. The cane to be crushed
is brought to the crushing rolls by the inclined endless feeder A', and
is first engaged between the two rolls B1, B2, of the three combined rolls,
where it undergoes the first crushing, thence guided by the plate C the
cane is directed between the rolls B and B³ where it undergoes a second
crushing, the cane is then received upon the table D¹ where it is
moistened with water from the vessel E, and after having been again
pressed or crushed between the pair of supplementary rolls B and B³.
it is conveyed away by the endless travelling surface A² driven by the
mill itself through the pitch chain F. The supplementary rolls are
mounted in a frame G firmly connected to the foundation plate of the
first mill, and consisting of two pillow blocks united at their base, which
receive the bearings in which the journals of the rolls rotate; the
latter are disposed in precisely the same manner as the pair of rolls in
the six roll mill represented on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, that is to say,
the lower roll turns in bearings which rest directly upon the bottom of
the slots or openings made for their reception in the frames or pillow
blocks, whilst the upper roll is supported by the screw spindles H,.
which serve to vary the distance between the rolls. The cane trash
table D along which slides the cane trash between the two mills or sets
of rolls, is at its entering end provided with a plate D³ connecting its
two sides and acting as a scraper to the roll B², so as to collect all the
cane which issues in a crushed state from the first mill and direct it

page_text: under the rolls I of the table D', where it is sprinkled or moistened with
water from the vessel E before entering the rolls of the second mill.
The cane trash issuing from the first mill of three rolls may some-
times be so broken as to lack sufficient rigidity and consistence to
enable it to follow the motion which is imparted to it on issuing from
such mill. In this case the Inventor proposes to replace the table D₁
by an endless table or travelling surface driven by the mill itself. This
same endless travelling table may also if desired be applied to or sub-
stituted for the tables D¹ and D2 of the mill shown in Sheet 1 of the
Drawings. The juice from the third squeezing or crushing is received
in a sheet metal spout K, which conducts it to the reservoir formed in
the base plate L, where it mingles with the juice extracted by the first
pair of rolls. Motion is transmitted to the supplementary rolls by a
pitch chain M driven by the pinion N', keyed on the shaft of the roll
B³, and driving the pinion N2 keyed on the shaft of the cylinder B*.
The same movement may be transmitted by the aid of an intermediate
wheel gearing into the two pinions P³, P*, and keyed on to a shaft carried
by the framing G. In this applicatiou of my improvements to an
ordinary three roll sugar cane mill, although the cane is subjected to
three distinct pressures or crushings, yet it is only moistened once in
lieu of twice, but if desired other pairs of supplementary rolls can be
added with their tables, sprinklers, and other parts in connection there-
with, whereby perfect results may be obtained whilst the ordinary
existing mills will be turned to useful account.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
First. The subjecting of sugar cane to the successive action of several
pairs of crushing rolls, and the moistening of the crushed cane with a
regulated quantity of water as it leaves each pair of rolls, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The combination with an ordinary sugar mill of one or more
pairs of supplementary rolls, tables, and sprinklers, substantially as and
for the purpose herein-before described.

page_text: Third. The peculiar combination and arrangement of apparatus for
extracting juice from the sugar cane, as herein-before described and
illustrated on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed.`
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of
February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.