IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUGAR CANE CRUSHING MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Fletcher, of the Firm of G. Fletcher and Co, of
Bett's Street, in the County Middlesex, and Masson Works, Derby, in the
County of Derby, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SUGAR CANE CRUSHING MACHINERY"
Scaled the 6th April 1877, and dated the 25th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Fletcher at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1877
GEORGE FLETCHER, of the Fum of G Fletcher and Co, of Bett's Sticet, in the
County of Middlesex, and Masson Works, Derby, in the County of Derby, Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUGAR CANE CRUSHING MACHINERY
"
"
In these days of "heavy crushing," for the purpose of obtaining a greater per
centage of juice from the sugar cane, fiequent breakages occur to the sugar mills
from the fact that their construction has hitherto been so far unperfect as to render
it almost impossible to make the fiames which hold the bearings of the rollers strong
enough to withstand the increasing demand put upon them, thus causing great loss
of time and money (in some cases also a good portion of the crop), and necessitating
expensive repairs
The first part of this Invention has for its object an improved construction of the
said frames by a peculiar arrangement of the parts thereof, whereby a fracture of
the frame itself becomes almost impossible, at the same time permitting of an
increase in the strength of the other parts of the mill, particularly the trunnions
and their bearings, whilst the weight of the frames is reduced to a minimum
The principle upon which this part of the Invention is based is that of distri-
buting cast and wrought iron in such a manner that they shall resist the strains
against which they are best suited, this part of the Invention also includes that
construction of frame which will allow the two bottom rollers to be removed hori-
zontally without raising them
The said frames are constructed of cast iron, with provisions for receiving the
bearings for the trunnions The top bearing in each frame is maintained in
position by a cast or wrought iron cap, held by angular bolts or ties which diverge
from a point above the top beating, and passing just outside the bottom 10ll bearings
CD 71

page_text: are secured to the lower part of the frame by means of pins, bolts, cotters, or other-
wise, these ties may be made either of a central bolt passing through the cap, and
hinged to two links extending outside the frame, or these links can be produced
upwards and terminate in screwed ends to receive nuts for securing the top cap in
its place
The two bottom roll bearings are secured by two caps of cast or wrought iron
held to the frame by two bolts or ties, which pass through the frame from one cap
to the other, one bolt being under and one over the bottom roll bearings, these
caps are thus firmly bolted to the frame by one pair of bolts or tics, the adjustment
of these bearings being obtained by means of small bolts actuating wedges placed
between the bearings and the caps By this arrangement economy of material is
studied to a ligh degree, since by placing angular bolts or ties in the manner
described the strain between each pair of olleis is resisted in its direct line, and
the resultants of these strains horizontally against the side caps are taken by the
through bolts, which stiams partly balance each other, the excess of the one over
the other being transmitted night through the frame to the cap on the far side, thus
distributing the strain well over the frame, and not concentrating it into any one
particular part
A frame constructed as heroin-before described is ono in which the tensile strains
are resisted by wrought iron only, and it is therefore almost impossible for the
fiame itself to break, and in the case of a choke or any foreign substance getting
in, a bolt giving way will be all the damage done, and which can be easily
rectified
The second part of this Invention relates to the construction of the bar, to which
the trash turnet is secured, for the purpose of admitting a series of steam jets into
the trash as it passes over the plate from one roller to the other, the object being
to permeate the trash with a ceitam quantity of moisture so as to allow the juice
to be more easily expressed from the canes during their passage between the second
pan of 1olls
The bar is dulled up for a short distance, and fitted with steam con-
nections, and has a groove cut along it on its top side, which when the plate is
uvetted on bolted on forms a channel for the passage of the steam, which finds its
exit through holes in the plate into the tiash
The thud portion of this Invention relates to the application of a peculiar con-
struction of fiction clutch to the diving wheels of the cane and megass carricis for
the purpose of superseding the cone clutch at present in use, both for its efficacy,
simplicity of construction, and manipulation Its construction is as follows -The
carrier wheel, which uns loose when disengaged, has its am bored parallel on the
inside to receive a cast-iron 11ng divided similarly to a piston ring, but bolted at a
point opposite to the division to a disc keyed on the shaft A wedge actuated by
a lever and screw, or any suitable anangement, is forced in between the ends of the
said img, causing it to bind on the internal surface of the wheel, thus forming a
powerful friction clutch, far lighter and less expensive than the ordinary cone clutch,
and one more easily handled
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th July 4
1877
GEORGE FLETCHER, of the Fum of G. Fletcher and Co, of Bett's Street, in the
County of Middlesex, and Masson Works, Derby, in the County of Derby,
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUCAR CANE CRUSHING
MACHINERY"
In these days of "heavy cushing," for the purpose of obtaining a greater per
centage of juice from the sugar canes, fiequent breakages occur to the sugar mills

page_text: from the fact that then construction has hitherto been so far imperfect as to render
it almost impossible to make the frames, which hold the bearings of the rollers,
strong enough to withstand the increasing demand put upon them, thus causing
great loss of time and money (in some cases also a considerable portion of the crop),
and necessitating expensive repairs
The first part of this Invention has for its object an improved construction of the
said frames or headstocks by a peculiar arrangement of the parts thereof, wheroby
a fracture of the frame itself becomes almost impossible, at the same time permitting
of an increase in the strength of the other parts of the mill, particularly the trunnions
and then bearings, whilst the weight of the frames is reduced to a minimum
The principle upon which this part of the Invention 19 based is that of causing
the tensile strains in each direction to come upon wrought-iron bolts or ties in such
a manner that they relieve the cast nou altogether, this part of the Invention also
includes the peculiar combination of the said ties, together with that form of
fiame which will allow the two bottom rollers to be removed horizontally with ou
1aising them
The second part of this Invention relates to the construction and application of a
peculiar form of friction clutch to the diving wheels of the cane and megass carriers
for the purpose of superseding the usual cone clutch at present in use, both by its
efficacy and simplicity of construction and manipulation
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Diawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 represent
two views of one of the fianies of a sugar mill constructed according to my improve-
ments, and Figures 4 and 5, views of the improved friction clutch
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the frame of cast iron, with provisions for receiving the
bearings B, B, B, for the trunnions C, C, C, the top bearing in each frame being
maintained in position by a cast or wrought non cap D, held by angular bolts or
ties E, E, which diverge from a point above the top beaung, and passing just
outside the bottom roll bearings are secured to the lower part of the frame by
means of pins, bolts, cotters, or other wise as at F, F, these bolts or ties may be
made in two ways, either with a central bolt G passing through the top cap, as in
Figure 1, and hinged to two flat links H, H, lying outside the frame, or as in Figure 3,
these links may be produced upwards, and terminate in screwed ends J to receive
nuts K for securing the top cap in its place
The two bottom roll bearings are secured by two caps L, L, of cast or wrought
iron, held to the frame by two bolts or ties M, M, which pass through holes cored
in the body of the frame from one cap to the other, one of these bolts boing under
and the other over the bottom roll bearings, these caps are thus firmly bolted to
the fiame by the one pair of bolts or ties, the adjustment of the bearings being
obtained by means of small bolts a, a, actuating wedges b placed between the
bearings and the caps By this arrangement economy of material is obtained to a
high degree, since by placing angular bolts or ties in the manner described and
shewn the strain between each pair of rollers is resisted in its direct line, and the
resultants of these strains horizontally against the side caps are taken by the through
bolts, which strains partly balance each other, the excess of the strain on the megass
side over that on the cane side being transmitted right through the frame to the
cap on the cane side, thus distributing the strain well over the frame, and not
concentrating it at any one particular part
A frame constructed as herein-before described is one in which the tensile strains
are resisted by wrought iron only, and it is therefore almost impossible for the
fiame itself to break, and in the case of a choke or of any foreign substance getting
between the rolls the breaking of one of the through bolts will be all the damage
that will be done, and which can be very easily rectified
In Figures 4 and 5, shewing the construction of the improved friction clutch, the
carrier wheel N, which runs loose on the end of the driving shaft when the clutch
is disengaged, has its rim bored parallel on the inside to receive a cast-iron ring O,
divided similarly to a piston ring, but bolted at a point P opposite to the division

page_text: to a disc Q, which is keyed on the end of the shaft R A wedge S, actuated by a
lever T and screw V, or any other suitable arrangement, 18 forced in between the
ends of the said ing, causing it to expand and bind on the internal surface of the
wheel, thus forming a powerful clutch, both lighter and less expensive than the
ordinary cone clutch, and far more easily handled
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly The peculiar combination of the angular tie bolts, together with the
horizontal through bolts in the construction of headstocks for mills to extract juice
from sugar cane, so that the tensile strains in each direction shall be resisted by
these bolts, and so relieve the cast iron, as herein-before described and represented
in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing
Secondly The construction and employment of the ring clutch for driving the
cane and megass carriers for the purpose of superseding the usual cone clutch, as
herein-before described and represented in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying
Drawing.
.
Thirdly The peculiar arrangement of lever and screw for actuating the wedge in
the said clutch, as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Fletcher, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-soven
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South Street,
Finsbury.
GEORGE FLETCHER. (LS)