IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OF SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS RELATING THERETO
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of Serle Street, Lincolns Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS RELATING THERETO." A communi-
cation from abroad by Alvaro Francisco Carlos Reynoso, of Paris, France,
Chemist.
Sealed the 13th October 1877, and dated the 17th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th April 1877.
BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincolns Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS
RELATING THERETO.' (A communication from abroad by Alvaro Francisco Carlos
Reynoso, of Paris, France, Chemist.)
This Invention relates to the treatment of sugar cane and sorghum, in order to
reduce them into pulp, or preferably into a moist sawdust, and to various operations
employed to extract the juice therefrom.
To reduce the sugar cane and sorghum into sawdust or pulp, ordinarily, any of
the machines or tools employed for the pulverization of tan and other barks and
woods, as well as cone and other mills, various bark rasping machines with over-
lapping saws, or with toothed cutters and ordinary knives combined on the circum-
ference of a drum, or rasps with saws having a reciprocating motion, or the universal
crusher or triturators, or other modifications of such apparatus, may be employed.
Amongst these, however, preference is given to three forins made according to these
improvements and possessing special advantages.
The first apparatus consists essentially in segments of saws mounted obliquely
upon a drum, in such a manner that by their continual union they constitute a
veritable circular saw, analogous in its effects to the apparatus described in the
Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 28th day of April, 1875,
No. 1558.
The object of separating the saw into segments is to be able to increase economi-
cally the diameter of the circular saw by the combination of the segments. This

page_text: arrangement also facilitates the sharpening of the teeth. The intervening pieces are
of iron or of fluted steel.
The other details of the apparatus consist principally of a hopper for feeding the
material and a receiver for the pulp or moist sawdust.
The second apparatus which presents two types consists of the same arrangement
of segmental saws mounted obliquely upon a drum, but these saws are separated
from each other by other saws placed in the direction of the axis of the drum or
inclined thereto.
The third apparatus consists also essentially of segments of saws mounted
obliquely on the drum, but having segments inclined alternately in opposite
directions.
The improved means of extracting the juice is as follows:-
The first means consist in improvements upon the mills now in use for crushing
the sugar cane and extracting the juice therefrom. These improvements relate to a
means of increasing the pressure by the judicious employinent of weights or by
hydraulic pressure, and in arrangements for facilitating the rapid and continuous
flow of the expressed liquid, in order to prevent, not only its contact with the
pressed matter which would produce a partial re-absorption of the liquid which is
desired to be obtained, but also this facilitated flow is favorable to the desired
continuity of the pressure.
Secondly. To extract the juice from the sugar cane or sorghum, reduced to saw-
dust in a rapid and efficacious manner, and with a great economy of manual labor,
it is proposed to employ machines such as are used for the agglomeration of coal
dust, the making of bricks, and such like.
Thirdly. To accomplish the complete extraction of the juice contained in the saw-
dust of the sugar cane or sorghum, a first pressure is applied of 458 pounds or more
to the square inch by means of steam or hydraulic presses so arranged as to operato
on large masses. The "cane trash" thus obtained is broken up by a triturator, and
then, after being submitted to the action of steam, it is pressed again in presses
analogous to those employed for making bricks of agglomerated coal dust.
These machines used for the trituration of sugar cane and sorghum may also be
employed for the reduction into pulp of beetroot, yucca root, arrowroot, and other
roots, either for the extraction of sugar and fecula, or for preparing them for food
for animals.
These machines may also be employed for the reduction into sawdust of the
"trash" obtained from sugar cane or sorghum by other processes, and this "trash,"
when reduced into sawdust, may be agglomerated at a high pressure by means of
presses analogous to those employed for forming bricks of coal dust, or to those
employed for compressing cotton.
By these means portable agglomerated masses are obtained of a material which
may be used for the manufacture of paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 17th October
1877.
BRISTOW HUNT, of Serlo Street, Lincolns Inn, in the County of Middlesex, 4
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SUGAR CANE, AND IN APPARATUS
RELATING TRERETO." (A communication from abroad by Alvaro Francisco Carlos
Reynoso, of Paris, France, Chemist.)
This Invention relates to the treatment of sugar cane and sorghum in order to
reduce them into pulp, or preferably into a moist sawdust, and to various operations 5
employed to extract the juice therefrom.
To reduce the sugar cane and sorghum into sawdust or pulp, ordinarily, any of

page_text: the machines or tools employed for the pulverization of tan and other barks and
woods, as well as cone and other mills, various bark rasping machines with over-
lapping saws, or with toothed cutters and ordinary knives combined on the circumn-
ference of a drum, or rasps with saws having a reciprocating motion, or the universal
crusher or triturator, or other modifications of such apparatus, may be employed.
Amongst these, however, preference is given to three forms made according to these
improvements and possessing special advantages.
The first apparatus consists essentially in segments of saws mounted obliquely
upon a drum, in such a manner that by their continual union they constitute a
veritable circular saw, analogous in its effects to the apparatus described in the
Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 28th day of April, 1875,
No. 1558.
The object of separating the saw into segments is to be able to increase econo-
mically the diameter of the circular saw by the combination of the segments. This
arrangement also facilitates the sharpening of the teeth. The intervening pieces
are of iron or of fluted steal.
The other details of the apparatus consist principally of a hopper for feeding the
material, and a receiver for the pulp or moist sawdust.
The second apparatus which presents two types consists of the same arrangement
of segmental saws mounted obliquely upon a drum, but these saws are separated
from each other by other saws placed in the direction of the axis of the drum or
inclined thereto.
The third apparatus consists also essentially of segments of saws mounted obliquely
on the drum, but having the soginents inclined alternately in opposite directions.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to bo or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the saine may be distinctly under-
stood I have annexed hereunto one Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a transverse and
vertical section of the first described apparatus, and Figure 2 is a corresponding
vertical section taken in the direction of the axis of the drum.
A is the drum armed with oblique toothed blades; this drum is mounted on the
axle B, which turns in bearings C, and the extremities of which are fitted respec-
tively with pulleys E driven by any suitable power. The bearings C are mounted
on the upper part of the standards D, which constitute the framing; F is the cast-
iron casing of the drum, which is provided with abutments G, of fluted steel, intended
to regulate the coarseness of the pulp.
His another casing in sheet iron, which can be removed for adjusting and
regulating the toothed blades; I, I, are foot boards to facilitate the regulation of
the blades, and the greasing of the bearings C of the axis B of the drum A. Lastly,
a hopper J, communicating with the floor above, receives the sugar canes to be
converted into pulp.
Figures 3 and 4 show respectively transverse and longitudinal sections of the
drum, constructed according to the third arrangement above described, a part of
these views being shown in external clevation.
In these Figures A are the cast-iron drums keyed on the axis B; C are sheet-
ron discs. One of these is fixed to the drum in a rigid manner, and the other has
the necessary play to allow of the tightening up of the toothed blades; D shows
he oblique blades of toothed steel, and E are the filling pieces of grooved stool.
The middle filling pieces F are fastened to the drums by hooks; the bolts G serve
or tightening up the blades D and filling pieces E.
The improved means of extracting the juice are as follows:-
The first means consist in improvements upon the mills now in use for crushing
he sugar cane and extracting the juice therefrom. These improvements relate to a
beans of increasing the pressure by the judicious employment of weights, or by

page_text: hydraulic pressure, and in arrangements for facilitating the rapid and continuous
flow of the expressed liquid in order to prevent, not only its contact with the pressed
matter, which would produce a partial re-absorption of the liquid which is desired
to be obtained, but also this facilitated flow is favorable to the desired continuity of
the pressure.
Secondly. To extract the juice from the sugar cane or sorghum, reduced to saw-
dust, in a rapid and efficacious manner, and with a great economy of manual labor,
it is proposed to employ machines such as are used for the agglomeration of coal
dust, the making of bricks, and such like.
Thirdly. To accomplish the complete extraction of the juice contained in the
sawdust of the sugar cane or sorghum a first pressure is applied of 458 lbs. or more
to the square inch by means of steam or hydraulic presses, so arranged as to operate
on large masses. The "cane-trash" thus obtained is broken up by a triturator, and
then after being submitted to the action of steam it is pressed again in presses
analogous to those employed for inaking bricks of agglomerated coal dust.
These machines used for the trituration of sugar cane and sorghum may also be
employed for the reduction into pulp of beetroot, yucca root, arrowroot, and other
roots, either for the extraction of sugar and fecula, or for preparing them for food
for animals.
These machines may also be employed for the reduction into sawdust of the
"trash" obtained from sugar cane or sorghum by other processes, and this "trash,”
when reduced into sawdust, may be agglomerated at a high pressure by means of
presses analogous to those employed for forming bricks of coal dust, or to those
employed for compressing cotton.
By these means portable agglomerated masses are obtained of a material which
may be used for the manufacture of paper.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention com-
inunicated to me by the said Alvaro Francisco Carlos Reynoso, the treating of sugar
cane and sorghum so as to reduce the same into pulp, or into a moist sawdust, and
the operations and apparatus employed to extract the juice therefrom, all substan-
tially as herein-before described, and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
All niceled beload and covanty-seven