Year: 1887

page_text: of America, Subject of the Queen of Great Britain, Engineer.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in mills for extracting the juice from cane,
sorghum and other like substances.
The invention consists generally in the combination of a pair of hollow headless
cylinders or rings and a pair of shafts geared together and arranged to make contact
with the internal surface of the rims of the cylinders, whereby the diameters of the
crushing cylinders may be largely augmented to facilitate feeding and crushing the
canes without otherwise increasing the dimensions and weight beyond that of the two
or three roller machines now in use.
In the drawings,

page_text: Figure 3 is a view in elevation and section showing one form of construction in
detail.
Figure 4, is a similar view showing a second form of construction in detail.
Figure 5 is a similar view showing a third form of construction in detail, and
Figure 6, is a similar view showing a fourth form of construction in detail.
Similar letters of reference designate the same parts in each and every figure.
Two shafts or axles A A revolve in and are supported by two frames B B fitted
with adjustable bearings. These shafts can be placed vertically one over the other,
or are set at an angle, as shown, and they are geared together by pinions (C for
transmitting motion from one shaft to the other, either shaft being adapted to receive
power from any prime mover. Placed about these shafts A A, are two rings or hollow
cylinders D D. and the arrangement is such that when the shafts A A revolve, they
draw in between them the two rings D D.
There are various methods whereby motion is transmitted from the shafts to their
rings respectively, as will be hereinafter more fully described.
One way of transmitting the required motion, is as shown in detail in figure 3, by
the friction of the surfaces of contact between the shaft and the ring, which are true
cylinders, and when in. operation the mutual friction caused by the enormous pressure
in crushing the canes, is sufficient to insure a transmission of the motion.
Another way of transmitting the required motion is by the friction between
engaging V shaped grooves as shown in detail in figure 4. The body of the shaft
and the inner surface of the ring are formed with a series of V shaped grooves E E
that fit into each other respectively, and by the pressure employed, insure ample
friction for the transmission of the motion.
Another way of transmitting the required motion is by the employment of cogs as
shown in detail in Fgure 5. On the body of the shaft and inner surface of the ring
are formed shallow grooves F, F, cut on the spiral or "rifle" system. These grooves
and corresponding projections fit into each other respectively, and being formed so
that their outer and inner surfaces are portions of true cylinders, they bottom cach
other respectively, and insure a perfect and regular motion which is one of rolling
contact.
Another way of transmitting the required motion is by the employment of cogs in
combination with plain cylindrical surfaces as shown in detail in Figure 6. The plain
cylindrical surfaces G, G, are preferably formed at each end of the shaft and ring
with the cogs H, H, in between the cylindrical surfaces G, G. By this means,
rolling contact is assured and the cogs H, H, are preferably common cast gears that
do not fill or bottom, as in Figure 5.
The diameters of the cylindrical surfaces, both of the shaft and ring, are preferably
made slightly larger than the pitch circles of the gear wheels respectively. The
circles and, J representing the cylindrical surfaces are larger than the dotted
circles K and L representing the pitch circles of the gear wheels respectively, such
that when in operation the rolling contact between the cylindrical surfaces causes the
rings to travel at a slightly greater speed than that designated by the gears, and
reduces the pressure on the driving sides of the cogs.
It is observed that the design and size of the mill generally is not affected by the
size of the rings and as there is no practical limit to the size of the rings, the problem
of obtaining rolling surfaces having tlie gradually increasing grip of large cylinders
is solved by the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
:-
1. In a sugar cane crushing mill, the combination of a pair of headless hollow
crushing cylinders or rings, a pair of shafts geared together and arranged to make
contact with the internal surface of the rims of said cylinders, substantially as
described.
2. In cane crushing mills, the combination of a pair of headless hollow orushing

page_text: cylinders and a pair of driven shafts, the cylinders being supported in proximity to
each other, and driven by said shafts, as set forth.
3. In cane crushing mills, the combination of a suitable frame, a pair of shafts and
a pair of headless hollow cylinders mounted on and actuated by the shafts, as
specified.
4. In sugar cane crushing mills, the combination of a suitable frame, a pair of
shafts geared together and a pair of headless hollow cylinders, each shaft and its
cylinder being geared together, substantially as described.
5. In cane crushing mills, the combination of a pair of headless hollow cylinders
provided with internal cogs and a pair of shafts upon which the cylinders are
imounted having cogs to intergear with those of the cylinders, substantially as
described.
Dated this 24th day of December 1987
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.