Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sugar Cane for the Extraction of Sugar therefrom and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 7th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th July, 1887.
Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sugar Cane for the
Extraction of Sugar therefrom and to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for breaking and cutting sugar cane.
In the treatment of sugar cane for the extraction of the juice, it has been customary
to employ pressing rollers between which the cane is fed. These rollers simply press
or squeeze the cane, and as it is fed unevenly to the mill much of the cane is
improperly pressed and a considerable percentage of juice remains unextracted.
My improvement consists in a mill for breaking and cutting cane preparatory to
its being pressed. In such mill I employ crushing or cutting rollers provided
externally with teeth having a zig zag trend in the direction of the length of the
rollers. These teeth intermesh but do not come in contact with each other and when
intermeshed they are equi-distant from each other. The rollers are geared together in
order to maintain their relative positions toward each other and may be driven by any
suitable means.
In conjunction with the crushing or cutting rollers I employ an endless carrier to
deliver the cane to them. From the crushing or cutting rollers the crushed cane
passes to a pressing mill which may be of ordinary construction.

page_text: In all cane mills the cane is thrown upon the carrier without regard to its position,
that is to say, some of the stalks will be parallel with the carrier, some transversely
and others diagonally across it. By employing crushing and cutting rollers provided
with teeth having a zig zag trend in the direction of the lengths of the rollers, it
becomes immaterial in what position the cane reaches the rollers as the teeth are of
such form that they will cut it or crush it. The cane after having passed between
these rollers is so thoroughly crushed or cut that when passed subsequently between
the pressing rollers, all the juice which has not previously been extracted is readily
pressed out and nothing is left but the bagasse.
Dated this 21st day of September 1886
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Treatment of Sugar Cane for the
Extraction of Sugar therefrom and to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 machines for breaking and cutting cane.
In the treatment of sugar cane for the extraction of the juice, it has been customary
to employ pressing rollers between which the cane is fed. These rollers simply press
or squeeze the cane and as it is fed unevenly to the mill much of the cane is improperly
pressed and a considerable percentage of juice remains unextracted.
My improvement consists in a mill for breaking and cutting cane preparatory to its
being pressed. In such mill I employ crushing or cutting rollers provided externally
with teeth having a zig-zag trend in the direction of the length of the rollers. These
teeth intermesh but do not come in contact with each other and when intermeshed
they are equi distant from each other. The rollers are geared together in order to
maintain their relative positions toward each other, and may be driven by any suitable
means.

page_text: In conjunction with the crushing or cutting rollers I employ an endless carrier to
deliver the cane to them. From the crushing or cutting rollers the crushed cane passes
to a pressing mill which may be of ordinary construction.
In all cane mills, the cane is thrown upon the carrier without regard to its position,
that is to say, some of the stalks will be parallel with the carrier, some transversely
and others diagonally across it. By employing crushing and cutting rollers provided
with teeth having a zig zag trend in the direction of the lengths of the rollers, it
becomes immaterial in what position the cane reaches the rollers as the teeth are of
such form that they will cut. it or crush it. The cane after having passed between
these rollers is so thoroughly crushed or cut that when passed subsequently between the
pressing rollers, all the juice which has not previously been extracted is readily pressed
out and nothing is left but the begasse.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a mechanism
embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.
The breaking or cutting mechanism consists essentially, of two rollers, D E.
B designates the pressing rollers or the mill.
C designates an endless carrier for the cane.
The rollers D and E are preferably composed of a number of collars keyed to or
otherwise fastened on two shafts, d and e. The ends of these shafts projecting beyond
the collars form journals, which are supported in bearings A. These bearings are
arranged on two pedestals or frames, F G. These rollers D E are provided externally
with teeth. These teeth are approximately parallel to each other, and are zigzagged
from end to end of the rollers or parallel with the axes thereof. The teeth of each
roller do not, however, touch those of the other roller. The rollers are made of
collars fitted on shafts in the manner described, to facilitate their manufacture. The
teeth on each collar run obliquely, and those of adjacent collars extend in reverse
directions: In other words, the teeth on alternate collars extend in the same direction,
and the teeth on the intermediate collars extend at reverse inclines thereto. It will
therefore be seen that continuous zigzag teeth extending from end to end of the rollers
are formed by properly adjusting the collars on the shafts. The edges of the teeth
are made more or less sharp so as to cut or to break only, and not to primarily act as
pressing devices.
At the ends of the shafts de are fastened two equal intermeshing
gear-wheels, m, only one of which is shown in the drawings. These gear-wheels
maintain the two rollers E D in the same relative position with their teeth intermeshing
and equi distant from each other. Provision will preferably be made for adjusting
one of the rollers bodily toward and from the other. This can be done by arranging
the bearings of one in housings and combining screws with them in a well known
Motion may be transmitted to these rollers through the agency of gear-
wheels or belts and pulleys in any known way.
manner.
The pressing rollers B may be of ordinary form provided with smooth surfaces, and
arranged in frames in proper relation with each other to press the juice out of cane
supplied to them. They may be closer together than ordinarily, because they have
only to press the cane, and not to additionly break and cut it up.
The endless carrier C may be of any approved construction. The cane is carried
by it up an incline to the rollers DE, and it descends thence along a downward
incline or chute, L, to the rollers B. A bridge H, extends between the carrier C and
the rollers D E.
Below the roller D is a pan, N, for catching any juice which may run from the
cane.
The operation is as follows:-Cane is carried on the cane-carrier C and delivered
on the bridge H, thereby bringing it within reach of the teeth of the breaking and
cutting rollers D E. These preferably run faster than the carrier C, and will draw
the cane between them, their teeth cutting and breaking it and partly squeezing it.
Whatever juice is expressed will fall into the pan N. The broken cane will fall on the
incline or chute L and slide along the latter to the rollers of the grinding mill or
rollers B, which press out as much of the remaining juice as possible.

page_text: By regulating the distance between the breaking and cutting rollers D E the cane
may be only broken and the teeth made to only partly cut into it, or the cane may be
cut up into short pieces, as may be desired. I prefer the teeth of the rollers D E to
run diagonally or in zig zag lines, because, as the cane is usually thrown on the carrier
in various positions, it frequently reaches the rollers in a position parallel thereto, and,
entering between the teeth thereof in the same parallel line, would be delivered from
the rollers without being cut; but if the cane is placed on the carrier so as to reach
the rollers in a position perpendicular thereto, straight teeth running parallel therewith
can be used.
The two cutting rollers may be placed in close proximity to the pressing rollers,
and be even placed in the same pedestals therewith. They may be placed at any
distance from the pressing-rollers, or even in the position perpendicular to that of the
pressing rollers.
It may be desirable to have more than two cutting rollers used, so as to break and
cut up cane in very small pieces.
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 declaro that what I claim is :-
The combination of rollers provided externally with more or less sharp teeth having
a zig zag trend in the direction of the length of the rollers, said teeth intermeshing
but not coming in contact with each other, and when intermeshed being equidistant
from each other, said rollers being geared together in order to maintain their relative
positions toward each other, substantially as specified.
DJ: L
.. T 1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.