Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
We, THOMAS MARTIN AITKEN, and JOHN MCNEIL, of the Colonial Iron Works,
Govau, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object the cutting or reducing of sugar canes in an
improved manner for what is known as the diffusion process for extracting sugar; and
in carrying out our Invention we employ improved machinery arranged to cut the
canes obliquely into thin slices which slices are at the same time divided into narrow
strips.
The improved machine as constructed according to one modification comprises.
vertical disk fixed on a horizontal shaft and driven in any convenient way., An
inclined guide shoot or hopper is placed at one side of the disk, so as to lead the
sugar canes downwards to the horizontal radius of the disk on the descending side; and
a steel blade is fixed at the bottom of the shoot to resist the cutting pressure on the
canes. The slicing is effected by steel knife blades placed radially, each blade being
adjusted and fixed in a box or plate which is itself fixed in an opening provided for it
in the disk. The box or plate is by preference rectangular and is made with an opening
through which the sliced cane passes to the outer side of the disk. In a convenient
arrangement six of the knife blades are placed equidistantly round the disk, the number
may however be varied. For the purpose of dividing the slices into narrow strips
according to one modification a steel plate is fixed to that edge of the knife box or plate
which is in advance when the knife is cutting, and this steel plate is formed with
projecting points which score or cut the cane just before the slicing action takes place.
Any convenient arrangement of projecting points may be used for the same
purpose as for example a series of projecting pointed steel pins fixed in the knife box
or plate.. Or the production of narrow strips may be effected by making each knife
blade with projecting parts alternating with cut-away parts, and by adjusting the
blades with the projecting parts of each corresponding to the cut-away parts of the
next blade.
Instead of the disk being vertical as described, it may be placed horizontally and in
this case two or more hoppers for guiding the sugar canes to it may be placed at equi-
distant parts of the circle.
EDMUND HUNT,
Per pro. David Ferguson,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
·
I
Improvements in Machines for Cutting or Reducing Sugar Canes.
We, THOMAS MARTIN AITKEN, and JOHN MCNEIL, of the Colonial Iron Works,
Govan, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to ho
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to
say-
Our said Invention has for its object the cutting or reducing of sugar canes in an
improved manner for what is known as the diffusion process for extracting sugar; and
in carrying out our Invention we employ improved machinery arranged to cut the
canes obliquely into thin slices, which slices are at the same time divided into narrow
strips.
Our improved machine, as constructed according to one modification, is shown upon
three accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, figure, 1, sheet, 1, being a plan,
figure, 2, sheet, 2, a front elevation, and figure, 3, sheet, 3, a vertical section as at right
angles to figure, 2. Figures, 4, to 7, are detail views of the cutters. In these drawings
the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
The machine comprises a vertical disk, 8, fixed on a horizontal shaft, '9, held in
bearings, 10, on a bedplate, 11. Fast and loose pulleys, 12, are shown on the shaft
for a driving belt it may however be driven in any convenient way. An inclined
guide shoot or hopper, 13, is placed on the bed plate, II, and at the back of the disk, 8,
so as to lead the sugar canes downwards to the horizontal radius of the disk on the
descending side; and a steel blade, 14, is fixed at the bottom of the shoot to resist the
'cutting pressure on the canes. The slicing is effected by steel knife blades, 15, placed
radially, each blade (shown separate in figure, 4) being adjusted and fixed in a box or
plate, 16, (shown separate in figures, 5, and 6) which is itself fixed in an opening
provided for it in the disk, S. The box or plate, 16, is by preference rectangular and
is made with an opening, 17, through which the sliced cane passes to the outer side of
the disk, 8. In the convenient arrangement delineated six of the plates, 16, with
knife blade, 15, are placed equidistantly round the disk, 8; the number may, however,
be varied. For the purpose of dividing the slices into narrow strips according to one
inodification a steel plate, 18, (shown separate in figure, 7) is fixed to that edge of
the knife box or plate, 16, which is in advance when the knife, 15, is cutting, and
this steel plate, 18, is formed with projecting points which score or cut the canes just
before the slicing action takes place.
Any convenient arrangement of projecting points may be used for the same
purpose, as for example a series of projecting pointed steel pins fixed in the knife box
or plate, 16.
Or the production of narrow strips may be effected by making each

page_text: knife blade, 15, with projecting parts alternating with cut-away parts, and by
adjusting the blades with the projecting parts of each corresponding to the cut-away
parts of the next blade.
Instead of the disk, 8, being vertical as described and shown, it may be placed.
horizontally, and in this case two or more hoppers for guiding the sugar canes to it
may be placed at equidistant parts of the circle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of machines for cutting or
reducing sugar canes substantially in the improved manner hereinbefore described and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of a knife blade with a series of points for cutting sugar canes
into slices and at the same time dividing the slices into narrow strips substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. The application of knife blades with narrow projecting parts and arranged with
the projecting parts of one blade corresponding with the cut-away parts of the next.
blade, for cutting the sugar canes into narrow strips substantially as hereinbefore
described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.