AN IMPROVED COMPOUND DOUBLE- CRUSHING SUGAR CANE MILL WITH FIVE (OR MORE) ROLLERS
Year: 1885

page_text: 1, THOMAS DALE, of Townsend Foundry, Kirkcaldy, Scotland, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND DOUBLE-
CRUSHING SUGAR CANE MILL WITH FIVE (OR MORE) ROLLERS " and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
It is well known that in most even of the best and most improved machines for
extracting juice from sugar-cane, a large proportion of the juice is left in the cane
and is lost. In the ordinary 3 roller mill not more than 65 per cent of juice is
usually extracted. Where double crushing is practised by means of two 3 roller
mills with their duplicate sets of gearing and engines 80% to 85% of juice is
extracted from the cane.
°
Now, according to this invention the cane is double-crushed and the maximum
amount of juice is extracted by means of a compound mill comprising two mills
mounted on a common sole plate and driven by a single engine and a peculiar
and simple train of gearing so that the whole forms a 5 (or it may be 6) roller
mill. By this arrangement a great simplification of the machinery is effected,
the juice is extracted very completely, and the process is conducted at a small
cost for labour, as the cane may be carried automatically from the first mill to the
second, and be ejected sufficiently free from moisture to permit of its being
immediately burned.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings A is the cylinder of a steam
engine which drives the two mills. The engine may be of any suitable construc-
tion with one or more cylinders or it may be replaced by a turbine, water-wheel,
or other motor. It drives the shaft B, upon which is a fly-wheel and a pinion C.
The pinion C gears with the wheel D on the second motion shaft E. Upon this
shaft E there is a pinion F gearing with a wheel G, there is also another pinion f
gearing with a wheel H. One of these wheels, G, is attached to the top roller of
a 3 roller mill, and the other to the top roller of a 2 roller mill.
These wheels may be mounted directly on the rollers, or on shafts connected
to them.
The cane is brought to the first or 3 roller mill by hand or preferably by a
properly constructed cane carrier and after being broken between the rollers I'

page_text: and I² it is partially crushed between the rollers 12 and 1³ and delivered upon a short
carrier or conveyer which transports it to the second or 2 roller mill J. Here it
is subjected to a very severe pressure. The strains which produce this pressure
are directly parallel with the bolts receiving them, namely the bolts that hold
down the top roller and consequently there is no danger of injury to the framing.
From this mill the exhausted negass falls upon the megass carrier sufficiently dry
to burn at once in the boiler furnace to which it is delivered. Sometimes it may
be found desirable that the second mill should have 3 rollers. The partially
crushed cane in its passage between the mills may be subjected to partial or
complete saturation or heating by means of steam or water or both combined.
The apparatus for this purpose is not shewn on the drawings, as it is well
understood.
The cane is carried from the first mill to the second by a conveyer K running
on the rollers L L.
These are supported by brackets M. M. attached to the
mill cheeks. The mills themselves are, by preference, mounted upon the same
sole plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The use for crushing sugar-cane of the compound machine comprising two
mills on a common sole plate, a motor and the peculiar train of gearing described,
the arrangement being such as to form a simple and efficient 5 (or 6) roller mill
wherein the cane is treated in a successive manner as explained with reference to
and shown in the accompanying drawing.
2. In apparatus for crushing sugar-cane wherein the cane is crushed successively
by two mills driven by the same motor and a train of gearing, mounting the
conveyer situated between the two mills upon brackets attached to the mill checks
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1885