IMPROVED APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MOULDING AND COMPACTING GRANULAR SUGAR IN BLOCKS, AND DRYING THE SAME
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to August Friedrich Wilhelm Partz, of Oakland,
Alameda County, State of California, in the United States of
America, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS AND PROCESS
FOR MOULDING AND COMPACTING GRANULAR SUGAR IN BLOCKS, AND DRYING
THE SAME.'
"
Sealed the 21st December 1874, and dated the 7th October 1874.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said August Friedrich Wilhelm
Partz at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 7th October 1874, pursuant
to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUST
FRIEDRICH WILHELM PARTZ, of Oakland, Alameda County, State of
California, in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAȘ I am in possession of an Invention relative to "IMPROVED
APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MOULDING AND COMPACTING GRANULAR SUGAR IN
BLOCKS, AND DRYING THE SAME,” and have made solemn Declaration that
I verily believe myself to be the first and true Inventor thereof,

page_text: hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand
and scal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be applied.
This Invention embraces several mechanic devices and modes of i
operation, which are designed principally for effecting the transformation
of loose granular sugar into small solid cubes or flat square blocks, but
part of which may also be used for converting granular sugar into cakes,
slabs, or bars.
The first part of the Invention relates to a compound mould, by means
of which granular sugar as it comes from a centrifugal machine may be
directly formed into rectangular blocks.
In the following description of this mould reference is had to Figures 1,
2, 3, and 4 on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 repre-
senting an isometrical view of the mould as put together for use, and
Figures 2, 3, and 4 separate like views of its component parts, showing
more clearly their construction and mode of adjustment. c, c, are rods
of brass, two ends of which are riveted to a stout strip of the same
metal c', while the other two ends are secured by clamps to a wooden
slat c", so that the whole forms a frame, to which the slat c¹¹ is to serve
as a handle. Before attaching the latter a series of thin strips of brass
bent in rectangular zig-zags 8, 8, and lastly a straight and thicker
strip s¹, all provided with holes near their ends are strung upon the
rods c in such a manner that when any successive two of the zig-zag
bent strips are held together they form a row of squares. The parts c, c,
c², c¹¹, 8, 8, and s¹ thus combined, as shown in Fig. 2, I will for the sake
of brevity call a form. The strips and rods instead of being made of
brass may be made of some other metal or alloy, or of any other suitable
material.
N is a tray consisting of a board of hard wood, at one end of
which on its upper side, shown in Fig. 3, is a bar n also of wood. At
the opposite end of it and at one of its sides are metallic rims n³ and n“
projecting about half the width of the strips s above the face of the
board. The bottom of the tray, as partially shown in Fig. 4, is provided
with two racks r, r, the purpose of which will appear hereafter, and one
of which forms one piece with the rim n². ³, i, are metallic plates
fixed to the board,.

page_text: To put the mould together the form shown in Fig. 2 is taken hold of
by the handle c", and being lowered at the opposite end, so as to cause
the strips & to slide together against the strip c', it is placed upon the
tray, Fig. 3, by pushing the strip c¹ against the rim n' and letting the
handle c¹ down, so that the bar n slips in between it and the strip s¹.
The mould thus put together, as shown in Fig. 1, represents a series of
square compartments, the zig-zag strips & being held in position between
the barn and the rim n'. To produce by means of such a mould,
according to the width of the strips s and the size of their zig-zags,
cither cubes or similar blocks of sugar, loose moist granular sugar is
deposited upon the mould, so that it fills the square compartments, and
after being leveled extends above them in a layer equal in thickness to
about one-third of their depth. The layer of sugar must be even if the
final product shall be of uniform hardness. The mould after being
charged is therefore passed under a horizontal scraper fixed at the proper
height, or the object is attained more efficiently by the application of a
contrivance herein-after described. The mould is then brought under
a press or it is passed between rollers, and by either of these means the
sugar is compacted so as to be even with the edges of the strips s, and
thus to be reduced to about three-fourths of its former bulk. After this
the mould is placed in a nearly vertical position, the handle o" being
upward, when the form with the sugar is taken off the tray and suspended
by its handle on a drying rack. Another form of the same construction
as the one described is now placed upon the tray, and the operation
proceeds again as before.
When the sugar has become dry and hard the forms are laid upon
suitable frames, and by shifting the strips & asunder the blocks of sugar
are made to drop out from between them.
The tray, Fig. 3, may be made entirely of metal, and it is obvious
that its construction, and also that of the form, Fig. 2, may in various
ways be altered to suit some particular purpose.
The essential feature of this part of my Invention consists in forming
sugar moulds, containing a scries of square compartments, by means of
zig-zag shaped movable partitions strung upon a framo or otherwise
arranged together, and provided with a suitably contrived support.
The second part of my Invention relates to a machine designed for
expeditiously depositing and compressing loose granular sugar in such

page_text: moulds as are herein above described, and in other moulds of suitable
size and construction.
In the following description of this machine reference is had to
Figures 5, 6, and 7, on Sheet I., and Figures 8 and 9, on Sheet II., of
the accompanying Drawings, Figures 5 and 6 representing end elevations
and partial sections; Fig. 7, a vertical cross section; Fig. 8, a side
elevation; and Fig. 9, a plan of the machine:-F is an iron frame from
each end of which extends a pair of brackets B, B, and these together
with two cross ties q, q, support a pair of slotted flange rails C, C;
R and R¹ are iron rollers mado like pulleys and set upon shafts that lie
in fixed bearings and have spur wheels Q and Q¹attached to them.
These wheels are geared to a smaller spur wheel a which is upon the
same shaft A', with a transmission pulley a' and the driving pulley A.
The rollers R and R' are placed so as to project slightly above the
rails C; P and P¹ are rollers made of wood secured by iron flanges;
P has at its circumference a layer of well joined staves of hard wood,
while P¹ is covered with a layer of vulcanized india-rubber. The shafts
of these rollers lie in adjustable sliding boxes t, t, pressed down by
rubber springs %, %. The space between the lower and upper rollers
after the boxes t have been properly set by bolts underneath them is
not quite equal to the height of the mould Fig. 1; T is a wooden trunk
open at both ends and fastened by stays e and braces e¹ to the frame F,
so as to stand just far enough above the rails C, that when the mould.
Fig. 1 is placed upon the latter it can be passed under the trunk without
touching it. That side of the trunk which is toward the roller Pis
several inches shorter than the other sides; D is a shaft upon which are
keyed two pinions x, x, a pulley x¹, and a spur wheel ", which latter is
geared to the spur wheel Q by means of an intermediate whcel Q".
The pinions are made to correspond to the racks at the bottom of
the tray N, and they are so inserted in the rails O above which they
project the height of their teeth, that when a mould like Fig. 1 is slid
upon the rails against them it is caught and pushed under the trunk T;
V is a roller which lies in open bearings a little less than the height of
the mould, Fig. 1, above the rails, and has the purpose of counteracting
the slight lifting tendency of the pinions x; v, v, are plates of brass a
stiffened by ribs and attached to levers v¹, which reach through slots
in the sides of the trunk and have their fulcrums at ". The upper
edges of the plates are overlapped by sheets of brass fastened to the

page_text: sides of the trunk, and leaving sufficient space above the plates to
admit of their being moved up and down about half an inch; K is a
shaft that holds two cam eccentrics K, K, a beveled friction wheel d,
and a pulley a" which is geared by a belt to the pulley a'. The cam
eccentrics are close below the free ends of the levers v¹, and to insure
a sudden dropping down of the latter after being raised by the cams two
springs, , fastened to the trunk T are made to bear upon them.
Mated to the beveled friction wheed d is a like but smaller wheel d
keyed upon one end of a shaft which lies in boxes upon one side of the
frame F, and to the other end of which is attached a short crank o;
u is a blade of rolled brass furnished with teeth like a saw and suspended
by steel strips u¹, u¹, from a pair of arms ", u", bolted to the trunk T.
The steel strips are united by another blade o", and to the latter is
joined a connecting rod o' attached to the crank o. The saw blade u
the teeth of which are about one quarter inch in length is so adjusted
that when the mould Fig. 1 is placed upon the rails beneath it the
teeth are about three-sixteenths of an inch from the strips 8. The blade
is movable in guides fixed to a cross bar 2. The side of the blade
towards the trunk is nearly covered by a board ♬ fastened to the sides of
the trunk, and having its lower edgo faced with a strip of brass.
Between the board and the trunk is a shaft which is made of or
covered with brass, and from which project four rows of pins of the
same metal. The shaft lies in bearings attached to the sides of the
trunk T, and is turned by a pulley which is geared by a cord to
the pulley ; is a board, the lower edge of which is beveled and
faced with brass. It is hinged to a pair of bolts secured to the frame F,
to which are also secured two plates m, m, of angular shape. In each
of these plates is fastened a bolt which passes through a rubber spring i
held by a nut, and also through the board. The latter which represents
a scraper is so placed partly by adjusting the springs i, that its brass
faced edge is a little less than the height of the mould Fig. 1 above the
rails C; p, p, are boards supported by blocks p', p', and bolted to the
frame F. The boards are lengthwise sawed into, and strips of sheet
india-rubber are stuck into the slots, so that they stick out about a
fourth of an inch, their edges being in contact with the rollers
P and P¹.
In order to be able to carry on a continuous operation it is necessary
to provide about 20 trays, like Fig. 3, and about 2500 forms, like Fig. 2;
..
…………………414 shaven Jananikhed machina

page_text: The work begins with transmitting power to the pulley A so that it
revolves about forty times per minute, and sliding a couple of moulds,
like Fig. 1, upon the rails C under the trunk T, which is thereby sup-
plied with a temporary bottom. Moist granular sugar fresh from a
centrifugal machine is then dropped from an upper floor through a tube {
into the trunk until it is nearly full, and this supply is regularly con-
tinued and the trunk kept nearly full of sugar while the operation goes
on. Moulds are now placed in quick succession upon the rails in front
of the trunk, and shoved one close after another against the pinions x,
by which they are moved under the trunk, pushing those before them:
onward. The moulds are put upon the rails in such a way that the
handles of the forms are towards the workmen, who are stationed on
that side of the machine, which is free of gear whicels; and to facilitato
the manipulation the rails are extended about six fect upon a wooden
frame joined to the brackets B. In passing beneath the trunk the
moulds are charged with granular sugar under the pressure of its super-
incumbent mass, the ready descent of the sugar to the moulds being
more fully insured by the short and quick up-and-down motions of the
plates v, caused by the cam eccentrics / lifting the lovers ², and the
springs throwing them back again. The rows of pins upon the shaft
turned by the pulley 6 serve the purpose of breaking any lumps that
may happen to be mixed with the granular sugar. On emerging from
beneath the trunk the moulds pass under the saw u, which has a rapid
reciprocating motion, as will be seen from the gearing, and by which
the sugar upon the moulds is gauged and distributed so as to form an
even layer of about one-quarter of an inch above the partitions 8.
Pushed on to the rollers R, P, the moulds are caught and made to pass
between them by the motion of the lower roller, the upper one turning
by friction, and while they are forced through the sugar they contain is
compacted with a pressure equal to that which the springs have been a
set to resist. The moulds then slide along under the scraper / by which
any sugar that may yet remain above their partitions is removed, where-
upon they are caught by the rollers R', P', and in passing between them
a smooth surface is imparted to the sugar.
It will be noticed that the spur wheel Q₁ is smaller than Q, so that a
the roller R turns faster than R. The object of this is, that cach
mould on being caught between the rollers R', P', be quickly moved
along, and thus a space be gained between it and the following mould

page_text: for the sugar taken off by the scraper to fall through. The.rubber strips
held by the boards p are for the purpose of keeping the rollers P and P¹
clear of adhering sugar. After the moulds have left the rollers R¹, P¹,
they are removed from the rails and the forms are taken off the trays in
the manner herein above stated. The trays are at once transferred to
the other end of the machine to be reemployed, and the sugar contained
in the forms is now ready for drying, which operation is the subject of
another part of my Invention.
As the principal improvements embodied in the above described
machine, I claim,-
First. The employment of rollers instead of a platen press for com-
pacting granular sugar, which has the advantage of admitting a higher
rate of speed and requiring a far less exertion of power, inasmuch as the
full available pressure is temporarily confined to a small area, and the
air contained in the sugar is in great measure allowed to escape, whereas
in using a platen press the air being much more confined has mostly to
be compressed in proportion as the bulk of the sugar is reduced.
Second. The depositing of granular sugar upon moulds by passing
them under an open upright trunk, which is filled and kept supplied
with sugar from above; and in combination therewith the gauging and
even distributing of the sugar upon the moulds by a toothed blade of
metal, or any equivalent thereof, which is kept in a rapid horizontal
motion, and the consequent friction of which with the sugar prevents
the latter from adhering to it and forming a crust.
The third part of my Invention relates to a process for expeditiously
drying the sugar compacted into cubes or similar blocks, as herein above
set forth. The process consists in gradually passing the forms containing
the sugar through a chamber, through which at the same time a current
of heated air is conducted in an opposite direction, fresh supplies of
most sugar being introduced and the dried sugar removed without the
workmen having to enter the chamber, in which the temperature may
therefore be as high as the sugar will bear without injury.
The chamber should be long and narrow, but may either be extended
horizontally upon a floor or built upright like a stack. Where there are
no local obstacles a horizontal chamber is preferable. In connection
with such a chamber racks are employed, which are mounted on small
wheels, and have a number of arms on which the forms holding the

page_text: sugar are suspended by their handles.
The racks are placed and moved
upon tracks, which extend through and beyond the chamber. After the
introduction of each rack with moist sugar the chamber is closed at both
ends by sliding doors, and a current of hot air coming through a pipe
from an air-heating apparatus, through which the air is forced by a fan-
blower or other means, is let into the chamber by opening a damper at
one end of it, the air charged with moisture taken up from the sugar
escaping through a stack at the other end, at which the racks are
entered. Be it assumed that the operation has been going on for some
time, that the chamber is filled with racks loaded with sugar, and that a
rack has been freshly supplied with moist sugar outside, on finding
the sugar upon the rack at the exit end of the chamber to have become
dry the air damper is closed, both sliding doors are opened, and the rack
with moist sugar is run in, while the one with dry sugar is run out,
whereupon the doors are closed again and the damper is reopened. The
forms with dry sugar are now taken off, and the empty rack is by the
use of turntables or other means run off on a cross track, then along a
track parallel with the one inside of the chamber, and by another cross
track back to the place of entrance, where it is again supplied with
moist sugar, and subsequently passed into the chamber, and thus the
operation continues. Instead of a single chamber there may be two or
morc adjoining chambers used at the same time and attended to alter-
nately.
In employing an upright chamber two endless parallel chains about
five feet apart, and connected at short intervals by horizontal rods, are
hung over wheels upon a shaft at the upper end of the chamber, which
is divided by a vertical partition. The shaft is slowly revolved, and a
current of heated air is made to pass up one of the compartments of the
chamber and partly down the other. The forms containing the sugar
are provided with hooks, by which they are suspended on the rods, being
introduced through an opening in the side of the chamber near its
bottom. While the forms ascend on one side and descend on the other,
contrary to the current of air, the sugar is dried, and is thereupon
removed through the same opening through which the moist sugar is
introduced.
Under this head I claim the mode of drying sugar in forms or moulds
by gradually passing them through a chamber, through which at the
same time a current of heated air is passed in an opposite direction, the

page_text: sugar being supplied and removed from the outside so that a migner
temperature can be applied than is admissible where workmen have to
enter the drying room.
In witness whereof, I, the said August Friedrich Wilhelm Partz,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of August,
Eighteen hundred and seventy-four.