IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Oliver Robinson, of 43, Moorgate Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANES."
Sealed the 31st May 1853, and dated the 8th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Oliver
Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th April 1853.
I, HENRY OLIVER ROBINSON, of 43, Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANES" to be as
follows:
This Invention consists, first, in constructing a steam engine with
the gear to connect it to a sugar cane mill in such a manner that the
engine and gear are placed together upon a base plate common to both
of them, and also in such a manner that the end of the said base plate
may be connected with the base plate of any sugar cane mill by screw
bolts and nuts, whether the latter be specially adapted to it or not, so
that a steam engine and gear upon this construction may be attached

page_text: to any sugar cane mill already in existence by screw bolts and nuts,
whether to replace a worn-out steam engine, a water wheel, or other
motor.
Second, in a new kind of coupling or clutch, consisting of a disc of
iron formed with a groove on each of its flat sides at right angles to
each other: the one groove receives the end of the connecting gear
shaft, which is formed in a tongue to fit into it, and the other "groove
receives a tongue formed upon the shaft of the top roller of the mill.
The effect of this coupling is to permit of a deviation in the line of the
said connecting shaft and the top roller shaft respectively, or, in other
words, to permit their not being "in truth" without any danger to the
machinery, or danger of straining of the parts, and also to permit of
the top roller being lifted up occasionally (as is often necessary)
without disturbing the connecting gear shaft or engine shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Oliver Robinson, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 8th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY OLIVER ROBINSON, of 43, Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Oliver Robinson, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Oliver Robinson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Oliver Robinson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANES," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Oliver Robinson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Oliver Robinson, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists, first, in constructing a steam engine with
the gear to connect it to a sugar cane mill in such a manner that the
engine and gear are placed together upon a base plate common to both
of them, and also in such a manner that the end of the said base plate
may be connected with the base plate of any sugar cane mill by screw
bolts and nuts, whether the latter be specially adapted to it or not,
so that a steam engine and gear upon this construction may be
attached to any sugar cane mill already in existence by screw bolts and
nuts, whether to replace a worn-out steam engine, a water wheel, or
other motor.
Second, in a new kind of coupling or clutch, consisting of a disc of
iron formed with a groove on each of its flat sides at right angles to each
other: the one groove receives the end of the connecting gear shaft,
which is formed in a tongue to fit into it, and the other groove receives
a tongue formed upon the shaft of the top roller of the mill. The
effect of this coupling is to permit of a deviation in the line of the said
connecting shaft and the top roller shaft respectively, or, in other words,
to permit their not being in truth without any danger to the machinery,
or danger of straining of the parts, and also to permit of the top roller
being lifted up occasionally (as is often necessary) without disturbing
the connecting gear shaft or engine shaft.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will now
describe the manner of performing the same.

page_text: Figure 1, is a side elevation of the machinery; Figure 2, is an
end elevation; Figure 3, shows part of the gearing between the
steam engine and the rollers; and Figure 4, shows different views of
the coupling applied between the axis of the sugar mill and the gearing
of the steam engine. In each of these figures the same letters are
used to indicate the same parts. C, C, C, is the steam engine, the
fly wheel being raised so as not to cut off the continuity of the base
plate. D, D, D, is the connecting gear, consisting of two wheels,
and two pinions, with their shafts and framings to carry them, the
wheels being elevated so as not to cut off the continuity of the base
plate. A, B, is the base plate common to both. E, E, E, is a sugar
cane mill of the ordinary construction, to which the base plate is shewn
to be united. H, H, is the clutch coupling (or new universal joint),
shewing front and back views of it, and the grooves crossing each other.
f, and g, are the inside geared pinion and wheel part of a detached
front view of which is shewn at Figure 3.
Since the discovery that a very slow motion of the rollers is the only
true mode of obtaining an effective operation of the sugar mill, it has
become a great desideratum to reduce the size or diameter of the pinion
of the gear, as respects the diameter of the wheel; and, as the strain is
great, this can be done with safety, by inside gearing, to a far greater
extent than with the ordinary gearing, while, from the greater number
of teeth "in hold," a smoother action takes place.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the a
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details herein given, so long as the peculiar
character of my Invention be retained, nor do I claim any of the parts
separately; but what I claim is,-
First, the combination of a steam engine and connecting gear (for 3
driving a sugar mill) upon a base plate or foundation plate common
to both, and adapted to be united to the base plate of an ordinary
sugar mill, the fly wheel and the gear being all above the base or

page_text: foundation plate; also, the applying inside gearing between the steam
engine and the sugar mill, as described.
And, secondly, I claim the connection or coupling shown and
described in combination with a sugar mill, and the driving gearing
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Oliver Robinson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
H. O. ROBINSON. (L.s.)
Witness, J ALCOCK.