IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE SHREDDERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in
the County of Middlesex Gentleman for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SUGAR CANE SHREDDERS" Cominunicated to him from John Parker
a person resident at New York in the County and State of New York in the
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Jolinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1882.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR-CANE SHREDDERS " a communication to
me from John Parker a person resident at New York in the County and State of
New York in the United States of America
The said Invention relates to machinery for Shattering or Shredding Sugar Cane
with the view of reducing it to the best condition for the extraction from it of a
greater percentage of juice than can be obtained from unshredded cane and the
main feature of the Invention consists of two drums each having rows of teeth, one
drum which revolves slowly serving to feed the stalks in limited quantities to the
other toothed drum which shatters the stalks and reduces them to shreds
The main objects of the Invention are to prevent the choking of the machine to
effect the shredding operation without subjecting the drums gearing or engine to
shocks and strains and to remove the shredded canes from the machine as fast as
they are delivered by the drums
According to the said Invention to the base of the machine is secured a quad-
rangular box-like structure or frame in the opposite side of which two shafts have
their bearings the first shaft passing through and being secured to a tubular shaft
or drum and a similar drum being secured to the second shaft.
From the drum of the first shaft project teeth and from the drum of the second
shaft project other teeth the teeth of one drum passing between those of the other
and cleaning them to the extent of about one eighth of an inch.
It has been found that the best plan of constructing the toothed drums is to cast

page_text: the teeth on rings and fit and secure the latter to the drums Each ring of the
drum of the first shaft may have four teeth and each ring of the other drum may
have eight teeth, this however is not essential The teeth of the drum of the second
shaft for receptacles for the cane between them and the teeth of the other drum
are claw shaped.
The driving shaft which may be the Crank shaft of the Engine is geared to the
aforesaid drum shafts by suitable gearing by means of which the drums are driven
in opposite directions the drum of the first shaft being driven at a higher speed
than that of the second shaft.
An endless conveyer which may be similar in construction to those appertaining
to ordinary Sugar Mills passes over a drum which is driven in the direction of a
chute which is secured to the top of the quadrangular frame of the machine and
forins a hood like covering for the same the inclined bottom of this chute extends
nearly to the endless conveyer where the latter passes round the drum the top of
the chute being continued to about over the commencement of the inclined bottom
and the ends of the chute being continued beyond this point so as to form the sides
of a trough of which the endless conveyer is the bottom
A shield or guard is preferably combined with the chute the guard extending
from side to side of the chute and being situated midway or thereabout between
the toothed drums the teeth of which however must clear the lower edge of the
guard this guard is for preventing the crowding of the stalks of the spreading
drum..
The stalks of cane to be operated on are placed lengthwise on and across the
conveyer and are tilted by the latter onto the inclined bottom of the chuto a few
stalks falling into each space or pocket between the rows of teeth on the slowly
revolving drum of the second shaft-As each of these spaces is of such limited
capacity that it will not hold more than three or four stalks the drum is a feeder
which limits the number of Stalks to be acted on at one time by the teeth of the
other rapidly revolving drum the effect of the teeth of which is to shatter the
stalks and reduce them to short lengths so that the cane will be in the best con-
dition for the extraction therefrom of the largest percentage of juice by the rolls of
the Sugar Mill Before the said teeth have ceased to act on one bundle of stulks in
one of the spaces or pockets they commence to act on another bundle in the next
space or pocket. Hence there is a uniform action which could not be attained
without the above described mode of feeding the stalks in bundles and it will be
well understood by those familiar with Machinery of this class that the subjection
of indiscriminate and different sized inasses of cane to the shredding teeth is most
trying both to the Engine and gearing owing to severe shocks at repeated
intervals. The gearing is arranged so that the strains on the shafts of the toothed
drum are transmitted to the driving shaft so as to act on the same in opposite
directions and thus tend to counteract and neutralize each other
I prefer in all cases to combine with the above described mechanism an endless
Conveyer passing round a drum and extending to any desired point so as to receive
the Shredded Cane and remove it as fast as it is discharged from and by the
toothed drums. This Conveyer may for instance extend as far as the Mill for
crushing the Cane

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd May 1883.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
a communication to
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE SHREDDERS
me from John Parker a person resident at New York in the County and State of
New York United States of America
The said Invention relates to machinery for shattering or shredding Sugar Cane
with the view of reducing it to the best condition for the extraction from it of a
greater percentage of juice than can be obtained from unshredded cane-and the
main feature of the invention consists of two drums each having rows of teeth one
drum which revolves slowly serving to feed the stalks in limited quantities to the
other toothed drum which shatters the stalks and reduces them to shreds.
The main objects of the Invention are to prevent the choking of the machine to
effect the shredding operation without subjecting the drums gearing or engine to
shocks and strains and to remove the shredded canes from the machine as fast as
they are delivered by the druins.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in both the figures.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved
cane shredding machine; and Figure 2 a sectional plan view partly on the line 1, 2
and partly on the line 3, 4. According to the said Invention to the base A of the
machine is secured a quadrangular box like structure or frame B in the opposite
side of which two shafts E and F have their bearings the shaft E passing through
and being secured to a tubular shaft or drum G and a similar drum H being
secured to the shaft F.
From the drum G project the teeth a and from the drum H the teeth b the
general conformation of these teeth being shown in Figure 1 and the relation of
the teeth of one drum to those of the other being shown in the plan view Figure 2
the teeth of one drum passing between those of the other and clearing them to say
the extent of about one eighth of an inch.
It has been found by my correspondent that the best plan of constructing the
toothed drums is to cast the teeth on rings d and fit and secure the latter to the
drums. In the present instance each ring of the drum G has four teeth and each
ring of the drum Height teeth. This however is not essential. The teeth b of
the drum H form receptacles for the cane between them and the teeth a of the
other drum are claw shaped.
The driving shaft I, which may be the crank-shaft of the engine is geared to
the shafts E and F by the system of cog-wheels shown in the plan view Figure 2
and indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. By means of this gearing the
toothed drum H is driven in the direction of the arrow preferably at the rate of
about thirty revolutions per minute and the toothed drum G in the direction of
its arrow at the rate of about one hundred and thirty five revolutions per minute.
It will be understood that these speeds are given as being in my correspondent's
opinion the best for bringing about the best results, but I do not restrict myself to
any specific speed. Neither do I restrict myself to the use of the gearing shown
although it is preferred for a reason explained hereinafter.
An endless conveyer J (part only of which is shown in the drawings and which

page_text: may be similar in construction to those appertaining to ordinary sugar mills) passes
over a drum P which is driven in the direction of the arrow.
A chute K is secured to the top of the quadrangular frame B and forms a hood
like covering for the same the inclined bottom m of this chute extending nearly to
the endless conveyer where the latter passes round the drum P the top of the chute
being continued to about the point x Figure 1 and the ends of the chute being
continued beyond this point so as to form the sides n of a trough of which the
endless conveyer J is the bottom.
A shield or guard p is preferably combined with the chute the said shield or
guard extending from side to side of the chute and being situated midway or
thereabout between the drums G and H the teeth of which however must clear
the lower edge of the guard.
The stalks of cane to be operated on are placed lengthwise on and across the
conveyer and are tilted by the latter onto the inclined bottom of the chute a few
stalks falling into each space or pocket w between the rows of teeth & on the
slowly revolving drum H. As each of these spaces is of such limited capacity that
it will not hold more than three or four stalks the drum is a feeder which limits
the number of stalks to be acted on at one time by the teeth of the rapidly
revolving drum G the effect of the teeth of which is to shatter the stalks and
reduce them to short lengths so that the cane will be in the best condition for
the extraction therefrom of the largest percentage of juice by the rolls of the sugar
mill. Before the teeth of the drum G have ceased to act on one bundle of stalks
in one of the spaces or pockets w between the rows of teeth on the drum H they
commence to act on another bundle in the next space or pocket.
Hence there is a
uniform action which could not be attained without the above described mode of-
feeding the stalks in bundles and it will be well understood by those familiar
with machinery of this class that the subjection of indiscriminate and different
sized masses of cane to the shredding teeth is most trying both to the engine and
gearing owing to severe shocks at repeated intervals. In this connection it will be
observed that by the gearing shown in the Drawing the strains on the shafts Ę
and F are transmitted to the driving shaft I so as to act on the samo in opposite
directions and thus tend to counteract and neutralize each other. The guard
plate p prevents the crowding of the gtalks into the drum G.
It is preferred in all cases to combine with the above described mechanism an
endless conveyer L passing round a drum M and extending to any desired point so
as to receive the shredded cane and remove it as fast as it is discharged frain and
by the toothed drums. This conveyer may for instance extend as far as the mill
for crushing the cane.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is
First The combination in a cane shredding machine of the drum G having
teeth a and the drum H having teeth b with gearing through the medium of which
the said drums are driven the former rapidly and the latter slowly in the direction
of their arrows and with feed mechanism substantially as described whereby the
canes are fed to the drum H in a direction transversely to their length as herein-
before set forth.
Second-The combination of the toothed drums G and H, gearing for rotating
the same in opposite directions and at different speeds, a guard plate p, and an
endless conveyer and chute whereby the capes are fed to the drum H in a direction
transversely to their length as herein before set forth,
Third The combination in a cane shredding machine, of a toothed shredding,
drum, a drum whereby the canes are fed in bundles to said shredding drum, feeding
mechanism whoreby the canes are delivered to said feeding-drum ip a direction

page_text: transversely to their length, and a conveyer whereby the shredded canes are carried
from the machine, as hereinbefore set forth.
Fourth-The combination of the drums G and H and driving shaft I of a cane
shredding machine with gearing substantially as described whereby the strains on
the drums G and H due to the action upon the canes of the teeth of the druin G
are caused to exercise a counteracting influence on the shaft I as hereinbefore
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal this tenth day of May One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
J. HENRY JOHNSON (L.S.)