AN IMPROVED FEEDER OR HOPPER FOR CENTRIFUGAL SUGAR MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
FEEDER OR HOPPER FOR CENTRIFUGAL SUGAR MACHINES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Belem Merrill, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1867.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED FEEDER OR HOPPER FOR CENTRIFUGAL SUGAR MACHINES," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
In the ordinary use of the centrifugal machine for draining and drying
sugar the semi-fluid mass is put into the cylinder, and the operation of the
machine distributes it over the surface of the seive, the only provision for
regulating the distribution consisting in the internal cone rising in the middle
from the bottom of the machine; but as the tendency of the gravitation of the
sugar is in partial opposition to the centrifugal force, a much thicker layer of

page_text: material is retained against the bottom part of the cylindrical sieve than is
permitted to rise to the upper part by the action of the machine, and the
resulting quality of the sugar is unequal in a corresponding degree. Whatever
lifting is accomplished with any portion of the mass from the bottom is in
direct opposition to the force of gravity. It is obvious that the uniform
drainage of the sugar can only be effected by a uniform action of the machine,
which in turn necessarily depends upon the uniform distribution of the sugar
or other material with which the machine may be charged; and in a similar
manner where it is desired to wash the granulated sugar in the machine by
the application of water or of refiners' liquor, or to bleach it by the use of
steam, the best result can only be obtained by operating upon an even
thickness of material.
The object of my Invention is to ensure the spreading of the mixed mass of
molasses, syrup, and granulated sugar in a uniform layer over the interior
surface of the rotating sieve while the same is in motion, so that there can be
no thin parts at the top or elsewhere to be unduly drained and too much
washed, or other parts so thick that they are likely to be insufficiently drained
and not enough washed.
I employ a moveable hopper mounted on a frame that rests upon the
stationary outer case of the machine, and which is extended inside the revolving
sieve to the bottom near to one side, with an opening next the said sieve,
that is, so graduated in width, being wider at the top, that it delivers the
same quantity at the top as at the bottom; the said. hopper is contracted at
the bottom inside the machine so that its conical sloping sides also contribute
to deliver the material uniformly from the opening against the sieve, and the
uniform thickness of the layer is ensured by a blade projecting from the side
of the hopper opposite to the motion, and extending the height of the sieve,
and spreading the material like a trowel set to a guage as it is distributed
upon the revolving sieve from that supplied to the stationary hopper. The
hopper may be shifted from machine to machine as they successively require to
be filled, and it may be regulated or guaged to apply the precise thickness of
sugar or other material that experience determines to be the best for the most
effective action of the machine. It may also be used, if desirable, to lay up
a wall or coating of wet clay inside the layer of sugar, by which the sugar
may be speedily whitened by claying, in addition to the usual centrifugal
action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED FEEDER OR HOPPER FOR CENTRIFUGAL SUGAR MACHINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification:-
In the ordinary use of the centrifugal machine for draining and drying
sugar the semi-fluid mass is put into the cylinder and the operation of the
machine distributes it over the surface of the sieve, the only provision
for regulating the distribution consisting in the internal cone rising in the
middle from the bottom of the machine; but as the tendency of the
gravitation of the sugar is in partial opposition to the centrifugal force a much
thicker layer of material is retained against the bottom part of the cylindrical

page_text: sieve than is permitted to rise to the upper part by the action of the machine,
and the resulting quality of the sugar is unequal in a corresponding degree.
Whatever lifting is accomplished with any portion of the mass from the bottom
is in direct opposition to the force of gravity. It is obvious that the uniform
drainage of the sugar can only be effected by a uniform action of the machine,
which in turn necessarily depends upon the uniform distribution of the sugar
or other material with which the machine may be charged, and in a similar
manner where it is desired to wash the granulated sugar in the machine by
the application of water, or of refiners' liquor, or to bleach it by the use of
steam, the best result can only be obtained by operating upon an even thickness
of material.
The object of my Invention is to ensure the spreading of the mixed mass of
molasses, syrup, and granulated sugar in a uniform layer over the interior
surface of the rotating sieve while the same is in motion, so that there can be
no thin parts at the top or elsewhere to be unduly drained and too much
washed, or other parts so thick that they are likely to be insufficiently drained
and not enough washed.
To accomplish this object I employ a movable hopper mounted on a frame
that rests upon the stationary outer case of the machine, and which is extended
inside the revolving sieve to the bottom near to one side with an opening next
the sieve that is so graduated in width, being wider at the top, that it delivers
the same quantity at the top as at the bottom. The said hopper is contracted
at the bottom inside the machine so that its conical sloping sides also contribute
to deliver the material uniformly from the opening against the sieve, and the
uniform thickness of the layer is ensured by a blade projecting from the side
of the hopper opposite to the motion and extending the height of the sieve,
and spreading the material like a trowel set to a gauge as it is distributed upon
the revolving sieve from that supplied to the stationary hopper. When the
sugar to be operated upon is so raw or adhesive in its character that it will
clog in the hopper and fail to pass into the machine by its own gravity a screw
may be used to force it down the hopper against the sieve, and the hopper may
also be furnished with a movable bottom which may be operated by a lever to
lift its contents when a sufficient quantity has been laid against the lower part
of the sieve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a coational alevation of a contrifugal machine showing the

page_text: b
The hopper a is carried by the ribbed plates 6 resting upon the stationary
part of the machine and extends downwards into the sieve; the blade c projects
from the side of the hopper inside the machine in the direction of its motion,
and is curved in conformity with the cylindrical surface of the said sieve. If
the material placed in the hopper is sufficiently dry it is carried out by the
motion of the sieve and spread uniformly by the blade. But with material
like exceedingly raw or wet sugar it is necessary to provide the hopper with a
screw shown at x, by which it may be forced downward, and also with a
movable bottom operated by the lever y, by which after the sugar or other
material has been placed against the lower part of the sieve the remaining
portion may be lifted to the upper part. The handles of the screw and the
lever operating the bottom should be placed so that they can be worked
together by the attendant on the machine. The hopper may be shifted from
machine to machine as they successively require to be filled, and may be
regulated or gauged to apply the precise thickness of sugar or other material
that experience determines to be the best for the most effective action of the
machine. It may also be used, if desirable, to lay up a wall or coating of
wet clay inside the layer of sugar, by which the sugar may be speedily whitened
by claying in addition to the usual centrifugal action.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, a hopper constructed sub-
stantially as described for the purpose of delivering and distributing a uniformn
layer on the sieve of a centrifugal machine while in motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
D THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.