IM- PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Renny Watson, of the Firm of
Mirrlees, Tait, & Watson, of Glasgow, in the Counties of Lanark
and Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANE.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Renny Watson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th June 1871.
I, WILLIAM RENNY WATSON, of the Firm of Mirrlees, Tait, & Watson,
of Glasgow, in the Counties of Lanark and Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANE," to be as follows, that is to
say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in mills employed for
crushing sugar cane, consists, in the first place, in the mode of affixing
the bolts to the headstocks wherein the crushing rollers are carried.
The bolts referred to are formed with heads on their inner ends, the
said heads being either circular, square, or of polygonal form, which fit
into correspondingly shaped sockets formed in the jaws of the headstock,

page_text: their outer ends being screwed and provided with nuts, so as to retain
the caps of the roller bearings in place.
In the second place the Invention consists in so arranging the head-
stock and the caps of the side or lower rollers that the thrust of the
top roller is transferred to the caps of the bearings of the lower or
side rollers, which in order to attain that end are fitted to enter in
between the outer ends of the jaws of the lower or side roller's bearings,
so that each cap virtually constitutes a strut resisting the thrust of the
upper roller.
In the third place this Invention consists in fixing the dumb
returner or knife in a slide or in slides in which it is free to move, and
in connecting it by bolts or ties to the bearings of the cane roller, so
that its position relatively with the cane roller is maintained constant.
In the fourth place the Invention consists in an improved mode of
fixing the teeth of the wheels whereby the pitch chains of the megass,
bagassa, or trash delivery apparatus are driven. The teeth of the pitch
wheels are formed by preference with shanks slightly conical or taper,
which enter correspondingly shaped holes in the periphery of the wheel
proper, their inner ends being screwed for receiving the nut or nuts
by which they are secured in place. The outer part of each pitch tooth,
that is, the portion projecting. beyond the periphery of the wheel, is at.
or near its root oblong in section, and a groove is cut in the periphery
of the wheel equal in width to the oblong roots of the teeth, so that
when in place each tooth enters the groove, and when tightened by the
nut or nuts is thereby prevented from turning round.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Renny Watson in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 15th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
it
.. ! :
RENNY. WATSON, of the Firm of Mirrlees, Tait, and. Watson, of Glasgow, 30
in the Counties of Lanark and Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, send,
greeting.
•
I
.:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th 35

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Renny Watson, Her special licence
that I, the said William Renny Watson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Renny Watson, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MILLS FOR CRUSHING SUGAR CANE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said. William Renny Watson, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Renny Watson, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thercon, that is to
Bay:
My said Invention relates to improvements in mills employed for
crushing sugar cane. The bolts are fixed in the headstocks wherein
the crushing rollers are carried by forming them with heads on their
inner ends, the said heads being either circular, square, or of polygonal
form, which fit into correspondingly shaped sockets formed in the jaws
of the headstock, their outer ends being screwed and provided with
nuts, so as to retain the caps of the roller bearings in place.
The headstock is so arranged that the caps of the side or lower rollers
receive the thrust of the top roller, and in order to attain that end.
these caps are fitted to enter in between the outer ends of the jaws of
the lower or side roller's bearings, so that each cap virtually constitutes
a strut resisting the thrust of the upper roller.
The "dumb returner "
or knife is carried in a slide or in slides in
which it is free to move, and it is connected by bolts or ties to the
bearings of the cane roller, so that its position relatively with the cane
roller is maintained constant.

page_text: "
The teeth of the wheels whereby the pitch chains of the cane and
megass," "bagassa," or "trash" carrier or delivery apparatus are
driven are formed by preference with shanks slightly conical or taper,
which enter correspondingly shaped holes in the periphery of the wheel
proper, their inner ends being screwed for receiving the nut or nuts by
which they are secured in place. The outer part of each pitch tooth,
that is, the portion projecting beyond the periphery of the wheel, is at
or near its root oblong in section, and a groove is cut in the periphery
of the wheel equal in width to the oblong roots of the teeth, so that
when in place each tooth enters the groove, and when tightened by the
nut or nuts is thereby fixed and prevented from turning round.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
.
Upon the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a side
elevation; Figure 2, an end elevation, partly in section, and having the
nearest side roller removed; Figure 3 being a plan having the top.
roller removed, shewing a sugar cane mill with the various improve-
ments constituting my present Invention applied thereto; Figures 4 and
5 are respectively a transverse section and a plan of one end of the
"dumb returner" upon an enlarged scale, also showing one arrangement
of my improved mode of fixing the same; whilst Figures 6 and 7 are
respectively a side elevation and a transverse section shewing my
improved pitch wheel upon an enlarged scale. The same letters of
reference mark the same or corresponding parts upon the different
Figures on which they occur.
The mode of fixing the bolts a in the headstocks A is illustrated at
Figures 1 and 3. The inner ends of the bolts a, which are shown in
dotted lines, having heads a' which fit into correspondingly shaped
recesses b formed in the jaws B of the headstock A, the outer ends of
the bolts a being screwed and provided with jamb nuts 6', whereby the
caps C of the roller bearings d are retained in their place, thus avoiding
the use of pinching bolts, the means hitherto employed for keeping
the side roller's bearings in position.
In order to transfer the thrust of the top roller D to the caps O
of the bearings of the side rollers, the said caps C are so fitted that
when entered between the outer ends of the jaws B of the side roller's

page_text: bearings they bear against both the upper and lower jaws, and thereby
constitute struts resisting the thrust of the top roller D and transmitting
it to the lower part of the headstocks, thus rendering the headstocks A
less liable to be broken by the thrust from the rollers.
In my improved mode of fixing and carrying the "dumb returner" E
the ends thereof are formed with rectangular guides e, which are
situated in corresponding grooves or recesses of and free to move hori-
zontally therein; the grooves f being formed in blocks situated in
recesses / placed at the inner sides of the headstocks A. The blocks g
are capable of being adjusted vertically in the recesses h by means of
wedges i situated at the under side of each and of being moved
horizontally by means of the bolts k, which are attached thereto. The
outer ends of these bolts are screwed and extend through openings /
formed in the headstocks A. to the outside thereof, being there provided
with nuts m, as shown, by turning which the position of the wedges i
is adjusted and the blocks g, together with the "dumb returner" E,
raised or lowered accordingly. The blocks 9 are retained within the
recesses h by means of bolts n, the heads n¹ of which are sunk flush
with the inner sides of the blocks g, whilst the outer ends thereof are
screwed, and passing through oblong slots o formed in the headstocks A.
are at their outer ends provided with nuts o¹, by tightening which the
block g is held securely in its place. The "dumb returner E is
connected to the caps C of the bearings d of the cane roller F by
means of tie bolts p, the inner ends of which are provided with heads q,
which enter similarly shaped recesses formed in the rectangular guidés e
upon the ends of the "dumb returner" E, whilst the outer ends of the
said tie bolts p are screwed and passed through bosses r formed upon a
stay plate G and secured thereto by means of jamb nuts s.
The stay
plate G is secured to the caps C of the bearings d of the cane roller F
by means of screwed studs t, as shown, and thus the position of the
"dumb returner" E relatively with that of the cane roller F is
maintained constant.
"
It is to be understood that under my improvements, although not
shown upon the Drawings, the "dumb returner" E may be arranged
without the vertical adjustment, as herein-before set forth, and under
which arrangement the rectangular guides upon the ends of the "dumb
returner" are simply situated in horizontal grooves or recesses formed
on the inner sides of the headstocks A and are connected to the caps

page_text: of the bearings of the cane roller by tie bolts in a manner similar to
that shown upon the Drawings.
-
My improved mode of fixing the teeth of the pitch wheels which
are employed in driving the cane and " megass" carriers consists in
constructing the teeth u of the pitch wheels H with shanks v, preferably
formed with a slight taper as shown, and made to enter correspondingly
shaped holes in the periphery of the wheel H, their inner ends being
screwed and provided with nuts w, by means of which they are rigidly
held in their place, the roots or inner portion of the pitch teeth w
entering a groove ¹ of exactly the same width formed upon the
periphery of the wheel H, and thus the said teeth u are prevented from
turning round.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I
do not claim to have invented all the parts of the sugar cane mill
herein-before described and shown upon the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. Fixing the "dumb returner" in slides and connecting it by
bolts or ties to the caps of the bearings of one of the lower or side
rollers, in order to maintain its position relatively with the said roller
constant, as herein-before described and shown upon the appended Sheet
of Drawings.
"
"
Second. The mode of fixing the teeth in the pitch wheels employed
in driving the "megass," bagassa," or " trash elevator and cane
carrier, as herein-before described and shown upon the appended Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Renny Watson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.