IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING SUGAR CANE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING SUGAR
CANE." A communication from abroad by George Antoine Bazé, a citizen
of France, and resident in Havana, Cuba.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SHREDDING SUGAR CANE." A communication from abroad by George
Antoine Bazé, a citizen of France, and resident in Havana, Cuba.
The object of this Invention is to more thoroughly tear apart and separate the
fibres of the cane preparatory to extracting the juice and sugar therefrom.
The Invention consists of a horizontal drum having series of curved blunt-edged
blades fixed radially upon it revolving within a semi-cylindrical case or shell that
has fixed within it series of converging blades between which the drum blades pass,
and is provided with suitable openings for the introduction and discharge of the
cane, and it consists further of a grating composed of a series of parallel bars fixed
in the feed hopper of the machine and forming the bottom thereof, and bent down-
ward in such a manner that the drum blades extend above and pass between them
when the machine is in operation, to seize and break down through the grating the
cane that is thrown upon it, said grating serving also to prevent the clogging of
the machine from an excessive feed of the cane.
The apparatus consists of the frame supporting the shell or case, which latter is
surmounted by a hopper extending its entire length over an opening in the top of
said case, and in the said hopper are secured transverse parallel bars forming a

page_text: grating which is bent downward at an angle, so that the blades of the revolving
drum as they revolve shall pass between said grating bars and easily book over
and break down the cane that may be fed athwart said grating; said grating is
preferably cast with the hopper or is rigidly fixed therein, so that it may not
vibrate nor move when the machine is in operation, or its separate bars may be
held in place by bolts.
Secured against the inner circumference of the case or shell by bolts or rods are
the flanged blocks or plates carrying blades that project inward towards a common
centre, the drum. In this instance said blocks or plates are rigidly fixed, but they
or their blades may be made adjustable toward and from said drum without
departing from this Invention.
The blades may by suitable devices be arranged in longitudinal rows or in
spirals along the case or shell, and are sufficiently far apart from each other to
admit of the passage of the drum blades between them.
The drum is fixed longitudinally in the case or shell on a shaft that is journalled
in the frame.
Secured on the drum and covering it are parallel rings fixed side by side and
having radial curved or hooked blades, and said rings may be arranged so that the
blades shall extend spirally or straight along the drum, as may be desired. These
blades extend between or intermesh with the fixed blades and up between the bars
of the grating, as hereinbefore stated.
The entire front of the machine in this case is open for the discharge of the
shredded cane, but said discharge opening may be located in any other convenient
position and there may be more than one of such openings.
The drum is revolved by means of any suitable power applied to its shaft.
It is designed that the blades shall be blunt, it being the purpose to shred or
pull apart the fibres of the cane rather than to cut them.
Preferably an inclined shoot is fixed so as to communicate with the hopper to
facilitate the introduction of the cane into the latter.
The drum being put in revolution the cane is feed into the shoot that conducts
it into the hopper lengthwise of the grating, and the blades reaching up between
the bars of said grating engage over the cane and break it down through said
grating into the shell or case where it is then subject to the action of the blades
until it is thoroughly torn and shredded and forced out by the action of the blades
through the discharge opening.
I do not confine myself to the construction of the machine precisely as herein
described, as it is manifest that the number and shapes of the shredding blades
may be varied and some of them be made adjustable, and other modifications be
made without departing from the Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st March 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SHREDDING SUGAR CANE" A communication from abroad by George
Antoine Bazé, a citizen of France, and resident in Havana, Cuba.
The object of this Invention is to more thoroughly tear apart and separate the
fibres of the cane preparatory to extracting the juice and sugar therefrom.
The Invention consists of a horizontal drum having series of curved blunt-edged
blades fixed radially upon it revolving within a semi-cylindrical case or shell that
has fixed within it series of converging blades between which the drum blades pass,
and is provided with suitable openings for the introduction and discharge of the
cane, and it consists further of a grating composed of a series of parallel bars fixed
in the feed hopper of the machine and forming the bottom thereof, and bent down-
ward in such a manner that the drum blades extend above and pass between them
when the machine is in operation to seize and break down through the grating the
cane that is thrown upon it, said grating serving also to prevent the clogging of
the machine from an excessive feed of the cane.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine with parts broken away to exhibit
other parts; Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the machine on line x, x, Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the Drawings A represents the frame of the device supporting the shell or
case B, which latter is surmounted by a hopper C extending its entire length over
an opening B' in the top of said case B, and in the said hopper C are secured
transverse parallel bars forming a grating D which is bent downward at an angle,
as shown, so that the blades E', E³, of the revolving drum E as they revolve shall
pass between said grating bars and easily hook over and break down the cane
that may be fed athwart said grating D; said grating D is preferably cast with
the hopper C or is rigidly fixed therein, so that it may not vibrate nor move
when the machine is in operation, or its separate bars may be held in place by
bolts d, as shown in the Drawings.
Secured against the inner circumference of the case or shell B by bolts or
rods b, b, are the flanged blocks or plates F carrying blades F¹ that project inward
toward a common centre, the drum E. In this instance said blocks or plates F are
rigidly fixed, but they or their blades may be made adjustable toward and from
said drum E without departing from this Invention.
The blades F may by suitable devices be arranged in longitudinal rows or in
spirals along the case or shell B, and are sufficiently far apart from each other to
admit of the passage of the drum blades E², E', between them.
The drum E is fixed longitudinally in the case or shell B on a shaft G that is
journaled in the frame A.
Secured on the drum E and covering it are parallel rings E' fixed side by side
and having radial curved or hooked blades E, as shown, and said rings E' may be
arranged so that the blades E' shall extend spirally or straight along the drum E,
as may be desired. These blades E* extend between or intermesh with the fixed
blades F¹ and up between the bars of the grating D, as herein before stated.
The entire front of the machine in this case is open, as shown at H, for the
discharge of the shredded cane, but said discharge opening may be located in any
other convenient position, and there may be more than one of such openings.

page_text: The drum E is revolved by means of any suitable power applied to the shaft G.
It is designed that the blades E2, F', shall be blunt, it being the purpose to shred
or pull apart the fibres of the cane rather than to cut them.
Preferably an inclined shoot I is fixed so as to communicate with the hopper C
to facilitate the introduction of the cane into the latter.
The drum E being put in revolution the cane is fed into the shoot I that
conducts it into the hopper C lengthwise of the grating D, and the blades E
reaching up between the bars of said grating D engage over the cane and break
it down through said grating into the shell or case B, where it is then subjected
to the action of the blades E, F, until it is thoroughly torn and shredded, and
forced out by the action of the blades E through the discharge opening H.
I do not confine myself to the construction of the machine precisely as herein
shown and described, as it is manifest that the number and shapes of the shredding
blades may be varied and some of them be made adjustable, and other modifications
be made without departing from the Invention.
Having thus described the Invention as it has been communicated to me, I wish
it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the heroin before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. A cane-shredding machine consisting of a case or shell containing fixed
blades, and a revolving drum provided with curved blades and provided with a
hopper containing a grating through which the revolving blades project, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
Second. In a cane-shredding machine, the combination with the revolving
_curved blades E of the grating D, as and for the purpose specified.
Third. In a cane-shredding machine, the combination with the drum E of the
rings E provided with curved blades E2, substantially as herein shown and for the
purpose described.
Fourth. The combination with the shell or case B of the blocks or plates F
provided with blades F', substantially as herein shown and described.
Fifth. In a cane-shredder, the combination with the hopper C provided with
grating D, of the incline shoot I, substantially as herein shown and described,
whereby the introduction of the cane into the latter is facilitated, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
TITY D
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