IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Fryer, of Wilmslow, in the County of Chester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SUGAR, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th Feb
1000
318
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Fryer at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December 1879.
ALFRED FRYER, of Wilmslow, in the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate to apparatus used in the manufacture of sugar from canc
juice, and are more particularly valuable to those persons, such as the native
Indian sugar makers, whose operations are conducted on a small scale.
The first part of my Invention consists of a concentrating cylinder, as hereafter
described, whereby the saccharine juice after having been previously inspissated by
means of a "battery" or "tray" in the manner well known is deprived of as much
moisture as necessary to bring it up to proof. This cylinder is made preferably of
cast iron, and is placed horizontally and caused to rotate round its horizontal axis.
It is heated internally by the products of combustion that have served to heat the
above mentioned "battery" or "tray," close to which it is placed.
The interior of the cylinder is usually provided with internal flanges or gills for
the absorption of heat, and for transmitting the same to the external surface of the
cylinder. The lowest portion of the cylinder dips into a vessel charged with the
partially thickened juice which has been passed through or over the battery" or
tray," and as the cylinder is caused to rotate the adhering film of liquid being
acted on by the heat and exposed to the action of the ambient air parts with a
portion of its moisture, and is by a scraper placed against the descending side of
the cylinder scraped off, and falls into an appropriate receptacle.
66
The spent sugar cane, used frequently for fuel, soon destroys the cast iron fire bars
of the furnace under the battery by reason of the great heat which it generates,
and the second part of my Invention relates to fire bars which resist for a long
period the action of the spent sugar cane when used as fuel. The bars are of
wrought iron and wedge shaped in section, being thicker at the upper than at the

page_text: lower surface, and they are rivetted together in groups of say 3 or 4. These bars
are applicable to furnaces generally.
The third part of my Invention relates to a method of supporting the casings or
pans of centrifugal draining machines, employed for separating the mother liquor
from the crystals of sugar, and for other draining or drying purposes. The object is
to support such casings or pans in such a manner that they cannot communicate
vibration to the floor or ground upon which they rest, and that they cannot expend
power uselessly in shaking the floor or ground when in motion and unequally
loaded, rendering massive and costly foundations unnecessary.
I may here remark that my improvement, although applicable to centrifugal
machines having a vertical axis, except suspended machines, is more particularly so
to that class of machine driven direct from a small horizontal engine contained
within the casing. The improvement consists in supporting the casing of the
centrifugal nachine upon feet, which permit to it a slight freedom of motion,
instead of fixing it upon a solid foundation as hitherto ordinarily practised, and
I usually apply my Invention in the following manner :-
The lower face or base of the casing is recessed with several (but preferably 3)
concavities resembling inverted saucers, and upon the floor or ground I arrange
(immediately beneath the former) a like number of similar saucers with their
concavities upwards, and I keep the upper and lower saucers apart by the inter-
vention of balls. The saucers and balls are usually made of iron. The force of
gravity tends to keep the balls in the centre of the lower saucers, and also to keep
the centres of the upper saucers over the centres of the balls.
When the machine is put into rapid motion if the load should be unevenly
distributed the casing is free to move upon the balls, and the latter to move upon
the lower saucers, whereby the vibration caused by the unbalanced weight is not
communicated to the ground, and whilst the casing of the centrifugal machine is
fiee to yield to slight motions, it is restrained from making great excursions and
especially from vibrating or rotating round the axis of the revolving cylinder.
Sometimes I employ plane surfaces instead of saucers, and replace the balls by
oblate spheroids, sometimes I restrain the motion by a piece of indiarubber or
other suitable resilient material, and sometimes I place the machine simply upon
indiarubber feet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Fryer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th June 1880.
ALFRED FRYER, of Wilmslow, in the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate to apparatus used in the manufacture of sugar from
cane juice, and are more particularly valuable to those persons, such as the native
Indian sugar makers, whose operations are conducted on a small scale.
The first part of my Invention consists of a concentrating cylinder, as hereafter
described, whereby the saccharine juice after having been previously inspissated by
means of a "battery" or "tray" in the manner well known is deprived of as much
moisture as is necessary to bring it up to proof. This cylinder is made preferably
of cast iron, and is placed horizontally and caused to rotate round its horizontal
axis. It is heated internally by the products of combustion that have served to
heat the above mentioned "battery" or "tray," close to which it is placed. The
interior of the cylinder is usually provided with internal flanges or gills for the
absorption of heat, and for transmitting the same to the external surface of the
cylinder. The lowest portion of the cylinder dips into a vessel charged with the
partially thickened juice which has been passed through or over the "battery" or
tray," and as the cylinder is caused to rotate, the adhering film of liquid being
acted on by the heat, and exposed to the action of the ambient air parts with a
portion of its moisture, and is by a scraper placed against the descending side of
the cylinder scraped off, and falls into an appropriate receptacle. This part of my
Invention is represented in longitudinal section by Figure 1, and in transverse
section by Figure 2. A is the concentrating cylinder; B is the vessel or trough in
which A dips; C is the scraper.
The spent sugar cane, used fiequently for fuel, soon destroys the cast iron fire
bars of the furnace under the battery by reason of the great heat which it generates,
and the second part of my Invention relates to fire bars which resist for a long
period the action of the spent sugar cane when used as fuel The bars are of
wrought iron and wedge-shaped in section, being thicker at the upper than at the
lower surface, and they are rivetted together in groups of, say, 3 or 4. These bars
are applicable to furnaces generally. This part of my Invention is represented by
Figure 3, which shows a transverse section of a group of 4 fire bars, and Figure 4
shows one of the bars in side elevation; D, D, D, D, are the fire bars, and E, E,
are the rivets which hold them together, e are distance pieces to keep the proper
intervals between the fire bars.
The third part of my Invention relates to a method of supporting the casings or
pans of centrifugal draining machines employed for separating the mother liquor
from the crystals of sugar, and for other draining or drying purposes. The object
is to support such casings or pans in such a manner that they cannot communicate
vibration to the floor or ground upon which they rest, and that they cannot expend
power uselessly in shaking the floor or ground when in motion and unequally
loaded, and thus massive and costly foundations are rendered unnecessary.
I may here remark that my improvement, although applicable to centrifugal
machines having a vertical axis, except suspended machines, is more particularly
so to that class of machine driven direct from a small horizontal engine contained
within the casing. The improvement consists in supporting the casing of the
centrifugal machine upon feet, which permit to it a slight freedom of motion
instead of fixing it upon a solid foundation as hitherto ordinarily practised, and I
usually apply my Invention in the following manner :-
The lower face or base of the casing is recessed with several (but preferably
three) concavities resembling inverted saucers, and upon the floor or ground I

page_text: arrange (immediately beneath the former) a like number of similar saucers with
their concavities upwards, and I keep the upper and lower saucers apart by the
intervention of balls. The saucers and balls are usually made of iron, and tho
radius of the concavities is considerably greater than the radius of the balls, so that
the latter are free to roll about in the former. The force of gravity tends to keep
the balls in the centre of the lower saucers, and also to keep the contres of the
upper saucers over the centres of the balls. When the machine is put into rapid
motion, if the load should be unevenly distributed, the casing is free to move upon
the balls, and the latter to move upon the lower saucers, whereby the vibration
caused by the unbalanced weight is not communicated to the ground, and whilst
the casing of the centrifugal machine is free to yield to slight motions, it is
restrained from making great excursions, and especially from vibrating or rotating
round the axis of the revolving cylinder, This part of my Invention is represented
in Figure 5, which shows a centrifugal draining machine driven by a small self
contained direct acting engine in elevation with a portion of the casing broken
away to show my improved mode of supporting the machine; F is one of the upper
and G one of the lower saucers, and H one of tho balls.
Sometimes I employ plane surfaces instead of saucers, and replace the balls by
oblate spheroids This part of my Invention does not require any Drawing to
illustrato it.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The construction and use in combination with a "battery" or "tray" of an
evaporating cylinder receiving on its outer surface the saccharine juice to be
evaporated and heated internally by the products of combustion that have served
to heat the said "battery" or tray, substantially as described.
2nd. In furnaces for the manufacture of sugar and other furnaces the construction
and use of wedge shaped wrought iron fire bars rivetted together in groups, sub-
stantially as described.
3rd. Supporting the casing of a centrifugal draining machine upon spherical
balls interposed between concave surfaces (or upon oblate spheroidal balls placed
between plane surfaces) upon the casing and upon its foundation or base
respectively, so that the said balls shall be capable of slight rolling motion for the
purpose of permitting to the machine a restricted movement, substantially as
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Fryer, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
ALFRED FRYER. (L.S.)