AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUGAR CANE PREPARATORY TO THE EXTRACTION OF SUGAR THEREFROM and
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING
SUGAR CANE PREPARATORY TO THE EXTRACTION OF SUGAR THEREFROM and in
"
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved method of, and apparatus for, treating
sugar-cane preparatory to obtaining the sugar therefrom, and its object is. to cut up
or divide the sugar-canes in such a manner that the sugar may be extracted
therefrom by what is known as the diffusion process. For this purpose my said
improved method consists in dividing the canes into short and thin strips by first
cutting or chopping the said canes transversely so as to form short pieces, and then
slicing or paring the latter longitudinally so as to obtain therefrom slices in the
form of thin strips.
The apparatus which I have found to be particularly well adapted for carrying
into practice my said improved method comprises a cutting machine. for chopping
the sugar-canes into short cross-pieces, and a paring or slicing machine for paring
the short pieces into thin longitudinal strips.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine for cutting sugar-cane
into short pieces.
Figure 2 is a front view.
Figure 3 is a top view, and
Figure 4 is an end view of part of the said machine.
Figure 5 represents a vertical transverse section of the said paring or slicing
machine.
Figure 6 is an elevation, and
Figure 7 is a top view of the upper part of the latter.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

page_text: Before entering into a description of my said improved method, when applying
the said apparatus, I will first describe the construction of the essential parts of
the latter.
The cross-cutting machine, Figures 1 to 4, consists of a drum or cylinder A
preferably made of cast iron or other suitable metal and fixed upon the rotary
shaft b, which is suitably journalled in the frame of the machine.
To allow of a ready construction of the cylinder A,-I prefer to compose the same
of a number of cylindrical parts a, a, each part being provided with two or more
spokes which are not arranged in the same vertical plane, the distance from the
circumferential line passing through the centre of the one spoke to the adjacent
circumferential line passing through the next spoke, corresponding to the length
of the said cross-pieces to be cut from the sugar-canes. The said spokes may form
any desired angle with each other and are made hollow for the reception of the
shank c¹ of the cutter-blades c, which project from the periphery of the cylinder A
and are held in position in the latter by means of nuts c screwed upon the
threaded end of the shanks c¹ and tightened against. the circumference of the said
cylinder.
d indicates a hopper provided with ribs g, g projecting downward, and e a table
preferably made of cast-iron and arranged lengthwise of the cylinder A. The table e
is provided with slots f, f for the cutter blades c of the revolving cylinder A to pass
through.
The slicing or paring machine, Figures 5 to 7, is substantially of the form and
construction of the usual slicing-machines generally employed for slicing beet-root
in the manufacture of sugar and has the usual horizontally rotating slicing or
cutter disc i of such machines. It is provided, however, with the cylindrical
hopper E of novel construction arranged above the said disc i and, preferably, made
of sheet iron or other suitable metal.
The said hopper E is provided with a semi-annular space B which, by means
of intermediate vertical walls, is divided into a number of compartments of
rectangular cross-section, each of said compartiments being provided with a number
of vertically arranged doors opening towards the outside. Part of the said
cylindrical hopper above the disc i is left open at p so as to allow of readily
removing and inserting the cutters of the said disc for sharpening, or for other
purposes.
Rotatory motion is imparted to the said drum A of the cross-cutting machine
from any suitable motor by means of the gear-wheels M, M¹, while the shaft, o
carrying the revolving cutter-disc i of the slicing-machine has rotatory motion
imparted to it by means of the pulley N and the bevel gearing N¹, N¹, in the
manner well known for such slicing-machines.
I will now describe my novel method of cutting up the sugar-canes preparatory
to extracting therefrom the sugar by means of the diffusion process.
In order to cut the sugar-cane into short cross-pieces, preferably from four to
five inches long (more or less), the canes are, thrown into the hopper d whence they
fall upon the table e so as to lie nearly parallel with the axis of the drum or
cylinder A. Here they are caught by the revolving cutters c, c of the latter,
passing through the slots f,f of the said table, and thus are chopped to form cross-
pieces having a length of about from four to five inches, as above stated, said
length being equal to the distance between each two adjacent slots f, f, as will be
readily understood. The pieces thus obtained now slide down on the inclined
table e and pass between the ribs g, g, which are provided to prevent the uncut
canes from sliding away from the slots f before they are cut. The table e may be
so connected with a suitable-elevator (not shewn in the drawing) that the cross-
pieces are received by the latter, after passing the said ribs g, and delivered to the
slicing or paring machine, where the said cross-pieces are placed in the com-
partments of the cylindrical hopper E of the said machine so as to lie parallel,
or nearly parallel, with the outer wall of the said hopper, as shewn at x, so that

page_text: the cutters of the horizontally revolving cutter-disc i can pare or cut away from
the underside of the said pieces of cane, thin strips in the longitudinal direction
of the said pieces only.
The doors are opened when the first portion of the cross-pieces from the cross-
cutting machine is to be introduced into the compartments k, and are closed and
secured after the latter have been filled up to their upper brim, whereupon the
slicing machine is started and the said compartments are kept full by placing fresh
cross-pieces from above on top of those placed in before in the same ratio as their
mass continues to descend in the compartments & under the action of the cutting
disc slicing them away from below.
The thin strips of sugar-cane thus obtained allow of the employment of the
diffusion process for extracting the sugar therefrom.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the
employment of the apparatus hereinbefore described for carrying into effect my
improved process of producing thin longitudinal strips or slices from sugar-cane,
as I may make use of any suitable apparatus adapted for practising my said
improved method without deviating from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The improved method of preparing sugar-cane for the diffusion process,
first cutting, by means of a cross-cutting machine, the sugar-cane into short cross-
pieces, and then slicing, (by means of a slicing-machine,) the said cross-pieces
thus obtained into thin longitudinal strips, substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Second. In a cross-cutting machine for cutting up sugar-cane, the combination,
with a revolving drum having projecting cutter-blades, of a slotted table arranged
in an inclined position, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Third. In a slicing machine for cutting up sugar-cane, the combination, with
a revolving cutter-disc, of a hopper divided into vertical compartments of rect-
angular in cross-section, and having lateral openings provided with doors,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Dated thin 91st day of October 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.