IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE MILLS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE
MILLS." A communication from abroad by Theophile Rousselot, of the Lamentin
Works, Martinique, West Indies.
Sealed the 13th March 1877, and dated the 30th December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th December 1876.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE MILLS." A communication from abroad by
Theophile Rousselot, of the Lamentin Works, Martinique, West Indies.
This Invention relates to sugar cane mills, wherein the sugar cane after having
passed through the crushing rolls is again passed through one or more other sets of
rolls after the crushed cane or "megasse" has been moistened with water in order
to extract as much saccharine matter therefrom as possible. Such additional sets of
rolls have hitherto been driven either by spur wheels from the crushing rolls,
whereby the space between the sets of rolls is necessarily so restricted that there is
little or no room for the receptacles for the megasse between them, in consequence
of which the mill gets choked, or each set of rolls is driven by a separate engine,
which greatly increases the cost of the mill, and renders it difficult to maintain the
necessary uniform speed of the several sets of rolls.
Now according to the present Invention the above-named difficulties are overcome
by the following arrangement:-The one set of rolls being driven by any suitable
motor engine the requisite motion is imparted from it to the other set or sets by
means of endless pitch chains passing over pitch wheels fixed on each end of the
axes of the rolls, both the upper and lower rolls of each set being driven by indepen-
dent pitch chains. By this means the requisite space may be obtained between the
sets of rolls for the proper delivery of the megasse from the one set, and the subse-
quent moistening and feeding of the same into the next set. The usual receptacles
for the megasse between the rolls are dispensed with, and in place thereof the rolls
Ping G71

page_text: deliver the megasse on to inclined sieves or perforated plates, down which it slides,
and at the lower end whereof it is received into buckets on endless travelling chains,
which raise it again, and deliver it into a shoot leading to the next set of rolls.
Perforated pipes are arranged over the travelling buckets, through which water is
caused to flow on to the megasse contained in the latter, so as to mojsten it before
passing between the rolls. The axes of the pullies over which the chain buckets
pass have pitch wheels, also driven by pitch chains from the driving rolls.
The first or crushing rolls may either consist of three rolls, as usual, two lower
and one upper one, or there may be only one lower and one upper one. In the
latter case the upper roll is placed somewhat in advance of the vertical line, passing
through the centre of the lower roll, and the upper rolls of the other set are also
placed in a similar forward position, but not to so great an extent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th June
1877.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR CANE MILLS." A communication from abroad by
Theophile Rousselot, of the Lamentin Works, Martinique, West Indies.
This Invention relates to sugar cane mills, wherein the sugar cane after having
passed through the crushing rolls is again passed through one or more other sets of
rolls after the crushed cane or "megasse " has been inoistened with water in order
to extract as much saccharine matter therefrom as possible. Such additional sets
of rolls have hitherto been driven either by spur wheels from the crushing rolls,
whereby the space between the sets of rolls is necessarily so restricted that there is
little or no room for the receptacles for the megasse between them, in consequence
of which the mill gets choked, or each set of rolls is driven by a separate engine,
which greatly increases the cost of the mill, and renders it difficult to maintain the
necessary uniform speed of the several sets of rolls.
Now according to the present Invention the above-named difficulties are over-
come by the following arrangement:-The one set of rolls being driven by any
suitable motor engine the requisite motion is imparted from it to the other set or
sets by means of endless pitch chains passing over pitch wheels fixed on each end of
'the axes of the rolls, both the upper and lower roll of each set being driven by
independent pitch chains, or the lower rolls being driven by pitch chains, and
driving the upper rolls by gearing. By this means the requisite space may be
obtained between the sets of rolls for the proper delivery of the megasse from the
one set, and the subsequent moistening and feeding of the same into the next set.
The usual receptacles for the megasse between the rolls are dispensed with, and in
place thereof the rolls deliver the megasse on to inclined sieves or perforated plates,
down which it slides, and at the lower end thereof it is received into buckets on
endless travelling chains, which raise it again and deliver it into a shoot leading to
the next set of rolls. Perforated pipes are arranged over the travelling buckets,
through which water is caused to flow on to the megasse contained in the latter, so
as to moisten it before passing between the rolls. The axes of the pullies over
which the chain buckets pass have pitch wheels, also driven by pitch chains from
the driving rolls.
The first or crushing rolls may either consist of three rolls, as usual, two lower
and one upper one, or there may be only one lower and one upper one. In the
latter case the upper roll is placed somewhat in advance of the vertical line, passing.
through the centre of the lower roll, and the upper rolls of the other set are also
placed in a similar forward position, but not to so great an extent.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DISA WLAN
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation, partly in section, of the before-described improved
construction of sugar cane mills; Fig. 2 shews a plan; Figs. 3 and 4 shew modified
arrangements.
The crushing rolls A, A, are mounted in pairs in the framing B, the upper roll
being placed forward of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the lower
roll, such advance of the upper roll being greater in the first pair than in the sub-
sequent pairs. The axes of the rolls carry toothed wheels C on each side, over
which pass pitch chains D that gear together, the first upper roll with the second
upper roll, and the first lower roll with the second lower roll, and in like manner
the second upper and lower rolls aro geared by toothed wheels and chains respec-
tively to the third upper and lower rolls. The first pair of rolls are also geared
with each other by means of toothed wheels E, the upper or lower roll having
rotary motion imparted to it from any suitable motor engine; or the motion may
be communicated to any one of the other rolls. The sugar cane is placed upon an
inclined shoot F, from which it is fed into the crushing rolls, and whence it issues
in the form of megasse on to the inclined shoot G, which conducts it to the chain
buckets H, by which it is raised to the second pair of rolls. While the megasse is
being thus raised water is caused to flow over it from the perforated pipes a, a, and
it is then thrown by the buckets H upon a shoot K, which conducts it to the next
set of rolls. From these it passes on to the shoot L, which conducts it to the chain
buckets O for raising it to the third pair of rolls. Here it is again moistened with
water flowing from the pipes a, a. By this arrangement the whole of the sugar is
effectually extracted from the cane If necessary the megasse may be passed
through one or more other pairs of rolls. The upper shafts of the chain buckets are
driven from one of the rolls by pitch chains Q passing over toothed wheels R.
Instead of driving both the upper and the lower sets of rolls by separate pitch
chains, as described, only the lower roll of each set may be so driven, and the upper
roll be geared to the lower one by spur gearing, as shewn at Fig. 4, where the lower
rolla A, B, C, are driven by the pitch chains e, e, while the upper rolls A, B, C, are
driven from their respective lower rolls by spur gearing. In this case also the lower
shafts of the chain buckets gare driven by pitch chains from the lower rolls.
Fig. 5 shews the before-described Invention applied to a three-roll arrangement.
The two lower rolls b, b, support the upper roll c, to which they are geared by spur
wheels. At a distance of about 30 feet is placed a second set of two rolls a, d, of
which the lower one receives its motion by toothed wheels and pitch chains from
one of the rolls b. The sugar cane, after being crushed between the rolls b, b, c,
conveyed by the shoot f to the chain buckets g, which raise the megasse to the
shoot h of the second set of rolls. a, a, are, as before, pipes for supplying water to
the megasse in the chain buckets.
is
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim,―
First. The before-described improved construction of sugar cane mills, wherein
the motion is communicated from one set of crushing rolls to the next set by means
of endless pitch chains passing over toothed wheels on the axes of the rolls in order
to obtain sufficient space between the sets of rolls for the requisite apparatus for
conveying the megasse from one set of rolls to the other, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The use for conveying the megasse from one set of rolls to the next of
inclined shoots and chain buckets, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described.
Third. In crushing and secondary rolls arranged in pairs one above the other
placing the axis of the upper roll forward of the vertical plane passing through the
axis of the lower roll, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Fourth. The use in combination with the chain buckets for conveying the megasse
into the rolls of perforated pipes for supplying water to the megasse, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.