00 



or breaking. The carrier belt runs on a series of rollers placed about two 

 meters apart and closely resembling a small pair of car wheels mounted 

 on an axle with the flanges on the outside. The flat link chain into 

 which the ends of the slats are placed may run on the surface of these 

 wheels or the slats themselves may come in direct contact with the 

 wheels. Wlien the slats are bolted to the chain it generally runs inside 

 of the wheels and the slats may have protecting iron plates to avoid 

 wearing at the point of contact. The return portion of the carrier 

 platform is also supported on a series of wheels similar to those carrying 

 the load on top of the carrier, but placed two or three times as far apart. 

 Board or iron sides 30 to 50 centimeters in height are placed on both 

 sides of the earner so as to keep the cane on the moving platform. 



Revolving knives. — Mills which do not use shredders are generally 

 provided with revolving knives, mounted on a shaft and located at the 

 highest point of the cane carrier and just in front of the crusher for 

 the purpose of cutting off the projecting ends of crooked canes and 

 those that get crosswise on the carrier. They also have a tendency to 

 reduce the feed to a uniform depth in case it becomes piled up too thick 

 at a given point. 



Shredders. — A cane shredder is very similar to shredders and cutters 

 used for the preparation of ensilage and corn stover. It consists in the 

 main of a series of knives arranged in spiral form around a shaft or a 

 series of disks, having double cutting edges, one of which is placed 

 parallel with the axis of the shaft, the other vertical to it and so arranged 

 that they form a spiral around the shaft. Cane shredders require to 

 be much larger and stronger than corn shredders, as the work they 

 do is much heavier and delays incident to breakdowns are very ex- 

 pensive. They are not used on mills having revolving knives and 

 crushers and may be considered as more or less obsolete in modern sugar 

 milling. 



The crusher. — The best milling of sugar cane can be secured only 

 when it is reduced to a fine state of division so that each particle more 

 readily gives up the juice and sugar which it contains. This has led to 

 the invention of a number of devices of which the cane crusher. is the 

 most satisfactory. There are three forms in common use but the best 

 of these is undoubtedly the one known as the zigzag crusher. It consists 

 of two heavy rollers, arranged one above the other in a very strong frame 

 fitted with pressure springs or h)'^draulic jacks so as to keep the rollers 

 in contact with each other, and generally arranged to be driven in con- 

 nection with the mill rollers. The crusher rollers have high ridges made 

 in a zigzag form and separated by deep groves so arranged that they 

 mesh with each other like gear wheels. Another form has grooves cut 

 around the circumference of one or both rollers, and sometimes longi- 

 tudinal grooves are cut across these in order to make them take the feed. 



