39 



THE CUBA R E \M E W 



SUGAR FROM SHREDDED CANE 



Much interest has been evinced lately in the process by which sugar cane is shredded 

 and dried, and exported from Cuba to Madison, Wis., where the sugar was extracted 

 at the factory of the United States Sugar Company. The defibering process was carried 

 on at Preston at Nipe Bav by the agents of the Simmons Sugar Company of Kenosha, 

 Wis. 



The cane is thrown into a hopper and subjected at first to the action of a "star" feeder 

 which tears the cane and at the same time feeds it to the shredder, which is a cyHnder 

 some three feet in diameter and is studded with nail heads. At first the nails projected 

 much further from the surface of the cylinder, but it was found they tore the cane 

 unevenly, so the height was reduced with better success. This cylinder or shredder is 

 given 500 revolutions per minute, shreds the cane into fragments and also forces it 

 against a fixed knife which cuts the cane still finer. 



After shredding and cutting the fibre and pith is conveyed to the dryer, which is about 

 forty feet in height, and is slowly carried through on leather belting about twelve feet 

 wide. This process takes one hour in a temperature of 230 degrees. After passing 

 through the dryer, the pith and fibre are separated by screening and is packed and baled 

 for shipment. 



The mill has a capacity of 400 tons of pith and fibre daily, and while much of the 

 product was sent north last season, there has been no further shipments, the time being 

 spent in improving the machinery, which in December last was not working at its best 

 efficiency, several changes being considered essential, and these were being studied. 



It is claimed that by this process all the sugar in the cane is secured, the pith showing 

 55 per cent and the fibre 45 per cent. The illustration on page 31 shows what the fibre 

 and pith look like when through the process. 



The factory is located on the lands at Preston of the Nipe Bay Company, uses its 

 cane, tracks and rolling stock; but it is stated that the company is not especially interested 

 in the defibering enterprise. Sugar engineers generally were sceptical of the successful 



View of the defibering and drying plant of the Simmons Sugar Company at Preston, 



Nipe Bay. 



