Method and apparatus for separating components of sugarcane

Abstract

Abstract METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING THE PITH, RIND AND EPIDERMIS COMPONENTS OF SPLIT SURGARCANE STALK. EACH SPLIT STALK PROTION IS FLATTENED AND MILLED ON THE PITH SIDE TO SEPARATE PITH FROM RIND AND MILLED ON AN OPPOSITE SIDE TO REMOVE EPIDERMIS. WHILE THE MILLING AWAY OF PITH AND EPIDERMIS IS BEING EFFECTED THE RIND IS MAINTAINED INA FLATTENED CONDITION AND IS POSITIVELY ENGAGED BY RIND, VELOCITY-CONTROLLING, GRIPPING MEANS WHICH PARTIALLY PENETRATE THE RING PERIPHRY. THE RIND MILLING APPARATUS IS CHARACTERIZED BY A MILLING ROLL HAVING A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING MILLIN RIDGES. EACH MILLING RIDGE HAS A PLANAR ILLING SIDE PARALLEL TO A RADIAL PLANE OF THE ROLL AND A PERIPHERAL, ARCUATE, RINDCONTACTING WHICH INTERSECTS THE PLANAR MILLING SIDE. THE SEPARATOR APPARATUS IS CONSTRUCTED SUCH THAT COOPERATING COMPONENTS OF STALK FEEDING AND MILLING UNITS MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY SEPARATED. THE SEPARATOR APPARATUS IS INCORPORATED WITH COMPONENT CONVEYING AND HANDILNG SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE THE MODULAR STACKING OF SEPARATOR UNITS. THIS MODULATOR STACKING INCREASES PLANT CAPACITY AND FACILITATES A SECONDARY SEPARATION OF RESIDUAL PITH FROM RIND, AFTER THE PRIMARY RIND AND PITH SEPARATION HAS TAKEN PLACE.

Inventors

• 👤 Sydney E Tilby

Bibliographic Details