SU207165A1 - METHOD OF PROCESSING OF SUGAR CANE STEPS - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for processing sugarcane, including the extraction of juice from stalks.

Known methods for processing sugarcane stalks provide fairly polluted raw juice and bagasse, which is undesirable waste. In order to crush sugar cane and squeeze the juice from the inner parts of the stem, massive equipment is required and high energy costs, due to the significant amount of impurities in the liquid juice, have to be used with various and expensive equipment.

In addition, with the known methods of treating sugar cane, the parts of the green leaves that remained on the stem are ground, and all the acids they contained are squeezed into the sugar juice. Acids present in this juice tend to hydrolyze sucrose to glucose and fructose.

The proposed method of processing sugarcane stems, including the separation of the core from the bark and the extraction of juice from this core, not only improves the quality of natural juices, but also ensures the production of new articles of consumption from

stalks in a form that has never been seen before.

For example, such new consumer items may be:

1) wax, which is easy to clean and can be used for various purposes;

2) peelable;

3) the bark consisting of the longitudinal fibers of the plant, which are in a relatively intact state; it can be further processed into a wide variety of consumer goods or can be easily removed;

4) flocculated precipitate core, which have different uses.

The proposed method eliminates the production of bagasse, which is an undesirable waste of the usual method of processing sugarcane.

When processing sugar cane using the proposed method, the green leaves remaining on the stems cannot have a harmful effect on the sugar juice, since the acids contained in these leaves do not fall into the juice.

The proposed method n the products obtained are described below with reference to the corresponding drawings. For clarity, the drawing shows also a device for implementing this method.

FIG. 1 shows a diagram illustrating various technological approaches of the proposed method; in fig. 2 shows a device for carrying out the inventive method, side view; in fig. 3 - the same, top view; in fig. 4 is a side view showing (schematically) one of the embodiments of a device for extracting juice from the core; in fig. 5 is an enlarged section through 5-5 of FIG. 2, a pushing device for advancing the stem; in fig. 6 is an enlarged section through 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing discs for separating the two parts of the stem from one another; in fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the part that turns the stem; in fig. 8 is a side view showing (schematically) one of the variants of the device according to the proposed method; in fig. 9 is a top view, mainly in section 9-9 of FIG. eight; in fig. 10 is an end view of a wax removal unit in the aforementioned device version; in fig. 11 is a section along I-11 of FIG. ten; in fig. 12 is a top view of the assembly for longitudinally cutting the stem of said embodiment of the device; in fig. 13 is a section along 13-13 of FIG. 12; in fig. 14 is a main sectional view of a core extraction unit of said embodiment of the device; pas figs. 15 is a section through a disk with knives of the assembly in FIG. 14; in fig. 16 is a side view of the bark washing unit of the above variant of the device; in fig. 17 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. sixteen; in fig. 18 is a schematic illustration of a mashine for cleaning sugar cane with a unique device attached to it on wheels.

According to the proposed method, the sugar cane is removed in the zero by one of the known methods. After harvesting, the leaves are separated. The cleaning operation is shown in FIG. 1 at 10, and leaf separation at 11. 11. The cane washing 12 can be performed on a conventional cleaning plant or washing device. In order to obtain highly purified juice in accordance with the proposed method, there is no particular need for such washing, since pickled substances brought in by the cane stalks do not fall into the juice; however, washing is desirable to prepare the bark for processing.

Position 13 corresponds to the separate processing of the stems in contrast to the existing treatment of them in the mass.

Position 14 corresponds to the removal of the wax of the cuticle from the outside of the stem of a single stalk. This wax has a natural adhesion to the crust and is removed in the form of dust or dust.

Since it is possible to process several individual stems at the same time, step 14 is represented by the position 15, which means that each stem is processed separately, not in bulk, and that several stems are processed simultaneously. The outer wax, or the wax of the cuticle, obtained by separate processing of the stems, is collected

(position 16) and can be cleaned to obtain finished product 18. After removal of the wax, the scoops are removed (position 19), and then fine fibers, which are mainly this skin, are collected (step 20) for further processing 21 to obtain components 22 determined by silica and other substances.

 the stem 13, after removing the wax and the spoon, is further processed, which consists in longitudinal separation of the whole stem into two parts along its length so as to obial the core. This

the operation is performed with a mechanical device. Cutting the stem in the longitudinal direction sets as its ultimate goal the preservation of pieces of bark of reasonable length and the simultaneous opening of the stem, which

provides access to the core filled with juice. Although the longitudinal separation of the stem into two parts has yielded polo results, it is possible to divide each stem in the longitudinal direction by more than two

pieces or make an incision from just one side of the bark.

Speaking of processing whole stems, it is understood that they are not cut or split longitudinally until

until the wax and ferrule are removed. Since the reed rarely grows ideally straight, it is strongly worn out that it does not cut across, if necessary, shorter parts, which will facilitate processing.

Such short pieces of the stem, as well as full-length stems, will in the future be called whole stems.

After accessing the core as a result of longitudinal separation of the stem, it was ostorol: but separated from the bark; at the same time, it is not possible to squeeze the core in order to prevent the separation of the juice. It is impossible to squeeze the stem itself before performing this operation, since separation will occur

a significant portion of the juice. Moreover, it is not possible to grind the bark or expose it to any physical force other than ordinary cutting. After the mentioned branching, the core is ready for further

a treatment which aims to extract juice. The bark is obtained in the form of strips whose length is equal to the length of the stem pieces. FIG. 1 whole stems are removed with reference number 23. Position 25 represents

core separation operation. The core harvested after processing several stems is indicated by the position 26, and the bark separated from the core by the position 27. The core that is separated from the bark in such a way that no significant juice separation is 75-800/0 of the weight of the sugar stalk cane and contains 16-18% sugar, dissolved in various forms in its juice. This core is a presentable tissue that is in loose, whipped form. When squeezed, it easily gives out the juice contained in it, which is squeezed out of it by a small pressure (item 28}. Juice can be separated from the core 5 in a dry way, i.e. not used with water, or it can be suspended in water and then compress, causing the sugars located in the core cells to pass through the walls of these cells into the water and then draw from it.It is usually not necessary to add a large amount of water to the juice, as this reduces the sugar concentration and causes need to remove this add In order to obtain crystalline sugar, if squeezing is performed mechanically, you should use as little as possible of the added water. As regards the need to add water, the proposed method differs favorably from the existing ones, where m of sugar cane is added a large amount of impregnating water in order to ensure complete extraction of the 25 sugar contained in the solid material. In conventional methods, the addition of water is a significant factor, while in the proposed method there is no need to add water to obtain a complete approach — this is the separation of juice from the core, although it is desirable to use a small amount of water for the almost complete extraction of sugar. The solid remaining after squeezing the sugar juice is a light, loose, flaky material. This flocculated core precipitate is easily dried in air and takes up the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. It can be processed into various articles of consumption or used as fuel. The table shows the data linking 45 pressures to the amount of juice (%) squeezed from core samples separated from the sugar cane stem by the proposed method. The core, separated from the bark, was compressed 50 in a piston press in order to separate the juice from the solid particles. The column "First squeeze indicates the amount of sugar (%) obtained from the raw core without adding any amount of water. The data in columns “First flushing,“ Second flushing, and “One third flushing were obtained as follows. The core was evenly moistened with water, squeezed until it was soaked, and then placed in a press. The fluid 60 found in the core was squeezed at the same pressure as the first squeeze. Since it is customary in the sugar industry to express the amount of added mark, that at pressures exceeding 100 psi an inch obtained flocculated core contained 1.1 - 2.7% sugar with one squeeze n without subsequent washing with water. These numbers can be compared with data related to conventional methods. In addition, the data in the table shows that it is not possible to use water in general, it is possible to bring on sugar in the core in amounts equal to or greater than those obtained with existing methods using water. Using a smaller amount of water compared to existing methods, you can actually extract all the sugar from the core, obtained according to the proposed method. From the data of the table it is also seen that according to the proposed method, an equal or a greater amount of sugar can be obtained at a much lower pressure compared to the usual practice of grinding. This means that the production of sugar juice will require less cumbersome and expensive equipment. It should be noted that in conventional grinding equipment, the hydraulic pressure can reach 550 g. The operating pressure range of the proposed method is between 100 and 1000 psi. inch. Within the specified pressure range, the amount of juice sufficient for further economical processing can be obtained from sugarcane stalks. The percentage of juice extracted can be increased by using a lot of pressure, but there is no need for such high pressures that occur in the usual practice of grinding. In addition to using less bulky equipment, the raw wood after separating from the whole rod and being fed into the press to squeeze out the juice has less impact on the mechanical components with regard to various types of wear. As shown in FIG. 1, the juice from the core is settled and filtered (position 30, after which the clarified juice 31 is evaporated, crystallized and separated to give crystalline sugar 33.

Unlike mechanical squeezing, sugar can be extracted from the core by diffusion, i.e. passing water through the core and removing sugar from water without using mechanical pressure. Since the efficiency of the diffusion method is related to the size of the surface of the material actually in contact with water, extracting juice from the core, when only the latter is exposed to water, will be much more efficient than previous attempts to extract sugar from the ground pieces of ground stalks. The interaction of such pieces with water bark does not pass it to the core. In addition, the contaminants contained in the bark are washed into the water. Removing the pre bark from the core and

then, processing only the latter in the diffusion bath, it is possible to achieve the most complete interaction of the core with water with a smaller ratio of water to solid particles, with less amount of contaminants being carried away with sugar. The diffusion method here turns out to be more productive and economical for other reasons. This method of extracting sugar

wood has significant advantages compared with previously diffusion methods used to process the whole stem. The bark makes up 20-25% of the whole stem. It has been found that after the bark is separated from the core, 1 or the total amount of sugar found in the stem can be contained in the bark. The sugar found in the bark is mainly produced by the destruction of individual

core cells from which sap leaks into the cortex. This sugar is easily recovered in various ways. It turned out that the content of sugar in a properly separated MOHiHO bark is reduced to a value equal to or

its lower content in bagasse, which is usually 2-40 / 0 of the weight of bagasse. Extraction of sugar from the bark is represented by position 34, and sugar juice is represented by position 35. Juice squeezed from the bark can be added (position

36) to the juice squeezed out of the core (position 29) or it is processed separately before being added to the juice 29. In some cases it is not possible to squeeze the juice out of the bark.

FIG. 2 and 3 schematically show a device for processing sugar cane in accordance with the proposed method. Whole stems, such as stem 40, are fed from the front of the device, peeled from

leaves and, preferably, washed. A device in the form of a funnel 41 can be used as guides. The stalk of sugar cane 40 is immediately captured by drive rollers 42 and 44, which are

a part of the drive, a node of the guide roller 45 shown in FIG. 5. Node 45 in order to keep the stem in a certain fringe: advance and push it forward. The roller 42 has an elastic surface and is mounted on a rotating shaft 46 driven by a gear or a pin 47; shaft 46 is mounted on supports 48, which can slide up and down along brackets 49. Drum 44 has a concave surface 50, which is from the roller 42 at a distance sufficient for the stem 40 to pass between these rollers. a shaft 51 which is driven by a gear or

52. The roller 42 can be moved relative to the roller 44, ensuring the passage of the stems and areas with knots and internal thickenings of various diameters. Rollers 42 and 44 are held sufficiently.

the small spring device 53, whereby the surface of the roller 42 can grip and push the stem 40 forward, while the concave surface 50 guides the stem and holds it in the correct position. Due to the elastic surface of the roller 42, the stem is only slightly compressed, and the core cells are not destroyed. Rollers 42 and 44 can be swapped, i.e. the roller 42 can be at the bottom and the drum 44 at the top.

The whole stem 40 is brought to the first processing station by means of the node 45, which is a rotating brush 55 made in the form of an iris diaphragm. The stem passes through this diaphragm. The rotating brush has a wire web 56 or a web made of some other rigid material, such as nylon or others. The wires of the web 56 are arranged radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the sugarcane stem and rotate in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stem. As the web 56 rotates around the stem and scrapes its outer surface, shears wax is removed from the stem as it moves. Since the web 56 captures the wax in the form of dust or powder, the suction pressure or the differential pressure of the air duct 57 takes this wax from the web area and supplies it for extraction and processing. The sheet 56 can also remove foreign matter, such as pieces of ground, which remain after washing. The webs of the web 56 are of such length and elasticity that only remove wax and do not allow the web to penetrate into the bark.

The canvas has sufficient flexibility and rotates at a faster speed, which ensures wax removal. It is assumed that in the present invention, other devices, such as scrapers, can be used to remove wax, along with the web 56.

The second rotating brush 59 has the same construction as the brush 55 and is located at some distance from it. The stalk falls here after a pair of transfer guide rollers 60 and 61 pass. Brush 59 has a web 62, the wires of which are somewhat longer and less elastic than the wires of the web 56. The web 62 scrapes a thin layer of skin from the stem surface adjacent to a harder vascular fibrous bundle fibers forming the bark. However, the web does not penetrate into the crust, and fiber breakdown does not occur.

The whole stem 40 is then grasped by another node 45, which transfers it to the separation section of the stem, made in the form of a fixed knife or blade 63 mounted in the path of movement of the stem. To separate the stem instead of the fixed knife 63, other devices, such as a moving saw, can be used. Whatever the device used for separating the stem, it is impossible to exert considerable pressure on the core inside the stem, since this can squeeze a large amount of juice. It is necessary that as much juice as possible is left in this core of the treatment area to extract it in the corresponding treatment area.

After the stem, now divided into two parts, leaves the separation area, it enters the next section, where these parts are separated from each other and moved forward using the two separating discs 65 and 66 shown in FIG. 6

5 The said halves of the stem 40 are separated from each other by the surfaces of the discs 65 and 66, which are formed by truncated conical surfaces facing each other with their lateral surfaces. These halves

0 the stem 40 is shown in cross section in FIG. 6 and are labeled 40a, 406. The truncated conical surfaces of disks 65 and 66 serve to grab half of the stem from the side where the bark is located,

5 and not the core - the soft inner part of this half. Since the core is hard and hard compared to the core, the pressure, if applied to the core, is small; in this case, the juice is not squeezed. A cylindrical disk can be used to separate the halves of the stem along with one of the disks 65 or 66.

The halves of the stalks 40a and 406 leave the separating disks 65 and 66 and are fed to the next section where the element 70 is located, which serves to set these halves in the correct position. This element twists both halves 40a and 406 on one quarter of a coil, whereby the surface of the core is in the lower position and the curved part with the bark turns upwards. Leveling element 70 is a thin vertical plate.

5 71, having a ridge 72, which passes into a horizontal protrusion 73. Half of the stem falls on the vertical part of the plate 71, slides over it and when they reach the horizontal protrusion 73, they are already

0 right position.

The next section consists of two leveling discs 75 and 76, which guide the halves of the stems and prepare them for further processing. The disk 75 may have a flat cylindrical surface that is pressed against the cortex, while the disk 76 may be formed by an elastic surface inflated with air. These discs to some extent straighten the bark and further open half of the stem, in order to expose the core as completely as possible; However, this does not have significant pressure, which can provide strong squeezing of juice from the core. In addition, the disks 75 and 76 serve to move the field of wines 40a and 406 to the next section, and the advancement of the halves of the stem forward must be carried out here with effort. What forces act during the opening of the stem and preparation for the separation of the bark from the core The whole stem is pushed forward in the longitudinal direction by a guide device that applies a certain radial pressure to it that is practically not transmitted to the core. External longitudinal forces are applied to the cortex. For example, rollers 42 and 44 apply a tangential rather than radial force to the stem. The whole stem is separated by a certain cutting force, since it is necessary to cut the bark to expose the core filled with juice. Separation or cutting forces are applied to the core, exerting as little pressure on the core as possible. Cutting should be carried out along the cortex, since the vessel-containing fibers are arranged in the longitudinal direction, and this will require minimal movement. The crust is then pushed in the direction perpendicular to its movement, and is rotated or twisted one quarter of a turn in such a way that the corresponding edges of both cut halves are rotated in opposite directions, due to which the exposed core of both halves is turned in the same direction. The forces that cause the halves of the rod to rotate in this manner are applied to the cortex. In addition, the bark is opened, or retracted, in order to fully expose the core and orient the bark relative to the core so that they can be separated from each other. This processing of the stem treatment is performed without squeezing a significant amount of juice from the core. In the next section, half of the stem is grasped by the node 80 where the core separates from the bark. The assembly 80 consists of an upper adjusting or supporting roller 81, which has a flat cylindrical surface pressed against the upper part of the bark, and a lower roller 82, made in the form of a brush. The blade 83 of the brush roller 82, in its rotation, is in the path of movement of the halves of the stems. The rotation of the web 83 may occur clockwise and counterclockwise with respect to FIG. 2; however, as you dreamed, clockwise rotation is preferred. The hammer 83 can be made of wire or some other suitable material of the appropriate length, with which one could carefully scrape the core from the inside of the bark. For the most efficient removal, the core must be gripped by the front part of the web 83. The web contact with the bark is tangential; direction. In the direction perpendicular to the movement of the cortex, a small compressive force is applied to the core or not at all. This prevents or substantially limits squeezing the juice from the core. In accordance with the present invention, it is assumed that some other device is used to separate the core from the bark instead of the node 80. The operation in which the core separates from the bark consists in the continuous movement of the bark to the point beyond which the core can no longer move, and the actual separation is carried out mechanically; for example, the brushes may move in the direction opposite to the full direction of the bark movement. The brushes engage the core, and then pull it away from the bark, rather than pressing it against it. Since in order to separate or tear the core from the cortex, some pressure must be applied, it is possible that some of the core cells are destroyed and juice will flow out of them; however, due to the movement of the mechanical device relative to the core, and consequently, the movement of the core from the bark, more of the squeezed juice, if not all the juice, will be captured by the approaching part of the core and carried away to it; a very small amount of juice will fall into the bark itself, if it gets there at all. The next section 86 is at a distance from the node 80 for separating the core from the bark and consists of a regulating roller 87 and a lower brush roller 88, similar to a brush roller 82; however, the webs of the web 89 are somewhat stiffer and shorter than the web 83, which provides almost complete separation of the core from the cortex. The rotational speed of the brushes may also be different, due to which other forces will be applied to separate the core. If necessary, additional units 80 and 86 can be used, which serve to remove the adhering core. Between nodes 80 and 86, transfer rollers 91 and 92 are installed, which serve to guide the halves of the stem. The core, removed from the inner surface of the bark, contains most of the sugar found in sugar cane. In order to remove the core from the brushes 82 and 89, any medium, such as air, can be blown through the channels 94 and 95 by adjusting the blowing so that the core is removed from the brushes and fed to the conveyors 96 and 97 for further processing. Conveyors 96 and 97 are directed downward from brushes 83 and 89 to approach the point where two scrapers 99 and 100 are placed, removing the core from the conveyors, after which it falls on two long rollers 102 and 103 which are pressed against each other. Each such roller is set in motion in such a way that, descent from conveyors 96. The action of rollers 102 and 103 leads to the separation of juice from the central pig ;, when it passes through them and falls on the conveyor 104, which moves the flocculated core sludge for further processing. The squeezed juice remains in the upper part of the rotating rollers in the V-shaped groove formed by the upper adjacent surfaces of the rollers, m along the corresponding channels, for example channel 106, collected from the upper part of the said rollers for further processing. Rollers 102 and 103 (FIG. 2) for squeezing juice out of the core can be replaced with some other squeezing device; for example, a piston type press can be used. FIG. 4 shows a continuous screw press 110 where the core is fed by conveyors 96 and 97 through the hopper 111. The flocculated core sludge is discharged through the opening 112 and the juice is removed through the opening 113. It is also possible to separate the juice from the core in a centrifugal separator or diffusion apparatus. A significant advantage of the invention is the fact that the juice from the core can be extracted in various ways. The proposed apparatus for extracting juice from the core already in terms of initial costs is significantly different from the massive grinding equipment that is currently used to produce liquid juice from the whole stem. After removing the juice, some moisture remains in the core, which is quickly dried in air. The resulting core has practically no impurities or foreign substances. It can be used to make alpha cellulose for artificial lye, in the manufacture of explosives and absorbing carbon for decolorizing agents. The high absorption capacity of such a core makes it a carrier of many substances. It is also a suitable raw material for furfural. Although the sugarcane core had already been used before, it was first necessary to separate it from the ground parts of the bagasse bark, and even after that it contained many harmful substances. The core obtained in accordance with the proposed method and device is relatively free from harmful substances. From the bark separated from the core of the halves 40a and 406, the juice is removed by means of a squeezing device or two rotating pressure rollers 120 and 121. In some cases, depending on the hardness of the bark, this may be enough to remove most of the juice from the bark. In addition to one pair of rollers 120 and 121, a device for removing bark can be used, for example spray nozzles 123 and 124. The second squeezer or a pair of rotating pressure rollers 125 and 126 produce a strong squeezing of the bark, removing the added water along with the remaining sugar. Juice squeezed from the bark can be collected by an appropriate device, for example, suction pipes 128 and 129, although a simple tray can be used for this purpose. Juice of the bark can be processed separately, as it contains more harmful substances than the juice of the core, or it can be added directly to the juice of the core, collected by channel 106. Half of the stem 40a and 406, when they are squeezed, they are called cortical stripes . They can be processed in a variety of ways, collected and stored, as they dry quickly in air and do not require special substance. For such strips there is no disposal problem. For example, they are well hot, while the bagasse with existing methods for processing sugarcane is obtained as a crude residue, and it has to be burned in special furnaces. The production of cortical bands instead of bagasse is a significant advantage of the invention. Sometimes it is necessary to recycle bagasse in order to separate the core from the ground fibers. The proposed method and device provide relatively intact fibers in the form of cortical bands that are already separated from the core. Moreover, the core obtained in accordance with the proposed method contains a smaller amount of harmful substances as compared with the core obtained by the existing methods. One embodiment of a device for processing sugar cane in accordance with the proposed method is shown in FIG. 8 and 9 (position 140}. A number of technological areas in which various operations are carried out are located mainly in the longitudinal direction. Stems are successively fed into device 140, and each stem passes through it, making continuous movement at high speed. As each stem 142 passes through the device, it is divided into main parts, namely wax, peels, including the damaged fibers present on it, the core with most of the juice and bark fibers contained in it. To completely dispose of all the products of the sugar cane stem, as mentioned above. The whole sugar cane stem 142 is fed from the front of the device 140 previously cleaned of leaves and washed. The funnel 144 may serve as a guide for the stem 142. Stem 142 immediately captured by the first pair of rollers 146 and 148 having a drive. The lower roller 146 has a concave

15

surface resembling a car tire. Rollers 146 and 148 direct the stem and push it forward. The second pair of rollers 150 and 152 and the third pair 154 and 156 have the same design as the first pair 146 and 148; like the first pair, the onn serves to guide and quickly move the stem in the device 140.

The whole sugar cane stalk 142 is fed to the first treatment station 158, where the outer wax or the cuticle wax is removed. This area consists of a node for removing wax 160 from the stem, shown in detail in FIG. 10 and 11. This unit consists of a box-shaped frame 162 with channels 164 forming the open sides of the box. In the longitudinal direction with respect to the device 140 there is a row of plates 166, which are at some distance from each other, i.e. in the direction of movement of the stalk 142. These plates are held by spacers and guide elements 170, which are in the channels. 164 and extend into grooves 172 made at the corners of the plates 166. Each plate 166 has a large hole 176 in the center, in which a flat ring 178 is suspended, the outer diameter of which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 176. Flexible elements, for example coil springs 180, are positioned around the circumference between the ring 178 and the plate 166, forming a ring cushion support, whereby the latter can move perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stem 142, and in addition, has a universal movement relative to the direction of movement of the stem.

Several flexible elements are attached to each ring 178, made of rigid and flexible, for example, spring material; These are the teeth 184 V-shaped. The front end 186 of each tooth 184 extends over the outer surface of the ring 178 and is attached to it by welding or some kind of removable fastening. Several teeth 184 extend through the corresponding ring 178 and turn back to form a cone. The whole stem 142 passes at high speed through the device 140 and enters the space between these teeth. The rear ends 188 of the teeth 184 are located generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stem and form an opening or an iris diaphragm, which, due to the material from which the teeth 184 are made, and V-shape their shape automatically, depending on the size of the stem passing through it. The rear edge of each end 188 of teeth 184 is bent and sharpened, thereby forming a scraping or scraping surface that is in direct contact with the outer surface of the passing stem.

sixteen

overlap in length. Since between the individual rings 178 of node 160, the relative radial position of the teeth 184 of different rings 178 can be adjusted within a few degrees, these teeth, overlapping each other, go one after the other in the radial direction, arranged in a displaced or checkerboard order, so that shown at position 190. Due to this, as the stem moves through node 160, its entire surface will be gripped and scraped by individual sharp edges of the teeth. It is necessary to use a sufficiently large number of rings 178 with teeth 184 to ensure uniform scraping and removal of a significant amount of wax of the cuticle.

Node 160 is placed in body 194. Cuticle wax in the form of dust or powder is removed from node 160 through its open sides and remains in the body, from where it can be removed by blowing air through conduit 196 and then assembled for further processing.

The next section 200, where the moving stem is processed, is the scraping unit 202 of almost the same construction as the node 160. On the part 200, the barbs and fibers adhering to the outer surface of the stem are removed, possibly along with some additional wax Nodes 160 and 202 are distinguished from each other by the teeth and the normal size of the iris diaphragm. Individual teeth 184 of node 160 are somewhat more flexible than teeth of node 202, and the diameter of the iris diaphragm formed by teeth 184 of node 160 is slightly larger than the diameter of the iris diaphragm of node 202. Node 202 is placed in housing 206, where skin and other materials removed from the stem are collected . They are removed by air blowing through conduit 208 and collected for further processing. In section 158, the stalk is removed from the stem and the maximum amount of cuticle wax collected. However, in this area, any other materials located on the outer surface of the stem are not removed in excess of that required. Therefore, the characteristics of the teeth 184 of the node 160 are determined based on this condition. On the other hand, in the area 200, all remaining material is removed from the stem, i.e., the skin that is not related to the hard fibers of the bark, and dirt and organic residues of the outer surface of the stem are cleaned without any damage to the bark fibers. . This should be borne in mind when choosing the characteristics of the teeth 184 of the node 202.

Whole wiper 142 with a cleaned outer surface is advanced by rollers 154 and 156 to the third section, which is the hinged separator assembly 212 (Figs. 12 and 13). This assembly is intended to divide or cut the whole rod 142 into two longitudinal halves. The node 212 consists of a node 216 of the upper flexible arm and the node 218 of the lower flexible arm, both of which are almost identical. The upper node 216 has front levers 220 and 222 and rear levers 232 and 234. The levers of these nodes are connected in the form of a parallelogram. Each lever of the assemblies 216 and 218 is associated with an upper slider 236 and a lower slider 238. The front arms 220 and 222 of the upper assembly 216 and the front slider 236 are hinged to the fixed cross bar 240 of the device 140 with a bolt 242. There is a slot 244 in the front of the upper slider 236 into which the bolt 242 extends, whereby the slider 236 can move forward with respect to the clipping shown in FIG. 12, and also rotate around said bolt. Similarly, the front levers 228 and 230 of the lower assembly 218 and the lower slider 238 are pivotally connected to the other fixed crosspiece 246 of the device 140 with the bolt 248. The rear levers 224 and 226 and the upper slider 236 are pivotally connected by the rear bolt 250; similarly, the rear arms 232 and 234 and the lower slider 238 are pivotally connected by a lower rear bolt (not shown). The rear bolt 250 and the corresponding lower rear bolt move together toward the bolts 242 and 248 as the sliders 236 and 238 move forward; in addition, said bolts can be rotated in an arc around bolts 242 and 248. The front lever 220 and the rear lever 224 of the upper assembly 216 are pivotally connected by a vertical shaft 254, which extends downward and connects the pivotally front lever .225 and the rear lever 252 of the lower assembly 218 relative to the common axis. Similarly, the front lever 222 and the rear lever 225 are pivotally connected by a vertical shaft 256, which extends downward and connects the pivotally front lever 230 and the rear lever 234 relative to a common axis, which is positioned perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stem 142 opposite the shaft 254. On the shaft 254 a guide drum 260 is fitted, and a guide drum 262 is mounted on the shaft 256. If necessary, shims 263 are installed. Between shafts 254 and 255, an upper spring 264 and a lower spring 266 are mounted, attracting said shafts to each other. Between the upper slider 255 and the lower slider 238, a separating knife 270 is vertically mounted, which bolts 272 to the holders 274 attached to the respective sliders. The knife 270 is placed at the bottom of the drums 250 and 252 and in the middle between them. The hinge device for cutting provides for the passage of twisted and twisted stems of sugar cane and their division into two equal longitudinal parts, regardless of the hardness of the pin or bend of the stem. When this unit is in operation, the moving stem engages with the drums 250 and 252, and, depending on the twists and bends, the whole assembly 212 rotates in one way or another around the vertical axes of the bolts 242 and 248. The stem extends the drums 260 and 252 to counteract the forces of the springs 254 and 255. Due to this pushing force, the sliders 255 and 255 move forward, since the nodes of the upper and lower shoulders act like scissors; however, knife 270 will always remain in the center between the reels, regardless of the diameter of the stem and the degree of bending. Moreover, the hinge device of the separation unit 212 provides some resistance to the moving stem. In the next treatment site 275, the two halves of the sugar cane stems 278 and 280 are separated from each other and rotated by means of a knot for turning the halves of the stem 252; here, both halves of the stems 275 and 280 are twisted one quarter of a turn in such a way that the core or the inner parts are located in the lower position and the outer parts with the bark turn upwards. The assembly 252 consists of two guide rollers 255 and 255, which are located at some distance from each other and can freely rotate around their vertical axes. Half of the stem 275 and 250 enter the space between these rolls. Immediately behind the rollers 255 and 255, a turning element 290 is placed, which is formed by a thin vertical plate 292, which is in the path of the halves 275 and 250. Opposite sides of the plate 292 are gradually rounded and pass into a horizontal protrusion 294. The halves of the stem fall on the sides the vertical plate 292 slides over them and, when they reach the horizontal protrusion 294, are in the desired position. At the rear of the turning member 290, the halves of the stem 275 and 250 are picked up by two rollers 295 and 500, which guide and move them relative to the device. The next section 502, in which the halves of the stems are processed, is the core extraction unit 504, where the core is separated from the bark of the stem. At the same time, a significant amount of juice remains in the core and the actual tension and relative position of the bark fibers are not disturbed. The node 504 (Fig. 14) for extracting the core consists of a guide funnel 505 through which the halves of the stem 275 and 250 enter this node. Parts of assembly 504 are placed in housing 505, which, in addition to its normal functions, serves as a reservoir for the core that separates from the cortex. Immediately behind the guide funnel 505 in the housing 505, a pad 310 with an isog5 base 5/2 is placed, which extends to the flange in the housing 308 so that it can be moved vertically no. V OTHOV to the moving half of the stem. This vertical movement is carried out by means of a rod 314, which is attached to the platform 310 and protrudes vertically above the housing 308. The rod 5 / covers the bottom of the sleeve 316 attached to the platform 310. The upper sleeve 318 is attached to the housing 308, and the upper part of the rod slides in it 314, protruding from the housing. A pressure spring 320 is placed between the upper sleeve 318 and the lower sleeve 316, resting on the shields 322 and holding these sleeves at a specific distance from each other. This spring is clad on the rod 314. The upper pressure spring 324 is clad on the upper sleeve 318 and rests on the body (position 326. The cap 328 is screwed onto the uppermost part of the rod 314, which provides movement of the rod. The platform 310 has lateral vertical walls 330, the distance between which provides for the passage of the halves of the stem and which serve as guides for these halves. Above the base 312 of the platform 314 in the housing is placed an upper guide 334, having a surface 335 extending downward from the guide funnel 306. The upper rail 334 is provided with a stem element 336. This front element B has a conical extension 338 and a semicircular cross section, so that it covers one of the halves of the stem. The inner surface of this element has the same size as the outer half of the stem (see Fig. 14) .On the top guide 334, two such covering elements 336 are placed next to each other, in which half of the stems 278 and 280 fall. On the same line as each covering element 336 is installed the second a female element 340, which has a cross section and dimensions similar to element 336, as shown in FIG. 14. The second female element 340 is attached to the shaft 342, which in turn has an adjustable connection to the body 304 by means of screws 344 with nuts 345. Under each surrounding element of the stem 336 and the second female element 340 is placed a disk 350 to extract the core; This disk is mounted on an axis 352 associated with the drive and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the halves of the stem. The disk 350 rotates on said axis at high speed and is supplied with several blades 354, which are located radially at equal distances from each other along the periphery of the disk. The upper edges 555 of these knives have approximately the same configuration as the inner surfaces of the female element 336 and the second one. U1deg, 0: element 340. The disk 350 is set so that when it rotates, the 354 knives go through elements 336 and 340. The disk 350 rotates in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG. 14, and its idols pass tangentially to the upper surface of elements 336 and 340, moving towards the approaching half of the stems. You can use knives of various designs. The illustrated design is shown as an example. The disk 350 is positioned so that between it and the inner curved surfaces of the elements 336 and 340 there remains some space, indicated by the letter B in FIG. 15. In this space, the bark of the stem moves, with which the knives 354 do not touch. These knives capture the core moving on them and carefully tear it away from the bark. Spacing B can be varied by rotating the nuts 345, resulting in a change in the polishing of the rod 342 relative to the disk 350. Spacing B will determine the thickness of the bark passing the disk 350. The guide 358 receives cortical stripes in the back of the node and, like elements 336 and 340 also has a semi-angular cross-section. Under the curved base 312 of the platform 310, there is a collection plate 360 that extends downwardly between the front wall 362 and the side walls 364 of the platform 310. On the side walls 364, guide rails 366 are placed to vertically move the platform 310. As the disc 350 rotates at a high speed, the core cleared from the bark, pushed forward with knives and thrown onto a collection plate 360, and then into the collection. This core contains the bulk of sugarcane juice. The lower inclination of the surface 335 of the upper guide 336 and a sufficient longitudinal distance from the uppermost edges of the knives are necessary to reduce the pressure exerted on the crust, which can lead to a longitudinal rupture or transverse fracture of the crust, resulting in disruptive continuous operation of the device. These same conditions reduce the buildup of the core engaged by the rotating blades 354 and eliminate the back pressure of the core. The automatic vertical movement of the pad 310 provides for a continuous pressing of the halves of the stems upwards and the necessary installation of them relative to the knives 354, so that the bark will precisely pass into the gap B without contacting the blades 354. The exit from the node 304, the bark is assembled and transported for further processing, during which sugar juice is squeezed out of it. The bark, having the form of a curved strip, comes from the node 304 to the next processing area, which is a device located in it. The device 372 consists of a first pair of rollers 376 and 575, which rotate on horizontal shafts 380 and 382. These rollers squeeze and straighten the bark, squeezing juice from it. The bark then passes through a spray bar with nozzles 384 spraying water from pipe 386 onto the moving cortex. Wet bark strips pass a second pair of rollers 388 and 390, which are mounted on shafts 391 and 392; here, additional moisture is squeezed out of the bark along with sugar, which can be extracted from the bark with this moisture. Behind the rollers 388 and 390 is the last pair of squeezing rollers 394 and 396. The liquid, squeezed from the bark by a pair of rollers 376, and 378, 388 and 390, 394 and 396, is collected and transported for further processing to produce sugar. Instead of squeezing the bark, it can be processed in a diffusion manner, in which water flows through the bark and passes through it, the sugar solution, after which the sugar is removed from the water. The shafts 380 and 391 of the upper rollers 376 and 585 are attached to the shaft 402 by means of bearing blocks 400, which are bolted to the side element 410 by bolts 404 and 406. The nuts 412 can be adjusted by changing the amount of force that is applied by the flat spring 414 in the lower direction to the opposite The ends are worn on 402. The force generated by the spring 414 provides the pressure needed to compress the bark. The lower movement of the rollers 376 and 388 is limited by locking bolts 416, which provide the necessary clearance between the shown pairs of rollers, so that the bark fiber is not damaged. The lower shafts 382 and 392 are equipped with a drive that provides movement of the bark in the device. The scraper blade 418 removes moisture from the surface of the drum 378, and the same additional blades can be used where necessary. Behind the squeezing device 572, there can be a final processing station of the bark 420 where the chemical treatment of the bark is performed, protecting it from damage and protecting it from fire. This area may have a device 422 for applying the necessary substance by a tray 424 located above the strips of bark. The tray has a perforated vibrating bottom and contains processing material, such as a drill in the form of a powder or other. Vibrating sieve 430 under tray 424 ensures that the processing material is evenly distributed over the surface of the bark. The tray 424 and the sieve 430 are placed in the housing 432, through which the bark passes. In the funnel-shaped bottom of the hull, izdischik processing material is collected. Vibrators 436 can be mounted on housing 432 to provide oscillatory movement of the bottom of tray 426 and sieve 430. A pair of rollers 440 and 442 can move the strips of bark and ensure its continuity from the site of chemical refining 420. Thereafter, the bark is collected for further processing. The processing material can be applied to the strip in the form of a liquid rather than a powder, for example, spraying the material on the surface of the bark or immersing the bark in the liquid. The method for processing sugar cane in the above described embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 8-17, includes the first technological operation, with KOTOpoii, the wax is removed and collected from the outer surface of the whole stem, as well as the removal of residues and other foreign substances adhered to the outer surface of the stem. This is accomplished, for example, when a whole stem passes through a slot or a hole of a certain size, which must be self-regulating so that when the stem passes it can remove most of the wax without removing or destroying a significant part of the skin or bark. The following technological operation consists in removing and collecting the skin, which is achieved by passing a whole rod, from which wax is removed, through a slot or hole of a certain size, which also can be self-regulating, in order to detach the nib from the bark, thus revealing dense and strong bark fibers. Thereafter, the whole stem is divided in longitudinal direction, i.e., along its length, into two halves, which have a generally semi-circular cross section. Then the halves of the stem unfold in such a way that their flat sides, on which the core is opened, turn out to be polished. The bark and core are then separated, and the bark is first straightened using fast-rotating knives, which seize the core and tear it away from the bark, without engaging or breaking the bark fibers. correctly guide and support the halves of the stems extending toward. Halves of the stem interact with the joint influence of three forces: 1) the force that moves the stem in a horizontal direction towards 2) the force created by the non-stemming guide, which bends the front end of the moving half of the stem down, setting it in relation to the blades; since half of the stem has rigidity in the longitudinal direction, when approaching the knife it is deposited mainly in the horizontal field; 3) efforts prulchiny applied to half of the stem. The spring moves half the stem up, positioning it in relation to the knife; at the same time, the front protects against impact. It is most advantageous to make the rotation rotate towards the heart.

23

The core, which contains most of the juice, is collected from the knives and sent for further processing. All the operations described above did not change the original, natural form of the cortex, i.e. the fibers of the cortex did not move significantly relative to each other. For example, the separation of the core from the bark was done in such a way that the bark remained bent. The fact that the stem remained in its natural curved position made it possible to regulate its separation into parts, especially the separation of the core and bark, without causing separation of the juice from the core. After that, the bark strips are straightened and pressed, passing them through the first row of rollers, where the crust changes shape, and juice is squeezed out of it. Then a controlled amount of water is added to the strips, and they are pressed again, removing the remaining sugar. The bark can also be processed in a diffusion manner. Finally, the bark is chemically treated to prevent damage, dried and stored.

The method and apparatus of the invention differ from conventional methods in which sugarcane stalks are transported from the floor to the factory to obtain juice from them soon after cutting. The device according to the inventive method can be used next to a plantation in sorting depots, due to which small batches of freshly cut cane can be processed. The relatively small size and low cost of the device allows the use of a large number of sorting stores, which is advantageous compared to a conventional device, where one plant occupies a large area. The reed is cut and immediately delivered to the warehouse where the core separates from the bark. The core, which still contains natural juice, can be treated with an alkaline solution, such as lime milk, to neutralize the natural acidity of the juice. Then the core can be transported to the factory for subsequent removal of the neutralized juice, after which this juice can be refined into sugar products. If necessary, the juice is separated from the core in the warehouse, and then it will only remain to take it to the refinery. It will be much more economical compared with the transportation of whole stalks of sugar cane. It is possible to store the core with the juice contained in it or the raw juice extracted from the core.

The relatively small size of the device allows it to be attached to a fixed sugar cane sweeper or to be integrated with this machine. In this case, the proposed device can be installed on an appropriate transport platform behind a conventional sugar cane harvesting machine, as a result of which the machine along with the offer 207165

24

The device will be moved but the plantations, va sugarcane stalks, will be processed into various consumer products described above. Such a system is shown schematically in FIG. 18, where a conventional sugar cane harvesting machine 444 cuts growing sugar cane 445, which is immediately supplied to the proposed device 446 mounted on a movable platform 447. Dry products can be poured into bags or baled, and the raw core or juice can be placed in containers 448, which after filling can be shipped for subsequent

recycling. Such a system, possible with the use of the proposed device, allows a large number of different equipment to be abandoned and reduces the cost of folding and loading the sugar cane stems on the plantation after they are cut and for further processing of whole stems at the plant.

Starting from the existing practice of processing sugarcane, they tried to cultivate a variety with soft bark and a minimum amount of wax. The proposed method and apparatus are suitable for treating sugar cane of almost any variety, even if it has a very hard bark; moreover, a significant wax content in some varieties should be considered an advantage, since sugarcane wax is a valuable product. The proposed method and device can

successfully used in conjunction with existing cleaning equipment. Since the resulting juice contains less harmful substances and has a high density of Brix, the production process

Sugar is significantly improved. It was noted above that the sugarcane stem is processed into five primary parts: wax, skin, bark fibers, flocculated core sediment and juice. Bagasse

is not obtained here, and this should be considered the most important improvement over existing methods.

Subject invention

Claims (14)

1. A method of processing sugarcane stems, including juice extraction, characterized in that, in order to improve the quality of the juice and obtain new products separating and harvesting the core filled with sap of the stem without producing the core with other parts of the stem. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, prior to separating the core from the root and extracting the juice from the core, wax and peel are removed from the outer surface of the whole stem. This path, at various points on this path, with the corresponding parts of the stem at these points. 4. Method according to paragraphs. 1, 2, characterized in that the stem is divided into separate parts with its continuous movement until it is divided into separate component parts, the first step being to remove the outer wax from the whole stem, the second is to separate the bark and the cores, and a third in the extraction of juice, which is in the core. 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said operations are performed simultaneously on several stems with separate collection of wax, bark, core and juice from these stems. 6. Method for and. 4, characterized in that before the separation of the core from the bark, the cutting of the bark is carried out in the longitudinal direction. 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the extraction of juice from the core is carried out using the pressure applied to it. 8. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the extraction of juice from the core is carried out by diffusion. 9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the extraction of juice from the core is performed by centrifuging it. 10. The method according to paragraphs. 4 or 6, characterized in that the juice is further extracted from the bark after the core has been separated from it. I. The method according to claim I, wherein after harvesting the sugar cane, the core is separated from the bark in the sorting yard near the grafting and the core is transported to the plant where the juice is extracted and cleaned. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein after harvesting the sugar cane, the core is removed from the bark and the juice is extracted from it in a sorting yard and the juice is transported to the plant for subsequent cleaning. 13. The method according to claim I, wherein the core is separated from the bark during the harvesting of the sugar cane and transported to the plant where the juice is extracted and cleaned. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the core is separated from the bark and the juice is extracted from it during the harvesting of sugar cane and the juice is transported to the plant for subsequent cleaning. I -t- -g- 1, JI , -, I1 / j, 5; 55 VO 59 67 65Ya-Yu,, ..,. ,, z / 270, K / | / 54 g 202 7 /) / 0 7 кyon7 to l 302 370 37В 0 388т лл /,, lo f ,,, 2BO, mJ J-, / w // 6.7 / i 262 / t jgg here, ° 91 86 87 95 120 12 123/25, JL L 86120 f. 318 t fus 9 liTlB / 17 78/72 Pue 10 / 4 (5k, 256 246 266 Fig / S // Uo t no s 3Z8 34 r 445f here, 372 400 388 44-6 W ZLL eight