New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-24
Mason's New Sugar Apparatus.

~ llIullcu pdEU VI SChSiVkAO1 eoon ehO
small steamboat Little Jerry to visit the
Belsa cane plantation. about eleven miles
down the river, to witness the operations OF
a newly invented apparatus TO increase the
amount of juice taken from cane. and An
other machine used to evaporate the JUICE
by a new system. The invention belongs
20 a Mr.. A. W. J. Mason. associated with
Mr.. John Aennessey, the copper worker.
Tho saturator will oe considered first
After the cane has passed through crush
or, as usual, Mr.. Masoh's machine takes up
what is called bagasse. Guns it thence TO An
endless wire apron, which passes into Sc
ries of close chambers, fitted with small
rollers, at proper distances. Into these
chambers or boxes, jets Of exhausted steam
are sent in, where the wire apron is double,
the bagasse being inside, and every time
the steam exhausts, stream is poured over
the now thoroughly crushed cane, dissolv-
ing all the remaining crystals, converting
them into juice, which easily runs down the
inclined chambers, to proper receptacle.
The bagasse when delivered to the second
pair of rollers, has become exceed ingly
soft, where it is pressed and passes out in
sheets to the dryer. This dryer is con-
structed somewhat similar to the saturator,
and currents of heated air, from beneath
the boilers, are forced through, SO that,
when the bagasse is delivered to the shute,
| to be conveyed to q furnace, is ready for
| immediate use. The hot air is that which
otherwise would 60 up the main chimney
| first.
The Juice is now transferred to the regu-
lar CHARTERS, where it undergoes the usual
process; thence to the receiving tanks.
| Then it Is sent to tank above, in order to
give it fall to the eyaporator. BY pipe
| the liquid is sent to q new machine. which
| may be made OF almost any capacity, say
up4o as high as twenty hogsheads. if re-
| quired. The evaporatOy is 2 horizontal
| cylinder, with door Of any size the owner
| pleases. Outside the building is . furnace
| for heating air. and pipe connects with
! the evaporation, with cutoff. A blower
drives cold air into the pipes heated in the
furnace, at the same time being come cted
with the evaporator in such . mannes that
cold air can be introduced at pleasure.
This cylinder has a shaft from end to end
on which are placed Apright disks. not un-
| like cotton gin saws. five sighths Of an inch
apart. These occupy nearly all the space.
The drum is then partly filed with pre-
pared juice, the hot air let in and
the engine started. These disks fly around
in lively style. keeping the liquid in CONT
nual motion. and the manipulation eansasily
keep the temperature at any degree he
please.. Il is usual TO keep the hot air at
about $500 Fahrenheit. This heat is so tenn
pered by the rising fumes that the juice can
nos raise to above 1859. A thermometer is
placed SO that the attendant can keep his
eye constantly on it. and by means Of gates
| can command as much hot or cold air ~ ne
| pleases. Thus tho juice is changed in its
nature at a low temperature: by the old
! mode in kettles i: frequently occurred that
| the temperature rose to near 300o in The
centre. but tho usual heat is :l2'.
for boiling in open air. thus destroying a
portion OF Che saceharine crystals and car.
bonizing them giving an undue quantity OF
molasses.
1t will be seen that this system ignores
kettles and all the attendant labor and ex.
pen.e. The juice tnow syruplis svaporated to
a density of 27o Baume. and then tran sferfed
to a tank to settle. until there is sufficient
to make strike Or strikes. Once more 10
goes back to the same machine and IN anipu-
lated az before, when it is drawn off to a
cooler, then transferred to Tho centrifugal
to be operated on, or tyansterre1 i 70 tho
hogshsads to drain.
Concerning the Improvement in express.
ing the juice, the gain is fully twenty per
cent: gain TO the sugar also twenty per cent.
besides being so much brighter, in conse-
quence Of the low temperature employed.
The evaporator. by means of the constant
| and powerful currents Of air passing in and
| through it. decolorizes the molasses, a great
improvement, which was especially com
! mented on by Mr.. A. Thomson, Of the Cres-
cent refinery, and his manager. My. 4. +.
Mcdowell.
Saving in fuel is abou. one-fou.th; in time
one-fourth, and the value in machine one
sixth of the vacuum pan.
The guests. most of eheui planters aud
practical gentlemen. witnessed the opera
tions, and, without exception, approved of
it. Bottles of this quete were taken away
| by the excursionists, and yesterday they
were compelled to break the bottles to get
out the sugar. This experiment was scarcely
| a far test, as the juice had been evapOrated
three times before. and the cane had been
frosted.
The following named gentlemen were
present: Messrs. A. Thomson. E. Mcdowell,
J. b. LeVert, c. w. Wills, DR.. Ferguson
DR.. ,. A. Florat, A. D. Salvant, E. Hunt, J,
A. Shakespeare. A. Giraud, Y. Riaud, E.
Frederick. D. A. Chafraix. The party
passed q pleasant and instructive day.