Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-12-27
BEET SUGAR.
The Various Processes of Its Manu-
facture Described.

When the beets are dumped into the
bins they pass from the farmer and are
ready TO start on their way to sugardom.
Beneath each bin is a concrete ditch,
and into this ditch the beets fall through
adjustable traps. A stream OF water is
constantly flowing through the bitches
in the direction Of the factory, and 1t
takes the beets to the south end of tho
main building and empties them into a
cistern, in which is working large
screw that extends to the second floor,
from which they pass into large drum
shaped iron cylinder, called the "wash-
barrel" where the beets are thoroughly
cleaned. When cleaned they are thrown
from the s'wash-barrel" into q hopper,
from which they pass into an endless
elevator, which runs TO the top floor
where the beets are discharged into 8
large hopper. Then they pass into q
"cage," which will hold ] 200 pounds of
beets, aud when this weight is indicated
the cage empti,s its load iuto the cutter.
The cage and its indicator enable the
factory people to closely estimate the
amount of raw material used each day
in the manufacture of sugar. 1t is also
check on every department. 1t will
show any error that may arise in the re-
ceiying or shipping department.
The slicer or cutter is q round iron
shaft with steel knives, capable OF sic
ing 400 tons Of beets every twenty-four
hours, which runs down TO the floor below.
The lower end of the siicer opens into
wooden trough about two feet square, on
the bottom OF which isan endless belt. AS
the sliced beets fall from the cutter into
this trough, the belt takes them along
ms fast as they descend. Placed on this
floor and ranged alongside the trough is
a battery Of twelve diffusion tanks, into
which the sliced beets are next psssed
and diluted under water pressure of
eighty pounds. By this pressure the
sugar and salts, amounting to 80 per
cent, are released in liquid form. leav-
ing. only 10 per cent. of pulp to repre-
sent all the solid matter contained in
the sugar beet OF commerce. From the
diffusion tanks the liquid sugar is then
passed into the heater In the heater
the liqnid is subjected TO Is degrees for
some time, when il is again sent onward
to the conformation tank. whore it is
put through clarifying process by lime
anu lint BhSs IlOil ITO
tank it is pumped into the presses,
through which it is run three times
under tremendous pressure, every par
ticle of lime being retained in the press
es, while the liquid sugar is conveyed to
the quadrupie evaporation, probably the
heaviest pieces of machinery used in the
whole process Of sugar making. After
going through the evaporation process it
is delivered TO the vacuum pans at the top
of the building, where it is crystalized.
Underneath the vacuum pans are placed
very large square receivers, into which
il is allowed TO fall when capitalization
has taken place; these receivers have
revolving screws which form the bottom,
and are kept constantly in motion TO
keep the sugar from caking. From the
receivers it again desccnds to the CEN
trifugal machines, where it is purged of
the molasscs and finally emptied into
sacks on the lower floor and loaded on
the railroad cars for shipment to the re-
finery.