, 1888-12-30
BEET SUGAR.
A Description of the Process of Its MAX
ing Throughout d.

A Description of the Process of Its MAX
ing Throughout.
When the beets are dumped into the
bins they pass from the farmer and r
ready to start On their way to sugar
dom. 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 fac
tory, and it takes the beets to the south
end of the main building and empties
them into a cistern, in which is work
ing a large crew that extends to the
second floor, from which they
pass into a large, drum shaped, iron
cylinder, called the wash barrel"
where tho beets are thoroughly
cleaned. When cleaned they m
thrown from the wash bar
rel" into a hopper from which they
pass into an endless elevator, which
are discharged into a large hopper.
Then they pass into a cage" which
viii hold 1000 pounds of beets, and
when this weight is indicated the cage
empties its load into the cutter. The
cage and its indicator enable the fac
tory people to closely estimate the
amount of raw material used each day
in the manufacture of sugar. 1t is
also a check on every department. 1t
Will show any error that may arise in
the receiving or shipping department.
The slicer or cutter is a round iron
shaft with steel knives, capable of
slicing 400 tons of beets every twenty
four hours, which runs down to the
floor below. The lower end of the
slicer opens into q wooden trough
about two feet square, on the bottom
of which is an endless belt. AS the
sliced beets fall from the cutter into
this trough the belt takes them along
as fast as they descend Placed on
this floor and ranged alongside the
trough is q battery of twelve diffusion
tanks, into which the sliced beets are
next passed and diluted under a water
pressure of eighty pounds. By this
pressure the s. gar and salts, amount
ing to 80 per cent, are released in
liquid form, leaving only 10 per cent.
of pulp to represent all the solid mat
ter contained in the sugar beet of COM
merce. From the diffusion tanks the
liquid sugar is then passed into the
heater. Each tank is emptied every
five minutes. In the heater the liquid
is subjected to 70 degs. +. for some
time, when it is again sem onward to
the carbonization tank, where it is put
through a clarifying process by lime
and lime gas.
From the carbonization tank it is
pumped into the presses, through
which it is run three times under ire
mendous pressure, every particle of
lime being retained in the presses,
while the liquid sugar is conveyed to
the quadruple 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 crystallized. Underneath the
vacuum pans II placed very large
square receivers, into which it is al
lowed to fall when capitalization has
taken place; these receivsrs have re-
volying screws which for& he bot
tom, and are kept constantlyin mo
ton to keep the sugar from cakng.
From the receivers it again descends
to the centrifugal machines, where it
is purged of the molasses and finally
emptied into sacks on the lower floor
and loaded on the railroad cars for
shipment to the refrery.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.