Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Sugar.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Sugar.
I, RAMON FEBRES CORDERO of Rubio, Section of Tachira, State of Los Andes,
United States of Venezuela, South America, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the washing of sugar by alcohol and consists in
apparatus of special construction for the purpose whereby the same alcohol that
has been used for washing one charge of sugar is retained or made to circulate
within the apparatus for washing a succeeding charge or charges of sugar, with but
little or no waste of the alcohol, substantially as hereinafter described and more
particularly pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this
Specification, in which the figure represents a view in perspective of an apparatus
for washing sugar, embodying my invention.
A indicates a boiler, surmounted by a chest in which, by a suitable application
of heat, the molasses extracted from the sugar, diluted with the alcohol and water
used in the washing of the sugar by the alcohol, is boiled.
B is a trapping chamber connected with the chest b by a pipe c, by which the
molasses while boiling is prevented from entering or rising up a pipe or uptake d
from the trap, which pipe d conveys the alcoholic and watery vapors to the coil e
of the first one C of a pair of stills or condensers C, D. This coil or worm e, with
the upper end of which the pipe d connects, is joined at its lower end to a pipe f
having a trap like bend g below and provided with cocks h, i, for returning the
alcohol of low grade to the trap like vessel B.
The worm e of the condenser C is connected at different points in its height, by
cocks k, with a pipe that connects with the upper end of the worm m of the
condenser D to allow the alcohol of high grade to pass to said worm m. The
condensers C, D, are charged with cold water outside of their coils to effect
the necessary condensation of the alcohol in both coils. The water is supplied to
said condensers by a pipe n and cocks 0, 0, which pipe is further used to supply the
boiler A with water by a pipe p controlled by a cock g, and to admit water to the
coils e m, when required by cocks r. The bottoms of the condensers C, D, are
fitted with outlet pipes s s controlled by cocks t for discharging the water exterior
of the coils in said condensers when necessary.
E is a receiver for the alcohol from the coil m of the condenser D, on opening a
cock for the purpose. This receiver, which is provided with an air escape hand
valve 20, is connected at its bottom, by a pipe a' controlled by a cock b', with the
upper portion of a receptacle F which provides for the discharge of the alcohol
from the receiver E into it, the cocks and b¹ regulating the flow, and an air
pipe chaving a cock d' providing for the passage of air between the two
vessels E, F.
G is a conically shaped vessel into which the sugar to be washed by the alcohol
is placed, and which receives its supply of alcohol from the receptacle F by means
of a pipe connection e¹ between them provided with a cock f which regulates the
flow of the alcohol and further provided with a cock g' for admitting cold or hot air
to make the operation of washing the sugar more or less rapid.
The sugar washing cone or vessel G is fitted with an air-tight cover which
may be fastened down by screw bolts. At the lower end of said vessel is a
discharge tube i¹ having a glazed upper section k¹ for inspecting the washing
process while in progress. This discharge tube i¹ has a lower cock for removing
all impurities from the sugar washing cone G, when cleaning it, and said tube i¹ is
connected above said cock with pipes m¹ n¹ having cocks o¹. The one of these

page_text: pipes m', serves, on opening its cock o', to convey the molasses produced in washing
the sugar by the percolation of the alcohol through the mass in the cone G,
to a tank K, and the other one n¹ of said pipes connects with a suction pump U,
that when the cock o' in said pipe is opened, draws upon the cone G to extract the
air or vapor charged with alcohol and by a discharge pipe p¹ to deliver the same to
a receptacle I to be washed. Applied to the discharge pipe p' is an odor detector r
to which the nose may be applied to ascertain whether the alcohol hs or has not
been separated from the sugar. At the top of the washer I and connecting it with
another like receptacle J and dipping down into the latter is a pipes for receiving
the air from which the alcohol has been separated, and applied to the receptacle J
is a cock t' for allowing the air separated from the alcohol to escape into the
atmosphere, and keep the outside air from entering when the apparatus is not at
work. A cock connection v¹ serves to pass deposited matter in the receptacle or
washer I to the receptacle J, and w₁ is a pipe provided with a cock for
discharging the same into the tank K. A pipe y' from the tank K, controlled by
a cock delivers the molasses collecting in the tank K into the boiler A. Said
boiler is fitted with a discharge cock a² for the emptying of the molasses and all
impurities from it, also with a cock 62 for the discharge of air from the boiler when
the latter is being charged, and with a gauge c² having the usual cocks for ascertaining
the condition of the charge in the boiler at any time.
1
The operation of the apparatus is as follows. The cone or sugar washing vessel G
is first filled with the sugar to be washed, pressure being applied to the sugar as
the filling proceeds. When said vessel is full, it should be covered with a piece of
canvas and over this a piece of wire cloth put to uniformly distribute the alcohol
employed in washing the sugar. The cover is then screwed down. Alcohol of
about 38° is then passed into the receptacle F by entering it through the cock w of
the receptacle E and opening the connection between said receptacles. The cock f¹
is then opened to discharge the alcohol over and cause it to permeate or percolate
through the sugar in the cone until it reaches the glazed upper section of the
discharge tube. The cock o' of the pipe m' is then gradually opened, so that,
without making the sugar run, the molasses washed out of the sugar will be
delivered by the alcohol into the tank K, the opening of the cocks f' and o¹, being
proportioned to effect this. The flow of the alcohol through the sugar is continued
until it is seen, through the glazed inspecting section of the tube that the
discharging alcohol contains no more molasses. Then the cocks f¹ and o' are closed,
and the air cock gland cock o' of the pipe n' is opened, so that by means of the
pump U, the air, cold or hot, admitted through the cock g' is continued to be
sucked by said pump until by applying the nose to the detector * no alcohol
is smelt.
The air thus charged with alcohol, extracted by the pump U passes by the pipe pl
to the washer or receptacle I, and passing through the water in said receptacle, it
leaves the alcohol behind and passes by the tube s' down into the second washer or
receptacle J, to insure a more perfect freedom from alcohol, and from whence after
passing through the water in said receptacle J, it escapes by the cock t' into the
atmosphere, entirely freed from alcohol. The sugar may now be taken from the
cone G and a fresh charge put in.
The water with the retained alcohol is then discharged from the receptacles I, J,
into the tank K, on suitably opening the cocks for the purpose, and from thence is
run into the boiler A where the molasses diluted by the alcohol and water is
subjected to the action of heat and ascending by the chest 6 passes to the trapping
chamber B and in due course is returned again by the pipe y₁ to the boiler.
The vapors ascending by the pipe d to the coil e of the condenser C, pass down,
that is those of low graduation by the tube f and its bend g to the trapping
chamber B, and those of high graduation by either of the cocks k at will, through
the tube l, to the coil m of the condenser D, care being taken before doing this to
open the cocks o o and t t so as to establish a current of cold water through both
condensers.

page_text: The cooled alcohol is passed from the last condenser D to the receiver E and
from thence to the chamber F, the cock d¹ being opened so as to pass air to the
receptacle F from whence the alcohol is taken, the cocks b' and f¹ being opened, to
the cone G, to wash or act again upon the newly charged sugar therein.
Applied to the worm e of the condenser C is a cock d for ascertaining whether
there is any alcohol remaining in the worm of the condenser, and if so the molasses
in the boiler A should be emptied to be used as most convenient, either by
fermenting the same or transforming it into syrup.
Steam or other heating medium may be used for getting up the necessary heat in
the apparatus.
The operations of washing the sugar and distilling or condensing the alcohol may
be kept up in rapid succession so that when the washing of one charge of sugar is
being made, the alcohol employed in a preceding washing is separated from the
molasses.
By washing the sugar with alcohol much labor will be saved as compared with
the ordinary clay process, and larger returns than by the usual methods, including
the turbine, because the sugar is insoluble in the alcohol and a better quality of
sugar is obtained inasmuch as alcohol is a better solvent of molasses than water, it
having the advantage of not acidulating the sugar and does not transform the
sugar into starch. The using of the same alcohol over and over again, as my
improvement provides for, does away with the great objection heretofore experienced
of washing the sugar with alcohol, inasmuch as there will be very little loss of
alcohol.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In apparatus for washing sugar with alcohol, the combination of a close sugar
washing cone or vessel, a connected receptacle for supplying said cone with alcohol
and with air, a boiler, a pump and water washing devices and air valve applied
thereto for separating the alcohol from the air under cover, devices for returning
the molasses of the washed sugar and the water of the alcohol washing devices to
the boiler, and condensing devices connected with the boiler for condensing the
alcoholic vapors rising from the boiler and transferring them in liquid form back to
the receptacle that supplies the sugar washing cone with alcohol, substantially as
specified, whereby the same alcohol is used over and over again to wash successive
charges of sugar as set forth.
2. In apparatus for washing sugar with alcohol, the combination of the alcohol
receptacle F, the sugar washing cone or vessel G having an upper air cock, the
discharge tube of said cone, the pipes m¹ n', the cocks ', o', o, the pump U, the
connected alcohol washers I, J, the pipe w¹, the tank K, the pipe y' and the boiler A,
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus as described, the combination with the boiler A, of the trapping
receptacle B, the alcoholic and watery vapor rising pipe d, the connected alcoholic
condensers C, D, the alcohol receptacle F connected with said condensers, the sugar
washing receptacle G, and the pipe f, connecting the condenser C with the
receptacle B and boiler, as herein set forth.
4. The combination with the pump U, of the connected receptacles I, J, the
tank K, connected by tube with the receptacle J, and the boiler A connected by
tube with the tank K, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this T.....
1001
R. F. CORDERO.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
R. F. CORDERO.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.