IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING IRON FROM ANIMAL CHARCOAL, SUGAR, AND SACCHARINE LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dugald Mac Eachran, of Greenock, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Sugar Refiner, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEPARATING IRON FROM ANIMAL CHARCOAL, SUGAR, AND SACCHARINE
LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dugald Mac Eachran at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1880.
DUGALD MAC EACHRAN, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Sugar Refiner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING IRON FROM ANIMAL CHARCOAL,
SUGAR, AND SACCHARINE LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its objects to separate the particles of iron which exist in
animal charcoal, both in its raw state as at first manufactured, as well as in its
revivified state after reburning, when having become clogged with the impurities
which attach to it in the process of refining sugar, and also to separate the particles
of iron which exist in sugar and saccharine liquids.
The said Invention may be carried out by a variety of contrivances. Apparatus
however which meets the object of the Invention is so arranged as to permit the
charcoal, or sugar, or saccharine liquid, or syrup to be passed slowly across a
magnet or a series of magnets, which may be permanent magnets, in which case
means are provided for removing the iron from the magnets by means of brushes
or the like; or they may be electro-magnets, so that on the current of electricity
being interrupted the iron may fall from the surface which attracted it whilst the
said surface was magnetized by the electric current.
In carrying the Invention into effect a box or trough is provided, in which are
placed or suspended from the top, or sides, or otherwise supported, one or more

page_text: magnets. The charcoal, or sugar, or saccharine liquid being passed through this
box or trough the particles of iron collect on the poles of the magnet or magnets as
the said charcoal, or sugar, or saccharine liquid passes across the surface of the
magnet or magnets.
A series of magnetized tapered bars of a triangular section may be arranged
together in a conical form, and having an adjustable space between each magnetic
bar. The charcoal, sugar, or saccharine liquids are passed through these spaces,
and the particles of iron which it contains collect on the edges of the bars. The
back of the bars may be of a curved hollow form, into which the particles of iron
accumulate as they are separated.
Or a series of parallel bar magnets bound together in a framing with sufficient
space between the bars to allow the charcoal, sugar, or saccharine liquid to pass,
the iron being retained by the magnets.
Or the magnets may be arranged so that they form conduits for the charcoal;
for example, rows of the magnets of a channel or loop form in section, closed at
their lower end, with the open end downwards, may be supported over a shoot
which leads to the cistern, the charcoal being fed in at the upper end of the
magnets, and passing out at the opening or slit beneath into the shoot, the iron
adhering to the edges of the magnets. The magnets and shoot will be inclined
towards the cistern, and the magnets will have a backward and forward movement,
the shoot being arranged so that it may be pulled on one side when the iron is to
be removed from the magnets.
Or a magnetized roller or rollers may be employed at the exit of a hopper or
other place, so that the roller or rollers take the iron from the charcoal as it passes
thereby, the said iron being brushed or otherwise removed from the roller so that
it falls into a separate receptacle from that into which the charcoal falls. Or the
magnet or magnets may be placed so that as the charcoal passes in proximity
therewith the iron will be diverted by the attraction of the magnet or magnets,
and be thereby caused to fall into one receptacle whilst the charcoal falls into
another.
In abstracting iron from saccharine matters the permanent magnet or magnets
or electro magnet or magnets may be placed in the blow-up, or in the runs from
the blow-up, or at the head of the filters,, or at the outlet of the filters, or in any
other place that may be suitable. The charcoal may be submitted to the action of
the magnets before or after burning or reburning at any stage before it reaches
the refinery, or before or during filling into the cistern or cisterns, or when being
emptied therefrom, or before being reburned, or during burning or reburning, or
after being burned or reburned, or during cooling, and after or before being taken
to the cistern, or cisterns, or the equivalent. The charcoal can be run if desired
into a shoot, or shoots, or tray (with an outlet, as may be found convenient) of,
say, 18 inches long, with, say, an opening of one quarter of an inch, with a
permanent, magnet or magnets or an electro magnet or magnets fixed, or revolving
at the desired distance, and with (in the case of permanent magnets) a brush or
other contrivance fixed, moveable, or revolving, for removing the iron that adheres
to the magnet, or magnets, or the magnetized parts of the apparatus, or with means
for breaking the current in the case of electro magnets. The charcoal may be run
through a magnetized drum, cylinder, bar, or series of bars, separate or bound
together, or through a magnetized sieve, fixed, or revolving, or otherwise moveable..