An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Concentration of Saccharine and other Liquids and Obtaining Crystals therefrom.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Concentration of
Saccharine and other Liquids and Obtaining Crystals therefrom.
I RAYMOND RAEYMAECKERS, of Tirlemont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to effect the boiling of saccharine and other liquor to obtain sugar grains
or crystals I make use of several distinct boiling devices suitably arranged and con-
nected with each other to form a battery. These devices are of similar construction
as the known apparatus, with this difference that they are provided with filtering sides
or partitions constituted by a rigid armature upon which are fixed plates perforated
with sufficiently small holes to retain the crystals formed. This arrangement enables
a certain quantity of syrup contained in the apparatus to be withdrawn during the
boiling operation whilst the crystals are retained therein.
The parts or components which constitute the battery are connected with each other
by the pipes and valves which connect the annular space of the several apparatus with
the bodies of the following apparatus. In these pipes can be included, if necessary,
suitable pumps.
Each apparatus communicates moreover through the medium of other pipes with a
reservoir containing the juice or syrup to be boiled.
Moreover, all the apparatus are connected, by means of pipes and valves with a
pump designed to withdraw the spent syrup outside the battery.
Finally the different parts of the apparatus are connected to a single condenser
from which they can be separated by suitable sliding valves.
The boiling operation applied for example to syrup is effected as follows: the syrup
to be boiled is drawn through a pipe into the first boiling pan of the apparatus
in which the boiling to obtain grains or crystals takes place in the known manner.
When this has been effected the washing of the crystals formed is commenced.
For this purpose a certain quantity of the syrup contained in the apparatus in which
syrup crystals have formed is caused to pass to the second boiling pan, at the same
time continuing the admission of the syrup to be boiled into the first pan through
the aforesaid pipe in such a manner that the level therein remains perceptibly
constant. During this washing operation steam continues to be admitted to the
heating surface of the first pan for operating after stirring the material as well
as for preventing the fusion of part of the crystals by the fresh syrup which cannot be
saturated at the temperature at which the boiling takes place. The fresh syrup to be
boiled baving a relatively great purity in comparison to the purity of the syrup in
which the crystals are bathed, displaces the latter gradually, so that the crystals
of sugar are almost quite pure and white after the subsequent operation in the
centrifugal apparatus.
When this operation has been completed, that is to say when the colour of the
syrup which passes through the apparatus is perceptibly like that of the syrup which
enters, the said apparatus is shut off from the battery and from the condenser, and
then emptied. This boiled material composed of crystals of sugar and pure syrup, no!
impoverished by the crystallization, is subjected directly to centrifugal action. The
white sugar obtained can be dried and granulated, whilst the syrup which leaves the
centrifugal apparatus returns to the vessel or reservoir to be again subjected to the
boiling operation.
While the crystals obtained in this vessel undergo the washing operation therein,
the second vessel receives the syrup which leaves the apparatus and the new crystals
which are too small to be retained by the filtering partitions.
When the charge is sufficient in the second vessel the boiling is commenced of tha

page_text: small crystals which are formed therein and which form "pied de cuite," increase in
volume at the expense of the syrup which passes through the apparatus as long as the
washing lasts, then after this has been terminated, at the expense of the fresh syrup
admitted.
At this moment the second vessel contains crystals of sugar which are increasing in
volume the saccharine liquor, in which are formed the crystals retained in the first
vessel, the syrup which have washed these crystals, finally the fresh syrup from the
reservoir.
From this it follows that the purity of the syrup contained in the second vessel
which is less than that in the first because the boiling is effected therein exclusively
with fresh syrup becomes less in proportion as the crystals become larger. Thus there
will be a moment when the crystallization is impeded by the accumulation of the non-
saccharine substances and when the crystals cease to increase rapidly enough.
Then a certain part of the syrup contained in the second vessel is removed by
drawing it through into the third vessel of the battery. In this apparatus the new
crystals which pass with the syrup continue to be developed the syrup coming poorer
in crystallizable sugar.
When the level of the boiled material attains a certain height therein, which
is determined by experience, part of the syrup in the third vessel passes with
the crystals most recently formed into the succeeding vessel of the battery
and thence into the first vessel again which has been emptied and cleansed
by steam.
The apparatus at the rear end is placed in communication with the pump which
serves to draw the spent syrup outside the battery.
The circulation of the syrup between the several elements or apparatus of the
battery can be effected either by the difference in the pressure between the apparatus
or by the difference in the level between their contents, or by pumps or similar means,
or lastly by two or more of these means combined. In each apparatus the admission
is of the steam to the coils and the degree of the vacuum are regulated so as to
maintain the syrup contained therein at the most appropriate degree of concentration
and temperature to ensure their being crystallized as completely as possible.
Dated this 27th day of August 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Concentration of
Saccharine and other Liquids and Obtaining Crystals therefrom.
I, RAYMOND RAEYMAECKERS, of Tirlemont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 a process of and apparatus for the treatment of saccharine
and other solutions.
In order to effect the boiling of saccharine and other solutions to obtain sugar
grains or crystals I make use of several distinct vessels suitably arranged and connected
with each other to form a battery. These vessels are of similar construction to the
known vessels with this difference, that they are provided with filtering sides or
partitions constituted by a rigid armature upon which are fixed plates perforated with
sufficiently small holes to retain the crystals formed. This arrangement enables a
certain quantity of syrup contained in the apparatus to be withdrawn during the
boiling operation whilst the crystals are retained therein. The invention is illustrated
in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is side elevation and
Figure 2 is a plan of the improved apparatus.
The vessels which constitute the battery (Figure 1) are connected with each other

page_text: By the pipes and valves a a aa
which connect the annular space o
Of the
several vessels with the body of the following vessel. In these pipes can be included,
if necessary, pumps B B1 B2 B3.
Each vessel communicates moreover through the medium of pipes c c¹ c² c³ with a
reservoir M containing the juice or syrup to be boiled.
Moreover, all the vessels are connected by means of pipes and valves d d¹ d² d³ with
a pump F designed to withdraw the spent syrup from the battery.
The several vessels are connected to a single condenser from which they can be
separated by the sliding valves G G¹ G² G³.
The boiling operation when for example applied to syrup is effected as follows:-
The syrup to be boiled is drawn through a pipe C into the vessel I in which the
boiling to obtain grains or crystals takes place in the known manner. When this has
been effected, the washing of the crystals formed is commenced.
For this purpose a certain quantity of the syrup which is contained in the vessel I
and in which crystals have formed, is caused to pass to the vessel II at the same time
continuing the admission of the syrup to be boiled into the vessel I through the pipe c
in such a manner that the level therein remains constant. During this washing
operation steam continues to be admitted to the heating surface of the vessel I so
that it will operate after stirring the material and will also prevent the fusion of
part of the crystals by the fresh syrup which cannot be saturated at the temperature
at which the boiling takes place. The fresh syrup to be boiled, which is of great
purity in comparison to the purity of the syrup in which the crystals are bathed,
displaces the last-mentioned syrup gradually, so that the crystals of sugar will be
almost pure and white after the subsequent operation in the centrifugal apparatus.
When this operation has been conipleted, that is to say when the colour of the
syrup which passes through a is perceptibly like that of the syrup which enters
through c, the vessel I is shut off from the battery and from the condenser, and then
emptied. This masse-cuite composed of crystals of sugar and pure syrup which has
not been impoverished by the crystallization, is subjected directly to centrifugal action.
The white sugar obtained can be dried and granulated, whilst the syrup which leaves
the centrifugal apparatus returns to the reservoir M to be again subjected to the
boiling operation.
While the crystals contained in the vessel I undergo the washing operation therein,
the vessel II receives the syrup which leaves the vessel I and the new crystals which
are too small to be retained by the filtering partitions.
When the charge is sufficient in the vessel II the boiling of the small crystals
which are found therein is commenced. These crystals which form the so-called pied
de cuite increase in volume at the expense of the syrup which passes through the
vessel I as long as the washing is continued, and after this at the expense of the
fresh syrup admitted.
At this moment the vessel II contains crystals of sugar which are increasing in
volume, the saccharine liquor in which are formed the crystals retained in the vessel I,
the syrup which has washed these crystals, finally the fresh syrup admitted
through c
From this it follows that the purity of the syrup contained in the vessel II (which
is less than that in the vessel I because the boiling is effected therein exclusively with
fresh syrup) diminishes in proportion as the crystals become larger. Thus there will
be a moment when the crystallization is impeded by the accumulation of the
non-saccharine substances and when the crystals cease to increase rapidly enough.
A certain part of the syrup contained in the vessel II is then removed by drawing
it through a into the vessel III. In this vessel the new crystals which pass with the
syrup continue to be developed the syrup becoming poorer in crystallizable sugar.
When the level of the masse-cuite attains a certain height therein, which is
determined by experience, part of the syrup in the vessel III passes with the crystals
most recently formed into the vessel IV and thence into the vessel I which has been
emptied and cleansed by steam.
In the normal operation of the apparatus the various vessels of the battery employed

page_text: for the boiling will contain crystals of sugar which vary in age and size, and syrup
possessing various degrees of purity. The vessel at the front end of the apparatus
will contain finished crystals which are being washed or discharged; the following
vessel will contain crystals in course of development which are surrounded with
comparatively rich syrup; the next vessel crystals of more recent formation, which
are produced in syrup of less purity and so on to the vessel at the rear end, which
contains the spent syrup and a small proportion of recently formed crystals. The
last-mentioned vessel is placed in communication with the pump F which serves to
draw the spent syrup from the battery.
It will be understood that in proportion as the operations proceed and succeed one
another each of the several vessels of the apparatus will successively constitute as it
were the first of the series as in a diffusion battery.
It will be seen that a continuous circulation of syrup is produced the richness or
purity of which decreases from the first to the last vessel. On the other hand the
crystals as soon as they attain a sufficient size will not increase in the several vessels
from which they are discharged only after washing in order to pass to the centrifugal
apparatus. The circulation of the syrup is regulated in such a manner that its com-
position and therefore its purity will remain constant in each vessel holding the same
rank in the battery.
This circulation of the syrup between the several vessels of the battery can be
effected either by a difference between the pressures in the said vessels or by a
difference between the levels of the materials they contain, or by pumps or other
suitable means, or by two or more of these means combined. In each vessel the
admission of the steam to the coils and the degree the vacuum are regulated so as to
maintain the syrup contained therein at the most appropriate degree of concentration
and temperature to ensure its being crystallized as completely as possible.
By this improved process the following advantages are obtained viz. :-Crystals are
obtained that are disembarrassed from the mother liquor by the washing through the
medium of the syrup to be boiled, which crystals by simple dropping in the centri-
fugal apparatus, form white sugar.
The largest crystals, which have been formed earliest are placed in the presence of
the richest syrup, that is to say, in the most favourable condition to ensure their rapid
development.
The largest crystals are removed in the presence of the crystals recently formed and
the impure syrup, which retards and impedes their increase in size.
The time of the contact is prolonged between the crystals of varying sizes which
have been recently formed and which constitute very active centres of crystallization
and the impure syrup which has been more or less spent, in order to impoverish the
latter still more.
The spent syrup contained in the last vessel of the battery is removed by the
pump Fat the most suitable point of concentration, in order that it may, if necessary
complete its crystallization by standing in ordinary crystallizing apparatus.
The centrifugal action is facilitated, inasmuch as the syrup adhering to the crystals
is very fluid.
The kneading or working of the masse-cuite which has a destructive effect upon the
crystals of sugar, is dispensed with.
The small crystals which are driven by the centrifugal force through the perforated
plates of the centrifugal apparatus are caused to pass to the mass-cuite jet I instead of
to the masse-cuite jet II.
Almost the whole quantity of sugar contained in the syrup treated is obtained in
the jet in the form of white sugar.
The boiling is continuous.
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
First. The process of boiling saccharine and other solutions in which the crystals

page_text: formed are washed in the boiling apparatus with more or less concentrated solutions
prepared within or outside the apparatus, which solutions after having displaced the
mother liquor adhering to the crystals, are concentrated and boiled in the said
apparatus to form grains or crystals.
Second. The boiling of saccharine and other solutions in a series or battery of
vessels in which the first formed crystals come in contact with the purest solutions
and the last-formed crystals with the solutions which have been most exhausted.
Third. The circulation of the liquor and syrup in the several vessels caused by
differences of pressure differences of level or by means of pumps, monte-jus or similar
devices.
Fourth. The elimination of the spent solutions from the series or battery of vessels
substantially as above described.
Fifth. The boiling apparatus comprising a series or battery of vessels connected
with each other by means of pipes, and slide-valves and pumps and the like substan-
tially as above described.
Sixth. A boiling apparatus comprising a series or battery of vessels which are
provided with fixed or removable filtering partitions and sides arranged in any suitable
manner for retaining the crystals which have acquired a certain size while the mother
and other liquor is allowed to pass.
Dated this 24th day of May 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.