CERTAIN IMPROVE- IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of July, in the tenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," being a communication from a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in

page_text: part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto-annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention of Improvements in the Manufacture of Sugar, as communi-
cated to me by my Foreign Correspondent, refers to that part of the process in
which the liquor of the sugar cane, as it runs from the mill, is operated upon, in
order to bring it into a fit state for crystallizing in the coolers. The improve-
ments consist in an arrangement of apparatus whereby the cane juice is
filtered, heated, skimmed, and run off into coolers with greater expedition and
certainty than heretofore, and with a considerable diminution of cost in manual
labour, the moving parts of the apparatus being worked by steam or other
equivalent motive power. In the accompanying Drawing I have shown the
improved construction of apparatus in several views, Figure 1 being a plan or
horizontal view, Figure 2 a vertical section, taken in the dotted line A, B, of
Figure 1, and Figure 3 a transverse vertical section, taken in the line C, D, of
Figure 2. a, a, is an open boiler set in brickwork b, b, and beneath the boiler
is a flue extending along its whole length, and proceeding from the furnace at
c to a chimney shaft d. The draft in this flue is capable of being cut off when
required by means of a damper, shewn in the Drawing. This chimney d is
situated between two tanks e, e, which are provided with steam jackets, and
Into these tanks e, e,
are connected by means of pipes f. f, with the boiler a.
the charge of lime is thrown, and the cane juice is run in after it has been
separated by filtration from the feculences or extraneous matters which have
passed with it from the mill employed for crushing the cane. The mode of
effecting this filtration will be best seen by reference to Figures 2 and 3. 9 is
a horizontal shaft mounted in bearings on the side of a water tank h. This
shaft carries two or more discs of wood, and on its outer end a pulley is keyed,
to which rotary motion is conveyed from the main driving shaft i, above the
apparatus, by a band passing over a pulley on that shaft. Immediately above
the shaft g is an open pan or vessel k, which is provided on each side with a
small roller l, l, mounted in brackets attached to the ends of the pan. m, m,
is an endless web of wire cloth which passes over the rollers 1, 2, and under the
discs of the shaft g. n is a branch pipe communicating with the tanks e, e, which
are themselves, as before stated, in connection with the boiler a. The liquor

page_text: of the crushed cane is run down a trough or channel from the mill on to the
endless wire cloth, which, by means of the band and pullies of the shafts g and
i, is caused to travel slowly in the direction of the arrow. As the liquor flows
on to the cloth it will percolate through and fall into the tank k below, while
the feculences or refuse matters will be carried forward by the cloth, and fall
into the water tank h. The object of having water in this tank is to cleanse
the wire cloth of any glutinous or other matter that might otherwise adhere to
it and check the proper filtration of the liquor. While this operation is going
on the liquor flows from the tank k along the branch pipe n into the tanks e, e,
where it may, if required, be subjected to heat by turning steam into the jackets
provided for that purpose. The liquor thence passes along the pipes f. f, into
the boiler a, the supply being regulated by the sluice cocks and floats f*, f*.
In this boiler a, at about the middle of its length, is a partition which divides
it into two, and attached to this partition is a channel o, for the purpose of
carrying off the scum which is thrown on to the surface of the liquor in the
division 1 of the boiler by the action of the heat in the flue beneath. This
channel o, which crosses the boiler a, presents a level or horizontal edge to
the liquor in the division 1. And this edge, which acts as a stationary
skimmer, is made concave, as shewn in the Drawing, the better to take off the
scum, and prevent it hanging against the sides of the boiler.
As the liquor
flows into the boiler through the sluice cocks at the other end, a current
towards the channel o is created, which current brings with it the scum upon
the surface and passes it over the level edge of the channel, whence it flows
down into a tank p, intended to receive the refuse matters, as shewn at
Figure 4, which is a section_taken in the lines E, F, of Figures 1 and 2. It
will be readily understood that according to the height of this level edge of
the channel the sluice cocks and floats f*, f*, must be adjusted, so as to
regulate the supply of liquid to the boiler. If the flow of the liquid should not
be found sufficient to carry forward the scum (as it rises on the surface) into
the channel o, a fan or blower may be employed to impel a current of air on
to the surface of the liquor, and thus expedite the operation. Beneath that
part of the boiler a, where the partition crosses, the flue is widened, as shewn
by dots in the plan view, Figure 1, in order to give a greater heat to the
liquor and cause it to simmer from the sides of the boiler. The liquor in the
first division of the boiler having been deprived as above stated of its scum
and other refuse matters, it is allowed to flow in a continuous stream through
the sluice cock o* to the division 2 of the boiler, where it is subjected to a
greater heat by reason of the nearer proximity of the furnace, and also to a
further skimming operation. Above this part of the boiler is a paddle wheel

page_text: 2,9, which has the main driving shaft i for its axle. This wheel is so adjusted
that the float boards or paddles will (as they successively come round by the
rotation of the wheel) dip into the liquor and push the scum on the surface to
that side of the boiler where an inclined plane is provided to receive it. The
continued rotation of the paddles will carry forward the scum now collected on
the inclined surface and deposit it in a channel 1, made on the top of one of
the side walls b. The action of the wheel q will be best understood by refer-
ence to. Figure 5, which is a sectional elevation taken in the line G, H, of
Figures 1 and 2. It will be generally found advantageous to continue a given
number of the paddles up to the shaft i, in order that they may act also as
fans and bring a current of air on to the surface of the liquor, by which means
evaporation will be accelerated. The bed of the channel r inclines towards
the partition of the boiler, and there it is brought into connection with a large
tank s, which is intended as a receptacle for all the matters swept out of the
division 2 of the boiler by the wheel q, when rotating in the direction of the
arrow, Figure 5. This tank s is provided with a small lift pump 6, which,
when the liquor has been allowed a sufficient time to settle, is actuated by
means of gearing connected with the main driving shaft i, and made to pump
up the clear liquor into the division 1 of the boiler a. The refuse in the
tanks s, after the clear liquor is pumped out, is run off by a sluice cock into
the refuse tank p, before mentioned. It may be also advisable to have a
communication between each of the tanks e and the refuse tank p, (as shewn
at e, Figure 1), that when they are cleared out the sediment may be run off
by merely raising a valve in the bottom of these tanks. If steam is used for
heating the tanks e, e, the waste steam may be conducted into the chimney
shaft (as shewn also at Figure 1). When the skimming process has been
carried on in the division 2 of the boiler for a sufficient time, which will rea-
dily be ascertained by the attendant, the liquor is then run through a cock u
into a smaller boiler w, where it is submitted to a still greater heat. This
boiler is provided with a lift pump v, which is supported in a bearing x, and
has a spout capable of turning on a centre, for the purpose to be presently
mentioned. The pump is worked by means of a crank and gearing connected
with the main driving shaft i, in order to pump up the liquor from the boiler w,
and let it fall in a continuous stream, by which means the bubbles will be
broken and an overflow of the liquor will be prevented. The next operation
is to transfer the liquor from the boiler w to an adjoining pan y, which is
placed immediately over the furnace fire, and rests at one end upon the brick-
work, but at the other end is supported by studs resting in brackets fixed in
the wall of the furnace so as to be capable of tilting when required. In order

page_text: to convey the liquor from the boiler w to the tilt pan y, the spout of the lift
pump'v is turned round into the position shewn by dots in the Drawing, and set to
work, when it will throw a charge of liquor from the.boiler into the pan y,
where it is finally concentrated. The pan may be tilted by a chain attached to
it and passing over a pulley or pulleys, as shewn in the Drawing, or by any
other convenient means. When thus tilted the charge of now concentrated
liquor will run off by the pipe y* into the coolers 2, and the same movement
which caused the tilting of the pan will bring down a damper over the ash-hole,
and stop the supply of air to the fire by reason of the damper being attached
to one end of the chain, which is secured at its other end to the tilt pan, and
forming thus a counterpoise thereto. It will now be clearly understood that
by this improved apparatus and mode of working, the filtering, clarifying, con-
centrating and cooling processes will be simultaneously carried on in a uniform
and expeditious manner. As the requisite time for submitting the liquor to
the heat of the fire will vary in almost every case, depending upon the quality
of the liquor and other causes, I have not thought it necessary to enter into
such minute particulars, as any workman, competent to carry on the manufac-
ture of sugar by the ordinary process, will, by the usual test, be able to ascertain
the exact process of the operation.
In conclusion I wish it to be understood that I claim under the above in part
regited Letters Patent,-
First, the construction of filtering apparatus, as above described and shewn
in the Drawings, for separating the feculences and extraneous matters.from the
cane liquor as it runs from the crushing mill.
Secondly, the application of the partition and channel to the boiler a, for
separating the scum from the cane liquor and conducting it off into a refuse
tank, as above described.
Thirdly, I claim the application, in the manufacture of sugar, of rotating
paddles or leaves for skimming or taking off the scum and oleaginous matters
from the surface of the cane liquor.
Fourthly, the application of a lift pump to the boiler w, for the purposes
above described; and,
Lastly, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus above
described and shewn in the Drawing for converting the sugar cane liquor to a
fit state for crystallization.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
(L.B.) A. V. NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Alfred Vincent Newton came before
our Lady the Queen .in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of January, in the year above written.