IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS OR MOISTURE FROM SUBSTANCES, AND ALSO FOR REVIVIFYING AND COOLING ANIMAL CHARCOAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND FOR TREATING SUGAR
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Orr at the Office of.
the Commssioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th May
1867.
I, WILLIAM ORR, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, Great Britain,
Sugar Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS OR MOISTURE
FROM SUBSTANCES, AND ALSO FOR REVIVIFYING AND COOLING ANIMAL CHARCOAL AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES AND FOR TREATING SUGAR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which has for its essential object certain improvements in
apparatus for treating substances in such manner that the liquid or moist
parts may be separated from the anhydrous or dry parts, and also for
revivifying or bringing back to their original condition, as far as practicable,.
certain substances, especially such as animal, vegetable, or mineral charcoal,
is also particularly applicable for desiccating or separating all substances of a
semi-fluid nature, such as painters' colours, certain chemicals, potters' and
porcelain clay, distillers' wash, anylum of all kinds, starch, sugar, opaque
liquids, moist refuse from manufactories, and all matters or substances
requiring desiccation, separation, or purification.
The first part of the apparatus employed consists of a desiccator commonly
known as a centrifugal machine, the position of which is the inverse of that
ordinarly employed, that is to say, the apparatus is open at the bottom in place
of the top or side. The desiccating or separating basket is constructed in

page_text: the usual manner, the sides of which may be parallel or inclined inwards
towards the top, depending on the nature of the material to be operated upon,
for instance, if charcoal or dry grainy substances are to be treated the sides
may be parallel, but for sugar and other adhesive or oleaginous or gummy
substances it is preferred to make the sides incline outwards towards their
lower ends to permit more freedom for detaching the substances therefrom
after the desiccation shall have been completed.
As the apparatus is generally similar for nearly all the purposes herein-before
referred to to which it is applicable the following description is confined to
that for treating animal charcoal as used in sugar refineries, and in any way or
mode whatsoever, washed, cleansed, or purified. In the process of refining sugar
after the decolorizing power or effect of the charcoal is exhausted with solutions
it becomes filled with impurities, and to remove these under the present
Invention an air-tight cylinder, or cistern, or tank is placed below in com-
munication with the charcoal cistern from the bottom. A vacuum is created in
this cylinder by any of the modes in use for that purpose, and when the sweet
water is run off a communication is opened between the exhausting cylinder
and charcoal cistern, by which means the hot and cold water employed to
wash down is rapidly withdrawn, and the formation of acetic acid as well as
the generation of noxious gases prevented, after which the charcoal is removed
to the apparatus now to be described. The top part of the apparatus is by
preference made of metal or wood having openings at a certain distance from
the centre, the lengths of which are in proportion to the internal cylinder, or
cone, or flanches, or blades, or a perforated cone may be used as herein-after
described or other similar repelling or impelling arrangement. Over these
openings on one side are placed flanches or blades of a radial length equal
to that of the holes, and fastened on the top plate and placed at any suitable
angle over the opening, so that when the machine rotates these flanches or
blades catch the charcoal which falls directly through the openings on the
internal arrangements berein-before mentioned. On this top plate there is
fixed a circular flanch at the outer end of the openings inclined towards the
centre, forming a crib which prevents the charcoal from being thrown by the
rotatory motion over the top plate, and causes the charcoal to enter through the
openings in the top plate; the top plate with the desiccating basket connected
are fixed on an upright shaft to which the necessary rotatory motion is applied.
The basket may be kept in steady position if of considerable depth by inclined
rods from the inside or outside of the top plate, or where no steam or liquid
pipe or injector is introduced from beneath by tie rods to or from the
internal cone or shaft. To the lower side of the top plate or to the shaf

page_text: under it is fixed a cylinder, or a smooth or corrugated cone, or flanches or
blades, straight or inclined, separate or in parts, or two or more of these
combined, or in place of these other repelling or impelling arrangements or
apparatus may be used. The upper end of the cone or the other arrangements
above described next to the top plate is (or are) between the inner ends of the
openings in the top plate, and may be inclined outwards in a downward
direction increasing horizontally to within several inches of the lower edge
of the desiccator, or may be continued straight and the flanches or blades,
or both, brought out to the necessary distance towards the desiccating
basket to intercept the charcoal falling through the openings in the top plate.
Or the cylinder or cone may be perforated or have suitable openings with or
without flanches or projections internally or externally, the interior and lower
end of the cone or cylinder being fitted with blast fanners or inclined
blades, or both, the rotatory motion of the cone or the shaft impelling the
blast by the fanners to pass into the cone or cylinder.
The effect of these arrangements is that the charcoal having passed through
the openings in the top plate by the centrifugal action of the cylinder, or cone,
or flanches, or blades, or other repelling apparatus, or by the impelling blast
caused by the fanners through the perforated cylinder or cone with openings
is thrown against the basket, and is in its position on the basket thoroughly
washed and cleansed by the desiccating action from all impurities with hot or
cold water, or steam, or other purifying and restoring liquids, diluted acids, or
other suitable chemical substances admitted by the openings in the top plate,
or by a perforated or rose pipe entering from underneath, or by gases, and
when thoroughly desiccated the rotatory motion is reduced until the centrifugal
force is diminished sufficiently to permit the charcoal to fall from and out
of the basket to the floor underneath or on an appliance by which it may be
removed to the kiln head or elsewhere. By this means the machine is not
required to be stopped for being emptied, for as soon as the contents fall out
full speed is applied and it is recharged. The charcoal is then according to
the amount of cleansing, desiccating action, and purification applied, restored
to a considerable extent, and for many ordinary purposes ready for use, but
to be fully restored it may be burned by kilns and rapidly cooled. The outside
case is not connected to the revolving portion of the machine, but rests on the
floor, or is otherwise fixed round and over the revolving part and receives the
liquid extracted by the centrifugal force, which then falls into a gutter or roue
of dimensions sufficient to allow clearing out, the gutter being suspended to
the outside case or otherwise fixed, and leading to a receiver where any fine
charcoal that may have passed through the perforated plate or wire gauze of

page_text: the basket or other organic substance of greater specific gravity than water is
precipitated, and the foul water with other insoluble injurious matter is passed
off; the charcoal is then conveyed to the kiln head, which is fitted with iron or
fire-clay pipes or retorts in the usual way with coolers, and this constitutes the
second part of this Invention. The arch or by preference the inverted arch of
the furnace is constructed about two-thirds or thereabouts up the kiln, and
slabs or tiles of fire-clay are placed inclined at a considerable angle downwards
from the haunch of the arch to a certain distance above the lower end of the
back row of retorts, where the wall is constructed with flue spaces and draft
slides. The original heat of the furnace is thus brought on the lower part of the
retorts, and conveyed by the flues in the wall to the upper part of the retorts,
thence into the empty space direct over the furnace arch, which thus forms
the bottom of the flue, and the smoke carried out by the front or back of the
kiln as may be convenient to the stalk or chimney. The top of the flue is
formed by a flat metal case or boiler in which the water is heated by the
surplus heat from the kiln, and supplies hot water for purging the charcoal in
the centrifugal machine. The charcoal from its dry purified state as passed
or brought from the centrifugal machine will be sufficiently burned in a
comparatively short time and passed into the coolers. The charcoal chambers
of these coolers are constructed in the same manner as now commonly used,
but each cooler is furnished with a water box or case on one or both sides, or
is otherwise immersed in water, these water cases are supplied with a constant
run of cold water entering at the top or bottom and escaping in the same
manner, these water boxes are fitted with a number of horizontal division
plates, each alternate plate being open at the end by which the water flows.
regularly from one division to another, thus by a continuous current constantly
cooling the whole surface of the plates of the hot charcoal chambers, by which
the charcoal is immediately cooled without exposure to the open air, it is then
withdrawn from the cooler, spread out, and turned over for two or three
hours to receive the necessary atmospheric action, when it will be rendered
equal to new charcoal if not overburned. By reason of the fine and dry state
of the charcoal as coming from the centrifugal machine it may become
partially whitened and rendered useless with the heat of the surface on the
top of the retorts when exposed to the open air. To prevent this as soon as
the retort is filled a loose fitting cover is placed over it in which is a small
hole to permit of evaporation and the escape of noxious gases. A much
lower degree of heat is required in the kiln, and the great destruction of kiln
pipes and loss of charcoal and time, replacing pipes caused by the ordinary
mode is entirely avoided with a great saving of fuel; when fire-clay pipes

page_text: are employed this loss will not occur with ordinary attention. In operating
with sugar or similar substances before passing it through the desiccator before
referred to, it is dissolved at a low temperature by rapid agitation in the
receptacle commonly called the "blow up." To the agitators are attached
perforated receptacles, bags, or baskets into which the sugar is placed and out
of which it is washed and dissolved. To the lower part of the agitator loose
hinged projections are attached which prevent the accumulation of undissolved
sugar in the bottom; when dissolved it is run through a large valve or cock
at the bottom of the "blow up" into a cistern having three chambers formed
by perforated plates; the upper and lower division plates are near to the top
and bottom. In the central chamber hollow cones are fixed in the perforations
of the division plates above and below; to these cones are attached circular
cloths. The solution flows from the "blow up" into either the upper or
lower chambers, and entering the circular cloths the gross impurities are
separated and fall to the bottom chamber, while the partially cleansed solution
passes through the cloths into the central chamber, and is drawn off by
preference from near the surface by a pipe leading to the bottom of the
chamber so as to keep the circular cloths floating in the solution while they
are filled with the impurities and are thus prevented from bursting; the
solution, if of sugar, is then conveyed to the receiving cistern before being run
into the charcoal cistern, or if the solution is of a substance not requiring to
be clarified it is conveyed to the centrifugal machine which is charged with
charcoal or other detergent substance. When the circular cloths become
clogged with glutinous matter it is removed by a brush or other appliance
which passes down through the perforations in the upper plate and cone to the
circular cloth, and then admitting steam to the central chamber. After the
glutinous matter is removed with the brush it is washed down with water and
carried into the lower chamber, and from thence conveyed away through a
suitable cock or valve; the top of the lower chamber is provided with an air
cock to promote a current of steam downwards in the interior of the circular
cloth, this cock also indicates when the chamber is filled with impure matter.
To the under side of the lower division plate are fitted valves for the exit of the
lower cones, each row of cones having one long valve with perforations under
each cone when open; these valves are worked through a stuffing box on the
outside of the lower chamber, and enable the sugar to be emptied without
emptying the circular cloths in the central chamber. By
"blowing up"
at a low temperature the formation of much caramel and consequently
glucose is prevented, and the colder it can practically be operated on in the
various purifying stages the better. The passage from the "blow up" and

page_text: cloth cistern having been effected comparatively cool, it must on being placed
in the charcoal be heated to permit of free percolation by reducing its density,
and also raised to the requisite degree of heat to promote decolorization
according to the quality of charcoal in use, and this is obtained when the liquor
is run into the charcoal cistern from the cool receiver by passing the liquor
through a series of pipes placed within a steam chest, by which no more liquid
is kept in beat than what passes direct into the charcoal cistern and the
temperature regulated by the steam valve; the same means are also applied
for increasing the temperature of the clarified liquid when passing into the
vacuum pan, by which means more rapid evaporation is promoted and
consequent crystallization, while the previously formed crystals are not injured
by the introduction of colder liquor. This superheated liquor is introduced
into the vacuum pan through a perforated or rose pipe carried round the
interior of the vacuum pan above the boiling liquid, where falling on and
amongst the weaker portion of the boiling liquid its crystallization is promoted.
Sugar solution passing from the charcoal cistern retains nearly all the heat
it bad when entering the charcoal. If not immediately taken to the vacuum
pan, but accumulated in a large body for eight or ten hours, this heat becomes
injurious; it is observable when a perfectly pure bright liquid from the charcoal
has lain for twenty-four hours it has assumed a yellowish tint and dimness, and
to prevent this the pipes from the charcoal cistern to the receiver are laid in
a trough, and when the liquor has to be kept over six or eight hours a stream
of cold water is turned into this trough, which immediately cools down the
liquid and no further injury is done.