IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING SUGAR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edwin Thoinas Marler at the Office
of the "Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd August
1867. A communication from abroad by Benjamin Lawrence and
Phineas Lawrence, both of John Street, New York, United States of
America.
LEDWIN THOMAS MARLER, of Basinghall Street, in the City of London,
Agent to Lawrence, Brothers, Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
CLARIFYING SUGAR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES," communicated to me: from abroad by Benjamin Lawrence and
Phineas Lawrence, both of John Street, New York, United States of America,
to be as follows:-
This Invention principally relates to clarifying sugar, that is to say,
clarifying the saccharine juices in the manufacture of sugar. Heretofore this
has been effected by filtering the juices through animal charcoal, whereas
according to this Invention jets of steam are introduced or applied in such
manner as to be thorougly disseminated through a body of highly heated
saccharine juices in combination with fullers' earth, animal charcoal, or other
-suitable defecating-medium. By this method the organic matters held in
suspension-and-other-impurities which discolor and deteriorate the sugar
are thoroughly expelled or extracted, and other industrial advantages are
obtained.

page_text: The improved apparatus which I am about to describe is especially adapted
for carrying this process into effect, though I do not confine myself to such
particular apparatus.
The apparatus consists mainly of an upright cylinder, above which is a
steam chest. An induction pipe leads into the cylinder from a boiler or defecator,
below it is a gauge cock. From the under side of the cylinder an eduction
pipe leads into a settling or decanting vat. An induction pipe leads from a
boiler into the top of the chest. A set of eduction pipes extend from the lower
side of the chest into the cylinder down nearly to the bottom thereof. Within
the chest is a deflector plate which receives the column of steam from the
induction pipe and distributes or diffuses it among the eduction pipes.
In using this apparatus the juice is introduced into the boiler or defecator
together with lime, and heated by steam or otherwise to a temperature
preferably of from 250° to 260° Fahrenheit, and then run off through the
induction pipe into the cylinder, where fullers' earth, bone black, or other
defecating medium is added, and a jet of steam is introduced into the cylinder
through the eduction pipes. The charge must not rise above the gauge cock.
After the combined juice and defecating matter in the cylinder have been
subjected to the intense action of the steam the juice is discharged into a
decanting or settling vessel; beside the lime used in the defecation sulphate
of soda may be added with advantage. When fullers' earth is used it should
be very pure and free from carbonate of magnesia.
The above improvements may be applied to purposes other than but similar
to the clarifying of sugar.