IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SACCHARINE SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Henry Johnson, F.C.S., of Stratford, in the County
of Essex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
SACCHARINE SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October 1880.
SAMUEL HENRY JOHNSON, F.C.S., of Stratford, in the County of Essex,
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SACCHARINE SUBSTANCES."
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No. 810, in the year 1875,
I described a process for obtaining saccharine substances from what in that
Specification I called permeable grain containing starch.
I have now discovered that by the process described in that Specification I am
able to obtain a large per centage of saccharine substances from the cellular tissues
of vegetable substances from which all starch has been extracted, as, for example,
from brewers or distillers' grains, from which all starch has been extracted by the
ordinary mashing process, and also from other vegetable tissues in which no starch
is contained.
If such brewers' or distillers' grains are treated with weak acid and afterwards
subjected to steam at a high temperature, as described in the above Specification,
they will yield further quantities of fermentable matters, such as maltose and
dextrose, in addition to other carbo-hydrates or extractive matters which are not
fermentable.
Also in the Specification of the above mentioned Patent the conversion of what was
therein called permeable grain was effected first by the action upon it after it had
been steeped in weak acid of steam at a high pressure, and next, in some cases, by
injecting into it superheated water.
I have now found that a good conversion may also be effected by the direct
injection of superheated water without the preliminary steaming. This method
of proceeding is applicable not only for treating permeable grain containing
starch, but also for treating cellular tissue in which but little if any starch is
contained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
April 1881.
SAMUEL HENRY JOHNSON, F.C.S., of Stratford, in the County of Essex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SACCHARINE SUBSTANCES."
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No. 810, in the year 1875,
I described a process for obtaining saccharine substances from what in that
Specification I called permeable grain containing starch. I have now discovered
that by the process described in that Specification I am able to obtain a large
percentage of saccharine substances from the cellular tissues of vegetable substances
from which all starch has been extracted, as, for example, from brewers' or distillers'
grains from which all starch has been extracted by the ordinary mashing process,
and also from other vegetable tissues in which no starch is contained.
If such brewers' or distillers' grains are treated with weak acid and afterwards
subjected to steam at a high temperature, as described in the above Specification,
they will yield further quantities of fermentable matters, such as maltose. and
dextrose, in addition to other carbo-hydrates or extractive matters which are not
fermentable.
Also in the Specification of the above mentioned Patent the conversion of what
was therein called permeable grain was effected, 1st, by the action upon it after it
had been steeped in weak acid of steam at a high pressure, and next, in some casos,
by injecting into it superheated water..
I have now found that a good conversion may also be effected by the direct
injection of superheated water without the preliminary steaming; this method of
proceeding is applicable not only for treating permeable grain containing starch, but
also for treating cellular tissue in which but little if any starch is contained.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
To obtain saccharine substances from brewers' or or distillers' grains, or from
vegetable cellular tissue containing but little if any starch, I mix the grains or
tissue with about 24 per cent. of their weight of dilute hydrochloric acid of specific
gravity of about 1 060 until the acid is absorbed by the grain: The mixing may
advantageously be effected in a revolving vessel. After the acid has been allowed
to remain in contact with the grains for about twenty four hours they are introduced
into a strong wrought iron vessel lined with lead. The vessel is of the form of an
inverted truncated cone; at the top it is provided with an opening for the
introduction of the prepared grain, and this opening can be hermetically closed by a
suitable lid.
At the lower end of the vessel is a perforated false bottom on which the material
rests, and below this is a steam cock through which steam can be introduced.
Steam at a pressure of about 60 to 90 lbs. to the square inch is allowed to blow into
the vessel through this cock and permeates throughout the material in the vessel.
After a time the contents become liquid and are agitated by the ingoing current of
steam. When the conversion is completed, which requires about 2 to 10 minutes,
the contents of the vessel are forced out through draw off cocks into suitable vessels
provided with agitators wherein the acid can be neutralised by means of a carbonato
of an alkali or an alkaline earth; subsequently, in order to separate the glucose
from the insoluble matter accompanying it, it is diluted with water and filtered by
any convenient method.
In place of using steam only in the process of conversion, as above described,
a measured quantity of water at a temperature of about 305° Fahrenheit may be
introduced into the vessel after previously acting upon it with steam.

page_text: To allow of superheated water being thus introduced into the vessel, the bottom
of the vessel may be connected by a suitable cock and pipe with a water measuring
chamber or vessel having in front a gauge to enable the man working the apparatus
to know the quantity of water in the measure.
The water measuring chamber is first filled from a steam boiler at the required
pressure with the desired amount of superheated water. The communication with
the water space of the steam boiler is then cut off by closing a cock, and the cock
on the pipe leading from the bottom of the water measuring chamber to the bottom
of the converting vessel is opened and the water is discharged into the converter,
steam only being left in the measuring chamber; the cock on the pipe leading to
the converter can then be closed.
When I use superheated water alone for effecting the conversion of permeable
grain containing starch or spent brewers' grains or other vegetable tissue
previously prepared by admixture of weak acid, and without previously subjecting
it to a preliminary steaming process, the water measuring chamber should be
formed to contain rather a larger quantity of water than when steam is previously
used. Preferably, I employ for every hundredweight of brewers' grains or
permeable grain about 8 to 12 gallons of water at a temperature of about 305°
Fahrenheit, and introduce the whole quantity of water at once into the converting
vessel; afterwards steam under pressure is blown into the converting vessel through
the perforated false bottom to keep up the temperature of the liquid in the vessel
and keep it agitated until the conversion is completed.
In place of using hydrochloric acid in the above described processes, sulphuric
acid may be substituted for it in such proportion as that there may be present in
the material under treatment about 1 to 5% of real acid calculated upon the
weight of the material.
The converting vessel may be made of an alloy of tin and copper 1:9.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The treatment of brewers' or distillers' grains or other vegetable tissue
containing but little or no starch by the process substantially as herein before
described to obtain saccharine substances therefrom.
Second. The treatment of acidified grain in a permeable condition, or acidified
brewers' or distillers' grains, or other acidified vegetable tissue containing but little
or no starch, by the injection into them of superheated water without any previous
injection of steam, substantially as described, to obtain saccharine substances
therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Henry Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.