IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF EXTRACTING THE JUICE PROM SUGAR CANE, BEETROOT, AND OTHER PLANTS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinand Kohn, of 6, Robert Street, Adelphi,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF EXTRACTING THE JUICE PROM SUGAR CANE, BEETROOT, AND
OTHER PLANTS."-A communication from abroad by Julius Robert
of Seelowitz, in Austria, Sugar Manufacturer.
Sealed the 2nd November 1869, and dated the 17th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinand Kohn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th May 1869.
I, FERDINAND KOHN, of 6, Robert Street, Adelphi, Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF EXTRACTING THE JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE, BEETROOT,
AND OTHER PLANTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in some further improvements and modi-
fications applicable to the process of sugar extraction, patented by Wm.
Edward Gedge, on the 27th February 1866, No. 594, as a communication
from F. J. V. Minchin, of Aska, Madras Presidency, India, which process

page_text: In the
is now generally known by the name of the diffusion process.
method hitherto adopted for carrying out the principle of the diffusion
process the cane is cut into slices by a special machine, for which a
Patent has been granted to me on the 4th December 1866, No. 3187,
as a communication from F. J. V. Minchin, of Aska, Madras Presidency,
East India. The sliced cane is filled into a so-called battery of diffusion
vessels consisting of a series of closed water-tight tanks, and is brought
into contact with water at an elevated temperature in a certain suc-
cession and systematic order which is requisite for the complete
extraction of the plant and for the proper concentration of the juice
obtained.
The main feature of this present. Invention consists in carrying out
the whole process of diffusion in one single vessel or diffuser, in which
the sugar extraction is carried on continuously by introducing the slices
of cane, beetroot, or other plants through a feeding apparatus at the
bottom of the vessel, from which they rise slowly and gradually to the
top, while the fresh water is constantly running in at the top of the
diffusion vessel and is drawn off at the bottom as diffusion juice, after
having remained in contact with the slices for a suflicient length of
time. The water in its gradual descent through the entire height of
the diffusion vessel passes through all the stages of gradually increasing
concentration which are obtained in the different vessels of a diffusion
battery, and the slices in their ascent become gradually extracted in a
corresponding manner, so that the whole process of extraction is
effectively carried out in one single vessel instead of a battery of
diffusers.
In order to make this new arrangement better understood, I have
appended a Drawing which shows a sketch of the diffusion vessel in
vertical section, and in plan. The cane slices are fed from the
hopper (A), through the pipe (B) into the diffuser (C), where they enter
at the bottom and gradually rise to the top for being finally discharged
through the side opening (N). The whole mass in the vessel (C), is
kept in slow rotation by the arms (F, F,) which revolve on the
spindle (I), fitted with gearing (L, M,) at the top. The water enters
at the top of the vessel through the pipes (P, P,) and the juice
is drawn off at the bottom through the pipe (S), which leads to the
clarifier (T.)

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ferdinand Kohn in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FERDINAND
Konx, of 6, Robert Street, Adelphi, Westminster, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Ferdinand Kobn, Her special licence
that I, the said Ferdinand Kohn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Ferdinand Kohn, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF EXTRACTING THE JUICE FROM SUGAR CANE, BEETROOT, AND OTHER
PLANTS," a communication to me from abroad by Julius Robert, of
Seelowitz, in Austria, Sugar Manufacturer, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Ferdinand Kohn, my executors or admin-
istrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ferdinand Kohn, do hereby declare
the nature of the said 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 consists in some further improvements and modi-
fications applicable to the process of sugar extraction, patented by Mr.
Edward Gedge, on the 27th February 1866, No. 594, as a communication
from F. J. V. Minchin, of Aska, Madras Presidency, India, which process

page_text: In the
is now generally known by the name of the diffusion process.
method hitherto adopted for carrying out the principle of the diffusion
process the cane is cut into slices by a special machine, for which a
Patent has been granted to me on the 4th December 1866, No. 3187,
as a communication from F. J. V. Minchin, of Aska, Madras Presidency,
East India. The sliced cane is filled into a so-called battery of diffusion
vessels consisting of a series of closed water-tight tanks, and is brought
into contact with water at an elevated temperature in a certain suc-
cession and systematic order which is requisite for the complete
extraction of the plant and for the proper concentration of the juice
obtained.
The main feature of this present Invention consists in carrying out
the whole process of diffusion in one single vessel or diffuser, in which
the sugar extraction is carried ou continuously by introducing the slices
of cane, beetroot, or other plants through a feeding apparatus at the
bottom of the vessel, from which they rise slowly and gradually to the
top, while the fresh water is constantly running in at the top of the
diffusion vessel and is drawn off at the bottom as diffusion juice, after
having remained in contact with the slices for a sufficient length of time.
The water in its gradual descent through the entire height of the
diffusion vessel passes through all the stages of gradually increasing
concentration which are obtained in the different vessels of a diffusion
battery, and the slices in their ascent become gradually extracted in a
corresponding manner, so that the whole process of extraction is effectively
carried out in one single vessel instead of a battery of diflusers.
In order to make this arrangement better understood, I have appended
Drawing which shews the diffusion vessel in vertical section, Fig. 1,
and in plan, Fig. 2, also in horizontal section at the line M, M, Fig. 3.
A is the diffusion vessel fitted with a central shaft B, which carries a
series of arms or blades C, C, C, and is kept in slow rotation by the
gearing D, D; E is the feeding tube for introducing the slices of cane,
beetroot, or other plant by means of a revolving screw spindle F, which
carries a continuous feeding screw or a series of screw blades as shown
in the Drawing. By the action of this feeding apparatus the slices are
introduced at the bottom of the diffusion vessel at G, and spread all over
the perforated bottom H by the rotating arms C, C. The diffusion
vessel is divided at equal distances by perforated plates which permit
the free descent of the water or diffusion juice, but prevent the slices

page_text: from rising too rapidly through the entire height of the vessel. Each
of these perforated plates is provided with a large opening (shewn
shaded at O, in Fig. 3), through which the slices can rise into the next
division, but the openings in the plates are not placed opposite each
other, so as to prevent the possibility of a direct ascent in a straight line
from the bottom to the top of the vessel. Each perforated plate has a
revolving blade at the top and at the bottom, and each division is pro-
vided with a manhole N, N. The water is introduced at the top of the
vessel through the perforated pipes p, p, which are connected with the
main pipe P. The diffusion juice is drawn off at the bottom of the
vessel through the stand pipe R, and the extracted cane is removed from
the vessel by the revolving scraper T, T, when it reaches the top of the
diffusion vessel. A coil pipe U, U, is provided for heating the juice
by steam if required, but this rendered superfluous when hot or boiling
water is employed for the process.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner
in which it is to be carried out, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details of the arrangement
herein-before described, but that I claim,-
1. The general arrangement of the apparatus for the process of
diffusion as herein-before described.
2. The method of carrying out the process of diffusion in a single
vessel by the continuous introduction of the materials to be extracted
at one end and of the extracting liquid at the opposite end of the
vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinand Kohn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
FERDINAND KOHN. (L.S.)