APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR AND OTHER EXTRACTS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GUTTERIDGE, of the Minories, in the Borough of the Tower Hamlets, Civil
Engineer, and GEORGE STEVENS, of Norwood, in the County of Surrey, Sugar
Refiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of December; in the third
year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said William Gutteridge and George Stevens, His especial
licence, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said William Gutteridge
and George Stevens, our exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Gutteridge, our exors, adññors, 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 expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
our Invention of "APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR
AND OTHER EXTRACTS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said William Gutteridge
and George Stevens, or one of us, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after

page_text: the date of the said in 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, we, the said
William Gutteridge and George Stevens, do hereby declare that the nature of
our Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists,-
First, in an arrangement or combination of apparatus for boiling and
evaporating syrups in the manufacture of sugar, on the principle of Howard's
vacuum pans.
.
Secondly, such arrangement or combination of apparatus is also applicable
in evaporating and consentrating, and at the same time obtaining spirituous
and other extracts from solutions and mixtures of other vegetable substances.
And,
Thirdly, in apparatus for the drying loaves of sugar.
In order that our Invention may be fully described and understood, we will
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the various figures
and letters marked thereon, first observing that the same letters of reference
indicate similar parts in each of the Figures.
-
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the boiling apparatus con-
structed according to our Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 is a cross section; A, A, being the brickwork and flues in which the
apparatus is set, as is clearly shown in the various Figures. Bis a boiling pan,"
similar in construction to those known by the name of Howard's vacuum pans.
This pan Bis placed and affixed within an outer vessel C, which acts as a
boiler for generating steam for obtaining a vacuum, as will be hereafter,
described, and also is the means of communicating the necessary heat to the
boiling pan B, as will be fully described hereafter when we come to describe
the manner of using the apparatus. D is an ordinary safety-valve placed on
the upper part of the boiler C, and it will be evident that the degree of pressure
applied thereto will regulate the degree of heat applied to the boiling pan. E
is a steam pipe connecting the upper part of the boiler C and the boiling pan B,
there being a stopcock F by which the connection is opened or shut off as
occasion require. G is a cover to the upper part of the boiling pan B, serving
as a manhole, this cover. being fitted by grinding, so that when a vacuum is ob-
tained within the boiling pan the atmospheric pressure keeps the joint air tight.
I is a pipe leading to the part of the apparatus for obtaining a vacuum. J is

page_text: an intermediate vessel on the pipe I; and in case the syrup or other matter
contained in the boiling pan should boil over, the same will be received into the
vessel J, from whence it may be drawn by the pipe and cock K. At the bottom
of the boiling pan B is formed a plug or valve L, opening into the trough M,
by which the charge is withdrawn, the valve L being opened or closed by the
lever N.
The operation and boiling by means of Howard's vacuum pans being well
understood, it will not be necessary for us to enter into any description thereof.
So far as the boiling and evaporating pan Bis concerned, it remains the same as
is now in common use; and although we have not shown the various apparatus
for ascertaining the pressure and temperature which are used, we have only
avoided doing so to prevent complexity of the Drawing, our Invention not
relating to the process, but only to the apparatus for working such description
of boiling pans.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of the apparatus for condensing the
vapour or steam as it rises from the boiling pan, and thus, keeps up a vacuum,
such vacuum being regulated by using more or less condensing water as the
evaporation is more or less rapid.
Figure 5 is a plan of Fig. 4, the upper part being removed that the interior
construction may be more clearly seen; and Fig. 6 is a cross section of
Figure 4, by which will be seen the relative situation of the various parts.
This part of the apparatus consists of the outer vessel O, the construction of
which is clearly shown in the various Figures. This, vessel, we call the vacuum
vessel or exhauster; on the inside thereof is placed the condensing, refrigerat-
ing, or cooling apparatus P, consisting of four curved parallel plates bolted
together all around, thus leaving three spaces between the four plates, the
upper and lower spaces being intended for water, whilst the middle space is
.intended for the steam arising from the boiling, pan.,Q is a manhole. It is, the
pipe leading from the boiling pan, as above described, this pipe being open, to
the middle space of the condenser, or shut off, when desired,, by a cock. :S is
the water supply pipe, being connected to the upper, and. under, spaces,, which
are the water spaces of the condenser. T is the eduction pipe by which the
water is, conveyed off from the condenser, having connecting, branch pipes U, V,
that at U being connected to, the, under water, space, and conveying water
5.away, therefrom, by,the, pipe T; and the branch pipe. V. passes through, a hole
formed in the underwater space, and; is connected. to, the upper water space,
and by the pipe T, conveys the water therefrom as it becomes heated; and it
should be observed, that the, holes, through which the branch pipes pass are
sufficiently large not only for the passage of such branch, pipes, but leaving a

page_text: space all round them for the passage of the water caused by the condensing
of the steam, so that it may flow into the outer or vacuum vessel O, from
whence it may be pumped from time to time through the pipe W, which leads
to a pump for that purpose.
Having now described the nature of the apparatus so far as relates to the
boiling of sugar or solutions of other matter from which it is desired to
evaporate the aqueous parts, we will describe the parts of the apparatus
intended to be used for facilitating the operation of stoving or drying the
lumps or loaves of refined sugar, the action of which in many respects is
similar to the apparatus already described, it depending on a constant
approach to a vacuum being kept up by a similar condensing apparatus
attached to the apparatus or stove. By this means the loaves or lumps will be
more effectually dried throughout.
'
Fig. 7 is a section of the stove, X being the casing within which the vacuum
is to be kept up during the time of working. The vessel is shown as being
cylindrical, having a hemispherical end, and to the front fitted (by grinding)
a cover, which will be kept air-tight by the atmospheric pressure when a
vacuum is within, but is also held by screw clamps, as shewn in the Drawing.
Y is a steam pipe leading from a high pressure boiler, and passing within the
stove X, by which heat is kept up within it. On the inside of the vessel X
are formed ledges, on which slide open frames or shelves Z; and on these
frames are placed the loaves of sugar to be dried. a is the end of the steam
pipe by which the steam and condensed water is passed off after having
heated the vessel X. I is a pipe leading to a vacuum vessel, which I have
not thought it necessary here to show, as the same may be constructed similar
to that shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, there being a stopcock on the pipe I by
which the stove may be disconnected from the vacuum vessel. b is a cock to
admit air when it is desired to remove the cover for withdrawing the charge of
dried sugar.
Having now described the manner of constructing the apparatus according
to our Invention, we will proceed to describe the manner of using the same.
First, of Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, water being placed in the outer vessel
C, and when steam rises it is permitted to flow through the pipe E into the
boiling pan B, and thus drive out the air contained therein through the plug
or valve L, which is opened for that purpose; and the air contained in the s
vacuum vessel O will be driven out at the cock c, in consequence of steam
being admitted for that purpose, the whole of the apparatus will thus be full
of steam. The cock c is then to be closed, as well also as the cock F on the
pipe E; a flow of water is then to take place through the pipe S, which may

page_text: be connected to a tank above or by other convenient means; this will quickly
condense the steam contained in the apparatus, and the boiling pan may now
be charged with syrup or other matter to be operated on; and as the steam
rises therefrom it will pass through the pipe I between the cooling surfaces,
as above described, and become condensed, and might fall through the holes
at which the branch pipes V pass to the bottom of the vessel O, from whence
it may be pumped from time to time, as before explained. And in case at
any time the steam from the boiling pan B should rise quicker than it becomes
condensed, it will then be desirable to use the jet pipes which are connected
with the vessel O, as well also as the pipes I, which will quickly overcome any
sudden generation of steam which might be caused by the fire becoming
suddenly too hot. It is evident that if a pump be connected to a refrigerating
worm or other similar apparatus immersed in cold water, and the liquid so
pumped out of the vacuum vessel. be thus made to pass through the same, it
will be more perfectly refrigerated, and may be received as spirit from a still.
And hence, if wash or other spirituous liquor be submitted to the boiler B
instead of syrup, this apparatus will answer all the conditions of a vacuumi
still.
Having thus given a description of the manner of using the parts of the
apparatus applicable to boiling, those parts for the purposes of drying will be
readily understood. A charge of loaves of sugar is to be placed on the
various open shelves, and cover held to its place; a vacuum is to be obtained
in the vacuum vessel by steam, as above described, which is to be attached to
the pipe I; the cock on this pipe is then to be opened, and thus part of the
air will flow from the stove into the vacuum vessel; the cock or the pipe I
is to be closed and a fresh vacuum to be obtained in the vacuum vessel, and
so on till a vacuum is obtained in the stove; then the cock on the pipe I is to
remain open, and steam being permitted to flow through the pipe Y, will heat
the stove and cause steam to be evaporated from the lumps or loaves of sugar,
which will be greatly facilitated by the vacuous state of the stove and the
constant withdrawing of the steam therefrom by its becoming condensed as
fast as it reaches the vacuum vessel, and thus will the operation of drying or
stoving be materially improved. And in order to withdraw the charge from
the stove, the stopcock on the pipe I is to be closed, and the cock b is to be
opened for the admission of air; the cover may be then removed.
Having described the manner of constructing our apparatus, and the
manner of combining and using the same, we would have it understood that
although we have described various parts which are separately well known, we
do not therefore claim them in their separate condition, but only when com-

page_text: bined into apparatus according to our Invention, nor do we confine ourselves
to the precise forms shown and described, as they may be varied. But what
we claim as our Invention is,-
First, the combining the vessels B, C, P, O, into an apparatus for boiling
in a vacuum, whereby the single boiler C becomes the means of applying heat
to the boiling pan B, and supplying steam to the purpose of producing a
vacuum in the whole of the apparatus, whether for boiling syrup or for the
other purposes, as above described, and may be attached to the apparatus for
drying the sugar in the stove above described; and also for producing a
vacuum in that part of the apparatus. And,
Secondly, we claim the apparatus herein-before described for drying
loaves or lumps of sugar in a vacuum, whether such apparatus be connected
with the other apparatus, as above mentioned, or worked from a separate
.steam boiler.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.