IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING LIQUIDS FROM SACCHARINE AND OTHER MATTERS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Welsh, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sergeant of Police, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTRACTING LIQUIDS FROM SACCHARINE AND OTHER MATTERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Welsh at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th October
1854.
I, JOHN WELSH, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Sergeant of Police, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING LIQUIDS FROM SACCHARINE AND OTHER MATTERS "
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to the extraction of the syrup or
treacle from sugar in the process of refining the same, and it consists in sub-
jecting the loaves or cones of sugar which are to be drained to the action of'
an air pump, thereby effecting the drainage of the sugar in a much superior
and more complete manner, and in a much shorter time and with less
reduction in the weight of the sugar, than in the processes hitherto in use.
According to one modification of the apparatus, an air-tight chamber or
vessel is employed, which is put in communication with the suction pipe of the
air pump, and also with the bottom of the mould in which the sugar is put:

page_text: The communication with the latter is preferred to be by a pipe, provided with
a stop-cock, to regulate the sucking action. A mouth-piece may be fixed on
the end of this pipe, such mouth-piece being composed of gutta percha, or
some other suitable flexible material, so that when the point of the mould is
introduced, the atmospheric pressure will cause the mouth-piece to clasp it,
and so form an air-tight or nearly air-tight joint. The communication of the
air-tight receptacle with the air pump is to be contrived so that the syrup may
not obtain access to the pump; and the receptacle is provided with a suitable
outlet, with a stop-cock or valve, to discharge the syrup which is drawn from
the sugar. Two or more pipes may be fitted to the air-tight receptacle, in
order that two or more moulds may be operated upon at once, or so that the
pump may be kept continually working, the moulds being changed in suc-
cession. It is obvious that other forms of sugar moulds may be used in this
apparatus besides those already in use. And it is also obvious that this
general system of treatment is applicable to the extraction of liquids from
various other matters besides sugar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Welsh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd April
1855.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WELSH, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Sergeant of
Police, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Welsh, Her special license that I, the said John Welsh,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Welsh, my executors, administrators, or 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
EXTRACTING LIQUIDS FROM SACCHARINE AND OTHER MATTERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Welsh, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and seal, 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 John Welsh, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, referance being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates more particularly to the extraction of the syrup
or treacle and moisture from sugar in the process of refining the same, and it
consists in subjecting the loaves or cones of sugar which are to be drained to
the action of an air pump or exhauster, thereby effecting the drainage of the
sugar in a much superior and more complete manner, and in a much shorter
time and with less reduction in the weight of the sugar, than ordinarily arises
in the processes hitherto in use. According to one modification of the appa-
ratus, an air-tight chamber or vessel is employed, this vessel being put in
communication with the suction pipe of the air pump, and also with the bottom
of the mould in which the sugar is put. The communication with the latter
is preferred to be by a pipe, provided with a stop-cock, to regulate the sucking
or exhausting action. A mouth-piece may be fixed on the end of this pipe,
such mouth-piece being composed of caoutchouc, gutta percha, or some other
suitable flexible material, so that when the point of the mould is introduced,
the atmospheric pressure will cause the mouth-piece to clasp it, and so form
an air-tight or nearly air-tight joint. The communication of the air-tight
receptacle with the air pump is to be contrived so that the syrup may not
obtain access to the pump; and the receptacle is provided with a suitable outlet
with a stop-cock or valve, to discharge the syrup which is drawn from the
sugar. Two or more pipes may be fitted to the air-tight receptacle, in order
that two or more moulds may be operated upon at once, or so that the pump
may be kept continually working, the moulds being changed in succession or
otherwise. It is obvious that other forms of sugar moulds may be used in
this apparatus besides those already in use, and it is also obvious that this
general system of treatment is applicable to the extraction of liquids from
various other matters besides sugar.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the explanatory Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a

page_text: :
plan, of one modification of exhausting vessel which may be employed in
working out my Invention. This exhauster is a closed vessel A, of cast iron,
fitted with two pipes. or funnels B, which are made to communicate with the
suction valve or valves of the air pump or pumps. These air pumps are not
represented in the Drawings, but they may be constructed according to any of
the systems; at present in use; or, for example, they may be similar to those
alredy employed in connection with vacuum sugar pans. The funnels B are
provided with; overflow. escape.ducts C to carry off the syrup, if by any chance
it should be pumped up into the funnels. B. The cover of the vessel A is cast
with a number of pipes D; into each of which is screwed a separate mouth-
piece E. This mouth-piece is fitted with a stop-cock I, and its open funnel-
shaped mouth is furnished, with a lining of caoutchouc, or other suitable soft
and elastic material, capable of forming an air-tight joint with the apex, or lower
pointed end of the conical, sugar mould G.. The sugar from which the syrup
is to be drawn off being placed in the conical, moulds G in the usual manner,
these moulds are inserted in their several mouth-pieces E. as represented in
the Drawings; and the stop-cocks F being opened to form a communication
with the interior of the vessel A, from which the air is being exhausted by the
air pumps, the consequent atmospheric pressure on the surface of the sugar
at the upper open ends of the conical moulds rapidly carries down the syrup
into the vessel A, leaving the sugar in the moulds in a fine dry crystallised
condition. When the draining process is completed, the stop-cocks Fare
closed, and the moulds are removed, and are replaced by others containing
fresh sugar, upon which the same treatment is repeated. The syrup is
periodically taken from the exhaust vessel or receiver A as this yessel. becomes
filled by means of a bottom discharge pipe at H.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to the
precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer
to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel
and original,,and, therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery, apparatus, or
means for extracting liquids from saccharine and other matters, as herein-
before described.
Second, the system or mode of extracting liquids from saccharine and other
matters, by exhausting or partially exhausting the air from one side, end, or

page_text: part of the mass or portion of matter under treatment, so as to cause a pre-
ponderance of atmospheric pressure, on any exposed part of such mass, and
thereby cause the syrup or liquid to drain through in the direction of the
exhaust action, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Welsh, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN WELSH. (L.S.)