IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TUBE OF SUGAR
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Ross, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TUBE OF SUGAR."-A communication from abroad by Edward Beanes, of
Havana, Island of Cuba, Merchant.
Sealed the 22nd August 1862, and dated the 22nd February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Ross at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
February 1862.
I, WILLIAM HENRY Ross, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
'Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," communicated to me from abroad by
Edward Beanes, of Havana, Island of Cuba, Merchant, to be as follows, that
is to say:-
This Invention consists principally in using in the manufacturing or refining
of sugar, phosphate of ammonia in conjunction with sulphurous acid, either
gas or liquid, or with any of the sulphites. The sulphurous acid gas is
economically and conveniently obtained by burning sulphur in a close vessel
into which the necessary air is forced by a pump, so that the gas as it is formed
is of sufficient pressure for its introduction into the syrup by means of a coil
of perforated piping without having to pass through pumps. The vessel and
pipes for the gas are formed of or lined with lead, and the gas is passed
through water which removes from it any sulphuric vapours.
The phosphate of ammonia is by preference formed by adding to calcined

page_text: bones either ground or pounded fine, very weak sulphuric acid, say one part
sulphuric acid to eighteen parts water; it is well mixed up and allowed to
remain for twenty-four hours with occasional stirring. The paste is then
placed in a large bag filter and allowed to drain, the liquid which runs out
being phosphate of lime, Gas water is placed in a large steam boiler, a pipe
from which is conveyed to a tank containing the phosphate of lime. When
heat is applied to the gas water the ammonia it contains is expelled, lime
water being occasionally admitted to facilitate the escape of the ammonia.
The lime contained in the phosphate of lime in the tank is first precipitated
by the ammonia, and so soon as this is finished the liquid is again filtered from
the lime, ammonia is again introduced into the liquid until a decidedly alkaline
action is shown. It may in this state be used for the refining process, or it
may be evaporated to any required density, the only difference being that a
larger quantity is required when it is used in the weak state.
In carrying out the improved processes the raw sugar and water, or syrup,
is "blown up" in the usual way, but before admitting the steam, lime water
is added to the liquid until it is decidedly alkaline, sulphurous acid gas is
next injected into the liquid until the latter is slightly acid, then steam is
admitted and the sugar blown up as usual. After this process is finished
phosphate of ammonia in a liquid state is added to the syrup in the proportion
of about one pound of crystallised phosphate to five hundred pounds of raw
sugar. Should the excess of acid not be neutralised by the alkalinity of the
phosphate either more phosphate or a little lime water should be added, whilst
if the syrup is alkaline more gas must be introduced as it is important for the
syrup to be neutral after the phosphate of ammonia is added and stirred up.
The syrup should then be brought, to the boiling point, and afterwards run off
to the bag or other filters, the subsequent operations being conducted in the
usual manner. Bi-sulphite of lime or other sulphite may be substituted for
the sulphurous acid gas, and if the bi-sulphite is used less time is required in
the blow up, but the gas is preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Ross in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY Ross, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send 3
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Ross, Her special licence, that I, the said William Henry
Ross, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Henry Ross, 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 MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," a communication to me from .abroad by Edward.
Beanes, of Havana, Island of Cuba, Merchant, upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said William Henry Ross, my executors or administrators,
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 saine 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 William Henry Ross; do hereby declare
the nature of the 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; that is to say:-
:
This Invention consists principally in using in the manufacturing or refining
of sugar, the phosphates of ammonia, in conjunction with sulphurous acid,
either gas, or liquid, or with any of the sulphites or bi-sulphites. The sulphur-
ous acid gas is economically and conveniently obtained by burning sulphur in
a close vessel, into which the necessary air is forced by a pump, so 'that the
gas as it is formed is of sufficient pressure for its introduction into the syrup.
by means of a coil of perforated piping without having to pass through pumps.
The vessel and pipes for the gas are formed of or lined with lead; and the gas
is passed through water which removes from it any sulphuric acid vapours.
The phosphate of ammonia is by preference formed by adding to calcined
bones either ground or pounded fine very weak sulphuric acid, say one part
sulphuric acid to eighteen parts water. It is well mixed up and allowed to
remain for twenty-four hours or longer with occasional stirring. The paste is
then placed in a large bag filter and allowed to drain, the liquid which runs
out being acid phosphate of lime. Gas water is placed in a large steam boiler,
and a pipe from the steam boiler leads to a tank containing the acid phosphate

page_text: of lime. When heat is applied to the steam boiler, the ammonia and carbonate
of ammonia it contains are expelled; a little lime water being finally added,
to facilitate the escape of the ammonia. The lime contained in the acid
phosphate of lime in the tank is first precipitated by the ammonia and
carbonate of ammonia; and so soon as this is finished the liquid is again
filtered from the lime. Carbonate of ammonia is again introduced into the
liquid until an alkaline action is shewn. It may in this statė be used for the
refining process or it may be evaporated to any required density or crystallized,
the only difference being that a larger quantity is required when it is used in
the weak state: Lime being added to syrup and afterwards sulphurous gas
until the syrup is slightly acid, bi-sulphite of lime is formed; by adding to this
phosphate of ammonia the phosphoric acid of the latter combines with the
lime and forms phosphate of lime; this carries, down with it all matters held
in mechanical suspension and leaves in solution sulphite of ammonia, the
latter is decomposed in the process of evaporation, the ammonia of the sulphite
is expelled, while the sulphurous acid in a nascent state acts on the coloring
matter; this is also afterwards expelled as the syrup becomes concentrated,
thereby leaving nothing but a solution of sugar and water.
The method of carrying out my Invention is as follows:-To the solution
of sugar and water, or syrup, or molasses, I add lime water, or milk of lime
until the solution of sugar, or syrup, or molasses is alkaline, I then pass into
the syrup a current of sulphurous acid gas; or I add a solution of sulphurous
acid, or of a sulphite or bi-sulphite until the syrup or molasses is slightly acid.
Steam is now admitted and the solution of sugar, or syrup, or molasses is
blown up in the usual way. After this process is finished phosphate of
ammonia in a liquid state is added to the syrup in the proportion of about one
or two pounds of crystallized phosphate to five hundred pounds of raw sugar
or more or less according to the quality of the sugar used. Should the
excess of acid not be neutralized by the alkalinity of the phosphate, which
is sometimes very alkaline, either more phosphate or a little lime water should
be added, whilst if the syrup is alkaline more gas must be introduced as it is
important for the syrup to be neutral after the phosphate of ammonia is added
and stirred up. The syrup should then be brought to the boiling point, and
afterwards run off to the bag or other filters, the subsequent operations being
conducted in the usual manner. Bi-sulphite of lime or other sulphite may be
substituted for the sulphurous acid gas, and if the bi-sulphite is used less lime
is required in the blow up, but the gas is preferred.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, or carried into practical effect, I have

page_text: to state in conclusion that I do not claim the use of sulphurous gas or bi-sul-
phite of lime alone, neither do I claim the use of phosphate of ammonia alone,
but what I do consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention communicated to me from the above-named Edward Beanes is, the
use or employment in the manufacturing or refining of sugar of phosphate of
ammonia when used in conjunction with sulphurous acid, either gas or liquid,
or with any of the sulphites or bi-sulphites.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Ross, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM HENRY ROSS. (L.S.)