AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PREPARING OR MAKING OF CERTAIN SUGARS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
AUGUSTUS ARCHBALD, of Vere Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of October, in the first year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said William Augustus Archbald, my exors,
aduiors, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said William Augustus Archbald, my exors, adññiors, and
assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years therein mentioned,
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PREPARING OR MAKING OF CERTAIN
SUGARS" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if
I, the said William Augustus Archbald, should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterley cease, determine, and become
void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and
at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Augustus Archbald, do declare that my said Invention consists in
making loaf, lump, and other fine sugars (meaning by the expression fine
sugars, here and throughout this Specification, sugars equal or superior to
the least pure refined sugars,) immediately from syrup made from cane
juice without previously converting the cane juice or syrup into sugars
commonly called raw, muscovado, clayed, or dry sugars, as is now usually
done. And I do declare that in order to accomplish this object I do pro-
ceed as follows:-1 first prepare the cane juice, by preference according to
the improved method herein-after next mentioned, which I understand to bo
that for which Letters Patent havo already been granted to Marmaduke
Robinson; (that is to say)-Such cane juice being received from the mill in
the vessel in which it is to be heated, I do mix well with such juice finings
composed of a saturation of alum and lime, and I do apply such finings in
the proportion of from about one and a half to two pounds of finings diluted in
pure water to every one hundred gallons of juice; and having stirred the
same up with the juice, I do mix therewith lime dissolved in water and made
into what is commonly called milk of lime, which should be made sufficiently
thin to allow the undissolved particles of lime to subside and givo to the
water the appearance of milk, using such milk of lime, in the first instance, in
small portions, and adding it from time to time until I have ascertained in the
manner and by the experiments herein-after mentioned that sufficient milk
of lime has been applied. After each throwing in or addition of the milk of
lime, do carefully examine the liquor with any one of the test papers
commonly used for ascertaining the presence of acids in liquids; when this
paper has ceased to change its color, I do examine the liquor with one of the
test papers commonly employed for detecting the presence of alkali in liquids,
in order to ascertain whether too much milk of lime has been applied, in
which case I add more of the fresh juice until the last-mentioned test paper
has cease to change its color; and I proceed in this manner throwing in fresh
portions of the milk of lime or of the juice according to the indications of the
respective test papers until I have ascertained that no change is perceptible
on either of the test papers, and that therefore the juice is perfectly neuter.
The liquor being thus rendered neuter, I next proceed to heat the same until
it has nearly reached the boiling point or degree, taking care, however, not to
allow it actually to boil; and I prefer heating it in wooden vessols by the
application of steam; the wooden vessels may be made of any convenient shape,
fitted with a copper pipe (of a size suited to the dimensions of the vessel)
circulating with one or more turns in the interior of the vessel; this pipe

page_text: should be fitted with cocks to let on the steam and allow the condensed water
to escape, and it should be so connected with the steam generator as to admit
of the steam circulating through it. I do then discontinue the application of
the heat, and mix with the liquor a further quantity of the aforesaid finings,
in the proportion of about one and a half pounds more to every one hundred
gallons of juice (the finings being diluted as before mentioned), and after
stirring the same up I examine the liquor in a tumble or other glass vessel,
to observe the rapidity with which the impurities precipitate; and I go on
adding further portions of the said finings until I find that the addition of
such finings does not increase the rapidity of the precipitation, from which
circumstance I ascertain that a sufficient quantity of the finings has been
applied. I then allow the liquor to stand until it has become clear, one part
of the impurities precipitating to the bottom, and the other part or remainder
floating on the surface. When the liquor has become clear, I draw it off
into the evaporators, so as to allow the pure liquor to pass off separate from
the impurities which have precipitated, as well as from those which float
on the top; this may be conveniently effected by the means of cocks placed
at a convenient height from the bottom of the vessel. The inpurities are
afterwards separately drawn off into another vessel, in which I mix with them
a small quantity of pure warm water, and allow the mixture to settle; as soon
as this liquor has become clear I draw it off as on the former occasion by
means of a cock placed at a short distance from the bottom of the last-
mentioned vessel, and add it to the liquor already in the evaporators. The
juice (being thus purified according to the improved method above mentioned)
may then be converted into syrup of any density that may be found convenient
according to the object in view; (that is to say), if intended for immediate
operation, the most convenient density will be about twenty-eight degrees of
Beaumè's saccharometer; but if intended for keeping or transportation, then
such density should be from thirty-six to forty degrees or thereabouts of
Beaumè's saccharometer, and in either case the density should be ascertained
while the liquor is boiling; it may even be boiled to the granulating point
(but this I by no means recommend), and in that event the uncrystallizable
part called molasses should not be separated from the granulated matter.
The syrup, if intended to be kept or transported and not to be immediately
used, should be allowed to cool before it is put into the vessels in which it is
to be so kept or transported. The syrup being thus prepared, and for purpose
of immediate operation being of the density of about twenty-eight degrees of
Beaumè's saccharometer, (and if from any circumstance the syrup should be
of a higher density, I do mix with it cold water until I have reduced it to

page_text: about the above-mentioned density,) I examine it carefully with any one of the
test papers usually employed for shewing the presence of acidity in liquids,
and in case the test paper by changing its color should shew the presence
of acid in the liquor (as will generally be the case), I do then (but not
otherwise) mix well with it limo dissolved with water, made into what is
usually called or known by the name of "milk of lime," prepared in the
ordinary way, but taking care not to allow any undissolved particles of
lime to remain in such milk of lime. I do apply this milk of lime to the
aforesaid syrup in small proportions at first, but the proportion of about a
quarter of a pint of milk of lime to one hundred gallons of syrup will be safe,
taking care to stir it well; and after each addition of milk of lime, 1 do
again carefully examine the liquid with one of the last-mentioned test papers,
and I continue to add milk of lime until such test paper ceases to change
color; I do next (in order to ascertain whether too much lime has been
applied) examine the liquor with any one of the test papers usually employed
for shewing the presence of alkali in liquids; if it should appear from tho
change on the test paper last mentioned that too much lime has been applied,
I add more of the syrup; and I do according to the indication of the test
papers, add continually syrup or milk of lime to correct respectively the
indicated excesses of alkali or acid, until the whole of the syrup under opera-
tion is reduced to a perfectly neuter stato, and no further change is shewn upon
either of the test papers. The liquor being thus treated while cold, I next heat
it, and I prefer to do so by the application of steam (using for such purpose
any vessel of a convenient size, fitted with a copper pipe for the circulation of
the steam,) until it begins to boil; and as soon as it begins to boil, I throw
in about three pounds more of the finings before mentioned (diluted with pure
water) to every thirty gallons of the said last-mentioned liquor. After tho
liquor has been allowed to boil for two or three minutes, I do filter it through
beds of animal charcoal placed, in the proportion of from five to ten pounds of
charcoal to every thirty gallons of syrup, in an ordinary filter in any way most
convenient. The filter may be simply a wooden box fitted with a basket
inside, into which a cloth, such as is generally used by refiners for straining
syrups, is placed; the charcoal being put upon the cloth, the liquor is then
allowed to run upon it, and the clear syrup drawn off at the bottom. And
I do further declare that, in the event of its being found difficult to filter
through the aforesaid beds of charcoal, I do in that case clarify it as follows
(that is to say), the syrup having boiled for two or three minutes with the
finings, as before described, I do throw into it and mix well with it from five
to ten pounds of animal charcoal. I do then stop the boiling, and throw into

page_text: the liquor about one quart of bullock's blood to every thirty gallons of syrup, the
blood having been previously mixed with about a pint of cold clean water. This
blood having been well stirred with the liquor, I do then heat the syrup again
to the boiling point, and as soon as I perceive the liquor is on the point of
boiling I do discontinuo the heating, taking great care not to allow it actually
to boil. I do next examine the liquid in a spoon or glass vessel, to ascertain
whether the animal charcoal precipitates and leaves the liquor clear; should
it not do so I do add more blood, heating the liquor each time as aforesaid,
until I perceive, by continuing to examine the liquor in the above manner,
that it becomes clear in the spoon or glass, by which I ascertain that blood
enough has been applied. I do then draw off the liquor into another vessel,
by preference of wood, well closed to prevent the heat from escaping, and I do
allow it to stand until the animal charcoal has precipitated, and I strain it
through a filter of any convenient description, preferring for the purpose that
which is known by the name of "Howard's filter," taking care to draw off
the clear liquor either by means of a cock placed sufficiently above the bottom
of the vessel to allow the charcoal to remain at the bottom, or by any other
convenient means. And I do declare that it is not indispensably necessary to
allow the charcoal to settle, as the syrup may be thrown at once upon the
filter and allowed to strain through the charcoal; but by allowing it to settle,
the filtration proceeds more rapidly. And I do also declare that the aforesaid
proportion of finings and of charcoal may be either diminished or augmented
according to the judgment of the operator and the quality of the syrup,
that is to say, should the syrup be darker than is wished, a further addition
of charcoal and finings may be made. But in case the syrup intended to be
operated upon has not been prepared while in a state of juice, in the manner
herein-before mentioned (and which I recommend as preferable), but in the
ordinary manner of treating cane juice, I do, as in the former case, reduce it
(if necessary) to the density of twenty-eight degrees of Beaumè's saccharo-
meter, and mix therewith the finings in the proportion of about two pounds of
the finings diluted with water to every thirty gallons of the syrup. I then apply
the milk of lime, and proceed in all all other respects in the same way as in the
former case, and as is above described. The filtering being completed, I do
then treat the said liquor according to any of the well-known methods usually
applied to the treatment of syrups made from raw, muscovado, clayed, or dry
sugars for the purpose of producing refined sugars (preferring in the course of
such treatment to boil in a vacuum), and by this process I produce loaf, lump,
or other fine sugars. And I further declare that if the syrup of cane juice
be rendered neuter and free from impurities by any other method as well as

page_text: the
by the method above in that behalf described, such syrup also may be treated
in liko manner; and by such treatment loaf, lump, or other fine sugars may
be at once produced. And I do further declare that I do by preference (but
without claiming the benefit of the said Letters Patent for so doing) liquor
sugar so made with syrup mado from cane juice instead of syrup mado
from granulated sugar. And I do prepare such syrup for the purpose by the
same process as that by which I prepare the syrup intended to be boiled into
sugar, as above specified, down to the last filtering inclusively; but previously
to using such syrup for liquoring, I boil it to the density required for liquoring
sugars, which is well known to sugar boilers in general.
The advantages of this my Invention are that a considerable increase of
fine sugars will be obtained from a given quantity of cane juice, and that
much time, labor, and expence will be saved in the operation, because the
effect of my improvement as heretofore described is to convert the syrup of
cane juice at once into loaf, lump, or other fine sugars without first converting
the cane juice or syrup into raw, muscovado, clayed, or dry sugar, whereas,
according to the present practice, the cane juice is first converted into raw,
muscovado, clayed, or dry sugar, for the purpose of being afterwards con-
verted into refined sugar by subsequent processes, which are not only attended
with labor and expense, but necessarily cause a considerable waste of the
raw material.
And I do hereby declare that I claim the benefit of the said Letters
Patent so granted to me as aforesaid in respect only of the making loaf,
lump, or other fine sugars immediately from the syrup of cane juice, instead
of first converting the syrup into raw, muscovado, clayed, or dry sugar, then s
melting such sugar again into syrup for the purpose of granulating it a
second time to make refined sugars as is now done; and with respect to all
other inatters and parts of the operation herein-before described, I hereby,
so far as concerns the benefit of the said Letters Patent, disclaim all title
to originality, and declare that so far as I have described the said other
matters and parts I have done so only for the better explanation of my said
improvement.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-
third day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and thirty.
W* AUGUSTUS ARCHBALD. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1830, the aforesaid William Augustus Archbald came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.