IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CANE TRASH
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Felix Carosin, of the Mauritius, but temporary
of 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CANE TRASH."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Joseph François Hugoulin, of the. Island of
Réunion.
Sealed the 8th March 1861, and dated the 23rd November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Felix Carosin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1860.
I, JAMES FELIX CAROSIN, of the Mauritius, but temporary of 4, South
Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CANE TRASH,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in a process for converting the cane juice, or sugar
in cane trash or sugar cane, as delivered from the sugar mills, into alcohol...
The process is as follows:-The crushed cane, as delivered from the mills, is
introduced into a closed vessel made of wood, masonry work, or sheet iron, the
latter being preferred; after remaining three or four days in this apparatus, the
cane trash is submitted to the action of a current of steam introduced through
the lower part of the apparatus, so as to heat the contents by degrees, the
effect of which treatment is to volatilize the sugar contained in the trash, and

page_text: convert it into alcohol.
sugar through a pipe at
The vapour in rising will carry with it the volatilized
the top of the apparatus into a condenser where the
alcohol will be condensed. To remove the acidity of the alcoholic liquid, a
small proportion of lime water is mixed with it, and it is submitted to another
distillation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filled
by the said James Felix Carosin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FELIX CAROSIN, of the Mauritius, but temporary of 4, South Street, Finsbury,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Felix Carosin, Her special licence that I, the said James
Felix Carosin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Felix Carosin; 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 of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TREATING CANE TRASH," communicated to me from abroad by
Joseph François Hugoulin, of the Island of Réunion, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Felix Carosin, 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 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 James Felix Carosin, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:

page_text: The Invention communicated to me consists in converting the sugar in cane
trash or bagasse into alcohol, and in the process and apparatus for effecting the
same.
The cane trash or bagasse after being taken out of the mill still retains a
considerable quantity of sugar in the state of juice, the proportion varying with
the degree of pressure to which the cane has been submitted between the
cylinders. To extract this sugar, various methods have been tried, all of which
in principle consist in diluting the bagasse in a large quantity of hot or cold
water or condensed vapour, pressing the bagasse, then concentrating the
diluted syrup.
The objections to these processes are,-first, the juice thus diluted requires
a considerable quantity of fuel for its evaporation, and the fuel is wanting, or
is very expensive; secondly, by a long evaporation of the juice, and conse-
quently, by its remaining a long time on the fire, the crystallizable sugar passes
into the state of glucose or uncrystallizable sugar, and forms a mixture and
not sugar.
By the improved process, the sugar in the bagasse is rendered volatile and
converted into a volatile article of commerce, viz., alcohol, whereby the objec
tions above enumerated are obviated.
By treating bagasse in a closed vessel, in the manner herein-after described,
during three or four days, it will give up all its sugar without addition of
ferment, and this sugar, changes into alcohol by reason of the fermentable
principles which the cane contains.
Description of the improved apparatus for treating bagasse, for extracting
and converting the sugar contained therein into alcohol, and which is shown in
the accompanying Drawing.
A, hole in the apparatus for the introduction of the bagasse; B, hole for
discharging the bagasse at the end of the operation; C, cylindrical vessel of
wood or sheet iron; D, the part of the vessel for containing the bagasse; E,
perforated diaphragm of sheet iron or wire gauze for supporting the bagasse.;
F, lower part of the apparatus for receiving the condensed steam; G, pipe for
conducting steam from the generator into the vessel C; H, pipe for conducting
the vapours from the vessel C into the condenser; J, condenser; K, K, K,
worm; L, tap for letting out the waters of condensation not converted into
alcohol, & which is opened after each operation; M, tap for letting out the
alcohol formed by the condensation of the vapours.
The vessel C is provided with an iron lid left slightly open until the intro-
duction of the current of steam when it is closed.
The mode of operating is as follows:-The cane trash or bagasse on being

page_text: delivered from the mill is placed on the part D of the vessel C, which may be
made of wood, masonry, or sheet iron, the latter material being preferable and
cheaper. After being left at rest during three or four days in the vessel C, the
bagasse is submitted to a current of steam caused to arrive from the steam
boiler through the pipe G; this steam heats the bagasse progressively, and
finally passes off with the alcoholic vapour through the pipe H, and will con-
dense in the vessel J, and form an alcoholic liquid varying in strength. This
liquid will contain all the alcoholic principle of the bagasse. The distillation
is stopped when the alcoholometer marks 0 (zero). The alcoholic liquid thus
produced will be slightly acid, through the formation of a little acetic acid,
owing to the air being in contact with the bagasse before the introduction of
steam. To neutralize this acidity a little lime water is added to the alcoholic
liquid formed, and the whole is submitted to another distillation, by these means
all acidity is removed.
To improve the bagasse treated by this process, a small quantity of molasses
produced daily in a sugar mill is diluted in tepid water, so as to produce a
liquid at 10° Beaumé, and the bagasse is sprinkled with it, taking care to
distribute it equally over the whole of the bagasse.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise construction of the apparatus, as the same may bo
modified without departing from the principle or main feature thereof. What
I claim is,―
First, the employment of cane trash or bagasse for the production of an
alcoholic liquid.
Secondly, the process and arrangement of apparatus for the treatment of
bagasse for the production of an alcoholic liquid, as herein-before described and
shown in the annexed Drawing..
In witness whereof, I, the said James Felix Carosin, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
F. CAROSIN.
(L.S.)