IMPROVE MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Sugar
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Schwartz, of Pelham Street, Mile End New Town,
in the County of Middlesex, Sugar Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Sugar."
caled the 14th November 1876, and dated the 31st May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Schwartz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1876.
JOHN SCHWARTZ, of Pelham Street, Mile End New Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Sugar Refiner. "LMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR."
This Invention relates to the treatment of sugar, both in the raw state and after
it has been treated in the vacuum pans, by a clarifying process which will produce
less waste in the reduction of the crystals than is now commonly experienced.
My Invention is based on the fact that in proportion as the temperature of the
water or sugar liquor used in the centrifugal machine for liquoring the sugar is
reduced so will the tendency of the crystals to dissolve during the clarifying process
be diminished.
As raw sugars contain a certain proportion of colouring matter, salts, and un-
crystallizable sugar, I propose to subject the same to the following treatment in
order to remove all such objectionable matters therefrom prior to the sugar being
melted in the refinery.
Thus I use an ordinary centrifugal machine with the simple addition of a
moveable inner drum or cylinder which will form an annular chamber for the
reception of the sugar and which is to be placed in the machine in a powdered or
crushed condition.
The machine when charged with the raw sugar is to be set rotating, and when
it has attained the necessary speed to effect the adherence of the sugar to the
perforated copper drum of the machine I remove the inner circular drum and
liquor the dry sugar with a spray of water or of refined sugar liquor at 32° F., or as
nearly freezing point as possible, and this I continue, keeping the machine in
action until the colouring matters are washed out.
The sugar is then placed in a centrifugal machine arranged in the manner
described with reference to the treatment of raw sugar, and it is liquored by a spray
of water or sugar liquor at 32° F., or thereabouts. The sugars thus liquored are
subjected to a much less loss of crystallized sugar than by the use of boiling water
or of water at the temperature of the atmosphere.
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page_text: In carrying out the liquoring process I proceed as follows:-All water used for
liquoring is first reduced to 32° F. by being placed in contact with ice or submitted
to any other suitable refrigerating process, and when brought to that temperature
is used for the purpose of liquoring the sugars in the centrifugal machines.
As the colder the liquid the less the crystals will be reduced in size or dissolved,
care must be taken to keep the temperature of the liquids used as low as possible.
I find that by liquoring sugars with water at 32° F. the sugar leaves the centri-
fugal machine cooled to the extent of 15 to 20 degrees.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Schwartz in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 29th November
1876.
JOHN SCHWARTZ, of Pelham Street, Mile End New Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Sugar Refiner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR"
This Invention relates to the treatment of sugar both in the raw state and after
it has been boiled in the vacuum pans by a clarifying process which will cause less
waste in the production of the crystals than is now cominonly experienced.
My Invention is based on the fact that in proportion as the temperature of the
water or sugar liquor used in the centrifugal machine for liquoring the sugar is
reduced so will the tendency of the crystals to dissolve during the clarifying
process be diminished.
As raw sugars contain a certain proportion of coloring matters, salts, and
uncrystallizable sugar, I propose to subject raw sugar to the following treatment
in order to remove all such matters therefrom prior to the sugar being melted in
the refinery.
Thus I use an ordinary centrifugal machine with the simple addition of a
movable inner drum or cylinder which will form with the perforated copper drum
of the machine an annular chamber for the reception of the sugar to be clarified,
which sugar is to be placed in the annular chamber in a powdered or crushed
condition.
The machine when charged with the raw sugar is to be set rotating, and when
the necessary speed is attained for ensuring the adherence of the sugar to the
perforated copper drum I remove the inner circular drum and liquor the dry sugar
with a spray of water or of refined sugar liquor reduced to a temperature of
thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, or as near the freezing point as possible, by the
means described under the second head of the Invention. This liquoring operation
I continue (keeping the machine in action) until the colouring inatters are washed
out of the sugar.
Having described my mode of dealing with raw sugars so as to cleanse them
from their impurities prior to melting them in the refinery, or to fit them for use
for domestic or household purposes, without subjecting them to any other process
of refining, I now proceed to describe my plan of dealing with sugar as it leaves
the vacuum pan or other evaporating pan in a concrete state before undergoing the
process of drying in the centrifugal machine.
The sugar when sufficiently boiled is discharged into a suitable vessel, and from
thence into centrifugal machines in the ordinary manner. When the syrup has been
partially or wholly driven out by the centrifugal action I apply to the face of the
sugar while in motion a spray of water or liquor at a temperature as near freezing
point as possible, taking care that the water be brought into close contact with the
sugar so as not to be heated by coming in contact with the surrounding atmosphere.
Of various modes of proceeding I prefer the following plan:-1 place a ton of
block ice in a tank carefully felted, and about ten feet above the machine floor, and
add from time to time as much water through a perforated pipe (to spread it over
the surface of the ice) as will be found requisite to supplement the water due to

page_text: the melting of the ice. The iced water 1 convey through pipes carefully felted to
the machine, wherein is fixed a vertical pipe finely perforated on the side facing
the sugar, that is, revolving in the centrifugal machine; or I use a finely perforated
rose at the end of an india-rubber pipe to be held by the attendant close to the
sugar while in motion.
The duration of the process will vary according to the material under operation,
and the water being in either case perfectly under the control of the attendant,
he will only have to turn a tap on and off. I find a ton of ice daily yields suffi-
cient iced water to liquor a daily out-turn of one hundred tons of sugar even in
the suininer time.
If sugar liquor be used in preference to water it will be most conveniently cooled
down to the required temperature of thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, or thereabouts,
by being passed through copper coils embedded in ice or surrounded by iced water.
Hitherto it has been found that however carefully the sugar after leaving the
centrifugal machine was spread out in the cooling floors or sugar bins it was
impossible to sufficiently cool it to prevent its loss of bloom and its becoming
darker in colour, which result from the packing of the sugar while hot in casks or
bags.
I claim for my Invention the advantage of reducing the temperature of the
sugar while in the centrifugal machine to that of the atmosphere and even below
it during the summer months, thus ensuring its retaining its bloom and not
deteriorating in value.
In the manufacture of loaf sugar, instead of liquoring the loaves of sugar in the
usual way with fine liquor of suitable density, I find that by first reducing the
temperature of the fine liquor to as nearly thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit as
possible a very much less percentage of sugar is dissolved out of the sugar moulds,
and hence results a greater weight of loaf sugar than that usually obtained, the
crystals being as effectually cleansed, but not melted, by this new liquoring process.
With the view of expediting the process I connect the nozzles of the moulds
with a vacuum pump, and thereby facilitate the passage of the cold sugar liquor
through the sugar in the moulds. The fine liquor may easily be reduced to thirty-
two degrees Fahrenheit, or thereabouts, by passing it through a series of copper
pipes embedded in ice immediately before being used for the liquoring process.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Sugar," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim, subjecting raw and refined sugar to the action of water or sugar liquor
reduced to an artificially low temperature, as and for the purpose above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Schwartz, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.