AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN CURING OR CLEANSING RAW OR COARSE SUGARS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
URE, of Burton Cresent, in the County of Middlesex, M.D., send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twentieth day of October, in the first year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Andrew
Ure, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Andrew Ure, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Andrew Ure, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN CURING OR CLEANSING RAW OR COARSE
SUGARS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
Andrew Ure, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar montlis next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Andrew Ure, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say):-
The nature of my process for cleansing raw or coarse sugars consist in
applying faintly acidulated alkohol as a solvent to remove the quick lime
and glutinous extractive with which raw sugars are more or less and
contaminated, and which compound of lime and gluten operates injuriously
as a ferment on the sugar, softening its grain and turning it into molasses.
The nature of the curing process is to free it effectually from moisture.
The manner in which I perform this cleansing and curing operation is as
follows: I mix strong spirits or alkohol, about forty per cent. over proof,
with muriatic acid in the proportion of one gallon of the former to one
ounce of the latter. This constitutes the solvent. Instead of muriatic acid,
sulphuric, nitric, or any other strong acid may be used in equivalent saturating
quantity. After the sugar has been well granulated in the boxes called
coolers, and freed by drainage or lading from a considerable part of its
molasses, the above solvent is to be mixed with it either in the coolers or to
be diffused through it by sprinkling in its transfer into the potting casks
or hogsheads, the proportion being one gallon of solvent to from two to
four hundredweights of sugar; but other proportions may be used, and the
solvent may be also composed of other proportions of acid and alkohol. After
the greater part of the acidulated alkohol has drained off with the attenuated
molasses two or three gallons of simple alkohol are to be sprinkled in
successive portions on the top of the sugar in the hogshead to carry through
and wash off the residuary impurities detached by the solvent. After due
drainage the sugar should be dried at a temperature of from 120° to 160°
Fahrenheit's, whereby it looses the spirituous flavor. Sugar thus cleansed
and cured assumes a hard grannular structure, is unchangeable in even a
moist air, and is not liable to generate foot in the sea voyage, but may be
packed for transportation in bags instead of hogsheads. The solvent and
impurities which drain through the sugar are to be mixed with some water
and subjected to distillation, whereby the alkohol will be in a great measure
recovered, while the residuum in the still may be mixed with the sweets and
fermented into rum, the acid in it, if need be, having been neutralized
previously with chalk, or any other suitable base.
Now whereas I claim as my Invention the use and application of the com-
pound solvent consisting of acid and alkohol for cleansing sugar as above

page_text: described; but I do not claim the use or application of mere alkohol, which
has been long practised in certain colonies for cleansing sugar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Ure, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-one.