IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Orr, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Sugar Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Orr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
January 1862.
I, WILLIAM ORR, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Sugar Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of the apparatus
used in the manufacture of sugar for melting the sugar, which operation is
technically known as "blowing-up." This portion of the apparatus consists
of an open circular vessel, or by preference of a rectangular figure about twelve
feet by five, and four feet deep. This rectangular vessel is made with curved
or sloping ends extending to the bottom, which gives to it a boat-like figure
in its longitudinal section. The vessel or "blow-up" is constructed with the
usual double casing for heating it by steam, or by preference with a heating

page_text: pipe inside; it is also provided with steam pipes for conveying the steam into
the open vessel if required. One of these steam pipes is arranged to convey
the steam to the lower part of the blow-up to adapt it to heating a com-
paratively small quantity of fluid, whilst the other pipe opens into the blow-
up at the upper part. Extending across the blow-up is a horizontal shaft,
carrying a fast and loose pulley, which is driven from contiguous motive
power. This shaft has fitted to it a wheel with floats similar to an ordinary
paddle wheel; these floats are arranged to shift up and down, so that they
may be adjusted to the depth of the liquor in the blow-up. Each float board
of the wheel is provided with a series of adjustable knives or cutters, which
are fastened by means of screws to the floats. As the wheel rotates the knives
divide the lumps of sugar in the liquor, whilst the float boards put the whole
of the fluid into rapid motion by impelling it towards one end of the "blow-
up," from whence it passes down and along the bottom of the vessel, ascending
at the other end. In this way a continuous rotatory current is kept up, and
any deposition of the sugar in the "blow-up" is prevented. If, by preference,
a circular vessel is used, the wheel and knives rotate towards one side of the
vessel, giving rapid horizontal motion. The introduction of steam into the
open "blow-up" is also useful in several respects, it may be made to boil the
water in the "blow-up" rapidly, and to cause a circulation of the liquid when
there is not a sufficient depth of fluid for the paddle wheel to act upon. The
steam pipe opening near the bottom is by preference made to terminate in the
form of a flattened tube, having an emissive opening about fifteen inches broad
by half an inch in width. This thin stream of steam impinges on the curved
end of the "blow-up," heats the fluid, and causes it to flow rapidly along the
floor of the vessel, and return at the upper part to the source of motion.
"Another mode of arrangement is to have a horizontal slot, or in a circular
vessel a vertical slot or opening made in the "blow-up," through which the
flattened end of the steam pipe is inserted, the opening of which is covered by
a broad guard, which is carried down to the necessary depth. In this modi-
fication the steam pipe being fitted outside the "blow-up" leaves the vessel
quite free for the proper circulation of the liquor.
The last part of this Invention has reference to the arrangement of an
apparatus for returning the water of condensation to the "blow-up" by self-
acting means, also to economise steam effectually. A steam-tight vessel or
receiver is arranged below the "blow-up" and in convenient proximity
thereto. A pipe which communicates with the lower part of the steam jacket
of the "blow-up," conveys the water of condensation into the receiver.. When

page_text: required the water from the receiver is carried up into the "blow-up" by a
pipe issuing from the bottom of the receiver, and carried up over the edge of
the "blow-up," where a cock is fitted to it. An escape pipe is fitted to the
upper part of the receiver; in this pipe is a cock, which is kept open during
the operation of the apparatus to admit of the escape of any vapour from the
interior of the receiver. There is also a pipe communicating with the receiver
which conveys the water of condensation from all the steam pipes above into
the receiving vessel. In this way when both cocks are shut the whole of the
steam is economised and becomes condensed in the receiver. When the
receiver is full the pressure of the steam forces the water up a small supple-
mentary pipe fitted on to the upper part of the receiver, and into the "blow-
up," which warns the attendant that the cock in the escape pipe should be
opened to allow the surplus water of condensation to flow through the escape
pipe into the boiler or other convenient receptacle. One of these receivers
will serve for several melting vessels.
With these improvements the melting of the sugar is greatly facilitated
at low temperatures, no waste of hot water or steam can occur, and the
manual labour connected with the operations is reduced to the minimum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Orr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ORR, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Sugar Refiner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, 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 Orr, Her special license that I, the said
William Orr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Orr, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-

page_text: MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I; the said William Orr, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or
under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 William Orr, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :--
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of the
apparatus used in the manufacture of sugar for melting the sugar, which
operation is technically known as "blowing-up:" This portion of the appara-
tus consists of an open vessel, by preference of a rectangalar or circular figure;
about twelve feet by five, and four feet deep. This rectangular vessel is made
with curved or sloping ends extending to the bottom, which gives to it a
boat-like figure in its longitudinal section. The vessel or " blow-up" is
constructed with the usual double casing for heating it by steam, or by
preference with a heating pipe inside, it is also provided with steam pipes
for conveying the steam into the open vessel if required. One of these steam
pipes is arranged to convey the steam to the lower part of the blow-up
to adapt it to heating a comparatively small quantity of fluid, whilst the
other pipe opens into the blow-up at the upper part. Extending across
the blow-up is a horizontal shaft carrying a fast and loose pulley, which is
driven from contiguous motive power. This shaft has fitted to it a wheel with
floats similar to an ordinary paddle wheel; these floats are arranged to shift
up and down so that they may be adjusted to the depth of the liquor in the
blow-up. Each float board of the wheel is provided with a series of adjust-
able knives or cutters which are fastened by means of screws to the floats.
As the wheel rotates the knives divide the lumps of sugar in the liquor, whilst
the float boards put the whole of the fluid into rapid motion by impelling it
towards one end of the blow-up, from whence it passes down and along the
bottom of the vessel, ascending at the other end. In this way a 'continuous
rotatory current is kept up, and any deposition of the sugar in the blow-
up is prevented.

page_text: If, by preference, a circular vessel is used, the wheel and knives rotate
towards one side of, the vessel, giving a rapid horizontal motion. The intro-
duction of steam into the open blow-up is also useful in several respects, it
may be made to boil the water in the blow-up rapidly, and to cause a cir-
culation of the liquid when there is not a sufficient depth of fluid for the paddle
wheel to act upon. The steam pipe opening near the bottom is by preference
made to terminate in the form of a flattened tube having an emissive opening
about fifteen inches broad by half an inch in width. This thin stream of steam
impinges on the curved end of the blow-up, heats the fluid and causes it to
flow rapidly along the floor of the vessel and return at the upper part to the
source of motion.
Another mode of arrangement is to have a horizontal slot, or in a circular
vessel a vertical slot made in the blow-up, through which the flattened end
of the steam pipe is inserted, the opening of this pipe is covered by a broad
guard which is carried down to the necessary depth. In this modification
the steam pipe being fitted outside the blow-up, leaves the vessel quite free
for the proper circulation of the liquor.
The last part of my Invention has reference to the arrangement of an
apparatus for returning the water of condensation to the blow-up by self-
acting means, also to economise the steam effectually. A steam-tight vessel
or receiver is arranged below the blow-up, and in convenient proximity thereto.
A pipe which communicates with the lower part of the steam jacket of the
blow-up conveys the water of condensation into the receiver. When required
the water from the receiver is carried up into the blow-up by a pipe issuing
from the bottom of the receiver and carried up over the edge of the blow-up
where a cock is fitted to it. An escape pipe is fitted to the upper part of
the receiver, in this pipe is a cock which is kept open during the operation
of the apparatus to admit of the escape of any vapour from the interior of
the receiver. There is also a pipe communicating with the receiver which
conveys the water of condensation from all the steam pipes above into the
receiving vessel. In this way when both cocks are shut the whole of the
steam is economised and becomes condensed in the receiver. When the
receiver is full the pressure of the steam forces the water up a small supple-
mentary pipe fitted on to the upper part of the receiver and .into.the blow-up,
which warns the attendant that the cock in the escape pipe should be opened:
to allow the surplus water of condensation to flow through the escape pipe
into the boiler or other convenient receptacle. One of these receivers-wilk
serve for several melting vessels.
.

page_text: With these improvements the melting of the sugar is greatly facilitated
at low temperatures, no waste of hot water or steam can occur, and the
manual labour connected with the operations is reduced to the minimum.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in machinery or
apparatus for the manufacture of sugar, may be properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet
of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously
carried out in practice, that is to say, Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section of one modification of my
improved apparatus for the manufacture of sugar. Figure 2 is a correspond-
ing transverse vertical section, and Figure 3 is a plan corresponding to Figures
1 and 2.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section of another modification of the apparatus;
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at right angles to Figure 4; and
Figure 6 is a plan corresponding to Figures 4 and 5. The melting vessel
or "blow-up" A, is formed of metal and by preference of a rectangular figure,
having rounded corners as shown in the plan, Figure 3, and with inwardly
curved ends. In this modification the blow up is formed with a double
bottom B, for the admission of steam to heat the contents of the vessel, this
false botom is bolted to a flange projecting literally from the lower part of
the melting vessel A. The steam is conveyed into the chamber thus formed
through the pipe C, whilst the water of condensation flows away by the
pipe D, which is fitted with a cock E into the receiver F. This receiver
is a closed cylindrical vessel which acts as a receiver for the water of
condensation flowing from the other melting vessels throughout the works.
By means of the cock E, the steam may at any time be caused to act upon
the surface of the water in the vessel A, and so force the water contained
therein up through the vertical pipe G, which extends over the edge of the
blow up A, and is furnished with a cock H to regulate the flow. The lower
end of the pipe G dips into a small well extending below the bottom of the
receiver, this vessel is placed on a suitable framing or stand I, to bring it
within a convenient distance of the blow-up A. The water of condensation
from the other melting vessels is carried from the upper part of the sugar
refinery by the pipes J, into the T-shaped pipe K, which is fitted with a float
or other suitable valve L, and bolted to the inlet pipe M. Should an excess of
water accumulate in the receiver F, it escapes up the open pipe N, which
is purposely made of small diameter, the escape of the water at the upper

page_text: part of this pipe warns the attendant to open the cock in the outlet pipe O,
and allow the surplus water or steam to flow off. The arrangement of the
ball valve L in the inlet pipe M readily admits any water of condensation that
may flow down the pipes J into the receiver F, but prevents any escape either
of water or steam in that direction. Steam is also admitted to the interior of
the melting vessel A, by means of the steam. pipe P, which is flattened out at
the lower part, and enters the blow-up just above the steam pipe C. The
opening of the steam pipe P is covered by a pendent plate Q, which serves
to direct the steam to the lower part of the blow-up, and cause a current in
the liquid contents by its impinging on the curved boat-like surface of the
lower part of the melting vessel. On the margin of the blow-up A are
fitted the bearings of the transverse horizontal shaft R, on the overhanging
extremity of which is arranged the fast and loose pulley S, which is driven
from a contiguous steam engine or other prime mover. This shaft has keyed
to it two discs T, to which are bolted the radial arms U, and to these arms
the float boards V are attached by means of the clips and thumb screws W,
or other equivalent contrivance. This arrangement of the float boards V
admits of their being readily adjusted at different parts of the supporting
arms, and it is preferred to have them arranged at varying distances from the
axis, as shown in Figure 1, in order that they may act at different depths on
the sugar contained in the blow-up. To the face of each float board is
screwed a number of knives or cutters ✗, which extend out beyond the
margin of the board. When the machine is put in motion, these cutters, as
they come into contact with the solid lumps of raw sugar, divide them rapidly,
at the same time the float boards cause the whole of the liquor to be put into
rapid motion, so that the entire body of the saccharine liquor is carried round
in
a continuous stream, and subjected to the dividing action of the cutters.
When but a comparatively small quantity of liquor is contained in the blow-
up, the jet of steam emitted through the pipe P serves to put the fluid into
circulation, the ascending and descending of the current being assisted by the
curvature of the ends of the vessel A, and so prevent any deposition of the
sugar on the bottom. At the side of the blow-up is fitted the vertical wire
gauze screen Y, behind which is arranged the sluice valve Z, this valve is
raised by the handle a, which projects above the screen Y. The sluice valve Z
controls the passage of the outlet pipe 6, by means of which the contents of
the vessel A are discharged, when required, by raising the handle a, the
gauze screen serving to arrest any impurities floating on the surface of the
saccharine liquor.

page_text: In Figures 4, 5, and 6, another modification is shown, in which the heating
of the liquor is effected in a different. manner. In this arrangement the
melting vessel or blow-up A is a flat-bottomed receiver with semicircular ends,
This vessel is partially divided in a longitudinal direction by the partition B,
on one side of which is fitted the steam pipe C. This pipe is arranged in a
coil, as shown, or in any other equivalent manner, the steam passing through
in the direction of the arrows extending across the vessel A; from the outer
margin to the partition B-is the horizontal shaft R, which corresponds in its
office to that shown in the previous modification, and is driven by the pulley S.
The shaft R has keyed to it two large discs T, which are formed with radial
grooves U extending from the peripheries to the centres. The float boards V
are slipped into these grooves, and are fastened by spring pins W, which are
passed through holes made for the purpose in the rims of the grooves U. A
series of knives, or cutters X are screwed to the float boards V, in a similar
manner to those described in the first arrangement. To the bottom and sides of
the vessel. A is fixed a curved frame or bridge-piece c, in the open part of which
are fixed a number of flat strips of metal d; these metal strips are arranged
edgewise, and serve as so many stationary cutters as the ends of the cutters ✗
pass through them. When the shaft R is put in motion the action of the
float boards puts the whole of the fluid contained in the vessel A into motion
and the undissolved sugar is carried towards the grating & where the cutters ✗
speedily divide it. The saccharine-liquor after being properly treated is run
off by the outlet pipe.b, which is arranged like that shown in Figures 1 to 3.
In this way the melting of the sugar is greatly facilitated and effected at low
temperatures, whilst the waste of heated water or steam is wholly prevented,
and the amount of manual labour ordinarily required is much reduced.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for facilitating the melting or dissolving of sugar, as herein-before described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the arrangement,.construction, and combination of parts forming
the rotatory dividers and their connected parts, as herein-before described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere equivalent for the said
arrangement.

page_text: Third, the arrangement and combination of parts forming the receiver for
containing and economising the water of condensation flowing from one or a
series of vessels used for melting sugar, as herein-before described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification of the said
arrangement.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Orr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
WILLIAM ORR. (L.S.)