IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING THE PROCESS OF REPINING AND MANUFACTURING SUGAR
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bessemer, of Baxter House, Old St.
Pancras Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING
Sealed the 22nd September 1853, and dated the 15th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bessemer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th July 1853.
I, HENRY BESSEMER, of Baxter House. Old St. Pancras Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare that the nature
of my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF REPINING AND
MANUFACTURING SUGAR."
These improvements consist, firstly, in separating the whole or greater
part of the glucose matter or uncrystallizable colored syrups from sugar
prior to the manufacture of such sugar into loaves, lumps, or concrete
masses, instead of separating such glucose matters after the loaf or
lump of sugar has been formed as heretofore practised; and hence the
process of liquoring or claying" the loaf may be wholly or in part dis-

page_text: pensed with. In carrying into affect this part of my Invention th
raw sugar may be dissolved in water. "blown up" and passed throug
animal charcoal in the usual way; the saccharine fluid is then to
concentrated to a density of about 45° Beaume. This process I pref
to accomplish by bringing, the fluids in contact with currents of wart
dry air at a low temperature, in an apparatus for which I obtained
Patent dated the Nineteenth day of November, Eighteen hundred an
fifty-two, and which is numbered 795. Nevertheless, in carrying int
effect my present Invention, the vacuum pan or other concentrating
apparatus may be used in lieu thereof. The concentrated fluid is to l
heated to about 170° Fahrenheit, and then transferred to large crystal
lizing vessels, or put into common sugar moulds in which the crystal
lization of the sugar will take place; but instead of allowing the proces
of making loaf sugar to be completed in these moulds as usual, 1
remove the newly crystallized sugar therefrom in a green state, and
having sliced or broken it up I wash or cleanse it in a machine, in
order that the uncrystallized colored syrup may be removed and
separated from the crystals of sugar.
The apparatus best suited to perform this washing or cleansing pro-
cess is described in a Patent granted to me on the 24th day of February
1852. Nevertheless, the washing or curing of the sugar for the pur-
poses of this Invention may be effected by the centrifugal machine or
by other means.
"The crystals of sugar so treated and cleansed from their usual admix-
ture of glucose or uncrystallizable or colored syrup, are in a condition
suitable to the formation of a loaf or concrete mass of sugar according
to this Invention; the crystals so obtained I distinguish by the term of
product No. 1, and the fluid matter separated therefrom I call product
No. 2, and so on throughout the process, in order that the particular
quality of sugar or syrup referred to may be identified. In order to
form a loaf of sugar with the product No. 1, I take as much hot water
or syrup No. 3, resulting from a previous operation, as will, when
sprinkled on the sugar and combined with it, reduce the whole, to
a density of about 46° Beaune. The product No. 1, being partially
dissolved by this addition of water or syrup, is to be put into a vessel,

page_text: But in
the bottom of which is composed of a row of small copper pipes placed
parallel with each other, and nearly close together; through the inte-
rior of these pipes hot water or steam is made to circulate, in order
that the wet and perfectly dissolved crystals resting upon them may
acquire such a degree of heat as will cause the greater part of them to
dissolve, and in this partially dissolved state to flow through the spaces
between the pipes, and be received in a vessel or heater provided with
a jacket containing hot water or steam, to prevent the loss of heat
from the dissolved sugar during its accumulation therein.
order that that the heated syrup falling into it may have its temperature
equallized and brought up to about 180° Fah', it is without loss of
time to be put into moulds of the size and form desired. The moulds
should be placed in pots, and when the crystallization is completed,
the plugs withdrawn, and the white mother liquor drained from them,
which may be called product. No. 3. The loaves may then be cleaned
off and dried as usual; but should the color of the loaves not be quite
so good as desired, "water, clay, or liquor may be used in such quantity
necessary to produce the required shade of color. The drips resulting
from such claying or liquoring process (called also product No. 3), as
well as the mother liquor No. 3, before mentioned, may be used to dis-
solve a fresh charge of crystals in the succeeding operation, or combined
with other qualities of sugar as herein-after described. In the washing
or cleansing process which follows the first crystallization, the saccha-
rine fluid No. 2, is obtained, which consists of colored glucose matter
combined with dissolved crystallizable sugar; this fluid should be con-
centrated to about 45° Beaumé, and put into vessels or moulds to
crystallize, after which the mass may be operated on in the cleansing
machine, and a crystallized sugar obtained, which I call No. 4, and a
syrup No. 5.
The crystals No. 4, may either be mixed with water or
syrup No. 3, in such proportions as to yield a fluid 46° Benumé; this
mixture on crystallizing will also yield loaf sugar of good quality. The
syrup No. 6, draining therefrom, may be returned to the evaporating
pan, and mixed with a fresh charge of sugar, so that ultimately the
whole, or nearly so, of the crystallizable matter, may be converted into
loaf sugar. The syrup No. 5, which is of a very low or inferior quality,

page_text: may be concentrated to about 46° or 47° Beaumé, afterwards crystallized,
and then subjected to a powerful pressure, in the manner described in
the Provisional Specification of a Patent deposited by me, and bearing
even date herewith. The result of this pressing operation will be a
product No. 7, consisting of small crystals of bastard sugar in a nearly
pure state, but without a crystalline appearance, when it may be sold
or more advantageously returned to the evaporating vessel to combine
with other sugar and form loaves. The last or eighth product is
treacle, obtained by pressure as before described, and is the only one,
except loaf sugar, obtained by this process of refining sugar. Never-
theless, some of the products may be kept separate if desired, and it
will also be obvious that the cleansed sugars and their syrups may be
mixed otherwise than is herein specified without departing from the
principle on which my Invention is based.
Secondly, in the refining of sugar as at present generally practised,
several different qualities aro produced, each having a different com-
mercial value. Now the object of the second part of my Invention is to
more nearly equallize the value of such products, and to produce a
greater uniformity therein by increasing the value of the more inferior
kinds, I effect in the following manner :-The inferior sugar is first
washed or cured by any suitable machine, as described under the first
head of my Invention; but instead of sending such washed or cured
sugars to market, I dissolve them in the liquor of raw sugar after it
has passed through the charcoal filter, or in lieu thereof I add the
crystals to the sugar in the vacuum pan or other concentrating appa-
ratus, whereby the crystals form part of the loaf of sugar or other
superior products. The process of evaporation is not increased by the
addition of this sugar to the liquor; it therefore entails but little
expense. In some cases sugars that have been cleansed may be added
to or mixed with the concentrated syrups while in the crystallizing ves-
sels, where they will form a nucleus on which a further crystallization
will take place, and will thus form a portion of the superior quality of
sugar without entailing either much labour or expense.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bessemer in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY BESSEMER, of Baxter House, Old St. Pancras Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-threc, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Bessemer, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Bessemer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Bessemer, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bessemer, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bessemer, 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 following statement thereof (that is to say):
In the process of refining sugar as at present generally practised, the
concentrated syrups are put into conical iron moulds of so small a size
as to allow of their being easily lifted from place to place by the work-
men after they have been filled with syrup. This lifting of the moulds
takes place several times in the course of manufacturing each loaf of

page_text: sugar and hence, with the present process, the size of the moulds are
limited to that which the workmen can handle with facility. In order
to displace the loaf of sugar from the mould a sinart blow is given to
the open end of it, either by inverting the mould, and striking it forcibly
.against the floor, or it may be otherwise effected by bringing a heavy
body forcibly against the floor, or it may be otherwise effected by
bringing a heavy body. forcibly against the mould while held by the
workmen in a horizontal position.. In order that the loaf may be
detached by these means it is necessary to give the mould a very
conical form, otherwise the difficulty of removing the sugar from it by
such means would be very great, if not wholly impracticable. Near
the bottom of the ordinary sugar mould the cone is formed at a much
more obtuse angle than the body of the mould, and in the centre of
this lower conc is a small opening, varying from quarter to half an inch
in diameter, through which the mother liquor and other syrups slowly
cxude.
The practice of limiting the size of the sugar mould as before men-
tioned, and the conical form given to it, cause the following disadvan-
tages in the manufacture, which the present Invention is intended to
lessen or entirely remove.
The large or upper end of the loaf is always imperfectly formed,
owing in a great measure to the cooling influence of the atmosphere,
and this surface of inferior sugar is greatly increased by the conical
form of the mould, while the mother liquor and other syrups are much
retarded in their escape from the mould by the diminished area through
which they have to percolate as they descend in the cone, and more
especially as they approach the 'small exit aperture in the apex, while
the area through which the syrup has to force its. way is not equal to a
hundredth part of the superficial area from which the syrups arc
drained, and thus the time occupied in the drainage 'and, liquoring of
the loaf is much greater than would be occupied by, the process if
moulds of a cylindrical form where used having an escape aperture
equal to the entire diameter of the mould. With regard to the height
or length of the loaf, as at present manufactured, whatever the height
may be, the bottom of it will always contain a certain quantity of syrup,

page_text: which is there suspended by capillary attraction. The presence of this
syrup lessons the value of the lower part of the loaf; it is therefore cut
off, and a new point given to the loaf in a cutting machine. I have
before mentioned that the upper end of the loaf is also defective, so that
it will be obvious that a great advantage would result from increasing
the length of the loaf to ten or twelve feet, instead of making them of
about two feet in length, as at present practised, since in both cases
there will only be a defective part at each end, and thus a considerable
diminution in the quantity of inferior sugar would take place, and a
corresponding increase in the sugar of the superior kind.
Having thus pointed out the inore prominent disadvantages resulting
from the size and form of ordinary sugar moulds, I will now proceed
to describe the methods by which the same may be lessened or wholly
avoided.
Firstly, I construct cylindrical sugar loaf moulds having a moveable
bottom, so that the syrups may drain off from a surface whose area is
equal to the body of the mould. The mould may in consequence be made
of much greater height, because this increased area of outlet will allow
the syrups to drain off quickly, which the hydrostatic pressure of a tall
column also materially assists. This increased capacity of the mould will
render it much too heavy to be handled by the workmen in the usual
way; I therefore prefer to make them fixtures, or moveable only with
revolving apparatus somewhatl ike a turntable; and instead of detaching
the loaf from the mould by a blow, I employ an hydraulic press or other
suitable mechanical force to push out the loaf from the mould.
In order that the more of carrying out my Invention may be fully
understood, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing, in which this im-
proved mode of constructing and arranging sugar moulds is shown.
Figure 1, is a vertical section through the centre of the apparatus.
Figure 2, a plan, shewing the position of the moulds in reference to
each other; and Figures 3, 4, and 5, arc details of the same on a larger
scale. a, a, are large moulds of a cylindrical form, sixteen of which are
shewn in Figure 2, arranged on a circular turntable b, to which they
are attached by angle irons a*. The upper part of the moulds are kept
in their places by radius rods c, which are rivetted to them at one end

page_text: and are attached in the centre to the hollow capital of the column d,
which is bolted at its base to the turntable b. The column is kept
upright by diagonal stays c, c, which pass at their lower ends through
the outer flange of the turntable. ff, is a large hollow cone embedded
in masonry or concrete at f*; it is provided with a flange, the upper
surface of which is turned truc, and forms a support for the flange b*,
to slide upon when the apparatus is turned round. The under side
of the table b, is provided with a hollow axis b, which fits at its lower
end into a step formed in the conical piece f.f. 63, 6³, are webs cast on
the under side of the table, for the purpose of giving strength to the axis.
9,9, is a cylinder having a flange g', resting on the masonry, and level
with the floor line ; the cylinder has a leather packing at g², below
which there is a contraction 9, which fits close to the piston i, the
upper end of which is enlarged for the purpose of supporting the mass
of sugar j, which is shown resting upon it. The cylinder is filled with
water; and a pump, such as is usually employed for hydraulic presses, is
provided, with which the ram or piston i, is forced up in a manner well
understood. The moulds a, have a vertical slit or opening made on one
side of them, which extends from end to end; on each side of this slit
angle flanges n, are rivetted; there are projecting picces or lugs n*,
formed on the angle iron n, through which a screw m, passes. A piece
of vulcanized india-rubber 2, is put in between the angle irons, so that
when the screws m, are tightened, a close joint will be formed, through
which the fluid matters in the mould cannot find their way. The mode
of forming this joint of the mould will be seen at Figure 3, which is an
elevation of a portion of the angle iron and lugs before described.
Figure 4, is a horizontal section through the same joint, showing part
of the mould a, in Figure 1. I have shown at k, a portion of the
flooring of the room, above the moulds, in which floor an opening is
made at ', for the purpose of allowing the tilting frame p, to move in;
this frame moves on an axis formed on the top of an iron bracket 7,
which is secured to the floor.
8, 8, is a flat platform or carriage on wheels which runs on rails laid
the floor.
upon
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-

page_text: On the bottom of each mould a cap t, is fitted with a bayonet joint,
and having a piece of vulcanized india-rubber between it, a sound joint
is formed; the turntable is then moved round so as to bring one of the
moulds a, beneath the spout u, by which the concentrated syrup
is con-
veyed from the evaporating pan; when the mould is filled the table is
turned round a little further, so as to bring the next mould under the
spout to be filled, and so on until the whole of the moulds are supplied;
the apparatus may then remain at rest until the sugar is crystallized,
after which the bottom of the mould is removed, and a shallow vessel is
placed beneath the mould to receive the drainage. This vessel is shewn
in Figure 5; the central part V, is filled with molasses, and placed
under the mould immediately on the removal of the bottom. In order
to prevent access of air, which might enter the lower part of the
crystalized mass, and prevent the drainage from being equal at all parts,
around the vessel V, is formed an annular channel V1, into which the
syrup overflows; from the central part on one side a short piece of pipe
W, is joined to the channel V 1, which conducts the fluid into a gutter
X, by which it may be conveyed to any convenient receptacle. The
liquoring may be performed in the usual way, and when the top of the
mass is made even, the screws m, are loosened, which will allow the
mould to expand, and facilitate the removal of the crystallized mass of
Sugar; one of the moulds is then brought over the head of the ram i;
water is then forced into the cylinder, and the ram is forced upwards,
carrying with it the large cylindrical mass of sugar j. It will be under-
stood that the movement of the ram may be effected quickly by a pump
of larger diameter than is generally used in hydraulic presses, in con-
sequence of the small amount of foreç required to lift up the sugar. As
soon as the sugar is raised to the position shown in the Drawing, a
workman standing on the floor k, tilts up the frame p, against which the
mass of sugar rests, and brings it into a horizontal position; he then
rolls the sugar on to the carriage &, which may be made wide enough
to hold several, cach laying parallel to the other. The ram is lowered
down by opening a cock for the escape of water from the cylinder
g, and is made to act in like manner upon the rest of sugar contained
in the moulds; after which the caps t, are replaced, when the

page_text: refilling of moulds may be proceeded with. When the loaves or
masses of sugar are lifted up on to the floor above by the hydraulic
apparatus, they are placed on carriages which run on rails, and
are by this means easily conveyed to a long oven or chamber
through which the rails are laid. The oven may be heated to about
the same temperature as the "stoves" generally employed for drying
sugar, either by means of steam pipes laid along the floor thereof,
or by passing a current of hot dry air by means of fan or other
suitable means, the air moving in an opposite direction to the sugar.
The oven should be of such a length as will contain as much sugar as is
made in the establishment during the period necessary for its drying,
so that every time a carriage full of sugar is pushed into one end of it,
another carriage of well dried sugar will be forced through the door at
the opposite end of the oven. When this mode of drying or stoving
sugar is intended to be applied to the smaller kind of loaves, several
stages or floors may. be made in each carriage, which may be well filled
with loaves ranged on bars one above another. When "crushed"
sugar is to be dried the carriages may have a number of shelves one
above another, on which the sugar is laid; or in lieu of the carriage an
endless web or webs may be made to pass over horizontal rollers placed
at each end of the oven; the sugar being placed on this web will pass
by its motion through the oven and become sufliciently dry by the time
it is discharged at the further end. I have not shown any Drawings of
this oven, because its form and proportions admits of much variation
without departing from the progressive action of heat or dry air upon
successive portions of sugar brought into one end, and made to move
therein to the point of delivery; so that the workman will not have to
enter the stove, as at present, to place and displace the loaves which
are all ranged on fixed shelves in a tall vertical chamber, and remain
in the same place during the action of heat upon them..
I have before stated that a certain quantity of syrup is retained in the
lower part of the loaf or mass of sugar, which is suspended there by
capilliary attraction. The presence of this syrup lessens the value of the
sugar; therefore prevent.this retention of the syrup by putting into the
lower part of 'the inoulds any suitable porous or granulated substances,

page_text: such as very coarse clean sand,. broken flint, shot, granulated animal
charcoal, or such other matters as are incapable of acting injuriously on
the sugar. These substances should occupy about five or six inches in
height, and be covered with a diaphragm of wire gauze or perforated
metal attached to a metallic ring, and secured thereby to the interior of
the mould, as shown in Figure 6, where D, represents the lower part of
an ordinary sugar mould; E, the wire gauze; F, the granulated sub-
stance; G, a small piece of perforated metal to prevent the granulated
matter from falling out; or otherwise these substances may be contained
in a bag made of a pervious textile fabric. When the plug is inserted
in the bottom of the mould as much uncrystallizable syrup is to be put
in as will fill the interstices of the granulated or porous materials.
To prevent the admission of the crystallizable syrup, the moulds are
then to be filled with the concentrated syrup, and after crystallization
has taken place the plug may be withdrawn, when the drainage of the
loaf will go on rapidly, because the passage for the fluid between the
granulated substances will be more open than it is through the network
of crystals forming the point of the loaf; and hence a free drainage will
take place from an area equal to the size of the metallic diaphragm.
The lowest part of the sugar occupies a position an inch or two higher
above the escape orifice than the syrup can be suspended by capillary
attraction, and hence the lower part of the loaf will be completely
drained. The orifice of the mould should be dipped into a small cup
containing syrup, so as to prevent the admission of air. The cup H, is
shown at Figure 6, suspended by small pieces of metal J, which rest on
the mouth of the earthen pot K, in which the mould is placed to drain;
the syrups flowing over the edge of the cup will be received in the pot.
By this arrangement the time occupied in draining and liquoring the
loaf will be lessened, while the weight of the loaf sugar will be increased,
since the bottom of the loaf need not be ent off as usnal. When it is
thought desirable to retain the pointed form of the apex, a funnel
shaped piece of wire gauze or perforated metal may be fastened in the
lower part of the mould, as shown at Figure 7, where I, is the mould;
M, the funnel shaped piece; the space between which and the bottom
of the mould is occupied by granulated substances, as before described.

page_text: The bottom opening of the mould dips into the syrup cup R, suspended
in the mouth of the pot S. Loaves made in this mould will have a
pointed end, the whole of which will be well drained, and the time and
labour now occupied in repointing loaf sugar will be avoided.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bessemer, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the
Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
HENRY BESSEMER. (L.s.)