IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, AND IN SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM SUGAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Fryer, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Sugar Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, AND IN SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM SUGAR AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 19th September 1862, and dated the 25th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Fryer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th March
1862.
I, ALFRED FRYER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Sugar
Refiner,, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR, AND IN SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM SUGAR
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, of a method of crystallizing the sugar held in
syrups. I store the syrups, when boiled, in what I term a crystallizing vessel,
which is of large capacity and great depth. I prefer that the vessel shall not
hold less than 50 tons, nor be of less depth than 30 feet, the larger and
deeper the better. The crystallizing vessel is kept nearly full, and the
saccharine matter is drawn off from the lower end, and for convenience of
after treatment led through a pipe into a small discharging tank fixed nearly

page_text: as high as the top of the crystallizing vessel.. I prefer that each portion of
syrup shall be about a fortnight under operation.. By this method the boiled
syrup cools slowly, and the lower portion being removed as fresh boiled syrup
is added at the top, each portion of material in its downward course is sub-
jected to gradually increasing and eventually to considerable pressure, which,
together with the slow cooling and length of time, produces a more than
ordinarily copious crystallization. As it is better not to allow the temperature
of the sugar to fall below 105° Fahrenheit, I surround the vessel; if needful,
especially if such be of the dimensions before stated, with a casing; or I
employ other known means to maintain the temperature.
The second part of my Invention consists in a new method of separating
sugar from syrup, applicable also to the separation of liquids from solids
generally. For the purpose of explaining this part of my Invention, I will
suppose I am operating on saccharine matter that has passed through the
crystallizing vessel to the discharging tank before referred to. The separation
of the sugar from the syrup is thus effected:-I enclose portions of the
saccharine matter in cloths or other textile material, or in felt, each of such por-
tions in the cloths forming a parcel, and I place these parcels one upon another
until they form a pile or column from about 20 to 50 feet high or upwards.
Each parcel is subjected to a gradually increasing pressure, commencing at
first with no superincumbent pressure, and eventually receiving the pressure
due to the whole column; the syrup is thereby forced through the pores of the
cloth, while the sugar is retained. The pile is kept constantly full; fresh
parcels are added at top as the bottom parcels are removed. It is better that.
each parcel should be 24 hours under operation. I interpose between every
two parcels a wicker or other suitable openwork plate. To assist the syrup
flowing freely from the surface of the cloth or other porous material, and to
prevent the same becoming clogged, I surround the column with a warm
atmosphere surcharged with moisture by mixing steam or vapour with the
air. Several of the piles may be conveniently worked together.
This method of extracting moisture by means of superposed layers pressing
by their own weight with a gradually increasing pressure, fed from the top
and discharged from the bottom, is, as herein-before stated, applicable for sepa-
rating liquid from solid substances generally, and especially to the separation
of beer from yeast, and water from clays.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Fryer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
September 1862.
6
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
FRYER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Sugar Refiner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, 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
Alfred Fryer, Her special licence, that I, the said Alfred Fryer, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Fryer,
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 OF SUGAR, AND
IN SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM SUGAR AND.. OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Fryer, 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 Alfred Fryer, 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
thereof,. reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
My Invention consists, first, in a method of crystallizing the sugar held in
syrups. I store the syrups, when boiled, in what I term a crystallizing vessel,
of large capacity and great depth, indicated in the accompanying Drawings
by the letters A, A. I prefer that the vessel shall not hold less than fifty tons,
nor be of less depth than thirty feet, the larger and deeper the better. The
crystallizing vessel is kept nearly full, and the saccharine matter drawn off
from the lower end, and is, for convenience of after treatment, led thence by
a pipe B into a small discharging tank C, fixed nearly as high as the top of

page_text: the crystallizing vessel. By this method the boiled syrup cools slowly, and
the. lower portions being removed as fresh boiled syrup. is added at the top.
Each portion of material in its downward course is subjected to gradually
increasing and eventually to considerable pressure, which, together with slow
cooling and length of time; produces a more than ordinary copious crystal-
lization. As it is better not to allow the temperature of the sugar to fall
below 105° Fahrenheit, I surround the vessel, if needful, and especially if such,
be of small diameter, as the minimum aforesaid, with a casing, or employ
other means to maintain the temperature.....
"
.
The second part of my Invention consists in a new method of and arrange-
ment of apparatus for separating sugar from syrup, and for the removal of
liquids from solids generally. For the purpose of explaining this part of my
Invention I will suppose I am operating on saccharine matter that has passed
through the crystallizing vessel to the discharging tank before referred to.
The separation of the sugar from the syrup is thus effected:-I fold portions
of the saccharine matter in cloths or other porous material forming parcels,
and I place these parcels one upon another until they form a pile or
column E, E, from about 20 to 50 feet high, or upwards. Each parcel is
thus subjected to a gradually increasing pressure, commencing at first with
no superincumbent pressure, and eventually receiving the pressure due to the
whole column, the syrup is thereby forced through the pores of the cloth,
while the sugar is retained. The pile is kept constantly full; fresh parcels
are added at the top, and the pressed ones are removed from the bottom. It
is better that each parcel should be 24 hours under operation. Each parcel
is separated from those above and below it by an open or reticulated plate to
allow the syrup to escape freely. The whole column is retained in a vertical
position by a strong framework; this framework is most conveniently placed
under the valve of the discharging tank, and the material' is then filled into the
cloths direct. Beneath the pile a hydraulic lifting apparatus H; H, is fixed,
by means of which, in combination with bars and beams for supporting the
weight of the pile, the whole pile is lowered, and the lower parcels are
released from the superincumbent weight, and may thus be removed: To
assist the syrup flowing freely away from the surface of the cloth or other
porous material, and to prevent the same from becoming clogged, I surround
the pile with a warm atmosphere surcharged with moisture, by mixing steam
or vapour with the air; this causes the syrup exuding from the parcels to
deliquesce and flow freely away, and thus the pores of the cloth or other
material are kept open. Several of the piles may be conveniently worked

page_text: together. This method of extracting moisture is specially applicable to the
removal of syrup from raw sugar. The sugar may either be pressed without
previous preparation, or after admixture with a little water.
My method of extracting moisture by means of superposed layers pressing
by their own weight with a gradually increasing pressure, fed from the
top and discharged from the bottom, is applicable for a variety of other
substances.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the method of crystallizing the sugar held in syrups, herein-before
described.
And, second, the method of separating liquids from sugar and other
substances with or without the employmeut of an atmosphere artificially made
moist and warm, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Fryer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, One thousand
'eight hundred and sixty-two.