AN IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING SUGAR
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerd Jacob Bensen, of 7, Christian Street, St.
George's in the East, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING
SUGAR,"
Sealed the 18th May 1855, and dated the 28th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerd Jacob Bensen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th December 1854.
I, GERD JACOB BENSEN, of 7, Christian Street, St. George's in the East,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
REFINING SUGAR " to be as follows:-
This Invention is applicable in that part of the process of refining sugar
which consists of dissolving sugar in water to produce syrups, and the object
of the Invention is to carry on that process of refining sugar at a lower
temperature than that now resorted to, where free steam is used to "blow up,"
as it is technically called. And my Invention consists of employing numerous
streams of air introduced below the sugar and water when in a suitable open
vessel or pan, and heated by pipes having steam or hot fluid within them.
For this purpose, it is preferred to employ a series of perforated pipes near the
bottom of the pan or vessel, and above them to have a series of heated pipes,
capable of being raised out of the fluid; but the arrangement of the air
pipes and the means of applying heat may be varied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GERD
JACOB BENSEN, of 7, Christian Street, St. George's in the East, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, Her special licence that I, the said
Gerd Jacob Bensen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING SUGAR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, 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) :-
This Invention is applicable in that part of the process of refining sugar
which consists of dissolving sugar in water to produce syrups, and the object
of this Invention is to carry on that process of refining sugar at a lower
temperature than that now resorted to, where free steam is used to "blow up,"
as it is technically called. And my Invention consists of employing numerous
streams of air introduced below the sugar and water when in a suitable open
vessel or pan, and heated by pipes having steam or hot fluid within them.
For this purpose, it is preferred to employ a series of perforated pipes near the
bottom of the pan or vessel, and above them to have a series of heated pipes,
capable of being raised out of the fluid; but the arrangement of the air pipes
and the means of applying heat may be varied.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan of a vessel or pan and air-supplying tubes, suitable
for carrying out my Invention. Figure 2 is a similar plan of the vessel or
pan, showing an arrangement of tubes or pipes in the vessel for heating the
fluid. Figure 3 shows a section of the vessel having both the air supply tubes
and the heating tubes therein; and Figure 4 is a section of one of the
perforated tubes A, used for supplying streams of air. The pan or vessel shown
in the Drawing is square, but the form of vessel used may be varied. A, A,
are perforated tubes in connection with the tube B, which by a branch B' is
to be connected to any suitable air-blowing machinery. These tubes A, A,
are placed at the lower part of the pan or vessel in which the sugar and water
are to be mixed and the sugar dissolved. C, C, are a series of pipes or tubes,
which are capable of being turned or moved on the fixed tubes E, F, in order
that the heating apparatus C, C, may, when desired, be moved out of the way,
to allow of the bottom of the pan or vessel or the tubes A, A, being cleaned,
repaired, or the like. The tubes or pipes C, C, are connected together, and are
combined by the straps D, D, as shown. Steam or heated fluid is to be caused
to pass through the heating apparatus C, in order, when desired, to heat the fluid
in the pan or vessel to the required temperature. G is a false or moveable
perforated bottom to the pan or vessel on to which the sugar to be dissolved
is put; H is a pipe for drawing off the clear liquor; this pipe is made to
move as on an axis at K, so that it may be caused to incline as the liquor in
the vessel is drawn off, thus facilitating the drawing off only the clear liquor,
the subsiding matters being drawn off afterwards at the passage L, which
is stopped by a plug, and is covered with the straining or perforated pipe M.
The pipe H may be supported in a position just below the level of the fluid by
a float, or may turn stiffly and be moved by hand. The sugar and water are
introduced into the vessel or pan together with cold or heated water, and the
same is kept to any temperature desired by allowing steam or hot fluid to
flow through the pipes C, C. Air is to be forced through the tubes or pipes
A, A, which will agitate the water and sugar, and this agitation is to be kept
up till the sugar is dissolved; the liquor is then allowed to stand and settle,
the scum is to be removed, and then the clear liquor or syrup may be drawn
off by the pipe H. Afterwards the sediment is to be allowed to flow by
the passage L by removing the plug, the perforated cover keeping back the
grosser matters.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details, as the
forms may be varied, so long as they are suitable for employing streams of air
in the process of dissolving sugar. I claim the arranging or combining
apparatus for facilitating the dissolving of sugar in water by the application
of streams of air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
GERD JACOB BENSEN. (L.S.)
Witness,
FRED. H. SCHRÖDER,
6, Christian St., St. Geo. East.