IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIGNEOUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR TREATING
LIGNEOUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of ligneous substances with
a view to the production of glucose and alcohol.
In the treatment of woods by gaseous hydrochloric acid with the object of
transforming the cellulose into glucose, and then into alcohol, the apparatuses
heretofore employed, which have fixed cylinders with agitators, or rotary cylinders
without agitators, present the following inconveniences in practice, viz:-
1st They are very slow in operation by reason of the quantity and the heat
caused by the solution of the gas in the water of hydration of the substance under
treatment.
2nd The yield is always inferior to the yield of glucose which can be obtained in
the operations of the laboratory.
3rd The necessity of having a special apparatus, filtering tank, filter-press or,
turbine, for washing the attacked substances.
4th In the agitation of the material or in consequence of the rotary movement
of the cylinders, the powders and fine portions agglomerate and form frequently a
species of pills impenetrable either by the gaseous acid or by the liquid used for
the washing, from which circumstance, notwithstanding the long duration of this
washing, results a considerable loss of acid.
5th Moreover, these apparatuses require much space and their erection is costly.
These inconveniences are avoided by the application of the apparatus herein-
after described, which serves at the same time for the attack and the washing of
the substance.
The improved apparatus is represented in the annexed drawing, by way of
example.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the same, and
Figure 2 a horizontal section on the line 1-2, Figure 1.
In this apparatus there is an annular space A of varying width between two
vertical concentric cylinders whose diameter and height are determined by
experience.
•
The upper portion of the apparatus is widened so as to form an annular conical
funnel B which facilitates the filling.

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declaro the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR TREATING
LIGNEOUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of ligneous substances for
the production of glucose.
In the treatment of wood by gaseous hydrochloric acid with the object of
transforming the cellulose into glucose, the apparatuses heretofore employed which
have fixed cylinders with agitators or rotary cylinders without agitators present
the following inconveniences in practice viz:-
First: They are very slow in operation by reason of the quantity of material
massed together and the heat caused by the solution of the gas in the water of
hydration of the substance under treatment.
Second: The yield is always inferior to the yield of glucose which can be
obtained in the operations of the laboratory.
Third: The necessity of having a special apparatus, filtering tank, filter-press
or turbine for washing the attacked substances.
Fourth In the agitation of the material or in consequence of the rotary move-
ment of the cylinders, the powders and fine portions agglomerate and form,
frequently, spherical lumps impenetrable either by the gaseous acid or by the
liquid used for the washing, from which circumstance, notwithstanding the long
duration of this washing, a considerable loss of acid results; and moreover (5th)
these apparatuses require much space and their erection is costly.
These inconveniences are avoided by the application of the apparatus hereinafter
described, which serves at the same time for the attack and the washing of the
substance.
The improved apparatus is represented in the accompanying drawing, by way of
example.
Figure 1 being a vertical section and
Figure 2 a horizontal section on the line 1-2 Figure 1.
In this apparatus there is an annular space A between two vertical concentric
cylinders whose diameters and height are determined by experience.
The upper portion of the apparatus is widened so as to form an annular
opening B of conical or funnel shape in transverse section, which facilitates the
filling.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I doclare that what
I claim is
The employment of the apparatus above described, of circular rectangular or
other suitable horizontal section, for permitting thin layers of ligneous materials to
be attacked by gaseous hydrochloric acid and then washed for the purpose of
obtaining glucose from the said materials.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.