IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR MANUFACTURE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Joseph Richard, of Tirlemont, (Belgium,) Sugar
Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR MANUFACTURE."
Sealed the 11th July 1856, and dated the 15th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Joseph Richard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th March 1856.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH RICHARD, of Tirlemont (Belgium), Sugar Refiner, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUGAR
MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:
These improvements consist in adding carbonate of soda, carbonate of
potash, or any other suitable substance acting on the same principle, to cone,
beetroot, or other saccharine juices, sugar solutions, or syrups, after the same
have been defecated in the ordinary manner by means of lime, then boiling
again, the said, saccharine liquids for some moments,, skimming, filtering,
concentrating, and allowing the same to crystallize in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Joseph Richard in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th September 1856.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Louis Joseph Richard, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Joseph
Richard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Louis Joseph Richard, 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 "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN SUGAR MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Louis Joseph Richard, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis Joseph Richard, 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
My improvements in sugar manufacture relate to the purification and clari-
fying of the saccharine juices and sirups obtained from sugar cane, beetroot, or
other sacchariferous substances. After the juices have been defecated in the
usual manner by means of lime in coppers or other suitable vessels, and by this
ineans the foreign heterogenous matters contained in the juice have been more
or less eliminated therefrom, and the defecation consequently has been com-
pleted, a solution of the carbonates of soda, potash, or of any other chemical
agent acting similarly to them is thrown in the saccharine juice, either in the
same boiling vessel, or the juice may be first transferred to another suitable
vessel, a previous skimming not being required. The entire is then thoroughly
mixed by stirring the juice for some moments, after which the same is brought
again to ebullition. The action of the saturating agent commences immediately,
and continuing regularly, the separation of the lime is obtained, and after the
juice has been left to settle the same becomes limpid, and may be carried to the
ordinary bag filters. In order to obtain the full advantage this process offers,
it will be good to treat in the same manner with a solution of any of the above-
mentioned saturating agents, those juices resulting from the pressing of the

page_text: scums.
The saturating agents above mentioned completely neutralize and
prevent the destructive action of the lime on the sugar; and this method also
permits to recognize whether the juice has been deprived of all the foreign
matters, which latter are an impediment to the filtration, concentration, and crys-
tallization of the sugar, and the consequence of this process is, that the filtra-
tion on bone black has to take place only once; in so far, namely, as the passing
of the juice through the bag filters is not to be considered as a real tiresome or
expensive filtration, a saving of from 40 to 50 per cent. on the bone black usually
employed is the result of this method; moreover, the evaporation and boiling
of the juice are rendered more easy and regular, requiring but little grease,
and consequently the greasy juice obtained by the ordinary process is entirely
avoided, even under the most unfavorable working conditions, that is to say,
when acting on beetroots that have remained long time in underground silos.
The application of the carbonates of soda, potash, or any other chemical agent
acting similarly to them, causes a better cristallisation of the sugar to take
place; the purification of this latter is obtained quicker and with more facility,
and requires much less clairce, as is the case with sugar from which the lime
has not been eliminated. The colour of sugar treated according to this method
is whiter, and the taste of it and of the treacle is better, than from sugar manu-
factured under the old system. The method of purifying or refining is also
applicable with advantage to the refining of raw or moscovado sugar, treacle,
and other saccharine substances.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
putting the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim as my Invention consists in the application of the carbonates of soda,
potash, or any other chemical agent acting in a similar manner as these carbonates
in respect to saccharine matters, to the defecation, purification, clarifying, or
refining of saccharine juices, sirups, raw or other sugars, whether the same
have been obtained from cane, beetroot, or any other saccharine matters.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Joseph Richard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN RYAN.
LOUIS JOSEPH RICHARD. (L.S.)