IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLUCOSE SUGAR, AND IN OBTAINING INFUSIONS AND EXTRACTS FOR BREWING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Nathaniel Lessware at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1875.
I, JOHN NATHANIEL LESSWARE, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GLUCOSE SUGAR, AND IN OBTAINING INFUSIONS AND EXTRACTS
FOR BREWING AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:
:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to the production of glucose or grape
sugar, by acting on rice or other grain or substance usually employed
with a dilute acid and heat, and my Invention consists in the first place
in causing the said rice or other grain or substance and dilute acid to
circulate continuously through the converter, whereby the grain and
acid are more intimately commingled, and the process of conversion into
glucose or grape sugar is accelerated.
In carrying out my Invention I prefer to construct the converter of a
hopper-like or conical form at the bottom, or otherwise of a diminishing
size at that part, and to the lowest part I attach the suction pipe of a
centrifugal or other pump, the delivery pipe of which leads back into the
converter at or near the upper part.

page_text: The rice or other grain or substance employed, together with the
proper quantity of water, may be contained in a closed receptacle or
charger placed above the converter, and the said material may be kept
in a state of agitation therein if required. Acid diluted with the proper
quantity of water having been supplied to the converter, and raised to
the desired temperature by means of a steam coil, communication is
opened between the bottom of the charger and the converter and also if
necessary with the upper part of the charger, either from the upper part
of the converter or from the steam coil to equalize the pressure, and
allow the contents of the charger to flow at any required speed into the
converter.
The circulating pump is at same time put in motion and a continuous
circulation of the liquid and material is thereby maintained through the
converter pump and circulating pipes during the whole process of
conversion.
Instead of connecting the charger with the converter as above
mentioned I may prefer to feed the charge into the converter through
the pump, and to this end I connect the pump and charger by a second
suction pipe, the object being to feed in and thoroughly mix the charge
under any pressure that may be employed.
The Invention consists, secondly, in decolorizing the liquor by means of
sulphurous acid gas in its passage from the converter to the neutralizer.
For this purpose the liquor is run into a closed vessel fitted with a
number of superposed shelves or trays over which the liquor is allowed
to descend in a thin stream and meet an ascending current of sulphurous
acid gas injected at the lower part by a pump or fan. The liquor is
then neutralized by chalk or lime in the ordinary way.
My Invention also relates to obtaining infusions or extracts, as for
instance the washing of malt in brewing, or extracting colors for dyeing
purposes, the Invention consisting in the application of the method
above described of accelerating the operation by maintaining a continuous
circulation of the matters under treatment to the purposes above
mentioned.