AN IMPROVEMENT IN DRYING SUGAR
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerd Jacob Bensen, of Christian Street, St. George's
in the East, Sugar Refiner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN DRYING SUGAR."
Sealed the 17th November 1857, and dated the 15th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerd Jacob Benson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1857.
I, GERD JACOB BENSEN, of Christian Street, St. George's in the East, Sugar
Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
DRYING SUGAR," to be as follows: -
This Invention has for its object an improvement in drying sugar. For
this purpose, when the sugar has been crystallized in a vacuum pan, it is run
into pneumatic pans having false bottoms perforated with holes, which are
covered with wire gauze, and it is preferred that the sugar should fill each of
such pneumatic pans to about the depth of three feet. The bottoms of such
pneumatic pans are connected by suitable pipes with iron tanks, which are
kept vacuous by an air pump or otherwise. By this means, when the cock on
the pipe between the pneumatic pan and the tank is opened, the pressure of
the atmosphere will force the syrup from the crystals of sugar, and the syrup
will flow into the vacuous tank. The sugar having been thus treated is then
conveyed into a hot chamber, which it is preferred should be kept heated
to about 120° of Fahrenheit, and the sugar is placed in similar pneumatic

page_text: pans, the spaces under the perforated false bottoms of which are kept vacuous
when at work, by which the heated air of the chamber will rush through and
amongst the crystals of sugar and dry the same, so as to render the sugar fit
for the market.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Gerd Jacob Benson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GERD
JACOB BENSON, of Christian Street, Saint George's in the East, Sugar Refiner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first 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 Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN DRYING SUGAR," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, 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 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 has for its object an improvement in drying sugar. For
this purpose, when the sugar has been crystallized in a vacuum pan, it is run
into pneumatic pans having false bottoms perforated with holes, which are
covered with wire gauze, and it is preferred that the sugar should fill each of

page_text: such pneumatic pans to about the depth of three feet. The bottoms of such
pneumatic pans are connected by suitable pipes with iron tanks, which are
kept vacuous by an air pump or otherwise. By this means, when the cock on
the pipe between the pneumatic pan and the tank is opened, the pressure of
the atmosphere will force the syrup from the crystals of sugar, and the syrup
will flow into the vacuous tank. The sugar having been thus treated is then
conveyed into a hot chamber, which it is preferred should be kept heated from
120° to 140° of Fahrenheit, and the sugar is placed in similar pneumatic pans,
the spaces under the perforated false bottoms of which are kept vacuous when
at work, by which the heated air of the chamber will rush through and
amongst the crystals of sugar and dry the same, so as to render the sugar fit
for the market.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section of two pans, such as I employ, which are similar
to pneumatic pans which have before been used for such purposes. These
pans are each provided with a space under the filter or permeable bottom, as
shown. 6 is an air pipe which communicates with one of the pipes 6 of
the tanks, Figure 2. These tanks have the air constantly removed from them
by means of air pumps or otherwise, through the pipes c, c. The crystallized
sugar is placed on the permeable bottoms or filters a, a, in the pneumatic
pans, Figure 1. The vacuum in the tanks, Figure 2, I prefer to keep
at about 28 inches, but this may be varied. The syrup from the sugar as it
flows through the bottoms a, a, will pass into the tanks, Figure 2, from which
it may be drawn through the pipes d, d, by a syrup pump in connection there-
with. The sugar having been thus treated in the pneumatic pans, Figure 1,
is conveyed into a second pan, such as is shown in section at Figure 3, placed
in a chamber which is kept heated to a high temperature. I prefer it to be
from 120° to 140° Fahrenheit. e is a pipe, which is below the permeable
bottom of this tank or pan, Figure 3, which is connected when situated
below the tanks to the lower end of the pipe f¹ of the tanks, Figure 2; but
when the drying room or chamber is situated above the tanks, the pipe e,
Figure 3, is to be connected with the pipe f³, Figure 2, at its upper end.
g, g, is a steam pipe for heating the drying room or chamber, Figure 3; or
the heating of such chamber may be by other convenient means.
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

page_text: any of the three apparatus above referred to separately; but what I claim is
the combined process herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gerd Jacob Bensen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GERD JACOB BENSEN. (L.S.)
WILLIAM ARMSTRONG,
42, Prince's Square,
St. George (East), Middx.