IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SACCHARINE COMPOUNDS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Harris Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1882. A communication
from abroad by Edward Wilhelm, of Buffalo, New York, United States of
America, Patent Attorney.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF SACCHARINE COMPOUNDS." A communication from abroad
by Edward Wilhelm, of Buffalo, New York, United States of America, Patent
Attorney.
This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of saccharine
compositions or compounds which are composed of grape-sugar or glucose and cane
sugar, and to apparatus therefor.
The object of the said invention is to produce a homogeneous dry saccharine
compound in which the sticky or adhesive property of the grape sugar is completely
neutralized and it consists in the peculiar methods of manufacture and in the
combination of apparatus or machinery which is employed for carrying out said
method as will be hereinafter fully set forth.
This improved manufacture can be carried into practice with the following plant
of machinery that is to say I provide a cooling apparatus which receives the liquid
glucose or grape-sugar from the vacuum-pan and in which the grape-sugar or
glucose is agitated or caused to circulate in contact with a cooling surface whereby
the grape-sugar or glucose is cooled off and prepared for solidification. This cooling
apparatus is preferably constructed as described and shown in the specification of
former Letters Patent dated January 28th A.D 1881 No. 386 to which reference is
here made for a more particular description of said cooling apparatus
I provide a tank or bin to contain old grape-sugar or glucose either in a solid or
liquid state, and from which a small portion is delivered into the cooling apparatus
and mixed with the charge of fresh grape-sugar or glucose contained therein. This
old grape-sugar is preferably employed in a granulated or pulverized form and
serves to basten the solidification of the fresh grape-sugar. I also provide a bin or
receptacle containing cane-sugar, preferably in a granulated or pulverized condition
and provided with a discharge-spout through which a certain portion of its
contents is discharged into the cooling vessel and mixed with every charge of
grape-sugar treated therein. The cane sugar and grape sugar are preferably mixed
in the cooling vessel in equal quantities or thereabouts, but any other suitable
proportion of the ingredients may be employed. The cane-sugar and grape-sugar
are thoroughly mixed in this vessel by the operation of the stirring or circulating
mechanism whereby the cane-sugar and grape-sugar are thoroughly incorporated

page_text: each with the other and caused to form a homogeneous compound, each particle of
which contains grape-sugar and cane-sugar. The latter ingredient destroys the
sticky or adhesive property of the grape-sugar and renders the compound hard and
dry and hastens the solidification of the compound. When the mixture has assumed
the consistency of thick cream it is drawn from the cooling vessel through the
discharge spout or spouts thereof into moulds, which latter are placed when filled
upon tables or supports where the material is permitted to harden; these moulds
are preferably made about 12 inches wide 4 inches deep and 36 inches long. When
the material has become completely hard and solid, it is taken out of the moulds
and forms rectangular slabs of the size of the moulds These slabs are taken to a
cutting or shaving machine by which the slabs are comminuted or reduced to fine
shavings.
A machine very well adapted for this purpose consists of a revolving cutter-head
provided with a suitable number of knives against which the slabs of saccharine
matter are fed by an automatic feed-screw. The cutter-head is surrounded by a
tight casing in which the comminuted material is collected and from which it is
discharged through a spout into a receptacle. The comminuted material passes
from this receptacle through a spout to a separating machine which is preferably &
flat vibrating sieve of the construction described in complete specification filed by
William Robert Lake on the first day of March A.D. 1882 No 995 and whereby
the coarse particles which have not been reduced to the proper degree of fineness
are separated from the fine particles, the latter falling through the meshes of the
sieve into a receiving hopper below while the coarse particles pass over the tail of
the sieve into a receptacle. A revolving bolt or any other suitable separating
machine whereby the coarse particles may be separated from the fine particles may,
however, be employed if preferred. I also employ a disintegrating machine
consisting essentially of several circular rows of pins or beaters revolving in
opposite directions in a suitable case which is provided with a feed-opening near
the centre of the machine and with a discharge opening at its circumference.
A hopper or receptacle is used which contains granulated or pulverized cane-sugar
and which is provided with a discharge-spout controlled by a slide and leading to
the feed-hopper of the disintegrating machine. The hopper which receives the
material passing through the meshes of the separating machine is also provided
with a discharge-spout leading to the feed-hopper of the disintegrating mill and
controlled by a slide. The material contained respectively in these hoppers is
simultaneously discharged therefrom in two streams which meet in the feed-hopper
of the disintegrating mill and pass together into the latter in which both materials
are thoroughly mixed and from which the mixture is discharged in a continuous
stream as a uniform product.
The material may be filled directly in barrels or packages as it comes from the
disintegrating mill, or, if preferred, it may be delivered into a store-hopper or bin
and drawn off into barrels or packages from such hopper or bin. The supply of
material to the mixing machine from the hoppers is preferably so regulated that
equal parts of both materials are at all times supplied to the mixing machine.
When so regulated, the ultimate product contains one part of glucose or grape-sugar
to every three parts of cane-sugar. This proportion may be varied to suit the
demands of the trade. Any other suitable and well known mixing machine may
be employed in the place of this disintegrating mill, if preferred.
The coarse material collected in the receptacle may be sold for use by
confectioners and for similar purposes or it may be ground in a suitable mill to
the proper degree of fineness and then added to the fine material passing through
the meshes of the separator.