IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM-PAN APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM-PAN APPARATUS." A communication from
abroad by Alexander Richard Mackenzie, Engineer, and John Frederick
Maclaren, Auctioneer, both of Mackay, in the Colony of Queensland,
Anstralia
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Harris 'Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1882.
"
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM-PAN APPARATUS.”
A communication from abroad by Alexander Richard Mackenzie, Engineer, and
John Frederick Maclaren, Auctioneer, both of Mackay, in the County of Queensland,
Australia.
This Invention has been designed chiefly for use in the treatment of sugar cano
and beet root juice, and is for the purpose of quickly and economically withdrawing
the vapors arising from material contained therein. Hitherto these vapors have
been removed either by a pump or a condenser, or both combined, but according
to this Invention I use a steam-ejector by which they are withdrawn from the pan,
and on their way to the ejector they are condensed in a surface-condenser by
means of copper coils filled with any cooling medium, such as air, water, or the
material being treated. I also provide one or more sprays or films of water in the
surface-condenser for assisting in the condensation, and also another spray or film
of water above the ejector for a similar purpose. A second steam-ejector is also
provided for the purpose of removing the cooling medium when aeriform, and
discharging it with the exhaust-steam of the ejector into the heating coils of the
vacuum-pan.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
A is an ordinary vacuum pan-body which may be of any approved form and
material with all necessary receiving and delivering valves, gauges, thermometers,
and the like; B is the uptake portion of the gooseneck well lagged; C is the down-
take portion of the gooseneck, made preferably of polished copper; D is a surface
condenser and juice-heater, made preferably of polished copper; E is a bell-neck

page_text: receiver for the cooling medium employed. This may be common air, water, or
the liquid the pan is required to concentrate; F, F', are copper coils in the surface-
condenser and the vacuum-pan respectively, used for condensing or heating as
required; G is a close receptacle in which the condenser-coils discharge; H is a tap
through which the cooling medium when liquid is discharged; I is a steam-ejector
through which the cooling medium when aeriform is drawn and discharged with
the exhaust-steam of the ejector into the heating coils of the vacuum-pan A; J is
a discharge-pipe from the condenser D, used preferably in the form of a Torricellian
column;
K is a spray or jet condenser body connected with the surface-condenser D ;
K' is the jet therein; L is a steamn ejector communicating with the interior of the
condenser K through the hooded pipe M and drawing off the evaporation from the
pan A through both condensers, and discharging the uncondensed portion of such
evaporation mixed with the exhaust ejector steam into the heating coils of the
vacuum-pan A; M is a hooded pipe in the condenser K; N is a spray, jet, or
film of water used when necessary for condensing ;. O¹ is a steam pipo; and O, a
water feed pipe.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The vapors arising from the vacuum-pan A
pass up to the gooseneck B and then through the down-take portion C of the
gooseneck, being subjected in their passage to one or moro sprays of water N, then
through the surface-condenser D where they come in contact with the condensing
coils which have been previously filled with soine cooling medium, such as air,
water, or the material under treatment, said cooling medium being supplied to the
coils through the bell-neck receiver E. The water of condensation is removed by
the discharge pipe J from the condenser D. The uncondensible portion of the
vapors pass up through the subsidiary spray or jet condenser K to the hooded
pipe M in the upper portion of said condenser, from which they are withdrawn by
the ejector L worked by steam from the pipe O' and forced into the heating coils
of the vacuum-pan, and are afterwards removed therefrom as waste in the ordinary
manner. The vapors, previously to entering the hooded pipe M, are further
condensed by the spray or jet of water K¹. The cooling medium when aeriform
is drawn into the close receptacle G and discharged with the exhaust steam of the
ejector Linto the heating coils of the vacuum-pan A by means of the ejector I.
The cooling medium when a liquid is used is withdrawn from the chamber C+ by
means of the tap H into one of the feeding tanks of the vacuum-pan or clarifier.
The jets or films of water are supplied from the feed-pipes O. When the cooling
medium consists of the material under treatment it is withdrawn from the
chamber G by means of the pipe H and delivered into the receiver, not shown.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to any
particular form of vacuum-pan or ejector, but I claim,―
First. The combination of a steam-ejector with a vacuum-pan for the purpose of
rapidly and economically removing the vapors arising from any liquid boiling in a
partial vacuum therein, by drawing them rapidly into contact with condensing
surfaces and through sprays or films of water, and then removing the uncondensed
portion of such vapors through the ejector direct.
Second. The combination of a second steam-ejector with the surface-condenser
of a vacuum-pan, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.