AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND DRYING REFINED OR LOAF SUGAR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
.
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING
AND DRYING REFINED OR LOAF SUGAR."-A communication from abroad
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st October 1873.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lanc, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS
FOR BLEACHING AND DRYING REFINED OR LOAF SUGAR," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to reduce the time usually occupied in
bleaching and drying loaf sugar so that the loaves may be brought into
a state fit for the market in a much shorter time than is now required
by the ordinary processes.
The Invention is based upon the principle that the clarified syrup
which is usually employed for washing out the coloring matter from

page_text: the crystallized sugar is forced through the sugar by the pressure of the
atmosphere, induced by a partial vacuum below, and as regards the
drying operation after the bleaching has been effected dried air is forced
through the porous mass (also by atmospheric pressure) so as to carry
off the moisture and quickly dry and harden the sugar.
In carrying out the Invention the sugar is poured into the moulds in
the ordinary manner and left for a few hours to solidify, and for the
uncrystallizable colord syrup to drain away. Then the clarified syrup
or solution of white sugar is to be poured into the moulds and allowed
to filter through the sugar, this operation being facilitated by causing
the atmosphere to press on the base of the loaves and force the sugar
solution through the same. For this purpose the moulds are fitted (air-
tight) over holes in the top of a close metal chamber made sufficiently
strong to resist the external-pressure of the atmosphere when the air is
exhausted or partially so from the interior. This close metal chamber
communicates with an air pump whereby a vacuum may be produced
therein.
The sugar moulds and vacuum chamber are enclosed within a casing
into which dried air may be pumped or drawn by exhaustion and
made to pass through the sugar loaves and carry off the moisture
therefrom.
In order to deprive the air of the moisture it may naturally contain it is
forced to pass through a vessel or vessels containing quicklime, which has
a very strong affinity for water. The air thus deprived of its moisture is
conducted by a suitable pipe to the chamber containing the sugar
moulds, and as a partial vacuum is kept up in the air chamber below
by means of the air pump as already mentioned the dried air will pass
quickly through the sugar loaves and carry off the moisture therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,:
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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.
IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING AND DRYING REFINED OR LOAF
SUGAR," being a communication to me from abroad by Louis Baudouin,
of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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
O 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
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention is to reduce the time usually occupied
O in bleaching and drying loaf sugar so that the loaves may be brought
into a state fit for the market in a much shorter time than is now
required by the ordinary processes.
.
The Invention is based upon the principle that the clarified syrup
which is usually employed for washing out the coloring matter from the
5 crystallized sugar is forced through the sugar by the pressure of the
atmosphere induced by a partial vacuum below, and as regards the
drying operation after the bleaching has been effected, dried air is forced

page_text: or made to pass through the porous mass (also by atmospheric pressure)
so as to carry off the moisture and quickly dry and harden the sugar.
In carrying out the Invention the sugar is poured into the moulds in
the ordinary manner and left for a few hours to solidify, and for the
uncrystallizable colored syrup to drain away. Then the clarified syrup
or solution of white sugar is to be poured into the moulds and allowed
to filter through the sugar, this operation being facilitated by causing
the atmosphere to press on the base of the loaves and force the sugar
solution through the same. For this purpose the moulds are fitted' (air-
tight) over holes in the top of a close metal chamber made sufficiently
strong to resist the external pressure of the atmosphere when the air is
exhausted or partially so from the interior by means of an air pump.
or a column of mercury, or other suitable mechanical device for pro-
ducing a vacuum.
The sugar moulds and vacuum chamber are enclosed within a casing
into which dried air may be pumped or drawn by exhaustion and made
to pass through the sugar loaves and carry off the moisture therefrom.
.
In order to deprive the air of the moisture it may naturally contain
it is forced to pass through a vessel or vessels containing quicklime,
which has a very strong affinity for water. The air thus deprived of
its moisture is conducted by a suitable pipe to the chamber containing
the sugar moulds, and as a partial vacuum is kept up in the air chamber
below by means of the air pump or other equivalent device, as already
mentioned, the dried air will pass quickly through the sugar loaves and
carry. off the moisture therefrom, and effect a complete desiccation of
the sugar in the short space of from six to eight hours.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical
section, and Fig. 2 a plan view of the mechanical arrangement whereby
the Invention may be carried out.
. A, A, is a rectangular case made of wrought or sheet iron. This
case is hermetically closed and is constructed in such a manner as
to resist the external pressure of the atmosphere. In the upper plate
or surface B, Fig. 1, of the casing A are made as many holes as there
are loaves of sugar, which it is intended to operate upon at once. Each
of the holes is provided with a ring of caoutchouc D to receive the
pointed ends of the sugar loaves and form perfectly air-tight joints.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of these rings drawn full size. The

page_text: lower plate E of the casing A is made concave internally so as to
allow the syrup which drops from the sugar loaves to run down
to the central part of the casing and escape by the cock F. The
tube G (provided with a cock H, (see Fig. 2) is placed in connection
with an air pump or other equivalent device whereby the vacuum
is produced in the casing A. I is a pipe (provided with a cock) for
supplying steam for cleaning out the apparatus; K is a vacuum
gauge; L, L', are two close wooden boxes or cases containing quick-
lime. Air is supplied to the box L by the pipo M, and after passing
through the two boxes L and L' enters the pipe N as indicated by the
arrows. In that part of the pipe N which is enclosed within the large
closed chamber ○ there is a large number of holes for the escape of the
dried air into the chamber. The boxes or cases L, L', are provided with
doors or stoppers P, P, and Q, Q, at top and bottom for charging in the
fresh lime and removing the spent lime. Fig. 4 represents a stopper
made of cast and wrought iron for closing the holes in the upper plate
of the casing A when it is necessary to remove one of the sugar loaves.
The circular plate R is of the same diameter as the bases of the loaves
and it is connected with the cast iron plug T by a rod S.
.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, bleaching and drying or stoving sugar loaves
by means of a vacuum and dried air as herein set forth. I claim par-
ticularly passing the air for the drying operation through quicklime,
which possesses the property of absorbing moisture, so that the drying
operation may be more speedily and completely effected as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have