AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CRYSTALLIZED ANHYDROUS GRAPE-SUGAR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CRYSTALLIZED ANHYDROUS
GRAPE-SUGAR." A communication from abroad by Arno Behr, of Jersey
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING
CRYSTALLIZED ANHYDROUS GRAPE-SUGAR.” A communication from abroad by
Arno Behr, of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States of America.
Crystallized grape sugar as heretofore produced from a watery solution consists
of the hydrate of grape sugar, containing in its pure state 9-09 per cent. of water
in chemical combination. This water is termed "water of crystallization." The
crystallized hydrate of grape-sugar loses this water of crystallization if exposed to
a temperature of from 160° to 212° Fahrenheit. In form, the crystallized hydrate
is composed of spherical aggregations of minute tablets.
It is known that crystallized anhydride of grape sugar may be produced by
dissolving grape sugar in strong alcohol and crystallizing it from this solution.
The anhydride is distinguishable from the hydrate, first, by its crystalline form
which is that of needles or prisms, and secondly by the absence of water of
crystallization. When the anhydride is pure, if it be exposed to a temperature of
from 160° to 212° Fahrenheit, it will not lose in weight, while, as has been
observed, the hydrate, under similar circumstances, loses about nine per cent. of its
weight.
My Invention relates to the manufacture upon a commercial scale, of crystallized
anhydrous grape sugar from a watery solution of grape sugar.
One of the difficulties to be overcome in manufacturing pure grape sugar upon a
large scale is the difficulty of freeing the manufactured product from AVTUD This

page_text: difficulty is less in the case of crystallized anhydride than it is in the caso of
crystallized hydrate because the anhydrous crystals, being in the form of needles
or prisms, do not pack so closely as the tablet-formed crystals of the hydrate. For
this reason crystallized anhydride can be effectually drained in a centrifugal
machine, and the plan has heretofore been devised of crystallizing the anhydride in
ordinary sugar moulds for the purpose of obtaining the crystallized product in
bodies small enough to be introduced unbroken into the centrifugal machine to be
drained. It is desirable, however, to avoid the labour and expense attendant upon
the use of moulda and to deal only with large masses of material.
By my Invention I accomplish this result, first by subjecting a concentrated
solution of grape sugar to a process of slow crystallization, whereby I obtain
crystals of large size. Secondly, by removing the product from the tank or
vessel in which it was contained during the process of crystallization and
disintegrating it by crushing or shaving it, or by any other convenient method
whereby I obtain a magna which, owing to the large size of the crystals it contains,
can be introduced in bulk into the basket of an ordinary centrifugal machine, and
drained in the same manner that soft sugar is drained.
In carrying my improved process into practice I form a watery solution of grape
sugar, and concentrate it until it contains only about thirteen per cent. of water
and then deposit it in a suitable tauk or vessel, and maintain it at a temperature
of about 90° Fahrenheit until thorough crystallization has taken place.
The length of timo required for crystallization will vary according to the purity
of the grape sugar which enters into the solution.
In order to somewhat hasten crystallization I may introduce into the con-
centrated solution a minute quantity of finely divided crystallized anhydrous
grape sugar, previously prepared. For example, in dealing with a solution of grapo
Bugar of say ninety-two purity, that is to say sugar containing ninety-two parts of
pure grape sugar in one hundred parts of dry substance, ono five-hundred-
thousandth to one three-hundred-thousandth part of powdered anhydrous grapo
Bugar incorporated into the mass will hasten the process of crystallization and yet
result in the production of comparatively coarse crystals.
It is important that the stirring in of the anhydride shall bo completed as
rapidly as possible because long-continued agitation will promoto crystallization in
fine particles.
In dealing with a solution of ninety-two purity a much larger proportion of
previously prepared anhydrous crystals than one three-hundred-thousandth part
must not be used lest the resulting crystals should be finer, in which case thero
would be difficulty in draining the disintegrated product. If the concentrated
Bolution is of less purity, a larger proportion of the anhydrous crystals may be
introduced into it, but as it is essential to so conduct the process of crystallization
as to obtain coarse crystals it will be advisable to ascertain by trial with different
grados of grape-sugar the proportion of anhydrous crystals which can be effectively
employed in each case.
The next step of the said process is to disintegrate the crystallized mass; this
disintegration may be offected by rollers or cutters, or in any convenient manner.
I then introduce the disintegrated mass of crystallized anhydrous grape sugar
in bulk into the basket of an ordinary centrifugal machine, by the operation of
which it is effectually drained. If desired the product inay be further purified
by washing it in the centrifugal machine, and thus a perfectly puro grape sugar.
may be produced.
The draining by the centrifugal machine should be effected as soon as possible
after the mass is disintegrated while the syrup remains limpid, otherwise tho
syrup, especially if the sugar is pure, may become stiff by secondary fino crystal-
lization. It is also important, in carrying my improved process into practice,
that crystallized hydrate of grapo sugar shall be carefully excluded from the
concentrated solution.
It will be readily understood that in carrying the said process into practice I

page_text: may commence by manufacturing grape sugar by any of the ordinary methods and
may treat the resulting product as herein set forth, or I may treat ordinary com-
mercial grape sugar already manufactured, by dissolving or melting it, and
proceeding as herein set forth.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim :-
The herein described process of manufacturing anhydrous grape sugar, which
process consists in forming a highly concentrated watery solution of grape sugar
and in depositing the same in a suitable receptacle, either with or without
admixture with a minute proportion of finely divided crystallized anhydrous grapo
sugar previously prepared, and in maintaining the concentrated solution at a
temperature of about 90° Fahrenheit until complete crystallization has taken
place, and in then disintegrating the crystallized mass and depositing it in bulk in
the basket of a centrifugal machine and draining it in the usual manner.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Seventeenth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
DADT