IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING CHARCOAL TO SUGAR-DECOLORISING VESSELS
Year: 1865

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LETTERS PATENT to James Dawson, of Greenock, in the County. of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer and Sugar Refiner, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING CHARCOAL TO SUGAR-DECOLORISING VESSELS
Sealed the 27th February 1866, and dated. the, 7th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Jamés Dawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1865.
I, JAMES DAWSON, of, Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer and Sugar Refiner, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPLYING CHARCOAL TO SUGAR-DECOLORISING
VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the supplying of charcoal to the decolorising
vessels or cisterns used in refining sugar in such manner that it may be
uniformly distributed, and without the workmen having to go inside the
vessels, as has hitherto been necessary. The decolorising vessel being of the
usual cylindrical form with a central opening in the cover, there is fitted to
such central opening and so as to turn therein, a distributor, consisting of a
hollow piece formed according to one modification with two diametrically
opposite hollow arms or ducts, which are inclined slightly downwards and

page_text: reach to within a few inches of the sides of the vessel. The distributor is
fitted with bevil pulleys which run on the flange of the opening in the cover,
and is turned by means of a vertical spindle in any convenient way whilst the
charcoal is being thrown into the hopper-shaped mouth. The charcoal falls
into the vessel through openings in the bottoms and ends of the arms, and is
distributed by them in a uniform manner. The distributing arms are fixed
together when in action, but are made to separate so as to be easily removed
one after the other before fixing on the cover and admitting the syrup.
If
preferred, the distributor may-be-made with three_or_more hollow_arms
instead of two.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Dawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DAWSON, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer
and Sugar Refiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Dawson, Her special licence that I, the said James Dawson,
'my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Dawson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 * IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SUPPLYING CHARCOAL TO SUGAR-DECOLORISING VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Dawson, 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 1, the said James Dawson, do hereby declare

page_text: the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being bad to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:
.
My said Invention has for its object the supplying of charcoal to the
decolorising vessels or cisterns used in refining sugar in such manner that it
may be uniformly distributed, and without the workman having to go inside
the vessels, as has hitherto been. necessary. The decolorising vessel being
of the usual cylindrical form with a central opening in the cover, there is
fitted to such central opening and so as to turn therein a distributor, con-
sisting of a hollow piece formed according to ono modification with two
diametrically opposite hollow arms or ducts, which are inclined slightly
downwards, and reach to within a few inches of the sides of the vessel. The
distributor is fitted with bevil or conical pulleys which run on the flange of
the opening in the cover, and is turned by means of a vertical spindle in any
convenient way whilst the charcoal is being thrown into the hopper-shaped
mouth. The charcoal falls into the vessel through openings in the bottoms
and ends of the arms, and is distributed by them in a uniform manner. The
distributing arms are fixed together when in action, but are made to separate,
so as to be easily removed one after the other before fixing on the cover and
admitting the syrup. If preferred, to distributor may be made with three or
more hollow arms instead of two.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appendod a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, representing a practically successful modification of my
improved charcoal distributor.
Figure 1 is a plan of the distributor; Figure 2 is a vertical section showing
the upper part of the filtering cistern with the distributor in position; and
Figure 3 is a view of the under side of the distributor. The distributor,
1, 2, 3, is supported on the flange 4, of the opening in the cover 5, of the
filtering cistern, being carried by bevilled or conical pulleys 6, which
run upon the flange 4, and which are centered on spindles fixed to a
ring 7, encompassing the upper part 1 of the distributor.
The upper
part 1 of the distributor is in the form of a short vertical cylinder, the
lower part of which diverges in two oval tubes 2,.3, which extend outwards
in a direction slightly inclined. downwards to within a few inches of the
sides of the cistern. The top of the upper cylindrical part 1 is hopper-
shaped for the easy introduction of the animal charcoal, which finds its way
down the tubes 2, 3, and out by the openings in the bottom thereof, shown

page_text: in Figure 3. It is in practice found advantageous to form air holes in the
upper sides, as shown in Figure 1,..whereby the discharge of the.charcoal is
rendered freer and more regular. The distributor is made in two halves, to
facilitate its introduction into and removal from- the filtering cistern, the
division being in the vertical plane through. the upper part 1, and at right
angles to the arms 2, 3. The two halves are fixed together by screw bolts
after being entered into the cistern, flanges for these bolts being formed inside
the upper part 1 for convenience of access. The ring 7, carrying the pulley
spindles is also in two halves, which are bolted together when the apparatus is
in use. The distributor is driven by means of a vertical spindle 8 in any
convenient way, and this spindle has a cross-head. formed on or fixed to its
bottom end, the two halves being bolted one to each end of the cross-head.
About fifteen revolutions per minute are found to be a suitable speed for the
distributor, but this may be varied.
Having thus particularly described. my said Invention, and the manner in.
which the same is or may be effectively performed, I have to state that I do
inot restrict myself to the precise details. herein described and delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and, claim as the. Invention
.secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the sup-
plying of charcoal to sugar-decolorising vessels in manner and by means of
apparatus substantially, such as is herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Dawson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
⚫ Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES DAWSON. (L.S.)