Improvements in Evaporating or Concentrating Saccharine Liquids, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Evaporating or Concentrating Saccharine Liquids,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I, DUNCAN STEWART, of London Road Iron Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object the evaporating or concentrating of saccharine
liquids in an improved and expeditious manner.
In carrying out my invention I cause the saccharine liquid to drop in the form of
a shower down one or more tubes the upper end of which is or are in communication
with vacuum pumps or exhausting apparatus. Some air or gas or a gaseous mixture
comprising chlorine or other gascous agent capable of decoloring or otherwise acting
beneficially on the liquid is admitted at the lower parts of the shower tube or tubes,
and heat is applied to the tube or tubes by means of steam or suitably regulated
hot gases.
The saccharine liquid enters the shower tube or tubes through one or more
gratings or perforated plates at the top the vapors and gases passing off at the sides
just below the gratings or perforated plates, and also at one or more lower points if
found desirable. The liquid overflows into the space above the gratings or perforated
plates from the upper end of a vertical feed pipe which is arranged to be heated like
the shower tubes, and which is between 30 and 40 feet long so that the liquid
column in it may counterbalance the atmospheric pressure against the internal
vacuum.
As saccharine matter may adhere to the sides of the shower tubes internal
scrapers are provided, such scrapers being made with edges which almost touch the
sides of the tubes, and being moved up and down by rods made to reciprocate by
means of chains and pulleys or levers. The rods are by preference of square
section and twisted and each passes through a guide having a counterpart internal
twist, so as to give the scrapers a turning or helical motion when ascending and
descending.
Dated this Thirtieth day of November 1891.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Evaporating or Concentrating Saccharine Liquids,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I, DUNCAN STEWART, of London Road Iron Works, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object the evaporating or concentrating of saccharine
liquids in an improved and expeditious manner.
In carrying out my invention I cause the saccharine liquid to drop in the form of
a shower down one or more tubes the upper end or ends of which is or are in com-
munication with vacuum pumps or exhausting apparatus. Some air or gas, or a
gaseous mixture comprising chlorine or other gaseous agent capable of decoloring
or otherwise acting beneficially on the liquid may be admitted at the lower parts of
Price Adl

page_text: the shower tube of tubes. Heat is applied to the tube or tubes by means of steam
or suitably regulated hot gases.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing examples of the apparatus which I
employ.
Figure, 1, on Sheet, 1, of the drawings, is a general view of the apparatus with
parts supposed to be broken away,
Figure, 2, is ati enlarged sectional elevation.
Figure, 3, is an enlarged section of a detail.
Figures, 4, 5, and, 6, on Sheet, 2, are enlarged vertical sections of modifications
of the part of the apparatus in which the saccharine liquid is formed into dropping
showers.
In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The main operative part of the apparatus consists of a long vertical main pipe, A,
which is preferably encased as at, A 1, to diminish loss of heat by radiation. At
the top of the main pipe, A, there is fixed an enlarged chamber or vessel, B, the top
of which is curved over to one side and is connected by a pipe, C, to a condenser or
receptacle, D, from which air and gases are exhausted by means of an engine and
pump at, E 1. This engine also actuates pumps by which the saccharine liquid,
drawn from one or other of a number of tanks, is forced up a feed pipe, E, extending
centrally up the main pipe, A, this vertical feed pipe, E, being between 30 and
40 feet long so as to contain a sufficient column of liquid to counterbalance the
atmospheric pressure against the internal vacuum.
The saccharine liquid overflows from the top of the feed pipe, E, into a dish, F,
occupying the lower part of the chamber, B, but with a space between it and the
bottom of the chamber. The bottom of the dish, F, is fitted with gratings, G, by
passing through which the liquid is subdivided into showers. These gratings,.G,
are, at the upper ends of comparatively short shower tubes, H, of which there may
be three or any other small number arranged around the central feed pipe, E. The
shower tubes, H, extend downwards into pipes, J, fixed within the main pipe, A; and
so as to have a narrow annular space between them and the shower tubes, H. Steam
is, by a pipe, K, admitted into the main pipe, A, and heats the outsides of the inner
pipes, J, but has not access to the insides of those pipes nor to any internal spaces
where there is saccharine liquid or vapors or gases rising therefrom.
At one or more points the continuity of the inner pipes, J, may be interrupted by
a piece, L, (Figure, 2,) communicating by a branch with the exhaust pipe, C, the
upper length of the main pipe, A, terminating at the top of this piece, L, and a
lower length extending down from the bottom of it, with lower lengths of inner
pipes, J, having their upper ends flared to catch the liquid descending from the
upper lengths. The lower length of main pipe, A, is supplied with steam by a
branch from the pipe, K; and trapped outlets are provided for draining water of
condensation from the several lengths of the main pipe. When air or a gaseous
mixture is to be applied to the saccharine liquid it is admitted by a pipe, T, at the
bottom of the main pipe, A, this pipe communicating, inside with each of the inner
pipes, J.
As the saccharine liquid descends through the pipes, J, the heat of the steam in
contact with the pipes causes rapid evaporation which is accelerated by the vacuum.
The vapors and gases arising from the liquid pass upwards and much of their heat
is utilised in warming the descending liquid at the upper parts of the apparatus and
in the dish, F, at the top.
As saccharine matter may adhere to the sides of the shower tubes, H, and pipes, J,
there are provided internal scrapers, M, such as are shown in Figure, 3, such scrapers
being made with edges which almost touch the sides of the tubes or pipes; and being
moved up and down by rods, N, made to reciprocate by means of chains, P, passing
over pulleys within the head of the chamber, B, and extending down the exhaust

page_text: pipe, C, to a pulley in an enlargement, Q, at the bottom of that pipe. The chain is
fixed to the last mentioned pulley which is on a shaft having on it externally a
lever, R, to which a reciprocating motion is given by a rotating crank, S. The
rods, N, are by preference of square section and twisted, and each passes through a
guide having a counterpart internal twist so as to give the scrapers, M, a turning or
helical motion when ascending and descending.
Figures, 4, 5, and 6, show in the constructive details of the parts illustrated small
variations which will be understood from the figures. In the modification shown in
Figure, 6, the shower tubes, H, project down into an annular space between two
concentric pipes, J, instead of into separate pipes, J.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The process of evaporating or concentrating saccharine liquids in which the
liquid drops through a considerable height in the form of a shower, within a pipe or
passage which is heated externally and from which vapors and gases are exhausted,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Constructing apparatus for evaporating or concentrating saccharine liquids,
substantially as herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus of the kind herein before described employing for feeding the
saccharine liquid to the upper part, a feed pipe of a vertical length to contain a
column corresponding to the internal vacuum and which passes up through the hot
vapors and gases so as to utilise some of their heat, substantially as hereinbeforo
described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of August 1892.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.