IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN VEGETABLE INFUSIONS, DECOCTIONS, OR EXTRACTS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cleland Davidson, of Belfast, in the County
of Antrim, Ireland, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN VEGETABLE INFUSIONS, DECOCTIONS, OR
EXTRACTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cleland Davidson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1880.
SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN VEGETABLE
INFUSIONS, DECOCTIONS, OR EXTRACTS."
The improvements relate to the clarification of infusions or decoctions of tea,
coffee, cocoa, and ginger, and also of extract or tincture of ginger when diluted
with water, the infusions or decoctions of tea, coffee, and cocoa when clarified by
means of this Invention being particularly suitable for use in the manufacture of
the aerated beverages described in two Provisional Specifications lodged by me on
the 27th January 1880, and numbered respectively 361 and 362.
Infusions or decoctions of tea, coffee, and cocoa have, when cold, a clouded and
turbid or muddy appearance, which is very undesirable in a beverage, and infusion
of ginger and tincture of ginger when diluted with water have a dull, clouded,
appearance, which is also objectionable in a beverage.
This turbidity or cloudiness is difficult to remove by any ordinary process of
filtration or the use of ordinary filtering materials, but by my improved process of
clarification turbidity is easily and so entirely removed that the liquids have an
attractive purity and brightness subsequently and when perfectly cold, which
render them suitable to be used as essences for admixture with water to produce
particular drinks or beverages.
My improvements in the clarification of the above mentioned infusions, decoctions,
or extracts, consist in adding thereto hydrate of alumina, preferably some of that
gelatinous precipitate which is known as tribydrate of alumina, and thoroughly
mixing the same therewith, and then filtering it out again either by cloth, paper,
or other convenient filter of sufficient degree of fineness to catch and retain it, or
it may, in some instances, be removed by decantation. In the removal of the

page_text: trihydrate of alumina the liquid should be left pure and bright. The quantity of
the trihydrate of alumina to be used depends so entirely upon the strength of the
infusion or extract with which it is employed that it would be difficult to accurately
define an exact proportion for it, but it should be added carefully till the liquid
filters out sufficiently clarified and pure. I preferably employ it with the liquids
when they are cold, and filter it from them again at the same temperature, so that
it is an easy matter to keep adding the hydrate of alumina until the liquids come
through the filter clear enough.
The trihydrate of alumina which I preferably employ is that which is prepared
by precipitation from a solution of alum by adding thereto an alkaline carbonate
until the solution is neutralized, or until it shows just slightly alkaline to test
paper. The precipitated hydrate of alumina should then be filtered out, but the
filtrate need not be washed, and I prefer it to be retained in the moist state and
used in that condition.
Hydrated alumina prepared in other ways than that described (such, for instance,
as by precipitation from solution of aluminate of soda) will also effect the clarifi-
cation of the above mentioned liquids if employed as already described, but I find
that unless prepared as above described the trihydrate is not so satisfactory in its
operation.
The infusions, decoctions, or extracts to be clarified may have sugar or other
flavoring matters added to them before the tribydrate of alumina is added,
provided such flavoring matters are not of a nature to render the trihydrate of
alumina soluble.
After clarification, as above described, the liquids may be used for whatever
purposes they are intended to be employed. They may, for instance, if prepared
to a sufficient strength, be manufactured into the aerated beverages described in
the Specifications above referred to, or they can be used as concentrated essences
or syrups, and if a suitable quantity of the same be put into a cup or tumbler, and
hot or cold water be poured upon it, a hot or cold beverage of the particular essence
used is obtained in an expeditious and convenient manner.
The infusions. or decoctions of the tea, coffee, and cocoa, are intended to be
prepared in the ordinary way with boiling water to whatever strength may
appear desirable, and the ginger may be similarly infused; or a tincture of it may
be prepared and diluted with water until the clouding matter is thereby rendered
visible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Cleland Davidson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th January 1881.
SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN VEGETABLE
INFUSIONS, DECOCTIONS, OR EXTRACTS."
The improvements relate to the clarification of infusions or decoctions of tea,
coffee, cocon, and ginger, and also of extract or tincture of ginger when diluted
with water, the infusions or decoctions of tea, coffee, and cocoa when clarified by
means of this Invention being particularly suitable for use in the manufacture of
the aerated beverages described in the Specifications of certain Letters Patent
previously granted to me, and dated the 27th January 1880, and numbered
respectively 361 and 362, and to which beverages when made with these clarified
infusions or decoctions I give the names of "sparkling tea," "sparkling coffee," and
'sparkling cocoa."
Infusions or decoctions of tea, coffee, and cocoa have, when cold, a clouded and
turbid or muddy appearance, which is very undesirable in a beverage, and infusion
of ginger and tincture of ginger when diluted with water have a dull, clouded,
appearance, which is also objectionable in a beverage.
This turbidity or cloudiness is difficult to remove by any ordinary process of
filtration or the use of ordinary filtering materials, but by my improved process of
clarification the turbidity is easily and so entirely removed that the liquids even
when perfectly cold have an attractive purity and brightness of appearance, while
the delicacy of their flavors is unaltered and undiminished, and they are thereby
rendered suitable to be used as essences for admixture with water to produce
particular drinks or beverages.
My improvements in the clarification of the before mentioned infusions, decoctions,
or extracts consist in adding thereto hydrate of alumina, preferably some of that
gelatinous precipitate which is known as tri-hydrate of alumina, in combination
with about an equal bulk of glycerine, and thoroughly mixing the same therewith,
and then filtering out the tri-hydrate again either by cloth, paper, or other con-
venient filter of sufficient fineness to catch and retain it, or it may, in some
instances, be removed by decantation. On the removal of the trihydrate of
alumina the liquid should be left pure and bright. The quantity of the tri-hydrate
of alumina to be used depends so entirely upon the strength of the infusion or
extract with which it is employed that it would be difficult to define accurately
an exact proportion for it, but it should be added carefully till the liquid filters
out sufficiently clarified and pure. I preferably employ it with the liquids when
they are cold, and filter it from them again at the same temperature, so that it is
an easy matter to keep adding the tri-hydrate of alumina until the liquids come
through the filter clear enough.
The tri-hydrate of alumina which I preferably employ is that which is prepared
by precipitation from a solution of alum by adding thereto an alkaline carbonate
until the solution is neutralized, or until it shows just slightly alkaline to test
paper. The precipitated bydrate of alumina should then be filtered out, but the
filtrate need not be washed, and while still moist it should be mixed with about
an equal bulk of glycerine, in which condition it can be retained and used as
required; but if used alone, without the addition of glycerine, it is capable of
effecting the clarification. The resulting liquor is however in this case generally
depreciated in strength or quality, and it is therefore preferable to employ the
glycerine either in combination with or by adding it separately before the tri-
hydrate. Hydrated alumina prepared in other ways than that described (such, for

page_text: instance, as by precipitation from solution of aluminate of soda) will effect the
clarification of the abovementioned liquids if employed as already described, but I
find that unless prepared as first described the tri-bydrate is not satisfactory in its
operation.
The infusions, decoctions, or extracts to be clarified may have sugar or other
flavoring matters added to them before the tri-hydrate is added, provided such
flavoring matters are not of such a nature as to render the tri-hydrate of alumina
soluble.
After clarification, as above described, the liquids may be used for whatever
purposes they are intended to be employed. They may, for instance, if prepared
to a sufficient strength, be manufactured into the aerated beverages described in
the Specifications herein before referred to, or they can be used as concentrated
essences or syrups, and if a suitable quantity of the same be put into a cup or
tumbler, and hot or cold water be poured upon it, a hot or cold beverage of the
particular essence used is obtained in an expeditious and convenient manner.
The infusions or decoctions of the tea, coffee, and cocoa, are intended to be
prepared in the ordinary way with boiling water to whatever strength may be
desirable, and the ginger may be similarly prepared; or a tincture of it may
be prepared and diluted with water until the clouding matter is thereby rendered
visible.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements in
the Clarification of certain Vegetable Infusions, Decoctions, or Extracts," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I claim as my Invention, the clarification
of infusions or decoctions of tea, coffee, cocoa, and ginger, and also of extract or
tincture of ginger when diluted with water by the employment of tri-hydrate of
alumina, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cleland Davidson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
S. C. DAVIDSON. (L.S.)