Improvement in the Treatment of Jerusalem Artichoke to Prepare it for Use in Distilling in the Manufacture of Glucose and similar Industries.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 6th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
& Co. 41, fue au Marteau, Brussels, Belgium.]
Improvement in the Treatment of Jerusalem Artichoke to Prepare
it for Use in Distilling in the Manufacture of Glucose and
similar Industries.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the treatment of Jerusalem artichoke in a state of greater
or less division or its juice with sulphurous acid so as to adapt the same for use in
industries, which employ sacchariferous matters, such as distilleries, breweries, glucose,
wine and vinegar factories etc.
Our process is characterised by the fact that it yields by one and the same
agent and in one and the same operation a number of results which could only be
obtained heretofore by multiple operations and other agents.
By the action of the sulphurous acid I obtain simultaneously the clarifying, the
purification and the discoloration of the juice of artichokes and at the same time the
transformation, into saccharified matters which are directly and easily fermentable, of
the levuline and the Inuline forming the useful parts of the artichokes.
To obtain these various results I employ preferably a mixture of sulphurous acid
and carbonic acid, pure sulphurous acid and its mixture with nitrogen are equally
applicable but I prefer the mixture of sulphurous and carbonic acids, because
1st the combined action of these two acids gives the maximum of the required
effects.
2nd because this mixture is ready made and industrially by the action of sulphurous
acid on charcoal or saw-dust.
3rd because the carbonic acid, combined with the sulphurous acid protects the latter
from the action of the atmospheric air and produces an agitation in the liquids to be
treated.
°

page_text: The operation is as follows: Into a series of strong vessels communicating with
each other and provided with agitators and serpentines, I introduce particles of
artichoke, or juice of artichoke. After having brought the contents of the vessels to
a temperature of about 100° Centigrade I add pure or mixed gaseous sulphurous acid.
When the reaction is terminated, and the juice of artichoke has been purified,
clarified, discolored and saccharified, I heat the substances in the same vessels by
means of steam so as to expel the sulphurous acid contained therein, which flows
out through the outlet, provided in the last vessel.
Subsequently the juice is drawn off and the residue is subjected to the press or
washed.
If the liquid is intended for distillation, it is employed as it comes from the
apparatus, the little sulphuric acid, contained in the same not exceeding the acidity
necessary for the fermentation.
If the liquid must be concentrated to the state of syrup for breweries or wine
factories it is boiled down or evaporated after filtration, to the consistency of molasses
or syrup, either in a vacuum or in the atmospheric air.
If intended to be employed for the production of glucose, it is subjected to a
supplementary discoloration; tho small quantity of sulphuric acid formed during the
reaction, can easily be neutralized by carbonate of baryta.
Dated this 9th day of August 1886.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Treatment of Jerusalem Artichoke to Prepare
it for Use in Distilling in the Manufacture of Glucose and
similar Industries.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Auguste Zacharie Champy Auguste Nestor Champy and Leon
Paul Champy, Manufacturers, all care of Messrs. E. Bede & Co. 29 Rue Philippe-
le-bon, Brussels, Belgium, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the treatment of Jerusalem Artichoke in a state of greater
or less division, or the juice thereof by or with sulphurous acid so as to adapt the
same viz. Jerusalem artichoke or its juice for use in such industries as distilleries,
breweries, glucose, wine or vinegar factories which employ sachariferous matters.
The improved process is characterised by the fact that it yields with one agent and
in one process, a combination of results which heretofore have only been eventually
obtained by several processes and other agents.
By the action of the sulphurous acid I obtain simultaneously the clarification
purification and bleaching of the juice of the artichoke and at the same time the
transformation into directly and easily fermentable saccharine matter of the levuline
and the Inuline which form the useful parts of the artichoke.
To obtain these various results a mixture of sulphurous acid and carbonic acid,
pure sulphurous acid or a mixture of the same with Nitrogen, may be employed.
The mixture of sulphurous acid with carbonic acid is however to be preferred
since (1) The combined action of these two acids gives the maximum of the
required results. (2) The mixture can be readily and cheaply formed by the action
of sulphuric acid on wood charcoal or on sawdust. (3) The carbonic acid which
accompanies the sulphurous acid, protects the latter from the action of atmosphèric
air and at the same time renders gaseous the liquids under treatment.
The process is performed as follows: Into a series of closed vessels communicating
with each other and provided with agitators and worms, I introduce particles of
artichoke or the juice thereof. The contents of the vessels are then heated to a
temperature of about 100° C and pure or mixed sulphurous acid gas is caused to act
upon the contents. When the reaction is finished and the juice of the artichoke has
been purified, clarified, bleached and saccharified, the matters are heated in the same
vessels, by means of steam, so as to expel the sulphurous acid contained therein, which
escapes through an outlet provided in the last vessel. The juice is then drawn off and
the residue pressed or washed.
If the liquid is intended for distillation it may be employed in the state in which it
comes from the apparatus, the small amount of sulphuric acid contained in the same
not exceeding the acidity necessary for the fermentation.

page_text: If the liquid is to be concentrated to a syrup for use in breweries and wine factories,
it is boiled down or evaporated after filtration to a suitable consistency either in vacuo
or in air.
If it is to be utilized in the manufacture of glucose it is subjected to a second
bleaching, the small quantity of sulphuric acid formed during the reaction may be at
any time neutralized with carbonate of Baryta.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
For the clarification, purification, bleaching and saccharifying of the juice contained
in or extracted from the Jerusalem artichoke, the process consisting in subjecting the
said artichoke, or its juice, to the action of sulphurous acid or a mixture of the latter
with carbonic acid or with nitrogen.