IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CITRATE OF MAGNESIA OR OTHER EFFERVESCENT COMPOUNDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wheeler, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CITRATE OF
MAGNESIA OR OTHER EFFERVESCENT COMPOUNDS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR.'
"
Sealed the 10th June 1879, and dated the 5th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wheeler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1879.
GEORGE WHEELER, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CITRATE OF MAGNESIA OR OTHER EFFERVESCENT COM-
POUNDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of effervescent citrate
of magnesia and other effervescent cooling drinks, such improvements comprising
a chemical apparatus for treating the chemical compounds in combination with a
mechanical apparatus to compress the chemical compounds required into solid
blocks of any desired shape for the purpose of producing the said effervescent
articles.
The chemical apparatus for treating the compounds consists of a double tank
made of metal or other suitable material; between this double tank sufficient space
is left to hold a good body of cold water, which being kept in constant circulation
by means of a supply and discharge cock attached to the outer tank maintains the
inner tank at a low temperature without admitting any water thereto. In this
inner tank I mix the various chemical ingredients required, which, owing to the
coldness of the tank, begin at once to slack, soften, or deliquesce; or this deli-
quescence of the chemical ingredients may be produced by making the inner or
mixing tank cold by any other refrigerating means, such as by exposing them to
the influence of cold air produced by any means, or by atmospheric air.
The preparation of the chemical compounds having thus been effected by the
cold process in the chemical apparatus, the operation of compressing the said
chemical compounds into solid blocks is then accomplished by a mechanical
apparatus, which, by preference in the present case, consists of a screw press
worked either by hand or steam power, and underneath the top plate of which is
Price 6d71

page_text: attached by screws, a plate or board to which are fixed a series of pegs, pistons, or
plungers pointing downwards. A mould is now provided perforated with holes
Corresponding in number and-size-to-the-pegs, pistons, or plungers which take into
the said holes, and in combination with this arrangement is used a plain plate or
board, the several parts described being made of wood or metal, or of wood and metal
combined, or of any other suitable material. The press being mounted on a table, the
plate or board containing the pegs is fixed to the under part of the top plate of the
press. The plain plate or-board is then laid flat on sets or packing pieces placed on
the lower part of the press, and on the plain plate or board is placed the perforated
mould, its holes being filled with the prepared chemical ingredients taken from the
mixing tank. The press being now screwed down, the pegs, pistons, or plungers are
forced down into the holes in the mould, thereby compressing the chemical ingre-
dients into square, cylindrical, or other shaped blocks as desired. The press is then
relieved sufficiently to take out the plain plate or board from under the mould, and
being then brought down again, forces the compressed blocks out through the
bottom of the mould, and by an inclined shoot, they are directed to the back of the
press into a tray, which when full, is placed in a hot room so as to dry and harden
the blocks previous to their being bottled and ready for use. Or in lieu of the
arrangement here described, hydraulic or any other well known means of producing
pressure may be applied to the chemical compounds in a cold condition for con-
solidating them..
By treating chemical compounds in the manner above described, whether for
citrate of magnesia or other analogous article, the following advantages over the
present mode of manufacture are obtained :-
Firstly. According to the present method of granulating effervescent citrate of
magnesia and such like articles, the chemical compound is made hot on a double
metal pan heated by steam, such heat causing the strength of the compound to
evaporate, whereas by my Invention the chemical compound being made into
blocks while in a cold condition, the strength of the ingredients is thereby saved
because no evaporation is induced.
Secondly. Citrate of magnesia or other like article usually made is composed of
various sized grains and honey combed, so that when put into water, the gases
explode into violent effervescence, boiling over the glass in which it is made at the
expenditure of the strength and flavour of the ingredients; but by compressing the
chemical compound into solid blocks while in a cold state, the original strength of
the ingredients is preserved intact and the carbonic acid gases confined, so that
when the compressed blocks are put into cold water, the effervescence on account
of their greater density is prolonged, the carbonic acid gases being released and
confined to the water in the glass in which they are mixed. The effervenscence
consequently continues as efficient at the bottom of the glass as at the beginning,
and the effervescent mixture can be drunk at pleasure.
At the same time the saline flatness occasioned by violent effervescence, which if
not swallowed in great haste, will quickly subside into insipid flatness is obviated..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Wheeler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
August 1879.
GEORGE WHEELER, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CITRATE OF MAGNESIA OR OTHER EFFERVESCENT COM-
POUNDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of effervescent citrate
of magnesia and other effervescent cooling drinks, such improvements comprising
a chemical apparatus for treating the chemical compounds in combination with a
mechanical apparatus to compress the chemical compounds required into solid
blocks of any desired shape for the purpose of producing the said effervescent
articles.
On the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a plan, and Fig. 2 an elevation
of the chemical apparatus for treating the compounds which consists of a double
tank A, A', made of metal or other suitable material; between this double tank
A, A', sufficient space is left to hold a good body of cold water, which being kept in
constant circulation by means of supply and discharge cocks B, C, respectively
attached to the outer tank A, maintains the inner tank A' at a low temperature,
without admitting any water thereto. In this inner tank A' I mix the various
chemical ingredients required, which, owing to the coldness of the tank, begins
at once to slack, soften, or deliquesce; or this deliquescence of the chemical
ingredients may be produced by making the inner or mixing tank A¹ cold by any
other refrigerating means, such as by exposing them to the influence of cold air
produced by any means, or by atmospheric air.
To facilitate the deliquescence of the ingredients, I mix a small quantity of water
with one of the ingredients, and work it thus moistened into the body of the other
ingredients whereby the deliquescence is hastened.
The preparation of the chemical compounds having thus been effected by the
cold process in the chemical apparatus, the operation of compressing the said
chemical compounds into solid blocks is then accomplished by a mechanical appa-
ratus represented in elevation by Fig. 3 on the Drawing, which by preference in
the present case consists of a screw press D, worked either by hand or steam
power, and underneath the top plate E of which is attached by screws a plate or
board G, to which are fixed a series of pegs, pistons, or plungers H, H, pointing
downwards. A mould I (seen also in plan, Fig. 4) is now provided, perforated
with holes J, J, corresponding in number and size to the pegs, pistons, or plungers
H, H, which take into the said holes J, J, and in combination with this arrange-
ment is used a plain plate or board K; the several parts described being made of
wood or metal, or of wood and metal combined, or of any other suitable material.
If desired, the holes J, J, in the mould I may be lined with glass, china, or
earthenware.
The press D being mounted on a table L, and the plate or board G containing the
pegs, pistons, or plungers H, H, fixed to the under part of the top plate E of the
press D, the plain plate or board K is laid flat on sets or packing pieces M, M,
placed on the lower part of the press D, and on the plain plate or board K is
placed the perforated mould I, its holes J, J, being filled with the prepared chemical
ingredients taken from the mixing tank A¹, the press D being now screwed down,
the pegs, pistons, or plungers H, II, are forced down into the holes J, J, in the
mould I, thereby compressing the chemical ingredients into square, cylindrical, or
other shaped blocks as desired.
The press D is then relieved sufficiently to take out the plain plate or board K
from under the mould I, and being then brought down again, forces the compressed
blocks out through the bottom of the mould I, and by an inclined shoot (not shown
on the Drawing) they are directed to the back of the press D into a tray which,

page_text: when full, is placed in a hot room so as to dry and harden the blocks previous to
their being bottled and ready for use.
Or-in-lieu-of-the.arrangement here described, hydraulic or any other well known
means of producing, pressure may be applied to the chemical compounds in a cold-
condition for consolidating them.
By treating chemical compounds in the manner above described, whether for
citrate of magnesia or other analogous article, the following advantages over the
present mode of manufacture are obtained:-Firstly. According to the present
method of granulating effervescent citrate of magnesia and such like articles, the
chemical compound is made hot on a double metal pan heated by steain, such heat
causing the strength of the compound to evaporate, whereas by my Invention the
chemical compound being made into blocks while in a cold condition, the strength
of the ingredients is thereby saved because no evaporation is induced. Second.
Citrate of magnesia or other like article usually made is composed of various sized
grains and honey combed, so that when put into water, the gases explode into
violent effervescence, boiling over the glass in which it is made at the expenditure
of the strength and flavour of the ingredients, but by compressing the chemical
compound into solid blocks while in a cold state, the original strength of the
ingredients is preserved intact and the carbonic acid gases confined, so that when
the compressed blocks are put into cold water, the effervescence on account of their
greater density is prolonged, the carbonic acid gases being released and confined to
the water in the glass in which they are mixed. The effervescence consequently
continues as efficient at the bottom of the glass as at the beginning, and the
effervescent mixture can be drunk at pleasure. At the same time the saline flatness
occasioned by violent effervescence, which if not swallowed in great haste, will
quickly subside into insipid flatness is obviated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
The improvements in the manufacture of citrate of magnesia or other effervescent
compounds by the chemical treatment in combination with mechanical compressing
apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described, and illus-
trated by the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wheeler, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
GEORGE WHEELER. (L.S.)