CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING SUGAR, AND IN PREPARING MATERIALS APPLICABLE TO THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Clarke Hills, of Deptford, in the
County of Kent, and George Hills, of Lee, also in the County
of Kent, Manufacturing Chemists, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING SUGAR, AND IN PREPARING MATERIALS
APPLICABLE TO THAT PURPOSE."
Sealed the 9th April 1853 and dated the 19th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Clarke
Hills and George Hills at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th February 1853.
We, FRANK CLARKE HILLS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent,
and GEORGE HILLS, of Lee, also in the County of Kent, Manufacturing
Chemists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING SUGAR, AND IN PREPARING MATERIALS
APPLICABLE TO THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:
Our first improvement in refining sugar consists in abstracting
sub-acetate or other salt or preparation of lead, which may have
been employed to defecate the same by passing the saccharine solu-
tion containing the lead through a stratum or bed of sawdust, and

page_text: which we prefer to be at least 15 in depth. The sawdust may
be first washed in a hot solution of caustic soda or potash, and
afterwords in water to remove the coloring and other soluble.
matters.
2nd, in abstracting lead or salts of lead from saccharine solutions
by means of phosphate of lime, or steamed or calcined bones ground
to a coarse powder, or asbestos, or other porous bodies, and the
solution containing the lead is to be passed through the said sub-
stances as described for sawdust.
3rd, in abstracting lead or salts of lead from saccharine solutions
by means of animal or other kind of charcoal, or steamed or calcined
bones, or other porous bodies; into which sulphuretted hydrogen or
carbonic acid has been absorbed, and the saccharine solution is to be
passed through the above-named substances so prepared in the same
manner as described for sawdust.
Our improvements in preparing materials applicable to refining
sugar consist in the employment of acetic, nitric, muriatic, or other
kind of acid to dissolve out lead or salts or combinations of lead
from sawdust, from ground, steamed, or calcined bones, or from any
kind of charcoal or other substances which may have been employed
to separate lead or salts of lead from saccharine solutions.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Frank Clarke Hills and George Hills
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
FRANK CLARKE HILLS, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, and
GEORGE HILLS, of Lee, also in the County of Kent, Manufacturing
Chemists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the

page_text: sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Frank Clarke Hills and
George Hills, Her special licence that we, the said Frank Clarke Hills
and George' Hills, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as we, the said Frank Clarke Hills and George Hills, our
executors; administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from. time to time and at all times thereafter
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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING SUGAR, AND IN
PREPARING MATERIALS APPLICABLE TO THAT PURPOSE,".. upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Frank Clarke Hills
and George Hills, or one of us, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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.
1
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Hills, on behalf
of myself and the said Frank Clarke Hills, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
Our improvements in refining sugar .have for their object thic
abstracting from saccharine solutions any salts or combinations of
lead, which may have been employed to defecate the same. For this
purpose we cause the syrup to pass through a stratum or bed of
sawdust, or of phosphate of lime, or of steamed bones, or bones cal-
cined, with the admission of air, asbestos, or pumice stone, or other
analagous porous substances, except charcoal. These materials.we
place to the depth of about fifteen feet in suitable vessels, preferably
of about four or five feet, diameter, having a false bottom to support

page_text: the materials so as to constitute a filter. The saccharine solution,
which has been previously defecated by the means of salts or other
combinations of lead, and filtered, is to be passed through the
filter containing the before-named materials, which should be main-
tained at aboat of about 150° Fahrenheit, preferably by means of
steam circulating through a coil of pipe placed among the materials.
After the solution has passed through this filter the salts or other
combinations of lead will be found to be abstracted, and it is then
to be boiled down in the usual manner to crystallize. The phosphate
of lime or the steamed or calcined bones should be reduced to a
coarse powder, and if sawdust be employed it should be first washed
in a hot solution of caustic soda or potash, and afterwards in water
to remove the coloring and other soluble matters. Our improve-
ments in preparing materials applicable to refining sugar have for
their object the removing lead or salts or other combinations of lead
from animal charcoal, or steamed or calcined bones, sawdust, pumice
stone, or other analogous porous materials which have been em-
ployed to abstract lead or salts of lead from saccharine solutions,
thereby renovating the said materials, and rendering them fit to be
employed over again for the same purpose. This we effect by
treating the said materials with dilute muriatic, nitric, or acetic
acid (preferably acetic acid), which will dissolve and remove the
lead or salts of lead from the materials, and then washing them well
with water.
We claim as of our Invention,-
Firstly, the employment of phosphate of lime, steamed or calcined
bones, sawdust, asbestos, pumice stone, or other analogous absorbent
material, except animal or other charcoal, to abstract lead or salts
or other combinations of lead from saccharine solutions.
Secondly, the employment of acetic, muriatic, or nitric acid to
remove lead or salts or other combinations of lead from phosphate
of lime, animal or other kind of charcoal, steamed or boiled or cal-
cined bones, sawdust, asbestos, pumice stone, or other analogous
porous material, which may have been employed in abstracting

page_text: such lead or salts or other combinations of lead from saccharine
solutions.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hills, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
JAMES MURDOCH.
GEORGE HILLS. (L.S.)