Improvements in the Artificial Cooling of Syrup for the Manufacture of Refined Sugar, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1893—Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Artificial Cooling of Syrup for the Manufacture
of Refined Sugar, and Apparatus therefor.
I, PAUL LEBAUDY of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of
France, 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 :-
My invention relates to the artificial cooling of syrup (masse cuite) for the manu-
facture of refined sugar and consists in a new application of known means.
The main features of the invention are:-
The syrup serving for the preparation of refined sugar on leaving the boiling pan
is usually poured into moulds or forms and then left to cool.
These moulds may vary according to the refining system employed and to the
product required such as sugar loaves, blocks, ingote, which are usually left to cool
in the same room as that wherein they are poured or formed; the result is an
agglomeration of crystals in the cooling syrup which has to be clarified and washed
in order to extract the mother water of crystallization and obtain refined sugar
i.e. agglomerated and pure sugar.
The natural cooling is a slow process and consequently necessitates the use of a
great number of moulds which renders costly especially for certain systems of
refining; it is irregular in its results, i.e. the moulds filled with the same syrup but
placed in various parts of the room, cool more or less quickly and produce
sometimes sugar which it is difficult to clarify and wash; finally the natural
cooling is dependent on the temperature around and cannot be cooled below that
temperature.
In substituting my artificial system of cooling for the natural cooling, I obtain
the following advantages: Quicker cooling, more regularity, more completeness,
and as a consequence thereof the production of a larger quantity of crystallized
sugar, while at the same time the employment of this system prevents the
temperature from rising too high in the filling room.
FIRST PART.-PROCESS.
My process consists in circulating a fluid colder than the syrup round the
moulds.
1st case. The fluid to be a gas, the air for instance, when the moulds are not
absolutely tight at their lower ends as is the case in ordinary moulds for loaves
where the lower end or apex is only closed in a summary manner. In starting, the
air employed is warmer than the surrounding air but cooler than the syrup; then
follows intermediate temperatures between the starting and the surrounding
temperature, then comes the temperature of the surrounding air, and finally cold
air, cooled by passing through any well known cooling or refrigerating apparatus,
is used for finishing the process.
This system, besides being more methodical, produces an artificial graduated
cooling which is entirely under control.
With some syrups it is useless to employ air at intermediate temperatures and it
is then only required to use the air for cooling either at the same temperature as
that of the surrounding air or below it in order to effect a rapid cooling.
The graduating cooling to which I refer hereinafter cau be carried out by circu-
lating the cold air first round the coolest forms and thence round the forms less and
less advanced in the cooling process so as to leave finally at the form the cocling of
which is only just started.

page_text: the longitudinal direction of the chamber. This chain is provided with angle irons at
suitable distances apart which serve to move the waggons along. A driving pulley
worked by hand, by electricity or other power is adapted to move the chain each
time a waggon is ready to be removed from and another introduced into the cooling
chamber.
In order to avoid disturbing the air-circulation when admitting and removing a
waggon, which may cause irregularities in the cooling, double doors are provided
at each end of the chamber with room for a waggon between them.
When it is required to take a waggon out of the chamber it will be necessary
first to close the interior door a at the outlet end and then by opening the outer
door 6 the waggon c can be taken out after which the outer door b is again closed
and the inner door a opened. The chain is now moved the length of a waggon
so as to move the waggon d up to the door e while at the same time all the waggons
inside are moved onwards to the same extent. Now the door e is closed and the
exterior door f again opened to allow of replacing the waggon d by a fresh one after
which the outer door is again closed and e is opened. The interior doors a and e
need not be absolutely tight and they may even be cut out for the passage of
the chain.
The apparatus just described can also be used in connection with moulds other
than for loaves as for instance with flat moulds of any system: Langen, Mathe-
Scheibler, Adant &c. &c.
2nd case -The cooling fluid to be water.
1st arrangement. Figure 2.
The moulds for cooling are supposed to be water tight at least at the lower part.
A number of these moulds are arranged on a frame or plate A constructed of wood
or of iron girders supporting rails B B level with the ground line of the factory.
After having charged the frame or plate it is lowered into water contained in a
reservoir or channel C below the level of the ground. After the cooling has been
effected, the frame is raised to the level of the ground and discharged. The frame
is balanced by four chains and weights in such a manner that, when immersed there
is only a relatively slight weight to sustain. The frame is guided in the reservoir
at the four corners and it is moved by means of gear wheels placed at the four
corners and mounted on two shafts operated from a transverse shaft capable of
being turned in opposite directions either by hand or power. A ratchet wheel
enables the frame or plate to be retained in either of its extreme positions.
Where a motor is used an automatic stop is provided to act in the extreme
positions.
The movement of the frame is so arranged that the upper flange of the mould is
kept above the water level the latter being determined by the upper edge of the
reservoir; the upper edge being level to allow the water to flow off equally
throughout into an outer gutter. The reservoir is also provided with an outlet
cock at the bottom.
The water is derived from three conduits one of which contains iced water, the
other water at a normal temperature and the third warm water. Each of these
conduits is provided with a regulating cock and a flexible tube and nozzle. Each
mould is connected to three of these flexible tubes and can be provided with a cross
plate for supporting the nozzles of the latter.
2nd arrangement. Figure 3.
This arrangement varies from the previous one in that the frame is stationary
nstead of being movable and is suspended from the ceiling or supported on lateral
girders in such a manner that the reservoir, movable in this case. is lifted up round
the moulds after the frame has been duly charged and lowered again after the
moulds have become cool.
In the two arrangements the movement of the frame or of the reservoir can be
derived from a hydraulic ram.
3rd arrangement. Figure 4.
The reservoir is stationary, having rails fixed in the interior at the bottom. The

page_text: reservoir is placed on the ground or may be let into the ground so as to bring the
top of the rails level with the ground. The two ends of the reservoir are provided
with water tight doors, one for admitting and the other for removing the moulds.
The moulds may be removed by means of a hand or power operated winch placed
beyond or adjacent to the outlet door.
4th arrangement. Figure 5.
The reservoir is stationary and entirely in the ground, suitable inclines at each
end form the approaches to the reservoir and rails are laid as before at the bottom
of the reservoir and along the inclines so as to correspond with the rails on the
ground level.
Two small winches worked as before serve to move or draw the moulds into and
out of the tank.
This arrangeinent allows of methodical working. The cold water is supplied only
at the outlet end of the reservoir. The gutter is dispensed with and the warm
water leaves through an overflow pipe at the admission end of the reservoir. The
moulds when introduced into the reservoir are coupled together so that the winch at
the outlet end of the reservoir moves all the waggons by one length every time
one of them is taken out.
5th arrangement. Figures 6 and 7.
The reservoir is placed on the ground and is constructed in the form of a horse
shoe, the rails are fixed on the bottom and allow the waggons to follow the semi-
circular curve of the horse-shoe; an endless chain between the rails is supported on
rollers and guides and is provided with angle irons at convenient distances for the
purpose of moving the waggons along; the chain being moved through the medium
of a pulley on a shaft at E. This shaft passes through the side of the reservoir and
a tight joint is made around by means of a stuffing box. A. crane is placed in a
suitable position near the two ends of the reservoir. The mould A already cooled
is lifted out of the reservoir by means of the crane and placed at B, then the hot
mould is taken from C and immersed at the end D. During the rotary movement
of the crane from B to C, the driving pulley E is caused to move, it being driven
by the crane, so as to advance the endless chain about the length of a waggon
.e., the distance of two angle irons, thereby providing room at D for the hot
mould.
This arrangement can also be worked by introducing the cold water at A and
draining off the hot water through an overflow pipe at D.
The previous arrangements are all suitable in connection with water tight moulds
or with moulds water tight at least at their lower part. They are particularly
suitable in the case of loaf moulds when the latter are closed hermetically at the
apex and placed on a waggon.
When the moulds are completely water tight, at the upper part as well the
previous system may be followed by completely immersing said moulds.
3rd case..
-Moulds specially constructed for artificial cooling.
In the two preceding cases the ordinary moulds used in the various systems of
refining have been supposed to be employed without any modification which is
especially the case with moulds used already before in connection with a system of
artificial cooling.
In connection with my system of cooling I have also specially constructed moulds
which are provided with a water tight jacket for the circulation of the cooling
agent, air or water; and can be worked systematically by uniting, by means
of a flexible tube and unions, the water outlet of one mould with the inlet of
the next.
Figure 8 shows the application to the special moulds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-

page_text: refined sugar in moulds by the circulation round these moulds of fluids cooler than
the syrup and varying by degrees substantially as described.
2. The apparatus and arrangements permitting the application of the process to
the various systems as herein before described and without reference to the nature
of the moulds which are independent of the system of refining.
Dated this 13th day of June 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.