Improvements in the Continuous Refining or. Bleaching of Sugar, and in Machines Employed for this Purpose.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan.,
1894
Improvements in the Continuous Refining or. Bleaching of Sugar,
and in Machines Employed for this Purpose.
I, LOUIS EDME ACHILLE PRANGEY, of 1 Rue de la Borue, Saunois, Seine and
Oise, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My present invention relates to improvements on the continuous method of
refining or bleaching sugar described in the Specifications of my prior Patent
No. 10842 dated 8th August 1887, and application for Patent No. 14419 dated
10th August 1892.
My improvements relate principally to the method of delivering the material to
be treated to the machine employed for refining or bleaching, and they are more
particularly applicable to machines specially designed for turbining, that is to say
for the treatment of sugar which is not agglomerated.
Nevertheless these improvements may also be employed generally when the
sugar is worked either in the condition of "masse cuite," cooled or not; in the
state of raw sugar in powder or diluted with a suitable liquid, sweetened or not;
with the object of increasing its richness and of diminishing its coloration, or of
obtaining one only of these results.
In the machine which is described in the Specifications of my prior applications
for Patents above referred to, the material to be treated is spread out in a layer of
smaller or greater thickness upon a perforated apron of sheet iron or preferably of
metallic fabric, which is actuated so as to convey same successively to the different
points of the machine where it will be submitted to the operations, the whole of
which together will produce the desired result.
The parts are further arranged so that the operation of the apparatus is rational
and methodical; but in order that the operation may be most effective, a certain
number of conditions have to be fulfilled these I will now proceed to enumerate
and will indicate the manner in which I effect same, and which constitute the
characteristic point of the new arrangements that I employ.
First the layer of sugar ought to be of equal thickness throughout the whole
length of the movable apron, and as homogeneous as possible.
:-
To obtain this result I have devised the following method of procedure:-
If a fluid mass is to be treated (masse cuite or diluted sugar), the process will be
carried out in successive charges, each charge being spread upon the preceding one
when the syrup of the latter has been partially extracted.
By this means the inequalities of one charge will be compensated for by the
succeeding charge, and the desired thickness will be attained by giving to the whole
mass sufficient homogeneity.
If it is a question of treating sugar in powder which is more or less dry, the same
method is adopted. For this purpose the bottom of the hopper is divided by
transverse partitions of inverted V-form into smaller hoppers, which open out at
such levels that each of them delivers the material a little above the upper surface
of the layer formed by the preceding hopper.
In this case the suction will be replaced by a slight compression obtained by
means of rollers. These rollers will preferably be composed of discs which are
movable in relation to each other, and two succeeding rollers will be arranged so
that the middle of the disc of one corresponds with the space between the discs of
the other. Rollers support the apron beneath the rollers above referred to, and

page_text: prevent it being deflected under the action of the pressure exerted by the latter
upon the material under treatment.
The homogeneity having been secured and the layer of sugar being of the
desired thickness, same is as I have indicated in my main Patent clarified by
spreading on its surface syrup which is drawn through by the aid of a suitable
vacuum maintained beneath the metallic web which serves to carry it forward. It
is also by this means that the masse cuite or diluted sugar is freed from the excess
of syrup which they contain at the moment when the successive charges above
indicated are proceeded with.
In proportion as the sugar, carried along by the movable apron, gets further
removed from the charging hoppers, it is freed from the impurities which enveloped
its crystals, and becomes purer and whiter. To assist this transformation, the
syrup which serves for clarifying is itself less colored and purer, so that the work
is carried on in a methodical and rational manner.
On arrival at the end of the apparatus corresponding to the delivery, the
sugar should be absolutely pure and white if the number of clarifications to
which it has been submitted in its travel is sufficient, and if the clarifying
agents employed towards the end were themselves sufficiently free from color
and pure.
On the other hand, the syrup employed for the sugar entering the apparatus
will be impure and colored, and might even present all the physical and chemical
characteristics of the treacle drawn out if the sugar being worked is itself
sufficiently impure.
In practice a certain number of reservoirs will be employed containing as many
kinds of clarifying agents, constituting a series which will all be employed or not
on the same machine, according to the nature of the sugar to be worked on the
latter.
As above indicated my process therefore presents considerable advantages in
large works; it in fact enables the complete suppression of turbining and almost
the entire working of bye products (such as those from cuites, crystallizations, and
from the turbine); it therefore effects considerable economy in hand labor, charcoal,
material, and of repair, and naturally leads to a better output of sugar, seeing
that it removes the causes of material losses and of deterioration of the
sugar, the
importance of which increases with the number of the operations producing bye
products.
At the end of the apparatus is a breaker followed by a packing apparatus or by a
mechanical carrier supplying the sugar store, or the melting boiler.
The various operations which I have enumerated above will be carried out on a
machine similar to that described in the Specifications of my prior applications for
Patents above referred to, but which will be fitted with the accessories indicated
for ensuring evenness in thickness and homogeneity of the layer of sugar, and
also with distributors for the clarifying syrup and the necessary suction arrange-
ments.
Dated this 15th day of April 1902
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Continuous Refining or Bleaching of Sugar,
and in Machines Employed for this Purpose.
I, LOUIS EDME ACHILLE PRANGEY, of 1 Rue de la Borne, Saunois, Seine
and Oise, France, Engineer, 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 present invention relates to improvements on the continuous method of

page_text: retining or bleaching sugar described in the Specifications of my prior Patents
No. 10842 dated 8th August 1887 and No. 14419 dated 10th August 1892.
My improvements relate principally to the method of delivering the material to
be treated to the machine employed for refining or bleaching, and they are more
particularly applicable to machines specially designed for turbining, that is to say
for the treatment of sugar which is not agglomerated.
Nevertheless these improvements may also be employed generally when the sugar
is worked either in the condition of "masse cuite," cooled or not; in the state of raw
sugar in powder or diluted with a suitable liquid, sweetened or not; with the object
of increasing its richness and of diminishing its coloration, or of obtaining one only
of these results.
3
In the machine which is described in the Specifications of my prior Patents
above referred to, the material to be treated is spread out in a layer of smaller or
greater thickness upon a perforated apron of sheet iron or preferably of metallic
fabric, which is actuated so as to convey same successively to the different points of
the machine where it will be submitted to the operations, the whole of which
together will produce the desired result.
The parts are further arranged so that the operation of the apparatus is rational
and methodical; but in order that the operation may be most effective, a certain
number of conditions have to be fulfilled: these I will now proceed to enumerate
and will indicate the manner in which I effect same, and which constitute the
characteristic point of the new arrangements that I employ.
First the layer of sugar ought to be of equal thickness throughout the whole
length of the movable apron, and as homogeneous as possible.
To obtain this result I have devised the following method of procedure:--
If a fluid mass is to be treated (masse cuite or diluted sugar), the process will be
carried out in successive charges, each charge being spread upon the preceding one
when the syrup of the latter has been partially extracted.
By this means the inequalities of one charge will be compensated for by the
succeeding charge, and the desired thickness will be attained by giving to the whole
mass sufficient homogeneity.
If it is a question of treating sugar in powder which is more or less dry, the same
method is adopted. For this purpose the bottom of the hopper is divided by
transverse partitions of inverted V-form such as H, I, into smaller hoppers E, F, G,
which open out at such levels that each of them delivers the material a little above
the upper surface of the layer formed by the preceding hopper, as is shown clearly
in the drawing.
In this case the suction will be replaced by a slight compression obtained by
means of rollers such as A, B, C, Fig. 1. These rollers will preferably be composed
of discs 1, 2, 3, etc., Fig. 2, which are movable in relation to each other, and two
succeeding rollers will be arranged so that the middle of the disc of one corresponds
with the space between the discs of the other. Rollers J support the apron D
beneath the rollers A, B, C, and prevent it being deflected under the action of the
pressure exerted by the latter upon the material under treatment.
The homogeneity having been secured and the layer of sugar being of the
desired thickness, same is as I have indicated in my main Patent clarified by
spreading on its surface syrup which is drawn through by the aid of a suitable
vacuum maintained beneath the metallic web D which serves to carry it forward.
It is also by this means that the masse cuite or the diluted sugar are freed from
the excess of syrup which they contain at the moment when the successive charges
above indicated are proceeded with.
In proportion as the sugar, carried along by the movable apron D, gets further
removed from the charging hoppers E, F, G, it is freed from the impurities which
enveloped its crystals, and becomes purer and whiter. To assist this transformation,
the syrup which serves for clarifying is itself less colored and purer, so that the
work is carried on in a methodical and rational manner.
On arrival at the end of the apparatus corresponding to the delivery, the sugar

page_text: should be absolutely pure and white if the number of clarifications to which it has
been submitted in its travel is sufficient, and if the clarifying agents employed
towards the end were themselves sufficiently free from color and pure.
On the other hand, the syrup employed for the sugar entering the apparatus will
be impure and colored, and might even present all the physical and chemical
characteristics of the treacle drawn out if the sugar being worked is itself
sufficiently impure.
In practice a certain number of reservoirs will be employed containing as many
kinds of clarifying agents, constituting a series which will all be employed or
not on the same machine, according to the nature of the sugar to be worked on
the latter.
As above indicated my process therefore presents considerable advantages in
large works; it in fact enables the complete suppression of turbining and almost
the entire working of bye products (such as those from cuites, crystallizations, and
from the turbine); it therefore effects considerable economy in hand labour,
charcoal, material, and of repair, and naturally leads to a better output of sugar,
seeing that it removes the causes of material losses and of deterioration of the
sugar, the importance of which increases with the number of the operations
producing bye products.
At the end of the apparatus is a breaker followed by a packing apparatus or by
a mechanical carrier supplying the sugar store, or the melting boiler.
The various operations which I have enumerated above will be carried out on a
machine similar to that described in the Specifications of my prior Patents above
referred to, but which will be fitted with the accessories indicated for ensuring
evenness in thickness and homogeneity of the layer of sugar, and also with
distributors for the clarifying syrup and the necessary suction arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The improvement in the refining of sugar in the form of sheets or slabs
consisting in depositing several layers of sugar one above another and subjecting
the several layers successively to pressure, substantially as herein described.
2. The combination with the travelling apron, of a sugar reservoir in which are
partitions at different levels dividing said reservoir into hoppers which debouch at
different levels above the apron, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
3. The combination with the travelling apron, of several hoppers debouching at
different levels above said apron and pressure rollers arranged in front of the
several hoppers and above the apron, substantially as herein set forth.
4. The combination with the travelling apron and the reservoir arranged above
it, of a series of inverted V-shaped hollow transverse partitions at different levels
within the reservoir and pressure rollers arranged under the said partitions and
above the apron, substantially as herein set forth.
5. The combination with the travelling apron, of several hoppers debouching at
different levels above said apron, pressure rollers above the said apron in front of
the several hoppers, and supporting rollers below said apron and under said
pressure rollers, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 11th day of December 1893.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.