CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING SUGAR
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRD
CONSTANTINE JENNINGS, of Devonshire Street, Portland Place, in the County
of Middlesex, Practical Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of October, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Constantine Jennings, His especial licence, that I, the said Henry
Constantine Jennings, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Constantine Jennings, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His said Majesty's. Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING SUGAR;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Henry Constantine
Jennings, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
'said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and.

page_text: by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Constantine Jennings, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention to consist in a rapid and effectual mode of depriving raw or
muscovado sugar of its coloring matter by means of rectified spirits. And in
further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Henry Constantino
Jennings, do hereby describe the manner in which I perform my said Invention
by the following description thereof, that is to say :-
I wash raw or muscovado sugar in rectified spirits of wine, rum, brandy, or
any liquor, being principally alcohol, which has very little affinity fo saccharine
matter or sugar, and a great affinity for coloring matter, water, treacle, &c. of
which the impurities of raw or muscovado sugar consist. I use any conical
vessel holding from 500 lbs. to 1000 lbs., having a wire copper gauze or
perforated bottom, and I assist the process by using all and every of the well
known means, whereby liquids are made speedily to percolate through solid
substances, whose parts are not in actual contact; these means are hydrostatic,
hydraulic, or hydropneumatic. When any spirit is passed through the mass of
sugar so as to drop no more, I pass about 30 gallons of saturated syrup
through the mass of sugar; this removes all or nearly all the spirit of wine,
and leaves the sugar only moistened by the syrup and ready for putting into
the hogshead. The spirit or rum that has combined with the coloring matter
and water, &c. may be used again over inferior sugars, and after it is very
thick it may be rectified, and the spirit re-obtained in an uncombined state
without much loss.
Now whereas I do not claim as any part of my Invention either the conical
vessels before described, or any part of the apparatus to be used in the pro-
cess of refining sugar as aforesaid, but I only claim as my Invention the
application of rectified spirits, being principally alcohol, for that purpose, such
rectified spirits having properties peculiarly adapted to the said purpose, and
performing the operation of refining more rapidly and effectually than any
liquor now in use for that purpose; and whereas such my Invention being,
to the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new and never before
used within that part of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, called England, His said Dominion of Wales, or
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, nor in any of Пis said Majesty's Colonies
or Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification of
the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth
comply in all respects fully and without reserve or disguise with the

page_text: proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained;
wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, bave
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.