THE TREATMENT OF WASTE MATERIALS REFUSE OR SWEEPINGS FROM HOUSES MARKETS AND OTHER PLACES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THEREFROM USEFUL PRODUCTS AND MOTIVE POWER OR FORCE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN THE SAME BEING IN PART APPLICABLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS FOR OBTAINING ALCOHOL THEREFROM
Year: 1883

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Gerson Epstein of Highbury New Park in the County
of Middlesex for an Invention of "THE TREATMENT OF WASTE MATERIALS
REFUSE OR SWEEPINGS FROM HOUSES MARKETS AND OTHER PLACES FOR THE
PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THEREFROM USEFUL PRODUCTS AND MOTIVE POWER
OR FORCE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
THE SAME BEING IN PART APPLICABLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS
FOR OBTAINING ALCOHOL THEREFROM
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerson Epstein at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1883.
GERSON EPSTEIN of Highbury New Park in the County of Middlesex "The
TREATMENT OF WASTE MATERIALS, REFUSE, OR SWEEPINGS, FROM HOUSES, MARKETS,
AND OTHER PLACES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THEREFROM USEFUL PRODUCTS
AND MOTIVE POWER OR FORCE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN, THE SAME BEING IN PART APPLICABLE FOR THE TREATMENT
OF MATERIALS FOR OBTAINING ALCOHOL THEREFROM
"
My Invention has for its principal object to utilise the refuse, waste materials,
or sweepings, from houses, markets, and other places, for the purpose of obtaining
therefrom useful products and motive power or force for various purposes. My said
Invention is also in part applicable to the treatment of grain or other materials for
obtaining alcohol therefrom.
According to my said Invention I take the said materials which must contain
constituents affording potash such as ashes, and I moisten them and subject them
to heat and I form saccharine matter or sugar from part of the starch therein
contained, by the use of sulphuric acid or of diastase. I then bring the materials
to a higher temperature so as to act upon the remainder of the starch. I find that
this treatment is necessary owing to the particles of certain kinds of starch having
coverings whilst other kinds have no coverings. The second heating is designed to
011

page_text: burst the coverings of the starch having coverings. I now lower the temperature
and I again subject the materials to the treatment of sulphuric acid or diastase.
The ashes prevent the formation of gluten from the starch and at the same time
the said ashes cause the saccharine matter of the substances contained in the various
matters of the waste materials to dissolve. They also cause the starch already
covered with gluten to dissolve. If there be any tendency to acidulation I may
counteract it by the use of a little refuse from tanneries and the reduction of the
supply of air-I now allow the materials to cool down to the temperature requisite
for the purposes of fermentation. I then introduce the materials thus prepared into
an air-tight chamber or first receptacle. Then I bring the materials to fermentation
and the carbonic acid commences to develope. For the purpose of increasing its
volume and exerting a much larger pressure I pass the said carbonic acid through a
passage or pipe forming a coil in another air-tight vessel or superheater in which
organic matter is burned to heat the said carbonic acid which then passes, together
with the carbonic acid developed by the burning of the organic matter, to an engine
cylinder or other device for obtaining motive power, which engine or device is
arranged to work a pump or water forcing apparatus and also an air forcing
apparatus for supplying air to the first receptacle and to the superheater. The
organic substance to be burned in the superheater I may obtain from the aforesaid
refuse or waste materials. To obtain alcohol from the materials under treatment
the passage for the carbonic acid from the first receptacle to the superheater and
for the air direct from the air forcing apparatus to the first receptacle are closed
and the air is led into the said receptacle by being passed through the coil of the
superheater and bringing the whole contents of the first receptacle to a boiling
heat; the Engine being driven by the carbonic acid evolved from the burning of
the organic substances in the superheater and escaping therefrom to the engine by
a sub-pipe. I may use either hot air or steam for boiling the fermented matter.
A passage is opened from the first receptacle to a rectifier in which the vapour of
alcohol is received from the first vessel and condensed in any desired way, water
being supplied to the said rectifier from the before named pump. A galvanic
battery is connected with the first receptacle to expedite the process of fermentation
or generation of carbonic acid from the materials under treatment. Before starting
the process of fermentation in the first receptacle I introduce fumes of sulphur into
the said receptacle.
In treating the refuse or waste materials there may be introduced with the
fumes of sulphur a little Oil of Vitriol, which together with the ashes in the
matters being treated will cause a quick fermentation and correspondingly high
pressure.
The process herein before described (with the exception of the addition of Oil of
Vitriol) may be used in substantially the same manner for the treatment of grain
or starchy materials for obtaining alcohol therefrom whereby starch which has a
covering to its particles and starch which has no such covering may be treated
together in one vessel
If the pipes or passages leading to the superheater and engine be closed or
disconnected from the first receptacle and the pump worked from the superheater
the carbonic acid generated in the first receptacle is passed into the rectifying
apparatus or a special receiver or vessel together with the water from the pump
and may be expelled and used to extinguish fire.
In place of making spirit by fermentation as described, the heat and air may
be regulated so as to give an acid fermentation or a decomposing fermentation: It
will be evident that there may be several first receptaclos in connection with one
set of the other parts described, so that one or more can be shut off as desired so
as to utilise one or more for the various purposes of my Invention, as described-
It will also be evident that although I have described the apparatus as combined
for the several purposes mentioned, yet that the parts only which are necessary for
one or other of the purposes may be arranged separately for that purpose only.

page_text: At first starting the process of fermentation in the first receptacle I may use
yeast or other like matter to induce fermentation, but afterwards a portion of the
fermented materials can be used to induce fermentation in fresh charges of waste
or refuse materials.
I may also recover some chemicals by connecting the exhaust of the Engine to a
retort or other apparatus suited for the obtainment of the chemicals to be
recovered. I may also obtain albumen from the mixture described (before or after
being used) by filtration.
In obtaining alcohol from the waste or refuse materials or in obtaining alcohol
by distillation from grain or other substances I may add decomposing organic
matter such as the flesh of fish or animals to the materials under treatment with
the object of preventing the passing of fusil oil with the vapour of alcohol-A little
Chloride of Lime may be added if desired.
The matters left remaining at the upper part of the first receptacle after the
processes described have been conducted may be removed and used for cattle food.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Gerson Epstein in the Patent Office on the 16th May 1884.
GERSON EPSTEIN of Highbury New Park in the County of Middlesex
"THE
TREATMENT OF WASTE MATERIALS REFUSE OR SWEEPINGS FROM HOUSES MARKETS
AND OTHER PLACES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THEREFROM USEFUL PRODUCTS
AND MOTIVE POWER OR FORCE FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES AND APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN THE SAME BEING IN PART APPLICABLE FOR THE TREATMENT
OF MATERIALS FOR OBTAINING ALCOHOL THEREFROM
"
My Invention has for its object to utilize such refuse or waste materials from
houses markets and other places as contain starch or starchy matter for the purpose
of obtaining therefrom alcohol and other useful products and also if desired motive
power or force for various purposes as hereinafter fully set forth.
According to my said Invention I take for example the waste from hotels or
Clubs or refuse matter of any kind being of a starchy nature or containing starch
or matters of a starchy nature such for example as potatoe parings or parings of
fruit, pieces of bread stalks and leaves of vegetables or the like.
I place the said materials in a suitable receptacle and add to them water sufficient
to effect the heating and boiling as hereinafter described and I add to this sulphuric
acid which if it be of ordinary strength is preferably in proportion by weight of
one part to every 25 parts of the waste materials. I then apply heat preferably
allowing the heat gradually (say during an hour or an hour and a half) to attain
the temperature of about 170° Fahrenheit. I maintain the temperature at about
170° Fahrenheit during a period of about an hour. Sugar is thus formed from
part of the starch contained in the said materials. I then bring the materials to a
boiling temperature so as to act upon the remainder of the starch-I maintain this
temperature until I find that all the starch has been converted into sugar which
may be ascertained by any suitable test such as by iodine. I have found that this
treatment by successive heatings is necessary owing to the mixed materials under
treatment containing different kinds of starch, the particles of certain kinds of the
starch contained therein having coverings whilst other kinds of the starch contained
therein have no coverings. The first heating acts upon the starchy particles having
no coverings and converts them into sugar whilst the second heating is designed to
burst the coverings of the starchy particles having coverings and convert this
starch also into sugar. I do not allow the temperature to sink below about
170° Fahrenheit and I stir or agitate the materials whilst under the foregoing
treatment I then allow the mixture to cool down to the temperature requisite for
the purposes of fermentation, by which fermentation Carbonic acid is developed―
I find that the best condition for fermentation is a thick wort that is to say a wort
of such a density as that the sugar is not all converted at once into alcohol during
fermentation but such that a gradual developement of alcohol is obtained whereby
danger of acidulation is prevented-I have found that when the wort indicates a
density of about 30° to 50° on Balling's or Sykes's Saccharometer Scale satisfactory
results are obtained. During fermentation the receptacle or vessel will be tightly
closed in order that the vapours and Carbonic Acid generated may not escape
except by the pipes or passages provided for the exit to the place or places where
they are to be utilized-From the commencement of fermentation I supply air,
and if desired a current from a galvanic battery may be passed into the receptacle
to facilitate the process

page_text: By the foregoing treatment I obtain an economy of time in the fermentation of
substances which are often contained in or found amongst the materials and which
if treated in the ordinary way require a very long time to ferment. By this means
refuse material containing sugar can be fermented together with all kinds of grain
or other materials which could not remain long under fermentation.
The Carbonic acid generated during fermentation may be utilized for any
purpose to which it is or may be applicable When the pressure of the said
Carbonic Acid is to be utilized for obtaining motive power or force, I prefer to
superheat it so as to increase its volume and pressure.
In order to obtain Alcohol the thick or dense wash or fermented wort obtained
as aforesaid is subjected to a process of distillation. The residue left after the
above processes have been carried out, form valuable material for manure.
The following description with reference to the accompanying Diagram explains
an apparatus or arrangement of vessels by reference to which I will describe more
particularly the manner in which the treatment and fermentation of the materials
according to my Invention may be effected when Alcohol is to be obtained from
the fermented wort or wash and also if required motive power from the Carbonic
Acid generated during fermentation, but it is to be understood that I do not bind
myself to the particular form or details of arrangement of the apparatus or vessels
shewn nor do I limit myself to any exact proportions of materials employed nor to
the precise time and temperature during and at which the treatments are conducted
as these will necessarily be subject to variation in accordance with the nature of
the materials used and other conditions.
The materials containing different kinds of starch or starchy matter as aforesaid
are first treated according to my Invention by diluted Sulphuric Acid and successive
heatings as hereinbefore described, so that a thick or dense saccharine mash or
wort is formed from all the starch or starchy matter.
This treatment is effected in the closed vessel A provided with stirrers a¹ and
with a coil a through which hot air or other heating agent is caused to circulate
for mashing and heating the wort as herein before described. After this heating of
the mash or wort the valve at 61 is opened and the mash or wort (of a density of
say 30° to 50° on Balling's or Sykes's Saccharometer Scale) is run into the
receptacle B and is strained by the perforated plate at 6, the solid matter
remaining on the said plate (from which it is subsequently withdrawn) and the
liquid or wort passing through into the lower part 65 of the receptacle B which
is provided with a worm b' through which cold water is passed from the cistern bo
by the pipe be to cool the wort, which when cool is passed by the pipe and valve c¹
into the closed vessel C in which it is caused to ferment-Air is supplied to this
vessel by the pipe c in connection with any suitable air forcing device (such for
example as the air pump f³) When the fermentation has been effected to the
desired extent the valve c³ will be opened and the wash or fermented wort will be
forced by the pressure of the gases generated through the pipe o back into the
vessel A wherein a fresh charge of materials has in the meantime been placed
A sufficient quantity of the wash or fermented wort is retained in the vessel C
to start the fermentation of a fresh charge of wort. The mashing of the fresh
charge of materials in the vessel A, together with the fermented wort or wash thus
driven back, is then proceeded with and the said fermented wort or wash will have
the vapour of Alcohol driven off therefrom which together with that which rises
from the fresh charge of materials will be received into the Rectifier D by opening
the valve d. Thus any vapour of alcohol which arises from the fresh mash which
is now being prepared in the vessel A will not be lost. This round of proceedings
can be carried on as long as may be desired, but in each charge after the first it
will be necessary to add only about one third or one quarter the quantity of
sulphuric acid which was added to the first charge-At first starting the process a
little fermenting agent such as yeast may be added to start, fermentation, but

page_text: afterwards the wash left in the receptacle C will generally be found sufficient to
start the fermentation of the succeeding charges of wort prepared in the vessel A
and passed through the vessel B into the vessel C. By the above described
arrangement a continuous system of mashing fermenting and distilling can be
carried on-]
-E is a closed chamber into which the carbonic acid generated in the
chamber C may be passed to be superheated. It is provided with an inner
chamber E, in which a fire is maintained by coke or other fuel and to which air
is supplied by the pipe f1 from the air pump for other air forcing device. The
carbonic acid generated in the vessel C can be passed by the pipe el into the
outer chamber E to be superheated and then be passed by the pipe g to the engine H
to give motive power, but the gas may be taken to the said Engine directly from
the vessel C if desired The heating of the coil a³ can be effected by passing.
superheated gases therethrough from the chamber E conveyed by the pipe j―The
gases thus used for heating the coil a' may be returned by the pipe k into the
chamber E³ of the superheater to be again superheated and led by the pipe g¹ into
the pipe g to be used in conjunction with the gases passing by the said pipe to
work the engine H. W is a Galvanic battery for facilitating fermentation as
bereinbefore mentioned. is a charging box and valve in which fuel can be placed
and when the cover is replaced be tipped into the chamber E-t is a pipe through
which by opening the stop cock thereon pressure is admitted from the chamber E*
to the box to allow the material to be fed on to the fire. nn are doors in the
several vessels for charging cleaning or other purposes. p p are thermometers for
indicating the temperatures so that they may be regulated as required. The
vessel C is provided with a pressure gauge q and a safety valve q'-Level indicating
gauges are fitted to the vessels A and C.. r is a pipe through which the
superheated gases can be passed from the chamber E to force the mash from the
vessel A into the vessel B and therefrom into the vessel C. All the pipes are
provided with valves so that they can each be opened or closed as desired and as
may be necessary according to the pressure. The residual matter extracted from
the vessel B forms a valuable material for manure.
•
The process herein before described is applicable generally for the obtainment of
Alcohol from mixed starchy matters of different kinds as hereinbefore mentioned
such for example as mixed grain or mixed fruit and grain whereby it is possible
by a continuous treatment of the different kinds of starchy matter together to
convert them all into sugar In place of the sulphuric acid used as herein before
described, I may of course use the equivalent thereof such as malted grain or
diastase which will act in substantially the same manner, but when using malted
grain or diastase I prefer to use an alkaline material if there be not sufficient' asbes
naturally present in the materials under treatment. The proportion of ashes
should be about three to five per cent of the whole mass of the waste materials
treated. If this proportion be not present ashes or alkaline material will be added
to make up the equivalent thereof. Where malted grain is used it will be added in
quantity according to the quality of the grain as is well known in making
distillers' mash.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my 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 to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
First. The improved process substantially as herein before described for the
utilization of waste materials or refuse matter composed of or containing different
kinds of starch or starchy matters for converting all the starch into sugar by
treating the said materials or matter with sulphuric acid (or its equivalent) and
successive heatings.
Second. The improved: process substantially as hereinbefore described for the

page_text: utilization of waste materials or refuse matter composed of or containing different
kinds of starch or starchy matters for the purpose of obtaining therefrom carbonic
acid, alcohol, and manurial material, or one, or more, of such products.
In witness whereof I the said Gerson Epstein have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this twelfth day of May One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four.