1912.] 



The Production of Beet Sugar. 



1007 



The horizontal beet-washers are ,fitted with a revolving- 

 shaft having iron arms, which keep the mass constantly on the 

 move towards the elevator at one end. The trough is fitted 

 with stone catchers. 



Weighing, — The beets are next raised by a bucket or chain 

 elevator to the top of the factory and discharged into an 

 automatic weighing machine holding about 800 lb. This 

 machine records accurately the washed weight of all the beets 

 passing through the factory, and in this way a check is 

 obtained both on the outside weighings and on the sugar 

 yield. 



Slicing. — As soon as the known weight of beets is reached, 

 the basket tilts automatically and its contents are delivered 

 by gravitation into hoppers, and thence into rapidly revolving 

 cutting or slicing machines. These machines have horizontal 

 plates or discs fitted with sharp fluted blades or knives, which 

 revolve at a great rate and cut the beet into slices known as 

 "Schnitzel." The knives have constantly to be removed for 

 sharpening. 



The slices are regular in shape, being about 3 to 4 inches 

 long by one-eighth of an inch in diameter. 



The Extraction of the Sugar by the Diffusion Process. — 

 After leaving the "sheer" these slices are conveyed to the 

 diffusers by means of a travelling rake conveyor and shoots (see 

 Fig. 1). The diffusion battery consists of a number of iron 

 cylindrical cells or diffusers, which may hold as much as 

 five or more tons of slices, and are fitted with valves to regulate 

 the supply of hot juice and water, and also with a movable 

 cap top and bases for filling and emptying. 



The hot juice and water is forced by pressure through the 

 diffusers and the process of extracting the sugar by diffusion is 

 set up. The hot juice is run from one diffuser to another and 

 after going the whole round of the battery it is drawn off and 

 conveyed into centripetal cylindrical strainers, after which it 

 is measured automatically, heated in pre-heaters and forced 

 into the lime mixers to be mixed with quicklime which has 

 been prepared from the kiln outside, whereby it is purified or 

 defecated. 



Purification of the Juice. — A chemical reaction and a 

 mechanical action take place, the lime helping to precipitate 



