Process of treating sugar juices

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF TREATING SUGAR CANE WHEREIN THE JUICE IS EXTRACTED FROM THE CANE BY CRUSHING, THE STEPS OF FLOWING WATER HAVING A PH VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY 10 OVER SAID CANE DURING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SUCH CRUSHING; HEATING THE SUGAR JUICE SO PRODUCED TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 140* F.; INTRODUCING LIME UNDER VACUUM INTO SAID JUICE IN QUANTITIES SUFFICIENT TO INCREASE THE PH VALUE OF THE JUICE TO AT LEAST 7; REMOVING FROM THE RESULTING ALKALINE JUICE, BY A FIRST FILTRATION IN WHICH A PRECOAT MATERIAL COMPRISING FINELY DIVIDED CHARCOAL SUSPENDED IN WATER IS UTILIZED, THE GUMS, WAXES, AND WAX-LIKE IMPURITIES COAGULATED; HEATING THE SUGAR JUICE REMOVED BY VACUUM DURING SUCH FIRST FILTRATION TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 190* F.; INTRODUCING LIME UNDER VACUUM INTO SUCH HEATED JUICE; INTRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE GAS UNDER VACUUM INTO SUCH JUICE AFTER LIMING; REMOVING, BY A SECOND FILTRATION, PRECIPITATED IMPURITIES AND LIME CARBONATE CAKE; THE WASHING THE CAKE BY WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 190* F.; HEATING THE SUGAR JUICE REMOVED BY VACUUM DURING SUCH SECOND FILTRATION TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOVE 190* F.; INTRODUCING LIME SACCHARATE UNDER VACUUM INTO SUCH HEATED JUICE; CARBONATING UNDER VACUUM THE JUICE SO LIMED; REMOVING Y A THIRD FILTRATION, THE PRECIPITATED IMPURITIES AND LIME CARBONATE CAKE PRODUCED, THE THICK JUICE REMOVED DURING SUCH THIRD FILTRATION BEING SUITABLE FOR FURTHER TREATMENT BY EVAPORATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION TO PRODUCE COMMERCIAL QUALITY SUGAR; WASHING SAID CAKE WITH WATER AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 190* F.; MIXING LIME AND THE SWEET WATER REMOVED BY VACUUM DURING WASHING TO FORM LIME SACCHARATE; PASSING THE CAKE REMOVED DURING SAID SECOND AND THIRD FILTRATIONS TO A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR SEPARTING LIME CARBONATE FROM OTHER CONSTITUENTS; PASSING THE LIME CARBONATE SO REMOVED TO A KILN FOR REGENERATION OF LIME AND PRODUCTION OF CO2 GAS FOR CARBONATION; AND PASSING INCOMING WATER IN HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE LIME AND SWEET WATER MIXING AND, ALSO, IN HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE SWEET WATER PRIOR TO SUCH MIXING.