Abstract: The invention provides a wax composition which can be used in comestibles. The wax composition is obtained from sugar cane and comrpises wax esters, aldehydes, tri-glycerides, alcohols, free fatty acids, sterols and polar lipids. A process for preparing a wax composition from crude sugar cane wax, the process comprising the steps of: (i) heating a solution of the crude wax with a lower alcohol as sovlent at the boiling point of the solvent; (ii) allowing phase separation of the solution from (i) and decanting the upper phase while hot; (iii) allowing the separated phase from (ii) to cool and separating crystallised wax from the solvent; (iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) using the wax from (iii) until all pitch has been removed from the wax; (v) heating the wax to between 90 and 140° C. and oxidising molten wax with oxidizing material; and (vi) continuing the heating under and inert gas on completion of the oxidation step until intermediate peroxide products are removed.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a process for refining raw sugar comprising the steps of: (a) dissolving either washed raw sugar or raw sugar directly to produce a melter liquor; (b) clarifying the melter liquor; (c) crystallising the melter liquor to produce a mixture of a very low colour intermediate sugar and a syrup; (d) separating the very low colour intermediate sugar from the syrup; (e) redissolving the separated very low colour intermediate sugar to produce a fine liquor; (f) filtering the fine liquor to remove any foreign particles which may have contaminated the sugar produced in step (d); and (g) crystallising refined sugar from the fine liquor. The invention is also related to a process for producing very low colour (VLC) intermediate sugar by the steps of (a) to (d) defined above.

Abstract: A spacer arrangement is provided for use in raising the height of a manhole cover frame, including one or more base spacer elements and one or more upper side extension elements; said one or more base spacer elements are adapted to be located within said manhole cover frame with said one or more side extension elements extending upwardly relative thereto; the spacer arrangement is adapted to receive a manhole cover; at least an underside surface of said one or more base spacer elements includes downwardly directed projections for stabilizing at least said one or more base spacer elements.

Abstract: A spacer arrangement is provided for use in raising the height of a manhole cover frame, including one or more base spacer elements and one or more upper side extension elements; said one or more base spacer elements are adapted to be located within said manhole cover frame with said one or more side extension elements extending upwardly relative thereto; the spacer arrangement is adapted to receive a manhole cover; at least an underside surface of said one or more base spacer elements includes downwardly directed projections for stabilising at least said one or more base spacer elements.

Abstract: A spacer arrangement is provided for use in raising the height of a manhole cover frame, including one or more base spacer elements and one or more upper side extension elements; said one or more base spacer elements are adapted to be located within said manhole cover frame with said one or more side extension elements extending upwardly relative thereto; the spacer arrangement is adapted to receive a manhole cover; at least an underside surface of said one or more base spacer elements includes downwardly directed projections for stabilizing at least said one or more base spacer elements.

Abstract: An automatic stacking machine for stacking curved articles and placing them on a pallet. Individual articles are guided to a position between two vertical locating plates on top of a catch plate. Once positioned, the catch plate is removed so that the article drops onto one or more horizontal arms. A stack is formed on the horizontal arms in this manner, and the arms can be lowered to place the stack on transport plates. The transport plates hold a stack between two additional vertical plates, one of which rotates to a horizontal position to allow the plate to be pushed, while supported by the other plate, onto a waiting pallet. The pallet is mounted on a pallet frame which can be coupled to other pallet frames and is raised on a rising and lowering platform to be adjacent the stacking machine for loading.

Abstract: A device for determining flow rate of a liquid material that is discharged from an orifice. There is provided a container having a container wall extending upwardly to an open mouth for collection of the discharge from an orifice. The container has a discharge opening in its base and is supported by suspension means from a load cell. The signal from the load cell, which is responsive to the downward force imparted by the container and liquid material therein, is transmitted to a readout means. Since the liquid material flows at a determined rate from the discharge opening the signal from the load cell is directly related to the flow rate of the liquid material, thereby enabling the flow rate to be calculated.

Abstract: A continuous process for recovery of oil and energy from oil shale. Particulate oil shale (1) is mixed with hot particulate heat carrier (2) containing free lime and retorted at conventional retorting temperatures in the presence of a purge gas (3). The purge gas comprises compounds which can react with the free lime. The mixture of spent shale and heat carrier solids (5) is separated from the product gas and vapors (4) and the solids are combusted in air (6),(7) with the optional addition of materials (8) to control the free lime content of the ash product from combustion. A stream of particles (12), extracted from the combustor is separated into a larger portion of coarser hot shale ash which is recirculated to the retorting zone as heat carrier. A smaller stream (15) is disposed of as waste after separating the energy (17) therefrom. The sensible and chemical heat from the waste solids and the sensible heat from the gases leaving the combustion zone, is recovered (J).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high impart strength carbonate building element is disclosed. Solids and water are mixed to produce a slurry in which the solids consist essentially of at least one alkali earth oxide or hydroxide and an amount of cellulose fibers in the range of 7-40% by weight of solids. The slurry is formed into a gas permeable shape having water-containing voids and a porosity in the range of 35-50%. Carbon dioxide is then caused to permeate into the shape through the voids to convert the hydroxide to a carbonate, thereby imparting high impact strength to the resulting element. This converting step is performed in a short time period, the duration of which depends on the percentage of carbon dioxide present in the processing atmosphere. This time period is about 30 minutes for an atmosphere of 100% carbon dioxide.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a low head semi-continuous vacuum pan system for crystallization of a substance from solution of the substance, including the crystallization of a sugar from a sugar solution, that includes a sequential array of individual vacuum pans, wherein each pan has an associated discharge volume and the array is formed by positioning each pan so that its discharge volume is greater than the discharge volume of the immediately preceding pan and wherein heat and top-up solution are supplied to each pan and periodically all the contents of each pan are transferred to an immediately following pan and wherein controls are used to insure that the transfer takes place when the volume of each pan's contents reaches its associated discharge volume and the controls preferably ensure that each pan is empty before it receives the contents of the immediately preceding pan. This invention also pertains to a method of crystallizing a substance from a solution of the substance.

Abstract: A method of, and an apparatus for, uniformly orientating elongated billets of sugar cane or the like having lengths within a pre-determined range of lengths and falling under the influence of gravity in a randomly orientated stream of billets are provided.