IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Byrne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
August 1869.
I, WILLIAM BYRNE, of Belfast, Ireland, Distiller, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be
as follows:-
The improved process for distilling alcoholic liquors consists, first,
in condensing the essential oils contained therein by using the wash in
the early stage of the process, instead of using water during the whole
of the process as commonly practised; secondly, introducing the wash
into the still at a temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, instead
of introducing it into the still in a cold state. By this improved process.
a larger quantity of liquor can be distilled in less time than by the
methods at present used; and further by the above improved method &
great saving of fuel is effected and pumping dispensed with.

page_text: The improved apparatus consists of two, three, or more stills of the
following construction:-The body of the still is made shallow and of a
different shape to the stills heretofore employed, and the head of the still
is formed with two, three, or more hollow dished-shaped chambers with
flat bottoms; the said chambers communicate with each other, and are
all enclosed water-tight in an outer casing, through which cold wash or
water passes. Each of the aforesaid dished chambers is fitted with two
dished or convex plates of metal so fixed in each chamber as to leave
space between them and also the dished chamber which contains them.
These dished chambers are arranged one above the other. A pipe from
the top of the still enters the first chamber aforesaid, and the crowns
of the other chambers are each formed with short pipes, which
respectively enter the bottoms of each of the other dished chambers.
The top chamber has a pipe fixed thereto leading to a worm of the
ordinary kind. The aforesaid casing is formed with three water-tight
compartments, each of which contains a dished chamber of the above
construction. A perforated pipe passes horizontally round the neck of
the central pipe thereof, and out through a hole in the aforesaid casing
to an upright pipe fixed into the bottom of the vessel containing the
wash charger, the lower end of this pipe passing into the still. Each of
the aforesaid horizontal pipes is fitted with a cock for regulating the
quantity of wash or water that flows through the aforesaid compartments
in the casing. The upright pipe aforesaid is also fitted with cocks, for
admitting the wash into the casing and still at the proper times.
Another feature of novelty in this Invention consists in heating the
still by gas instead of fuel. The following is the mode of operating with
an apparatus of the above construction: -A small quantity of the wash
is first let into the still and boiled; the steam as it is generated passes
upwards, and is arrested by the dished plate in the first chamber, where
it is condensed; the less volatile particles of vapour fall on to the
bottom of the dished chamber, and the more volatile pass upwards
under and over the next dished plate and enter the second and third
chambers, where the vapour is condensed as before, the top chamber
producing the purest spirit. Finally, the undistilled vapour passes
through the worm into a receiver or into another still to be again
distilled and operated upon as before. The condensed vapour I allow
to pass again into the still to be again operated upon as before, or

page_text: convey it to another still or receiver. The wash passes from the top of
each compartment in the aforesaid casing by a pipe leading into the
still, thus keeping up a constant supply of wash to the still until the
reservoir containing it is emptied.