IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Slessor, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Distiller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS."
Sealed the 12th April 1867, and dated the 17th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Slessor at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th October
1866.
I, JOHN SLESSOR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Distiller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has principally for its object to preserve the finer essences or.
flavors vaporised in the distillation of alcoholic spirits, and to prevent their
being altered or destroyed by the redistillation to which they are subject at
present from being condensed in the head of the still. The improvements
also conduce to a saving of time in the distilling or rectifying operation. *
And the Invention consists in pumping or blowing into or through the
wash and low wines in the distilling or rectifying apparatus a current of air-
or of carbonic acid gas to assist the elimination of the vapor, and more

page_text: particularly to carry the vapor into the condenser immediately on its being
formed. It is preferred to arrange the pipe or pipes by which the air or gas
enters the distilling or rectifying apparatus so as to dip below the surface of
the liquid. Before entering the still the air or gas is, if necessary, purified by
passing it, for example, through water or through a layer of wood or animal
charcoal. It is essentially necessary to prevent the escape of spirit vapor
along with the air or gas as the latter leaves the condenser; and for this
purpose whilst the condensing arrangements are made of such proportions as
to insure adequate cooling power, the air or gas after it leaves the condenser
is made to pass through water which retains the spirit vapor held in suspension
by the air or gas. Or the condensation of suspended vapors may be insured
by maintaining adequate pressure within the still and condenser, or by com-
pressing the air or gas after it has left the condenser. The weak spirit
obtained by passing the air or gas through water may be afterwards used for
reducing the spirits, or it may be rectified.
This Invention may be applied in connection with any apparatus at present
in use for distilling or rectifying alcoholic spirits.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Slessor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
April 1867.
ΤΟ
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SLESSOR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Distiller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Slessor, Her special licence that I, the said John Slessor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John.
Slessor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Slessor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Slessor, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to 'be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say
My said Invention has principally for its object to preserve the finer
essences or flavors vaporised in the distillation or rectification of alcoholic
spirits, and to prevent their being altered or destroyed by the redistillation to
which they are subject at present from being condensed in the head of the
still:.
My improvements also conduce to a saving of time in the distilling or
rectifying operation.
'My Invention consists in pumping, forcing, or blowing into or through
the wash, and low wines, feints, or spirits (mixed or unmixed) in the
distilling or rectifying apparatus a current of air or of carbonic acid gas, to
'assist the clinijnation of the vapor, and more particularly to carry the vapor
into the condenser immediately on its being formed.
.And. in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of Drawings
upon which is delineated an explanatory. Diagram, to 'be herein-after
referred to.
The apparatus represented in the Diagram comprises a still 1, a condenser 2,
a receiver 3, and a series of smaller supplementary receivers 4, all of which
may be constructed like similar existing apparatus. For introducing the air
or gas a pipe 5, which conveys the air or gas from any convenient forcing
apparatus is fitted to the side of the still 1, and so as to project through into
the interior; and I prefer to arrange the inner end of the pipe so as to dip
below the surface, of the 'liquid as shown. Before entering the still the air or
gas is, if necessary, purified by passing it, for example, through water or
It is essentially
through a layer of wood charcoal or animal charcoal.
necessary to prevent the escape of spirit vapor along with the air or gas as the
latter leaves the condenser or receiver, and for this purpose whilst the con-
densing arrangements are made of such proportions as to secure adequate
cooling power, the air or gas after it leaves the condenser 2 is made to pass
through water,, which, retains the spirit vapor held in suspension by the air or

page_text: gas. The condensed and uncondensed products pass from the- condenser 2
first into a receiver 3, and thence by a pipe 6 from the top of the receiver 3,
which is otherwise closed, the air or gas with the still uncondensed spirit
vapor passes into the first of the supplementary receivers 4; the air or gas
passes in succession through the supplementary receivers 4, which are all
connected by suitable pipes, but which are otherwise closed.
Each sup-
plementary receiver is partly filled with water, and each inlet pipe is made to
dip therein so as to compel the air or gas to pass through the water. The
supplementary receivers 4, which are represented in a line in the Diagram,
may be arranged in a circle upon a turntable, so that when the liquid in the
first has attained such a strength as not to absorb much vapor from the gas
or air passing through it the main receiver 3 may be easily connected to the
second supplementary receiver, the saturated contents of the first being drawn
off and fresh water being put in; this first supplementary receiver is then
connected so as to be the last in the series, and the others are similarly
changed in succession as the water in each becomes saturated. The weak
spirit drawn off from the supplementary receivers may be afterwards used for
reducing the strength of the principal product, or it may be rectified. The
quantity of air or gas passed through the apparatus can be easily regulated
according to experience, and will depend upon the various conditions under
which the distillation or rectification is effected; each operator or super-
intendent adjusting it according to his skill and observation.
Various arrangements may be adopted for preventing the escape of alcoholic.
vapors with the air or gas. Thus, if an adequate pressure is maintained within
the entire apparatus, or if the air or gas is compressed after leaving the still,
the vapors will be more easily condensed and precipitated; or loss of alcoholic
vapors may be entirely prevented by using the same air or gas over and over
again; for which purpose the air pump may be arranged to draw from the
supplementary receivers, or from a gasometer or receiver in connection with
them. The air pump or other forcing apparatus may be arranged to
draw the air or gas through the still, or the circulation may be effected by
means of two gasometers, made to act alternately by being suitably loaded
and connected with the distilling apparatus, and one filling as the other
empties.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state in conclusion that it may
be applied in connection with any apparatus at present in use for distilling or
rectifying alcoholic spirits; that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein-before described, and that what I believe to be novel and original and

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the passing of air or carbonic acid gas into or through
alcoholic liquids undergoing distillation or rectification for the purpose
of preserving the finer essences or flavors, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Slessor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN SLESSOR. (L.S.)