IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING AND RECTIFYING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
AND RECTIFYING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN." -A communicá-
tion from abroad by Monsieur Ley, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin,
Paris, France.
Sealed the 22nd August 1861, and dated the 1st March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st March 1861.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS. IN DISTILLING AND RECTIFYING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
(communicated to me from abroad by Monsieur Ley, of 33, Boulevard Saint
Martin, Paris, France), to be as follows:-
According to this Invention, the matters to be distilled are fed conti-
nuously into a vat, vessel, or chamber in which they undergo distillation, and
whence they run out as fast as they are distilled or have parted with their
volatile or vaporous portions, the heat requisite for distilling being obtained by
subjecting them to constant and direct contact with surfaces within or behind
which, or passages along or through which steam is conducted, preferably
employing for that purpose a serpentine winding through the vessel. I con-
struct apparatus having comparatively a very large surface for the matters to
spread over, into which they are run to be distilled, and whence they run out
as soon as distilled, so that fresh supplies may be constantly being acted on.
A number of vessels contrived as described may be arranged one over
another, and the liquid and steam caused to circulate or pass from one to the

page_text: other so that distillation may be carried on at various temperatures and various
products, or products at different degrees may be obtained.
In the arrangement of apparatus preferred, a covered vat or chamber is
employed surrounded by a jacket or casing; within this vessel is a serpentine
or piping bent into parallel rows intended for the passage of steam, and passing
through the vessel and into the casing. The cover of the vessel extends to
the casing on three sides, but not on the fourth, 'and forms a partition or flue
for the steam to circulate more completely. The matters to be distilled are
supplied through a tube or opening, and they spread over the broad surface of
the vessel, where they are subjected to considerable heat from the steam in
the windings of the serpentine and the casing, and run off from the vessel
after having parted with their volatile products which escape through proper
passages. By these means only a shallow stream of material is subjected to
distillation at a time, and that on a large surface being exposed the whole
time to the heat of the steam, a thermometer is added to indicate the tem-
perature. In some cases the casing may be dispensed with, and only the
serpentine employed, or the serpentine may be dispensed with, and only the
casing employed. The Invention may be applied for rectifying purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st August 1861.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,. MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry,
my 'executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Michael Henry, '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 AND RECTIFYING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," communi-
cated to me from abroad by Monsieur Ley, of 33, Boulevard St. Martin,

page_text: Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should 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 Michael Henry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof as communicated to me, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
According to this Invention, the matters to be distilled are fed continuously
into a vat, vessel, or chamber, in which they undergo distillation, and whence
they run out as fast as they are distilled or have parted with their volatile or
vaporous portions, the heat requisite for distilling being obtained by subjecting
them to constant and direct contact with surfaces, within or behind which, or
passages through or along which steam is conducted, preferably employing for
that purpose a serpentine winding through the vessel. I construct apparatus
having comparatively a very large surface for the matters to spread over, into
which apparatus they are run in order to be distilled, and whence they run
out as soon as distilled, so that fresh supplies are constantly being acted on.
A number of vessels contrived as described may be arranged one over
another, and the liquid and steam caused to circulate or pass from one to the
other, so that distillation may be carried on at various temperatures and various
products, or products at different degrees may thus be obtained.
In the arrangement of apparatus preferred a covered vat or chamber is
employed surrounded by a jacket or casing; within this vessel is a serpentine
or piping bent into parallel rows, which is intended for the passage of steam.
and passes through the vessel and into the casing. The cover of the vessel
extends to the casing on three sides, but not on the fourth, and forms a par-
tition or flue for the steam to circulate more completely. The matters to be
distilled are supplied through a tube or opening, and they spread over the
broad surface of the vessel, where they are subjected to considerable heat
from the steam in the windings of the serpentine and in the casing, and they
run off from the vessel after having parted with their volatile products which
escape through proper passages. By these means only a shallow stream of
material is subjected to distillation at a time and that on a large surface, being
exposed the whole time to the heat of the steam. A thermometer is added

page_text: to indicate the temperature. In some cases the casing may be dispensed
with and only the serpentine employed, or the serpentine may be dispensed
with, and only the casing employed. The Invention may be applied. for
rectifying purposes.
The Drawings represent an apparatus constructed according to this Inven-
tion, exemplifying the mode in which the same may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus; Figure 2, longitudinal section on line
A, B, of Figure 1; Figure 3, transverse section on line C, D, of Figure 1.
a is a copper vat or vessel surrounded by an iron casing 6 (the casing really
extends on the fourth side as well as on the three others, though it is shewn
as broken off on one side in Figures 1 and 2 for want of space) doors or
plugged holes may be formed in the sides of the casing to get at the interior
in order to remove deposits. left by the steam; c is a serpentine or coil of
piping bent. into parallel rows, and fitted. within the vat a.. The steam, enters
into this coil through the end 1, and after passing along, it escapes through
the end 2 into the space z between the casing b and the vat a. The cover or
lid m of the vat a extends on three sides beyond the edge of the vat quite to
the sides of the casing, but does not so extend on the fourth side, that is to
say, it extends quite across to the two opposite sides of the casing in a trans-
verse direction, but only to one side thereof in a longitudinal direction, as
shewn in Figures 2 and 3: By this arrangement a sort of flue is formed in
the steam space z through which the steam flows after issuing from the coil c.
After thus circulating in the space 2, the steam escapes through the tube d;
e is a thermometer for indicating the temperature of the steam during its
circulation through the apparatus; f is a pipe through which the materials to
be distilled or rectified are fed into the vat. They are supplied through this
pipe in a gradual but. continuous manner, and flow over the broad surface of
the vat to outlets g during their progress, to which they are necessarily sub-
jected to immediate contact with the surfaces within or behind which steam is
passing, and are thus subjected to considerable heat, which causes them to be
distilled, and they flow away through the outlets g; which convey them through
a tube into any convenient receiver. As the delivery of materials into the
vat, and their escape therefrom are continuous and regular, there is never
more than a small quantity, or thin layer, or sheet of material in the vat a at
one time, and the steam acting thereon, as explained, the distillation is effected
in a regular and suitable manner. The volatile or vaporous products of dis-
tillation or rectification escape from the vat through the pipe k into a refri-
gerating worm wherein they are condensed, and from which they are conveyed
to any convenient receiver.
: .: 9

page_text: A number of these apparatuses may be arranged one above the other, and
steam caused to circulate therein at various or different temperatures, the
materials being caused to flow from one to the other along the surface of each
vat in succession, so that products may be obtained of different natures, or of
the same nature at different degrees simultaneously, according to the various
temperatures of the steam which are indicated by the thermometer. For.
example, suppose the mode applied to the obtaining of tarry oils, oils at 60°,
80°, & 120° (Baumé) may be thus obtained.
Although in these vats the outer casing may be dispensed with, and the
serpentine only used, or the serpentine dispensed with and the casing only
used, I do not generally recommend these modes, as in such instances the
operation will be carried on more slowly and less completely. When I herein
speak of a comparatively large surface for the material to spread over, of
course I mean comparatively to the quantity of such material.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner.
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, arranging and combining apparatus in such manner that the.
material to be distilled or rectified shall be fed continuously into a vessel or
chamber having a comparatively large surface for it to flow over, and in which
it is brought into continuous contact with passages through which, or surfaces
within or behind which steam is passing at any desired temperature.
Second, the employment in the manner set forth of apparatus whereof the
parts are arranged and combined in the manner described for the purposes of
distilling and rectifying.
Third, the particular arrangement and combination of apparatus repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawings, and herein-before described.
Fourth, the mode described of obtaining volatile oils of various characters
and degrees simultaneously by the combined employment, as explained, of
two or more of the apparatuses herein described, arranged one over the
other.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one
5 Witness,
WILLIAM LEE.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)