Improvements in Distilling and Rectifying Brandy, Whisky, and other Spirits and Oils, Essences, and the like, and in Machinery and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Distilling and Rectifying Brandy, Whisky, and
other Spirits and Oils, Essences, and the like, and in Machinery
and Apparatus therefor.
I, RICHARD HOWARD LEAKER, of Montague Villa, Kingsdown Parade,
Bristol, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists in improvements in distilling and rectifying brandy
whisky and other spirits, and oils essences, and the like, and in machinery and
apparatus therefor. This invention has special reference to the production of
brandy and whisky of the best class in which the ethers and ethylic alcohols are
required to be, as far as possible, of unimpaired aroma and flavour.
This invention is applicable also to the production of colonial rum, and other
like spirits possessing a more pronounced flavour than those above mentioned.
The process and machinery and apparatus constituting this invention are adapted,
further, for the production of a comparatively pure and clean silent spirit of full
body at 60° overproof (Sykes) and upwards, and also for producing oils and
essences.
The specific gravity of the spirit desired to be produced depends upon the speed
with which the process is conducted. For a spirit of low specific gravity with full-
flavour and aroma, the speed is more rapid than that for producing spirits of higher
specific gravity.
Spirits distilled under the process and by the use of the apparatus comprised in
this invention are free from aldehydes, acetic ethers and propolyic butyric and
amylic alcohols.
One feature comprising a part of this invention consists in preventing contact of
the greater part of the wash, while the spirit is being given off, with the metal of
which the distilling vessel is composed, and in providing for rapid flashing off of the
spirit at a low temperature. The wash is, in part delivered to the distilling vessel
in a thin dome-shaped film covering in its scope a heating coil, and in part through
an "analysing vessel.
The apparatus is so arranged that the aldehydes are collected separately and
before the ethylic alcohols, prior to the introduction of the wash to the distilling
vessel.
According to the process comprised in this invention a temperature of about
110° Fahrenheit is not materially exceeded and, as a consequence of this, the acetic
and other deleterious ethers which constitute what are termed the strong faints and
which require a considerably higher temperature for production, are not given off.
The same is true with respect to the weak faints, namely, propolyic butyric and
amylic alcohols. They are left untouched in the spent wash.
Caramelisation is in a large measure prevented by the retention in the filter of
yeast and consequent removal thereof in the process of filtration of the wash and
by spreading the latter in the distilling vessel, as aforesaid, in the form of a dome-
shaped film; the process of filtration causing the elimination of a considerable
proportion of the matters which contribute to produce both the strong and weak
faints; while, in the second operation, caramelisation and evolution of
empyreumatic odours do not arise by reason that the greater proportion of the
wash is not brought into contact with the heated metal of which the distilling
vessel is composed.
Under this invention maturing of the spirit is assisted by directing hot, filtered
air to act upon the dome-shaped film of wash as it is delivered into the distilling

page_text: vessel. Oxygen passes up through the wash and ascends with the spirit as it is
Hashed off from the wash.
'
Rectification as a separate process is rendered unnecessary inasmuch as the
deleterious and objectionable ethers, alcohols and gases evolved in existing
processes of distillation and which render subsequent and separate rectification
necessary are not produced in the process which is comprised in this invention.
In the drawings appended to this Specification, Fig. 1 represents, partly in
vertical section and partly in elevation, machinery and apparatus arranged, for
distilling and rectifying spirit and the like, in accordance with this invention. A
plan is shown at Fig. 5.
From the vessel A, which is a wash charger of an ordinary kind, the wash is
delivered into the filter a and flows first therein over an inclined platform a¹ having
transverse battens fixed thereto which produce in the stream of wash a series of
miniature cascades. The larger particles of yeast in the wash are arrested and
collected by the provision of the transverse battens. From the platform a¹ the
wash flows over the lower platform a² and, in so doing, passes between screens a³ of
copper wire or threads of wool or the like extended across the vessel. These
screens arrest smaller particles of yeast not parted with on the upper platform a¹.
A third platform or shelf a in the vessel a is perforated and covered with a filter
cloth or the like through which the wash descends. It is carried by gravitation
through the pipe as to the bottom of the wash heater b, the extent of flow being
controlled by the stop-cock a. The wash as it ascends in the vessel b is heated,
by spirit descending in the coils 61, 2, to a temperature sufficiently high to produce
evolution of the aldehydes in a state of vapour. From the wash heater b the
wash is conducted by the pipe 63 to the analyser c. The aldehydes produced from
the wash while in the vessel b collect in the upper part thereof or vacant space be
above the wash and are carried off through the pipe to the condenser d' in
which as they traverse the coils d' they are condensed, in vacuo, by cold water
pumped into the condenser d¹.
By the pump the aldehydes are withdrawn. They are discharged by the
pipe d*.
C
Immediately before reaching the analyser e the wash, freed from aldehydes, is
divided into two streams, one being discharged by the pipe 6 into the upper part of
the analyser; the other being conducted by the branch pipe & to a pipe 6
extending down into the distilling vessel e and terminating in a trumpet mouth
across which is an adjustable plate so shaped as to spread the wash in a dome-
shaped film, as shown. A detached view of this appliance is shown at Fig. 2
in which B is the trumpet mouth and B the plate adjusted by means of the
screw B².
Below the film and within its scope is a steam heated coil e' by the heat
derived from which the spirit is flashed off' directly from the wash. This action is
assisted by a jet of heated, filtered air conducted to a distributor by the pipe f
carried through a pipe f2 charged with steam which heats the air in its passage to
the distributor.
That part of the wash which is delivered into the analyser e by the pipe 3 flows
in a thin stream over a succession of inclined shelves c', the descent from each shelf
to that below being permitted by the nozzles c².
At the lower end of the analyser c the wash flows on to a hood c³. The spirit
flashed off from the dome-shaped film heated to about 110° Fahrenheit in the
vessel e and from the wash descending in the analyser c passes up by the tubes c
and nozzles to the rectifying vessel g.
Fig. 3 represents a plan of one of the shelves of the analyser c, and Fig. 4 a pair
in vertical section.
The nozzles not only serve to conduct the spirit to the rectifying vessel 7,
but they break up and agitate the wash descending in the analyser, which wash
having given off at a low temperature a portion of the spirit contained therein,
finally falls into the vessel e where it yields up any further spirit remaining in it.

page_text: The ethylic alcohols and ethers which are the more volatile products evolved in
the process of distillation are given off at a lower temperature than is required for
the production of the amylic alcohols and their affinities, and only those ethylic
alcohols and ethers which produce a delicate aroma and flavour are so given off
together and collected. They are thoroughly mixed and carried together throughout
the process of distillation.
The rectifying vessel g is fitted with a series of perforated copper plates g¹ for
eliminating from the ascending spirit a portion of the aqueous vapour brought up
with it. From the rectifying vessel the spirit is conducted by the swan-neck
pipe into a collecting head h from which a return tube h¹ extends back to the
rectifying vessel g
g. By the pipe ' any liquid carried over by the swan-neck pipe g²
may be returned to the rectifying vessel I. From the collecting head the spirit
descends in the coils 6, 62, and becomes partially condensed by the surrounding
wash in the wash heater b whence it descends to the coils in the condenser which
is charged through the pipe with cold water by the circulating pump, Fig. 5.
To economise water the condenser is fitted with a cylindrical chamber by which
the water is confined to the annular space in which the coils i are situated.
The spirit is conducted by the pipe to the vacuum pump which has a cold
water jacket which assists condensation of the spirit. The water jacket is kept in
circulation, it being supplied by a branch pipe from the circulating pump.
From the pump; the spirit is led away by the pipe to the auxiliary condensing
coils surrounded by cold water supplied through the pipe to the vessel whence
the spirit is delivered into the collecting vessel K by the pipe k¹.
3
Between the heater and the rectifier g is the usual arrangement of pipes and
cocks for permitting variation in the strength of the spirit produced.
The process as conducted according to this invention is continuously in operation
in an automatic manner so long as the supply of wash is maintained. By establishing
a connection, by the pipes in m³ and m², between the space above the wash as it lies
in the distilling vessel e and the collecting head h, or between the said space and
any other part of the apparatus in connection with the vacuum pump, the vacuum
is made to act on both sides of the spent wash. The pipe m² is carried up to a
sufficient height to prevent wash being carried over to the collecting head. The
wash flows by gravitation down in the pipe Im when the cocks in³ and m* are opened,
and is delivered through the pipe m' to a wash receiver below the level of the
distilling vessel e. The valves m' are for regulating the outflow of the wash
according to the extent of vacuum in the distilling vessel e so that the proper
balance may be preserved.
When the wash receiver is placed above the level of the distilling vessel e
the wash is conducted through the pipe to the spout wash pump whence it is
led away by the pipe n² and finally discharged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved process for distilling, in cucuo, brandy, whisky and other spirits,
also oils and essences; according to which process the wash to be treated is con-
ducted from an ordinary wash charger on to a filter, thence to a heating vessel from
which, after having been freed from aldehydes, it is delivered into the distilling
vessel either wholly in a dome-shaped film, or partly in such form and partly in a
stream or streams from an analysing vessel, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Maturing or partially maturing spirit and the like in process of distillation by
playing thereon, while being delivered into the distilling vessel, with a jet or spray
of heated, filtered air, as herein before described.
3. In the distillation, in vacuo, of brandy, whisky and other spirits, and oils and
essences, establishing a vacuum on each side of the spent wash in the distilling
vessel and thus enabling continuous operation of the process of distillation in an
automatic manner, as above described.

page_text: 4. A filter such as a, for filtration of distillers' wash, having inclined platforms
such as a' and a³, the first carrying.transverse battens and the second having screens
such as a³ of copper wire or woollen threads or the like stretched across, and a
platform such as a covered with a filter cloth, or the like, substantially as
-described.
5. The wash heater containing the spirit coils 1, 2, and fitted below the spirit
collecting head h with a chamber for collecting aldehydes and with a piped for
conducting the aldehydes to a condenser such as d', in the coils in which the
aldehydes are condensed by cold water, as hereinbefore described.
6. The analysing vessel c with inclined shelves c¹, nozzles c² and c constructed
and arranged, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The film-producing appliance consisting of the trumpet mouth B, adjustable
plate B and adjusting screw B³, arranged substantially as hereinbefore described
and particularly shown at Fig. 2 of the drawings.
8. In combination with the analysing vessel c and the film-producing appliance.
at the bottom of the pipe do, the steam heated coils e¹, arranged so as to cause the
spirit to be flashed off from the wash at a temperature sufficiently high to give off
the desirable ethylic ethers, but too low to give off the other remaining strong and
weak faints, as described.
9. The provision of a cold water jacket to the vacuum pump, so arranged that
the water from the said jacket is subsequently used in the vessel d².
10. The combination of appliances for distilling brandy, whisky; and oils and
-essences; constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1892.