IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Gilbert, of Hanworth, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING
ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 23rd October 1870, and dated the 28th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Gilbert at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY GILBERT, 'of Hanworth, in the County of Middlesex. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
The object of this Invention is to obtain from the ordinary wash used by distillers
a purer spirit and in a more economical manner than heretofore without too greatly
complicating the construction or increasing the cost of the distilling apparatus.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the lower part or body of the still
very much of the ordinary form, and I surround it with a steam or water jacket
whereby it may be heated, instead of by means of a naked fire. The still is filled
with wash through an opening made for the purpose in the neck of the still, and
to this opening is adapted a short pipe or funnel provided with a stop-cock. At
the lower part of the still is another pipe (also provided with a stop-cock) for
running off the spent wash, and a vertical gauge pipe is placed at the side for the
purpose of indicating the level of the wash in the still. In the neck of the still
and above the charging opening is placed a cylindrical or other suitably shaped
vessel, which fits the interior of the neck and is charged with animal charcoal,
wool, cotton, or other porous substance. The top and bottom of this vessel are
perforated so as to allow the alcoholic and other vapours arising from the wash to
pass through and leave some of their impurities behind. A short distance above
this vessel I place a plate with a flange all round, and above this are placed two
or more hollow cones or rather frustra of cones, the smaller or upper ends of which
are closed by perforated plates through which the alcoholic vapours pass. At the
bottom of the inclined sides of these cones there are openings made through the
neck of the still to receive suitable pipes provided with cocks, so that any liquid
that may condense and run down into the spaces between the cones and the still
head or neck may be run off from time to time and conducted either to worms to
be cooled, or to pipes which will conduct the liquid to other parts of the apparatus,
or to other vessels from whence it may be taken to be subsequently dealt with.
[Price Gd.]

page_text: 3)
The still head is surrounded with an outer jacket so as to form a narrow space
all round the same, and this space is supplied with cold water which will keep
the still head cool and condense a portion of the weak spirit. The cooling water
is run into the casing or jacket at or near the top, and the warm. water is allowed
to run out at the bottom, a constant flow of water through the jacket being
maintained so that the still head may be kept cool. The alcoholic vapour from
the still head passes over into an inclined pipe which conducts it to the worm
of the condenser in the usual manner. The still head pipe is provided with a
stop-cock for cutting off the communication with the worm of the condenser when
desired, and causing the weak spirit to pass. down a branch pipe which will
conduct it to the "joint worm. The worms of the condensers may be kept cool
by the cold wash, and as this latter becomes heated it may be run into the still
instead of supplying the still with cold wash. By this means an economy of
fuel is effected. The still may be heated by means of a naked fire in the usual
manner. As the alcoholic vapours are driven off from the wash by the heat they
rise and pass through the perforated vessel containing the porous substances and
enter the first cone, through which they pass into the space between the first and
second cones. A portion of the spirit and some of the fusil oil will here become
condensed, and is then conducted out of the still through a suitable pipe to the
"joint worm." The partially purified spirit passes through the perforated top of
the second cone into the still head, which being kept cool by the constant flow
of water through its enveloping jacket will cause another portion of the fusil oil
and some of the low spirit to be condensed, when it will be conducted out of the
still to the joint worm." The impure spirit may either be removed from the
apparatus and subsequently dealt with, or it may be conducted to the vessel placed
on the neck of the still and containing the porous substances.
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Having thus got rid of a great portion of the impurities and the low spirit, the
partially purified alcoholic vapour is conducted to the worm of the condenser, and
when condensed will produce an alcohol several degrees above proof, and in a
condition to be sold to rectifiers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Henry Gilbert in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th October
1870.
WILLIAM HENRY GILBERT, of Hanworth, in the County of Middlesex. " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL AND OTHER LIQUIDS."
The object of this Invention of improvements in apparatus for distilling alcohol
and other liquids is to obtain from the ordinary wash used by distillers a purer and
at the same time a stronger spirit, and to separate the "faints" from the pure
spirit in a more economical manner than heretofore without too greatly complicating
the construction or increasing the cost of the distilling apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn a sectional elevation of the
arrangement of apparatus I prefer to use for carrying out my Invention. To this
end I construct the lower part or body a of the still very much of the ordinary
form, and I surround it with a steam or water jacket whereby it may be heated,
instead of by means of a naked fire. It may, however, if preferred be enclosed in
the still, and supplied with superheated steam to heat the wash. The still a is
filled with wash through an opening a¹ made for the purpose in the neck or other
convenient part of the still, and to this opening is adapted a short pipe or funnel
provided with a stop-cock, as shewn in the Drawing. At the lower part of the
still is another pipe a² (also provided with a stop-cock) for running off the spent
wash, and a vertical gauge pipe a³ is placed at the side for the purpose of indicating
the level of the wash in the still a. In the neck of the still and above the charging
opening is placed a cylindrical or other suitably shaped vessel c, which fits the

page_text: interior of the neck, and is charged with animal charcoal, wool, cotton, or other
porous and deodorizing chemical substance. The top and bottom of this vessel are
perforated so as to allow the alcoholic and other vapours arising from the wash
in the still a to pass through and leave the greater part of their impurities behind.
A short distance above this vessel are placed two or more hollow cones or rather
frustra of cones d, e, and f, the sinaller or upper ends of which are closed by perforated
plates d, e, and f1, through which the alcoholic vapours pass. At the bottom of
the inclined sides of these cones there are openings d², e², and fa, made through the
neck of the still to receive suitable pipes g provided with cocks so that any liquid
that may condense and run down into the spaces between the cones and the still
head or neck may be run off from time to time and conducted either to worms to
be cooled or to pipes which will conduct the liquid to other parts of the apparatus,
or to other vessels from whence it may be taken to be subsequently dealt with.
The still head is surrounded with an outer jacket h so as to form a space all around
the same, and this space is supplied with cold water or with cold wash, which will keep
the still head cool and condense a portion of the weak spirit. The quantity of
water or wash contained in the jacket can be known by the vertical gauge h¹
attached to the pipe g', and its temperature will be indicated by the thermometer h
at the side. The cooling water or wash is run into the casing or jacket / at top
from the tank through the pipe 3, and the warin water or wash is allowed to run
out at the bottom through the pipe and cock, a constant flow of water or wash
through the jacket being maintained so that the still head may be kept cool..
If wash be used to kept the still head cool the warm wash may be run out of the
jacket through the cock with a funnel which will convey it to the pipe a¹, and
from thence to the still a. The alcoholic vapour from the still head passes through
the worm into an inclined pipe i¹ which conducts it to the worin of the condenser j
in the usual manner. The alcoholic vapour from the casing (when supplied with
wash) may be conducted to a worm by the inclined pipe and tap l The still head
pipe or worm is provided with a stop-cock 2 for cutting off the communication with
the worm of the condenser when desired by turning off the stop-cock, and opening
the cock, and thus causing the weak spirit to pass down a branch pipe which
conducts it to the "faints worm. m. The worms of the condensers ; and m inay
be kept cool by the cold wash, and as this latter becomes heated it may be run
through the pipe into the still a, instead of supplying the still with cold wash as
described in my Patent No. 1784, of 13th May 1875, and by this means a con-
siderable saving of fuel is effected. The still may be heated by means of a naked
fire, but I prefer to use a steam or hot water jacket or steam pipes, as above
mentioned. As the alcoholic vapours are driven off from the wash by the heat
they rise and pass through the perforated vessel c containing the porous deodorizing
substances, and they enter the first cone d, through which they pass into the
space between the first and second cones e. A portion of the spirit and some of
the fusil oil will here become condensed, and is then conducted out of the still
"
"
through the pipes g to the "faints" worm n. The partially purified spirit passes
through the perforated top of the second cone finto the still head, which being
kept cool by the constant flow of water or cold wash through its enveloping jacket
will cause another portion of the fusil oil and some of the fusil oil to be
condensed, when it will be conducted by the pipe g out of the still to the "faints
worm 0. This impure spirit may either be removed from the apparatus by the
pipe g and be subsequently dealt with, or it may be conducted by the pipe p to the
vessel c placed on the neck of the still and containing the porous deodorising
substances. Having thus got rid of a great portion of the impurities and the low spirit,
the strong alcoholic vapour is conducted by the pipe i to the worm of the condenser
j, and when condensed can be run out through the tap 1, and will produce an
alcohol several degrees above proof, and in a condition to be sold in the marked.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in apparatus for distilling
alcohol and other liquids, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would observe that the object of my Invention being to separate the

page_text: 'faints" and low spirit from the pure or stronger spirit, I have provided the pipes
connected with the different parts of the apparatus with stop-cocks, so that the
action of the several parts may be arrested or modified as may be desired, and
therefore, although I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid the combination of parts herein shewn and described for effecting the
objects above set forth, I do not intend to limit myself rigidly to the precise arrange-
ment and construction of parts shewn in the Drawing. I claim particularly adapting
to the head of a distilling apparatus the worm i of any number of convolutions d, d,
a perforated vessel or chamber charged with charcoal or some suitable porous
deodorizing substance, and combining therewith cones or frustra of cones arranged
as herein set forth, and provided at their bases with openings communicating with
suitable pipes for conducting the "faints' or low spirit out of the still head, as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Gilbert, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
W. H. GILBERT. (L.S.)