IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING ALCOHOLS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING ALCOHOLS."-A communication from
abroad by Léon Victor Jacquemard, of Caen (Calvados), France,
Banker.
Bealed the 18th February 1870, and dated the 6th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th September 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING ALCOHOLS," a communication
to me from abroad by Léon Victor Jacquemard, of Caen (Calvados),
France, Banker, to be as follows:-
In the case of the purest phlegms or essential oils, re-distillation
still gives three kinds of alcohol :-First, impure or bad smelling
alcohols; then, pure or good quality alcohols; and then again, impure

page_text: alcohols. It is needless to name the various impure or bad smelling
or tasting alcohols, as they are well known to all practical distillers.
The passage of the impure alcohols necessarily taints the plates or
divisions of the column, and gives rise to what are termed the middle
or intermediate alcohols, caused by tlic mixture of the last part of the
first impure alcohol with the first of the pure alcohol, and of the last
of the pure alcohol with the first of the succeeding impure alcohol.
This results in a very considerable loss of time:-1°, to clean the
column tainted by the deposit of the oils; 2°, to clear the boiler of
the residuum; 3°, to charge again, and prepare for the succeeding
operation. The object of this Invention is to overcome these defects by
the addition of a second boiler and of a small column for the passage
of the impure alcohols, that is to say, the bad smelling or tasting
alcohols. The main column placed between the two boilers no longer
receives any but the pure or good quality alcohol coming alternately
from the two boilers, and gives a continuous flow; the two columns of
smaller diameter, which have not more than a dozen plates or divisions,
receive all the impure alcohols both of the beginning and the end of
each boiler, and thus give an intermittent flow at the impure alcohol
testing or proving apparatus. A small condenser with pipes leading
back into the column and a special refrigerator form part of this impure
alcohol apparatus. Notwithstanding all these precautions, the good
quality alcohols are not yet quite pure, and the separation of the
impurities can only be effected by passing again through, the column.
Now, as the vaporization of the alcohols is not effected at the same
temperature, the condensation does not take place at the same degree;
therefore to thoroughly purify the alcohols a first condenser is used,
divided into four cylindrical bodies plunged into water carefully main-
tained at a certain temperature; the cold water entering at the upper
part facilitates condensation in the two lower cylinders and the return
into the column. The vapor thus purified then passes into a second
condenser, simply composed of a kind of bag pipe plunged into water
at a fixed temperature; the slight return, which is nothing else but a
good quality alcohol, passos into a refrigerator and runs off at the
testing apparatus. The purest vapor which thus passes beyond the
second condenser arrives in its turn in the refrigerator, and gives
the superior quality of alcohol which runs from the testing apparatus
at the bottom of this refrigerator. There is therefore no cleaning, no
cooling in the good quality or pure alcohol column, no loss of time for

page_text: emptying and refilling the boilers; there is a larger quantity of good"
alcohol, partly of superior quality, consequently less of impure or bad
smelling alcohol, and little or no intermediate quality. The escape of:
steam from each boiler may be so directed as to set the other .in.
ebullition without cost, the moderate heat of the escapement steam is!
sufficient to carry off the first impure alcohol; and this slow and pro-
gressive action is even preferable as it facilitates the separation of the
alcohols.
The action. of the three-way cocks once explained and the proper
temperature for the condensers ascertained, this improved apparatus
may be worked by any distiller; the apparatus is self-acting, and it is
only necessary to receive the various alcohols at the special testing or
proving apparatuses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd March 1870. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her:
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her
special licence that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors,.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Gedge, 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 APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING ALCOHOLS," a communica-
tion to me from abroad by Léon Victor Jacquemard, of Caen (Calvados),
France, Banker, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: William Edward Gedge, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 William Edward Gedge, 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:
This Invention consists in an improved apparatus for rectifying
alcohols, giving a continuous flow of pure on good quality, and an
intermittent flow of impure or bad quality alcohols. In the case of the
purest phlegms or essential oils, re-distillation still gives three kinds
of alcohol-First, impure or bad smelling alcohols; then pure or good
quality alcohols; and then again, impure alcohols. It is needless to
name the various impure or bad smelling or tasting alcohols, as they
are well known to all practical distillers. The passage of the impure
alcohols necessarily taints the plates or divisions of the column, and
gives rise to what are termed the middle or intermediate alcohols caused
by the mixture of the last part of the first impure alcohol with the first
of the pure alcohol, and of the last of the pure alcohol with the first
of the succeeding impure alcohol. This results in a very considerable
loss of time1°, to clean the column tainted by the deposit of the oils;
2°, to clear the boiler of the residuum; 3°, to, charge again and prepare
for the succeeding operation. The object of this Invention is to over-
come these defects by the addition of a second boiler, and of a small
column for the passage of impure alcohols, that is to say, the bad
amelling or tasting alcohols, The main column placed between the
two, boilers no longer receives any but the pure or good quality alcohol
coming alternately from the two boilers, and gives a continuous flow.
Two columns of smaller diameter which have not more than a dozen
plates or divisions receive all the impure alcohols, both of the beginning
and the end of each boiler, and thus give an intermittent flow at the
impure alcohol testing or proving apparatus. A small condenser with
pipes leading back into the column, and a special refrigerator form
part of this impure alcohol apparatus. Notwithstanding all these pre-

page_text: cautions, the good quality alcohols are not yet quite pure, and the
separation of the impurities can only be effected by passing again
through the column. Now, as the vaporization of the alcohols is not
effected at the same, temperature, the condensation does not take place
at the same degree; therefore to thoroughly purify the alcohols a first
condenser is used divided into four cylindrical bodies, plunged into.
water carefully maintained at a certain temperature; the cold water.
entering at the upper part further facilitates condensation in the two,
lower cylinders and then assists the return in the column. The vapor
thus purified then passes into a second condenser, simply composed of a
kind of bag pipe plunged into water at a fixed temperature; the slight
return, which is nothing else but a good quality alcohol, passes into a
refrigerator and runs off at the testing apparatus. The purest vapor
which thus passes beyond the second condenser arrives in its turn in
the refrigerator, and gives the superior quality of alcohol which runs,
from the testing apparatus at the bottom of this refrigerator. There is.
therefore no cleaning, no cooling in the good quality or pure alcohol
column, no loss of time for emptying and refilling the boilers; there is
a larger quantity of good alcohol, partly of superior quality, con-
sequently less of impure or bad smelling alcohol, and little or no
intermediate quality. The escape of steam from each boiler
may be
so directed as to set the other in ebullition without cost, the moderate
heat of the escapement steam is sufficient to carry off the first impure
alcohol, and this slow and progressive action is even preferable as it
facilitates separation of the alcohols.
The action of the three-way cocks once explained, and the proper
temperature for the condensers ascertained, this improved apparatus
may be worked by any distiller; the apparatus is self-acting, and it is
only necessary to receive the various alcohols at the special testing or
proving apparatuses.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, A, indicates the two boilers;
B, three-way cocks; C, conduit leading good quality alcohol into the
column; C', conduit of impure alcohol of commencement and finish of
each boiler; D, column for good tasted alcohol, giving a continuous
flow, divided into good and superior quality alcohols; D', column of
smaller diameter for impure alcohols; E, first condenser entirely
immersed in water, with pipes leading back into the column; E¹, second
condenser at fixed temperature, with pipes leading back into refrigerator;

page_text: S, water pipe for regulating the temperatures; F, refrigerator for good
quality alcohols; L, refrigerator for impure alcohols; G, testing appa-
ratus for superior quality alcohols; G, testing apparatus for ordinary.
delivery of alcohol; G", test for recoption of impure alcohols; H,
thermometer; J, cold water trough or tank; J, troughs. or tanks
receiving the waters coming from the refrigerators; T; tubes indicating
level in the boilers; T', manholes; M, cold water. pipes supplying
refrigerators; M¹, conduit of water heated in the refrigerators; R,
return pipes from columns into. boilers; R', return pipes from condensers
into columns; R", return pipes into refrigerator of good quality
alcohols; V, worm receiving steam from regenerator; V, worm for
escape of steam, and for setting the second boiler in ebullition; K,
condenser for bad tasted or impure alcohol.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Edward Gedge, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.