IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Silvanus Frederick Van Choate, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Silvanus Frederick Van
Choate at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 24th June 1870, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SILVANUS
FREDERICK VAN CHOATE, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,. Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the
first and true Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Silvanus Frederick Van Choate, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand

page_text: and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement:-
The Invention comprising the subject-matter of this Patent consists in
the adoption and application of practically pure oxygen or oxygen gas
to the substances and vapors of alcoholic spirits during the process of
distillation or other means for neutralizing and removing the fusil oil and
deleterious matter contained therein; this process being in self-evident
contradistinction to the employment now common for such purposes
of atmospheric air, in which only a comparatively small per-centage,
twenty one-hundredths of pure oxygen is found existing, the seventy-
nine one-hundredths of hydrogen and nitrogen neutralizing to a great
extent the beneficial action of the oxygen, the proportionate preponderance
of oxygen in my process being productive of corresponding gain both
mechanically and chemically considered.
In carrying out my Invention in one practical form or adaptation of
its principle a jet, current, or blast of oxygen or oxygen gas is to be
introduced to and commingled with the vapor resulting from the
evaporation of the liquid within the generator of the still, such vapor
being contained in ordinary stills in that portion thereof situated between
the boiler and condenser.
The oxygen thus introduced should be injected by means of a double-
acting pump or other suitable mechanism arranged in a suitable manner
to regulate the quantity and pressure of said oxygen.
This act of introducing and commingling the oxygen may be effected
in various ways or by various mechanical means, but a device of the
above nature has heretofore been deemed preferable.
While the liquid containing the alcohol is in a vaporous state the
fusil oil, hydrate of amyle, and other obnoxious substances contained
therein, are exposed and presented to the action of the oxygen to much
more perfect degree than is possible when such substances are contained
in liquid form, since such matters are mingled in the form of vapor or
vapors with alcoholic vapor.
At a suitable point near the condenser exit may be given, if desirable,
to the carbonic acid and other gases which are the resultants of the action
of 'oxygen upon the deleterious matters in the alcoholic vapors.

page_text: We have now seen how oxygen may be beneficially combined with
the vaporous products of distillation, and it will undoubtedly be found
in the practical carrying out of my Invention, that this mode of dis-
tributing the oxygen will be found best, although I do not intend to
limit myself in any sense to this mode of carrying out my Invention,
which Invention embraces the application of practically pure oxygen or
oxygen gases to alcoholic vapors or liquors, hot or cold.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried in practice I wish
it understood that I claim, the application of practically pure oxygen or
oxygen gas to alcoholic vapors, or liquors, or both, for the purpose
stated.
SILVANUS FREDERICK VAN CHOATE. (L.S.)