IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maxwell Miller, of the Firm of Primrose and
Company, Coppersmiths, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maxwell Miller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th June 1873.
I, MAXWELL MILLER, of the Firm of Primrose and Company, Copper-
smiths, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object to simplify the construction and
arrangement of apparatus for distilling alcoholic spirits, and to
economise fuel and time.
The improved apparatus is arranged for effecting the process in three
successive stages, but in one piece, of distilling apparatus, which is
divided into three distinct compartments.

page_text: The combined still is a structure of a general vertical cylindrical form
with a bottom like that of an ordinary "wash" still, having a fire-place
and flues beneath and surrounding it, and having a coil of piping inside
for steam, so that it can be heated by direct fire, or by steam, or by both.
This wash compartment is formed with a dome-shaped top which forms
the bottom of the second or " low wines " compartment, and in like
manner the top of this low wines compartment forms the bottom of the
third or "feints" compartment. Coils of steam piping are fitted in the
second and third compartments, and stop-cocks afford, communication
between the bottom of each compartment and the next lower one.
An open or closed compartment may also be formed above the feints
compartment for warming water, to be admitted by a stop-cock to the
feints compartment when required to reduce the strength of the spirits
distilled thence. A pipe from the top of the feints compartment leads
the alcoholic vapors into a condensing worm in the lower part of a cold
water tank or vat, and in the upper part of this tank there is a
condensing worm which receives the vapors from the wash compartment,
but the action of which is regulated to barely condense those vapors
without cooling the liquid which is conveyed by a continuation of the
worm pipe into the second or low wines compartment. The vapors
from the low wines compartment pass into a condensing worm arranged
in a tank or vat in which the fresh wash is put prior to entering the
still, so that it utilises the heat abstracted from those vapors, whilst the
liquid from them runs by a continuation of the worm pipe into the
feints compartment. The ascension pipe from the middle or low wines
compartment passes up the centre of the feints compartment above, and
is made large enough for the ascension pipe of the bottom or wash
compartment to pass up through it.
In using the apparatus, the fresh wash is put into the bottom com.
partment, and when exhausted is withdrawn by a discharge pipe. The g
comparatively exhausted liquid which gradually accumulates in the low
wines compartment is periodically run therefrom by the stop-cock into
the wash compartment below, and in a similar manner the low wines
compartment periodically receives the comparatively exhausted liquid
from the feints compartment.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Maxwell Miller in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MAXWELL
MILLER, of the Firm of Primrose and Company, Coppersmiths, Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Maxwell Miller, Her special licence
that I, the said Maxwell Miller, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Maxwell Miller, 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 DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Maxwell Miller, 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 Maxwell Miller, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its objects to simplify the construction and

page_text: -
And in order that my Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I hereunto append an explanatory
Drawing to be herein-after referred to, and representing the general
arrangement of my improved apparatus, as in vertical section.
The said apparatus is arranged for effecting the process in three
successive stages, but in one piece, of distilling apparatus, which is
divided into three distinct compartments A, B, C.
The combined still is a structure of a general vertical cylindrical form,
with a bottom like that of an ordinary "wash" still, having a fire-place
and flues beneath and surrounding it, and having a coil of piping
inside for steam, so that it can be heated by direct fire, or by steam, or
by both.
It is also provided with stirring gear and chains in the usual
way, although not shown in the Drawing. The wash compartment A is
formed with a dome-shaped top, which forms the bottom of the second
or "low wines" compartment B, and in like manner the top of this low
wines compartment forms the bottom of the third or feints" compart-
ment C. Coils of steam piping are fitted in the second and third
compartments B, C, as well as in the first one A, and stop-cocks I, J, K,
afford communication between each compartment and the bottom of the
next higher one.
"
An open or closed compartment H may also be formed above the
feints compartment O for warming water to be admitted by the stop-
cock K to the feints compartment C when required for washing out the
various compartments of the still. A pipe N from the top of the feints
compartment C leads the alcoholic vapors into a condensing worm F in
the lower part of a cold water tank or vat, and in the upper part of the
same tank there is a condensing worm D which receives the vapors
from the wash compartment A, but the proportions and actions of which
are adjusted and regulated so as to barely condense those
without
cooling the liquid, whilst the liquid is conveyed by a continuation of the
worm pipe into the second or low wines compartment B. The vapors
from the low wines compartment B pass into a condensing worm E
arranged in a tank or vat in which the fresh wash is put prior to its
entering the still, so that it utilises the heat abstracted from the low
wines vapors, whilst the liquid from them runs by a continuation of the
worm pipe into the feints compartment C. The ascension pipe M from
vapors

page_text: the middle or low wines compartment B passes up the centre of the
feints compartment C, and is made large enough for the ascension
pipe L of the bottom or wash compartment A to pass up through it.
The several steam pipe coils in the compartments A, B, C, are supplied
by branches each with a regulating cock from a steam pipe G.
The working of the apparatus is commenced by charging the wash
still A, which when brought to boil sends off vapor through the pipe L
to the worm D, the condensed liquid running into the low wines still B,
where it accumulates and very soon boils. The vapor from the low
wines still B is condensed in the worm E, and the resulting liquid flows
into the feints still C wherein it is boiled, producing strong, pure, spirit
vapor, which is condensed and cooled in the worm F. This operation
goes on until it is found that the wash in the still A is exhausted, which
is known by the sample at the safe taken from the end of the worm D
in the usual way. It is then discharged, and a fresh charge brought
down from the vat of the worm E. The weak low wines may at the
same time be run out of their still B into the wash still A, the weak
feints being next run from their still C to the low wines still B, and the
process of distillation may go on with but little interruption until the
wash is all used.
The three distillations proceed simultaneously, but are quite separate
and distinct, although the one assists and supplies the other. Any one
of the stills may have its working pushed or slackened, as may be found
necessary. The apparatus is of course fitted with the usual necessary
appliances, such as gauges, air valves, doors for cleaning, and the like.
The water in the top compartment H serves to increase the strength of
the spirit distilled from the feints compartment C by condensing the
watery portions of the vapor.
When it is desired by the distiller to produce highly flavored spirits
from a mixture of low wines and feints, the pipe connections O, P,
indicated by dotted lines are adopted, and enable him to run any
proportion of the low wines into the feints still C.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by

page_text: the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arranging and
combining together of the parts of apparatus for distilling alcoholic
spirits in the improved manner, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maxwell Miller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
MAXWELL MILLER. (L.S.)