IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66; Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS."—A
communication from abroad by John Calvin Thompson and James
William Olson, both of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America.
i
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th April 1872.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates more particularly to apparatus for distilling
alcoholic liquids by a process of redistillation, whereby the vapour rising

page_text: from one distillation is condensed and afterward returned for distillation
over again to separate the more highly volatile particles from those
which aro less so.
The Invention consists, firstly, in a still composed of one or more spirit
chambers, having curved or convex bottoms in combination with an
open scroll or fence within the chamber, or any of them, whereby
increased facility is afforded for drawing off the spirits or liquid from the
chamber or chambers, and a prolonged or more perfect circulation of the
spirits to be distilled is produced. The open scroll or fence through
which the spirit is circulated commences at a point near the centre of the
spirit chamber, and traverses in an equal or unequal manner the bottom
of the spirit chamber. An upper spirit chamber is connected with a
lower one by a syphon-shaped drop pipe, arranged to convey the im-
purities from the upper spirit chamber to the centre of the chamber
beneath it, and this pipe prevents the vapors from the lower chamber
passing up it to the chamber above. Within each of the spirit chambers
is at hermometer having its tube arranged to extend into the central
portion of such chamber for the purpose of indicating the temperature of
the latter at its centre, where the heat is the greatest, and to dictate the
necessary regulation of heat required. For the purpose of obtaining a
more perfect and economical distillation a separate condenser is adapted
to each spirit chamber when the still is composed of a series of spirit
chambers operating successively to separate the more highly volatile
particles from those which are less so.
The condenser is composed of an outer case or shell, and of an inner
case consisting of a series of pockets and reversely arranged returned
strips having cross-connecting tubes or passages and inlets and outlets,
L
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal 30
Patent Office on the 17th October 1872. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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 DISTILLING APPARATUS," being a communication to me
from abroad by John Calvin Thompson and James William Olson, both of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing.
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)
This Invention relates more particularly to apparatus for distilling
alcoholic liquids by a process of redistillation, whereby the vapor rising
from one distillation is condensed and afterwards returned for distillation
over again, to separate the more highly volatile particles from those.
which are less so.
The Invention consists, firstly, in a still composed of one or more spirit
chambers, having curved or convex bottoms in combination with an open
scroll or fence within the chamber, or any of them, whereby increased
facility is afforded for drawing off the spirits or liquid from the chamber

page_text: or chambers, and a prolonged or more perfect circulation of the spirits to
be distilled is produced. The open scroll or fence through which the
spirit is circulated, commences at a point near the centre of the spirit
chamber, and traverses in an equal or unequal manner the bottom of the
spirit chamber. An upper spirit chamber is connected with a lower one f
by a syphon-shaped drop pipe, arranged to convey the impurities from
the upper spirit chamber to the centre of the chamber beneath it, and
this pipe prevents the vapors from the lower chamber passing up it to
the chamber above. Within each of the spirit chambers is a thermometer
having its tube arranged to extend into the central portion of such 1
chamber for the purpose of indicating the temperature of the latter at
its centre, where the heat is the greatest, and to indicate the necessary
regulation of heat required. For the purpose of obtaining a more perfect
and economical distillation a separate condenser is adapted to each spirit
chamber when the still is composed of a series of spirit chambers operating ]
successively. to separate the more highly volatile particles from those
which are less so.
The condenser is composed of an outer case or shell, and of an inner
case consisting of a series of pockets and reversely arranged returned
strips having cross connecting tubes or passages and inlets and outlets, 2
whereby a very efficient condensing surface is obtained.
I.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional
view of a still with the improvements applied to it; Fig. 2 is a horizontal
section through one of the condensers at the line x, x, of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of one of the spirit chambers.
The still illustrated in the Drawing only shows three spirit chambers
arranged one above the other, and a corresponding number and arrange-
ment of condensers, but any greater number of both may be used if
desired. The lower condenser of the series may be cooled by the beer
or mash in its way to the lower spirit chamber or boiler, while the other 3
condensers may either be cooled by the beer or by water. A, B, and C
represent three condensers arranged as described. These condensers are
each made up of an outer sheet metal case and inner shell or case, the
latter being formed of sheet metal pockets b, b, disposed vertically in
parallel courses at a suitable distance apart, and communicating top and a
bottom at the same side or end by cross chambers c, d, with the pipes by

page_text: which the vapor is passed to and returned when condensed from the
condenser. These pockets are fitted with a series of reversely disposed
metal strips or blocks e, e, secured by rivets passing through them and
the pockets, and of an elongated U description entering one within the
other so as to form return strips to establish a serpentine course or
channel for the vapor or liquid, while the spaces g between the
pockets b, b, and the spaces separating them from the outer case contain
the cooling liquid. This forms an easily made and very efficient condenser.
The beer or the mash to be distilled enters the lower condenser A
) by the pipe h, and circulating as a cooling liquid about and between
the inner case as described, passes off by a pipe to the lowest spirit
chamber or boiler D, which is provided with a steam coil E for boiling
and evaporating the beer or mash. The vapor generated in this
chamber D passes off by a pipe k to the condenser A, from whence
the condensed product or spirit passes by a pipe to a spirit chamber F
arranged above the boiler D, and constructed with a curved bottom
which may either be convex or concave on its upper surface, accordingly
as the pipe is arranged to deliver at the centre or periphery of the
chamber. The object of thus curving the bottom is to facilitate the
› drawing of the spirit from the chamber, and to promote its circulation
over the bottom of the latter, subject to the action of the steam coal E,
with which each spirit chamber is provided so as to effect the boiling
of the spirit. The bottom of the spirit chamber F is also fitted with
an open scroll or fence M. having its edge uppermost. This scroll
commences at a point near the centre of the chamber, and traverses
in a regular or irregular manner the bottom of the chamber, whereby
an extended circulation of the spirits over the bottom of the chamber
and about the steam coil is produced, thus expediting the process of
evaporation. The pipe is immersed at its delivery end in a tube or
receiver m containing spirits or water, and arranged to form a liquid
trap on the bottom of the chamber F to prevent back pressure or escape
of the vapors generated within the chamber. The condensed products
of the chamber F are returned by a syphonic drop pipe G to a similar
fluid trap in the lower boiler D for redistillation, while the volatile
matter in the chamber F passes by a pipe k¹ to the second condenser B,
from whence the product of condensation and vapor passes by a pipe
to the next upper spirit chamber H, which is of like construction with
.

page_text: the chamber F, and is similarly, provided with a scroll or fence, and
steam coil, and a syphonic drop pipe G', for returning impurities
or unevaporated matter back to the centre of the spirit chamber below
it. An escape pipe conducts the vapor to the next condenser O, from
whence the process may be continued as before, or it may terminate 5
here.
The syphonic drop pipes G and G³, connecting each spirit chamber
with the one below it, prevent any passage of vapor from the ono
chamber to the other, and each chamber is a separate still heated by
a separate heater, and provided with a separate condenser, but operating 1
successively upon higher distillations and returning unevaporated matter
for redistillation. A high-proof spirit may thus be obtained in a most
economical and perfect manner.
To regulate the temperature of the several spirit chambers, each one
is provided with an outside thermometer I, the tubes of which is 1
arranged to project into the central portion of the chamber whero the
heat is greatest, especially when the spirit to be distilled has its travel
over the bottom of the chamber extended, as is here the case, by the
scroll or fence.
९
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated 2
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid, constructing stills with one or more spirit
chambers having curved or convex bottom or bottoms provided with an
open scroll or fence, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
I claim, secondly, connecting the upper with a lower spirit chamber
by a syphon-shaped drop pipe G', arranged to convey the impurities
from an upper spirit chamber to the centre of one beneath it, as herein
set forth.
2
I claim, thirdly, the mode herein set forth of adapting thermometers 3
to the central portion of the spirit chambers.
I claim, fourthly, adapting to a still composed of a series of spirit
chambers as described a separate condenser to each chamber, as herein

page_text: I claim, fifthly, constructing the condensers of an outer case or shell,
and of an inner case consisting of a series of pockets and reversely
arranged return strips having cross connecting tubes or passages, and
suitable inlets and outlets, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of October, in
the year. of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.