AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITS, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Griffin, of the City and County of Cork,
Ireland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SPIRITS, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.
"
Sealed the 21st April 1874, and dated the 23rd October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Griffin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd October 1873.
I, PATRICK GRIFFIN, of the City and County of Cork, Ireland, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITS, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
.
—
My Invention relates to a new manufacture of whisky or other
analogous spirit by so treating it as to eliminate from it its fusel oil and
other impurities.
Whisky as hitherto manufactured and delivered for consumption by
the distiller has invariably contained a certain proportion of fusel oil and
other impurities which rendered the spirit not merely unfit for imme-

page_text: diate consumption, but injurious and even poisonous in a high degree,
although spirit so contaminated is constantly sold and consumed by
the lower classes with very injurious effects. It has heretofore been
necessary to keep the spirit for some years to allow of the natural
process of purification being effected which time effects in alcoholic
liquors, whereas by my Invention I am enabled in a very short time to
perform what even the lapse of years has hitherto failed to effect,
namely, to deprive the spirit of its injurious and poisonous qualities,
whereby a great improvement in the trade of manufacturing spirits is
effected.
According to my Invention the spirit is purified by submitting it in a
divided state to the action of atmospheric air. I will now describe one
form of apparatus by means of which my object is effected. The spirit
is raised by the pump A into a vat B (see accompanying Drawing),
placed at the top of a hollow column or tower C, C, of considerable
elevation (say 50 feet), and provided with a number of cocks a, a, from
which the spirit is allowed to fall in drops through the said column or
tower into a receptacle D, D, placed below. Separate receptacles D, D,
E, E, are provided for the purified spirit and the impurities extracted
therefrom.
I also employ a similar process for reducing the spirit to the legal
strength instead of reducing it by dilution as now practised in Ireland
before putting the spirit into bond.
The operation may be repcated until the desired strength and flavor
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Patrick Griffin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PATRICK
GRIFFIN, of the City and County of Cork, Ireland, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and

page_text: successors, give and grant unto me, the said Patrick Griffin, Her special
licence that I, the said Patrick Griffin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Patrick Griffin, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITS, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Patrick Griffin, 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 Patrick Griffin, 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, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to a new manufacture of whisky or other
analogous spirit by so treating it as to eliminate from it the injurious
properties of its fusel oil and other impuritics.
Whisky as hitherto manufactured and delivered for consumption by
the distiller has contained a certain proportion of fusel oil and other
impurities, which renders the spirit not merely unfit for immediate con-
sumption, but injurious in a high degree, although spirit so contaminated
is constantly sold and consumed by the lower classes, and produces very
injurious results. It has heretofore been necessary to keep the spirit
some years to allow of its undergoing that natural process of purification
which time effects in alcoholic liquors, whereas by my Invention I am
enabled in a very short time to effect what has hitherto required the
lapse of years, namely, to deprive the spirit to a great extent of its
injurious qualities, whereby a great improvement in the trade of manu-
facturing spirits is effected.
According to my Invention the spirit is purified by submitting it in a
divided state to the action of atmospheric air, and I will now describe
one form of apparatus by means of which my object is effected.
The

page_text: spirit is pumped or otherwise raised into a vat or other convenient
receptacle placed at or near the top of a hollow column or tower of con-
siderable elevation (say 30 feet). From the said vat or receptacle a
number of pipes lead, each terminating with a cock or tap placed
directly over the centre of the column or tower, or as near thereto as
convenient, so that the spirit may fall in drops through the said column
or tower; or the cocks may be on the vat itself if the latter is placed
over the column. The cocks are turned on only just enough to allow
the spirit to drip therefrom, in order that it may fall through the air in
a divided state, whereby it becomes purified. Two receptacles are pro- 1
vided at the bottom of the column, the one surrounding the other, the
central one being for the purified spirit and the other for the impurities
disengaged therefrom in its descent. I find that if the diameter of the
central receptacle is about equal to two-thirds of the diameter of the
column, and the other receptacle occupies the space between the former ]
and the sides of the column it will answer the purpose.
I also employ a similar process for reducing the spirit to the legal
strength instead of reducing it by dilution as now practised in Ireland
before putting the spirit into bond.
The operation may be repeated until the desired strength and flavor :
are obtained.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Effecting the purification of whisky or analogous spirit by submitting a
it in a divided state to the action of atmospheric air, in the manner sub-
stantially as herein described.
I also claim the application of the same process for reducing the spirit
to the legal strength, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Griffin, have hereunto set 3
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.