IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Young, Manager of the Oil Works, Straiton,
in the County of Mid Lothian, and Peter Brash, of Leith, in the same
County, Soap, Candle, and Oil Manufacturer, for the Invention of
T
"
Sealed the 30th August 1867, and dated the 7th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Young and Peter
Brash at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 7th March 1867.
We, WILLIAM YOUNG, Manager of the Oil Works, Straiton, in the County
of Mid Lothian, and PETER BRASH, of Leith, in the same County, Soap,
Candle, and Oil Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION OF BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the distillation of coal,
shale, and other bituminous substances in order to obtain oily matters there-
from, and consists in effecting the distillation by means of vapours or gaseous
bodies in the mode herein-after described. As a readily available application
we prefer to use the hydrocarbon gases given off from the bituminous matters
themselves under treatment. The bituminous matter to be distilled is enclosed
in a vessel or chamber provided with an outside casing which is to convey the
gas or vapours; heat is applied to this outside casing and is diffused through

page_text: that to the inner chamber containing the bituminous matter; the gas or
vapour is then by a suitable pipe at the bottom introduced between the outer
casing and the inner chamber, and after ascending it is forced or drawn into
a downward current through the bituminous matter carrying with it the oily
vapours, thus effecting a downward distillation which produces an oil of high
quality. Instead of the outside chamber, which conveys the vapour or gas, a
pipe or arrangement of pipes for the same purpose may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Young and Peter Brash in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
YOUNG, Manager of the Oil Works, Straiton, in the County of Mid Lothian,
and PETER BRASH, of Leith, in the same County, Soap, Candle, and Oil
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Young and Peter Brush, Her special licence that we, the said William
Young and Peter Brash, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such.
others as we, the said William Young and Peter Brash, our 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 THE DISTILLATION OF BITU-
MINOUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Young and Peter Brash, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said William Young and Peter Brash,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: '
'same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the distillation of coal,
shale, and other bituminous substances in order to obtain oily matters there-
5 from, and consists in effecting the distillation by means of vapours or gaseous
bodies in the mode herein-after described. As a readily available application
we prefer to use the hydrocarbon gases given off from the bituminous matters
themselves under treatment. The bituminous matter to be distilled is enclosed
in a vessel or chamber provided with an outside casing which is to convey the
gases or vapours; heat is applied to this outside casing, and is diffused through
that to the inner chamber containing the bituminous matter; the gases or
vapours are then by a suitable pipe at the bottom introduced between the outer
casing and the inner chamber, and after ascending they are forced or drawn
into a downward current through the bituminous matter, carrying with them
the oily vapours, thus effecting a downward distillation which produces au oil
of high quality, yielding a larger quantity of solid paraffin than is obtained
from oil produced by any other known mode.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one distilling oven and a vertical and longitudinal
section of another; one only of the distilling vessels is shown in section.
Figure 2 is a vertical and transverse section of an oven; the section is taken
through the furnace, and a part of the protection wall is removed to show a
part of one of the distilling vessels. Figure 3 is a plan of one oven and a
horizontal section of another; one distilling vessel is shown in plån, and another
in section. Figure 4 is a vertical and transverse section of an oven taken
through the distilling vessel; the distilling vessels B are made of cast iron
or any other suitable material, and consist of two cases or chambers, the one
placed within the other and bolted together by flanges at the bottom, a space
C being left between the two cases for the passage of the gases or vapours
used in the distillation. The outer casing B has a cover cast or bulted on the
op, and is provided with an opening E for the purpose of filling the inuer
chamber A with the substance to be distilled.
The inner chamber or casing A is closed at the bottom, but has two outlets
Dand F; D carries off the products of the distillation; the other, F, admits of
he spent bituminous substance being withdrawn, it is also provided with a

page_text: perforated false bottom P to keep the bituminous substance from choking up
the outlet for the oil vapours; H is the hydraulic main connected to distilling
vessels by a pipe G; K is the outlet from the main by which the oil vapours
are condueted to condensors, which may be of any suitable description. The
gases and vapours which are not condensed are received and stored in
gasometers for use. M is the main supplying the gases or vapours used in
the distillation; it is connected to the distilling vessel by the pipe N ; 0, 0, are
stop-cocks for regulating the supply. The gases or vapours are, by preference,
those from the gasometers above mentioned, and steam may advantageously
be employed in conjunction with these gases and vapours; other gases and
vapours or steam alone may also be employed. A2 is the furnace by which the
retorts or distilling vessels are heated; it is enclosed by the side walls R. B
are port holes in the protection walls C2 for protecting the distilling vessels
from the direct action of the heat from the furnace; H2 are underground flues
leading to the chimney, they are connected to arched flues E2 under the retorts;
these arched flues support fire-clay blocks on which the retorts, or distilling
vessels rest. G are port holes for the admission of the spent heated products
from the furnace; K2 are dampers in the flues, leading to the chimney; the
flue damper leading to chimney being opened, the fire is placed in the furnace
A2, the heated products of combustion from which pass through the port holes
B in the protection walls C into the spaces round distilling vessels, and pass
out under the retorts to the underground flues. As soon as the heat is
sufficient for the substance to be distilled the, door or cover F¹ is placed on the
opening F on the inner chamber, which is then filled from above by the opening
E; this opening is then closed by the cover E¹; the gas or vapour is admitted
from the main M by the stop-cock Oand connecting pipe N.. The gas or vapour
enters the space C between the casings where it is higbly heated, and passes
down through the substance being distilled, carrying with and before it the oil
vapours through the perforated false bottom and exit pipe into the hydraulic
main, and thence. by the pipe K into the, condensors. As soon as the charge is
exhausted, the cover on the opening F is removed, and the residue withdrawn ;
the opening F is again closed, and a fresh charge. put in by the, opening E on
the top.
Having now described the, nature of our said, Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into, effect, we would observe that we do not
confine ourselves to the exact details. described, but what we claim is the
system or mode of effecting the distillation, of coal, shale, and other, bituminous
substances by interposing a stratum, of gases, or vapour between the heat from
the furnace and the substance to. be distilled, and using the gases, or vapour

page_text: eated in this manner to effect a downward current in the distilling vessel, as
erein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Young & Peter Brash,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Third day of September,
in the year of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven.