IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Young Dicey of Breakspear Road
Brockley in the County of Kent Captain Indian Navy, for an invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS A communication from abroad
by Carl Bilroth of Vienna in the Empire of Austria
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Young
Dicey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th April 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS YOUNG DICEY, of Breakspear Road Brockley, in the County
of Kent, Captain Indian Navy "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS
[A communication from abroad by Carl Bilroth of Vienna in the Empire of
Austria.]
"
These improvements relate to that class of stills in which a continuous distillation
of spirit from wash is effected, the object in view being to simplify the apparatus
and to effect such distillation with greater rapidity and precision than has been
hitherto attained.
The wash to be distilled is pumped into a wash charger or cistern, which is
connected with a smaller cistern or "wash supply regulator," by means of a pipe
fitted with a two way cock. The "regulator cistern is filled from the main
cistern and may conveniently hold exactly sufficient wash for one hour's distillation.
On turning the two-way cock the contents of the smaller cistern may be allowed
to enter the distillatory column with a regulated flow. The regulator cistern is
connected by a syphon with a vessel supplied with water and as the wash sinks in
the regulator it causes the water to ascend in the syphon tube the lower part of
which is of glass and thus the exact quantity of wash in the regulator at any given
time may be ascertained. The exact rate of discharge of wash from the regulator
cistern to the distillatory column is governed by an air cock by which air is
admitted to the upper part of the regulator cistern.
After the wash supply to the distillatory column has been thus regulated, the
steam cook is opened and distillation commences.
The heating surface on which the steam acts is largely increased by a series of
hooped plates or rings of metal or other suitable substance, which are held
1 ...מ

page_text: concentrically within the distillatory column by suitable supports from a central
shaft and from the circumference of the column, and thus the steam becomes
thoroughly charged with alcohol before it escapes to the rectificatory chamber.
The height to which the distillatory column is to filled is ascertained by a gauge
tube in the side thereof, and when filled to the required height the pressure is just
sufficient to lift a float in the spent wash regulator by which means a weighted
lever is caused to open a discharge cock and allow the clear distilled wash to run
off, passing on its way through a wash prover, or test apparatus. The hot vapours
rising from the spent wash within the wash prover are condensed by suitable means,
and indicate in the usual manner, by an alcoholometer and thermometer, whether
the spent wash is thoroughly distilled and freed from alcohol.
The spirit vapours from the wash distilling column rise up through the
rectificatory chamber situate immediately over the distillatory column, and after-
wards pass through the tubes of a condenser around which tubes cold water is
caused to circulate, finally passing to the refrigerator where the spirit vapour is
powerfully condensed.
The bottom of the rectificatory chamber is provided with numerous short tubes
for admitting the spirit charged vapours, and its interior is filled with small balls of
porcelain or other suitable material resting on gratings, and capable of withstanding
considerable heat. The vapour is thus brought in contact with a large heating
surface which greatly accelerates and improves the distillation.
At the bottom of the condenser and above the rectificatory chamber a series of
thin toothed plates or combs are arranged diagonally with respect to the tube
divisions of the condenser, and these combs or notched plates serve to divide the
condensed spirit vapours and distribute them over the porcelain balls, by which
process the rectification takes place in such a way that the spirit vapours which
pass off as described through the condenser and the refrigerator are entirely free
from any bye-products such as low wine or "faints," and a spirit of wine from 90°
to 94° Tralles is produced direct from the wash: a result never before attained by
any other apparatus.
The cooler or refrigerator contains double cylinders for giving a large cooling
surface, and is provided with a water supply cock and with the usual test
apparatus.
By regulating the admission of wash and the discharge of the spent wash_as
above described, the apparatus will work automatically and continuously. The
two-way cock above referred to may be conveniently operated by means of a rope
wheel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Young Dicey in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th October 1882.
WILLIAM THOMAS YOUNG DICEY of Breakspear Road Brockley in the County
of Kent, Captain Indian Navy "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING APPARATUS" (a
communication from Abroad by Carl Bilroth of Vienna in the Empire of Austria.)
These Improvements relate to that class of still in which a continuous distillation
of spirit from wash is effected, the object in view being to simplify the apparatus
and to effect such distillation with greater rapidity and precision than has hitherto
been attained.
The Invention will be understood from the following description reference being
made to the accompanying drawing.
A is the principal wash charger or cistern, of any suitable size or form, into
which the wash to be distilled is pumped in any convenient manner, B is a wash
supply regulator or smaller cistern which is of a size to contain a definite quantity
of wash, say exactly sufficient for one hour's distillation. This supply regulator
cistern, B, is filled with wash by a pipe a. This pipe a is fitted with a two-way
cock a¹ operated by a rope or chain wheel a³, and by means of this cock a' the
smaller cistern B may be filled or discharged as required.
C is the distillatory column to which wash is admitted by the pipe c which
terminates at top in a funnel underlying the drip pipe a³ leading from the two-way
cock a On turning the two-way cock a¹ so as to put the drip pipe a³ and cistern B
into connection, the wash will be supplied to the distillatory column C through the
pipe a
In order to regulate the rate at which the wash shall be allowed to enter the
distillatory column C, the upper part of the supply regulator cistern B, above the
wash, is connected by a syphon tube b with a combined regulator and indicator, B¹,
the construction and operation of which will now be described.
The lower end of the longer leg of the syphon tube b expands into or connects
with a tube or vessel 6' of rather larger diameter than the tube b, the lower end of
the said enlarged tube or vessel b³, being open at bottom and dipping into a water
vessal, B, which is filled with water to the desired level by means of the supply
and discharge cooks b³ and b³.
b is a glass gauge tube fitted to the front wall of the enlarged tube or vessel b¹,
as will be seen more clearly on reference to the side view in Fig: 2, and b³ is an
air tube fitted at one end with an air admission tap and index 6º, and connected at
its other end with the lower part of the tube or vessel b¹.
When this smaller eistern B is filled with wash, the water will be forced down in
the enlarged and 6 of the syphon tube b, by pressure of air, but so soon as the
two-way cock a' is opened to allow the wash in B to discharge into the distillatory
column O, the air pressure in the syphon will be diminished, and the water in B'
will accordingly rise within the tabe b¹ and indicate by the glass gauge tube b*, and
a scale placed alongside it, the position of the wash in B.
Air is then carefully and gradually admitted by the cock b, and in proportion to
the rate at which it enters the tube or vessel b₁ by the pipe b, so will the wash
sink slowly or rapidly in the cistern B and enter the distillatory column C, the
water in the gauge tube 6* also falling gradually until the cistern B is empty.
Thus not only can the exact rate of supply of the wash to the column C be
regulated by carefully adjusting the air inlet cock 60, but the position of the wash
in the Cistern B can be read off at a glance by means of the index or scale placed
alongside of the glass gauge tube b*.

page_text: To the lower part of the distillatory column C is fitted a steam supply pipe cl
and when the supply of wash to the column C has been regulated, as above described,
the cock o* is opened and distillation commences.
The effect of the steam upon the wash is largely increased by a series of
corrugated plates or rings o. of metal or other suitable substance which are held
concentrically within the distillatory column C by suitable supports from a central
shaft o, and from the circumference of the column, and thus the steam is caused to
pass in contact with the whole of the wash and become thoroughly charged with
alcohol before escaping to the rectificatory chamber D.-C are guard plates for
preventing the wash which may splash or bubble up, from mixing with the spirit
vapours in the chamber D but no claim for novelty is made in respect of any of
the internal fittings of the distillatory column C. The height to which the
distillatory column is to be filled before distillation commences is ascertained by a
gauge tube c, adapted to the side thereof, and when filled beyond this height,
which is indicated in the drawing by the dotted line 1. 2. Fig: 1, the slight
additional pressure thus produced by the weight of wash in the column C is just
sufficient to lift a float g in a spent wash regulator column G by which means a
chain gis slackened and a weighted lever g is allowed to descend and open a
discharge cock g³.
The clear distilled wash runs off by the pipe g* passing on its way through a
wash prover or test apparatus H, of any approved construction.-The hot vapours
rising from the spent wash within the wash prover H, are condensed in any
suitable condensor such as p, and indicate in the usual manner by an alcoholometer
and Thermometer whether the spent wash is thoroughly distilled and freed from
Alcohol.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that exactly in proportion as the
wash is admitted to the column C in a regulated supply, so is the spent wash
allowed to escape from the column C continuously and automatically
The spirit vapours from the wash in the distillatory column C rise up through
the rectificatory chamber D situate immediately over the distillatory column, and
afterwards pass through the tubes e of a condensor E around which tubes e cold
water is caused to circulate, the spirit vapours finally passing to the refrigerator F
wherein they are powerfully condensed.
The bottom of the rectificatory chamber D is provided with numerous short
vertical tubes & for admitting and equally distributing the spirit charged vapours,
and its interior is filled with layers of small balls of porcelain d, or other suitable
material capable of withstanding considerable heat, the said balls resting on a series
of perforated plates or gratings d. The vapour is thus minutely subdivided and
brought into contact with a heating surface of large extent which greatly accelerates
and improves the distillation by removing the fusel oil and other impurities
At the bottom of the condenser E and immediately above the rectificatory
chamber D, a series of thin notched or toothed plates e are arranged at an angle
with respect to the rows of tubes in the condenser, and these oblique, notched or
toothed plates e' serve to divide the condensed spirit vapours and distribute them
equally over the mass of porcelain balls d', or their equivalent; by which process
the rectification takes place in such a way that the spirit vapours, which pass off as
described through the condenser E and the refrigerator F, are entirely free from
any bye product such as low wine or "faints," and a spirit of wine from ninety
degrees to ninety-four degrees Tralles is produced direct from the wash, a result
never before attained by any other apparatus.
The cooler or refrigerator F contains double cylinders or worms for giving a large
cooling surface, and is provided with a water supply cock, and with the usual test
apparatus; but it contains no feature of novelty, and need not be therefore more
particularly described.
By regulating the admission of wash on the one hand, and the discharge of the
spent wash on the other, as above explained, the apparatus will work automatically
and continuously.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of the said Invention of "Improvements in
Distilling apparatus" as communicated to me by my Foreign Correspondent, and
having explained in what manner the same may be carried into effect, I wish it to
be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim :
First The improvements in apparatus above described with reference to the
drawing whereby the continuous distillation of a spirit entirely free from low wine
or "faints" may be effected direct from the wash.
Secondly In combination with the distillatory column C the means described for
continuously supplying this column with a regulated quantity of wash, and for
automatically and continuously discharging an equivalent quantity of spent wash.
Thirdly The combination with a distillatory column such as C, of a rectificatory
chamber D filled with porcelain balls or their equivalent, supported on gratings or
their equivalent, and a condenser E immediately above the chamber D fitted with
vertical tubes and oblique, notched or toothed plates for collecting and equally
distributing the condensed vapours onto the porcelain balls or their equivalent in
the rectificatory chamber D, substantially as and for the purpose shewn and
described.
In witness whereof I the said William Thomas Young Dicey have hereunto
set my hand and seal the seventeenth day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.