IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING MAIZE TO OBTAIN SPIRIT, AND IN DISTILLING
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Moubray, of Oambus, in the County of
Clackmannan, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
m
W Bron"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Moubray at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd June 1871.
I, ROBERT MOUBRAY, of Cambus, in the County of Clackmannan,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING MAIZE TO OBTAIN SPIRIT, AND IN DISTILLING," to
be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has principally for its object to reduce the cost of
obtaining spirit from maize, but a portion of the improvements is also
applicable in distilling spirit from other sources.
The first part of the Invention consists in dispensing with the usual
comparatively expensive process of grinding the hard grain, and sub-
stituting therefor a process of simply crushing the grain by means of

page_text: rollers or other suitable apparatus, the grain being previously softened
by applying moisture by steeping in cold or heated water, or by
steaming.
"
The second part of the Invention relates to the distilling process, and
is applicable where what is well known as Coffey's still is used. It is
the common practice to introduce into the " analyser part of the
apparatus only such wash as has been heated in the "rectifier" part
of the apparatus, but by this Invention there is introduced into the
analyser in addition to the wash which has been heated in the rectifier
a proportion of wash which has not been through the rectifier, such
additional wash being heated by passing through pipes heated externally
by the spent wash. As much as one-third of the whole wash may
probably be introduced directly into the analyser in this way with
advantage, the arrangement admitting of a larger quantity of wash being
worked off by a still of a given capacity in a given time, whilst some
heat is recovered from the spent wash that would otherwise be lost.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Moubray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MOUBRAY, of Cambus, in the County of Clackmannan, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Moubray, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Moubray, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Moubray, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no a
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
TREATING MAIZE TO OBTAIN SPIRIT, AND IN DISTILLING," upon the condition
•

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Moubray, 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 Robert Moubray, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the rame is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, that is to say :—
My said Invention has principally for its object to reduce the cost
of obtaining spirit from maize, but a portion of my improvements is
also applicable in distilling spirit from other sources.
The first part of my said Invention consists in dispensing with the
usual comparatively expensive process of grinding the hard grain, and
I substitute therefor a process of simply crushing the grain by means of
rollers or other suitable apparatus, the grain being previously softened
by applying moisture. A pair of cast-iron rollers of about ten inches
diameter. and of any convenient length may be employed for the
crushing operation, and the moisture may be applied by steeping the
grain in cold or heated water or by steaming it. I prefer to first steep
the grain in cold water for from 48 to 96 hours, and to then steam it
for from three to six hours. After crushing, the resulting pulp is sent
to the ordinary wash tun, where it is treated with malt, and carried
through the remaining processes in the ordinary way.
The second part of my said Invention relates to the distilling process
and is applicable where what is well known as a Coffey still is used.
It is a common practice to introduce into the " analyser" part of the
apparatus only such wash as has been heated in the "rectifier" part
of the apparatus, but by my present Invention I introduce into the
analyser in addition to the wash which has been heated in the rectifier
a proportion of wash which has not been through the rectifier, such
additional wash being heated by passing through pipes heated externally
by the spent wash or otherwise in an equivalent manner. This improve-
ment is in practice conveniently carried out by combining together
eight or other suitable number of frames of the kind composing the
rectifier column of the Coffey still, such frames being bolted together

page_text: with a cover and a bottom to form a vessel. This vessel is kept full
of the hot spent wash which runs through it from the still, and the
extra fresh wash is pumped continuously through the pipes in this
vessel, entering one of the pipes in the lowest frame, and leaving
by one of the pipes in the top frame. The extra fresh wash thus
heated by passing through the vessel is led to the analyser column,
running into it in the same manner as that in which the portion of
the wash does that passes in the ordinary way through the pipes of
the rectifier column. As much as one-third of the whole wash may
probably in most cases be introduced directly into the analyser column
in this way with advantage, the arrangement admitting of a larger
quantity of wash being worked off by a still of a given capacity in a given
time and with a given amount of fuel whilst some heat is recovered
from the spent wash that would otherwise be lost.
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-before described or referred to,
but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1. The preparing of maize for obtaining spirit by softening and
crushing it as herein-before described.
And 2. The supplying of a Coffey still with fresh wash heated by the
spent wash or otherwise in addition to the fresh wash heated in the
rectifier column as ordinarily, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Moubray, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
ด
2
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT MOUBRAY. (L.S.)