Improvements in Distilling and Condensing Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDWARD BOLTON, of 923, Vine Street, Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States of America, Copper Smith.]
Improvements in Distilling and Condensing Apparatus.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention comprises a combined distilling-column and condenser, whose peculiar
construction affords an unusually large cooling surface for the vapor to come in
contact with, which cooling surface is formed by a series of coils or worms preferably
arranged one above another, and having a common inlet for cold water and inde-
pendent outlets for the hot water, as hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the preferred construction of the distilling column and
condenser.
Figs. 2 and 3 are plans of portions of two of the coils of the same.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of said coils detached from the column.
A represents the lower shell of a distilling column, such as usually mounted upon
stills, and B is a division that slopes inwardly and centrally to the fusel-oil pipe C,
the upper portion of said division or plate B, being pierced at b to permit the vapor to
enter said column in numerous fine jets. Located above this perforated plate is an
annular flange D tightly secured within the shell A and serving to support the lower
coil section which is arranged as follows.
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The upper member of this section consists of a pipe E bent to the shape of an
ordinary worm or volute, the outer coil of said section being provided with an
inlet e, communicating with a common supply-pipe F, having a regulating valve f. But
the inner coil of this section has a descending exit e¹, seen more clearly in Fig. 4,
which exit communicates with the centre coil of a second worm or volute E', whose
outer coil has a descending exit e², joined to the outer coil of a third worm E³, as seen
in Fig. 1. The inner coil of this worm has a descending exit e³ communicating with
the inner coil of the fourth worm E³, whose outer coil has a descending exit e*, joined
to the outer coil of the fifth worm E.
The inner coil of this worm has a descending exit e, communicating with the inner
coil of the sixth worm E, the outer coil of the latter being provided with a discharge
pipe G leading up to a trough H, that conducts the warm water away from the
apparatus, and if desired, said pipe may be provided with a cock as indicated by the
dotted circle g, to regulate the discharge. I are partitions or plates closing the spaces
between the centre coils, and J are other plates or partitions extending from the coils
of least diameter to the shell A, the object of the partitions being to prevent the vapor
passing through the column without coming into intimate contact with the various
coils or worms. The various coils are arranged substantially as seen in Fig. 4, so as
to compel the vapor to describe a very tortuous route as it ascends within the
column. K are bars or other bearers that separate the coils as far as may be necessary.
Securely fastened upon the shell A is another shell A', having an internal annular
flange D, for the support of the second coil-section, which is constructed precisely
like the first section, L being the various worms of the second section, the inlet,
and M m the valve-guarded discharge-pipe leading up to trough H. Securely fastened
upon the shell A' is another shell A², having an internal annular flange D² for the

page_text: support of the third coil-section, which is constructed precisely like the other
sections E L. N represents the various worms of this third section, n the inlet of the
same, and the valve-guarded discharge-pipe leading up to the trough H. Pis
the cap of the column, and p the outlet pipe for the escape of vapor.
In constructing my improved distilling column any suitable number of coil sections
may be used, but for most purposes three will he sufficient, and in fitting them within
the shell of the apparatus care must be taken to have considerable room both vertically
and horizontally between the various worms of the lower section, as seen in Fig. 4.
But the worms of the upper section N must be quite close together, as seen in Figs. 1
and 2, which arrangement is readily effected by dispensing with the bearers K and
fitting rings R around said coils N. The spaces between the worms of the intermediate
coil-section L are somewhat greater than the similar spaces of the upper coil section,
which regular upward decrease in the size of said spaces must be carried out no
matter how many coil-sections are used.
The operation of this column is as follows: The vapor escaping from the still first
ascends within the lower shell A, and passing through the perforations comes in
contact with the various worms of the lower coil section E. The vapor than passes
successively, around or between the various worms of the intermediate coil-section L
and upper coil section N, and finally escapes at the outlet, p, but not until it has been
robbed of most of its heat and impurities, the fusel-oil being precipitated upon the
plate B, and discharged at the pipe C. When the apparatus is in operation, the
cocks f, g, m, and o are opened to regulate the flow of water through the various coil-
sections the current being compelled to describe the following sinuous route in traversing
the lower section. The water first enters it at inlet e circulates within the upper coil E,
until it reaches the inner end of the latter and is then discharged down the exit e¹,
into the inner or central coil of the second worm E¹. The water then circulates
outwardly within this worm and is discharged down its exit e into the outer coil of
the third worm E. The water now flows inwardly or to the centre of this worm,
descends through its exit e³, into the centre coil of the fourth worm E³, which alternate
outward and inward flow is carried on until the water has traversed every coil
of this section, and finally escapes up the discharge pipe G into the trough or
gutter H.
Precisely the same flow takes place through the other coil-sections Land N, the
water being admitted to the upper worms of said coils, and after circulating through
them being discharged at their respective outlet-pipes M, O, the valves of which m, o,
are first properly regulated. These valves should be so adjusted as to induce such a
flow through the coil-sections as to keep them at practically the same temperature,
and by causing the outlet pipes G, M, O of these sections to discharge into a common
elevated-receptacle H, located above the inlet of the upper coil-section N, an equal and
continuous circulation of water within said coils is effected. It is evident that as
the vapor ascends within the column, the lower sides of the coils will be comparatively
hot, while their upper sides are, cool. Consequently, condensation takes place on the
upper surfaces of the coils at the same time that evaporation occurs on their under
. surfaces.
It will thus be seen that a constant evaporation and condensation is taking place
throughout the entire apparatus, and by contracting or limiting the spaces between
the upper coils, the vapor is brought into more intimate contact with them. But by
enlarging or increasing the spaces between the lower coils or worms, more room is
afforded for the condensed fluids to drop down into the still. Furthermore, by leaving
open or unobstructed chambers, as S and S', between the different coil-sections, each
coil is isolated from its neighbour, and there is no danger of one coil affecting the
temperature of another. In some cases it may be desirable to place the shells A, A¹
and A2 side by side, instead of above each other, and the right is reserved of so modi-
fying the invention. In other cases it may be desired to pass steam through the
various coil-sections, instead of water, by which expedient the still could be readily
used for making whisky.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in a distilling column and condenser, of a coil-section com-
posed of a number of worms connected alternately at their outer and inner ends, in the
manner described, the upper worm being provided with an inlet and the lower worm
with an outlet, for the purpose stated.
2. The combination, in a distilling column and condenser, of a series of coil-
sections placed one above another, each section being composed of a number of worms
connected alternately at their outer and inner ends, in the manner described, each upper
worm being provided with an independent inlet and each lower worm with a separate
outlet, for the purpose stated.
3. The combination, in a distilling column and condenser, of a series of coil-
sections placed one above another, each section being composed of a number of worms
connected alternately at their outer and inner ends, in the manner described, each
upper worm being provided with an independent inlet, and each lower worm
with a separate outlet, communicating with a common elevated receptacle, for the
purpose stated.
4. The combination, in a distilling column and condenser, of a series of coil-
sections, constructed as described, and placed one above another, the spaces between
the various worms of said coils being decreased upwardly, for the purpose stated.
5. The combination, in a distilling column and condenser, of a coil-section
composed of a number of worms of different diameter, those of the smaller diameter
being provided with partitions extending to the inclosing shell, for the purpose
described.
Dated this 9th day of September 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.