AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBON OILS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Evan Williams, of Newport, in the County
of Monmouth, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBON OILS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Henry Grogan, of Flatbush, New
York, United States of America.
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 30th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Evan Williams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th March 1869.
I, THOMAS EVAN WILLIAMS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBON OILS,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
The great desideratum in the distillation of hydrocarbon oils is to be
able to carry on the process in such a manner as to obtain from a given
quantity of oil the greatest possible quantity of distillate free from dis-
colouration. In cases where a large quantity of the oil is placed in the

page_text: still at one time, and heat applied, the lighter vapours are first removed,
the heavier volatile products being evolved as the temperature is
increased so that progressively the different portions are evolved, carried
off, and separated in a certain order, the result being several different
qualities of products and final discoloration before all the available
products are removed. In cases, moreover, where a greater or less
quantity of oil is first placed in a still and heat applied till the distil-
late begins to flow from the worm and cold oil then introduced contin-
uously by means of an inlet pipe discharging under the surface of the
heated oils of the still in such quantitics that the supply shall not
exceed the outflow from the worm, the still may be made to run a
greater quantity of oil without interruption than in the other case, but
with no material difference in the result. When in these cases dis-
coloration ensues it is a common practice to admit steam into the still;
this steam produces an outward current through the condenser and
brings over some of the remaining volatile products of the oil, but as it
reduces the heat of the still the volatile products soon cease to be
evolved, and the distillation is brought to an end before all the available
products of the oil are removed.
The object of my Invention is to effect a more thorough and rapid
distillation so as to obtain a more satisfactory distillate which will
combine as nearly as practicable all the distillable properties of the crude
oils.
The said Invention consists, first, in providing the still with means for
alternately supplying and exhausting the oil, so that when the still is
heated to the temperature required to vaporize all the distillable products
or so much thereof as may be desired, a succession of charges of the
cold oils may be admitted, each of such charges being suddenly vaporized,
and the evolved products successively removed; second, in making
provision for a gradual condensation of the evolved products, or so much
thereof as may be desired; third, in producing a distillate which may
have in combination as many of the different chemical properties
resulting from the distillation as may be practicable or desirable.
In practising my said Invention a reservoir or feed tank of any
desired capacity and properly supplied with oil is placed near the still
and connected with its interior by a pipe through which the oil passes
from the said reservoir into the still. This pipe at its junction with the
reservoir is provided with a valve which is affixed to a piston or valve

page_text: rod. This rod extends to a cam or eccentric or elliptical wheel which
is secured to the crank shaft of a vacuum pump. The said pipe is
further provided with a packing box through which the valve rod passes.
A stop or regulating cock is provided to prevent or regulate the flow of
oil from the receiver to the still when required, and the flow of oil
into the still while the same contains vapor is prevented by a check
valve which also prevents the vapor from passing out into the reservoir.
The end of the valve rod is provided with a screw and adjustable nut
which bears on the cam or excentric and permits the rod to be lengthened
or shortened as required, and allows the valve to be lifted more or less
for a longer or shorter time, and thus admit a greater or less quantity of
oil to the still as may be desired. A vacuum still composed of two
main posts bolted together through flanges is supported on its foundation
by lugs cast upon its sides. This still contains an evaporator consisting
of coils of pipe or otherwise formed to allow superheated steam to pass
through it to the still. The said still is provided with a level indicator
to show the amount of residuum in it, also with a discharge pipe to draw
off the residuum into the residuum receiver when desired. It is also
provided with a vacuum gauge, a pressure gauge, and a pyrometer for
indicating respectively the amount of vacuum in the still, the pressure
of its vapours, and the degree of heat contained within it. It is further
provided with a sprinkling or dissipating pan which is placed beneath
the supply pipe for the purpose of scattering the charges of oils as they
are admitted to the still. To the neck of the said still is attached a hot
water condenser which may be of any ordinary form. Through this
condenser the evolved products first pass, they are partially cooled before
entering the worm of the cold water condenser, where the temperature
is so regulated that only such portions of the evolved products as will
not remain vaporized at one hundred and ten degrees, (110°) will be
condensed on reaching the vacuum distillate receiver, while those portions
of the evolved products not condensing at one hundred and ten degrees
(110°) are drawn from the vacuum distillate receiver by a vacuum pump,
and exhausted through its exhaust pipe into any desired receptacle.
When required the distillate is drawn from the distillate receiver by the
discharge pump through the discharge pipe.
The process of working is as follows:-The feed tank is supplied with
the oils to be distilled, and heat is applied to the still until it has acquired
a temperature which will evolve the available products, (or so much of

page_text: them as may be desired) of the quantity of the oils to be admitted at
each charge. The vacuum pump is then started and the stop cock
opened to admit the oils to the still. The stroke or action of the vacuum
pump and that of the valve rod must be so regulated that the pump will
withdraw from the still the evolved products of each charge of oil
admitted before the valve shall be again raised to admit the next chargo
of oil to the still.
If desired the crude oils may be admitted to a still already heated to
the necessary temperature to evolve the required products of each charge
and the vapours allowed to pass off and be condensed in the ordinary
manner. In this case of course some provision must be made to regulate
the admission of the cold oils to the still.
The distillate receiver may be of the ordinary open kind now in use,
in which case the vacuum pump will be placed at any desired point
between the still and the distillate receiver, and the hot water condenser
may be dispensed with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Evan Williams in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, THOMAS
EVAN WILLIAMS, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Evan Williams, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Evan Williams, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Evan
Williams, 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

page_text: Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDR -
CARBON OILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Evan Williams, 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 monthis
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Evan Williams, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manuer the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being bad to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The great desideratum in the distillation of hydrocarbon oils is to be
able to carry on the process in such a manner as to obtain from a given
quantity of oil the greatest possible quantity of distillate free from
discolouration. In cases where a large quantity of the oil is placed in
the still at one time, and heat applied, the lighter vapours are first
removed, the heavier volatile products being evolved as the temperature
is increased, so that progressively the different portions are evolved,.
carried off, and separated in a certain order, the result being several
different qualities of products and final discoloration before all the
available products are removed. In cases, moreover, where a greater or
less quantity of oil is first placed in a still and heat applied till the
distillate begins to flow from the worm and cold oil then introduced
continuously by means of an inlet pipe discharging under the surface of
the heated oils of the still in such quantities that the supply shall not
exceed the outflow from the worm, the still may be made to run a
greater quantity of oil without interruption than in the other case, but
with no material difference in the result. When in these cases dis-
coloration ensues it is a common practice to admit steam into the still;
this steam produces an outward current through the condenser and
brings over some of the remaining volatile products of the oil, but as it
reduces the heat of the still the volatile products soon cease to be evolved,
and the distillation is brought to an end before all the available products
of the oil are removed.
The object of my Invention is to effect a more thorough and rapid
distillation so as to obtain a more satisfactory distillate which will

page_text: combine as nearly as practicable all the distillable properties of the crude
oils.
The said Invention consists chiefly in providing the still with means
for alternately supplying and exhausting the oil so that when the still
is heated to the temperature required to, vaporize all the distillable
products, or so much thereof as may be desired, a succession of charges
of the cold oils may be admitted, each of such charges being suddenly
vaporized and the evolved products successively removed; also in making
provision for a gradual condensation of the evolved products, or so much
thereof as may be desired; and in the means for producing a distillate
which may have in combination as many of the different chemical pro-
perties resulting from the distillation as may be practicable, or desirable.
The accompanying Drawing represents a sectional elevation of my.
improved apparatus.
In practising my said Invention I construct a reservoir or feed tank a
of any desired capacity which is provided with a tube b through which
it is supplied with oil from the main tank or other receptacle. The
tank a is placed near the still c and connected with its interior by a
pipe d through which the oil passes from the reservoir a into the still c.
This pipe d at its junction with the reservoir a is provided with a valve e
which is affixed to a piston or valve rod e¹. This rod extends to a cam
or eccentric or elliptical wheel f which is secured to the crank shaft g
of a vacuum pump. The pipe d is further provided with a packing
box d' through which the valve rod passes. A stop or regulating cock h
is provided to prevent or regulate the flow of oil from the receiver to the
still when required, and the flow of oil into the still while the same
contains vapor is prevented by a check valve which also prevents the
passage of the vapor into the reservoir. The end of the valve rod e
is provided with a screw and adjustable nut es which bears on the cam
or eccentric and permits the rod to be lengthened or shortened as
required, and allows the valve e to be lifted more or less for a longer or
shorter time, and thus admit a greater or less quantity of oil to the still
as may be desired. The vacuum still c is composed of two main parts
bolted together through flanges c³, and is supported on its foundation by
lugs cast upon its sides. This still contains an evaporator consisting
of coils of pipe i or otherwise formed to allow superheated steam to pass
through it to the still. The said still is provided with a level indicator j
to show the amount of residuum in it, also with a discharge pipe to

page_text: draw off the residuum into the residuum receiver when desired. It is
also provided with a vacuum gauge, a pressure gauge, and a pyrometer
for indicating respectively the amount of vacuum in the still, the
pressure of its vapours, and the degree of beat contained within it. It
is further provided with a sprinkling or dissipating pan which is placed
beneath the supply pipe d for the purpose of scattering the charges of oil
as they are admitted to the still. To the neck of the still c is attached
a hot water condenser m which may be of the form shown in the
Drawing, or any other ordinary form. Through this condenser the
evolved products first pass, they are partially cooled before entering the
worm of the cold water condenser n, where the temperature is so regu-
lated that only such portions of these evolved products as will not
remain vaporized at one hundred and ten (110) degrees will be condensed
on reaching the vacuum distillate receiver, while those portions of the
evolved products not condensing at one hundred and ten (110) degrees
are drawn from the vacuum distillate receiver o by a vacuum pump p
and exhausted through its exhaust pipe into any desired receptacle.
When required the distillate is drawn from the distillate receiver o
by the discharge pump q through the discharge pipe to wherever
desired.
The process of working is as follows:-The feed tank a is supplied
with the oils to be distilled and heat is applied to the still c until it has
acquired a temperature which will evolve the available products (or so
much of them as may be desired) of the quantity of the oils to be
admitted at each charge. The vacuum pump is then started and the
stop-cock opened to admit the oils to the still. The stroke or action
of the vacuum pump p and that of the valve rod e¹ must be so regulated
that the said pump will withdraw from the still the evolved products of
cach charge of oil admitted before the valve e shall be again raised to
admit the next charge of oil to the still.
Although the best results will be attained by the employment of all
the parts of the above described apparatus a great improvement on all
former modes of operation is effected by merely admitting the crude oils
to a still already heated to the necessary temperature to evolve the
required products of cach charge, and allowing the vapors to pass off and
be condensed in the ordinary manner. In this case, of course, some
provision must be made to regulate the admission of the cold oils to the
still.

page_text: The distillate receiver may be of the ordinary open kind now in use,
and the vacuum pump may be placed at any desired point between the
still and the distillate receiver, and the hot-water condenser may be
dispensed with.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. The admission of cold hydrocarbon oils to a heated still in such
quantities that the heat in the still will suddenly evolve their available
products, or so much of them as may be desired, before admitting a
subsequent supply.
Second. Combining the means for supplying the oils to a still with a
vacuum pump, so as to have the supply of oils and the exhaust of their
evolved products effected alternately, substantially as and for the purpose
herein specified.
Third. Regulating the time of the admission and the quantity of the
oils admitted into the still to its temperature so that the available
products, or so much of them as it may be desired to evolve, may
be evolved together and immediately drawn off by the vacuum pump
without materially affecting the temperature of the still, substantially as
and for the purpose herein specified.
Fourth. Conducting the evolved products first through a hot water
condenser and then through a cold water condenser into a vacuum
distillate receiver, whence the lighter or uncondensed vapours rc-
maining separated from the heavier or condensed products are removed
by the vacuum pump, substantially as and for the purpose herein
specified.
Fifth. The combination of the means of supply with a vacuum still,
a hot water and a cold water condenser, a vacuum distillate receiver,
and a
vacuum pump, substantially as and for the purpose hercin
specified.
Sixth. The combination of the means of supply with a vacuum still,
a lot water and a cold water condenser, and a vacuum pump, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
Seventh. The combination of the means of supply with a vacuum still,
a cold water condenser, and a vacuum pump, substantially as and for
the purpose herein specified.

page_text: Eighth. The combination of a vacuum still with a hot water and a
cold water condenser, a vacuum distillate receiver, and a vacuum pump,
substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
Ninth. The combination of a vacuum still with a hot water and a
cold water condenser, and a vacuum pump, substantially as and for the
purpose herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Evan Williams, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-
nine.
THOMAS EVAN WILLIAMS. (L.s.)
THOMAS EVAN WILLIAMS. (L.s.)