IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE RE-DISTILLATION OR RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Walton, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE RE-DISTILLATION
OR RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS."
Scaled the 21st October 1876, and dated the 5th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Walton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1876.
FREDERICK WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR THE RE-DISTILLATION OR RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the re-distillation
or rectification of spirits.
For this purpose the spirit to be treated is placed in a closed cistern containing
a coil of steam pipe, and it is heated in this cistern under atmospheric pressure,
but it is not so much licated as to generate vapour. From this cistern a pipe
passes to a vessel containing a number of vertical tubes surrounded by hot water
or steam. The vessel and tubes are kept vacuous by means of an air pump or other
suitable exhauster. At the bottom of each tube there is a rose in connection with
the cistern, and a spray of spirit is allowed to issue and play up the tube. The
spray is for the most part evaporated, and the vapour passes over to a condenser
consisting of a coil surrounded with cold water. The condensed spirit flows into
a receiver, and it is with this receiver that the connection with the exhauster
is made.
There are suitable stop cocks to permit of the spirit being drawn off from time
to time.
The tubes within which the evaporation is effected are provided with diaphragma
of wire gauze to prevent any of the liquid spray being carried over into the con-
denser. The portion of the spray which is not evaporated descends to the bottom
of the evaporating vessel and flows out by a pipe either into a receiver where it is
collected and reserved for a second treatment at a higher temperature, or it at once
enters a vessel in which it is caused to trickle over a number of heated trays or
discs, as it descends the vapour which passes off enters a second condenser like
the first, and similarly connected with a receiver, and with the exhauster in the
second receiver an inferior spirit is collected. The impurities which still escape
[Price Gd.]

page_text: evaporation are drawn off from time to time from a receptacle connected with
the bottom of the second evaporating vessel. Or a receiver may be employed con-
taining concave trays one filling from the other as each overflows from a lip, every
alternate one being fixed excentric to the other, the series being fitted with a
compound stop cock to draw off when the operation is complete.
According to another arrangement, in place of working by a continuous process
as above described, I employ an intermittent system, 1 draw the heated spirit into
an evaporator in which a number of shallow trays are arranged one above another.
I completely fill this vessel in the first instance and then open a tap at the bottom
and draw off all but that which the trays will retain; I then exhaust the eva-
porator and apply a suitable temperature until all or nearly all of the pure spirit
has been distilled over. Then by opening a compound stop cock 1 allow the liquid
remaining in all the trays to pass simultaneously into a central pipe by which it is
drawn off. The evaporator is then recharged and the operation repeated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Frederick Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November
1876.
FREDERICK WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR THE RE-DISTILLATION OR RECTIFICATION OF SPIRITS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the re-distillation
or rectification of spirits.
or steam.
For this purpose the spirit to be treated is placed in a closed cistern containing
a coil of steam pipe, and it is heated in the cistern under atmospheric pressure,
but it is not so much heated as to generate vapour. From this cistem a pipe
passes to a vessel containing a number of vertical tubes surrounded by hot water
The vessel and tubes are kept vacuous by means of an air pump or
other suitable exhauster. At the bottom of each tube there is a rose in connection
with the cistern, and a spray of spirit is allowed to issue and play up the tube.
The spray is for the most part evaporated, and the vapour passes over to a con-
denser consisting of a coil surrounded with cold water. The condensed spirit
flows into a receiver, and it is with this receiver that the connection with the
exhauster is made.
There are suitable stop cocks to permit of the spirit being drawn off from time
to time.
The tubes within which the evaporation is effected are provided with diaphragms
of wire gauze to prevent any of the liquid spray being carried over into the con-
denser. The portion of the spray which is not evaporated descends to the bottom
of the evaporating vessel and flows out by a pipe either into a receiver where it
is collected and reserved for a second treatment at a higher temperature, or it at
once enters a vessel in which it is caused to trickle over a number of heated trays
or discs, as it descends the vapour which passes off enters a second condenser like
the first and similarly connected with a receiver, and with the exhauster in the
second receiver an inferior spirit is collected. The impurities which still escape
evaporation are drawn off from time to time from a receptacle connected with the
bottom of the second evaporating vessel.
According to another arrangement, in place of working by a continuous process
as above described I employ an intermittent system, I draw the heated spirit. into
an evaporator in which a number of shallow trays are arranged one above another.
1 completely fill this vessel in the first instance and then open a tap at the bottom
and draw off all but that which the trays will retain. I then exhaust the eva-
porator and apply a suitable temperature until all or nearly all of the pure spirit
has been distilled over. Then by opening a compound stop cock I allow the liquid

page_text: Grawn OI, The evaporator is then recharged and the operation repeated.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the heating vessel, into this vessel the spirit to
be treated is first placed. It is provided with a cover and contains a steam pipe a
by means of which the contents of the vessel can be heated, but the temperature
should not be allowed to rise to the boiling point of the spirit. A thermometer
is provided at b to indicate the temperature within the vessel; c is a gauge glass
in which the level of the liquid may be seen; d, d, is a filter consisting of layers
of woollen cloth or of cotton wool through which the spirit has to pass as it is
drawn off for rectification. In place of employing steam in the coiled pipe < hot
water may be caused to flow through it. c is a stop valve so constructed that tho
quantity of spirit passing in a given time out of the heating vessel to the rec-
tifying or evaporating vessel which is the next in the series may be under complete
control.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the rectifying vessel, and Figure 3 is au bori-
zontal section of the same. It consists of a cylinder or drum f closed at the ends
and with two transverse partitions g, g, which divido its interior into three com-
partments. The end compartments are connected by the tubes h, h, and steam
is admitted to the centro compartment around the tubes. The heated spirit arrives
from the heating vessel, Figure 1, by the pipe i and so passes to the nozzles h, k,
each of which is provided with three small perforations. Under the influenco
of the vacuum which is maintained within the tubes and the end compartments
of the rectifying vessel fine jets of the spirit issue from the nozzles and ascend
within the tubes h, where evaporation at once takes place by means of the steam
surrounding the chambers, the heat abstracted by evaporation is replaced. The
spirit which escapes evaporation descends into the bottom compartment, from
whence it passes away by the pipe l for further treatment. The vapour generated
in the tubes ascends into the upper compartment of the rectifying vessel and
from thence it passes to the condenser shown at Figure 4. At the top of the
tubes h, h, discs of wire gauze are arranged in such manner as to prevent the
vapour carrying over with it any portion of the spray.
The condenser, Figure 4, consists of a coiled pipe me surrounded by water and
delivering the spirit condensed within it into the receiver nat n, it is connected
with an air pump by which a vacuum is maintained in the condenser, and also
in the rectifying vessel; is a second receiver separated from by a stop cock,
and capable itself of being closed air-tight by another cock, so that the product
may be drawn off without destroying the vacuum.
The portion of the spirit which escapes evaporation in the rectifying vessel
passes into a second rectifying or evaporating vessel shown in section in Figure 5,
and which consists of a steam or hot water jacketted case in which are arranged
one over the other a series of discs alternately convex and concave, these discs are
marked o, o. The spirit enters this apparatus by the pipe, and from a small
receiver it is delivered in drops or fine streams on to the top of the uppermost
disc o, which is convex, the liquid flows over the surface of this disc and as it drips
from its edges it is received into the disc next below, which is concave, it runs
back to the centre of this disc, where there is an opening which allows it to fall
on to the middle of the convex disc below it, and in this manner the liquid
gradually finds its way to the bottom, whence it passes into a double receiver, such
as is shown in connection with tho condensor, Figure 4. As the spirit trickles
over the discs a great part of it is evaporated, and the vapour passes off at p to n
condenser in all respects similar to that shown at Figure 4, and in this condenser
a second quality of spirit is collected.

page_text: In place of employing the apparatus shown at Figure 5 the spirit delivered from
the pipe may be collected at once in a receiver, and may at a subsequent operation
し
be again rectified in apparatus similar to that in which the first rectification is
effected.
Figure 6 shows a vertical section of an apparatus which may conveniently be
employed for the distillation of spirits by an intermittent process. It consists of
a steam jacketted cylinder within which are arranged a series of shallow trays q, q.
Through the centre of all these trays there passes the compound stop cock r, by
means of which the contents of all the trays can be drawn off simultaneously; & is
a draw off cock at the bottom of the apparatus; t is a passage by which the
vapour generated passes to a condenser which may be in all respects similar to that
shown at Figure 4. The apparatus is provided with a thermometer which indicates
the temperature in the interior, and this temperature can be regulated as may be
desired by admitting more or less hot water or steam to the casing.
The operation is as follows:-The apparatus is first completely filled with the
spirit to be treated which is admitted by the pipe u the compound stop cock being
at this time shut off and the cock 8 also closed. Next, the cock 8 is opened and
the excess of liquid is drawn off, leaving all the trays full. By means of the hot
water or the steam in the casing the temperature is mised to the point at which it
is desired to carry on the distillation. Meanwhile the air pumps are set to work
and a vacuum is produced in the apparatus. As the spirit comes over it is con-
densed and collected. When distillation ceases or nearly so air is allowed to enter
the apparatus, and the compound stop cock is turned so as to draw the remaining
spirit out of all the trays simultaneously, and this spirit may be redistilled as
already described.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the construction
of apparatus for the re-distillation or rectification of spirits, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Walton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 1st day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
FRED. WALTON. (L.S.)