Improved Apparatus for Vaporizing Oil.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1894 -Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Vaporizing Oil.
We, ROBERT HOUSTON LAIRD, and WILLIAM HENRY LAIRD, both of
2014 Ocean Grove, New Jersey, U.S.A., Inventors, do hereby declare the. nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This our invention has reference to an improved apparatus for vaporizing oil and
extracting therefrom what is commonly known as the alcoholic series of vapours.
By this invention we provide a closed receptacle, preferably constructed of
boiler-plates. One or more standards or pillars are erected within the receptacle
and are screw-threaded on the outer surface. Suitable internally screw-threaded
bosses or collars having radial arms are fitted at intervals apart upon the standard
or standards. Suitable perforated metal trays sloping from the centre to a point
near their peripheries, are passed over each standard, and rest upon the radial arms
aforementioned. The trays have a depending flange upon their edges which rest
upon the said radial arms and enclose a space between said arms and trays. The
trays are arranged in tiers to the top of each standard. A perforated coil of pipe
is arranged between each tray and supporting radial arms and emits steam or hot
water into the space beneath the trays. The steam is supplied by any suitable
generator.
In operation, oil is permitted to fall from a pipe onto the topmost tray (which is
of smaller diameter than the next one beneath it,) and falls over its edge onto the
next one, and so on until it reaches the lowermost one and the exit pipe.
Meanwhile steam is allowed to enter between the trays to vaporize the oil, the
vapours from which pass upwardly through a funnel and pipe arranged in the top of
the apparatus.
Dated this 14th day of August 1902
W. H. MUNNS,
55, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Vaporizing Oil.
We, ROBERT HOUSTON LAIRD, and WILLIAM HENRY LAIRD, both of
2014 Ocean Grove, New Jersey, U.S.A., Inventors, 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:-
In vaporizing crude oils it is found that in order to obtain the best results from
the distillation the bulk must be distributed in thin sheets over a large generating
surface, and that this distributed bulk must be heated, in the first instance, to a
temperature of about 212° Fahrenheit, to generate what is commonly known as the
alcoholic series of vapors and that after the alcoholic series of vapors have been
obtained the residue must be subjected to heat ever and gradually increasing in
temperature to obtain therefrom the oleic vapors of the different gravities; and
the object of the invention is to construct a still by means of which the foregoing
objects may be attained; and the invention consists essentially of a still of any
suitable shape and size having arranged within its outer shell a series of distributing
surfaces placed one above the other with an intervening space between them and
[Price 8d.]

page_text: adapted to hold a thin sheet of oil during the process of distillation, each of the
distributing surfaces preferably consisting of a perforated metallic plate having a
suitable sized circular opening through its middle through which passes a supporting
standard or column adapted to hold the distributing surfaces firmly in place, pipes
entering the still and adapted to convey heat from the generator to the still, a pipe
for admitting oil from the mixing tanks to the still, a vapor dome located within
the still and above the uppermost distributing surface, pipes for conducting the
vapors from a vapor dome to the filters and means for drawing off the residue from
the still; the whole device being constructed as hereinafter more fully set forth.
In the drawings
Fig. 1. is a perspective view of a still with the outer shell partially broken away
showing the various distributing surfaces, the heating pipes, the vapor dome, pipes
for conducting the vapors from the valor dome to the filters and means for
introducing the oil into the still.
Fig. 2. is a plan view showing the arrangement of the heating pipes located
beneath each of these distributing surfaces exhibited in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is an enlarged cross sectional view of an alternative form of still.
Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional view ou the lines a-a, of Fig. 3., showing the
arrangement of the heating pipes located beneath each of those distributing
surfaces shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5. is a plan view of one of those distributing surfaces shown in Fig. 3.
Like numerals and letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the
Specification and drawings.
The still consists of an outer shell 1, constructed preferably of boiler plate.
Located centrally within the outer shell 1 is a standard or upright column 2, on the
outer face of which is formed a screw thread 3.
As
Located within the shell 1. is a series of perforated metallic plates 4. having a
central opening 5. formed in them through which passes the standard or upright
column 2 screw threaded on its outer face. Surrounding the central opening 5 on
the under side of the plate 4 is a collar 14 screw threaded on its inner face.
shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings these metallic plates 4 are six in number but the
number employed is predetermined and is regulated according to the size of the
still. Each of the perforated metallic plates 4 is provided with a downwardly
projecting flange 6 which rests upon a bracket 7. It might here be stated that the
upper surfaces of the metallic plates 4 are slightly inclined from the circular
opening 5 downwardly to a point 4" in close proximity to their peripheries 4° from
which point 4 that are inclined upwardly to the peripheries 4b as shown in
Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.
The downwardly projecting flange is inclined from its upper edge inwardly
toward the columu or standard 2 to enable the upper surface of the perforated
metallic plate 4 next below it to overlap its lower edge 6°. This construction
permits the overflow of oil from the topmost metallic plate to be fed to the upper
surface of the metallic plate 4 next below it, repeating this operation to the
-lowermost metallic plate 4 within the still.
The supporting bracket 7 comprises a hub 7 and arms 7 radiating from said
hub. The inner face of the hub 7 is screw threaded to correspond with the
screw threaded outer face of the standard or column 2. The column 2 passes
through the hub 7* and the engagement of the screw threaded inner face of the hub
with the screw threaded outer face of the column or standard 2 permits of the
bracket 7 being raised or lowered to any desired elevation along the said standard.
Located on the under side of each of the metallic plates 4 is a series of perforated
pipes 8 to each of which is supplied the heating fluid by means of a supply pipe 9
leading from the generator which may be of any ordinary form.
The metallic plates 4 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be noticed, are
rectangular in shape and in them are two openings 5 through each of which passes
a standard or coluinn 2; and that connected to each of the standards or columns 2
and on the under side of the metallic plate 4 is a bracket 7 comprising a hub 7*

page_text: and three outwardly radiating arms 7. Again by reference to Fig. 3 of the
drawings it will be noticed that I have modified the shape of the plates by making
each of the said metallic plates 4 circular. Again by reference to the same figure
it will be noticed that formed centrally in them is an opening 5 through which
passes a column or standard 2. It will also be noticed by reference to Fig. 4 of the
drawings that the superheating pipes 3 located on the under side of the distributing
plate 4 shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings are in the form of a spiral coil and
that the innermost coil is carried outwardly beyond the outermost so that it may be
connected to the return pipes 9ª.
By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noticed that the heating pipes 8
shown therein are in the form of a rectangle having two T's or T branches 8° one
at either end of the distributing plate to each of which are connected two side
pipes 8 and four intermediate pipes 8ª. Leading from the tank (which is not
necessary to be shown in this application) and entering the upper portion of the
still is a feed pipe 10 which is arranged preferably over the middle of the still and
is adapted to distribute the oil evenly in all directions. As the distributing plates
shown in Fig. 1 are rectangular in shape I find it convenient to feed the oil from
the feed pipe 10 to a perforated distributing pipe 10 which would in turn feed the
oil over a much larger area of the plate 4 than could be properly accomplished by
the pipe 10. As shown in the same figure I have provided this still with four feed
pipes 10 which feed the distributing pipe 10°.
The oil is introduced into the still by means of the feed pipe 10 which distributes
it over the topmost perforated metallic plate 4, which feeds its overflow to the
metallic plate 4 next below it, which operation is repeated to the lowermost
metallic plate 4. The heating fluid is applied to the pipes 8 by means of the
supply pipes 9 and passes through the perforations in the tops of said pipes to the
undersides of the metallic plates 4. This steam acting on the oil converts the said
oil into vapor which rises to the vapor dome A. The rapor dome A is located in
the top of the still and above the uppermost of the perforated metallic plates 4.
When crude oil is being vaporized the beat first introduced to the still by means
of the connection pipes 9 is at a temperature of about 212° Fahrenheit and generates
from the crude oil at this temperature what is commonly known as the alcoholic
series of vapors. The alcoholic series of vapors as they are generated rise to the
dome A and are conducted from the said dome to their respective filters by means
of the pipe B. The pipe B is provided with a valve 6 which always remains closed
except during the passage of the alcoholic series of vapors therethrough at which
time it is opened. After the alcoholic series of vapors have been obtained from
the oil within the still the heat is increased in temperature to about 300° Fahrenheit
at which temperature the lightest of the oleic vapors are given off and are
conducted from the still by means of the pipe C to their respective filter; the
pipe C being always provided with a valve c which always remains closed except
during the passage of the lightest of the oleic vapors therethrough. After the
lightest of the oleic vapors have been obtained the temperature of the heat is again
increased to 450° Fahrenheit at which temperature the next lightest of the oleic
vapors are given off and these oleic vapors rising from the dome A are conducted
from the said dome to their respective filter by means of the pipe D provided with a
valve d and after these oleic vapors have been obtained the temperature of the heat
is again increased to about 650° Fahrenheit at which temperature the last of the
third lightest vapors are given off and are conducted to their respective filter by
means of a pipe E fitted with a valve e.
It might here be stated that the perforations in the pipes 8 on the under sides of
the plates 4 are in the tops of the said pipes so that when steam is used the
condensation that will naturally occur during the continuance of the use of the
steam will accumulate in the bottoms of the said pipes and may be blown off from
the pipes into the return pipe 9" by the pressure of the live steam.
Entering the bottom of the still 1 is an exhaust-pipe 13 provided with a valve 13"
to empty the still of its contents after the vaporizing is completed. The bottom 14

page_text: of the still is inclined to direct its contents toward the opening to the exhaust-
pipe 13.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for vaporizing oil the combination of an outer shell, a
standard centrally located within said outer shell, a series of perforated metallic
-distributing plates within said outer shell, a series of pipes located on the under
side of each of the said distributing plates and entering the apparatus from the
said outer shell, said pipes adapted to convey heat to the said distributing plates,
brackets secured to the said standard and adapted to support the said distributing
plates, a vapor dome located within said outer shell and above the said distributing
plates, a supply pipe adapted to feed the oil to the said distributing plates and
pipes adapted to carry off the vapors from the said vapor dome, substantially as
-described.
2. In an apparatus for vaporizing oil the combination of an outer shell, a series
of metallic distributing plates within said outer shell, each of said distributing
plates having its upper surface downwardly inclined from the middle to a point
near the periphery and upwardly inclined from said point to its periphery, means
for supplying oil to said apparatus, means for supplying heat to the said distributing
plates and means for conducting away the vapors as they are generated, substantially
.as described.
3. In an apparatus for vaporizing oil the combination of the outer shell, a-series
of metallic distributing plates suitably supported within said outer shell, the upper
face of each of the distributing plates inclined downwardly from its middle to a
point near its periphery and inclined upwardly from said point to its periphery, a
downwardly projecting flange encompassing its edge, said flange inclined inwardly
to enable the distributing plate next below it to overlap the lower edge of said
flange, a supply pipe entering said outer shell and adapted to feed the oil to the
distributing plates, a vapor dome within said outer shell and pipes entering said
outer shell and adapted to carry away the vapors from the said vapor dome,
-substantially as described.
1 1
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