Improved Apparatus for Producing Pure Ethyl Alcohol direct from Fermented Mash.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Producing Pure Ethyl Alcohol direct
from Fermented Mash.
We, RUDOLF GENGE and VICTOR RAGON, both of Lille (Nord), Rue de Priez, 11,
and LOUIS DROULERS, of Ascq, near Lille (Nord), France, all Distillers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The heretofore known methods and apparatus for distilling and rectifying fine
spirit have the drawback that aldehydes are formed as condensation products
before, during, and after the distillation and rectification; they also have the.
disadvantage that amyl alcohol passes over in large quantities with the ethyl
alcohol in the rectification of raw spirit. It has been tried to reduce the quantity
of ethyl alcohol by forced dephlegmation of the spirit vapours, but this is only
possible to a certain degree, because by the increase of the dephlegmation more
heat is necessary which then again acts to increase the pressure obtaining in the
apparatus.
This pressure amounts to 0.4 atmospheres and more, above the pressure of the
atmosphere. Aldehydes are produced by the oxydization of the oxygen and ethyl
alcohol which cannot be avoided in the known apparatus, as they con-
tinually allow of the entering of atmospheric air.
Apparatus according to the present invention has for object to produce, with
complete exclusion of air, the finest ethyl alcohol direct from the mash with con-
siderably reduced consumption of heat, maximum yield and simplest form of
working.
The apparatus is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the accompanying
drawings. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line a—x of Fig.
through the upper rectifying retort of the boiler C, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section
through the bottom of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections through
the dephlegmator F, respectively on the lines y-y and z-z of Fig. 1.
The apparatus consists of the following main parts:-
The mash distilling column A with wash regulator B. Boiler C with rectifying
retorts I, II, III. The dephlegmator F. Rectifying column K. Condensors Ů
and 1', and mash supply regulator R.
Tubulous cooler S. Air-excluding
device T, and fusel oil separator W.
The distilling column A is a continuously-working column apparatus of any
known system, and is connected, by means of a pipe b, with the wash-discharge
regulator B, which may also be of any desired construction. The boiler C is
divided by horizontal partitions c into three rectifying retorts, I, II, III. Upon
the bottom of the lower retort III there is arranged a heating device consisting
of a coiled tube C¹ which serves to heat the weak spirit liquor.
The vapours
generated pass through the deflecting caps i, arranged on the bottoms c, (Figs. 2
and 3) to the upper retort I and absorb more and more alcohol spirit on their
way. From the retort I, the vapours pass through a pipe to the dephlegm-
ator F. The latter is arranged on the boiler C and constitutes an independent
closed vessel. It is provided internally with a funnel-shaped vessel f which

page_text: delivers into a tube spiral f¹ situated near the bottom.
The tube spiral f¹ and
the vesself are surrounded by cooling water which enters and passes out again
at f. Into the vessel f there deliver the alcohol spirit pipe a of the mash
column A and the pipe of the rectifying retort I.
Above the dephlegmator F there is situated a rectifying column K which con-
veys the alcoholic liquid condensed in the condenser through the overflow
vessels from chamber to chamber and in the passage removes the spirit from
the said liquid by means of the alcoholic vapours which are led from the distilling
column A and the rectifying retorts, I, II, III, into the rectifying column K
wherein they ascend.
The mixture of fusel oil and alcohol flows from the lowest chamber into the
funnel through an upwardly bent pipe k which forms an independent closure.
This funnel communicates with the lower chamber of the rectifying column
through a double elbow pipe 2 or by other means. From the upper chamber of
the said rectifying column the rectified alcohol escapes through a pipe o to the
condenser O and from the latter through the pipe o partly to a second condenser P
and partly condensed to a liquid it flows back through the pipe o to the dis-
tilling apparatus A. The alcohol spirit which is led from 0 to the condenser P.
after passing the latter passes partly through the pipe p to the tubulous cooler $
and partly returns condensed through a pipe p₁ to the rectifying column K.
The pure and almost absolute alcohol which is now completely condensed to a
liquid, flows continuously from the outflow M of the tubulous cooler.
The condensers O and P may be of any desired construction. In the drawing,
the former is shown of the type employed in the continuous distilling apparatus.
of Gebr. Bohm. It consists of a cylindrical cooling water receptacle in which dips.
a double walled annular vessel. Through this vessel passos the mash supply
pipe h which is coiled in a serpentine manner in this arrangement, whilst the
alcohol spirit pipe o delivers into the upper part of the said vessel, and the weak.
spirit pipe o delivers into the bottom part thereof. This arrangement has for.
object to heat the mash and also to condense the alcoholic vapours.
The condenser P and the cooler S are preferably built of the well-known type
of tubulous condensers.
The supply of mash is accurately regulated by means of a float arrangement in
the collecting vessel R of the mash. This float consists of a hollow ball floating
on the mash, and having a discharge pipe and guide rod the former being
arranged to be capable of free movement in the pipe 2 whilst the rod r is freely
movable in a guide. The hollow ball is made of such weight and size that
when floating on the mash it is immersed to about half, and is at that part pro-
vided at its periphery with several holes through which the mash can How into
the pipe . A greater or less load on the float will cause a greater or less flow.
of mash into the pipe at any desired level of liquid in the receptacle R. Should
the latter be emptied, the float will move down, but will not be immersed more
deeply. The telescopic pipe in float pipe and serpentine pipe are always
filled with mash so that no air can enter the distilling apparatus at that part.
The air-excluding device T is employed instead of the usual air pipes, and it
consists, in a similar manner to gas holders, of a double-walled cylinder the
annular space formed thereby being filled with water or other suitable liquid, into
which the shell of a bell y dips, the said bell being balanced by a counter-
weight . This bell is made large enough to maintain an equilibrium with
respect to the variations of pressure which are continually taking place within
the whole apparatus and it acts by means of its liquid seal, to effectually prevent
the entrance of air. If necessary the piping may be provided, at various places,
with several such air-excluding devices T.
The fusel oil separator W consists of a comparatively high closed vessel of small
diameter into which the mixture of alcohol coming from the dephlegmator F
enters at the side through a pipe and in which the lighter fusel oil or amyl
alcohol ascends and continually flows away at the discharge V; whilst the alcoholio

page_text: liquid freed from fusel oil ascends from the bottom of the vessel into the pipe w
and is conveyed to the respective rectifying vessels.
The bottoms of the two rectifying vessels I and II are provided with circular
ribs which are broken away at suitable places in such a manner that the weak
spirit entering by the pipe w into the retort vessel I is compelled to take as long
a course as possible in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. By means of a
pipe provided in the centre, the weak spirit flows over into the vessel II upon
the bottom of which the ribs g lead the spirit in the reverse direction from the
inside towards the outside. Here the weak spirit flows over through a pipe u¹ to
the vessel III. Between the ribs g at a suitable distance apart there are arranged
tube unions having deflecting caps or vapour hoods i through which the weak
spirit must pass in succession in its course.
From the dephlegmator F, the mixture of fusel oil and alcohol is discharged
in a warm state through the pipe e which is connected with the funnel f, and in
a cold state through the pipe e which is connected with the cooling coil f¹. This
can be controlled as desired by closing one and opening the other of the cocks
arranged in the two pipes. The liquid, whether discharged in a cold or hot state,
passes in either case before reaching the fusel oil separator w through the thermo-
alcohol meter E, the tubular spring of which operates not only the hand of the
instrument but also, at the same time, by means of its rod n³ a small throttle
valve n which is provided in the cool water pipe n. As the level of the cooling
water in the vessel N is only slightly higher than its exit from the condenser P,
through which it flows after passing the tubulous cooler S, the pressure on both
sides of the throttle valve n¹ is almost equal, and consequently only a small power
is needed to operate the same. In all the pipes, tube loops and bends are arranged
to provide for the unavoidable expansion. In this manner; there is effected, at
the same time, a multiple liquid seal which efficiently prevents the entrance of
atmospheric air.
The apparatus herein described operates as follows:-
The cold mash forced by the pump D into the vessel R, passes from the latter
through the float and telescopic pipe into the cold pipe h of the first con-
denser O, and becoming properly warmed flows through the pipe h¹ to the dis-
tilling column A, the separate compartments of which are filled from top to bottom
in succession, to a suitable level. In this way, the mash is maintained at boiling
temperature by the steam flowing from the bottom towards the top, and the mash
(almost wholly deprived of spirit) reaches the boiling chamber A¹ in which the
continually inflowing steam eliminates the last trace of alcohol from the liquid,
which then flows away through the collector B in the form of a completely de-
alcoholized wash. The alcohol spirit issuing from the mash column A, is led by
the pipe a to the dephlegmator. In this apparatus, the after products are
separated in the form of amyl, fusel oil, etc., whilst the ethyl, mixed with a very
small quantity of amyl and fusel oil ascends through the pipe into the rectifying
column K and after passing the same is subjected, in the form of almost abso-
lutely pure alcohol, of high percentage strength, to a further cooling in the
condenser O. The ethyl alcohol escaping here is led up a pipe o to the second
condenser P, whilst the condensing alcohol flows through a pipe o back to the
mash column A. The alcohol condensed to a liquid in the second condenser P,
returns through the pipe pl to the rectifying column K and accumulates gradually
on the strainer bottoms in the form of weak spirit which is more and more de
alcoholized by the alcohol vapours traversing the same. It then flows through
the discharge pipe k into the dephlegmator F, where the weak spirit unites with
the liquid containing the after-products. The latter liquid flows through the
thermo-alcohol-meter and regulator E to the fusel oil separator W, in which the
lighter fusel oil ascends and is continually discharged.
The alcohol liquid which is almost completely purified from fusel oil, is led by
the pipe to the boiler C and generally into its upper rectifying vessel I. Here,
being guided in circular convolutions by the ribs g, it flows towards the middle

page_text: and through the pipe u into the retort II where it again flows between the ribs g,
but in the opposite direction i.e. towards the periphery and overflows through
the pipe u into the lower retort III. The weak spirit contained in the latter is
heated to boiling point by the steam coil c¹ whereby the last trace of any alcohol
that is still contained therein is expelled. The completely de-alcoholized weak
spirit liquid is discharged through the pipe either continuously or from time
to time according to the scale of working. The vapours rising up from the
vessel III pass through the tube unions which are arranged in the upper bottoms
and are covered over with deflecting caps i, and through the weak spirit liquid which
passes through the latter in succession in its long serpentine course, and reaches
the lower vessel III, comprising a very slight amount of alcohol.
is
From the upper vessel I, the vapours escape through the pipe c³ which pro-
vided with a thermo-alcohol-meter to the dephlegmator F where they become
mixed with the distillate entering through the pipe a of the mash column A, in
order to undergo the described rectifying process.
In the dephlegmator F the separate vapours entering by the pipes a and c³
are cooled to a temperature at which almost only the pure ethyl alcohol remains
volatile and escapes to the rectifying column, whilst almost all the after-products
are condensed to liquid and take the described path to the boiler C in order to be
repeatedly evaporated.
Thus there are three cycles of operations taking place, with the exclusion of
air, in which (1) the rectified fine spirit (2) the alcohol of weak percentage of
strength and (3) the weak spirit liquid are subjected separately to a repeated
evaporation and condensation.
The inclusion of the dephlegmator F between the rectifying vessel I and the
rectifying column K has for object to continuously cool the latter, in which there-
fore a correspondingly low temperature and consequently a low pressure of 0.1
atmosphere (above atmospheric pressure) can be maintained with ease as compared
with 0.4 atmosphere (above atmospheric pressure) in the old apparatus. But since
further, the thermo-regulator E will at the slightest increase in temperature open
the throttle valve n¹ at once and automatically, to a greater extent and thus in-
crease the cooling water supply, the low temperature can also be easily main-
tained permanently.
The fine spirit which is produced by this means directly from the fermented
mash, is, as has been shown by practical experiments, ethyl alcohol of 97-98 per
cent.
Since the first condensation products are entirely avoided, the yield is con-
siderably larger and the working is rendered more simple and therefore cheaper
than all other previously known apparatus, The described improvements can
be applied to any existing apparatus, without great trouble, and if the boiler C
has only one single vessel or chamber the latter is connected by a pipe t¹ with the
suction pipe of the mash pump D, so that the weak spirit is distilled again with
the mash.
In the rectification of raw spirit the latter, as indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 1. is led direct into the upper rectifying retort I, so that the new apparatus
may, if desired, be made to suit the ordinary process heretofore employed.
Dated this 30th day of July 1898.

page_text: declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
are
The heretofore known methods and apparatus for distilling and rectifying fine
spirit have the drawback that aldehydes
formed as fore-products
before, during, and after the distillation and rectification; they also have the
disadvantage that amyl alcohol passes over in large quantities with the ethyl
alcohol in the rectification of raw spirit. It has been tried to reduce the quantity
of amyl alcohol by forced dephlegmation of the spirit vapours, but this is only
possible to a certain degree, because by the increase of the dephlegmation more
heat is necessary which then again acts to increase the pressure obtaining in the
apparatus.
This pressure amounts to 0.4 atmospheres and more, above the pressure
of the atmosphere. Aldehydes are produced by the oxydization of the ethyl
alcohol by the oxygen of the air, which cannot be avoided in the known apparatus,
as they allow of the continuous entry of air from the exterior of the apparatus.
Apparatus according to the present invention has for object to produce, with
complete exclusion of air, the finest ethyl alcohol direct from the mash with con-
siderably reduced consumption of heat, maximum yield and simplest form of
working.
The apparatus is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the drawings filed with our
Provisional Specification. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 1
through the upper rectifying retort of the boiler C, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section
through the bottom of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections through
the dephlegmator F, respectively on the lines y-y and z of Fig. 1.
The apparatus consists of the following main parts:-
The mash distilling column A with wash regulator B. Boiler C with rectifying
retoris I, II, III. The dephlegmator F. Rectifying column K. Condensers O
and P. Mash supply regulator R. Tubulous cooler S. Air-excluding device T,
and fusel oil separator W.
The distilling column A is a continuously working column apparatus of any
known system, and is connected, by means of a pipe b, with the wash-discharge
regulator B, which may also be of any desired construction. The boiler C is
divided by horizontal partitions c into three rectifying retorts, I, II, III. Upon
the bottom of the lower retort III there is arranged a heating device consisting
of a coiled tube which serves to heat the weak spirit liquor. The vapours
generated pass through the deflecting caps i, arranged on the bottoms c, (Figs. 2
and 3) to the upper retort I and absorb more and more alcohol spirit on their
way. From the retort I, the vapours pass through a pipe to the dephlegm-
ator F. The latter is arranged on the boiler C and constitutes an independent
close vessel. It is provided internally with a funnel-shaped vessel f which
delivers into a tube spiral f¹ situated near the bottom. The tube spiral f¹ and
the vessel f are surrounded by cooling water which enters fa and passes out again
at Into the vessel f there deliver the alcohol spirit pipe n of the mash
column A and the pipe c³ of the rectifying retort I.
Above the dephlegmator F there is situated a rectifying column K which con-
veys the alcoholic liquid condensed in the condenser P through the overflow
vessels from chamber to chamber and in the passage removes the spirit from
the said liquid by means of the alcoholic vapours which are led from the distilling
column A and the rectifying retorts, I, II, III, into the rectifying column K
wherein they ascend.
The mixture of fusel oil and alcohol flows from the lowest chamber into the
funnel through an upwardly bent pipe k which forms an independent closure.
This funnel communicates with the lower chamber of the rectifying column
through a double elbow pipe 12 or by other means. From the upper chamber of
the said rectifying column the rectified alcohol escapes through a pipe of to the

page_text: condenser O and from the latter through the pipe o partly to a second condenser P
and partly condensed to a liquid it Hows back through the pipe o¹ to the dis-
tilling apparatus A. The alcohol spirit which is led from 0 to the condenser P
after passing the latter passes partly through the pipe p to the tubulous cooler S
and partly returns condensed through a pipe pl to the rectifying column K.
The pure and almost absolute alcohol which is now completely condensed to a
liquid, flows continuously from the outflow M of the tubulous cooler.
The condensers 0 and P may be of any desired construction, and several
condensers may be employed instead of only two. In the drawing,
the former is shown of the type employed in the continuous distilling apparatus
of Gebr. Bohm. It consists of a cylindrical cooling water receptacle in which dips
a double walled annular vessel. Through this vessel passes the mash supply
pipe which is coiled in a serpentine manner in this arrangement, whilst the
alcohol spirit pipe o delivers into the upper part of the said vessel, and the weak
spirit pipe o delivers into the bottom part thereof. This arrangement has for
object to heat the mash and also to condense the alcoholic vapours.
The condenser P and the cooler S are preferably built of the well known type
of tubulous condensers.
The supply of mash is accurately regulated by means of a float arrangement in
the collecting vessel R of the mash. This float consists of a hollow ball floating
on the mash, and having a discharge pipe and guide rod the former being
arranged to be capable of free movement in the pipe whilst the rod is freely
movable in a guide. The hollow ball 7 is made of such weight and size that
when floating on the mash it is immersed to about half, and is at that part pro-
vided at its periphery with several holes through which the mash can flow into
the pine 1. A greater or less load on the float will cause a greater or less flow
of mash into the pipe at any desired level of liquid in the receptacle R. Should
the latter be emptied, the float will move down, but will not be immersed more
deeply. The telescopic pipe 2 in float pipe 13 and serpentine pipe h are always
filled with mash so that no air can enter the distilling apparatus at that part.
The air-excluding device T is employed instead of the usual air pipes, and it
consists, in a similar manner to gas holders, of a double-walled cylinder the
annular space formed thereby being filled with water or other suitable liquid, into
which the shell of a bell 7 dips, the said bell being balanced by a counter-
weight q¹. This bell is made large enough to maintain an equilibrium with
respect to the variations of pressure which are continually taking place within
the whole apparatus and it acts by means of its liquid seal, to effectually prevent
the entrance of air. If necessary the piping may be provided, at various places,
with several such air-excluding devices T.
The fusel oil separator W consists of a comparatively high closed vessel of small
diameter into which the mixture of alcohol coming from the dephlegmator F
enters at the side through a pipe and in which the lighter fusel oil or amyl
alcohol ascends and continually flows away at the discharge V; whilst the alcoholic
liquid freed from fusel oil ascends from the bottom of the vessel into the pipe w
and is conveyed to the respective rectifying vessels.
The bottoms of the two rectifying vessels I and II are provided with circular
ribs g which are broken away at suitable places in such a manner that the weak
spirit entering by the pipe wo into the vessel I is compelled to take as long
a course as possible in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. By means of a
pipe U provided in the centre, the weak spirit flows over into the vessel II upon
the bottom of which the ribs g lead the spirit in the reverse direction from the
inside towards the outside. Here the weak spirit flows over through a pipe u¹ to
the vessel III. Between the ribs g at a suitable distance apart there are arranged
tube unions having deflecting caps or vapour hoods through which the vapours
must pass in succession in its course.
From the dephlegmator F, the mixture of fusel oil and alcohol is discharged
in a warm state through the pipe e which is connected with the funnel f, and in

page_text: a cold state through the pipe e which is connected with the cooling coil f¹. This
can be controlled as desired by closing one and opening the other of the cocks
arranged in the two pipes. The liquid, whether discharged in a cold or hot state,
passes in either case before reaching the fusel oil separator w through the thermo-
alcohol meter E, which may be of well known construction the tubular
spring of which operates not only the hand of the instrument but
also, at the same time, by means of its rod 723 a small throttle
valve which is provided in the cool water pipe . As the level of the cooling
water in the vessel N is only slightly higher than its exit from the condenser P,
through which it flows after passing the tubulous cooler S, the pressure on both
sides of the throttle valve n' is almost equal, and consequently only a small power
is needed to operate the same. In all the pipes, tube loops and bends are arranged
to provide for the unavoidable expansion. In this manner, there is effected, at
the same time, a multiple liquid seal which efficiently prevents the entrance of
atmospheric air.
The apparatus herein described operates as follows:-
-
The cold mash forced by the pump D into the vessel R, passes from the latter
through the float and telescopic pipe into the cold pipe h of the first con-
denser O, and becoming properly warmed flows through the pipe to the dis-
tilling column A, the separate compartments of which are filled from top to bottom
in succession, to a suitable level. In this way, the mash is maintained at boiling
temperature by the steam flowing from the bottom towards the top, and the mash
(almost wholly deprived of spirit) reaches the boiling chamber A in which the
continually inflowing steam eliminates the last trace of alcohol from the liquid,
which then flows away through the collector B in the form of a completely de-
alcoholized wash. The alcohol spirit issuing from the mash column A, is led by
the pipe to the dephlegmator. In this apparatus, the after-products are
separated in the form of amyl, fusel oil, etc., whilst the ethyl, mixed with a very
small quantity of amyl and fusel oil ascends through the pipe into the rectifying
column K and after passing the same is subjected, in the form of almost abso-
lutely pure alcohol, of high percentage strength, to a further cooling in the
condenser O. The ethyl alcohol escaping here is led up a pipe o to the second
condenser P, whilst the condensing alcohol flows through a pipe o back to the
mash column A. The alcohol condensed to a liquid in the second condenser P,
returns through the pipe p' to the rectifying column K and accumulates gradually.
on the strainer bottoms in the form of weak spirit which is more and more de-
alcoholized by the alcohol vapours traversing the same. It then flows through
the discharge pipe k into the dephlegmator F, where the weak spirit unites with
the liquid containing the after-products. The latter liquid flows through the
thermo-alcohol-meter and regulator E to the fusel oil separator W, in which the
lighter fusel oil ascends and is continually discharged.
The alcohol liquid, which is almost completely purified from fusel oil, is led by
the pipe w to the boiler C and generally into its upper rectifying vessel I. Here,
being guided in circular convolutions by the ribs g, it flows towards the middlo
and through the pipe into the retort II where it again flows between ribs g
but in the opposite direction i.e. towards the periphery and overflows through
the pipe u into the lower retort III. The weak spirit contained in the latter is
heated to boiling point by the steam coil c¹ whereby the last trace of any alcohol
that is still contained therein is expelled. The completely de-alcoholized weak
spirit liquid is discharged through the pipe teither continuously or from time
to time according to the scale of working. The vapours rising up from the
vessel III pass through the tube unions which are arranged in the upper bottoms
and are covered over with deflecting caps i, and through the weak spirit liquid which
passes through the latter in succession in its long serpentine course, and reaches
the lower vessel III, comprising a very slight amount of alcohol.
From the upper vessel I, the vapours escape through the pipe c³ which is pro-
vided with a thermo-alcohol-meter to the dephlegmator E where they become

page_text: mixed with the distillate entering through the pipe a of the mash column A, in
order to undergo the described rectifying process.
In the dephlegmator F the separate vapours entering by the pipes a and c
are cooled to a temperature at which almost only the pure ethyl alcohol remains
volatile and escapes to the rectifying column, whilst almost all the after-products
are condensed to liquid and take the described path to the boiler C in order to be
repeatedly evaporated.
Thus there are three cycles of operations taking place, with the exclusion of
air, in which (1) the rectified fine spirit (2) the alcohol of weak percentage of
strength and (3) the weak spirit liquid are subjected separately to a repeated
evaporation and condensation.
The inclusion of the dephlegmator F between the rectifying vessel I and the
rectifying column K has for object to continuously cool the latter, in which there-
fore a correspondingly low temperature and consequently a low pressure of 0.1
atmosphere (above atmospheric pressure) can be maintained with case as compared
with 0.4 atmosphere (above atmospheric pressure) in the old apparatus. But since
further, the thermo-regulator E will at the slightest increase in temperature open
the throttle valve n¹ at once and automatically, to a greater extent and thus in-
crease the cooling water supply, the low temperature can also be easily main-
tained permanently.
The fine spirit which is produced by this means directly from the fermented
mash, is, as has been shown by practical experiments, ethyl alcohol of 97-98 per
cent. Since the fore-products are practically entirely avoided, the yield is con-
siderably larger and the working is rendered more simple and therefore cheaper
than all other previously known apparatus. The described improvements can
be applied to any existing apparatus, without great trouble, and if the boiler C
has only one single vessel or chamber the latter is connected by a pipe t¹ with the
suction pipe of the mash pump D, so that the weak spirit is distilled again with
the mash.
In the rectification of raw spirit, the latter, as indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 1, is led direct into the upper rectifying retort I, so that the new apparatus
may, if desired, be made to suit the ordinary process heretofore employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. Apparatus for producing pure ethyl alcohol direct from fermented mash,
comprising (a) A. device R for regulating the supply of mash, (b) A. dephlegmator F
arranged between the rectifying retort I and the rectifying column K and below
the latter, and in the cooling space of which vapours coming from the mash dis
tilling apparatus A and the rectifying retort I are dephlegmated together, (c)
Several condensers O and P arranged in series for the repeated dephlegmation by
degrees of the alcoholic vapours, (d) One or more air-closing devices T that yield
to the inner variations of pressure, and serve in preventing the formation of fore-
products before, during and after the rectification, and (e) An automatically regu-
lated cooling means which serves to restrict to a minimum the passing over of
after-products.
2. In apparatus of the kind specified in Claim 1, a mash supply regulator con
sisting of a float which is guided in the receptacle R by means of an upper slide
rod and of a lower telescopic tube 11, 12 or by other means, said float being pro-
vided in the plane of immersion, with apertures which allow the mash to dis-
charge more or less through the float according to the loading of the said float,
with the object of taking the mash always from the surface and of regulating the
supply thereof as desired.
3. In the apparatus of the kind specified in Claim 1, a dephlegmator F arranged
below the rectifying column K, said dephlegmator consisting of a vessel that is
partly cylindrical and partly funnel-shaped, and which is surrounded by cooling

page_text: water, delivers into a cooling coil f¹, and is provided with outlets e, e¹ respectively
for warm and cold liquid mixture of fusel alcohol.
4. In the apparatus such as specified in Claim 1, an air-excluding device T,
having a balanced liquid-sealed bell q which rises and falls automatically according
to the variations of internal pressure.
5. In apparatus of the kind specified in Claim 1, an automatic liquid cooling
means wherein a throttle valve n, arranged in the cooling water pipe n is operated
by the tubular spring of a thermo alcohol-meter E in such a manner that on the
temperature increasing it allows more cooling water to flow through, and on a
decrease of temperature it allows less cooling water to flow through.
6. In apparatus such as specified in Claim 1, one or more rectifying retorts,
the bottoms of which are provided with concentric ribs 9 which are connected alter-
nately at one end to a radial wall, and are alternately broken away at their other
ends from the said wall for the purpose of guiding the weak spirit liquid in a
serpentine manner from the periphery to the centre and vice versa.
7. Apparatus for producing pure ethyl alcohol direct from fermented mash
substantially as shown in, and described with reference to, the drawings.
Jated this on day of November 1090.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.