Improvements in the Distillation of Ammoniacal and other Liquors, the Concentration of Liquids and Salts in Solutions, and in the Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Aug., 1887
Complete Accepted, 4th Oct., 1887
Improvements in the Distillation of Ammoniacal and other Liquors,
the Concentration of Liquids and Salts in Solutions, and in the
Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
I ALEXANDER ANGUS CROLL of the Wool Exchange Coleman Street in the City
of London, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements have reference to improved means for effecting the distillation
of ammoniacal liquors, also applicable in effecting the evaporation or concentration of
other liquids and salts in solution.
In distilling ammoniacal liquors or other liquors or concentrating salts in solution
(hereinafter shortly referred to as the liquor) the treated matter flows into a series of
superposed receiving vessels within a suitable enclosing chamber or casing, the lower-
most or other vessel or receiver being provided with a suitable means of drawing off
its contents.
A fire-place in which may be burned charcoal or highly-carbonised coke or similar
fuel is arranged to heat air, induced to flow into the apparatus and to and over the
surfaces of the liquids under treatment which in the case of a liquor treated not
requiring its vapour to be forced eventually through or below the surface of another
liquid, is allowed to flow or be drawn in contact with the heating means and then
through and between the openings and passages formed and over the surfaces of the
liquor, under the draught of a chimney or shaft when such can be conveniently
obtained or the draught may be otherwise induced into connection with the passage or
outlet of the evaporating chamber, after it has served to convey the evaporated gases
or vapours from the liquor into a chamber or second vessel where they are treated
with a suitable reagent or passed through absorbent matters, if required say, in the
case of ammoniacal liquor, the vapours would be passed into contact with acidulated
sawdust or similar absorbent matters or media.
The fire place in the foregoing instance would be open more or less for free access
of air to support combustion and to be heated and the shaft would afford the means
of drawing the requisite current of air through the apparatus but when it is required
. 021

page_text: to force the vapours from the distilling or hot air passage over the liquor below the
surface of liquor in another chamber or vessel then the fireplace or furnace is most
conveniently a closed one and air under pressure is caused to enter through a suitable
passage or suitable passages and to be forced into contact with the heating means and
then through the apparatus over the surfaces of the liquor treated in lieu of being
drawn-say-in the case of the production directly of Sulphate of Ammonia by
forcing the vapours into and so as to pass through sulphuric acid contained in a
suitable vessel, or the air may be heated to a high temperature by any other suitable
means and in such condition induced to flow or be forced through the passage so as to
treat the ammoniacal liquor or other liquid or salt in solution without passing through
the fire.
Dated the 25th day of November 1886.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE DECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Distillation of Ammoniacal and other Liquors,
the Concentration of Liquids and Salts in Solutions, and in the
Means or Apparatus Employed therein.
I SOPHIA HILL CROLL of Beechwood Reigate in the County of Surrey Widow and
Administratrix with the will annexed of Alexander Angus Croll late of the Wool
Exchange Coleman Street in the City of London Civil Engineer deceased 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 :-
-
These improvements have reference to improved means for effecting the distillation
of ammoniacal liquors, also applicable in effecting the evaporation or concentration of
other liquids and salts in solution.
In distilling ammoniacal liquors or other liquors or concentrating salts in solution
(hereinafter shortly referred to as the liquor) the treated matter flows into a series of
superposed receiving vessels within a suitable enclosing chamber or casing, the
lowermost or other vessel or receiver being provided with a suitable means of drawing
off its contents.
A fire-place in which may be burned charcoal or highly carbonised coke or similar
fuel is arranged to heat air, induced to flow along with the hot products of combustion

page_text: into the apparatus and to and over the surfaces of the liquids under treatment which
in the case of a liquor treated not requiring its vapour to be forced eventually through
or below the surface of another liquid, is allowed to flow or be drawn in contact with
the heating means and then through and between the openings and passages formed
and over the surfaces of the liquor, under the draught of a chimney or shaft when
such can be conveniently obtained or the draught may be otherwise induced into
connection with the passage or outlet of the evaporating chamber after it has served
to convey the evaporated gases or vapours from the liquor into a chamber or second
vessel where they are treated with a suitable reagent or passed through absorbent
matters, if required say, in the case of ammoniacal liquor, the vapours would be
passed into contact with acidulated sawdust or similar absorbent matters or media.
The fire-place in the foregoing instance would be open more or less for free access
of air to support combustion and to be heated and the shaft would afford the means
of drawing the requisite current of air through the apparatus but when it is required
to force the vapours from the distilling passage over the liquor below the surface of
liquor in another chamber or vessel then an exhauster may be used to draw the air
and products of combustion through the furnace and still or the fireplace or furnace
may be a closed one and air under pressure is caused to enter through a suitable
passage or suitable passages and to be forced into contact with the heating means and
then through the apparatus over the surfaces of the liquor treated in lieu of being
drawn-say-in the case of the production directly of Sulphate of Ammonia by
forcing the vapours into and so as to pass through sulphuric acid contained in a
suitable vessel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section of a portion of a still or concentrating apparatus
arranged according to my invention the upper portion being broken away.
Figure 2 shews a transverse sectional view of the furnace taken at about the
line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, or at
the line of juncture of the still and furnace brickwork.
Figure 4 shews a transverse section of the still at about the line 3-3 of Figure 1
shewing plan of the flue pipes from the furnace to the still above.
Figure 5 shews a section of the bottom of the still and a small portion of the side
wall with its bottom flanges.
Figure 6 shews in vertical section the case or shell of the still and evaporator with
the annular supports formed on the inner wall thereof for the support of the trays
or vessels which are superposed on those borne by these supports, in the manner shewn
by Figure 1.
Figure 7 shews a transverse section of the still taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1
with one of the trays in position.
Figure 8 shews a section taken vertically of one of these trays.
Figure 9 is a plan of the still bottom separately.
a is the fire place having an arched roof thereto a' in which are formed openings or
holes as shewn at a passing up to but being closed by the bottom of the still 6 so as
to allow of heat radiating through such openings and acting upon the still to heat it.
a³ are flue pipes rising into the still bottom. These and the other parts of the furnace
chamber are lined with firebrick or like refractory material.
6 is the bottom of the still b. 62 is the circular wall thereof 6' is a manhole to
afford access to the still closed by a suitable cover 6. 6 is a draw off channel for the
Oliquid which has been concentrated or deprived of its volatile matter which has been
driven off by the heated gases.
في
The heated gases pass up through the opening c¹ through the tray c and over the
ledge along the surface of the liquor in the tray c and below the under surface of
the tray d through the opening d therein then over the ledge d' thereof over the
surface of liquor therein in the reverse direction then up through the opening e' in the
tray e over the ledge e² and the surface of the liquor therein and so on passing to and

page_text: fro in a tortuous direction under and over the superposed trays which from the
uppermost are supplied with liquor by its trickling from one to the next below, the
uppermost tray receiving its supply of liquor through a seal tube on top of still..
The trays are strengthened by a rib across each as c³.
In the furnace a will be burned charcoal or highly carbonized coke or other
similar fuel to heat air which is forced or drawn therethrough, entering at ashpit or
furnace door.
From this vessel the gases with the ammonia absorbed (in the case of ammoniacal
liquor being the liquor under treatment) are conveyed by means of an outlet passage f
to be treated in saturators of the ordinary or any suitable type.
The material of which the still is constructed would depend upon the nature of the
liquor to be dealt with thus iron would be suitable for treating ammoniacal liquor but
in concentration of Sulphuric acid some other material would have to be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
The herein described method of and apparatus for the distillation of Ammoniacal
and other liquors, the concentration of liquids and salts in solutions substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
TL
L
A1005