Improvements in Stills or Apparatus for Distilling Spirits and other Liquids.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stills or Apparatus for Distilling Spirits and other
Liquids.
We, GEORGE MORRIS of 11 Langton Street, Cathay, and HENRY LLEWELLIN
WETHERED of 2 Worcester Crescent, Clifton, both in the City and County of
Bristol, Coppersmith and Engineer respectively, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in stills for the distillation of spirits,
and all kinds of other liquids, and consists of certain improvements upon and
modifications of the apparatus forming the subject matter of a previous Patent,
No. 16,063 of A.D. 1893, granted to George Morris, and William Edney.
Our present invention has for its objects:
:-
1st. Certain modifications in the shape and general construction of the apparatus,
by which certain advantages are gained, either in the general efficiency of the
apparatus, or in the cost of manufacturing the same, or both.
2nd. Of the use and application of a float, by means of which (under certain
conditions) the still is automatically fed, and the amount of its contents indicated.
In so far as regards the material or material: employed in the construction of our
improved still, the economy of space occupied thereby, the provisions for the use of
steam or dry heat for working the same, and the preferable absence of an ordinary
coil and vat, our present invention may be described as identical with that of the
previous Patent No. 16,063 of 1893 before mentioned.
In order that our invention, the manner of its operation, and the stated modifica-
tions or improvements upon the said previous Patent, may be fully and clearly
understood, reference is herein made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, which
consists of three vertical sections Figs. 1, 2 and 3, of three different forms of
construction we purpose employing in carrying our invention into effect, and taking
these in the order shewn :-
Fig. 1 consists of a pan or still A, which, when dry heat is employed, may be
heated by a suitable fire place or gas beneath it, but when steam is the heating
medium employed, and we prefer this method, the lower portion of said pan or
still A would be surrounded and enclosed by a steam tight jacket B, rivetted or
otherwise connected thereto, and having at any suitable or convenient part of its
surface, a steam inlet C, condense outlet E, and a suitable safety valve D. The
pan A would also be provided at its lowest extremities with an outlet F, passing
through, and connected by nuts or their equivalents to, the jacket B, and by means
of said outlet F the pan A may be emptied and cleansed when required.
The upper surface of A is curled outwardly at G, and is there rivetted or
otherwise connected steam tight to a cone shaped dome H, provided with a suitable
covered hand hole J, through which the pan A may be charged when spirits and
certain other liquids are being distilled, and which also offers facilities for cleansing
the still.
The lower extremities of the dome H are curled inwardly and upwardly at J',
which forms a collecting chamber or reservoir for the condensed steam, as this
trickles down the inner surface of H, and at any suitable part of J¹ we provide an
opening, covering, and communicating with which, we connect, by any suitable
means, a temporator or condensing chamber L, such as described in the said Patent
No. 16,063, or a passage leading to such a chamber L, or to a coil or worm

page_text: surrounded by a flow of cold water, in order to provide a large cooling surface for
the further condensation of the spirit or other distilled liquid, which may be led
therefrom to where desired. In Fig.
we have shewn a condensing chamber L, as
we prefer to use this arrangement with its baffle plates N, surrounding which would
be a casing N', and between this and L the flow of cold water would pass in an
upward direction, through a passage or conduit O into a chamber P, rivetted or
otherwise connected water tight to, and surrounding the upper extremities of the
cones, thus operating for cooling the upper surface of H, to assist condensation,
from which the said water would exhaust through a conduit R.
A central aperture is formed in the upper surface of the chamber P, and the
flat crown of the cone H, and through these we pass and connect, fluid tight with
both, a vertical tube S, provided with a screw-on cap T, and through this and the
tube S passes a rod U, extending downward into the pan A, carrying at its lower
end a metallic or other hollow float V, surrounded by a protecting cage W, which
may be of wire or other suitable and light material. The lower surface of the
tube S and the upper surface X of the cage W are so formed, that as the float V
rises, X acts as a valve and closes the passage through S. A communication
between the tube S and the water exhaust pipe R is made by a passage Y, governed
by a suitable cock or tap Y!.
The level of the water in A would naturally lower as evaporation proceeded,
whereby the float V would fall, opening the passage through the tube S, thereby
allowing water to flow from R, through the passage Y, and the tube S, into the
pan A, to replace that evaporated, and as the level of the liquid in A would thereby
be raised, the float V and its cage W would also rise and again close the passage
through S, and by this means we obtain an automatic feed of liquor to the pan A,
and the exact level of the liquid in A may be always known by means of a
pointer Z, fixed upon the upper end of the rod U, which may, if desired, indicate
such level upon a graduated scale adjacent thereto. This automatic feed can be
used only when water is being distilled, but when spirits or other liquids are being
distilled, the passage Y would be closed by its tap or cock Y¹, the float V and its
accessories still operating to indicate the contents of A.
In Fig. 2 we illustrate another method of construction. According to this
arrangement the pan A forms about two thirds of a sphere, and to its upper
extremities is joined, by brazing, rivetting or otherwise, or prolonged continued so
as to form, a domed chamber II, and at the junction or waist of A and H', a
horizontal diaphragm J is provided, rivetted or otherwise connected to H¹ or A,
or both, and in this is formed any number of holes or steam passages, each covered
by a short tube a, through which the steam generated in A would pass into H'.
In this device also the pan A may be heated by dry heat or steam, preferably the
Intter, and partly surrounded by a steam jacket B and its accessories as shewn, and
the tube S would pass through the crown of the dome H', terminating at its lower
end, preferably slightly below the diaphragm J", to which the lower end of S
would be fixed steam tight, and formed to receive the portion X of the cage L,
>urrounding a float V upon the lower end of a rod U, precisely the same as in the
previous method.
The cold water flow in this arrangement would be, preferably, led into the tube S,
by a conduit b, and exhaust therefrom through a tube R, thus keeping the tube S
always full of water, as in the previous method, the automatic feed of which into
the pan A, would be governed by the rise and fall of the float V, in the same
manner as in Fig. 1, the rod U in like manner being provided with a pointer Z.
The steam as generated in A would pass upwardly through the tubes a into the
dome H, and by condensation trickle down its inner surface onto the diaphragm J",
from which it would be led through an aperture in H' and a tube or passage c, into
a temporator or condensing passage, such as L N in Fig. 1 or its alternative coil or
worm for perfecting its final condensation and cooling. The dome H¹ may, if
necessary, be provided with a jacket, such as P in Fig. 1; into which a flow of cold
water may pass and exhaust, although such jacket is not shewn in Fig. 2.

page_text: In Fig. 3 we illustrate a further modification of construction, in which the shape.
of the chamber A somewhat resembles that shewn in Fig. 1, and may or may not.
be partly surrounded by a steam jacket B and its accessories, as in the previous
method, and has rivetted or otherwise connected thereto a cover d, in the form <f
an inverted funnel, the tubular portion of which e, is rivetted or otherwise con-
nected to a semi-spherical shaped chamber H", the bottom of which is slightly
concave, or tapers from its centre to its outer extremities. In this arrangement
the tube S passes through, and is connected steam tight with the crown of H",
and passing downward through the centre of e terminates about level with the line
of junction of A and d, at which part it may be steadied and firmly held by
suitable cross stays y, connected thereto and the upper surface of A. or the lower
surface of d or both. The tube S is formed at its lower end for receiving, and
acting as a valve in combination with, the portion X of the cage L of the float V,
attached to a rod U as in the previous methods, the feed of water being conveyed
to, and exhausted from the tube S by inlet and outlet R in the same manner as
at Fig. 2.
By this arrangement the steam generated in A would pass upward through e
into the condensing chamber H", and would trickle down the sides of this onto the
bottom, the formation of which would cause the said condensed steam to flow
outwardly away from the passage e, and at any suitable part of the junction of Hr
and an opening would be formed, through which the condensed water would flow
into a passage c from which it would be led and further condensed and cooled in
precisely the same manner as that described and provided in relation to Fig. 2.
cold water jacket may partly or wholly surround the chamber H" if desired.
A
It will therefore be understood that in either of the foregoing methods of
constructing the said still or apparatus, the automatic feed of the water to the
pan A, by the action of the rod and float S V, and the accessories operating in
conjunction therewith constitutes a decided advantage over, and improvement upon,
the still or apparatus described and shewn in the previous Patent before mentioned,
No. 160633, as the apparatus herein described and shewn when once placed in
operation, would require little or no attention from the attendant, and by reason of
each apparatus being provided with an indicator Z, and may be a graduated index,
the level of the liquid in the pan A. could be known at a glance, thus enabling one
person to attend to almost any number of such apparatus.
We wish it understood that we may construct a still or apparatus, operating
substantially as herein described by any suitable combination of the foregoing
methods, if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is-
1st. In an improved still for the distillation of spirits and all kinds of other
liquids, the construction and use of the herein described apparatus, and the several
alternative methods of arranging the same, and the several parts and connections,
or their equivalents, employed therewith, or and any desired or suitable combi-
nation or duplication thereof, connected and operating substantially as and for the
objects and purposes herein described and shewn.
2nd. In an improved still or apparatus for the distillation of any and all kinds
of liquids, the combination of a pan or boiler A with tube F, and with or
without steam jacket B, provided with steam inlet C, safety valve D, and outlet E.
The cone H, with hand hole J mounted upon A, and provided with a lip or
condense reservoir J', emptying into a suitable temporator or cooling apparatus
such as LN, surrounded by a flow of cold water contained within a chamber or
passages N. The water jacket P surrounding the crown of H, provided with
exhaust R, connected by a cock-governed passage Y with a tube S, passing down-
ward through P and H into A, and shaped at its lower end to form a valve by the
reception of a like-shaped portion X, of the cage or frame W, of a float V,

page_text: connected to a rod U passing upward through S, and provided with a pointer Z,
the whole connected, combined and operating, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and shewn by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In an improved still or apparatus for the distillation of any and all kinds
of liquids, the combination of a pan or boiler A and tube F, with or without a
steam jacket B and its accessories C, E, D, and surmounted by a dome H¹, commu-
nicating with A by any number of steam passages a in a diaphragm J", and
provided with a condense outlet c communicating with a water surrounded
temperator or cooling passage such as L, N, N¹. The tube S passing downward
through and connected to the crown of H' and the diaphragm J" and shaped at
its lower end to form a valve by the reception of a like shaped portion X of the
cage or frame W of a float V, connected to a rod U having a pointer Z and
passing upward through tube S, in communication with a supply and constant flow
of cold water entering S at 6 and exhausting therefrom through R, with or without
a jacket such as P in Fig. 1, the whole connected, combined and operating
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by Fig. 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
4th. In an improved still or apparatus for the distillation of any and all kinds of
liquids, the combination of a pan or boiler A, having a tube F, and with or without
a steam jacket B and its accessories C. E. D, and surmounted by a funnel shaped
canopy de, surmounted by a semi-spherical condensing chamber H". The tube S,
connected to and passing downward through the crown of Hinto the pan A,
supported at its lower end by stays, such as g, and shaped at its lower end to form
a valve by the reception of a like shaped portion X, of the cage or frame W of a
float V, connected to a rod U having a pointer Z, and passing upward through
tube S, in communication with a supply and constant flow of cold water, entering
at band exhausting therefrom through R, with or without a jacket such as P
in Fig. 1, the whole connected combined and operating, substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and shewn by Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 12th day of January 1905
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C...
Agent for the Applicants.