IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF TAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE
DISTILLATION OF TAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."-A communication from
abroad by John Pericles Vincent, John Stevens Richards, Orange Noble,
Charles Harrison Lovrein, and Henry Rawle, all of Erie, Pennsylvania
State, and Levi Spaulding Fales, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd August 1866, and dated the 28th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th February 1866.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
THE DISTILLATION OF TAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has more especially for its object to obtain oil of a uniform
specific gravity of about 45°, suitable for illuminating purposes,
from tar,
paraffine, and the heavy residual oils which result from the distillation of
petroleum or the redistillation of coal oils, and the boiling or evaporating
temperature of which is so much higher than that at which the lighter oils

page_text: desired to be obtained will assume a vaporiform state, that in their distillation
there will be evolved from them a large quantity of heavier vapours.
The Invention consists in the application of a cooling medium at the outlet
of the retort for the purpose of cooling the vapours at that point to a sufficient
degree to cause the condensation and separation of the heavier portions and
their return to the still, while the vapours of the lighter illuminating oils are
left free to pass on alone to the ordinary condenser, in which they are finally
condensed. In the progress of the distilling process the increasing density of
the oil or other substance remaining in the retort requires an increasing heat
to produce its evaporation, and consequently the vapours rising from the retort
have an increasing temperature. It is necessary in order to obtain a uniform
density of the product which passes ever to the condenser, where final con-
densation is effected, that there should also be an increased application of
the cooling medium sufficient to maintain a uniform temperature of the
cooling apparatus wherein the separation of the heavier and lighter vapours
is effected. The Invention therefore consists in the employment in connection
with a cooling apparatus applied at the outlet of the retort, between it and the
ordinary condenser, of means for regulating the supply or action of water or
other cooling medium, by which the separation of the heavier from the lighter
vapours is effected, as to obtain the uniform density of the product of final
condensation.
The Invention further consists in placing the cooling surfaces around or
within a dome or elevated chamber situated directly over and in communi-
cation with the retort or body of the still, so that it may constitute in effect a
portion of the same, and provide for a free and unobstructed return of the
condensed heavier products to the lower part of the still. The cooling
surfaces consist of a vessel supplied with water, which is kept constantly
running through, the quantity or the temperature being regulated by pipes
provided with cocks, so that the quantity of water that passes through the
condensing chamber may be regulated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th August 1866.
TO ALL ΤΟ WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County 3
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF TAR AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention has more especially for its object to obtain oil of a uniform
specific gravity of about forty-five degrees, suitable for illuminating purposes,
from tar, paraffine, and the heavy residual oils which result from the distilla-
tion of petroleum or the redistillation of coal oils, and the boiling or
evaporating temperature of which is so much higher than that at which the
lighter oils desired to be obtained will assume a vaporiform state, that in
their distillation there will be evolved from them a large quantity of heavier
vapors.
The Invention consists in the application of a cooling medium at the outlet
of the retort for the purpose of cooling the vapors at that point to a sufficient
degree to cause the condensation and separation of the heavier portions and
their return to the still, while the vapors of the lighter illuminating oils are
left free to pass on alone to the ordinary condenser, in which they are finally
condensed. In the progress of the distilling process the increasing density of

page_text: the oil or other substance remaining in the retort requires an increasing heat
to produce its evaporation, and consequently the vapors rising from the
retort have an increasing temperature. It is necessary in order to obtain an
uniform density of the product which passes over to the condenser, where final
condensation is effected, that there should also be an increased application of
the cooling medium sufficient to maintain an uniform temperature of the
cooling apparatus, wherein the separation of the heavier and lighter vapors is
effected. The Invention therefore consists in the employment in connection
with a cooling apparatus applied at the outlet of the retort, between it and
the ordinary condenser, of means for regulating the supply or action of water
or other cooling medium by which the separation of the heavier from the
lighter vapors is effected, so as to obtain the uniform density of the product
of final condensation.
The Invention further consists in placing the cooling surfaces (through
which the above mentioned separation of the heavier and lighter products by
the influence of cold water or air is obtained) around or within a dome or
elevated chamber situated directly over and in such unobstructed communica-
tion with the retort or body of the still that it may constitute in effect a
portion of the same, and provide for a free and unobstructed return of the
condensed heavier products to the lower part of the still.
In the accompanying Drawing A is the retort or body of the still, which is
of any usual or suitable form, and is heated by a fire below, or by other
suitable means; B is a dome or elevated chamber on the top of the retort or
body A, and having the bottom entirely open thereto. To this dome or
chamber is attached the goose neck or outlet pipe C leading to the ordinary
condenser (not shewn). This dome is surrounded by a jacket D, which may
be open or closed at the top, but is represented open. This jacket has
connected with it a pipe b furnished with a stop-cock b¹ for the admission of
cold water from any suitable reservoir (not shewn). Within the dome there
is arranged a close vessel F, which has connected with it a pipe c furnished
with a stop-cock c' for the admission of cold water. The jacket D is furnished
at different heights with faucets d, d', d, for the escape of the water admitted
by the pipe b. The vessel F is also furnished at different heights with faucets
e, e¹, es, for the escape of the water admitted by the pipe c. The operation of
the apparatus is as follows:-The still having been charged with the tar or
other substance to be distilled is then heated till ebullition commences; cold
water is then admitted to the jacket D and vessel F by opening the cocks b₁
and c¹ for the purpose of ccoling the dome or elevated chamber B, and thereby
producing the condensation of the heavier vapors, and causing their condensed

page_text: products to fall back into the retort, the water flowing through the jacket and
vessel, and escaping by the lower faucets d and c. The vapors which pass
from the dome by the outlet pipe C without being condensed are condensed
by their passage through the ordinary condenser, and are collected in a suitable
receiver in which their condensed products are tested by the hydrometer, and
if found to be of a specific gravity above forty-five degrees Beaumé one or
more of the faucets d, d1, d2; and e, e¹, e², are closed, commencing with the
lowest d and e, to allow the water to rise to a greater height in the jacket D
and vessel F, and increase the condensation in the dome or elevated chamber
B till the escaping condensed products have the desired specific gravity. As
the distillation proceeds, and the tar or other substance in the still becomes
nore dense, which will be detected by the diminution of quantity of the
escaping condensed products or their diminished specific gravity, the heat
applied to the retort is increased, and as this increased heat will cause the
elimination of heavier vapors the effective cooling surfaces of the jacket D
and vessel F will have to be increased from time to time by closing the faucets
next above those previously closed, for it is necessary to maintain a nearly
uniform temperature in the dome or elevated chamber B, in order to obtain
a nearly uniform density of the escaping condensed products. Instead of
increasing the effective cooling surface in the dome or elevated chamber B, as
above described, by causing the water to rise higher in the jacket D and
vessel F, the increased cooling effect of the cold water flowing through the
jacket and vessel may be obtained by increasing the flow of water. This
may be done by raising the head in the reservoir from which the jacket
and vessel are supplied. The flow of water may, however, be produced by
means of a force pump instead of by the pressure of the column in the
elevated reservoir, and in that case the jacket D should be closed at the top,
and the increased flow of water may be obtained by increasing the speed of
the pump. If cold air be used as the cooling medium the jacket D should
be closed at the top, and the air forced through the jacket and vessel F by a
fan or other blowing apparatus, and the increased cooling effect obtained by
increasing the speed of the apparatus.
I would remark that it may not be desirable in all cases to use both the
jacket D and the internal cooling vessel F, as a sufficient cooling effect might
be obtained by the use of either of those contrivances alone.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in the Process
of and Apparatus for the Distillation of Tar and other Substances," as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
First, the use of a cooling chamber applied or provided at or near the
outlet of a retort, between it and the ordinary condenser, for the separation of
the heavier from the lighter vapors eliminated in the distillation of tar
and heavy oils and substances, and provided with means for regulating the
supply or action of the cooling medium, as herein described, whereby a
uniform density of light oil is obtained.
Second, I claim increasing the cooling effect as the heat of the still is
increased, either by increasing the effective cooling surface, or increasing the
flow of the cooling medium, as herein described.
Third, I claim the arrangement of the cooling surfaces around or within a
dome or elevated chamber situated directly over the retort, and in such
'unobstructed communication therewith as to form in effect a portion thereof,
as and for the purpose herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E.
(4.5.)