Improvements in and relating to Continuous Working Spirit Stills.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Continuous Working Spirit Stills.
I, DAVID ALEXANDER BLAIR, of the Firm of Blair, Campbell and McLean,
Scotland Street Copper and Brass Foundry, 18 Scotland Street, in the City and
County of Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
;
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction,
and arrangement and combination of the parts of continuous working spirit stills
that is, stills formed of single vertical columns, fitted with a continuous overhead
series of "wash" containing and circulating traps, and having an upward flowing
or circulating current of spirit accumulating vapour; and working in combination
with "wash heaters and worm or other condenser, and capable under slight
modification of being used for concentrating or rectifying. The principal object of
my improvements is to obtain a more extended surface of "wash" or liquid on
which the distilling action can take place, and to produce in one operation pure
alcoholic spirit of high strength and good quality.
In carrying these improvements into practice the vertical column or still would
preferably be formed of a series of overlapping flanged sections of circular,
rectangular or other shape, and would be heated at its lower end by a steam coil or
equivalent heater, and be fitted with a series of transverse horizontal flat plates or
trays of cylindrical, square or other section at short spaced distances apart through-
out its length and those at the lower part would preferably have an aperture in the
centre and projecting up collar or ferrule, and an overlapping bell shaped bonnet or
hood resting by feet or bearings on the flat tray plates, so. that the ascending hot.
vapour may pass upwards through the apertures in transverse trays and be deflected
by the hoods to pass through the "wash" liquor over the trays fed by gravity from
above; these trays being fitted with overflow pipes so as to feed with liquor those
below them.
By my improvements these transverse trays, and especially those fitted near the
upper end of the vertical column, are formed of an improved construction consisting
in having a scroll or spiral strip or guide plate or plates formed or fitted over them,
and in forming or fitting a series of small collar apertures and overhead deflecting
domes in each tray, as say a dozen, ranged spirally like the guide plate, and so that
the "wash" liquor is caused to travel or circulate in spiral manner before passing
to the overflow feed pipe which would be placed at the centre and one side
respectively of alternate trays, and hence an increased surface is obtained on which
the distilling action takes place.
An annular vessel or water bath would be fitted at the top of the vertical column,
and which can be periodically filled or circulated with water such as by a branch
and tap connection from the pipe leading to the usual testing worm, so as to be able
when desired to reduce or regulate the temperature of the alcoholic charged vapour
passing out of the column.
The alcoholic or spirit vapour would pass from the top of the vertical column to
the upper end of one or more preferably the first of a set of two "wash." liquor
heating vessels. These vessels would preferably be formed of vertical cylindrical
shape, and be fitted with a series of baffle plates projecting alternately from opposite
sides to near the other side, and have a series of vertical tubes extending from tube..
plates fitted in chambers at top and bottom of these vessels. The "wash liquor
"

page_text: would be fed from an overhead cistern to the bottom chamber of the vessel nearest
the condenser, and it would circulate up through the tubes to the top chamber, of
this vessel and pass from this by a downward flow pipe outside the vessel to the
bottom chamber of the next "wash" heater, and after circulating up through the
tubes in it to the top chamber would pass from this vessel by a downtake pipe to
the upper part of the vertical column from whence it would pass down through the
deflecting and circulating trays to charge the vapour with alcoholic spirit as
previously described.
ระ
The alcoholic vapour passing from the top vertical column to the upper part of
the first "wash" liquor heater, to raise the temperature of the liquor before passing
to column is made by the baffle plates to take a zigzag downward circuit through
the "wash "heater, and in doing so the "heavier alcoholic vapours are condensed
and fall to the bottom of the vessel from whence they are drawn off as hereinafter
described. The lighter alcoholic vapour then passes by a branch at the lower end
of the "wash" heater into a vessel which I term a separator or trap condenser
where the unseparated heavier vapours may be condensed; and the lighter spirit
pass from this separator to the upper part of the next "wash vessel and
perform the same functions in passing through it, and then pass into another "heavy
vapour separator or trap, from whence the lighter and matured spirit vapour
would by a branch pipe be carried to a worm condenser to be distilled in the
ordinary manner.
would
"
"
The heavier alcoholic vapour condensed and accumulated at the lower part of
the "wash" heaters would be led by branch connections to the separators, and the
condensed vapour in these would be led back by a pipe and branch connections
to the upper part of the liquor circulating and distilling vertical column to be again
distilled.
Dated 12th February 1804
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Continuous Working Spirit Stills.
I, DAVID ALEXANDER BLAIR, of the Firm of Blair, Campbell and M Lean,
Scotland Street Copper and Brass Foundry, 18- Scotland Street, in the City and
County of Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction,
and arrangement and combination of the parts of continuous working spirit stills;
that is, stills formed of single vertical columns fitted with a continuous overhead
series of "wash" containing, and circulating trays, and having an upward flowing
or circulating current of spirit accumulating vapour; and working in combination
with "wash" heaters and worm or other condenser, and capable under slight
modification of being used for concentrating or rectifying. The principal object of
my improvements is to obtain a more extended surface of "wash or liquid on
which the distilling action can take place, and to produce in one operation pure
alcoholic spirit of high strength and good quality.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 is an elevation, showing a vertical continuous working spirit still, broken
away towards the lower part, with its wash heaters, condenser, and connecting
fittings, the vertical column with its circulating arrangements being shown in section,
and the condenser as broken away.

page_text: .
Figure 2 is a horizontal section or plan view showing the position of the scroll
plates and brass bells or hoods of one of the trays, and
Figure 3 is a vertical section to an enlarged scale of one of the brass bells or hoods
and fittings.
Referring to these drawings:-In carrying these improvements into practice the
vertical column or still would preferably be formed of a series of overlapping flanged
sections A of circular, rectangular, or other shape, and would be heated at its lower
end by a steam coil or equivalent heater at A and be fitted with a series of
transverse horizontal flat plates or trays a of cylindrical, square or other section at
short spaced distances apart throughout its length, and those at the lower part
would preferably have an aperture a¹ in the centre and projecting up collar or.
ferrule a² and an overlapping bell shaped bonnet or hood a³ resting by feet or
bearings a on the flat tray plates a so that the ascending hot vapour may pass
upwards through the apertures a¹ in transverse trays a and be deflected by the
hoods a³ to pass through the "wash" liquor over the trays a fed by gravity from
above; these trays a being fitted with overflow pipes a so as to feed with liquor
those below them.
}
By my improvements these transverse trays a, and especially those fitted near.
the upper end of the vertical column, are formed of an improved construction
consisting, as shown in Figure 2, in having a scroll or spiral strip or guide plate
or plates formed or fitted over them and in forming or fitting a series of small
collar apertures a a² and overhead deflecting domes a³ in each tray.a, as say a
dozen, ranged spirally like the guide plate b and so that the wash liquor is caused
to travel or circulate in spiral manner before passing to the overflow feed pipe a
which would be placed at the centre and one side respectively of alternate trays a
and hence an increased surface is obtained on which the distilling action takes
place.
An annular vessel or water bath A' would be fitted at the top of the vertical
column A, which can be periodically filled or circulated with water such as by a
branch and tap connection A³ from the pipe C' leading to the usual testing worm C,
so as to be able, when desired, to reduce or regulate the temperature of the
alcoholic charged vapour passing out of the column.
The alcoholic or spirit vapour would pass from the top of the vertical column A
by a pipe D to the upper end of the first D of a set of two "wash" liquor heating
vessels D, E. These vessels D, E, would preferably be formed of vertical
cylindrical shape, and be fitted with a series of baffle plates c projecting alternately
from opposite sides to near the other side, and have a series of vertical tubes
extending from tube plates fitted at c' in chambers D' D' E' E' at top and bottom
of these vessels D E. The "wash " liquor would be fed from an overhead cistern
to the bottom chamber E2 of the vessel E nearest the condenser F, and it would
circulate up through the tubes to the top chamber E' of this vessel and pass from
this by a downward flow pipe e outside the vessel to the bottom chamber D² of the
next wash heater D and after circulating up through the tubes in it to the top
chamber D¹ would pass from this vessel by a downtake pipe to the upper part of
the vertical column A from whence it would pass down through the deflecting and
circulating trays a to charge the vapour with alcoholic spirit as previously
described.
The alcoholic vapour passing by the pipe D" from the top of vertical column A
to the upper part of the first wash" liquor heater D to raise the temperature of
the liquor before passing to column is made by the baffle plates e to take a zigzag
downward circuit through the "wash" heater D and in doing so the "heavier
alcoholic vapours are condensed and fall to the bottom of the vessel D from whence
they are drawn off as hereinafter described. The lighter alcoholic vapour then
passes by a branch D³ at the lower end of the "wash "heater D into a vessel G
which I term a separator or trap condenser where the unseparated heavier vapours
may be condensed; and the lighter spirit would pass from this separator by the
pipe g to the upper part of the next "wash vessel E, and perform the same
"

page_text: functions in passing through it, and then pass by the branch E' into another "heavy
vapour" separator or trap G' from whence the lighter and matured spirit vapour
would by a branch pipe g₁ be carried to a worm condenser F to be condensed in the
ordinary manner.
The heavier alcoholic vapour condensed and accumulated at the lower part of the
"wash" heaters E D, would be led by branch connections 92 93 to the
separators G, G', and the condensed vapour in these would be led back by a pipe h
and branch connections h³ ³ to a port ³ in the upper part of the liquor circulating
and distilling vertical column A to be again distilled.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. In continuous working spirit stills, the fitting and use within the vertical"
column, of transverse trays having a scroll or spiral strip or plate and a series of
apertures and deflecting domes or hoods so that the wash liquor is caused to circulate
in spiral manner before passing to the overflow feed pipes substantially as herein
described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of
continuous working spirit stills, with heaters and separators, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dad 1 L AL
1001
"
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.