IMPROVE- MENTS IN DISTILLING
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TOTTIE, of Crosby Square, Bishopgate Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of
February, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the eleventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Tottic, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Tottie, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Tottie, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed; should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DISTILLING," being a communication from a certain Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
I, the said William Tottie, should cause a particular description of the nature
of the said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Tottie, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
The Invention consists of causing the spirit to pass through a succession
of layers of charcoal, in suitable compartments cooled by water, so that the
alcoholic vapor having passed through one bed of charcoal, the temperature
of which is kept cool or regulated by a flow of water, the alcoholic vapour
then passes through another and another bed of charcoal, the temperature of
which is similarly regulated by water, and so on till the spirit is fully purified.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shews a section of the apparatus. a, a, a, a, are four beds of
wood charcoal or of animal charcoal, or purifying matter. Each of these com-
partments of charcoal is similarly constructed, and consists of the perforated
shelf or partition b, on which the charcoal (broken into small pieces) is laid. c is
a cover with a handle c'; this cover does not touch the vessel all round, but has
parts cut away at intervals to allow the vapours to pass up into the space below
the next shelf or partition b. Around each of the compartments containing the
charcoal is a cooling vessel to contain water. f is a supply pipe which con-
ducts the water to the lower part of the vessel e, and the quantity of water
supplied is to be capable of being regulated by a cock; g is an overflow pipe
for the water to flow off; and h is a short pipe to be kept plugged when the
apparatus is at work, and is for allowing the vessels e to be cleansed out when
required. The perforated partitions or shelves are to be made moveable, so
as to allow the charcoal to be changed. i is a compartment containing sponge
through which the alcoholic vapors pass and thence go to a suitable refrige-
rator. The apparatus is shewn to be placed at the top of the still or boiler,
but this is not essential, as it may be placed on one side if more convenient in
any particular premises. The raw spirit is run into the still and evaporated by
steam, as is well understood, and the vapour will ascend into the first com-
partment of charcoal and heat it. The water being now allowed to flow into
and from the vessel e, will enable the person attending the still to regulate the
temperature of the charcoal to such a degree as to cause the oil to be retained,
and yet allow of the alcoholic vapors rising to the next compartment of charcoal,
and so on, the person attending the working and regulating the flow of water
according to his judgment, so as on the one hand not to retard the progress of

page_text: the process more than is necessary to obtain pure spirit, and on the other hand
not to allow the process to be so rapid as to permit the spirit to come over less
pure than he may desire to obtain it. The Drawing shews four charcoal
compartments, each with its cooling vessel; but I do not confine myself to that
number, though I believe that four will be found the most convenient for
the purpose.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
the arrangement of apparatus, consisting of compartments of charcoal or
purifying matter, each with its cooling vessel as herein explained, whereby the
alcoholic vapors may, in their passage to the refrigerator, be caused to pass
successively through such compartments as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tottie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, One thousand eight
Enrolled the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our
thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
Lord One