IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonso Louis Normandy, of Hollybush Place,
Bethnal Green, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
Sealed the 28th November 1873, and dated the 4th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Louis Nor-
mandy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 4th October 1873.
I, ALPHONSE LOUIS NORMANDY, of Hollybush Place, Bethnal Green,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING MACHINES," to be as follows:—
My Invention has reference to improved means for regulating the
supply of sea water or other liquid to be distilled to distilling machines,
and consists in the application to such machines of a self-acting feed box
constructed and operating in the following manner :-Inside a closed
box or vessel fixed to the distilling machine at a proper level is a float
provided with a vertical spindle, the upper part of which slides in a
removeable guide fixed in the upper part of the feed box, while the part

page_text: of the spindle below the float is provided at its lower end with an
enlargement or plunger which slides vertically in a bush or cylinder
fixed in the lower part of the feed box. This bush or cylinder is pro-
vided with a side hole communicating with a pipe or passage through
which the liquid to be distilled enters the feed box. The plunger is so 5
arranged relatively to the float that when the liquid sinks below a
certain level in the feed box the plunger in sinking with the float will
uncover the side hole in the bush, and will thus allow the liquid to
enter the feed box. As the level of the liquid rises in the feed box the
plunger in rising with the float will gradually cover the side hole in the 10
bush, and will thus check the flow of the liquid into the box, and when
the liquid rises in the latter slightly beyond the desired level the
plunger will entirely close the side hole, and thus cut off the supply of
liquid.
The liquid passes to the distilling machine from the lower part of the 15
feed box by a pipe made with a bend or dip in it in the shape of the
letter U, so that the heated liquid in the distilling machine may not
unduly heat or interchange with the liquid in the feed box.
The flow of the fluid to the side hole in the bush may also be checked
by a cock or stop valve on the supply pipe when desired, and the liquid 20
passes through a strainer before it reaches the feed box, so as to keep
back any solid impurities which might interfere with the action of the
machine. An overflow pipe is also fitted to the upper part of the feed
box a little above the desired level of the liquid therein, so as to run off
any excess of liquid which might at times find its way into the 25
feed box.
The enlargement of the spindle forming the plunger, as before men-
tioned, is made sufficiently long to more than cover the side hole in the
bush, and the spindle and the upper guide are made so as to limit the
extent to which the plunger can move up, so that the lower end of the 30
plunger cannot rise quite up to the side hole in the bush, so as to open
it underneath the plunger, and a stop in the feed box situated under-
neath the bush limits the extent to which the plunger can slide down
through the bush.
In cases where the liquid admitted to the feed box is under much 35
pressure I prefer to make the bush in which the plunger works with an
annular recess inside about the same width as the sido hole, so that the

page_text: pressure of the liquid may act all round the plunger, and thereby enable
it to move more readily.
In some cases where the liquid in the distilling machine is under
pressure that part of the feed box which is above the level of the liquid
inside it must also be put in communication with the distilling machine
by a pipe or passage, so as to equalize the pressure on the liquid in the
feed box, and keep it at the proper level; but in other cases a few holes
open to the atmosphere are provided, so that the air may escape from
the feed box, and not resist the entrance of the fluid therein.
The upper part of the feed box is provided with a removeable cover,
so that the interior may be examined and the float readily withdrawn,
or its action observed whenever necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alphonse Louis Normandy in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
LOUIS NORMANDY, of Hollybush Place, Bethnal Groen, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alphonse Louis Normandy, Her
special license that I, the said Alphonse Louis Normandy, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alphonse Louis Normandy, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alphonse
Louis Normandy, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 calcndar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alphonse Louis Normandy, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention has reference to improved means for regulating the
supply of sea water or other liquid to be distilled to distilling machines,
and consists in the application to such machines of a self-acting feed
box constructed and operating in the following manner:-Inside a
closed box or vessel, fixed to the distilling machine at a proper level, is
a float provided with a vertical spindle, the upper part of which slides in
a removeable guide fixed in the upper part of the feed box, while the
part of the spindle below the float is provided at its lower end with an
enlargement or plunger, which slides vertically in a bush or cylinder
fixed in the lower part of the feed box. This bush or cylinder is pro-
vided with a side hole communicating with a pipe or passage through
which the liquid to be distilled enters the feed box. The plunger is so
arranged relatively to the float that when the liquid sinks below a
certain level in the feed box the plunger in sinking with the float will
uncover the side hole in the bush, and will thus allow the liquid to
enter the feed box. As the level of the liquid rises in the feed box the
plunger in rising with the float will gradually cover the side hole in the
bush, and will thus check the flow of the liquid into the box, and when
the liquid rises in the latter slightly beyond the desired level the
plunger will entirely close the side hole, and thus cut off the supply of
liquid.
The liquid passes to the distilling machine from the lower part of the
feed box by a pipe made with a bend or dip in it in the shapo of the
letter U, so that the heated liquid in the distilling machine may not
unduly heat or interchange with the liquid in the feed box.
The flow of the fluid to the side hole in the bush may also be checked
by a cock or stop valve on the supply pipe when desired, and the liquid.

page_text: passes through a strainer before it reaches the feed box, so as to keep
back any solid impurities which might interfere with the action of the
machine. An overflow pipe is also fitted to the upper part of the feed
box a little above the desired level of the liquid therein, so as to run off
any excess of liquid which might at times find its way into the
feed box.
The enlargement of the spindle forming the plunger, as before men-
ționed, is made sufficiently long to more than cover the side hole in the
bush, and the spindle and the upper guide are made so as to limit the
extent to which the plunger can move up, so that the lower end of the
plunger cannot rise quite up to the side hole in the bush, so as to open.
it underneath the plunger and. a stop in the feed box situated under-.
neath the bush limits the extent to which the plunger- can slide down
through the bush.
•
In cases where the liquid admitted to the feed box is under much
pressure I prefer to make the bush in which the plunger works with an
annular recess inside about the same width as the side hole, so that the
pressure of the liquid may act all round the plunger, and thereby enable
enable it to move more readily.
In some cases where the liquid in the distilling machine is under
pressure that part of the feed box which is above the level of the liquid
inside it must also be put in communication with the distilling machine
by a pipe or passage, so.as to equalize the pressure on the liquid in the
feed box, and keep it at the proper level; but in other cases a few holes
open to the atmosphere are providod, so that the air may escape from
the feed box, or it may escape by the overflow pipe so as not to resist
the entrance of the fluid thereinto.
The upper part of the feed box is provided with a removeable cover,
so that the interion may be examined and the float woodil, with down
Ast

page_text: •
provided at bottom with a plunger E situated in the bush or cylinder F;
G is a side hole in this bush communicating with the passage H and
pipe H³, through which the liquid to be distilled flows into the feed box;
I is a stop-cock on the pipe H¹ for checking the flow of the liquid; and
J is a strainer for preventing solid impurities from passing along with
the liquid into the feed box; K is a bent pipe through which the liquid
flows from the feed box into the distilling machine L; and M is an
overflow pipe for running off any excess of fluid, and for the escape of
air from the feed box; N is a stop for preventing the plunger E from
descending too far in the bush F, as before described; O is a branch 1
pipe on the distilling machine, which may be connected with the pipe M
or with a separate branch pipe on the feed box in such cases where it is
necessary to maintain an equal pressure in the distilling machine and in
the feed box, as before described.
Fig. 2 shews the before-described modified form of the bush F, which 1
I employ when the liquid is admitted to the feed box under much
pressure; F¹ is an annular recess in the bush F communicating with
the inlet hole G, so that the pressure of the liquid may act all round tho
plunger E to enable it to move more readily.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what 2
manner the same is to be performed, I claim the use for distilling
machines of a self-acting feed box arranged and operating as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Louis Normandy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, 2
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-