Improved Apparatus for Concentrating and Distilling Liquids.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Concentrating and Distilling Liquids.
I, OSCAR GUTTMANN of Dunster House, Mark Lane, London, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for concentrating and distilling of
liquids. The concentration and distillation of liquids are generally done in flat, or
still shaped vessels, of which the bottom part is exposed to the action of the fire
steam or hot air. With such apparatus the upper part of the vessel is liable to
cool, whereby the vapours constantly re-condense, and thus the development of
vapours is delayed, and also the vessel is often effected. For this reason tubulor
vessels have been employed, with which generally a number of tubes are connected
to a receptacle for collecting and carrying away the vapours and said tubes are
completely surrounded by the heat. With such apparatus the way which the
liquid has to travel, and consequently the time of its exposure to the heat, is for
reasons of space as a rule very short. With a third kind of apparatus a number of
vessels are arranged on steps, and the liquid runs continually from one vessel into
the other, in order to prolong the time for the action of the heat, but also with
these the number of vessels is limited for constructive reasons.
The improved apparatus utilizes the principle of the worm or serpentine pipe
for concentration and distillation, and thereby combines not only all the advantages
of other apparatus, but various additional ones, which will be mentioned
hereafter.
The improved apparatus consists of a number of horizontal pipes each of
which has at one end on the top a neck or tubulure with a socket or flange,
and at the other end on the bottom a second neck or tubulure which is connected
to the upper neck or tubulure of the next pipe and so ou and either luted tight
with a suitable mastic or insulating ring, or soldered or riveted to it. These pipes
have further at their ends straight or inclined short additional pipes which are
closed by suitable covers or plugs.
The covers or plugs are tightened by interposed rings of asbestos, lead or a
thin layer of suitable mastic and pressed against the pipes by curved cross bars
projecting behind the end flanges of the pipes and held in position by suitable
wedges. The additional pipes with their closing arrangement allow an easy cleaning
of the pipes. At the ends. opposite to the necks or tubulures the pipes are
supported by crossbars, which are attached to the jacket of the apparatus. The
whole system of pipes is according to the purpose to which it is to be put
surrounded either by brickwork or a jacket of sheet metal or wood, and has either
a fire grate, or hot air, ordinary or superheated steam, fire, gases admitted into
the jacket. The heat can either enter freely, or it is forced by cross plates to
make a zig zag or serpentine way, the liquid runs from a suitable reservoir through
a syphon and an inlet pipe into the uppermost pipe, makes the whole way in a slow
current through all pipes downwards in a contrary sense to the heat, and from
the undermost pipe, which instead of being closed is provided with an outlet pipe,
it runs into any suitable color or collecting vessels. The two front sides of the jacket
(brickwork, metal or wood casing) are provided with suitable doors, which give
easy access for cleaning. The inlet pipe may have attached by means of a tube
an injector which constantly draws the arising vapours, and brings them to a
suitable condensing apparatus. In this way the evaporation takes place at a lower
temperature, than the normal boiling point of the respective liquid.
Instead of the injector plain tubes can lead to the condensing apparatus, and on
the other hand the undermost pipe of the apparatus may have an additional pipe

page_text: with two necks through one of which hot air superheated steam, fire gases, or
carbonic acid can be blown in reverse direction to the flow of the liquid, whilst
the other serves as an outlet for the liquor having passed the apparatus. The
pipes can be made all or partly from metal, glass or earthenware or other suitable
material, and either round square, oval, corrugated or other suitable form.
The advantages of this improved apparatus are-continuous work and constant
run of a thin and wide layer of liquid towards the greatest heat are. obtained by
the improved arrangements. A sufficient space for constantly carrying away the
'vapours at the moment of their formation is secured so that the said vapours in
their current upwards are more and more saturated from the richer liquid.
No cooling of vapours takes place as all the pipes are surrounded on all sides
by the heat and consequently in many cases they are not effected. It is moreover
possible to work at a lower temperature than to the normal boiling temperature of
the liquid and in consequence of this low temperature and the thin layer of liquid
the working of the apparatus will be quicker. Easy access and cleaning and
easy mounting to a system of any desired evaporating surface and also easy
changing of parts which became defective, are secured by the arrangements above
described. The present apparatus can be used for a large number of operations,
and as extremes only may be mentioned the concentration of sulphuric acid, and
salt solutions, on one hand, and the distillation of wood spirit and glycerine on
the other hand.
Dated the 3rd day of May 1893
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Concentrating and Distilling Liquids.
I, OSCAR GUTTMANN of Dunster House, Mark Lane, London Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for concentrating and distilling
liquids. The concentration and distillation of liquids are generally done in flat,
or still shaped vessels, of which the bottom part is exposed to the action of fire,
steam or hot air. With such apparatus the upper part of the vessel is liable to
cool whereby the vapours constantly re-condense, and thus the development of
vapours is delayed, and also the vessel is often affected. For this reason tubular
vessels have been employed, with which generally a number of tubes are connected
to a receptacle for collecting and carrying away the vapours and said tubes are
completely surrounded by the heat.
•
With such apparatus the way which the liquid has to travel, and consequently
the time of its exposure to the heat, is for reasons of space as a rule very short.
With a third kind of apparatus a number of vessels are arranged on steps and
the liquid runs continually from one vessel into the other, in order to prolong the
time for the action of the heat, but also with these the number of vessels is limited
for constructive reasons.
The improved apparatus utilises the principle of the worm or serpentine pipe for
concentration and distillation, and thereby combines not only all the advantages
of other apparatus but various additional ones, which will be mentioned
hereafter.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention the following is a
complete description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical section oft

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.
Figs. 4 to 7 show in cross section several forms of the pipes.
Fig. 8 shows a means whereby the ends of the pipes may be closed.
Fig. 9 is a modified form of the outlet attached to the bottom pipe.
According to this invention the apparatus consists of a number of horizontal
pipes a, a each of which has at one end and on the top a neck or tubulure b with a
socket or flange and at the other end and on the bottom a second neck or
tubulure c, which is connected to the upper neck or tubulure 6 of the next pipe and
so on and either luted tight with a suitable mastic insulating ring, or soldered or
riveted to it. The straight or inclined ends of the pipes a a are closed by suitable
covers or plugs e or each single pipe connected by the flange to the outlet pipe p.
These covers or plugs are tightened by interposed rings of asbestos, lead or a
thin layer of suitable mastic, and pressed against the pipes by curved cross bars f
projecting behind the end flanges of the pipes and held in position by suitable
wedges and h shown on the lower pipe in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3.
These covers allow ready access for cleaning of the pipes a a. The fastenings of
the covers are omitted in Fig. 1. At the opposite ends to the necks or tubulures c
the pipes are supported by cross bars i, which are attached to the jacket of the
apparatus is a fire grate arrangement below the pipes a. The current of heat is
forced by cross plates m or walls to take a zig-zag or serpentine course through the
apparatus, or the pipes may be isolated in groups and may be heated to different
temperatures.
The liquid runs from suitable reservoirs n¹ joined by means of a syphon n through
a syphon n' and an inlet pipe o into the uppermost pipe, travels the whole way in a
slow current through all the pipes downwards and in a contrary direction to the
heat, and from the lower pipe a which instead of being closed is provided with an
outlet pipe p it runs into any suitable cooler q or collecting vessels. The covers e
of a single pipe or of all the pipes a may be removed and outlet pipes p' substituted
(see Fig. 2) so that the gases may be distilled through different passages of the
apparatus so that the vapours from any pipe a may be collected and treated
separately. In this case means are provided which cause the pipes to be heated
to different temperatures.
It is advisable to have propelling screws v laid in the pipes a for moving the
residum to the outlet.
The two front sides of the jacket of brickwork, metal or wood casing are provided
with suitable doors which give easy access for cleaning. The inlet pipe o may
have attached to it by means of a tube, an injector s which aspires constantly all
the vapours arising and carries them to a suitable condensing apparatus. In this
way the evaporation takes place at a lower temperature than the normal boiling
point of the liquid. Instead of the injector plain tubes can lead to the condensing
apparatus and on the other hand the lower pipe a of the apparatus may have an
additional pipe d with two necks t (Fig. 9) through one of which hot air superheated
steam, fire gases or carbonic acid can be blown in a reverse direction to the flow
of the liquid passing through the apparatus. The pipes a. a. can be made all or
partly from metal, glass, earthenware, or other material, and have either round or
square, oval or corrugated form, as shewn in Figs. 4 to 7.
The advantages of this improved apparatus are:-Continuous work and constant
run of a thin and wide layer of liquids towards the greatest heat are obtained by the
improved arrangements. A sufficient space for constantly carrying away the vapours
at the moment of their formation is secured, so that the said vapours in their passage
upwards are more and more saturated from the richer liquid. No cooling of
vapours takes place as all the pipes are surrounded on all sides by the heat, and
consequently in many cases (as for instance with cast iron pipes when concentrating
sulphuric acid) they are not affected. It is moreover possible to work at a lower
temperature than to the normal boiling temperature of the liquid.
In consequence of this low temperature and the thin layer of liquid, the working
of the apparatus is a quicker one.

page_text: Easy access for cleaning the other purposes, and also easy renewing of the parts
which become defective are secured by the arrangements above described.
The apparatus can be used for a large number of operations, as for example, the
concentration of sulphuric acid (as illustrated) and salt solutions on one hand, and
the distillation of wood, spirit, glycerine, and the like on the other hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. An apparatus for concentrating and distilling liquids consisting of a number
of pipes a connected with each other alternately on the top and bottom, and made
accessible by means of covers e, and arranged in a suitable heating jacket k of an
inlet pipe o and of an outlet pipe p for the liquid, substantially as described.
2. In the above named apparatus for concentrating and distilling liquids, outlet
pipes for the gases which can be substituted for the covers e of the pipes a.
3. In the above named apparatus propelling screws laid in the pipes a and
destined for moving the residum to the outlet of the pipes.
Dated this and Anx of two 1902
OSCAR GUTTMANN,
By his Agent, Walter Brierley,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.