IMPROVEMENTS IN STILLS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HEAVY OILS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cassell, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City
of London, Publisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STILLS FOR
THE DISTILLATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HEAVY OILS."
Scaled the 25th September 1863, and dated the 2nd April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cassell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1863.
I, JOHN CASSELL, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London,
Publisher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STILLS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HEAVY OILS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing stills in manner hereafter described,
that is to say, I take a long cylindrical or other shaped vessel, and fit therein
near the top thereof a horizontal cylinder or pipe closed at one end and
connected at the other, as hereafter explained, to a worm. This cylinder or
tube is made with slots, perforations, or apertures on the upper part thereof,

page_text: or carries T-pipes on the top which are perforated, or it is made at top with
turned-over lips, over which a plate is held by screws or otherwise, so that the
aperture into the cylinder may be increased or diminished by increasing or
decreasing the distance between the plate and the lips. The vessel in which
the cylinder is placed is provided with a perforated steam pipe or series of
pipes which descend to near the bottom. The oil to be distilled is fed iuto
this vessel, but the level is to be kept below that of the cylinder. The vessel
has a furnace with return flues fitted under it, and I prefer to employ a
perforated brick arch to prevent the flames coming in direct contact with the
bottom of the vessel; the return flues run along the sides of the vessel. The
pipe by which the cylinder communicates with the worm does not descend to
the bottom of the cylinder, but by means of a flange on the end of the
cylinder the bottom of the connecting pipe is on a higher level, say from
about two to four inches, more or less, than the bottom of the cylinder. A
drain pipe furnished with a stop-cock is fitted into the bottom of the cylinder,
and this drain pipe may open into the main vessel. The action is as follows:-
The petroleum or other heavy oil is charged into the vessel up to a height
below the level of the bottom of the horizontal cylinder, the furnace is lighted,
and steam, by preference superheated steam, is introduced into the vessel
through the perforated steam pipes; the oil vaporizes under the heat and the
lighter portions find their way through the passages in the top into tho
horizontal cylinder, from whence they pass into the worm placed in a cooler,
when they are condensed and run out from the end of the worm into a
receiver. Any oil entering the horizontal cylinder not in a state of vapor, or
not sufficiently light to be carried by the vapor into the worm, falls on the
bottom, and is drawn off as occasion may require by the drain pipe. I do not
limit myself to any form of opening into the upper part of the horizontal
cylinder, nor to placing the parts horizontally as described; neither do I bind
myself to the combined employment of steam within and furnace heat without
the vessell, as either may be applied alone; but I claim the construction of
stills or apparatus for the distillation of petroleum and other heavy oils with a
vessel for containing the oil to be distilled having a tubular vessel with
apertures in the upper part thereof, in which the oil is received in a state of
vapor, which is afterwards condensed, all as herein-before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cassell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CASSELL, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London, Publisher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Cassell, Her special licence that I, the said John
Cassell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Cassell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
timo agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STILLS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HEAVY OILS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cassell, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their bands 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 John Cassell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:
This Invention consists in constructing stills in manner herein-after described
and represented in the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section and Figure 2 a transverse section of a still with a furnace
applied thereto. .
I take a long cylindrical or other shaped vessel, A, and fit therein near the
top thereof a horizontal cylinder or pipe B, closed at one end and connected

page_text: at the other, as hereafter explained, to a worm, C; this cylinder or tube is made
with slots, perforations, or apertures on the upper part thereof, or carries T-
pipes on the top, which are perforated; or it is made at top with turned over
lips, over which a plate is held by screws or otherwise, as shown at a in the
detached sections Figures 3 and 4, so that the aperture into the cylinder may
be increased or diminished by increasing or decreasing the distance between the
plate and the lips. The vessel A, in which the cylinder B is placed, is provided
with a perforated steam pipe or series of pipes D, which descend to near tho
bottom. The oil to be distilled is fed into this vessel, but the level is to bo
kept below that of the cylinder. The vessel A has a furnace E with return
flues F, F, fitted under it, and I prefer to employ a perforated brick arch G
to prevent the flames coming in direct contact with the bottom of the vessel A;
the return flues run along the sides of the vessel. The pipe H, by which the
cylinder B communicates with the worm C, does not descend to the bottom of
the cylinder, but by means of a flange b on the end of the cylinder the bottom
of the connecting pipe H is on a higher level, say from about two to four
inches, more or less; than the bottom of the cylinder. A drain pipe K furnished
with a stop-cock c, is fitted into the bottom of the cylinder B, and this drain
pipe may open into the main vessel; d, d, are straps for supporting the
cylinder B in the vessel A. f is a feed pipe, and g, a pipe for the admission of
steam to the perforated pipes D.
The action is as follows:-The petroleum or rangoon, or other heavy oil, is
charged into the vessel A up to a height below the level of the bottom of tho
horizontal cylinder B; the furnace is lighted, and steam, by preference super-
heated steam, is introduced into the vessel through the perforated steam
pipes D; the oil vaporizes under the heat, and the lighter portions find their
way through the passages in the top into the horizontal cylinder, from whence
they pass into the worm C placed in a cooler L, where they are condensod and
run out from the end of the worm into a receiver M.
Any oil entering the horizontal cylinder not in a state of vapour, or not
sufficiently light to be carried by the vapour into the worm, falls on the bottom
and is drawn off as occasion may require by the drain pipe.
Figures 5, 6, and 7, represent three modifications of the stills shewn in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
any form of opening into the upper part of the horizontal cylinder, nor to

page_text: placing the parts horizontally as described, neither do I bind myself to the
combined employment of steam within and furnace heat without the vessel, as
either may be applied alone; but I claim the construction of stills or apparatus
for the distillation of petroleum, rangoon, and other heavy oils with a vessel
for containing the oil to be distilled having a tubular vessel with apertures in
the upper part thereof, in which the oil is received in a state of vapour, which
is afterwards condensed, all as herein-before described. .
In witness whercof, I, the said John Cassell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.