A. Process for the Continuous Distillation and Rectification of Alcohols or other Volatile Substances, and Apparatus for the Ригрове.
Year: 1884

page_text: A. Process for the Continuous Distillation and Rectification of
Alcohols or other Volatile Substances, and Apparatus for the
Ригрове.
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS DISTILLATION AND RECTIFICATION OF
ALCOHOLS OR OTHER VOLATILE SUBSTANCES AND APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE ">
to be as follows:-
The rectification of alcohols has hitherto been an operation essentially inter-
mittent.
Now the present invention primarily consists of an economical process which
makes the said operation continuous.
The process is as follows:-In a first continuous distillatory apparatus which
I call the continuous purifier of the phlegms I begin by depriving the phlegms (or
raw alcohol) of the more volatile impurities often known by the generic term
"ethers." I then treat these purified phlegms in a second continuous distillatory
apparatus or rectifier by which I obtain all the pure alcohol which they contain
while the residue exhausted of alcohol but charged with all those impurities which
are grouped under the name of amylic products flows out at the bottom of the
apparatus in an uninterrupted manner.
The first and the second distillatory apparatus that is to say the purifier and the
rectifier are constructed almost alike but of different proportions. They are each
composed of a distillatory column the lower shelves or plates of which serve in the
one case for the purification and in the other for the exhaustion of the phlegms
while the upper shelves or plates rectify the vapors and impart to them a high
alcoholic degree. The purifier rectifies ethers; the rectifier rectifies pure alcohol.
On issuing from the distillatory column each of these products enters an analyzer
or water condenser, and then passes through a refrigerator before reaching the
testing device or areometer. The purifier and the rectifier are also each provided
with a suitable apparatus for heating the phlegms before they enter the distillatory
column; the heating may be effected by means of a steam coil or otherwise.
DC:27

page_text: Instead of employing, in the distillatory columns, shelves or plates the perforations
in which are uniformly distributed over the surface as is usual with the shelves or
plates hitherto used in distilling or rectifying apparatus I employ shelves or plates
the perforations in which are arranged in distinct circles or parallel lines. In
combination with these plates I employ cups (calottes) which dip slightly in the
liquid which covers the plates. In this way the alcoholic vapor is obliged first to
pass through the liquid in traversing the perforations, and secondly it cannot
escape from under the cups until it has undergone a fresh washing wbich deprives
it of mechanically held vescicles. These plates can be employed in any rectifiers
and distillatory columns.
The 2 successive operations on which the new process is based can be carried
out in the reverse order if desired. Or only one portion of the apparatus inay be
employed; the first distillatory apparatus or purifier will be sufficient for the
manufacture of rum or gin.
The improved process is also applicable to all liquids which are generally purified
in separate quantities such as essences, petroleums, benzines &c.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for
"A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS DISTILLATION AND RECTIFICATION OF
ALCOHOLS OR OTHER VOLATILE SUBSTANCES, AND APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The rectification of alcohols has hitherto been an operation essentially inter-
mittent.
Now the present invention primarily consists of an economical process which
makes the said operation continuous.
The process is as follows:-In a first continuous distillatory apparatus which
I call the continuous purifier of the phlegms I begin by depriving the phlegms (or
raw alcohol) of the more volatile impurities often known by the generic term
"ethers." I then treat these purified phlegms in a second continuous distillatory
apparatus or rectifier by which I obtain all the pure alcohol which they contain
while the residue exhausted of alcohol but charged with all those impurities which
are grouped under the name of amylic products flows out at the bottom of the
apparatus in an uninterrupted manner. .
The first and the second distillatory apparatus that is to say the purifier and the
rectifier are constructed almost alike but of different proportions. They are each
composed of a distillatory column the lower shelves or plates of which serve in the
one case for the purification and in the other for the exhaustion of the phlegms
while the upper shelves or plates rectify the vapors and impart to them a high
alcoholic degree. The purifier rectifies ethers; the rectifier rectifies pure alcohol.
On issuing from the distillatory column each of these products onters an analyzer
or water condenser, and then passes through à refrigerator before reaching the
testing device or arcometer. The purifier and the rectifier are also each provided
with a suitable apparatus for heating the phlegms before they enter the distillatory
column; the heating may be effected by means of a coil or otherwise.
Instead of employing, in the distillatory columns, shelves or plates the perforations
in which are uniformly distributed over the surface as is usual with the shelves
or plates hitherto used in distilling or rectifying apparatus I employ shelves or
plates the perforations in which are arranged in distinct circles or parallel lines.
In combination with these plates I employ cups (calottes) which dip slightly in the
liquid which covers the plates. In this way the alcoholic vapor is obliged first to
pass through the liquid in traversing the perforations, and secondly it cannot
escape from under the cups until it has undergone a fresh washing which deprives
it of mechanically held vesicles. These plates can be employed in any rectifiers.
and distillatory columns.
The two successive operations on which the new process is based can be carried
out in the reverse order if desired. Or only one portion of the apparatus may be.

page_text: employed; the first distillatory apparatus or purifier will be sufficient for the
manufacture of rum or gin.
The improved process is also applicable to all liquids which are generally purified
in separate quantities such as essences, petroleums, benzines &c.
The annexed drawing represents an apparatus constructed for carrying out this
invention. The continuous purifier of the phlegms is represented at the left of the
figure and the continuous rectifier at the right.
The continuous purifier is composed of six main parts viz: the distillatory
column A; the water condenser B, the ether refrigerator C, the purified phlegin
refrigerator D, the testing devices or areometers E and F, and the vapor
regulator N. The raw phlegms to be purified having been forced by a pump into
an upper vat or reservoir How through the cock a and enter a coil b at the
bottom of the regulator; they become heated by the boiling purified phlegms
from the purifier and enter the apparatus at c. They are heated in the small
dephlegmator d, producing an analysis of the ether vapors which rise in the
column. They flow thence by the lateral orifices through which the vapor passes
or by an overflow on to the first shelf and descend from shelf to shelf, gradually.
giving up their ethers. Having reached the bottom where they are heated by a
coil or other suitable device they are purified and they issue by the outlet e and
go to heat the coil b already mentioned. They there yield a part of their heat to
the phlegms which are to be purified and they descend into the refrigerator D.
The cooled phlegms rise to the arcometer F and are ready for the continuous
refrigerator. The course of the ether vapors is as follows:-The vapors disengaged
at the lower part are almost pure alcoholic vapors which become gradually
charged with ethers during their ascent through the shelves. After passing the
dephlegmator & they pass through a set of shelves for concentrating or rectifying
the ethers; those shelves receive in the usual way the retrogradation of the water.
condenser B and it is by this analysis that the ethers are concentrated before
passing to the refrigerator C then to the aerometer E. The vapor regulator N by
means of its float and levers actuates an equilibrium or other valve.
The continuous rectifier is composed of six main parts viz: .the distillatory
column G, the boiler H forming the base, the water condenser L, the alcohol
refrigerator M, the testing devices or areometers P and Q and the vapor regulator N¹.
The purified phlegms from the preceding operation having been forced by a pump
into an upper vat or reservoir flow through the cock and enter the dephlegmator K
in which by their temperature they produce an analysis of the alcoholic vapors at
the same time that they become heated therein. They flow thence by the lateral
orifices through which the vapor passes or by an overflow on to the first shelf and
descend from shelf to shelf, gradually giving up their alcohol. Having reached
the boiler H where they are heated by a coil or other suitable device they are
completely deprived of alcohol and they issue by the regulating cock m. This
cock is opened in such manner as to leave a fixed level in the boiler. A three-way
cock y beyond the cock m allows of sending the residue either to the drain V or to
the wine vat in cases in which owing to some irregularity the residue has not been
completely deprived of alcohol.
In order to be able to control the exhaustion in a permanent manner a coil t
(which in the drawing is shown as situated in the base of the regulator N¹ so as
to make it symmetrical with the regulator N of the purifier but which can be
independent of it) receives and condenses the vapors arising from the boiler H and
the condensed liquid flows to the areometer Q. The course of the alcoholic vapors
is as follows-The vapors which are disengaged from the boiler do not contain any
alcohol but contain amylic essential oils for the most part in the vesicular state.
In order to stop these a first straining is effected at g. The dry vapors are
afterwards washed in the successive shelves and become enriched with alcohol from
the phlegms which they exhaust, After passing the dephlegmator K they pass
through a set of shelves for concentrating or rectifying the alcohol; these shelves
receive in the usual way the retrogradation of the water condenser L and it is by

page_text: this analysis that the alcohol is concentrated before passing to the refrigerator M,
then to the areometer P. The vapor regulator N' by means of its float and levers
actuates an equilibrium or other valve.
The drawings show some of the shelves of the purifying and rectifying columns
combined as herein before described with cups which dip in the liquid which covers
the shelves. The invention however is not limited to this arrangement; for
examplo shelves such as those represented at the lower part of the columns may
be used.
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
1. The process hereinbefore described for the continuous distillation and
rectification of alcohols or other volatile substances.
2. The apparatus arranged and acting substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein before described and represented in the drawing.
3. The special construction hereinbefore described of combined shelf and cup for
distillatory columns.