A Still or Tank for the Distillation, Boiling, and Holding of Acids, Alkali, and other Corrosive Liquids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 26th June, 139
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Still or Tank for the Distillation, Boiling, and Holding of Acids,
Alkali, and other Corrosive Liquids.
I DANIEL BRAY of Cinderford in the County of Gloucester Manufacturing
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The still or tank is constructed of suitable stone and solid round india rubber of
suitable thickness fastened together with iron bands cramps and bolts. The
bottom stone is cut to the size of the outside diameter of still having a groove of
suitable size cut on the face of the stone all round. The rubber is then placed all
round the inside of the groove having four pieces of rubber joined thereto at right
angles to each other coming to the corner of each of the sides or side stones of
still. Four side stones of suitable thickness and quality are then placed in position..
Iron bands of suitable size are then drawn tightly round the sides at certain
distances and two stouter bands are fastened round the top and bottom to draw the
side stones tightly to the bottom. A top or cover cut out of one stone is placed on."
the top of a suitable thickness and size to lap over the sides having a hole where
necessary to receive the still head.
Deted this 20th day of July 1896.
DANIEL BRAY.
A Still or Tank for the Distillation, Boiling, and Holding of Acids,
Alkali, and other Corrosive Liquids.
I, DANIEL BRAY, of Cinderford, in the County of Gloucester, Chemical.
Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in stills or tanks for use with acids, alkali,.
and other corrosive liquids; these have hitherto been made of various metals and
alloys, on which the action of their contents has been of a destructive character;.
the object of this invention is to make the stills from a material that will be totally
unaffected by such chemical action, and therefore will be indestructible, and
possess certain advantages, such as are described in my Provisional Specification.
My invention consists in making the base sides, and cover of the still, each from
a single block, of such stone as will be unaffected by acids and the like; the grey:
"Forest of Dean" or "Pennant" stone appears to be specially suitable for the-
purpose; the blocks are squared and dressed, and grooves made in their touching.
surfaces, in which pieces of solid rubber are placed to serve as packing, and to form.
a liquid and vapour tight joint; the bottom and sides are then clamped together
by bands of iron or the like, and tightened by bolts and nuts or other means.
This invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a plan of a still fitted ready for use :
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same, and

page_text: Fig. 4 a plan of the cover, with holes for the reception of the still-head and a
funnel for the inlet of a continuous supply of material; the cover is shown placed
on the sides, which have been slightly recessed at their inner angles to receive the
Cover:
Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sections, showing adjacent pieces, with a piece of
circular rubber placed in the chases between the touching surfaces.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is the bottom of the still, made preferably of a greater thickness than the
sides, to bear the necessary weight and strain; at a short distance from the edges,
a groove or chase is made extending round the four sides, as shown by dotted
lines E in Fig. 2; this groove is made of a suitable size and shape to receive a
piece of solid rubber F, or other resilient material suitable for the purpose; if
round rubber is used, the groove will be circular, as shown more clearly in Figs. 5
and 6; if square rubber is used, the groove will be formed accordingly; the
front B, sides C, and back D, are also made of single blocks of stone, and if
preferred, they may have grooves made in their lower faces where they rest on the
base, to fit over the rubber F placed in the groove E; in the ends of the sides C,
vertical grooves of a similar shape are made, and near the ends of the front and
back, B and D, similar grooves are made in the face of the stones, to coincide with
those in the ends C, to receive pieces of rubber placed vertically within them;
these vertical pieces extend to the piece in the horizontal groove, and at the four
points of contact, the pieces are mitred or otherwise fitted to prevent any escape
of liquid or vapour; G is an ordinary worm, made of the usual material, with the
inlet steam pipe g and outlet pipe g', which are conveyed through holes made in
the back D, of the exact size to receive the pipes. A little looting is used round
the pipes when passed through the holes, linseed meal mixed with lime water is
found very suitable for the purpose.
A slight recess is made in the inner face of each of the four sides to receive the
cover H, also made of stone, with a central hole I cut to receive the still head, and
another hole K at the side for a funnel connected to a pipe extending any suitable
distance into the interior; the weight of the stone cover resting on the recessed
sides will be sufficient to hold it in position. Clamps of iron or other bands are put
round the body of the vessel and from the top of the sides to the base, as shown in
the drawings, these are tightened by bolts and nuts, which compress the rubber in
the grooves, and thus a perfectly vapour and liquid tight cistern is formed, totally
unaffected by any material placed therein for distillation.
All the interior faces of the stone are ground perfectly smooth and squared
with the greatest possible accuracy, to ensure the non leakage of any of the
joints.
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
The construction of stills or cisterns for the distillation and reception of acids,
alkalis, and other corrosives, from a stone which is unaffected by such materials,
making the joints airtight by the formation of grooves or chases in the touching
surfaces and inserting pieces of solid rubber or the like in the said chases, and
clamping the whole together by metal bands tightened by bolts and screws or the
like, substantially as and for the purpose hereiu set forth and described, and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of April 1897.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent. "