IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Gilbert, of Hanworth, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL.”
Sealed the 21st September 1875, and dated the 13th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said William Henry Gilbert
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th May 1875.
I, WILLAM HENRY GILBERT, of Hanworth, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL," to be as follows:-
-
The object of this Invention is to obtain from the ordinary wash
used by distillers a purer spirit and in a more economical manner than
heretofore without too greatly complicating the construction or
increasing the cost of the distilling apparatus.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the lower part or body of
the still very much of the ordinary form, and I surround it with a steam

page_text: or water jacket, whereby it may be heated, instead of by means of a
naked fire. Tho still is filled with wash through an opening made for
the purpose in the neck of the still, and to this opening is adapted a
• short pipe or funnel provided with a stop cock. At the lower part of
the still is another pipe (also provided with a stop cock) for running off
the spent wash, and a vertical gauge pipe is placed at the side for the
purpose of indicating the level of the wash in the still. In the neck of
the still, and above the charging opening, is placed a cylindrical or
other suitably shaped vessel, which fits the interior of the neck and is
charged with animal charcoal, wool, cotton, or other porous substance.
The top and bottom of this vessel are perforated, so as to allow the
alcoholic and other vapours arising from the wash to pass through and
leave some of their impurities behind. A short distance above this
vessel are placed two or more hollow cones, or rather, frusta of cones,
the smaller or upper ends of which are closed by perforated plates,
through which the alcoholic vapours pass. At the bottom of the
inclined sides of these cones there are openings made through the neck
of the still to receive suitable pipes provided with cocks, so that any
liquid that may condense and run down into the spaces between the
cones and the still head or neck may be run off from time to time and
conducted either to worms to be cooled or to pipes, which will conduct
the liquid to other parts of the apparatus or to other vessels, from
whence it may be taken to be subsequently dealt with. Tho still head
is surrounded with an outer jacket, so as to form a narrow space all
round the same; and this space is supplied with cold water, which will
keep the still head cool and condense a portion of the weak spirit. The
cooling water is run into the casing or jacket at or near the top, and
the warm water is allowed to run out at the bottom, a constant flow of
water through the jacket being maintained, so that the still head may
be kept cool.
The alcoholic vapour from the still head passes over into an inclined
pipe, which conducts it to the worm of the condenser in the usual
manner. The still head pipe is provided with a stop cock for cutting
off the communication with the worm of the condenser when desired,
and causing the weak spirit to pass down a branch pipe, which will
conduct it to the “joint worm.
"
The worms of the condensers may be kept cool by the cold wash, and
as this latter becomes heated it may be run into the still instead of

page_text: supplying the still with cold wash. By this means an economy of fuel
is effected.
The still may be heated by means of a naked fire, but I prefer to use
a steam or hot water jacket, as above mentioned.
As the alcoholic vapours are driven off from the wash by the heat
they rise and pass through the perforated vessel containing the porous
substances and enter the first cone, through which they pass into the
space between the first and second cones. A portion of the spirit and.
some of the fusel oil will here become condensed, and is then conducted
out of the still through a suitable pipe to the "joint worm.” The
partially purified spirit passes through the perforated top of the second
cone into the still head, which being kept cool by the constant flow of
water through its enveloping jacket will cause another portion of the
fusel oil and some of the low spirit to be condensed, when it will be
conducted out of the still to the "joint worm." The impure spirit may
either be removed from the apparatus and subsequently dealt with, or
it may be conducted to the vessel placed on the neck of the still and
containing the porous substances. Having thus got rid of a great
portion of the impurities and the low spirit the partially purified
alcoholic vapour is conducted to the worm of the condenser, and when
condensed will produce an alcohol several degrees above proof and in a
condition to be sold to rectifiers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Gilbert in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY GILBERT, of Hanworth, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Gilbert, Her

page_text: special licence that I, the said William Henry Gilbert, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Gilbert, 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
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING ALCOHOL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Gilbert, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands 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 William Henry Gilbert, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hercunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Distilling
Alcohol" is to obtain from the ordinary wash used by distillers a purer
and at the same time a stronger spirit, and to separate the "faints" from
the pure spirit in a more economical manner than heretofore, without
too greatly complicating the construction or increasing the cost of the
distilling apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn a sectional elevation of
the arrangement of apparatus I prefer to use for carrying out my Inven-
tion. To this end I construct the lower part or body a of the still very
much of the ordinary form, and I surround it with a steam or water
jacket b, whereby it may be heated, instead of by means of a naked fire.
It may however if preferred be enclosed in the still and supplied with
superheated steam to heat the wash. The still a is filled with wash
through an opening a* made for the purpose in the neck or other con-
venient part of the still, and to this opening is adapted a short pipe or
funnel provided with a stop cock, as shewn in the Drawing. At the

page_text: lower part of the still is another pipe a³ (also provided with a stop cock)
for running off the spent wash, and a vertical gauge pipe a³ is placed at
the side for the purpose of indicating the level of the wash in the still a.
In the neck of the. still, and above the charging opening, is placed a
cylindrical or other suitably shaped vessel c, which fits the interior of
the neck and is charged with animal charcoal, wool, cotton, or other
porous and deodorizing chemical substance. The top and bottom of
this vessel are perforated so as to allow the alcoholic and other vapours
arising from the wash in the still a to pass through and leave the greater
part of their impurities behind. A short distance above this vessel are
placed two or more hollow cones, or rather, frusta of cones d and e,
the smaller or upper ends of which are closed by perforated plates
d* and e*, through which the alcoholic vapours pass. At the bottom
of the inclined sides of these cones there are openings d' and e' made
through the neck of the still to receive suitable pipes f and 9 provided
with cocks, so that any liquid that may condense and run down into the
spaces between the cones and the still head or neck may be run off from
time to time and conducted either to worms to be cooled or to pipes
which will conduct the liquid to other parts of the apparatus, or to other
vessels, from whence it may be taken to be subsequently dealt with.
The still head is surrounded with an outer jacket h, so as to form a space
all around the same; and this space is supplied with cold water or with
cold wash, which will keep the still head cool and condense a portion of
the weak spirit. The quantity of water or wash contained in the jacket
can be known by the vertical gauge /* attached to the pipe 9, and its
temperature will be indicated by the thermometer h³ at the side. The
cooling water or wash is run into the casing or jacket h at or near the
top through the pipe h', and the warm water or wash is allowed to run
out at the bottom through the pipe and cock h³, a constant flow of water
or wash through the jacket being maintained, so that the still head may
be kept cool.
I
If wash be used to keep the still head cool the warm wash may be
run out of the jacket through the cock h³ with a funnel, which will
convey it to the pipe a*, and from thence to the still a. The alcoholic
vapour from the still head passes over into an inclined pipe i, which
conducts it to the worm of the condenser ; in the usual manner.
The alcoholic vapour from the casing (when supplied with wash)
may be conducted to. a worm by the inclined pipe *, shewn by dotted
.

page_text: lines in the Drawing. The still head pipe i is provided with a stop
| cock i* for cutting off the communication with the worm of the con-
denser ; when desired, and for causing the weak spirit to pass down a
branch pipe k, which will conduct it to the "faints worm Z.
"
The worms of the condensers ; and 7 may be kept cool by the cold'
wash, and as this latter becomes heated it may be run through the
pipe m into the still a instead of supplying the still with cold wash. By
this means an economy of fuel will be effected.
The still may be heated by means of a naked fire, but I prefer to use
a steam or hot water jacket or steam pipes, as above mentioned.
"
As the alcoholic vapours are driven off from the wash by the heat
they rise and pass through the perforated vessel c containing the porous
deodorizing substances, and they enter the first cone d, through which
they pass into the space between the first and second cones e. A portion
of the spirit and some of the fusel oil will here become condensed, and :
is then conducted out of the still through the pipe f to the "faints”
worm. The partially purified spirit passes through the perforated top
of the second cone e into the still head, which being kept cool by the
constant flow of water or cold wash through its enveloping jacket h will
cause another portion of the fusel oil and some of the low spirit to be!
condensed, when it will be conducted by the pipe 9 out of the still to
the "faints worm" 7. This impure spirit may either be removed from
the apparatus by the pipe g*, and be subsequently dealt with, or it may
be conducted by the pipe n to the vessel c placed on the neck of the
still and containing the porous deodorizing substances. Having thus got
rid of a great portion of the impurities and the low spirit the strong
alcoholic vapour is conducted by the pipe i to the worm of the con-
denserj, and when condensed can be run out through the pipe j*, and will
produce an alcohol several degrees above proof and in a condition to be
sold in the market.
3
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Distilling Alcohol," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I would observe that the object of my Invention being
to separate the "faints" and low spirit from the pure or stronger spirit I
have provided the pipes connected with the different parts of the 3
apparatus with stop cocks, so that the action of the several parts may
be arrested or modified as may be desired, and therefore although I

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, the
combination of parts herein shewn and described for effecting the objects
above set forth I do not intend to limit myself rigidly to the precise
arrangement and construction of parts shewn in the Drawing, I claim
particularly adapting to the head of a distilling apparatus a perforated
vessel or chamber charged with charcoal, or some suitable porous
deodorizing substance and combining therewith cones, or frusta of cones,
arranged as herein set forth, and provided at their bases with openings
communicating with suitable pipes for conducting the "faints" or low
spirit out of the still head, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
'In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Gilbert, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five