Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1887.
Complete Left, 26th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
I, EDWARD LUCK, of 70 Stamford Street, Blackfriars, in the County of Surrey,
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus used for distilling in a vacuum or partial
vacuum and has for its objects to overcome the difficulties hitherto attending the
retaining of the vacuum first produced without continued exhaustion by means of the
vacuum producing apparatus and to prevent the serious loss sustained through
the spiritous vapours passing through the vacuum producing apparatus and further
to obviate the necessity for the receiver or receivers and condenser being perfectly
air-tight and made of the great strength necessary to resist the atmospheric pressure.
According to my Invention I combine the vacuum producing apparatus or pump
with the other parts of the distillatory apparatus so that it is situated between the still
(or vessel containing the matter to be distilled) and the condensing arrangement and
receiver or receivers so that the said vacuum producing apparatus or pump acts to
create a vacuum only on the side next to the still or vessel and acts as a force pump
on the other side so as to force forward the products of the still or vessel through the
condensing arrangement and as the vapours drawn from the still or vessel are not of a
high temperature being drawn off the bulk of liquid at a temperature much below that
obtained when boiling under atmospheric pressure much greater latitude is allowable
in the selection of material for the construction of receivers and condensers than would
otherwise be possible a matter of great importance in the distillation of liquids of an
acid nature as for example the receivers and condensers may be of earthenware.
Great facilities are also afforded for the frequent examination of the distillate which
can be collected in different receivers according to the character of the distillate or
wish of the operator thus providing a system of fractional distillation and collection
if required both in the distillation of acid and of alcoholic matter. The
operation is capable of regulation to a nicety drawing of pure strong spirit

page_text: with or without any desired flavouring or if the distillate be of an acid nature
the weaker or more aqueous portion can be drawn off first leaving the remainder
to be collected at a greater or lesser degree of concentration as desired. Further-
more as a very low temperature is desired for distilling in vacua than otherwise
a much larger percentage of spirit is obtained uncontaminated by the impurities
which arise under higher temperatures so that the distillation can be carried on until
all the constituent matter desired is obtained and there is a much larger yield than
has hitherto been practically procurable.
Dated this 1st day of March 1887
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agents for the said Edward Luck.

page_text: Improvements in Distillatory Apparatus.
I EDWARD LUCK of 70 Stamford Street Blackfriars in the County of Surrey
Chemist, 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 apparatus used for distilling in a vacuum or partial vacuum
and has for its object to overcome the difficulties hitherto attending the retaining of
the vacuum first produced without continued exhaustion by means of the vacuum
producing apparatus and to obviate the necessity for the receiver or receivers (and
also the condenser if so desired) being perfectly air tight and made of the great
strength necessary to resist the atmosphoric pressure.
According to my Invention I combine the vacuum producing apparatus or pump
with the other parts of the distillatory apparatus so that it is situated between the
still (or vessel containing the matter to be distilled and the receiver or receivers
and either before or after the condensing arrangement so that the said vacuum
producing apparatus or pump acts to create a vacuum only on the side next to the
still or vessel and acts as a force pump on the other side so as to force forward
the products of distillation from the still or vessel into the receiver or receivers
or through the condensing arrangement and into the receiver or receivers and as
the vapours drawn from the still or vessel are not of a high temperature, being
drawn off the bulk of liquid at a temperature much below that obtained when
boiling under atmospheric pressure, much greater latitude is allowable in the
selection of material for the construction of the receiver or receivers (and also of the
condensing arrangement, if that be situated forward of the vacuum producer) than
would otherwise be possible, a matter of great importance in the distillation of
liquids of an acid nature, as for example the receiver or receivers (and the condensing
arrangement also if desired) may be of earthenware. Great facilities are also afforded
for the frequent examination of the distillate which can be collected in different
receivers according to the character of the distillate or wish of the operator thus
providing a system of fractional distillation, and collection if required, both in the
distillation of acid and of alcoholic matter. The operation is capable of regulation to
a nicety, drawing off pure strong spirit with or without any desired flavouring, or if
the distillate be of an acid nature the weaker or inore aqueous portion can be drawn
off first, leaving the remainder to be collected at a greater or lesser degree of con-
centration as desired. Furthermore as a very low temperature is desired for distilling
vacuo than otherwise a much larger percentage of spirit is obtained uncontaminated by
the impurities which arise under higher temperatures so that the distillation can be
carried on until all the constituent matter desired is obtained and there is a much
larger yield than has hitherto been practically procurable.
The accompanying diagrams illustrate distillatory apparatus arranged according to
my Invention. Figure 1 shewing the vacuum creating apparatus or pump between

page_text: the condenser and the receiver and Figure 2 shewing the vacuum creating apparatus
or pump between the still and the condenser.
In both Figures A represents the still B the condenser the receiver and D the
vacuum creating apparatus. It is to be understood that the diagrams are given to
illustrate clearly the arrangement according to my Invention, and as in no way
limiting me to the precise forms of apparatus illustrated.
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.
In distillatory apparatus the combination of a vacuum creator exhauster or pump
disposed beyond the still or stills but before the receiver or receivers or before both
the condenser or condensers and receiver or receivers substantially as hereinbefore
described.