IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Macpherson, of Stenton, in the County of East
Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 28th January 1879, and dated the 31st July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Macpherson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1878.
"
CAMPBELL MACPHERSON, of Stenton, in the County of East Lothian, North
Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
"
This Invention has for its object to secure for alcoholic spirits made by what are
known as the continuous or patent modes of distillation, the same full body, with
its richness of flavor and bouquet, as that which is so much valued in the best
brands of pot or old still whiskies, whilst having the clean purity and freedom from
objectionable ethers and essential oils at present attained by the inost approved
methods for high rectification, with continuous distillation.
The Invention consists essentially of improved arrangements by which a pro-
portion of the finest low wines or first distillate from any of the patent or
continuous stills is incorporated with the later coarser distillates whilst they are in
process of rectification, this being effected and thoroughly controlled in a manner
to secure the desired richness of body or flavor.
The improved arrangements compensate for or prevent the loss of desirable and
wholesome ingredients which. in the modern elaborated systems of distillation and
rectification are apt to pass off along with the objectionable impurities which it is
the object of such systems to remove; and whilst doing this the arrangements also
involve reduced cost for fuel and plant as compared with pot or old still spirit, and
at the same time yield a product requiring less time to mature than that ordinarily
made by the old still process.

page_text: The Invention is applicable to various modifications of continuous distilling
apparatus, but in carrying it out in the case of the well-known Coffey apparatus, the
top of the analysing column of that apparatus having connected to it the usual pipe
or pipes for leading the low wines' vapor to the bottom of the rectifying column,
there are in addition fitted to the top of the analysing column one or more conical 5
outlets or heads, which, at their small upper ends, communicate with pipes leading
over and down to a part of the rectifying column intermediate between the ordinary
low wines' inlet and the spirit pipe, but nearer to the latter. These additional
pipes communicate with the rectifying column by preference by two or more branch
pipes fitted with regulating cocks, and entering at different levels; and the conical 1
oulets at the top of the analysing column are surrounded by a casing or casings to
contain water which is maintained at such a temperature as is in practice found to
suitably regulate the vapor passing through the outlets and pipes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Campbell Macpherson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
January 1879.
CAMPBELL MACPHERSON, of Stenton, in the County of East Lothian, North
Britain. " IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
My said Invention has for its object to secure for alcoholic spirits made by what
are known as the continuous or patent modes of distillation the same full body,
with its richness of flavor and bouquet, as that which is so much valued in the best
brands of pot or old still whiskies, whilst having the clean purity and freedom
from objectionable ethers and essential oils at present attained by the most approved
methods of high rectification with continuous distillation.
My Invention consists essentially of improved arrangements by which a pro-
portion of the finest low wines or first distillate from any of the patent or
continuous stills is incorporated with the later coarser distillates whilst they are in
process of rectification, this being effected and thoroughly controlled in a manner
to secure the desired richness of body or flavor.
My improved arrangements compensate for or prevent the loss of desirable and
wholesome ingredients, which, in the modern elaborated systems of distillation and
rectification are apt to pass off along with the objectionable impurities which it is
the object of such systems to remove, and whilst doing this my arrangements also.
involve reduced cost for fuel and plant as compared with pot or old still spirit, and
at the same time yield a product requiring less time to mature than that ordinarily
made by the old still process.
My Invention is applicable to various modifications of continuous distilling
apparatus; I will however proceed to describe the mode of practically carrying it
out in the case of the well-known Coffey apparatus, and with the aid of explanatory
Drawings, of which a Sheet is hereunto appended.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an elevation of Coffey's
apparatus as fitted with the parts for carrying out my improvements, and Figures
2, 3, and 4 are enlarged views of another modification of those parts and are
herein-after described.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the analysing column 5 has connected to
the top of it the usual pipe 6 for leading the low wines' vapor to the bottom 8 of
the rectifying column 7, 8. There is also connected to the top of the analysing
column an outlet, of which the lower part 9 is cylindrical, and the upper part 10
conical, whilst a pipe 11 proceeds from the top of the conical part to lead vapour to
the rectifying column.
There may be more than one pipe (6) leading vapor in the ordinary way to the
bottom of the rectifying column, and there may be more than one additional outlet
and pipe (11). The additional pipe 11 communicates with the rectifying column
7, 8, by preference by two or more branch pipes 12, 13, each fitted with a regulating
cock. The branch pipes 12, 13, are represented as entering the rectifying column
at what I believe to be good positions for securing the results I have in view, the
upper branch pipe 12 entering at the fifth frame below that to which the spirit
discharge pipe 14 is connected, and the second branch pipe 13 entering the fourth
lower frame. The entering positions of these pipes 12, 13; may however be con-
siderably varied in different cases, and if a number of branch pipes are fitted at
different levels, each pipe having a regulating stop-cock, the best mode of admission
can in each case be ascertained by trial with various adjustments of the several
stop-cocks. The additional conical outlet 10 at the top of the analysing column 5
is surrounded by a casing or small bath 15 to contain water, which is maintained at

page_text: such a temperature as is in practice found to suitably regulate the vapor passing
through the pipe 11. The bath 15 is shown as fitted with a water supply pipe 16
and an overflow pipe 17. Instead of the simple bath 15 the modified apparatus
shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 may be used, Figure 2 being a plan, and Figures 3 and 4
vertical and horizontal sections.
In this modification a conical outlet 18, attached to the top of the analysing
column 5, is at its top connected to the bottom of a cylindrical casing 19, which
has inside of it upper and lower horizontal partition plates 20, 21, connected by
vertical tubes 22, up through which tubes the vapor passes on its way to the
pipe 11 which leads it to the rectifying column. The space between the plates 20, 21,
and surrounding the tubes is for water supplied by a pipe 16, and overflowing by a
pipe 17.
The additional apparatus used in carrying out my Invention may be made of
copper or other suitable metal or alloy, and the various joints or connections may
be secured in the manner practised with existing apparatus.
In some cases it may be found unnecessary to apply any bath (15) or equivalent
cooling apparatus (19) to the additional vapor outlet from the analysing column.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The system of distilling alcoholic spirits by means of Coffey or other
continuous stills wherein a proportion of the finest low wines or first distillate is
incorporated with the later coarser distillate, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before described.
2. The constructing of continuous distilling apparatus with an additional pipe or
pipes for leading vapor from the top of the analysing column to one or more parts
of the rectifying column, such parts being above the ordinary level at which the
main bulk of the low wines' vapor enters, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
3. The constructing of continuous distilling apparatus with an additional pipe or
pipes combined with a water bath or equivalent cooling apparatus and arranged to
lead a portion of the vapor from the analysing column to the rectifying column,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Macpherson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CAMPBELL MACPHERSON. (L.S.)