Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted. 7th Dec., 1888
We, RICHARD PERCY PRESTON and ROBERT WHEELER PRESTON both of Water
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Distillers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
In the class of still to which this invention relates the spirituous vapour is passed
upwards under pressure through a series of horizontal perforated metal plates, on the
upper surface of which is a thin layer of absorptive liquor. The plates form
diaphragms in a rectangular tower some 30 or 40 feet high which is thus divided
into a series of horizontal condensing chambers. In the old type of still the
sides of this tower were built up of heavy wooden frames superposed upon each other
and alternating with the perforated plates. The condensation of the vapour is assisted
by means of a zig-zag cooling pipe which enters the bottom chamber, passes back-
wards and forwards therein, into the next chamber, and so on to the top of the tower.
At the front of the still the bends in this pipe are all on the outside, being connected
to the U shaped internal portions preferably by means of flanged joints.
In a wooden still of this type there are the following serious defects.
1st. The body of the still being of wood and a bad conductor of heat-the still
not so efficient as it might otherwise be, and the frames being necessarily of great
thickness the still has a less cubic capacity for a given external space than would be
the case if the walls were made thinner.
2nd. The wooden frames become in time so incorporated with each other, that it is
almost impossible to take the still to pieces without the total destruction of at least a
portion of it.
3rd. The frames seldom shrink equally all round, and therefore the still soon looses
its perpendicularity and the perforated plates no longer lie level. This decreases the
efficiency of the still. The inclination of the still is very considerable, if, as is often
the case, a hot rectifier be placed alongside of it.
4th. The internal portions of the cooling pipe are inserted through the front of the
wooden frames from the interior of the still during the erection thereof and therefore
in the event of a leak occurring therein they cannot be removed or repaired except by
the taking to pieces and the partial destruction of the still.

page_text: 5th. There being no openings in the sides of the still beyond those in the front
through which the cooling pipes, etc. pass, it is a very difficult and tedious matter to
locate an internal leak in the pipes when one does occur.
The last two defects named are to be, found in all stills of this type, whether
wooden or otherwise.
Now the objects of my improvements is to remedy these defects, and to produce
thereby a more efficient still.
The manner in which I accomplish these objects is as follows: I build up the still
of rectangular metal frames (preferably gun metal) made as thin as is compatible with
the strength of the structure. The frames are placed horizontally and superposed, as
in the stills hitherto used. They are jointed in any suitable manner, the perforated
plates being inseried at the joints, and, if desired, intermediate thereto. Elongated
holes are formed in the front of each frame, large enough to permit of the
insertion, from the exterior, of one of the U shaped portions of the cooling pipe
aforementioned. These holes are covered by suitable plates, each having two flanged
necks on its outer face. The straight ends of the U pieces are brazed or otherwise
secured within these necks, the bent ends being supported within the still in any
ordinary manner. The neck plates being in position, the outer bends are secured to
the flanges thereon. Or they may be fastened to the necks in any suitable way.
the back of each frame there are one or more hand holes which are covered by steam
tight doors, the doors being locked to prevent removal while the still is at work.
At
In the event of a leak occurring in an internal portion of the cooling pipe, these
doors are removed, after the still has been thrown out of action, and a light (preferably
an incandescent Electric light) is put into each chamber in succession, until the leak
is discovered. The outside bends in front are then taken off the neck plate, the latter
loosed and the defective U pipe withdrawn, without disturbing any other portion of
the still.
By making the U pipes and neck plates interchangeable a defective pipe may be
replaced at once, the back doors jointed and locked, and the still started again with
little loss of time.
By means of these improvements a leak can be detected and the defective part
replaced or repaired with little loss of time and without the dismantling and consequent
partial destruction of the still. Also a still of greater capacity can be put into a given
space, and the outer sides having a greater condensing power and not being liable to
become distorted with heat, the efficiency of the still is greatly increased.
By my improved still I can produce a spirit within a very few degrees of absolute
alcohol, a result which it was almost impossible to obtain in the older type of still.
Dated this Second day of February 1888.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Stills.
We, RICHARD PERCY PRESTON and ROBERT WHEELER PRESTON, both of Water
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Distillers, 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 :--
In the class of still to which this invention relates the spirituous vapour is passed
upwards under pressure through a series of horizontal perforated metal plates, on the
upper surface of which is a thin layer of absorptive liquor. The plates form diaphragms
in a rectangular tower some 30 or 40 feet high which is thus divided into a series of
horizontal condensing chambers. In the old type of still, the sides of this tower were
built up of heavy wooden frames superposed upon each other and alternating with the
perforated plates. The condensation of the vapour is assisted by means of a zig-zag
cooling pipe which enters the bottom chamber, passes backwards and forwards
therein, into the next chamber, and so on to the top of the tower. At the front of
the still the bends in this pipe are all on the outside, being connected to the U-shaped
internal portions preferably by means of flanged joints.
In a wooden still of this type there are the following serious defects:
1st. The body of the still being of wood and a bad conductor of heat, the still is
not so efficient as it might otherwise be, and the frames being necessarily of great
thickness, the still has a less cubic capacity for a given external space than would be
the case if the walls were made thinner.
2nd. The wooden frames become in time so incorporated with each other, that it is
almost impossible to take the still to pieces without the total destruction of at least a
portion of it.
Brd. The frames seldom shrink equally all round, and therefore the still soon loses
its perpendicularity and the perforated plates no longer lie level. This decreases the
efficiency of the still. The inclination of the still is very considerable, if, as is often
the case, a hot rectifier be placed alongside of it.
4th. The internal portions of the cooling pipe are inserted through the front of the
wooden frames from the interior of the still during the erection thereof and there-
fore in the event of a leak occuring therein, they cannot be removed or repaired
except by the taking to pieces and the partial destruction of the still.
'
5th. There being no openings in the sides of the still beyond those in the front
through which the cooling pipes etcetera pass, it is a very difficult and tedious matter
to locate an internal leak in the pipes when one does occur.
The last two defects named are to be found in all stills of this type, whether wooden
or otherwise.
Now the objects of our improvements are to remedy these defects, and to produce
thereby a more efficient still."
The manner in which we accomplish these objects is as follows, reference being

page_text: made to the accompanying drawings which show the lower portion of a still con-
structed in accordance with our improvements. In these,
Figure 1 is a front elevation, with parts broken away.
Figure 2 a back elevation, also with a part broken away and
Figure 3 a sectional plan."
In these Figures the letters refer to like parts.
We build up the still of preferably rectangular metal frames A. (preferably of gun-
metal) made as thin as is compatible with the strength of the structure. The frames A
are placed horizontally and superposed as shown and as in the stills hitherto used.
They are jointed in any suitable manner, the perforated plates B being inserted at the
joints, and, if desired, intermediate thereto. Elongated holes a are formed in the
front of each frame, large enough to permit of the insertion, from the exterior, of one
of the Ų shaped portions C of the cooling pipe aforementioned. These holes are
covered by suitable plates D each having two flanged necks D₁, figure 3, on its outer
face. The straight ends of the U pieces are brazed or otherwise secured within
these necks, the bent ends being supported within the still in any ordinary manner
such as by the brackets a¹. The neck plates D, D₁ being in position, the outer
bends Care secured to the flanges thereon by means of their corresponding flanges c¹.
Or they may be fastened to the necks in any suitable way. At the back of each
frame A there are one or more hand holes a² which are covered by steam tight doors E,
the doors being locked in any suitable manner to prevent removal while the still is at
work.
C
In the drawings (figure 2 and 3) each of the doors E is shown secured by a
tightening screw E¹ which is carried by a trunnioned bridle piece E2. The head of
each screw is provided with one or more holes e, so that a long bar E³ may be passed
through each head and secured by a padlock E or otherwise.
In the event of a leak occurring in an internal portion of the cooling pipe, the
doors are removed, after the still has been thrown out of action, and a light
(preferably an incandescent electric light) is put into each chamber in succession,
until the leak is discovered. The leak may be rendered more apparent by filling the
pipes with steam or water under pressure. The leak having been discovered, the
adjoining outside bends Care then taken off the corresponding neck plate D D¹
the latter loosed and the defective U pipe C withdrawn, without disturbing any other
portion of the still.
By making the U pipes and neck plates interchangeable a defective pipe may be
replaced at once, the back doors E rejointed and locked, and the still started again
with little loss of time.
By means of these improvements a leak can he detected and the defective part
replaced or repaired with little loss of time and without the dismantling and con-
sequent partial destruction of the still. Also a still of greater capacity can be put
into a given space, and the outer sides having a greater condensing power and not
being liable to become distorted with heat, the efficiency of the still is greatly
increased.
By our improved still we can produce a spirit within a very few degrees of
absolute alcohol, a result which it was almost impossible to obtain in the older type
of still.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a still, a series of superposed metal-frames such as A, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
2. In a still such as herein set forth, a series of superposed frames A, preferably of
metal, forming the walls thereof, and each provided at its front end with one or more
elongated openings a for the insertion of the internal U shaped pieces of the cooling
pipes, and at its rear end with one or more hand holes a covered by suitable steam
tight locked doors E, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a still having a zig-zag cooling pipe such as herein described, the combination
of a series of internal U shaped pipes suitably supported at their rear ends, a series
of elongated neck plates D D carrying the front or straight ends of said pipes and
secured upon the outside of the still wall over elongated holes therein, and a series of
separate bends C¹ secured upon the outside or said neck plates, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
4. The herein described improvements in stills, whereby their capacity, efficiency
and durability are increased, and an internal leak in the cooling pipes is easily
located and remedied without the partial destruction or dismantling of the still.
Dated this 30th day of October 1888.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.