THE DISINFECTION AND RECTIFICATION OF ALCOHOLS BY THE SEPARATION OF THE ESSENTIAL AND OTHER OILS FROM THE ALCOHOL
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francois Brignoles, residing at No. 3, Duke Street,
Adelphi, London, County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "THE
DISINFECTION AND RECTIFICATION OF ALCOHOLS BY THE SEPARATION OF THE
ESSENTIAL AND OTHER OILS FROM THE ALCOHOL."-A communication from
Mr. St. Cyr Prieur. now residing in Avignon. Town, France.
Sealed the 22nd August 1859, and dated the 28th February 1859.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Francois Brignoles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declara-
tion, on the 28th February 1859, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCOIS
BRIGNOLES, residing at No. 3, Duke Street, Adelphi, London, County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "THE DISINFECTION AND
RECTIFICATION OF ALCOHOLS BY THE OPERATION OF THE ESSENTIAL AND OTHER OILS
FROM THE ALCOHOL," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn declaration that the same is a communication to
me from Mr. St. Cyr Prieur, now residing in Avignon, Town, France.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francois Brignoles, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal, fully

page_text: describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
This operation is accomplished by condensing the alcoholic vapour at
different degrees of temperature and in separate worms surrounded by water
in worm tubs, the temperature of each being marked by degrees. For this
purpose I establish in the ordinary way a sheet iron or other metal boiler C,
which receives the low wine or alcoholic liquid. At the bottom of this boiler
is placed an ordinary steam coil D, which receives the steam from the steam
boiler A, driven by the steam pipe B; the boiler C is surmounted by a
column composed of twelve moveable pieces, and enclosing twenty-four pans V.
On the cone-shaped top of the column is an opening, with means of closing
the same; through this opening water is introduced for cleaning the
apparatus. The alcoholic vapours pass through the twenty-four pans and
through the tube F into the worm in worm tub No. 1. A cold water reservoir
W is placed at higher level than the worm tubs to feed them. Each of the
worm tubs communicates directly with the steam boiler A by means of the
pipe S and the taps or cocks X, X, X, X, also by pipes which allow the intro-
duction of steam into the water in the worm tubs, by which the temperature of
the worm tub No. 1 may be maintained at a given temperature, No. 2
at ten degrees, more or less, higher or lower, No. 3 lower still, and No. 4
as cold as possible. The alcoholic vapours entering the worm in worm
tub No. 1 are partially condensed, that is to say, the essential oils only
which they contain, and which pass by the tube B into the bottom of
the pan 8. By this operation the oils are in a great measure sent back
into the boiler C by the descending tube Y, or they may be brought together
in the syphons Z, and taken out to the taps a, a, a.
The alcoholic vapours
which issue from the bottom of the worm into the tube B re-ascend by
the pipe T into the second worm, where the same operation is repeated, and thus
also in the third, only the temperature of the worm tub No. 2 is maintained
.at a certain degree, and that of No. 3 at another temperature; on arriving at
the bottom of the third worm, the essential oil is completely exhausted, and
-the pure alcoholic vapours ascend by the tube O, to be condensed in cold
water, passing from thence by the tube Q into the cask. Care must be taken
to place a certain quantity of quicklime in the boiler C with the quantity of
alcohol about to be rectified or disinfected. The apparatus can work very
.well with three worms, the fourth has been added by reason of the great
quantity of foul oils and other matters met with in alcohols made from certain

page_text: vegetable substances, and to avoid having to pass through the operation a
second time, and thus economise time, fuel, and labour.
Another part of my Invention is the usage of the worms and worm tubs
maintained at convenient temperatures, condensing alcohol and leaving the
others and the light essential oils found in alcohols obtained from the beet
root uncondensed, and thus obtaining a separation by reversing the process
mentioned here-before.
I claim as my Invention the system of condensation at different degrees of
temperature of the essential oils proceeding from vegetable matters in the
operation of the rectification of their alcohols. I do not claim the form of the
boiler nor the form of the column, nor of the refrigerants or worm tubs, but
only the matter of application of such worm tubs or refrigerants at different
degrees of temperature for the separation of the alcoholic vapours from the
oils and other matters contained therein, and their return to the body of the
column, or in some cases their complete removal by the cocks a, a, a, before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francois Brignoles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
FRANCOIS BRIGNOLES. (L.S.)