IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING AND RENDERING PORTABLE APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DISTILLING FROM BEET ROOT AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Burrell, of St. Nicholas Works, Thetford,
in the County of Norfolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGING AND RENDERING PORTABLE APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DISTILLING
FROM BEET ROOT AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."-(Partly a com-
munication).
Sealed the 14th January 1857, and dated the 14th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Burrell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th July 1856.
I, CHARLES BURRELL, of St. Nicholas Works, Thetford, in the County of
Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGING AND RENDERING PORTABLE APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DISTILLING FROM
BEET ROOT AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:→
The object of this Invention is to arrange stills in a manner to render them
suitable for distilling from beet root and other vegetable substances, and at
the same time to obtain a portable apparatus for distilling from such vegetable
substances. And the improvements consist in combining a suitable still and
refrigerator with wheels, so as to produce a carriage in such manner that the
whole apparatus for distilling may be moved from farm to farm in order to
distil off spirit from beet or other root or vegetable substance grown thereon,

page_text: •
in place of carrying the beet or other root or vegetable substance to a fixed
and stationary still at a distance, which latter course renders the products
more costly. The process of distilling resorted to leaves the residual vegetable
substances suitable for food for cattle: The still employed is arranged with a
series of trays, which in working are introduced at the upper part of the still,
and are taken out at the lower part of the still. The beet or other roots or
vegetable substances being first cut in pieces, are fermented and then placed
on the trays, steam is admitted at the lower part of the still, and as the lower
tray is removed with the spent matters thereon, a tray is introduced at the
upper part of the still, having thereon fermented vegetable substances, and
thus the process is rendered continuous.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Burrell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BURRELL, of St. Nicholas Works, Thetford, in the County of Norfolk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord'One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Burrell, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Burrell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Burrell, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING AND
RENDERING PORTABLE APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR DISTILLING FROM BEET ROOT AND
OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," partly a communication; upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Burrell; my executors or adminis-
trators, 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.
1

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Burrell,,do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is. to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is to arrange stills in a manner to render them
suitable for distilling: from beet, root, and other vegetable- substances; and.at
the same time to obtain a portable apparatus for distilling from such vegetable
substances: And the improvement, consists in combining a suitable still and
refrigerator with wheels, so. as, to produce a carriage in, such manner that, the
whole apparatus.for distilling may be moved from farm to farm in order: to
distil off spirit from beet or other root or vegetable, substance grown thereon,
in place of carrying: the beet or other root. or vegetable substance to: a fixed
and stationary still at, a distance, which; latter .course renders the products
more costly. The process of distilling resorted to leaves the residual vegetable
substances suitable for food. for, cattle. The still employed is arranged, with, a
series of trays, which in working are introduced at the upper part of, the still,
and are taken out at the lower, part of the. still. The beet, or other roots; or
vegetable, substances being first cut in pieces, are fermented, and then placed
on the trays, steam is admitted at the lower part of the still, and as the:.lower
tray is removed with the spent, matters thereon,, a. tray is, introduced at the
upper part of the still, having thereon fermented; vegetable,' substances,. and
thus the process is rendered continuous:
Having thus stated the nature, of the said Invention; I will.proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same..
The, description of vegetable matters preferred to be used, are beetroot and
Jerusalem artichokes, though, other vegetable matters capable of: fermenting
and giving off alcohol by the treatment hereafter described may be employed
in carrying out the Invention.. The roots to be used: are first to:.be well
washed, and then cut up into slices or pieces by suitable machines, such as are
well understood and, in common user for cutting roots,, and it is preferred that
the roots,should be cut; into pieces; of abouti a quarter of an inch thick...The
cut roots are fermented in the following:: manner :-A. suitable, number of
wooden vats or vessels are provided, according to the extent of distilling
apparatus employed.. At the commencement,, each vat or vessel is filled, about
half full of water, with as much of the cuttings of the roots as the water will
cover. For each 2,630 lbs. of the cutting of the: root, employed is added. a
small quantity of malt, and at intervals from. 2 to 5 lbs: of sulphuric acid:is
also added; mixed with about ten times its measure of the 'liquid from the

page_text: tubs. The fermentation is generally complete in from 14 to 16 hours. The
vessels or vats are covered during the fermenting process with wood covers,
and the contents are kept heated by steam pipes from about 25° to 28° of
Centigrade's thermometer. The fermented cuttings of the roots are then
removed from the liquor in the vessels or vats by perforated shovels or sieves,
and the cuttings are placed on perforated trays, and a series of these trays are
placed one over the other in a still, which is hereafter described. Fresh
cuttings of the roots are then put into the liquid remaining in the vats or
vessels, and they are fermented, as before stated, but it will not be necessary
usually to add more sulphuric acid or malt for the successive quantities of the
cuttings of the roots, but if any want of fermentation is indicated, a small
addition of malt may be introduced, say, once a week. It is found that roots
fermented in March do not require so much acid as roots fermented in.
November. In place of acid, neutral salts may be used, sea salt or chloride
of sodium (common salt). The quantity of salt used for each fermentation of
2,630 lbs. of cuttings is from 10 to 12 lbs. The stills used are such as are
shown in the Drawing in section at Figure 1, and a series of these. stills is
shown at Figure 2 mounted on a carriage with a steam boiler, in order that
the distilling apparatus may be removed from farm to farm with a view to save
the carriage of the roots, and at the same time have the residue of the roots
for feeding cattle on the same farm where the roots have been grown. The
apparatus shown consists of three upright cylindrical vessels, each with a
series of trays therein, but more or less of such distilling vessels may be
mounted on the same carriages. The trays a, a, are kept separate by the
tubes b, b, and the whole are lifted in and out of the distilling vessel a' by a
rod c.
Each distilling vessel a¹ is provided with a perforated coil of pipe d,
through which steam is passed, and the product distilled off passes from the
still a' into the pipe e, and thence to a suitable refrigerating apparatus at f.
In the Drawing, Figure 2, the arrangement of the connections is such, that
the steam may be caused to enter one only of the stills, and the products of
such still may then pass into the bottom and rise up amongst the matters on
the series of trays therein, and from the second to the third; and by the cocks
and connecting pipes shewn, the order in which the several distilling vessels
may be used may be varied from time to time, the steam being let first into
the vessel where the most spent roots are placed or otherwise, or only one or
two of the vessels may be in use, if desired, without employing the others
or other one, according to the requirement for the time being. g is the
steam boiler, which is to be furnished with suitable means of keeping up a

page_text: supply of water thereto, and with a safety valve, a steam supply pipe, and
cocks, in order to supply steam to the perforated coils of pipe in the distilling
vessels, and a water guage of the ordinary description.
The steam boiler and stills are all shown to be mounted on four wheels, but
this may be varied, so long as the arrangement is such as to admit of the
whole apparatus being easily drawn from farm to farm for use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Burrell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
24, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
CHARLES BURRELL. (L.S.)