Improvements relating to the Distillation and Breaking up of Liquid Hydrocarbons and similar substances.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements relating to the Distillation and Breaking up of Liquid
Hydrocarbons and similar substances.
I HERBERT JOHN DAWES Engineer 14 Conington Road, Greenwich S.E. Kent
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the distillation and Breaking up of liquid Hydro-
carbons and other Volatile liquids or spirits by a simple and efficient means of
separating and collecting the different grades or Specific Gravities of such Liquids.
My said invention comprises a simple and improved method of an apparatus for
effecting the distillation or Breaking up or separation and collection of the said
liquids.
The device or appliance in accordance with my invention consists of a still
made of Copper, Iron or other suitable metal the Head of which has the shape of a
aulb. Inside this Still I put a coil of Copper pipe with an inlet and outlet, the
inlet being half way or more up the side of the still being made sound and tight
by a connection through the still: this connection is connected on to a steam pipe
which leads direct to a steam boiler. A valve is fixed on this pipe for regulating
the supply of steam to the coil, a steam pressure guage is (also fixed on this nipe
to show the pressure of steam entering the coil. The other end of the coil leads
out of the still at the bottom in a similar way. Connected on to a pipe and on this
pipe is fixed a valve by which the condensation of the steam is let out. I then fix
on to the Still an apparatus to feed the Still with the liquids I wish to distil.
I have a pipe leading from a store tank fixed higher than the still, this pipe
branches off and enters the still in' two places. One feed going in near the top
of the still the other going through the bottom or side close to the
bottom. On each of these two pipes before entering the still is placed a valve
by which the liquid can be let in through the bottom or top as wished. The top
pipe which enters the still is taken through with a connector the outlet of which
is fixed with a spreader or jet. The bottom pipe which goes through the bottom
or side of the still by means of a connector is fitted to a coil of copper pipe leading
upward just above the centre of the still. At the top end of this coil will be fixed
a revolving or stationary rose or suitable jet.
At the bottom of the still a pipe is fixed with a cock or valve for drawing off the
Heavy Grades of Spirit or Liquid. In the bottom half of the still a Guage Glass
is fixed leading from Top to Bottom. Also near the Bottom or other suitable
place a Thermometor is fixed to indicate temperature of working. Also on front
cf still is fixed two sight holes fitted with thick glass so that the interior working
is visible. Also at top of Still will be fixed a manhole and cover to enable a man to
fix up the internal work also to be used for inserting Charcoal, Carbon, Coke or
Pumice-stone for assisting and regulating the boiling of the liquid. At the bottom
side a manhole and cover can also be fixed for the same purpose.
A sampling cock to be fixed at bottom side of still.
At the top of Still leading out of the head leads a cone shaped pipe which carries

page_text: the vapours from the still. The Bulb of the Still prevents the liquid being
carried by the vapours. This pipe leads into a tank which is filled with cold
water. As this pipe enters this tank of Cold Water a large Copper bulb is fixed
to the pipe leading from the still and at the bottom of this Copper bulb a Copper
Coil winds screw fashion round and round the inside of the tank of Cold Water
till it reaches the bottom of the tank when it is led through the side of tank by a
connector and thence led into a receiving tank. This product being of the lightest
Specific Gravity.
Having now described the apparatus I intend using I proceed to work in the
following manner.
1st. I ascertain that the tank above is full of liquid. I then open a Valve on
the pipe leading from this tank to the top of the still allowing the Liquid to run
into the still till see by my gauge glass that the still is half full. I then shut
that Valve.
2nd. I then open the Steam Valve which lets steam into the coil which being in
contact with the Liquid gives off its heat, the Liquid at the same time taking up
the heat which the copper coil has given off and then commences to evaporate
which Vapour being driven by its own pressure in to the Copper ball and coil in
the tank of cold water. Condensing takes place rapidly creating a slight Vacuum
helping to draw the Vapours from the still the Vapours & Condensed Vapours
continuing their course round the coil finally passing out at the bottom into the
receiving tank.
Cold Water is admitted at the top of the condensing tank and conducted to the
bottom by a pipe, the heated water rising and overflowing by means of an over
flow pipe. At the same time I let steam into the coil I open a Valve at the bottom
of the coil to let out condensation caused by contact with the cold liquid. The
same Valve is regulated to let out the Water and is then left open whilst working.
I then take a sample from the cock at the bottom of the still and test it as to its
Specific Gravity. I also notice the amount of heat indicated by the Thermometor
on the front of the still.
I then open the Valve on the pipe leading through the Bottom or side of the
still from the tank overhead which lets the liquid circulate through the coil which
being in contact with the hot residue gets warm and when it gets to the rose or
revolving jet it sprays a warm liquid on to the Boiling Liquid below and in doing
so the light properties get Vaporised.
I now open the cock at the bottom of the still and so regulate as to let the residue
which goes to the bottom (at a convenient rate) pass out as desired. By this
means I can work continuously and arrange the plant to give any desirable result.
There being little or no Vacuum in the still the heavy grades do not get
evaporated too easily and being air tight and no air being used as an agent there
is no loss from release of pressure, therefore the results obtained thereby being
more correct.
Dated this 30th day of January One thousand eight hundred and ninety
SAMAn'
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
improvements relating to the Distillation and Breaking up of Liquid
Hydrocarbons and similar substances.
I, HERBERT JOHN DAWES, of 14, Conington Road, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
improvements relating to the Distillation and Breaking up of Liquid
Hydrocarbons and similar substances.
I, HERBERT JOHN DAWES, of 14, Conington Road, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
1.
"
My invention relates to the distillation and breaking up of liquid hydrocarbons
and other volatile liquids or spirits by a simple and efficient means of separating
and collecting the different grades or specific gravities of such liquids.
My invention comprises a simple and improved method and apparatus for
effecting distillation, breaking up or separation, and collection of the said
liquids.
The chief feature of my invention' is the method I use, whereby I obtain con-
tinuous working of my plant, and thereby continuous distillation. To gain this
result I use a method of charging the crude liquid into the refining still, and
provide the necessary apparatus for filling it. I also provide apparatus for con-
tinuously drawing off and condensing the volatile products from the refining still,
further I supply means for continuously drawing off the heavier products that are
not volatilised at the required working temperature, which varies with the nature
of the liquids required to be broken up or refined by distillation.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown an application of my invention,―-
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section of the apparatus; showing the position for
the collecting tank D by dotted lines.
Figure 2. is a front elevation of the refining or breaking up still C, showing the
collecting tank D in section.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both drawings.
The apparatus in accordance with my invention, consists of a still C, made of
copper, iron, or other suitable metal, its head E having the shape of a bulb and
being attached to C by means of a joint e in the ordinary way with bolts or clamps.
Inside this still C, I place a coil of copper pipe G, with an inlet and outlet g and h
respectively, the inlet g being half way or more up the side of the still C and
connected with the steam pipe I, which comes direct from any suitable steam
boiler, the supply of steam being regulated by the valve i, and the pressure inside
the coil being registered by the gauge j; the outlet. h of the coil G leads through
the valve H to aity suitable place for utilising or releasing the waste steam, or to
a steam trap; all the joints of the pipes and fittings being made steam tight. The
tank A is the supply from which the crude liquid is charged into C by means of
a.threeway connection B, one way being connected to the tank A, and the other
two respectively to the controlling valves a and b. The valve a is connected to
the pipe c which is carried by a suitable steam tight joint through the side of the
still C near its top and at the other end of the pipe d, I fix a spreader or jet. The
valve is connected to the pipe F, entering the still C through the steam tight
joint fat its bottom and connected to the coil of copper pipe K, which rises in
the centre of the still to about the same height as d, which height is above the
maximum level of the liquid when the still C is fully charged, at the top end of
the coil Kat k will be fixed a revolving or stationary rose, or suitable jet, or
spreader.
On the still C are the following fittings, L is a cock or valve for drawing off
liquid into the heavy grade or liquid residue tank 1); M is an ordinary gauge
glass for readily seeing the height of the liquid inside; N is any suitable ther-
mometer for reading the internal working temperature of the still. Two sight
holes O, fitted with thick glass are provided to enable the internal working to be
seen, these are made steam tight. P is a manhole and cover to enable a man to
fit up
the internal work, which is also used for inserting charcoal, carbon, coke or
pumice stone to assist and regulate the boiling and distillation of the liquid.
Another manhole may be fitted in the bottom of the still, but this is not shown
on the drawings. Sampling cocks p are fitted in any convenient positions in the
side or bottom of the still.
At the top of the still C, leading out of the head E is a conical pipe Q, which

page_text: conducts the vapours from the still C to the condensing apparatus R; the head E
of the still is shaped in the form of a bulb, thereby preventing the liquid being
carried over with or by the vapours.
The condenser R consists of an iron tank "Y, in which is placed a copper bulb S.
with an inlets, and an outlet t, to which a coil of copper pipe T is attached; the
bottom end u' of this coil T is connected with the valve U, which regulates the
discharge of the condensed vapours or refined liquid into the collecting tank V;
the bulb S is connected by means of the pipes and the joint r to the conical pipe Q.
The condenser R is kept cool by the supply of cold water entering through the
pe W, being carried nearly to the bottom of the tank Y, the supply is regulated
by the valve, the overflow X is taken off by a pipe to any suitable place.
Having now described the apparatus I intend using I proceed to work in the
following manner;
I ascertain that the tank A is full of the crude liquid, from which I draw off,
through the valve a and the pipe c, a sufficient quantity of liquid to half fill the
.still C, then I close this valve a; I now open the steam valve i, so heating the
coil G and thereby raising the temperature of the crude liquid to that required.
for its breaking up or distillation, which I ascertain by the thermometer N; I
also open the valve H so as to allow the condensed steam or water to pass away;
when the required temperature is reached I regulate the two valves and H so as
to keep it constant. At the same time as opening the steam valve I open the
water valve w which I regulate to keep a constant flow of cold water in the con-
denser R, so as to condense the vapours distilled over from the still C through E
and Q to the bulb S and the coil T. The refined liquid resulting from the conden-
sation of the vapour flows through the valve U which is opened to allow it to pass
into the collecting tank V. When the apparatus has been started working in the
manner described above, I open the supply valve b so as to allow the liquid to flow
through the pipe F into the coil K and on reaching to be distributed over the
surface of the boiling liquid already in the refining still, I regulate the valve b in
such a way as to keep a constant height of liquid in the still 0. At the same
time as opening the valve b, I open the valve L' at the bottom of the still C to allow
the heavy grades of liquid that will not distil over at the temperature used, to be
run off into the collecting tank D, this valve L is only opened sufficiently to
draw off the heavy grades that accumulate in the bottom of the still. From time
to time samples of these liquids should be tested from the various sampling
cocks as to their specific gravity, to check the working of the still.
By the above methods I can so regulate the plant as to give any desired result.
As there is little or no vacuum in the still the heavy grades do not evaporate too
easily at the working temperature, and as the apparatus is air tight and no air
used as an agent, there is no fluctuation in pressure as the vapours distil over at
the same rate for the same temperature, I therefore get the most correct results
obtainable.
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:-
1. An apparatus and process for the continuous distillation and breaking up of
liquid hydrocarbons and other, volatile liquids or spirits by means of a feed pipe
passing up through the heated liquid, also providing regular means for drawing
off all the products of distillation or breaking up, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The process of distillation whereby a liquid at certain temperatures falls on
to another hot liquid, by this means using and turning to profitable account the
otherwise wasted heat of the residue or heavy grades.
3. An apparatus and process for the distillation and breaking up of liquid

page_text: hydrocarbons and other volatile liquids or spirits, by means of an arrangement
and combination of parts substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of October 1897..
HERBERT JOHN DAWES.