IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, AND IN ADDADATHO לתתז.
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu, of Avallon, in
the Department of Vanno, in the Empire of France for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, AND IN
ADDADATHO
לתתזז.
of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, AND IN
ADDADATHO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eduard Claude Barbotte
de Beaulieu at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th December 1861.
I, EDUARD CLAUDE BARBOTTE DE BEAULIEU, of Avallon, in the Department
of Yonne, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, AND
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My improvements have for their object the distillation of spirituous liquors
in such a manner as to prevent their receiving that empyreumatic flavour
which always accompanies them when distilled in the ordinary manner by the
aid of heat, which flavour decreases their value to so great a degree.. My
Invention consists in distilling such spirituous liquors in a more or less perfect
vacuum, whereby the heat required for the volatilization of the alcohol from
the fermented substance is reduced to so low a degree as to prevent the simul-
taneous volatilization of the empyreumatic oils, which are generally disengaged
by the action of a greater heat upon the fermented matter. For this purpose
I prefer to employ an apparatus of the following arrangement:-I construct a
vessel of copper or other suitable material, which I prefer to be of the form of

page_text: a long horizontal cylinder hermetically closed at either end. To the bottom,
at one end of this vessel, I attach a vertical tube reaching downwards from
the cylinder or retort to a length of at least 40 feet and bent into an S shape
at its extremity. This tube is provided with a stop-cock at either end. To
the top of the other end of the closed cylinder or retort I attach another tube
provided with a stop-cock and widened out above the latter, so as to form a
funnel below the stop-cock. This tube has a branch, tube of an S shape
attached to it, provided also with a stop-cock, and having a funnel fixed upon
its bighest part, which funnel has another stop-cock immediately below it.
The extremity of this S-shaped tube is attached to the end of an ordinary
"worm' "
or condensing apparatus, similar to that usually employed in distil-
ling, enclosed in a cistern, through which cold water is continually circulating.
The before-described cylinder or retort is likewise surrounded by a cistern
containing water of a rather higher temperature, than that surrounding the
"worm." The lower extremity of the "worm" is provided with a stop-cock,
and then passes into a hermetically closed glass vessel, inside which is a glass
beaker containing an areometer, by which the specific gravity of the condensed
alcohol or spirituous liquor passing from the worm. into the beaker can be at
any time ascertained. The alcohol or spirituous liquor passes from the mouth
of the beaker to the bottom of the hermetically closed glass vessel, and thence.
into a tube attached to the same, also provided with a stop-cock; this tube
passes downwards to a length of not less than 40 feet and terminates in a
S shaped bend, having a spherical enlargement and a stop-cock above the
same. This tube and also the hermetically closed glass cylinder have a casing,
through which cold water is made to circulate, the casing surrounding the
glass cylinder being made partially or wholly of glass, so as to be able to
observe the areometer through the same.
The operation of distillation in this apparatus now takes place as follows:-
The first-named cylinder or retort is filled in the first instance with cold boiled
water through the first-named funnel, the lower cock in the long pipe attached
to one end of it being at the same time closed, when the retort is filled up to
the funnel with water, the cock below the funnel is closed, and the lower cock
in the before-mentioned long pipe is opened. The water contained in the
retort will then all flow out through this tube until the column of water
contained in the tube is balanced by the pressure of the atmosphere. The
stop-cock at the upper end of the tube is then closed, and a more or less
perfect vacuum is formed in the retort. At the same time the "worm," as
also the long tube connected to the bottom of it and the S-shaped branch
connected to the top of it, are filled with alcohol through the funnel attached

page_text: to the latter. When full the stop-cock beneath this funnel is closed, and the
one at the lower end of the long tube is opened, so that the alcohol-will flow
off from the worin, the S-shaped tube, and long tube, until the column of
alcohol contained in the latter is balanced by the pressure of the atmosphere,
when the cock at the upper end of this tube is closed, and a more or less
perfect vacuum is formed in the worm and S-shaped tube. Instead of the
just-mentioned arrangement for forming the vacuum, any other known arrange-
ment may be employed. The apparatus having been thus prepared, the
cylinder or retort is then charged through the first-named funnel with the
fermented liquid from which the alcohol is to be extracted, care being taken
that no atmospheric air shall enter along with it. When the retort has been
sufficiently charged, which can be observed with accuracy by means of a glass
gauge connected to the same, similar to those attached to steam boilers, the
stop-cock below the charging funnel is closed and that in the S-shaped branch
leading to the condensing worm is opened. Owing to the more or less com-
plete vacuum which exists in both the retort and condensing worm the alcohol
will be disengaged in a gaseous form from the fermented liquor contained in
the former without any additional application of heat, and will pass over into
the worm, where it will become condensed and will issue from the long pipe
connected to the bottom of the same, as before described. As by the vola-
tilization of the 'alcohol a certain amount of .heat is continually being carried
away from the fermented liquor and is absorbed by the cold water surrounding
the condensing worm, it will be necessary continually to add so much heat to
the fermented liquor' as to keep up its original temperature; this is effected
by the water in the, cistern surrounding the retort, which water is of a slightly
higher temperature than that in the condensing apparatus. When the alcohol
has been completely separated from the fermented liquor by the above process
the liquor is allowed to flow off from the retort through the before-mentioned
long tube, by which a more or less complete vacuum is again formed in the
same, and a fresh charge of fermented liquor is introduced through the
funnel.

page_text: 1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
'reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
'the said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu, Her special licence that I, the
said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITUOUS
'LIQUORS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu, my executors
or administrators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My improvements have for their object the distillation, of spirituous liquors in
'such a manner as to prevent their receiving that empyreumatic flavour which
always accompanies them when distilled in the ordinary manner by the aid of
heat; which flavour decreases their value to so great a degree.
My Invention consists in distilling such spirituous liquors in a more or less
perfect vacuum by means of an apparatus to be hereafter described, whereby
the beat required for the volatilization of the alcohol from the fermented
substance is reduced to so low a degree as to prevent the simultaneous volati-
lization of the empyreumatic oils, which are generally disengaged by the action
of a greater heat upon the fermented matter.
On the accompanying Drawing is shewn the apparatus which I employ for
this purpose. Figure 1 shews an elevation of the same; Figure 2 shews. an
enlarged sectional elevation of the vessel A containing the wash to be distilled;
Figure 3 shews an enlarged sectional elevation of the condensing worm F ;

page_text: .
and Figure 4 shews' an enlarged sectional elevation of the apparatus for ascer
taining the specific gravity of the spirituous liquor as it flows from the still.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures..
A is a closed vessel of tinned copper or other suitable material, either of
a cylindrical form with spherical ends, or having a flat elliptic or other suitable
sectional form, and constructed of such strength as to withstand the external pres-
sure of the atmosphere when a more or less perfect vacuum is formed inside the
same. This vessel is placed slightly on an incline, as shewn, and is, by pre-
ference, surrounded by a casing B containing water of a low temperature. A
glass gauge, situated outside the casing B, and communicating with the
vessel A, serves to indicate the height at which the wash stands in the same.
To the bottom of the lowest end of the vessel A is attached a long tube C,
provided with a cock 1 at top, and passing downwards to a vertical depth of
at least forty feet. At the lower extremity it is curved upwards into an
S shape, as shewn, and is there provided with a cock 2. On the top of the
highest end of the vessel A, a second tube D is fixed communicating with the
same, and having a cock 3, above which the tube is enlarged, so as to form
á funnel E. Below, the cock 3 an S-shaped 'branch F, having also a cock 4,.
is attached to and communicates with the tube D. At the highest point of F.
a branch is formed upon it, which is provided with a cock 5, and terminates
in the-funnel G. The end of the tube F is attached to the upper extremity
of the condensing worm H, which may be of any suitable known construc-
tion, and is enclosed in a casing I, through which cold water of a somewhat
lower temperature than that contained in the casing B is made to circulate..
The lower extremity of the condensing worm H is provided with a cock 6,
and is connected to the tube J leading into the hermetically closed vessel K..
This latter is formed of glass with metallic ends cemented on, as shewn more
clearly at the enlarged section, Fig. 4, and contains a glass beaker L, into.
which the distilled spirituous liquor passes from the tube J as it is condensed.
in the worm H. Inside the beaker L is placed an areometer M for deter-
mining the specific gravity of the distilled liquor. When the beaker has become
filled up
to the lip, as shewn by the dotted red lines, the spirituous liquour,
passes down underneath the foot of the same, whence it is conducted into the.
tube N attached to the vessel K, through the small channels a, a. Surround-
-ing the vessel K is a cistern O, through which cold water is made to circulate,,
and two sides of which are made of glass. The tube N passes through the
cistern, and leads down to a depth of at least forty feet; at the extremity it is,
bent upwards into an S shape, having a spherical enlargement, as shewn, and,
a cock 9. above the same. At the upper end the tube. N. has two other.cocks,

page_text: the one 7 situated inside the cistern O, which is manipulated by means of the
rod b, and the other 8, situated beneath the cistern. The tube N is sur
rounded by an external casing P containing cold water, which communicates
with the cistern O, as shewn, and serves to prevent the condensed spirituous
liquor contained in the tube N from re-evaporating. The foot of the beaker L
nearly fits the inside of the vessel K, so as to keep it central in the same; in
the centre it has a small conical opening closed by a plug R, which is attached
to the bottom of the vessel K, as shewn. In order to lift the beaker L off
this plug, so as to empty the spirituous liquor contained in the same when
requisite, a forked rod Q is fixed to the top of the beaker, which rod passes
through a gland in the metal cover of the vessel K, and is provided exter-
nally with the button S, by which the rod, and with it the beaker L, is pulled
upwards when the latter requires emptying. In order to make the gland,
through which the. rod Q passes air-tight, it is surrounded by a covering T of
india-rubber. The manner in which the process of distillation takes place in
this apparatus is as follows:-The cock 2 being closed, and the cocks 1 and 3
opened, the vessel A and the tube C are filled with cold boiled water through
the funnel E. When it is ascertained that they are quite full up to the
funnel E, the cock 3 is closed and the one 2. is opened. The water contained
in the vessel A; as also that in the tube C, will then descend in the latter and
flow away at the bottom, until the column of water remaining in the tube is
balanced by the pressure of the external atmosphere, when a.more or less perfect.
vacuum will have been formed in the vessel A, only such a pressure existing
in the same as is exerted by the vapour of water at the temperature of the
surrounding cold water contained in the casing B. The cock 1 is then closed,
any water remaining in the funnel E is removed, and the wash that is to be
distilled is introduced through the same into the vessel A, taking care that no
air passes in with it. When it is ascertained by the glass gauge x that a suffi-
cient quantity of the wash is in the vessel A, as indicated by the red dotted lines
in Figure 2, the cock 3 is closed. A more or less perfect vacuum is then formed
in the worm Hir the following-manner:-The_cock_9 at the bottom of the
tube N and the one 4 on the tube F being closed, the cocks 5, 6, 7, and 8
are opened, the tube N, the vessel K, and the condensing worm H are then
filled with alcohol through the funnel G; when this has been done, care being
taken to remove all air bubles by shaking the apparatus slightly, the cock 5
is closed and the cock 9 is opened, when the alcohol will flow out of the
tube N until the column. in the same is balanced by the pressure of the
external atmosphere. A more or less perfect vacuum will thus be formed.
inside- the condensing worm H, as it will only contain alcoholic vapours at

page_text: such a pressure as is due to the temperature of the water in the casing I..
During this time the vacuum existing in the vessel A will have caused such.a
quantity of the alcoholic particles.to be evaporated from the wash contained
therein as will fill this vacuum with alcoholic vapours at a pressure equal to
that due to the temperature of the surrounding water in the casing B. If
now the cock 4 be opened, and the vessel A be thus put in communication
with the condensing worm H, in which a vacuum exists, then the alcoholic
vapours will pass from the former into the latter, and as the water surrounding.
the worm H is of a lower temperature than that surrounding the vessel A,
the alcoholic vapours as they pass into the worm will become condensed, and
will pass in a liquid form into the beaker L in the closed vessel K; hence
the condensed spirituous liquor will pass down the tube N, where it will grá-.
dually displace the before-mentioned column of alcohol already contained in
it, and will eventually pass away from the end of the tube into any convenient
receptacle. The escape of the alcoholic vapours from the vessel A into the
worm H will cause fresh vapours to be. continuously disengaged. from the
wash in the vessel A, which in their turn will pass into the worm H, where
they will be condensed, this action taking place until the whole of the
alcoholic particles have been evaporated from the wash. The cock 4 is then
closed and the cocks 1 and 2 opened, when the exhausted wash will pass away
down the tube C, forming thus fresh partial vacuum in the vessel A.. A
fresh charge of wash is then introduced through the funnel E, the cock 4 is
re-opened, when the process of distillation will again proceed as before described.
As by the process of evaporation of the alcohol from the wash the heat con--
tained in the latter is gradually carried over into the worm H, whence it is
absorbed by the water in the cistern I, it will be requisite, in order to render
the process a constant one, to impart to the wash as much fresh heat as is
carried away in the above-described manner. For this purpose the water
contained in the casing B can either be supplied from that situated at the top
of the cistern I, which will evidently contain the heat which has been abstracted
from the wash; or if this is not found to afford such an amount of heat as is
required to maintain the proper difference of temperature between the vessel A
and the worm H, then the casing B may be provided with a separate. supply
of water at a somewhat higher temperature than that contained in the
cistern I, this temperature being, however, insufficient to evaporate the empy-
reumatic oils contained in the wash. The respective temperatures, which I
prefer to maintain in the two vessels are about 80 degrees Fahrenheit for the
vessel-A,-and-about-60-degrees Fahrenheit, or less, for the worm H, which
difference of temperature would afford an excess of pressure in the vessel A

page_text: over that existing in the worm H of about two inches of mercury, and the
process of distillation would proceed at a velocity due to this pressure.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise form and proportions of details of my improved apparatus, as
shewn on the accompanying Drawing, as these may be variously modified
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but what I claim is,-
Firstly, the distillation of spirituous liquors at a low temperature by the aid
of a more or less perfect vacuum produced by means of apparatus, as herein-
before described, with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the construction of apparatus, as herein-before described, with
reference to the accompanying Drawing, for the distillation of spirituous
liquors.
Thirdly, the construction of apparatus, as herein-before described, with
reference to the accompanying Drawing, for ascertaining continuously the
specific gravity of spirituous liquors as the process of their distillation
proceeds.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eduard Claude Barbotte de Beaulieu,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
TA A DADDATTE DE DEATIT TELL
E. C. BARBOTTE DE BE
DEATIT TETT
(5.0.)