CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMBINATION AND CONDENSATION OF GASES AND VAPORS APPLICABLE TO PROCESSES OF DISTILLATION
Year: 1810

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Jonn
STANCLIFFE, of Caius College, in the University of Cambridge, and of Tooke's
Court, London, Bachelor of Physic, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most gracious Majesty King George the Third, by Dis
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixth day of April, in the fiftieth year of His reign, did, for
ITimself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Stancliffe, His especial licence that I, the said John Stancliffe, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as.I, the said John Stancliffe, my exors,
adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the terin of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMBINATION AND CONDENSATION OF GASES AND VAPORS
APPLICABLE TO PROCESSES OF DISTILLATION;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Stancliffe, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Stancliffe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained
in the plan hereunto annexed, and the following explanation, that is to say:-
These improvements and apparatus for combination and condensation of
gases and vapors applicable to distillation consist in the means of dispensing
with ordinary modes of luting as connected with the facility, freedom, and
play of several parts of the apparatus, and especially of rotatory agitation, with
comparatively little friction, by which the contents both of the still itself and
refrigeratory or refrigeratories may be kept in constant agitation, and large
surfaces of fluids may be presented to vapours or gases to hasten condensation.
The necessity for stuffing boxes as applied to stills (always objectionable both
from the materials of which they are formed and the friction of the axes
passing through them) is thus done away.
These improvements further consist in the means of operating with ease
under considerable columnar fluid pressure in every case, whether of simple or
compound distillation, or processes analagous, without danger to the operators
or liability to accident of the apparatus. The ordinary refrigeratory and worm
tube used by the distillers need not be employed in many instances, though
the new apparatus may be used as an appendage to this part of the old process,
and with advantage in most cases. The truth of these remarks must be
obvious by a reference to the annexed Drawing or Diagram, which exhibits à
general idea of the improvements alluded to.
Fig. 1 in these Drawings is a representation of the apparatus, by a section
through the centre of the whole; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, to give a clearer
idea of the same; the letters refer to both. A, A, A, is the first vessel or boiler;
to which heat is applied by any of the means in common use, as by a lamp for
small apparatus, or by fire grate, &c. This vessel is formed of two prisms or
cylinders A, A, and a, a, one within the other, leaving a space between them in
which the liquid lutings hereafter to be described is situated, in this space the
cylinder or prismatic part of the head B, B, is received, and its lower edge
immersed in and surrounded by the said luting, so that no clastic vapour in
the head B can pass beneath, the bottom of it, unless its pressure is such as
to overcome the weight of the column of the fluid which is placed between
the two cylinders à, a, and A, A; by means of this luting the head B can be
taken away readily to open the vessel, and when it is put down in the space
between the two cylinders, the luting forms an air-tight joint, without the
necessity of any part of the contents of the apparatus coming in actual contact
with the liquid luting. IIere I must observe, that some contrivance is necessary

page_text: to keep down the head B, as the pressure of the elastic vapour acts to raise it
up: this may be performed either by hooks, screws, bolts, or any other method
which is best suited to the particular occasion; one I have used with success
is two, three, or more pieces of metal, projecting from the upper external
edge of the cylinder a, a, and two, three, or more corresponding pins projecting
from the inside of the cylindric part of the head B; when this is put down into
the luting in a proper position, these pins do not interfere with the said pro-
jecting pieces of metal, but by turning the head round when it is down in its
place the pins catch under these pieces, and prevent the head rising by the
action of the vapour. W is a funnel and cock, by which the boiler may be
filled with the matter to be operated upon; C is the tube, which conveys away
the elastic vapours to the refrigeratory D, D, which is composed of two parts,
the lower part made by two cylinders D, D, and d, d, in the same manner as
the boiler, to receive the liquid luting which makes a joint with the cover or
hood E, E; as in the former instance, the shape of the cover or hood is repre-
sented here as flat at top, but the shape is of little consequence in the process.
of distillation. The term hood is employed here only because the upper part
of the apparatus seems to cover or to hood the lower part; in this hood are
two, three, or more tubes L, L, M, projecting from it, which are for the pur-
pose of connecting it with the tube C coming from the boiler, and others, as O,
leading to second refrigeratorics, or any other apparatus; the joining of the
tubes C or O with the refrigeratory is by the same method of liquid luting as
the boiler before described; F is a pipe, soldered on the top of the hood, and
ff, is another, surrounding the former; the space between these receives the
tube C, to be connected with the hood, and retains the liquid which surrounds
the joining; by this means the tubes can be readily disjointed, but when put
together make a perfect fitting. they are held down from rising by two pins x, x,
(see Fig. 3) projecting from the tube C, which, when turned round, catch beneath
two hooks K, K, soldered upon the external tube f, f, or any other mode of
fastening may be adopted where necessary. In the centre of the refrigeratory
what is termed the agitator is placed, the tube M, rising from the centre of the
hood, being devoted to the purpose of making a fitting round its axis in the
following manner:-The tube N is made to surround the axis n of the agita-
tor, being fastened to it at g, so that the tube forms a complete hood, and
revolves with it in the space between the tubes F and f, f, which containing
fluid lute prevents the escape of any elastic fluid from the refiigeratory, at
the same time the axis n can be freely turned round with but little friction
by the handle m, or other methods to convey motion to the agitators fixed on
the lower end of the axis n; these agitators are 2, 4, or more leaves or arms,

page_text: as shewn in Fig. 4, and introduced at Z, Z, Fig. 1, formed of any convenient
matter and of any proper figure, which, when turned round by the handle m,
sweep the whole centre of the vessel D, D, so as to agitate and disturb every
portion of any fluid contained in it, which I have found very favorable to the
condensation of vapour, or the usual methods of producing agitation connected
with any axis may be equally applied to the axis n. These agitators may be
made of such figure as to fill up the vessel, whether the top or bottoni of the
same is flat or globular, concave or convex; the axis n of the agitator may be
supported as it turns round by two bearings, one at the lower end of the interior
of the tube M, and another at the upper end of the same at these points of
bearing; it must be made cylindrical and be received into slight collars, fixed as
before mentioned, one at the top and another at the bottom of the tube within
M; on these bearings may, if more convenient, be made at the extreme ends of
the axis, in which case the lower one must be supported at the bottom of the
refrigeratory, and the upper one in any convenient frame over the whole
apparatus. The boiler A, A, may, if necessary, be adapted to receive an
agitator, to stir up any matter present, and prevent the same from burning;
it is to be fitted with liquid lute at the junction of its axis R, by the same
method as above described; its arms S, Fig. 1, may be furnished with chains
to drag round the bottom in the usual manner. H, H, Fig. 1, represents a
gutter, fixed around within the head B, B, to receive any fluid which is con-
densed in the same, and convey it through the pipe C into the refrigeratory.
At W a cock may be placed, to draw off the products from the refrigeratory,
and the fluid lute may be removed, when necessary, by a syphon or by a cock,
as at z. To prevent the apparatus growing warm, as this would destroy the
effect of the refrigeratory, it may be immersed in a vessel of cold water at the
dotted lines 1, 1, Fig. 1, after the usual manner. The hoods, both of the boiler
and refrigeratory may be adapted to be drawn up at the same time by pulleys
or otherwise, where the apparatus is large, so as to remove them for clearing
off the residual matter in the boiler and refrigeratory. Though the Drawing
only exhibits one refrigerator, I propose, for the distillation of such matters as
require it, to use several, through which the vapour passes successively until it
is all condensed. The tubo O is supposed in the Drawing to lead to such
second vessel, and it is plain a communication may be made with any number
by the same means. Fig. 5 shews the method by which any vapour or gas
may be introduced into the refrigerator when the same is not raised in a
boiler, as shewn in Fig. but by any other means. It consists of a pair of
bellows V, with a pipe T coming from the vessel containing the vapor, affix
the orifice of the valve to the nose of the bellows. Another pipe t is fixed and

page_text: connected with the refrigerator by liquid lute in the same manner as the
pipe C, Fig. 1. Now it is evident that by working the bellows the vapour
will be drawn into them through the pipe T, and expelled from them through
the tube t into the vessel, even when the vapour has no elastic force to rise of.
itself and pass over. These improvements are obviously applicable in all cases
of distillation in the rectification of various liquids, as of alcohol, in the pre-
paration of æther, and of the mineral acids, as the nitric, muriatic, oxy-
muriatic, and indeed all other volatile but condensible vapours and gases,
whether acid or otherwise, separable by processes similar to distillation, as also
in separating the pyrolignous acids and other volatile matters from coal, and
obtaining the condensible from the uncondensible portions, as the tar, oily,
alkaline, and saline matters from the carburitted hydrogen, which may be, at
the same time, applied to known and useful purposes. The apparatus is equally
applicable for impregnating liquids with carbonic acid gas as for other conden-
sible volatile products, of whatever nature or from whatsoever source they may
be derived. This apparatus may be also employed with advantage in the depura-
tion of linen, wool, woollens, cottons, &c., which may be introduced into the
condenser, refrigeratory, or recipient, and there be exposed, not only to agita-
tion, but to the vapour of volatile alkali or steam of water, thrown off by the
first process of distillation, and carried into the condenser containing the
agitator. The impregnation of aclalinc, earthy, or metallic matters with acid
or other vapours is readily effected by throwing these volatile acids in the act
of distillation from the place where they are generated into the refrigeratory
vessel or vessels where the condensation is to be effected, and solutions of some
of these gums may be promoted, as of copal, by throwing their proper solvents,
in a state of vapour, from the first part of the apparatus under sufficient
columnar fluid pressure, and temperature. Hence its importance, as well to
the varnish maker as to others concerned in operations where the principle of
distillation may be advantageously introduced, its application in pharmacy to
obtain volatile vegetable extracts is manifest, as well as its ceconomical appli-
cation to various domestic operations in any scale, and many operations
which have been heretofore managed with difficulty, or considered as nuisances,
may be effected by this apparatus with ease, and without being offensive;
as, for example, the obtaining of spirits of hartshorn, animal oil, or ammonia
from bones and other animal recrements, the number or capacity of the
refrigeratories being always proportioned to the quantity of volatile product to
be condensed, and the depth of the liquid luting being always such as to allow
the escape of a portion of the product rather than detriment the containing
vessels, which ought to be in preference constructed of materials which cannot

page_text: react chemically upon either the liquid luting or product to be condensed. By
having the vessels of considerable strength, it is obvious that the power of
condensation, as aided by the pressure of the fluid luting, may be indefinitely
increased, and that nothing is wanted for completing the condensation but the
power of presenting large surfaces of the vapour or gas by agitation to colder
meden, for which the apparatus is well adapted, as the condensers or refrigera-
tory vessels may be immersed in vessels containing cold water or ice, as is
sometimes the practice in ordinary distillation with the worm tube, and which
water, as it becomes warm, may be constantly supplied with cold water; for the
like reason it is manifest that when the air, gas, or vapour to be condensed is
thrown into the recipient or refrigeratories containing such agitators by means
of bellows (whether common or hydrostatic), retorts, or other known and
obvious means, such condensor with its appropriate agitator is considered and
claimed as part of my improvements. It may in many cases be found that
the agitator is not necessary in the soveral condensers, and in few cases will
it be required to be constantly employed; this must depend upon the facility
or case with which the vapour condenses as connected with the quantity to be
actually condensed in given times. The principle applies to apparatus on any
scale. The altitude of the column of the fluid luting must in most instances
be determined by the nature of the process, but where there is a probability
of a rapid condensation of the volatile products, and regurgitation of atmo-
spheric air, they had better be somewhat less than half the depth of the
containing tubes, by which means all possibility of mixture of the fluid lute
and condensed vapour is prevented. In many cases this may be of little or no
consequence, as my experiments have proved. The residue may be drawn off
by a cock or syphon from the different recipients when fluid, and when too
thick to run in this way may be removed by elevating the hood or head which
passes into the liquid lute of the refrigeratory or other vessels employed, as
well as of any other parts which are made similarly air-tight. From an inspec-
tion of the apparatus is is obvious that the fluid lute will rather give way than
allow of accumulation of uncondensed vapour or gas to the point of explosion
or rupture of the vessels; this method therefore implies the most perfect
security to the operator. The width of the interstices destined to contain the
fluid lute may be varied according to the speed of condensation or number of
refrigeratories. The hoods may be held down by weights in some instances
as well as catches, and the means described. Since the forms of the vessels
may be varied at the pleasure of the operator, or according to circumstances,
without detriment to the principle, in other words, that their horizontal
sections may be square, round, oval, oblong, prismatic, or polygonal; so may

page_text: the materials of which the apparatus is constructed be varied in any instance,
since all materials capable of being put into the requisite forms may be used.
These may be varied with advantage according to the circumstances. It being
desirable always to have in mind that there should be as little action as
possible chemically excited upon the materials of which the apparatus is
composed by the reagency of their contents, and for the same reason it will be
desirable to have a fluid lute, which will not be acted upon any more than the
containing vessels by the matters subjected to the process, or which are the
result of distillation. It may be either water, saline solutions, mercury,
fusible alloys, oil, wax, tallow, or any substance capable of being liquified,
provided it does not much interfere by its chemical action with the vessels or
their contents. The structures and distribution of the agitators connected
with their supports and fluid luting must obviously much diminish the friction
compared with what it would be in articles confined in stuffing boxes and the
like, all commerce with the external air being at the same time entirely cut
off, when the apparatus is employed with a view to the condensation of the
mixed gases or vapours and aeriform fluids, which are in part condensible,
but some of which cannot assume the liquid state under known atmospheric
temperatures, as is the case with some of the products of common coal when
subjected to distillation; then the gas escaping may be collected in gazometers
after the known methods, and kindled for the purpose of yielding light and
heat in contact with the atmosphere, or applied to other uses according to the
nature of the gaseous product itself. The condensing refrigeratory recipients
may be also adapted to the ordinary stills and worms in use, or attached, as in
the Diagram annexed, to the vessels similarly constructed, and which are
placed over the furnace, water bath, or other sources of heat. It is obvious
that cold water may be supplied by an additional bath containing cold water
in proportion as the liquid lute gets warm. It is supposed, therefore, that in
all cases which require it, the condensers are immersed in cold water baths
as is the worm in the worm tub in ordinary distillation. It is farther obvious
that this mode of distillation may combine, when it shall be thought proper, all
the known advantages employed heretofore by the distiller. The shafts of
the agitators may be readily driven by machinery, and several connected on
any scale if required. The various parts of the apparatus connected by tubes
may have these tubes either of a curved or any angular form most suitable,
tho' C and O, the connecting tubes of the Diagram annexed, are exhibited as
being at right angles. In many instances one refrigeratory with its agitator
will be found adequate to every purpose. The numerous applications of these
improvements as connected with agitation in a liquid medium, coupled with