tion of the Crude Products of Distillation thereof.
Year: 1886

page_text: tion of the Crude Products of Distillation thereof.
I, EDMUND WILKES MCCLAVE of New York City in the County and State of
New York, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates essentially to the treatment of the crude products produced
from pine wood or other wood of the fir species by subjecting it to heat in a retort
for the separation and purification of said products.
The furnace and retort for heating the wood may be of approved construction
and arrangement, but a preferred special contrivance having reference more
particularly to the protection of the retorts from overheating is herein represented
and described together with the improved methods and apparatus for the treatment
of the products of distillation from the retort which may be generally stated as
follows:—From the condenser to which the vapors from the retort first proceed,
the crude products are first caused to pass through a gas separating trap having
special contrivance to facilitate the elimination of the poisonous and inflamable
gases for the more effectual purification of the liquids to be further treated and the
products resulting therefrom and for the protection of the attendants from the
impurities which otherwise emanate from the settling tank into which the condensed
products are generally discharged directly, but which in this arrangement receives
said products from the trap freed of said gases.
In the tank the liquid products separate on standing by gravitation into an oily
and a subjacent acid portion.
The oily product is led into a kettle and then distilled by the action of wet steam
and the refined spirits or pure turpentine pass therefrom through another condenser
to the proper receptacle, these products being produced from the crude spirits which
are extracted from the wood before it begins to char in the retort.
The crude spirits and oils unfit for purification resulting from continuing the
operation afterwards are separated by withdrawal from the tank after the first
products have passed into the steaming kettle, the passage from said tank to said
kettle having been closed.

page_text: Besides these products there is a residuum of inspissated juices exudations from
the wood, and a pitchy base in the retort useful for paints varnishes, and for various
purposes in the arts, all as hereinafter more fully described reference being made
to the accompanying drawing which is mainly a sectional elevation of the apparatus
employed.
The retort consists of a sheet iron cylinder a, open at both ends to facilitate the
charging and discharging and provided with suitable doors b, for closing the same
The cylinder is suitably mounted in a brick setting c, in which the retort is separated
from the furnace d, by the brick arch e, extending nearly the whole length of said
retort for its protection, and there is a return passage f, under the retort to the
front end with branches g, up the sides of the retort thereat into the space h,
including the upper half of the retort along which the heat finally passes to the
smoke pipe j.
From the rear end of the furnace the heat products escape through a perforated
plate, upward into the return flue and are thereby distributed to prevent
concentrated impingement on any portion of the retort subject to the up rising
currents.
•
The retort contains loose cradles k, adapted for the support of the wood, so as to
prevent direct contact of it with the hot plate and removable to facilitate the
discharge of the residuums.
The doors b, for closing the ends of the retort are binged to it in the usual way
and are further secured by the lugs m, and keys n, which clamp them tightly
against the flanges o, to effectually close the joints to prevent the escape of the
distilled products.
The cock p, is attached to one end of the retort for drawing off such liquid
products as may not be expelled through the condenser. The retort is connected
with the condenser u, of ordinary form by the usual beak v, and from the worm of
the condensor the products are led by the pipe w, into the trap x for separating the
gases as before stated, said trap being located in the settling tank y, and consisting
of a vertical hollow cylinder which extends downward in the tank nearly to the
bottom where it has a return bend of gradually diminishing section which rises to
about the level of the inlet pipe w, where it terminates in a goose neck x¹, forming
an overflow passage into the tank.
Above the inlet tank and a little higher than the top of the tank, said trap
terminates in a nozzle 2 to which a pipe may be connected for the discharging of
the gas separated from the liquid in the trap, which separation is greatly facilitated
by the liquid being caused to take the downward course through the trap directly
in reverse of the natural upward course of the gases; they can be led to any
desired point thus avoiding any injury to the health of the attendants.
The liquid products of distillation pass through the goose neck into the tank y,
and there separate on standing by gravitation into an oily and subjacent acid
portion, The oily product is led into the kettle z, and there distilled. By this
arrangement the addition of water to the contents of the tank y, and the intro-
duction of gas into the kettle z, are avoided.
If the products of distillation are discharged into a closed tank and partly filled
with water, the gas can be separated and the oil will separate from the water by
gravitation, but by this operation all the acid products are lost being destroyed by
the water.
If the discharge be through the worm without the trap into the kettle z, the
products will then be mixed with inflamable and poisonous gas which renders
them unfit for use, the quantity of gas being so great and so injurious to the
health of the attendants that they could not endure its effects, It would also
render the products highly inflamable and dangerous.
The kettle z, into which the liquid is led from the tank y, through a pipe a¹, is
closed and fitted with a steam pipe b¹, to be connected with any suitable generator
to admit steam for subjecting the liquid to the action of wet steam, and with a
pipe c communicating with another condenser d¹.

page_text: When the earlier and better portions of the liquid expelled from the wood in
retort a, prior to the charring have become charged into kettle z, the pipe a¹, is
closed for the application of the steam therein. Then the heavier and cruder
portions remaining in tank y, and such as are further received into said tank by
the continuance of the treatment of the wood after the same has begun to char,
consisting of heavy oils and acids are drawn off from the tank through a cock e¹
that remains closed whilst the liquids are passing into kettle z. The action of the
steam in the kettle z, drives the spirits therefrom through the condenser d in the
form of refined spirits or pure turpentine to a suitable receiver, wet steam being
more effective and preferable to dry.
Thus while the production of refined spirits of turpentine from the earlier
products of the retort a, is in progress in retort d', the production of crude spirits
and oils unfit for further purification and distillation proceeds in the tank y. The
agency of wet steam is important as compared with dry, it serves as a means of
expelling the spirits from the kettle and separates the coloring matters and
impurities more rapidly effectually and economically and produces a superior
article.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st In the process of separating the crude products distilled from wood of the
fir species the method of effecting the separation of the gases from the condensed
products through a trap intermediate to the condenser and settling tank sub-
stantially as described.
2nd In the process of separating the crude products distilled from wood of the
fir species, the method of effecting the separation of the gases by passing them
from the condenser through the trap having the opening in the top for the escape
of the gases and the goose neck and overflow passage for conducting the liquid.
products through the bottom of said trap.
3rd The combination of apparatus for distilling turpentine, consisting of the
condenser, gas trap, settling tank and the re-distilling kettle and its condenser
arranged and operating substantially as described.
4th The combination in wood distilling apparatus of the settling tank and gas
trap with the retort and primary condenser, and also with the steam kettle and
secondary condenser in the intermediary arrangement and with the pipe con-
nections and cocks as set forth.
5th The combined settling tank refining kettle, connecting pipe and cocks
adapted for the simultaneous two fold process of the continuous production of
crude spirits and oils in the tank and of the refined spirits and pure turpentine in
the kettle substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of December 1885.