IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF AMMONIACAL LIQUOR
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Stuart Stevenson at .the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1880.
JOHN STUART STEVENSON, of the City of Dublin, in the County of Dublin,
Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF AMMONIACAL
LIQUOR."
This Invention has for its object, the construction of apparatus whereby the
distillation of ammoniacal liquor in combination with lime may be effected with
greater economy, efficiency, and convenience than has hitherto been the case with
the apparatus ordinarily in use, and in addition thereto the apparatus is designed
for the use of an inferior quality of lime to that commonly employed.
The Invention consists in the construction of a semi-egg shaped boiler, to be used
as an auxiliary to the ordinary boiler in which the liquor is distilled, and having
a chamber in the upper part surmounted by a hopper. An opening between the
hopper and the chamber is formed, the said opening having a removable lid or
cover whereby the opening may be closed and made steam tight. The bottom of
the boiler has also an opening capable of being closed by a valve or door, which is
kept shut when the apparatus is in use by means of a lever, or a screw, or other
suitable appliance. Within the boiler and at a suitable height there is a moveable
horizontal grid which fits closely to the boiler round its circumference and works
upon an axis, one end of which protrudes to the outside of the boiler, and is there
provided with a handle, so that any matter placed upon the grid, may by turning
the handle be caused to fall into the lower part of the boiler, which for the sake of
distinction may be called the lime boiler.
At a convenient height from the bottom of the boiler just described, there are
two pipes placed one above the other, that lead to the ordinary or liquor boiler.
Within the lower pipe and near where it enters the boiler first described, there is
inserted an injector which is connected to an ordinary steam boiler; there are also
several pipes communicating between the steam boiler and the lower part of the
lime boiler. The lime boiler has in addition another pipe rising from its upper
part and furnished with a cock and safety valve, there are also one or more man-
holes with lids for the convenience of cleaning.
The use of the apparatus is as follows:-The lid or door which closes the opening
between the hopper and the lime boiler is removed, and a suitable quantity of lime

page_text: is introduced and falls upon the grid; the opening is then closed. The ordinary
liquor boiler having been charged and the "strong liquor" worked off, communi-
cation by means of the two pipes before described between it and the lime boiler
is effected, when the weak liquor will flow into the lime boiler until it rises above
the lime and attains the same level as in the liquor boiler, steam is then turned on
to the several pipes in the lower part of the lime boiler and to the injector. The
result is that the liquor in the lime boiler undergoes violent ebullition, and in doing
so dissolves, or rather disintegrates, the lime and forms a " cream of lime," while
the force of the steam issuing from the injector causes the liquor in the liquor boiler
to flow by the lower of the two pipes into the lime boiler, where after being boiled
in contact with the lime returns to the liquor boiler by the upper of the two
pipes before mentioned; thus a constant circulation of liquor is kept up until the
whole of the ammonia is liberated.
Another method of working the apparatus is to allow the weak liquor to flow
into the lime boiler, to close the upper cock, and then to boil by means of steam
until sufficient pressure has been attained in the upper part of the lime boiler as
to force the creamy compound into the liquor boiler, the operation being frequently
repeated until the whole of the liquor is worked off.
In either case when the operation is complete and the whole of the lime has been
utilized, the bottom of the boiler is opened and the lime removed. The grid is
now turned over, when the debris which it had retained falls off into the bottom of
the boiler and may be removed too. The special use of the grid is to retain the
debris or impurities mixed with the lime, and which otherwise would enter the
liquor boiler and soon choke it up. By this means an impure lime may be used
with economy when distilling ammoniacal liquor as herein described.
The form of the boiler is not confined to the semi-egg shape, but may be varied
to suit particular circumstances.