Improvements in Stills of the Coffey Type.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left 25th June 1890-Accented
26th July 1800
سلسل
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stills of the Coffey Type.
I, ALFRED CHAPMAN of 17 York Street, Liverpool, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to stills of the Coffey type, that is to say stills in which there
are two columns called respectively the analyzer and the rectifier. The fermented
wash is deprived of its alcohol in the analyzer and the alcoholic vapors mixed with
watery vapors pass over from the top of the analyzer to the bottom of the rectifier up
which they then pass becoming gradually purer and purer the higher they go. When
a Coffey still of the ordinary construction has been once set πρ it will only make good
spirit of a given strength because the analyzer being always the same and the rectifier
being always the same, the spirit obtained from a given wash must always be the
sane if properly made. If it were desired to get more spirit of less strength per
hour and if more than the normal quantity of wash per hour were with this object
supplied to the apparatus, the spirit obtained would become cloudy or milky when
water was added to it and therefore would not be a merchantable article.
The object of my invention is to construct stills of the Coffey type in such a
manner that the quality or strength of the spirit can be varied at will without injuring
it.
In the ordinary construction the water which becomes freed or disengaged from
the alcohol in the rectifier forms a layer of about an inch deep more or less ou each of
the perforated diaphragms in the rectifying column and flowing alternately from end
to end overflows into the down pipes and thence into water seals or saucers on the
diaphragms next below while the hot and comparatively boiling alcohol passes up
through the perforations which are formed for the purpose in the diaphragms. The
degree of rectification depends upon the number of diaphragms and the layers of
liquor thereon through which the alcohol passes and as the still is a fixture it is
impracticable to alter the number.
Now according to my invention one or more of the diaphragms in the rectifier can
be thrown out of work at will so far as having a layer of liquor on the top is
concerned without interfering with the constant flow of the liquor or with the duty of
the respective water seals which is to prevent alcohol or vapor passing up the down
pipes. For this purpose I make that portion of the down pipe which projects above
the diaphragm (to the extent of about one inch more or less) separate from the rest
of the down pipe and I provide it with means whereby it can be readily lifted from
the diaphragm as required. When this projection of the down pipe rests upon the
diaphragm it acts like the ordinary projection and maintains the liquid on the
diaphragm at the proper or normal level of say one inch. When on the other hand
the projection is lifted clear of the diaphragm to the extent of say half an inch the
liquor will immediately run down the down pipe into the water seal on the next
diaphragm leaving a thin film of about only one-sixteenth of an inch instead of about
one inch on the upper diaphragm which is therefore practically placed out of action
and the alcohol obtained is of proportionately less strength, but still good.
A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect is to make the projection
of the down pipe above the diaphragm in the form of an annular valve or ring which
fits round the opening in the diaphragm and is sufficiently weighted to keep it in
place; to this valve or ring is attached a lever actuated from the exterior of the
column so as to lift it or to allow it to descend as required. It need not fit tight as
on a seat because the pressure of the vapor below prevents any liquor leaking through.
The down pipes themselves may have an out turned flange at top by means of which
they are rivetted to the underside of the diaphragm.
Dated this 24th day of May 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stills of the Coffey Type.
I, ALFRED CHAPMAN of 17 York Street, Liverpool, Civil Engineer, 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 to stills of the Coffey type, that is to say stills in which there
are two columns called respectively the analyzer and the rectifier. The fermented
wash is deprived of its alcohol in the analyzer and the alcoholic vapors mixed with
watery vapors pass over from the top of the analyzer to the bottom of the rectifier up
which they then pass becoming gradually purer and purer the higher they go. When
a Coffey still of the ordinary construction has been once set up, it will only make
good spirit of a given strength because the analyzer being always the same and the
rectifier being always the same, the spirit obtained from a given wash must always be
the same if properly made. If it were desired to get more spirit of less strength per
hour and if more than the normal quantity of wash per hour were with this object
supplied to the apparatus the spirit obtained would become cloudy or milky when
water was added to it and therefore would not be a merchantable article.
The object of my invention is to construct stills of the Coffey type in such a
manner that the quality or strength of the spirit can be varied at will without injuring
it. In the ordinary construction the water which becomes freed or disengaged from
the alcohol in the rectifier forms a layer of about an inch deep more or less on each of
the perforated diaphragms in the rectifying column and flowing alternately from end
to end overflows into the down pipes and thence into water seals or saucers on the
diaphragms next below, while the hot and comparatively boiling alcohol passes up
through the perforations which are formed for the purpose in the diaphragins. The
degree of rectification depends upon the number of diaphragms and the layers of
liquor thereon through which the alcohol passes and as the still is a fixture it is
impracticable to alter the number.
Now according to my invention I construct the rectifier so that one or more of the
diaphragms therein can be thrown out of work or action at will so far as having a
layer of liquor on the top is concerned, without interfering with the constant flow of
the liquor or with the duty of the respective water seals which is to prevent alcohol or
vapor passing up the down pipes. For this purpose that portion of the down pipe
which projects above the diaphragm (to the extent of about one inch more or less)
can be made separate from the rest of the down pipe and be provided with means
whereby it can be readily lifted from the diaphragm as required.
When this pro-
jection of the down pipe rests upon the diaphragm it acts like the ordinary projection
and maintains the liquid on the diaphragm at the proper or normal level of say one
inch. When on the other hand the projection is lifted clear of the diaphragm to the
extent of say half an inch the liquor will immediately run down the down pipe into
the water seal on the next diaphragm, leaving a thin film of about only one-sixteenth
of an inch instead of about one inch on the upper diaphragm which is therefore
practically placed out of action and the alcohol obtained is of proportionately less
strength but still good. Or instead of making that portion of the down pipe which
normally projects above the diaphragm separate from the rest of the down pipe and
providing it with means for lifting it above the diaphragm as just described other
means of throwing the diaphragm out of work can be adopted such for example as
fitting the down pipe so that it can be slid bodily downwards to bring its top edge
flush with the diaphragm ; or as this would affect the water seal the upper part of the
down pipe can be fitted so as to slide telescopically within the lower part. Or that
part of the down pipe which projects above the diaphragm can be made with apertures
at the side, these apertures being normally closed by a ring which fits round the down
pipe but can at will be turned axially so as to bring apertures therein opposite the
apertures in the side of the down pipe.

page_text: A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect is to make the projection of
the down pipe above the diaphragm in the form of an annular valve or ring which fits
round the opening in the diaphragm and is sufficiently weighted to keep it in place ;
to this valve or ring is attached a lever actuated from the exterior of the column so as
to lift it or to allow it to descend as required. It need not fit tight as on a seat
because the pressure of the vapor below prevents any liquor leaking through. The
down pipes themselves may have an out-turned flange at top by means of which they
are rivetted to the underside of the diaphragm.
This way of carrying out my invention will be understood on reference to the
accompanying drawings which represent it applied to a still of the Coffey type as now
ordinarily constructed. Figures and 2 are vertical sections of the rectifier, these
views being taken at right angles to each other. Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a
section and a plan on a larger scale illustrating the annular valve or ring which
constitutes the projection of the down pipe above the diaphragm and also showing the
means for lifting this valve. My invention is represented as fitted to nine of the
diaphragms of the rectifier, but the number of diaphragms to which it is applied is of
course optional.
a is the pipe by which the alcoholic and watery vapors are conveyed from the
analyzer to the bottom of the rectifier. 6b is the usual worm or serpentine through
which the wash circulates from the upper to the lower part of the rectifier before
passing to the analyzer. cc are the ordinary perforated diaphragms through which
successively the alcohol passes on its way from the bottom to the top of the rectifying
column. dd are the down pipes which normally project about an inch above the
diaphragms so as to maintain a proper depth of liquid on the diaphragms. e e are the
water seals or saucers into which the liquid that overflows into the down pipes d d is
received and from which it overflows on to the diaphragm next below, finally passing
off by the outlet f. In the nine down pipes to which my invention is applied the
portion that projects above the diaphragm is in the form of an annular valve or ring g
which is separate from the body of the down pipe and can be lifted clear of the
diaphragm so as to allow the water above the same to flow into the down pipe, a thin
film of about one-sixteenth of an inch deep being left instead of about the usual one
inch. When the valve or ring g is thus raised the corresponding diaphragm is
practically put out of action. The valve g is worked by means of a rod / carried
through a stuffing box in the wall of the rectifier; the inner end of this rod has an
arm connecting it with the valve and its outer end is fitted with a lever handle k.
The down flow pipes d have an out-turned flange l at top by means of which they are
rivetted to the underside of the diaphragms. The valve 9 is preferably made of a
casing or frame of brass or other metal filled with lead m so as to give it sufficient
weight to ensure its keeping in place when not purposely lifted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim in respect of stills of the Coffey type is :-
1. A rectifier constructed so that one or more of its perforated diaphragms can be
thrown out of work or action at will, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
2. A rectifier in which the down pipes or some of them are so formed or fitted that
their normal projection above the diaphragm can at will be removed, substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
3. The construction of rectifiers, substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.