Year: 1886

page_text: I, PHILIP HENRY BRACHER, of Wincanton, in the County of Somerset, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
In distilling water hitherto, expensive worms and other apparatus have been used.
My invention is designed to enable an ordinary kitchen saucepan, kettle, or like
article to be used as the evaporator, and a very cheap tin or other vessel can be used
in place of a worm. My invention is based on the fact that hot steam naturally
ascends, that surfaces of metal convey heat to water much more rapidly upward than
in any other direction.
I accordingly use for my condenser the under surface of a
thin pan or receptacle of water, and in order to collect the condensed water I make
the surface sloping downward at such an inclination that the condensed water shall
run down the surface to a channel or channels at the lowest point. In its simplest
form my apparatus consists of a pan having an upward conical bottom, a channel
ledge all round the inner side of that bottom, and a pipe leading from the lowest point
of that ledge outward. The apparatus is placed on a saucepan over the spout of a
kettle, or other point, where aqueous vapour arises, and the interior of the pan filled
with cold water The steam condenses on the lower surface, heating the water, and
itself running out as water through the pipe to any receptacle placed to receive it.
Dated this Third day of November 1886.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Obtaining Distilled
Water.
I, PHILIP HENRY BRACHER of Wincanton in the County of Somerset, Manufacturer,
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 has for its object a still that can be used for distilling water more
especially, but other fluids if required, for laboratory or household purposes, without
the elaborate arrangements at present in vogue.
To attain this object an ordinary kitchen saucepan, kettle or like article may be used
as the evaporator and a very cheap tin or other vessel can be used in place of a worm.
though in the best form of my apparatus I use a special kettle of simple form, as the
evaporator.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings in which the
aforesaid form of apparatus is depicted.
Figure 1 being a front view and Figure 2 a section in a plane at right angles to
Figure 1.
In these A is the kettle or container to hold the liquid to be distilled, B an orifice
with air tight fitting lid 6 into which more liquid can be run as it evaporates. For
my condenser I use the under surface of a thin pan or receptacle of water, and in
order to collect the condensed water I make the surface sloping downward at such an
inclination that the condensed water shall run down the surface to a channel or
channels at the lowest point. My original apparatus in its simplest form consisted of
a pan having an upward conical bottom, a channel ledge all round the inner side of,
or slightly below that bottom, and a pipe leading from the lowest point of that ledge
outward. This apparatus is placed on a saucepan, or over the spout of a kettle, or
other point where aqueous vapour arises, and the interior of the pan is filled with cold
water, the steam condensing on the lower surface, heating the water and itself running
out as water through the pipe to any receptacle placed to receive it.
The modified form shown the drawing though possessing the same leading features
is a little more complex, and may be thus described.
C is a cylinder fitting on to A as shown by air tight flanged joint. It has a sloping
diaphragm D with a raised curb or channel ledge E on its upper side, through which
water can be poured into A if required. This hole and curb E are of such diameter
that if any water be poured through cone G hereafter described, it shall certainly fall
through E into A, but water dripping from the condensing cone H shall fall beyond
and outside E, and running down diaphragm D shall run out at spout I at its lowest
point. J, is a third cylinder or pan, which forms the condenser the steam being con-
densed on the under surface of its bottom H. The said cylinder J fits with air tight
flanged joint on C. It has a diaphragm K with central orifice entirely closed by the

page_text: condensing cone or bottom H. Cone or bottom H has preferably an internal cone G
to admit air in case of a partial vacuum, and to admit water in case it is desirable, this
is fixed water tightly to cone H, but has an orifice at lowest point as shown. L is an
overflow spout placed with its top at a slightly lower level than that of H and G, so as
to prevent water entering G, but if G be used to feed the reservoir A, then the top
of L is placed at a slightly higher level than G and H, and the aperture in G is
regulated in any convenient manner, so that to feed A shall about equal and supply
the loss of water through evaporation. If the feed is regulated so as to be more than
sufficient to run out of the waste pipe L, then it will overflow into and through G and H
and serve to replenish A. M is a tube with funnel N, for admitting water into J.
PP are handles.
If desired a float may be placed on the surface of the fluid in the kettle A, said float
being provided with a thin wire stem which passes upwards through the opening in
cone G and serves to indicate the height of the fluid in A.
The mode of action of the apparatus set forth in the drawings as applied to water
distillation, is as follows :-
--
The kettle A being filled nearly to the top with water is set on a fire and a stream
of water is allowed to trickle through pipe M into chamber J, which has been previously
nearly filled with water. The steam from A rises through E and C into cone H and
coming against the surface of the latter kept cool by the stream of water passing
through J, it is condensed, and running down the inside of H is discharged into D
and out at I when the water gets low in A it can be replenished at B or a regulated
supply from J can be let in near the top of H by any convenient adjustable feed, or
even through G. G is good however as a safety valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. An apparatus for distilling water and other liquids consisting of an evaporating
vessel surmounted by a condensing vessel having a hollow conical bottom protruding
therein and a sloping channel or ledge in connection therewith, which collects the
condensed liquid from the said bottom and discharges to the outside of the apparatus,
the whole constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In combination with a pan kettle or other like vessel containing liquid to be
distilled, a pan or vessel containing a cooling medium and provided with a hollow
conical bottom protruding therein, the vapour being condensed on the under side of
said bottom and collected by a channel or ledge in connection therewith, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3. The distilling apparatus as a whole constructed substantially as shown and
described.
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