IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Owen, of Blackheath, in the County of
Kent, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTILLING."
Sealed the 11th January 1859, and dated the 14th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Owen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th July
'1858.
I, EDWARD OWEN, of Blackheath, in the County of Kent, Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIS-
TILLING," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to a new and peculiar process for distilling bodies, and
consists in submitting the body to be distilled, when in a liquid condition and
in a state of very minute division, to the action of steam or some sufficiently.
beated gaseous matter, by which the act of distillation is effected.
As one mode of carrying into effect the principle of my Invention, I propose
to force the body to be distilled under great pressure through one or more
perforations or through some porous material into a chamber, in which is
placed either a perforated vessel or a perforated coiled pipe of any convenient
form. The steam or heated gaseous matter is then driven through the last-
mentioned inner vessel or pipe, and escaping through the perforations therein
is brought into contact with the body to be distilled, such body being then in
the state of spray. The body is thereby volatilized, and may be collected in
any of the modes by which bodies undergoing distillation by ordinary processes

page_text: are collected. I should recommend the body to be distilled to be subjected to
heat previous to being forced into the distilling chamber. It is obvious that
the minute division, by which is meant the division of such body when liquid
into the state of spray, may be effected by a great number of contrivances, and
I mention one mode by way of example only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Owen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
OWEN, of Blackheath, in the County of Kept, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Owen, Her special license that I, the said Edward Owen, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Owen, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DISTILLING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Owen, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Owen, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a new and peculiar process for distilling bodies,
and consists in submitting the body to be distilled, when in a liquid condition,
and in a state of very minute division, to the action of steam or some
sufficiently. heated gaseous vapour, by which the act of distillation is effected.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of the arrangement
of apparatus, which I most prefer to use in carrying out my Invention. This.
apparatus consists of a tall chamber A, composed of wrought iron or other
suitable material, and surrounded externally by a flue space, not shewn in the
Drawings, for the purpose of maintaining the temperature. It is closed at
the top and bottom by suitable end plates or covers B, B'. Within this.
chamber is placed a second chamber C, resting upon the bottom plate B' but
open at its upper end, and not quite reaching to the top plate B of the outer
chamber A. At the bottom of the inner chamber C is a reservoir or re-
ceptacle D for the liquids to be distilled, which liquids are supplied in drops
or small streams from the feed pipe E, a cock F serving to adjust or regulate
the supply to the receptacle D. Through the centre of this receptacle passes
a peculiarly formed nozzle or steam jet pipe G, the mouth being so constructed
as to throw out a jet of steam of an annular form as will be clearly under-
stood on referring to the Drawing, which shews the nozzle in section. His a
syphon or overflow pipe, which should be so disposed as to prevent the liquid
ever rising much above the nozzle G. On directing a jet of steam through
the nozzle, the liquid will be caught up with the jet in small quantities and
dispersed in a finely divided state or spray, and intermixed with the heated
vapour whereby it becomes more or less volatilized, and the whole descends
the chamber A, which is filled with coke for the purpose of arresting that
portion of the liquid which may not have been vapourised, which liquid will
collect at the bottom B' of the chamber, and flow off by the discharge pipe I,
whilst the volatile vapours will pass off by the pipe K to any suitable con-
densing apparatus as is well understood by distillers.
In treating liquids composed of bodies having different points of volatili-
zation, the chamber A may be purposely employed for their separation, the
liquid collected from the discharge pipe I being again passed through the still
and submitted to the action of steam or suitable gaseous vapour of an increased
temperature.
Figure 2 represents another form of apparatus slightly modified from the
first. In this arrangement the receptable D is dispensed with, and the liquid
to be distilled is forced under considerable pressure, by the aid of pumps or other
apparatus, through the jet pipe E, fixed in the bottom of the inner chamber C.
This jet pipe is surrounded by an annular or spiral perforated steam jet pipe G,

page_text: which directs the steam in the form of innumerable jets against the spray
forced through the pipe E, and by mixing therewith; more or less volatilizes-
it, the vapours passing off as before to a condenser. H is a pipe for carrying.
off any of the liquid not carried over into the chamber A. I should re-
commend the temperature of the body or liquid to be distilled to be raised to
nearly a volatilizing point, previous to being forced into the distilling chamber.
I may here observe that I do not confine or restrict myself to any particular
mode or method, of reducing the body or liquid to be distilled to a finely
divided state or spray, as such may be accomplished by a variety of con-
trivances, the two arrangements herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings being merely given by way of example only.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used, or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the distillation of liquid bodies by finely dividing such bodies, and
submitting the same, whilst in a state of, very minute division, to the action of
steam, or to any sufficiently heated and suitable aeriform or gaseous vapour.
Second, the application and use to and in the distillation of liquid bodies of
a nozzle or jet pipe placed within a receptacle for the liquid to be distilled,
and discharging a jet of steam in such a manner as to carry up such liquid,
with it in a finely divided state or spray, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use to and in the distillation of liquid bodies of
a jet pipe for the purpose of discharging under pressure a jet of the liquid to
be distilled, in combination with a perforated steam pipe, or series of steam
jets as herein-before described.
-
In witness whereof, I the said Edward Owen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
EDWARD OWEN. (L.S.)