IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING NAPTHA AND OTHER HYDRO- CARBON LIQUIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING NAPTHA AND OTHER HYDRO-
CARBON LIQUIDS." -A communication from abroad by Charles Pratt,
of Brooklyn, King's County, State of New York, United States of
America.
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 3rd November 1871, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING NAPTHA AND OTHER HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS," and
•

page_text: have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from
abroad by Charles Pratt, of Brooklyn, King's County, State of New
York, United States of America.
5
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to 1
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of the apparatus used in carrying out
this Invention, and Figures 2, 3, and 4, elevation and partial sections of
the same on an enlarged scale. The scale of Figures 2, 3, and 4 is the
same.
Petroleum and other hydrocarbon liquids are as they exist naturally
or as produced by distillation of a very complex character, varying
especially in the temperature at which they are converted into vapours,
and in their specific gravities. It is very important in the arts that
As these oils are
they be separated as near as possible from each other.
soluble the one in the others their separation is difficult, as it must
be effected by the difference in their boiling points and the different
degrees of cold required to condense their vapours. It is well known
that when two or more liquids of different boiling points. are dissolved
the one in the other, that when heated so as to boil a mixed vapour will
be formed partly of the lighter and partly of the heavier vapours. When
this mixed vapour is condensed slowly the heavier vapours are first
condensed, mixed however with a portion of the lighter. By repeating
the operation of vaporizing and condensing many times an almost
perfect separation of all the various products contained in petroleum
may be effcoted.
This Invention consists of an apparatus for separating volatile hydro-
carbons by repeated vaporization and condensation. The operation is
· continuous, and what is equivalent to a large number of fractional
distillations is accomplished during a single distillation. The apparatus
employed is in many respects similar to what is known as the column
still for distilling alcoholic spirits, but modified in all the details so as to
make it available for distilling oils. In the spirit still it is only required
]

page_text: to separate two principal liquids, alcohol and water. But in the oil still
a long series of liquids are to be separated.
The following description will enable any one to make and use this
Invention:-
A is a retort, in which is placed the naphtha or other liquor to be
distilled, and which is filled by means of the charge pipo b; B is a neck
or pipe which connects the retort with the column Q, and through
which the vapour passes from the retort to the lower compartment of
the column during the process of distillation. The column Q is composed
of a series of compartments or sections C, C, placed one above the other,
so constructed that each will hold a certain quantity of liquor similar to
that placed in the retort, and so arranged that the liquor in each of such
compartments will overflow into the one bencath it when such liquor
reaches a certain level. These compartments are also constructed in
such a manner that the vapour in passing through this column is forced
through the liquor contained in each compartment. D is a pipe leading
from the top of the column through which the vapour passes on leaving
the last or upper compartment. V. is a pipe, by means of which the com-
partments C, C, are filled with the liquor, and is fitted with suitable stop
valves, so that any desired number of the compartments may be filled.
The same pipe may be used to draw off the liquor from the various
compartments when it is desired to do so. A³ is a tank containing water,
in which is immersed the worm composed of the pipes D², D³. This
worm is connected at one end with the pipes D by the stop valve R,
and at the other end with the pipe E by the stop valve R³. p is a stop
valve which may be used to prevent the passage of the vapour into the
pipe Ee, and thus force it down into and through the pipe D, Dd; Ee
is a pipe through which the vapour may pass when it is not desired to
use the worm composed of the pipes Dr, Dd, in which case the stop
valve p is opened and the stop valve R closed; E is a pipe leading to the
worm F, by means of which the vapour passing from the pipes Dr, Dd, or
the pipe E e is conducted to said worm F. The pipes I, I, I, are con-
nected with the lower ends of each of the pipes Dª, Dd, and are used for
the purpose of drawing off the liquor condensed in such pipes and
conducting it into the pipe G. The pipe G is fitted with separating
valves d, which are placed between each entrance of the pipes I; any
number of these valves may be opened or shut as may be desired. I', I', I',
are pipes leading from the pipe G to the auxiliary or cooling worms

page_text: J', J, J³, and are tapped into the pipe G directly underneath the entrance
of the pipes I, I, I. These pipes are also fitted with stop valves f, which
may be closed when it is not desired to pass the condensed liquor
through the cooling worms J¹, J, J³, or either of them. The worms
J', J*, J³, are used for the purpose of cooling the condensed liquor which
is conducted to them by the pipes I, I, I'. The pipes O, O, are
discharges for the worms J', J, J³, through which the cooled liquor is
conducted to the pipe P or drawn off into the running pan S, S, S, by
means of the pipes C³, C³, C'. The valve ? connecting the pipes O with
the pipes C' may be closed, when the cooled liquor passing from the
worms J, J, J³, may be conducted by the pipo P back into the lower
compartments of the column Q or run back into the retort by the
pipes L and M, or carried to the main running pan T by the pipe R'.
His a receiver or water trap through which the condensed liquor coming
from the pipe G passes when it is desired to send it back to the retort
by means of the pipes L and M or into the column through the pipe L'.
In passing through this receiver or water trap H all the water that may
be in the oil or liquor is collected in the bottom of such receptaclo H,
and may be drawn off by means of the pipe N. Each of the pipes I
may be extended below the entrance to the worms J, J³, J³, and be
fitted with valves K, so that any water contained in the liquor will be
collected in such pipes and may be drawn off by the valves K; E e is
a pipe through which the vapour passes when it is not desired that it
should pass through the pipes Dr, Dd; E is a continuation of the
pipe Ee, connecting it with the worm F, and through which the vapours
which have not been condensed in the pipes Dd will also pass to
said worm F; h is a pipe passing from the upper portion of the main
running pan T to the receiver i, through which any vapour that may
not have been condensed in the worm F is drawn off and may be allowed
to escape into the open air through the escape pipe ; or be carried a
through the pipe / and afterwards condensed by pressure; U, U, are
pipes for the purpose of conducting the distilled liquor from the running
pan to the receiving tanks or other receptacles.
The retort A having been filled to the desired height with the naphtha
or other liquids to be distilled the compartments or sections C, C, of the
column Q are also filled to about the level designated by the line a with
the same or a similar liquor to that placed in the retort. Upon the
liquor in the retort being heated by a fire built, under the same or other

page_text: suitable means, the vapour rising from the heated liquor will pass off by
the neck or pipe B and be compelled to force its way through the liquor
contained in the compartment C at the lower end of the column Q,
which will retain some of the less volatile portions of the vapour, and
the vapour will also evaporate and carry off the more volatile portions
of said liquor contained in such compartment; this operation of con-
densation and evaporation is repeated in cach of the compartments or
sections C. The liquor contained in such compartments will also tend
to remove from the vapour any impurities or foreign matter that may bo
carried in it from the retort. When the vapour reaches the last or top
compartments of the column it will pass off by the pipe D, and the stop
valve p being closed is forced down into the worm composed of the
pipes D, D, which worm being immersed in the tank of water A' the
less volatile portions are here condensed in the different pipes, and the
condensed liquor drawn off by the pipe I and I' into the auxiliary or
cooling worms J', J³, J³, or if it is desired to run such liquor back into
the column by means of the pipe L and M, the valves in the pipe I are
closed and any desired number of the separating valves in the pipe G
opened and the worms J', Ja, J³, not used. The liquor condensed in the
pipes D will then be collected in the pipe G, and after passing through
the receiver or water trap H, where any water that may be contained in
it will be collected, it may be conducted either into the column or retort
to be redistilled as may be desired. Or if it is desired to conduct back
to the column or. retort only the liquor from a portion of the pipes Do,
for instance, that which would pass to the worm J¹ or to the worm J¹
and J, this may be accomplished by closing the requisite number of
division valves in the pipe G. When it is desired to cool the liquor
before taking it back to the column or retort it may be allowed to pass
through the worms J, J, J³, and be conducted back to the column or
retort by the pipes O, O, and P. The worms J', J³, J³, are so arranged
that the liquor which is condensed in the pipes D4, Dd, will be conducted
to them in different grades or qualities as J', receiving the liquor from
the first three of the series of pipes Dd will have a lower grade, that
which is received by the worm J, which receives what is condensed in
the next three pipes of the worm, and that received by J' will be of a
still higher grade. By this means different grades of oil or other liquids
may be obtained from the same worm and during the same operation,
and the more volatile vapour which has not been condensed in the
pipes D, D', will pass from them through the valves R³ into the pipe E

page_text: and be conducted into the worm F, from which the condensed liquor is
drawn off into the running pan T.
Where it is desired to run only the highest grade of liquor, all that
is condensed in the pipes D, D³, may be run back into the column or
retort and again distilled, the vapour which is sufficiently volatile not to
be condensed in the pipes Dd and is conducted into the worm F and
there condensed, only being drawn off for use, or in the same manner
what is condensed and run into J³ and J³ may be drawn off for use, and
what is condensed in J' conducted back to the column or retort to be
distilled over again.
Also by running the liquor through the cooling worms J', J³, J³,
before conducting it back to the column (the lower compartments.
thereof) it will have a tendency to cool the contents of such column
and thus facilitate the process of distillation. If it be desired to use
only the worm F for the purpose of condensing the vapours after it has
passed up through the column Q, the valves p may be opened and the
valves R, R², closed, when the vapour will pass through the pipe E,
directly to the pipe E and worm F, in which case the worm Dd is not
used. The condenser F is for the purpose of liquifying such vapours
as pass off from the condenser and separator. These require often both
a very low temperature and pressure. For the purpose of securing a
low temperature the coil in F may be submerged with ice or cooled by
any artificial means of refrigeration. The pressure required is produced
by the pump Y acting through the tanks Z, Z'. If after the application
of a suitable degree of pressure and cold any gases or vapours remain
still uncondensed they are passed off into the air or burned. The pan T
is closed air-tight. The pump Y is both vacuum and pressure so as to
draw the vapours through the condenser and separator when necessary
and force them through the tanks Z, Z', and then into condenser F. The
naphtha or other liquids may be fed either continuously or intermittently
into the still or into the column.
It will be observed that the still, the column, and the condenser with
its necessary appendages, whilst they work together to effect the result,
are each regulated independently of the other. The office of the still is
simply to generate the mingled hydrocarbon vapours very much the
same as the common oil still as now used, and throw these vapours into
the column. In their passage through the column they are gradually
separated into light and heavy oils. The complete separation into their

page_text: ultimate products is effected by the condenser. In this respect this
apparatus. is essentially different from the column stills for spirits,
which have mainly to remove more or less water from the spirits. This
difference will plainly appear if any one should try to apply any of the
known column stills for spirits to the separation of hydrocarbon oils.
This apparatus is especially intended for the distillation of naphtha, and
for separating the heavy from the light hydrocarbons.
In the ordinary method of distilling petroleum the portion cut off as
naphtha is of little value. To make this product useful in the arts it is
necessary to have it separated into liquids of as nearly as possible the
same boiling point.
By this method of distilling the commercial articles known as benzine,
gasolene, chimogene, rhigolenc, carbon, spirits, and the like are products
of perfectly uniform constitution, and these light products are entirely
separated from the lubricating oil and lamp oil, so that these heavier oils
are entirely freed from light oils, which would make them dangerous
to use. Long experience has proved that the presence of variable
quantities of light or easily vaporizable oils mixed with the lamp oil
often sold as kerosene is the cause of the many fatal accidents from fires
and explosions. The heavy oils which remain in the still may be
finished off in a still of the ordinary construction.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim and desire to be
secured by Letters Patent is,-
First. The apparatus herein described for separating hydrocarbons
composed of a still, a column, and a condensing and separating appa-
ratus each constructed so as to operate substantially as herein set forth.
Second. The column Q in combination with the condensing and
separating apparatus, as set forth.
Third. The condensing and separating apparatus composed of the
tank A', coils D, pipe I, pipe G, and valves d, arranged and combined
substantially as set forth and described.
Fourth. The pipes I in combination with the auxiliary or cooling
worms J, J, J³, as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The pipe G in combination with water tank H and pipes L
and L'.

page_text: Sixth. The combination of the worm F with the condensing and
separating apparatus composed of tank A' and coils Dr.
Seventh. The combination of the running pans with the condensing
and separating apparatus, as set forth.
Eighth. The pipe D, E, and E, with valves p, R, and R², arranged to
operate as described.
Ninth. The pipe V connected with apartments C, C, C, and so forth
so as to fill and draw off the liquid from the cooler, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in 1
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.