US851718A - Process of distillation. - Google Patents

Description

No. 851,718. PATENTED APR. so, 1907.

J. N. WATT.

PROCESS OF DISTILLATION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18. 1905.

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JOHN TN. WATT, OF STOCKTON; CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF DISTILLATION.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Applicationiiled March 18,1906. Serial No. 260,858

Batented A ril 30, 1907,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN NELSON WATT, a

tillate the deleterious ingredients present in .the original fermented liquor.

In the accompanying drawing, the fi ure is a side elevation, partly in section, an zo apparatus suitable for carrying out the above process.

Referring'to the drawing, 1 representsa boiler of any convenient form in which any fermented liquor is introduced through open-.

2 ings 2, the interior of said boiler being heated by a steam coil 3, controlled by a valve 23. The vapors generated by the heating of such "liquor are passed through a pipe 4 to a coil.

of pipe 5 in a condenser 6, filled with water 3o by 'a pipe. 7, controlled by a valve 27 .and

with an outlet 8, controlled by avalve 28. Steam is introduced into this condenser by a steam pipe 9, controlled by a valve 29, and a thermometer indicates the temperature I 3 5 therein. The liquids and vapors from said coil 5 are discharged by a pipe 11, controlled by a valve 31, into a closed vessel 12, which is provided with a lass Window 13 opposite to the bottom of sa1d pipe 11, through which window it can be seen whether the material discharged therefrom is in the form' of liquid or vapor. From the-top of said vessel 12 a ipe 14 leads to a suction pump 15, operated ,y a wheel 30, driven-by a belt 32, and

- thence bya pipe 33, controlled by a valve 34, .to achamber 16, dischar ing beneath the lowest of a series of'bafiie plates 17 therein; from which chamber 16' the uncondenscd vapor discharges by a pipe 18. vAir can be introduced into the chamber 12 by means of The process of distill ftion by means of this apparatusis as follows :The fermented liquor havin been introduced int the boiler and heated to ,a temperature ju t sufiicient togenerate the'lightest vapors, 100 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the exhaust pump having been set in operation to a degree of vacuum varying from the highest practicable vacuum to approximately one third of the atmospheric pressure, the vapors so generated are'allowed to escape by the pipe 4 into coil 5, and are partly condensed therein. It is. found in practice that more volatile portions, such as the ether and fixed gases, load themselves with orentrain the fusel 'oil, and

escape into the vessel 12 and then from said vessel through the pipe 14. 'It is believed that this result arises'from said ether and fixed gases having a greater affinity for'the 'fuselv oil than the liquid spirits.

On the commencement'of the operation, i

the most volatile constituents of the liquor,

:such as the ether and gases, carrying with them most, if not all, of the fusel oil, escape in large quantities. It is very important .that none of this shouldbe condensed, but 'that all of it should escape and be separated from the brandy .or other spirits. Accordingly, at the commencement of the operation,

the water around the coil is maintained ata I comparatively high temperature, .tg degrees Fahrenheit, which is a temperature sufficiently high to insure, that the ether'and gases, carrying with them a part, if not all, of

in the coils. After the etherand gases, carrying with them most, if not all, of-the fusel oil contained in the liquid-in the boiler, have been disposed of in this manner, the temperduced to a temperature suflicient to condense the alcohol vapors coming from the boiler,

It is found that by the above means the resulting liquid is almost, if not absolutely,'

pure of fusel oil or ether, the principal deleterious in redients of spirituous liquors. The resulting li uid isleft in the chamber 12, while the et er and gases escape therefrom,

the fusel oil, will pass through the coils without any portion of them becoming condensed ature of the alter surrounding the coils is rebeing drawn up by the exhaust pump. In order to insure thatnone of these noxious gases are condensed in the chamber 12 the valve 31 is provided, so that by closing said 'valve to a-greater or less extent, the degree'of vacuum in the chamber 12 may be greater than that in theboiler which will prevent any condensation of any of the ether or' other noxious gases in the chamber 12.

Upon passing from the exhaust pump, the vapors of ether and gases carrying-the fusel oil pass into chamber 16, and'can onlyescape fusel-oil, pass off, and the fusel oil is condensed by said baffle plates, and drops to the bottom of the chamber 16, whence it can be drawn off and sold as a commercial product.

By means of the above process the distilla' tion is efiected much more rapidly than heretofore, because the vacuum created by the suction pump, which draws the deleterious fumes away from the distillate, also causes the vaporization of the fermented liquor to take place more rapidly, and at a lower temperature; this latter condition is. advanta geous, because it prevents carbonization of the saccharine matter, and also avoids the bursting of the minute capsules of ether and gases carrying "the fusel oih,

It will be observed "that with the above process both of the operations of distillation and purificatlo'n' are f performed in a single operation, and with scarcely any extra expensein the apparatus, or in the power re quired, and that a brandy or whisky can be produced which at the time ofproduction is equal in every respect to one .ten years old or more, being absolutely free from ether or fusel oil.

In the case of distillation of Whisky from corn or other mash, the mash is left in 'a sweet condition, furnishing excellent food uors 'Whic fof cattle; whereas, in the ordinary process it vapors While under' the reducedtpressure to fractional. condensation at a temperature htween .the'condensing points of alcohol and the head products at. such reduced pressure, whereby-the alcohol is condensed and col lected and the headvproducts are-separated therefrom, substantially as described.

The recess of distilling fermented liqll consists in vaporizing the same under reducedpressure, subjecting the vapors while under'reduced pressure 'to fractional condensation at a temperature between the condensing-points of alcohol and the headproducts at such reduced pressure, and

then reducing the temperature of the vapors, whereby theyalcohol. is condensed and collected and-thel-head products are separated therefrom, substantially as described.

In Witness whereofI- have hereunto set my hand in the presenceoftwo subscribing 'vvitnesses.

' 1 "J. N. WATT. Witnesses:

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