US941641A - Apparatus for distilling wood-alcohol and other products. - Google Patents

Description

B. R. & M. J. LYSTBR. APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WOOD ALCOHOL AND OTHER. PRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED 11113.25, 1909.

941,641 Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE BENTON R. LYSTER AND MORTON J. LYSTER, 0F WHITEFIELD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WOOD-ALCOHOL AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed March 25, 1909. Serial No. 485,657. i

To all whom it may concern:

3e rt known that we. linx'rox R. LYS'IER and Mon'rox J. Lvs'rnn, citizens of the l nited States, and residents of l/VhitefieldQ in the county of Coos and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Distillin, lVood-Alcohol and other Products, of which the 't'ollowing is a specification.

()ur inventionrelates to the apparatus used for distilling wood alcohol, etc., and has for its object the provision of apparatus that will save the cost of fuel necessary to operate the stills used to distil alcohol, acetic acid, etc.. from the crude pyroligneous acid.

In wood reduction plants as at present operated the crude pyroligneous acid is extracted by placing the wood in an oven and drawing ed the vapor tl'irough a neck to the emalenser. The crude pyroligneous acid is then placed in a still and its temperature raised to a vaporizing heat by means of a steam-coil. In ounim n'oved apparatus .the still is placed in the neck connecting the oven and the condenser, so as to utilize the heat of the vapor passing through the neck to the condenser to volatilize the acid therein and save the cost of the fuel needed to raise the temperature of the contents of the still by a steam-coil.

()ur inventiol'r also contemplates the improvement of the still by providing tubes under the distilling chamber and communicating therewith to hold the acid and to increase the surface subjected to the action of the vapor passing from the oven-to the condenser, the lower ends of said tubes being connected by'pipes and provided with an outlet to draw off the tar and heavy oils "from time to time and after distillation. The neck is also provided with a depression under the still to catch any tar that may be released from the vapor by the cooling incident to contact with the still, said depression being also provided with a valve to draw off the tar from time to time.

The construction and operation of our inmroved apparatus will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the acct'anpanying drawings. in whicli-- Figure l is a. side view showing the oven and condenser and the. neck and still in section; Fig. 52, a top plan view; and Fig. 3,

an end view of the still with the neck shown in section.

In the. drawings similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views. 7

A indicates the oven, B the condenser and C the neck connecting the oven and the condenser. The vapor caused by burning the wood in oven A passes through neck 0 and is condensed in condenser 13 in the form of pyroligneous acid and heavy oils, tar, etc. The acid has heretofore been placed in a still heated by a steam-coil and the acid volatilized to separate the spirits, acetic acid, and other products therefrom. As stated, this operation required the use of fuel to create the steam necessary to run the stills and added to the cost of the products secured.

Cur improved apparatus consists in placing the still 1 in the neck (1 and providing tubes 2 tapped into its bottom and having their lower ends connected by pipes 3 with a draw-0ft outlet 4, connected therewith, and provided with a valve 5.

6 indicates the condenser for the products of still 1, and is connected therewith by means of the neck 7. It will be understood that the pyroligneous acid in the still 1 will enter tubes '2 and pipes 3 and the vapors passing through the neck C will heat said contents so as to volatilize the acid and the alcohol and other products will pass ofl into the condenser 6, the heavier parts of the acid settling into the pipes 3, when they can be withdrawn through outlet-pipe 4. It will be apparent that the reduction of the temperature of the vapor in neck C by contacting with the still 1, tubes 2 and pipes 3 will cause a precipitation of the heavy oils and tar and to catch these we provide the neck with a depression 8 under the still, and also provide a nozzle 9 to draw off said heavy oils and tar when desired. By thus removing some ofthe heavy products from the vapor before reaching the condenser it will be apparent that the condenser is relieved of the heat thereof, and the condenser is therefore kept cooler for the lighter vapors that pass the still and enter it.

10 indicates a steam-coil in the bottom of the condensing chamber of the still 1 that is connected with any suitable boiler (not shown) by means of supply pipes 11, that is used to raise the temperature of the still when sufiicient heat is not created by the vapor in neck C or to the exclusion of the heat of the vapor when the oven is not in operation.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is In combination with the oven, condenser, and neck of a wood-distilling apparatus, a still mounted in the neck of the apparatus and having a plurality of tubes secured in its bottom and extending downwardly therefrom to hold the contents of the still, the

endsof said tubes being connected by pipes, a draw-off tube connected with said pipes, the neck provided with a depression under said still to catch the heavy oils precipitated by the cooling of the vapors in contacting with the still, and a nozzle tapped into said depression to draw off its contents, substan- 20 tially as shown and described.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands in presence of subscribing witmesses.

BENTON R. LYSTER. MORTON J. LYSTER.

VVit-nesses:

W. M. BROWN, J. H. 1300mm, 0. N. WHITE, E. M. BOWKER.

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