(No Model.) 4. Sheets-Sheet 1. A. M. COYLE. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WATER. No. 364,199, Patented May 31, 1887.
N. Peters, Photo-Lithographer, washington, D. c. (No Model.) 4. Sheets-Sheet 2. A. M. COYLE. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WATER, No. 364,199. Patented May 31, 1887. t
g 4.
I A.
W T N E S S E S T NVENTO O6. a stattorn 44.7 6.
N. PETERs, Photo-Lithographer, Washington, D.C. . (No Model.) 4. Sheets-Sheet 3. A., M. COYLE. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WATER, No. 364,199, Patented May 31, 1887, 7374
928) it losses -4. 2/ 62" ZZ %. 27. 44-4- 33 4a &letotic -
M. PETERS. Photo-linographer. Washington, D.C. (No Model.) 4. Sheets-Sheet 4. A. M. COYLE, METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WATER, No. 364,199, Patented May 31, 1887.
o W------tri------...i.4.------W
928i-tv coco 3-1-uovkov
Z4.7%M S3 a <-totic(ázar ace),
N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, Washington, d. c.
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ANDREW M. COY LE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. METHOD OF AN APPARATUS FOR DISTING WATER.
SPECIFICATION forming part of letters Patelet No. 354,199, dated May 31, 1887. 8 Application fied Decemb, r 7, 1 SSG. Serial No. 220,941. (No model.) To aid twil O7, it inct? concert. discharge pie is connected with the jacket Beit known that I, ANDREW M. Coy LE, of and carried up outside of the condenser and Washington, in the District of Columbia, have retort to the proper height to maintain the 55 invented certain new and useful Improvements desired water-level in the jacket, and also in in the Method of and Apparatus for Distilling the letort or distilling-drum, as is presently Water and other Fluids, of which the follow described. A retort, C, preferably circular, ing is a specification. is arranged alongside the upper portion of the The object of my invention is to provide a jacket A and is supplied with water by a pipe, still which will be perfectly self-regulating c, connecting the jacket with the retort near IC and effect distillation by an improved eco its bottom. With the conditions and connec nomical method of operation. tions described the water-level will be the While the apparatus is intended especially same in the retort, jacket, and overflow-pipe, to distill water for laboratory and domestic and with a Small constant Water-supply at a use, it may be used for all sorts of distillation. there will be a small constant overflow at a. 15 In many cities the water-supply has of late The dotted lines XY in Figs. 1 and 2 indicate years been most dangerously contaminated, the water-level. - and the need of Some simple apparatus by There is communication, by means of the which each household may, with the utmost pipe or opening D', between the upper part or facility and minimum of expense, obtain an steam-space of the retort C and a compart abundance of practically chemically pure ment, D, in the upper end of the jacket A. water has been seriously felt. A leading ob This compartment opens into the top of the ject of this invention is to supply that want. condensing-tube B through lips d, which enter I will now describe a specific, practical, and the tube sufficiently to produce slight aspira. desirable form of the invention, without, how tion should steam be blown through them. ever, in any manner limiting myself to the If heat be applied to the retort C by means 25 special details of construction. of the ordinary Bunsen gas-burner, E, (which In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is is illustrated as supported by arms or brack a front view, the drip-pipe h' and jacket G of ets projecting from the condenser-jacket,) or the retort being cut away on the line l l of Fig. otherwise, steam generated therein will pass 2. The interior construction is illustrated by into the compartment D and blow down the o dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sec condensing-tube B. The steam in condensing tion; Fig. 3, a detail view illustrating the ap gives up its heat to the ascending water in the plication of the apparatus to an ordinary do condenser, which is thereby highly heated and 8 5 mestic range; Fig. 4, a perspective view of a enters the retort at cat about the boiling-point. still with the jacket of the retort partly broken The automatic operation and the organiza 35 away, and Fig. 5 a detail view illustrating a tion thus far described are, so far as I am modified construction by Which the still is aware, new. If, therefore, there were no com adapted either for alcoholic or water distilla munication from the Surface of the water in tion. the jacket A to the open top of the condens. The condenser A is shown as rectanular in ing-tube, the construction and operation cross-section. It is of the Liebig type, and would be within the scope of my invention. consists of a jacket or casing within which In order, however, to improve the economical one or more flat condensing tubes Ol' passages, operation and obtain better results, I make B, are arranged, one tube only being shown in the still by preference according to the prin the drawings. Its upper end is open and ex ciple involved in the construction illustrated 45 tends nearly to the top of the jacket of the for the following reason: The aspirating action condenser, and the lower end is also shown as of the steam blowing into the top of the con open for the discharge of the condensed dis densing-tube reduces the pressure on the IOO tillate. Water is supplied from any suitable column of highly-heated water in the con so source of constant supply to the condensing denser-jacket and the water bursts into vapor, jacket through a pipe, a, connected at the bot which is carried by the aspiration down the tom of the condenser. At a? an overflow or condensing-tube. The vapor from the water
364, 199 in the jacket A in condensing gives up less The supply of water at a may be so increased heat than that from the retort C, and, as the that the overflow will be cold. latter is amply sufficient to heat the water to Any suitable construction for fully utilizing 7o the desired point, proportionally less con the heat of the burner may be adopted-as, for 5 densing-surface is necessary. instance, such expedients as are resorted to in So far as I am aware I am the first to hoat steam-boilers, &c. the Supply-water by the steam from the re The material of which the still is made may tort and utilize the steam to decrease the be copper, tin, or any other suitable metal, and, pressure on the surface of the supply-water if desired, may be porcelain-lined. 75 O thus heated, and thereby convertit into vapor. An apparatus having a capacity of one-half Of course the operation is not dependent on gallon of distilled water per hour, when burn the special apparatus shown. ing about six feet of gas, would be of about the If desired, the jacket at the water-level may following dimensions: The retort, five inches be enlarged to afford a greater surface for va in height and diameter. The outside measure porization. ments of the condenser would be sixteen inches The retort is provided with a sediment-tap, long, three inches wide, and about three-fourths F. By opening the tap and supplying an in inch thick; the interior condensing-tube, two creased flow of water any sediment in the re and one-half inches wide by one-fourth inch by tort will be drawn off. fourteen and seven-eighths inches. The aspirat 2 ) To prevent waste of heat by radiation, the ing lips or tubed may be about one-eighth inch sides of the retort may be protected by a by two and three eighths inches. The overflow. jacket, G. Any suitable casing, of asbestus, pipe should be connected with the condenser or any known means for preventing waste by jacket about seven and one-half inches from radiation, may, of course, be employed. the bottom, and the pipe should be about one 90 The water of condensation may fall into a half inch in diameter. Should the drip-box drip-box, H, provided with one or more in be dispensed with and the drip-pipe for the clined shelves, preferably of wire-gauze, and distillate connected directly with the bottom perforated, as shown at h, so that the water of the condensing-tube, that pipe should also will be thoroughly aerated. Charcoal, h, or be about one-half inch in diameter, so as to 95 other material, may, if desired, be placed in the permit access of air to the interior of the con bottom of the box to improve the taste or densing tube. quality of the Water. The above dimensions were those adopted in his the drip-tube or outlet of the box. several specimen stills which had the capac ICO Any suitable form of aerator may be at ity above mentioned. I do not, however, limit tached to the apparatus. That shown is, how myself to any particular dimensions. ever, deemed entirely sufficient whenever an An apparatus constructed as described may aerator is desired. be connected with the water-back or fire-pot at a represent perforated ears or straps, by of a range or heater of any kind by pipes SS, means of which the apparatus may be hung (shown in Fig. 3,) which communicate with IO5 upon a wall or carrying-board. the retort and the Water-back of the heater. In use the apparatus may be hung on the With this arrangement water which rises into wall in convenient proximity to a water-cock the retort will flow down the pipe S to the wa and gas-tap, if gas is to be used to heat the ter-back and fill the Water-back and pipes S I IO retort. The inlet-tube at is connected with the S', and, whea heated, will rise through the pipe 45 water-faucet by means of a piece of rubber S' into the retort, where it will give off its tubing, or otherwise, and the Bunsen burner is steam, the operation being precisely the same similarly connected with the gas tap or burner. as above described. With this arrangement The faucet being operated to permit the flow of I should prefer to retain the burner E for use a small stream of water, the condenser-jacket, when the range is not burning. Instead of I 5 retort, and overflow-pipe will fill until the wa connecting with the ordinary water-back, a ter reaches the level XY, at which it will be continuous pipe SS may be passed through maintained by the constant overflow at a”. The the fire-pot of the range. Bunsen burner being lighted, steam will be In Fig. 5 is illustrated one way of construc generated in the retort, and the operation in tion by means of which the still may be used 55 dicated in the above description will continu for alcoholic distillation or the manufacture of ously take place. So long as the flow of wa fluid extracts. At X, just above the overflow ter and gas continues the operation is entirely connection with the jacket, apartition is placed automatic, and the apparatus requires abso across the jacket, so as to divide it into two lutely no attention. To work most economic compartments. On each side of the partition ally the water-supply should be reduced un there is a pipe-connection with the jacket, til the overflow at a' is warm. The Warm over leading to a common two-way cock, which, flow need not be wasted, but may be delivered when in one position, places the two compart into a vessel for use. ments of the jacket in communication, so that By connecting the overflow-pipe about half water may be distilled, as above described. In way up the condenser all of the very hot water the other position this communication is cut at the top is retained and the water-level main off and the tap Y placed in communication tained by the overflow of merely warm water. with the upper compartment of the jacket,
364,199 3. which may now be fed from a tank or supply. perature, and then condensing the combined bottle, Z, preferably working automatically to vapors derived from the fluid. supply the still at a constant level, as is well 2. The herein-described improvement in the understood, with fluid of any kind to be dis art of distillation, which consists in causing tilled. Obviously all the advantages incident the vaporous distillate on its escape from the 5 to the manner of distilling water above de retort to produce a second distillation at a scribed are here obtained. - lower temperature than that in the retort by The operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. heating the supply-fluid and reducing the 75 5 is as follows: The bottle Z, is located in such pressure on the Surface of the same prior to O relation to the still that the end 2 of pipe Z, its entrance into the retort, substantially as which passes through the top of the bottle and Set forth. extends nearly to its bottom, is on a level with 3. The combination, substantially as set the desired fluid-level in the retort, the level forth, of the retort, the condenser, normally Su being indicated by the horizontal dotted lines open fluid and vapor connections between the W.W. The vessel or bottle Z is provided with condenser and retort, a fluid-supply pipe con an air-valve, Z, and with a suitable outlet nected with the condenser, and an overflow pipe, Z, provided with a stop cock at its bot pipe or connection whereby, with a constant tom. The air-cock Z being open and the out fluid-feed, a uniform level is maintained in the let cock at Zi closed, a quantity of liquid is condenser and retort. , supplied to the vessel through the tube Z, the 4. The combination, substantially as set displaced air escaping through the air-cock. forth, of the retort, the condenser, normally The air-cock is then closed and the cock at Z. open fluid and vapor connections between the opened, the pipe Z being connected with the tap retort, and condenser, a fluid-supply pipe con 9O Y' of the three-way cock by a suitable piece of nected with the condenser, and an overflow tubing, the three-way cock of course being in pipe connected with the condenser below the the position illustrated in the drawings. The retort and carried up to the proper point to liquid in the vessel Z, then commences to flow maintain the desired level in the retort and out into the still and a partial vacuum is formed condenser. above the liquid in the vessel. The full press 5. The combination, substantially as set ure of the atmosphere on the surface of the forth, of the fluid-distilling retort, a supply 3O liquid in the tube Z will cause the water thercin conduit for conveying the fluid to the retort, . to be depressed to some point-Say 0-and and an overflow pipe or connection communi finally to the bottom of the tube Z, after which cating with the supply-conduit for the over ICO air will pass through the tube and ascend flow of the fluid, whereby, with a constant through the liquid into the space above. fluid-feed, a uniform level is automatically 35 It is evident that the force required to carry maintained in the retort, Substantially as set air through the tube Z is a pressure caused forth. by a hydrostatic column equal to the distance 6. The combination, substantially as set ICS from the bottom of the tube Z to the surface forth, of the retort, the condensing-jacket, the of the liquid in Z. Air Will continue to pass fluid communication or connection between through the tube until the level in the still the retort and jacket, the condensing-tube has reached the lower end of the tube, after within the jacket, open at its upper end, a which the conditions above described do not vapor chamber or compartment, and means IIC) exist, because the distance from the Surface of whereby the vapor from the retort may blow the liquid in tile still and the surface of the into the open end of the condensing-tube, and liquid in the vessel Z is less than the hydro a fluid-supply connection with the condenser. static column required to force air through 7. The combination, substantially as set the tube Z. As soon, however, as the level forth, of the retort, the condenser-jacket, the I i5 in the still falls below the lower end of the interior condensel tube or tubes, the steam or tube Z, air will again pass into the vessel Z, vapor compartiment arranged opposite the and the liquid flow out to supply the deficiency open end of the condenser-tube and opening in the retort of the still. -- into it, a fluid-connection between the con Of course the still might be fed from a suit denser and retort, and a steam-connection be. able tank of ordinary construction and the tween the retort and said vapor-compartment, level regulated by an overflow-pipe. The and the fluid-supply and overflow connections. overflow would by preference be taken from S. The combination, substantially as set the pipe outside of the jacket, and preferably forth, of a Liebig condenser, the fluid-supply between the cock and tank. connection (, at one end, the retort arranged I claim as my invention opposite the other end of the condenser and 1. The herein-described improvement in the communicating there with by normally-open art of distillation, which consists in continu vapor and fluid connections, and an overflow ously supplying the fluid to the retort, heating pipe, for the purpose described. said supply-fluid by the vapor of distillation 9. The combination, substantially as set from the retort, decreasing the pressure upon forth, of a Liebig condenser, the fluid-supply the surface of the heated supply-fluid by the connection (, at one end, the retort arranged action of the vapor from the retort, thereby opposite the other end of the condenser and causing it to vaporize at a relatively low tem communicating therewith by normally-open
4. 364,199 vapor and fluid connections, an overflow-pipe, por from the retort is blown into the con and a heater or Bunsen burner support ar densing-tube, for the purpose set forth. ranged below the retort. 13. The combination, substantially as Set 10. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the retort, the condenserjacket, a 25 forth, of the condenser, the retort having val fluid-connection between the jacket and retort, por and fluid connections with the condenser, the condensing-tube therein, a vapor-connec the overflow-pipe, the fluid-supply connection tion between the retort and condensing-tube, with the condenser, and the retort-tap or blow a partition, X", in the jacket, by which it is offpipe, for the purpose described. divided into two compartments, pipe-connec. 3O O 11. The combination, substantially as set tions by which the upper and lower compart forth, of the condenser, the retort, the vapor ments of the condensing jacket may be placed and fluid connections between the condenser in communication with or cut off from each and retort, the fluid-supply and overflow pipes other, and fluid supply and discharge pipes or or connections of the condenser, the blow-off connections for the lower compartment of the 35 5 tap of the retort, and the protecting-jacket G. Condenser. 12. The combination, substantially as set In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub forth, of a distilling-retort, a fluid-chamber scribed my name. within which the supply-fluid is heated by ANDREW M. COYLE. the steam or vapor leaving the retort, a con Witnesses: 2O densing-tube which passes through said fluid, EDWARD C. DAVIDSON, and an aspirating-tube through which the va JOHN T. ARMS.