Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Claim.lst. An oil-still having in immediate proximity to the still, and in free communication therewith, a dome of the proportions and filled with irregular blocks or pieces of about the size stated, and having also the vapour escape pipe leading from said dome, so that the hydro-carbon vapours, in leaving the still pass by tortuous paths without appreciable resistance through material of practically the temperature of the boiling, oil, and deposit thereon any particles of liquid held in suspension without being themselves condensed to a material extent, substantially as described. 2nd. In the distillation of hydro-carbon oils, the improvement consisting in passing the hydro-carbon vapours from the still through a mass of broken stone, or like material of limited conductivity, having between the blocks or pieces of such material, irregular passages of a size to permit the free egress of the vapours, so as to induce the precipitation of the liquid particles in suspension by the tortuous course of the vapours in contradistinction to a filtering or atomizing operation, said material being kept at or near the temperature of the boiling oil to prevent injurious cooling of the vapours, substantially as described. 3rd. In the distillation of hydro-carbon oils, the improvement consisting in passing the rising vapours back and forth between a succession of 'horizontal overlapping drip-plates, such as the alternating rings and disks described, and thereby Insuring the successive action upon the vapours of the hot hydro-carbon liquid, condensed in said plates in the form of showers, falling through the vapours from one plate to the other, substantially as described. 4th. The method of effecting the fractional condensation of the mixed hydro-carbon vapours from the oil still, by passing the rising vapours back and forth between horizontal overlapping drip plates, and thereby insuring the successive action upon the vapours of the condensed liquid, falling in showers through the vapour from one plate to an- other, and withdrawing the condensed liquid at different points so that the vapour will first be subjected to the showers of the hottest liquid, and then successively to those of lower temperature, substantially as described. 5th. In combination with an oil still, columns or sections of a column connected in series and receiving in succession the mixed vapours from said still, and provided inside with a series of alternating disks and rings, each column or section having its in- dividual outlet for drawing off the oil separately from the different columns or sections, substantially as described. 6th. A column or upright pipe divided by an offset or bend into sections having each a series of rings, and disks inside the same, and provided with separate outlets for the condensed liquid or oil, substantially as described. 7th. An apparatus comprising tubular parts or sections of a column placed at different levels and connected in series, so that the vapours pass through them successively, and immersed in or surrounded by a common medium for lowering the temperature in said parts or sections, each part or section being provided with its own liquid outlet, and with a series of alternating rings and disks inside the same, substantially as described. 8th. The combination, with a still, of a group of parallel columns having inlets at the bottom, and outlets at the top, a box containing said columns, a series of alternating rings and disks in each column, a manifold at the lower ends of said columns, a vapour pipe leading from the still to said manifold, and and a pipe for drawing off the liquid from said manifold, said columns communicating with a common chamber in said manifold, so that the vapour may pass at once into all the columns, substantially as described. 9th. The combination, with the enclosing pipe or column, of the rings and disks, the tie rods, the separating sleeves, and the suspending plate or frame, substantially as described. 10th. In the fractional condensation of hydro-carbon vapours by passing successively through a number of columns, or sections of a column, so as gradually to lower the temperature of the vapours, and drawing off the condensed liquid from each column or section separately, the improvement consisting in exposing the vapours in each chamber to a succession of showers or streams of the liquid condensied in that chamber, and thus effecting the desired successive partial condensation byrepeated exposure of the vapours to hot hydro-carbon liquid approximating the vapours in temperature, and like them gradually diminishing in temperature for each column or section as well as by the lower temperature in each column or section, the said improvement being carried out in an apparatus such as the series of columns or sections provided inside with alternating rings and disks, and immersed in, or surrounded by a hot medium calculated to induce a gradual reduction of the vapours in temperature, and to effect a repeated contact between the vapours and the condensed liquid, substantially as described.
