1868 The complete Practical Distiller

THE COMPLETE PRACTICAL DISTILLER.

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made square, may be divided internally into several, each having its separate head and condenser; by which ar- rangement the spirit condensed from the first may fall into the second, to be again operated upon, and so on to a third, whereby a rectification may be carried on to any degree at one operation and by one fire. In the still shown at fig. 6 a set of chains are seen suspended from the bar e e, supported by a central shaft, that may be put in motion by a toothed wheel and pinion, actuated by a crank or winch. These chains hang in loops, and fall into the spaces between the partitions, to sweep the bottom of the still as the shaft revolves \ and thus they prevent the material acted upon from burning, when of a thick, glutinous na- ture, as turpentine, syrups, &c. Ledges may be placed between each circle, on the principle more particularly explained at fig. 8, which is square, oblong, or round, its bottom intersected with portable ledges, fastened at the ends and bottom, if square or oblong, and only to the bottom, if round ; except that under each alternate ledge a space is left, of any width required, between it and the bottom, so that the liquid, in entering at the end or cen- tre, passes over the one and under the other ledge, until it arrives at the point of discharge. Thus the whole mass, whatever depth it may be in the still, is submitted to the full efi'ect of the fire in a layer of the thickness of the space between the ledge and the bottom. Fig. 9 difiers essentially from all the others in this, that the bottom is doubled up and down in plaits, and repre- sents a surface commensurate with the length, depth, and