APPARATUS FOR DISTILLATION 



OF WOOD 



Description of How Turpentine, Wood Alcohol, Wood 



Oil, and Acetic Acid May be Collected at Low Cost 



BY 

 J. A. MATHIEU 



Chemist-Engineer, and Patentee of Retorts 



HP HIS apparatus (No. 769177, Pat- and raises it up inside the cooler. So 



ented Sept. 6, 1904,) is composed far as is necessary it goes over the 



of a vertical clay or cast-iron retort other retorts and they are carried by 



built above a fireplace, the flues going an overhead track and lowered down 



all around the retort. The rosin and into the shallow bath, 



turpentine escape by outlets and pipes The small aperture is covered and a 



at lower part of retort. An outlet near stream of water is run on top of the 



the top is connected with a condenser, cooler and cools down the charcoal in 



and a cover made of clay is adjusted three or four hours. The cooler is 



in top of retort. There is also a cool- taken off; the basket of charcoal is 



ing cover of general cylindrical shape hanged and carried to the charcoal 



and of about the size of the retort, shed and dumped on a platform. Af- 



It is preferably made of sheet metal, terwards the basket is taken to the 



It is open at the bottom, but closed at yard to be filled up again with wood, 



the top, with the exception of a central The turpentine and rosin are distil- 



aperture, to the upper side of which is lated and purified. The products which 



fitted a lid. Other parts are a crane are going to the condenser are allowed 



for handling the basket, cooling cover, to settle the liquid part that contains 



and retort cover, and a shallow water the wood alcohol, which is purified by 



bath made of iron or wood. distillation. The products settled on 



Sticks of wood four feet in length the bottom are separated by distillation 



or less are transferred from the car and give turpentine, wood oil, light 



into the basket, which has a capacity wood oil, heavy wood oil, and what is 



of one cord. The basket is raised by left is pitch. All these products are in 



the crane and brought over the empty good demand and can be sold very 



retort and lowered. A cover is put on readily. 



top and the rosin and turpentine run The advantages of this patent retort, 

 out by the outlet at bottom. The wood as compared with the ordinary char- 

 vapor is carried by means of the upper coal kiln, are: 



pipe to the condenser. The gas which A plant can be put upon one-tenth 



is not condensed is brought back of the ground needed by charcoal 



through an iron pipe and burned in the kilns. 



fireplace underneath the retort; this Less length of pipe will be needed 



gas gives intense heat. for this retort. 



After sixteen hours the wood is The retort being placed in a verti- 



transformed into charcoal; the cover cal position, the heat is applied more 



is raised up, and a cooler adjusted on regularly and does not require so much 



the top of retort. A rod passing fuel. 



through the top of the aperture goes A smaller quantity of brick will be 



dowu and catches the knob of basket needed, and the repairs to brickwork 



