Air cooled condenser for distilling apparatus

Claim 1

IN A DISTILLING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE VAPORIZED HEAD PRODUCT ASCENDS THROUGH A RISER TUBE WHICH EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM THE HEAD OF THE DISTILLING COLUMN, AN AIR-COOLED CONDENSER FOR THE HEAD PRODUCT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED CONDENSER MEANS EACH INCLUDING AN UPPER CHAMBER, A LOWER CHAMBER, AND A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR CONDENSER ELEMENTS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBERS, SAID UPPER CHAMBERS BEING ARRANGED CLOSER TO SAID RISER TUBE THAN SAID LOWER CHAMBERS; WALL MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN, ABOVE AND BELOW SAID CONDENSER MEANS SO AS TO FORM WITH THE ELEMENTS THEROF AN ENCLOSED SPACE ABOUT THE RISER TUBE TAPERING TOWARD THE TOP OF THE LATTER; MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE UPPER CHAMBERS OF AT LEAST SOME OF SAID ELEMENTS WITH THE RISER TUBE SO THAT THE HEAD PRODUCT MAY PASS THROUGH SAID CONDENSER ELEMENTS TOWARD THE RESPECTIVE LOWER CHAMBERS, WHEREBY THE CONDENSATE WILL FLOW DOWNWARDLY IN SAID CONDENSER ELEMENTS AT PORTIONS THEREOF FACING SAID RISER TUBE; MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR BETWEEN THE CONDENSER ELEMENTS OF SAID CONDENSER MEANS SO AS TO CONDENSE THE HEAD PRODUCT PASSING THERETHROUGH, SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR CASING FOR EACH OF SAID CONDENSER MEANS SAID CASINGS DISPOSED BENEATH THE RESPECTIVE CONDENSER MEANS AND RECEIVED IN SAID WALL MEANS, EACH OF SAID CASINGS HAVING AN AIR-ADMITTING LOWER END AND AN AIR-DISCHARGING UPPER END COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SPACE, A BLOWER RECEIVED IN EACH OF SAID CASINGS AND ROTATABLE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS SO AS TO DRAW AIR UPWARDLY AND INTO SAID SPACE SO THAT THE AIR WILL BRUSH FIRST AGAINST SAID INWARDLY FACING PORTIONS OF SAID CONDENSER ELEMENTS ALONG WHICH THE CONDENSATE FLOWS BEFORE PASSING OUT OF SAID SPACE BETWEEN SAID CONDENSER ELEMENTS, AND MEANS DISPOSED AT THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID CASINGS FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION OF AIR TO THE RESPECTIVE BLOWERS; AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE LOWER CHAMBERS OF SAID CONDENSER MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE CONDENSATE.