246

STILL.

to the fifth ; and the second tube descends to the third compartment, whence it rises abovethe second. At the curvature of each of theseTwo tubes a stop-cock, l, and fc, is placedon them, for drawing at pleasure a sample of the liquor returned to the rectifier; m, v,and o, are tubes communicating on one side with the slanting tul e, p, and on the otherwith the tube l. These three communications serve to furnish a spirit of greater orless strength. Thus if it be wished to obtain a very strong spirit, tlie alcoholic vaporswhich condense in the worm enclosed in e, are all to be led back into the rectifier, i>,to effect which purpose, it is requisite merely to open the stop-cocks, » and o; again,weaker spirits may be had by closing the stop-cock, o, and still weaker by closing thestop-cock n; for in this case, the alcoholic vapors condensed in the worm within E.will flow oil' into the worm within the upright cooler f, and will get mixed with thericher vapors condensed in this refrigeratory. The interior of the columns c, containsa series of movable concave scale pans (like those of balances), with spaces between,each alternate pan having the convex side turned reversely of the preceding one, for thepurpose of prolonging the cascade descent of the vinasse through c, and exposing it moreto the heating action of the ascending vapors; the edges of these pans are, moreover,furnished with projecting spiculae of copper wires, to lead off the liquor from theirsurfaces in a fine shower. The interior of the rectifier column, d, is mounted with aseries of shelves, or floors, the passage from one compartment to that above it beingthrough a short tube, bent at right angles, and open at either end; p, p, p, is a generaltube, for receiving the vapors condensed in each of the turns of the large serpentinewithin E. The axis of this worm is horizontal; q, q q, peep-holes in the top of thewine-heater; r, a tube to conduct the alcoholic vapors not condensed in the worm ofe, and also, if desired, those which have been condensed there, into the worm of therefrigeratory, f ; s, a tube to bring the vinasse from the reservoir, a, into the lower partof the cooler, f ; t, a tube to lead the vinasse from the upper part of the cooler, f, intothe upper part of the wine-heater, e ; u, a funnel; v, a stop-cock to feed the tube, t,with vinasse; x, a tube of outlet for the spirits produced ; it ends, as shown in the figure,in a test tube containing an hydrometer.

The still of Laugier is represented by a general view in fig. 165 : A and b are alembics

exposed to the direct action of the fire, and serve a like purpose to those of fig- 164; c,is a cylinder containing the rectifier, and serving as a wine-heater; n, is the condensingcylinder; a, a stop-cock communicating with the wine tun; b, a plunger-tube, fur"nished with a funnel, through which wine runs constantly into the condenser, d; fi; anoverflow pipe of d, between c and d, communicating by a tube, dipping in the cylinder,c; d, a plunger equilibrium tube, supplying the alembics with hot wine; e, a tiibeleading the vapors of the first alembic, A, into the second one,, p, into v/hich it dips,