IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNOW
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Noel Mackay, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNOW."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Noel Mackay
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th March 1881.
FREDRICK NOEL MACKAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNOW."
My present Invention relates to means and apparatus for producing snow under
the second part of my direct and continuous process secured to me by Her Majesty's
British Letters Patent, No. 2706 of the year 1880, and has for its main objects to
produce better snow, as regards dryness and keeping, at less cost and with apparatus
extended and improved in many ways, as hereafter appears.
For convenience I have separated the improvements, and will describe them
hereinafter under distinct heads.
The first part has for its object to dry the ice frozen on the surface of the drum
by means of a wiper before it reaches the cutter, so that the time occupied by the
ice in passing from the wiper to the cutter is such that the said ice is reduced some
degrees below freezing point, and good keeping snow made.
The second part has for its object to render the wiper adjustable, so that the distance
between the wiper and the cutter may be varied for the manufacture of snow
of any degree of dryness. For that purpose the wiper is attached at each end to rods
having bearings fitting round the trunnions on which the drum rotates, and a
quadrant or rack, and screw or clip, or equivalent mechanism is provided for
retaining the wiper in the desired position, or the wiper is free to slide on the
quadrant or rack, and the end rods are dispensed with.
The third part has for its object to provide a cutter bar which shall cut equally
from the whole length of the drum snow in large flakes instead of in short crystals.
For that purpose I use a flat bar of steel the length of the drum, and I fix or secure
the said bar to a slide rest in such manner that it may be moved nearer to or further
TD B73

page_text: from the said drum at pleasure. In this way a thickness of ice may be formed on the
drum and be then cut into snow flakes, instead of such ice being scraped or cut into
snow as fast as formed.
The fourth part has for its object to properly regulate the admission of water to
the cistern or tank beneath the revolving drum, and to keep the said water at a
constant level. For this purpose a ball cock or valve of any ordinary or desired
construction is used in combination with the cistern or tank and revolving drum
to regulate the admission of the water to the said cistern or tank beneath the said
drum. One great advantage is that no waste of cold water takes place, which is
the case when the level of the water is regulated by an overflow pipe.
The fifth part has for its object to prevent loss of cold, and consists in causing
the brine or refrigerating fluid to enter and leave the drum at the same end. This
part of my Invention is carried into effect by making the trunnion at one end
hollow and large enough to allow of both inlet and outlet passages for brine or
refrigerating fluid.
Pipes, partitions, or baffle plates are employed to cause the brine or refrigerating
fluid to be circulated in contact with the whole of the internal surface of the drum.
The baffle plates are sometimes made to extend the length of the interior of the
drum, and are made of metal, wood, or other suitable material.
The objects of the sixth part are increase the speed of manufacture of snow, and
to assist in drying the ice on the surface of the drum.
For the above purposes I
place cooling appliances within the chamber, tank, or casing in which the drum is
contained, so disposed that ice is produced on the surface of the said drum by
radiation as well as conduction.
In carrying the above sixth part into practice pipes, tubes, cells, or other hollow
devices are placed near to and above the drum within the tank, chamber, or case,
and I cause brine or refrigerating fluid to circulate both through the drum and
through the said pipes or other devices.
The seventh part of my Invention has for its object to enable both blocks of ice
and flakes of snow to be advantageously made by the same machinery or apparatus.
For that purpose the cooling devices under the sixth head are made in the form of
chambers with cells or containers in which blocks of ice are formed.
The object of the eighth part is so compress snow that it is of uniform density or
; consistency, and hence in the best keeping condition. In practice, the flakes of
snow as they are formed by the cutter are allowed to fall into a hopper, at the
bottom of which is a removable box or mould. A stamp worked by rack and pinion
or equivalent mechanism is fitted in the hopper above the said box, and the hopper
is provided with a sliding door at the bottom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Noel Mackay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1881.
FREDERICK NOEL MACKAY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNOW."
My present Invention relates to means and apparatus for producing snow under
the second part of my direct and continuous process secured to me by her Majesty's
British Letters Patent No. 2706 of the year 1880, and has for its main objects to
produce better snow, as regards dryness and keeping, at less cost and with apparatus
extended and improved in many ways, as hereafter appears.
For convenience I have separated the improvements, and will describe them
hereinafter under distinct heads.
The first part has for its object to dry the ice frozen on the surface of the drum
by means of a wiper before it reaches the cutter, so that the time occupied by the
ice in passing from the wiper to the cutter is such that the said ice is reduced some
degrees below freezing point, and good keeping snow made.
Snow when properly made is white and dry, and quite free from water. It is
true that a drum might be made to move so slowly through water that much would
not be taken up, but the quantity of snow made by a drum so moving would be
small when compared to the quantity made on a drum fitted with my improvements
now being described.
The said wiper consists of a bar of rigid material, such as wood or metal, to
which is attached or secured a piece of india-rubber or like flexible material the
length of the drum, so as to wipe off all the water on the surface of the ice. The
rubber or flexible material may be either in the form of a strip or of a roller free
to turn.
The second part has for its object to render the wiper adjustable so that the
distance between the wiper and the cutter may be varied for the manufacture of
snow of any desired degree of dryness. For that purpose the wiper is attached at
each end to rods having bearings fitting round the trunnions on which the drum
rotates, and a quadrant or rack and screw or clip, or equivalent mechanism, is
provided for retaining the wiper in the desired position; or the wiper is free to
slide on the quadrant or rack, and the end rods are dispensed with.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a transverse section of a snow
making drum fitted with the improvements described under the above first and
second parts. 1, drum; 2, water to be frozen; 3, wiper bar fitted with the strip
of india rubber 4; 5, quadrant; 6, binding screw; 7, carrying rods; 8, trunnions;
9, cutter.
The third part has for its object to provide a cutter bar which shall cut equally
from the whole length of the drum snow in large flakes instead of in short crystals.
For that purpose I use a flat bar of steel the length of the drum, and I fix or
secure the said bar to a slide rest in such manner that it may be moved nearer to
or further from the said drum at pleasure. In this way a thickness of ice may be
formned on the drum and be then cut into snow flakes instead of such ice being
scraped or cut into snow as fast as formed.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional views illustrative of the above third part. 10, cutter
bar; 11, slide rests at each end of the bar; 12, screws for moving the slide rests
to and from the drum 1; 13, bevel gearing and handle for giving simultaneous
motion to both slide rests.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 an end elevation of so much of snow making
apparatus as is necessary to illustrate a modification of cutter bar operating
mechanism under the above third part of my Invention. 10 is the cutter bar;

page_text: 11, slide rests; 14, bosses attached to the slides and carrying the freely revolving
rollers 15. The rollers 15 bear against the ice on the drum 1 so as to ensure that
the cutter bar 10 shall always act uniformly on the ice. The rollers are kept in
contact with the ice by means of the weighted levers 16, which act through the
link connections 17 on the slides 11. The pressure of the rollers 14 against the 5
ice is regulated by the position of the weights on the levers 16. The arrangement
and method of attaching the levers and rollers may be obviously varied to produce
the above effect. Fig. 5 is a view showing an arrangement of parts in which
springs 18 are used instead of the weighted levers 16. This arrangement provides
an automatic cutter bar.
The fourth part has for its object to properly regulate tho admission of water to
the cistern or tank beneath the revolving drum, and to keep the said water at a
constant level. For this purpose a ball cock or valve of any ordinary or desired
construction is used in combination with the cistern or tank and revolving drum
to regulate the admission of the water to the said cistern or tank beneath the said 1
drum. One great advantage is that no waste of cold water takes place, which is
the case when the level of the water is regulated by an overflow pipo.
Fig. 1 is also illustrative of the above fourth part. 19, ball cock or valve;
20, water container or trough.
The fifth part has for its object to prevent loss of cold, and consists in causing
the brine or refrigerating fluid to enter and leave the drum at the same end. This
part of my Invention is carried into effect by making the trunnion at one end
hollow and large enough to allow of both inlet and outlet passages for brine or
refrigerating fluid.
Pipes, partitions, or baffle plates are employed to cause the brine or refrigerating
fluid to be circulated in contact with the whole of the internal surface of the drum.
The baffle plates are sometimes made to extend the length of the interior of the
drum, and are made of metal, wood, or other suitable material.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrative of the above fifth part. 1, drum ;
8, trunnion; 21, inlet pipe for brine or refrigerating fluid; 22, outlet passage;
23, baffle plate; 24, stuffing box.
The objects of the sixth part are increase the speed of manufacture of snow and
to assist in drying the ice on the surface of the drum.
For the above purposes I place cooling appliances within the chamber, tank, or
casing in which the drum is contained, so disposed that ice is produced on the
surface of the said drum by radiation as well as conduction.
In carrying the above sixth part into practice pipes, tubes, cells, or other hollow
devices are placed near to and above the drum within the tank, chamber, or case,
and I cause brine or refrigerating fluid to circulate both through the drum and
through the said pipes or other devices.
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are sectional views illustrative of the above part of my
Invention. In Fig. 7 pipes 25 are placed horizontally above the drum 1; in
Fig. 8 pipes 25 are placed above the drum at equal distances therefrom; in Fig. 9
curved pipes, chambers, or cells 26 are used.
The seventh part of my Invention has for its object to enable both blocks of ice
and flakes of snow to be advantageously made by the same machinery or apparatus.
For that purpose the cooling devices under the sixth head are made in the form of
chambers with cells or containers in which blocks of ice are formed.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view illustrative of the above seventh head. 27, cooling
chamber above the drum 1, through which brine or refrigerating fluid passes from
the said drum 1; 28, pipe-connecting the drum 1 with the chamber 27; 29, return
pipe to refrigerator; 30, cells or containers in which water is frozen and blocks of
ice formed; 31, plates or diaphragms to ensure proper circulation of the brine or
refrigerating fluid through the chamber 27; 32, cap or cover of non-conducting
material to prevent radiation.
The object of the eighth part is so compress snow that it is of uniform density
or consistency, and hence in the best keeping condition: In practice the flakes of

page_text: snow as they are formed by the cutter are allowed to fall into a hopper, at the
bottom of which is a removable box or mould. A stamp worked by rack and
pinion or equivalent mechanism is fitted in the hopper above the said box, and the
hopper is provided with a sliding door at the bottom.
Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional views at right angles to each other of apparatus.
or appliances under the above eighth part. 33, hopper; 34, box; 35, sliding door;
36, stamp attached to the bar 37; 38, rack; and 39, wedge on bar 37; 40, loose
pinion gearing with rack 38; 41, clutch disc taking into pinion 40, and kept in
position by the feather or key 42 and spring 43 on the driving shaft 44; 45, bar
provided with wedge piece 46 and tooth 47, seen enlarged in Fig. 13; 48, starting
and stopping handle. The hopper 33 is attached or bolted to the container 20,
and the snow passes from the cutter into the hopper through the opening 49.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The pinion by means of the rack 38
causes the stamp 36 to rise until the wedge 39 acts on the disc 41 so as to move it
along the driving shaft 44 and leave the pinion free to revolve. The stamp then
falls and compresses the snow into the box 34. By the fall of the stamp the wedge
is withdrawn from the disc 41, and the spring 43 moves the said disc forward until
the clutch takes hold of the pinion 40 and causes it to revolve with the driving
shaft and raise the stamp. When it is desired to arrest the motion of the stamp
and retain it clear of the block of snow until such block is removed, the bar 45 is
slid in its bearings until the wedge piece 46 disengages the clutch disc 41, and until
the tooth 47 enters between two of the teeth of the rack. The motion of the
rack can thus be arrested without stopping the driving shaft.
One such apparatus may compress snow from a number of ice drums and
containers, or any convenient compresser may be used in place of the apparatus
described under the above eighth part.
Having now described and particularized the said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect, I claim,―
First. Drying the surface of the ice on the rotating drum before it reaches the
cutter.
Second. The flexible or elastic wiper for drying the surface of ice, constructed
substantially as setforth under the first part.
Third. Adjustable wipers, constructed and operating substantially as setforth
under the second part.
Fourth. Cutter bars constructed, combined, and operating substantially as
setforth under the third part.
Fifth. Regulating the admission of water to snow making apparatus, and
maintaining a uniform level, substantially as setforth under the fourth part.
Sixth. The combination of a ball cock or valve, rotating drum, and cistern or
tank for the purposes setforth under the fourth part.
Seventh Circulating brine or refrigerating fluid through the rotating drum,
substantially as and for the purpose setforth under the fifth part.
Eighth. The combination of the revolving drum and brine or refrigerating fluid
inlet and outlet passages, arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes
setforth under the fifth part.
Ninth. Drying the ice on the surface of the rotating drum, substantially in the
manner setforth under the sixth part.
Tenth. The combination of refrigerating pipes, tubes, cells, or equivalent devices
with the rotating drum, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and
for the purposes setforth under the sixth part.
Eleventh. The manufacture of blocks of ice and snow flakes in the same
apparatus, substantially as setforth under the seventh part.
Twelfth. The combination of apparatus or appliances for the manufacture of
snow and ice, substantially as setforth under the seventh part.
Thirteenth. Compressing snow by apparatus operating substantially in the
manner and for the purposes setforth under the eighth part.

page_text: Fourteenth. Apparatus or appliances constructed and operating for compressing
snow, substantially as herein described under the eighth part.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Noel Mackay, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
FRED N. M
MAUKAI. (L.B.)