Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Sept., 1888
I LEONARD FRERE of 5 Philpot Lane in the City of London, Merchant's Manager
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in several parts of the ordinary ice
machine, in which evaporation is produced by a pump. The parts thus modified in
combination with the other usual parts, form the new type of Machine.
The improvements are as follows viz. :-
1. The valves of the Ether pump are made out of thin sheet metal, phosphor bronze,
or preferably tempered steel plates as are generally used for thin steel circular saws;
they are made of somewhat differing shapes, to suit different description and sizes of
Engines; they are sufficiently thin to yield to pressure of vapours and thereby form a
practically air tight joint on the seat, which last is of the grating description. A
guard of proper curvature relatively to the thickness of sheet, is placed over the valve
to regulate its lift or bending.
2. liquid level formed of a tube of that class of metals which have sufficient
toughness to be serviceable in machines, but which are least conductive of heat is
added to the vapourizer, the ordinary composition gas pipe being one of the best.
The level is so proportioned and placed, that the formation of a coat of ice on the
pipe, takes place on the lower part nearly up to that much which is filled with liquid
and very little or none is formed on that part which is only filled with vapours, this
giving visible external signs of the height of the cold liquid inside of the tube, and
therefore inside of the vapourizer with which it is in communication.
3. A pipe furnished with a regulating cock, fixed a little below the lowest level of
Ether in the refrigerator, is added to lubricate the pump, the other end of the pipe is
terminating in a small inlet valve box which is in connection with the body of the
رد

page_text: pump or pump inlet valves boxes so that during the working of the pump, a suction is
produced through the above mentioned pipe and a certain quantity of oily liquid and
Ether is drawn into the pump and lubricates it.
4. The Condenser is quite novel in its design and combination of parts; it is
composed of several multitubular vessels exactly like a locomotive boiler having
neither fire nor smoke box; they are of various sizes according to the size of the
machine, are grouped above each other in one vertical row; or for the larger
machines in several rows and they are all connected alternately from end to end and
the lower one is connected with the vapour pump. The vapour is admitted in the
shell outside of the small pipes, whilst a flow of water is kept up flowing inside of
those same pipes, passing from one vessel to the other alternately, by pass-over pipes,
this condensing the vapour in the shell. From the lower vessel, the condensed liquid
is led back into the vapourizer through a coil of pipes kept in the coolest procurable
water.
5. The refrigerator or vapourizer is exactly of the same design and make as the
above condenser, but instead of cool water being kept flowing through the multitubular
vessels, brine is passed through them; the top-most vessel is made larger than the
others and answers the purpose of vapour chamber. The whole is externally well
protected against atmospheric heat by an insulating casing; but in the larger
description of machines it is placed in a box into which the return brine flows from
the ice tanks.
The machine or vapour pump is of the vertical type and has an inverted connecting
rod, frame shaped, worked from a crank below the pump; this connecting rod has
but one cross-head bearing instead of the two bearings at the cross-head with the
usual forked connecting rod.
This pump is intended to be generally worked by belts or ropes and pulleys and is
accordingly designed; but provision is made to work it also direct from a steam
cylinder set over the pump; this machinery is suitable to work any description of
ice tanks but when the "cell description is employed a peculiar metal knob or box
is set to freeze in the blocks instead of the usual rope.
Dated this 21st day of September 1887.
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C.,
Agent.

page_text: Improved Ice Machinery.
I LEONARD FRERE of 5 Philpot Lane in the City of London, Merchant's Manager
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention consists of improvements in parts of the ordinary ice machine in
which evaporation of a liquid is produced by à pump; the parts thus modified in
combination with other usual parts form the new type of machine.
In order that the said Invention may be perfectly understood I shall now proceed
particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the accompanying sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Ifirst: The valves of the gas or vapour pump are made of thin clastic sheet metal
say from 20 to 26 Birmingham Wire Gauge according to size; phosphor bronze
or preferably tempered steel sheets such as are generally used to manufacture saws
(according as the vapour has no corrosive action on the one or the other) are among
the best materials for the purpose.
The valves are made of different shapes and thickness to suit the different sizes or
description of Engines, the thickness being the least that will stand effectually the
working pressure, so as to bend up readily without overstraining the metal. The
valve seat is of the grating description with say about in. square holes; a curved
guard of a circular curvature is placed over the valve and regulates the "lift" of the
edges. For a diameter of 9 in. and a thickness of sheet No. 22 or 23 Birmingham
Wire Gauge, a rise of 1 in. at each of the opposite edges, answers very well.
Figures 1 and 1 are sectional views at right angles to each other representing the
valve suitable for large gas or vapour pumps, that is to say where there is ample room
on the pump covers for circular valves of large diameter.
a is a sheet metal valve (say, for example, of steel) represented in an uplifted
position and against the guard c; it has two ears at 6, 1, corresponding to similar
ears of the guard c, to which it is fixed by the two bolts and nuts d, d, through those
ears. The valve seat ee is generally of gun metal or bronze. jj is a centering drum
fitting accurately into the valve box (not shewn) and keeping the guard and valve a
in position. is a very strong spring resting against the valve box cover (not shewn)
and forcing down the centering drum with the guard and valve; it is composed of
few coils with little space between them to permit of but little rise of the guard and
valve, should the valve be ever forced away from active contact with its seat. The
above described circular valve with two projecting ears, may be from say 8 in. to 12 in.

page_text: in diameter, but not much less without soon ruining the material through continual
bending with requisite rises of I. in. or 14 in. of diametrically opposite edges.
In the smaller engines not admitting of such very large diameter of valves, it
is necessary to make them long and narrow in order to have little flexion of
material with sufficient gas or vapour way: these valves are represented in section
and plan respectively by figures 2 and 2 and by figures 3 and 3 of the
drawings; in Figures 2 and 2 the valve is shewn with the bending of the metal
sheet at one end only which plan is best adapted for the smaller machines;
figures 3 and 3ª show a narrow sheet valve but bending in the middle whilst
sufficiently narrow to find room on the covers of medium sized pumps. Figure 4
shows in section a valve suitable for small existing pumps with ordinary valve
boxes to be transformed to work with sheet valves. In figure 4, 1 is a narrow
flat spring curved as represented and rivetted to the valve a; c is a circular flat
guard. The valve in this case rises bodily from the scat till it rests against the
guard is a centering drum and the steel strip is clamped to it by bolts
passing through the ears. It will be obvious that this spring acts like a double
spring of carriages and both forces back the valve and also keeps it in position.
The above figures represent outlet valves; figure 5 represents a section of an
inlet valve of a circular shape, that is to say, corresponding to the outlet valve,
figure 1 ; l, l, l, 1, (Figure 5) are circular grooves hollowed out of the solid; in
these grooves is lodged a very strong spiral spring forcing the guard c and
valve a tightly against the valve seat e; j² j is a centering drum, at the same
time used as a grating to prevent pieces ever falling into the pump; hh are the
gas or vapour ways all round the face of the drum.
m is a strong clamp keeping all the parts in intimate contact to form air tight
joints with each other and also with the bottom of the valve box; k is a centering
pin. It will be obvious that if an inlet valve of the narrow description is needed,
the parts remain the same in relative position but are of an elongated shape
instead of being circular, and this applies equally to inlet valves, suitable or corre-
sponding to the outlet valves herein before described with reference to figures 2
and 2ª, and Figures 3 and 3º.
Second The average level of liquid in the refrigerator or vapourizer is indicated
by the new description of level, shewn in sectional elevation in Figure 6 of the
drawings and next hereinafter described.
A pipe n, say from in. to 1 in., in diameter and about 12 in. or 14 in. long is set
vertically along the side of the refrigerator or vapourizer A³ so that the part that is
closest thereto is say 2 in. or 24 in. distant therefrom. This pipe is connected top and
bottom at 1, 2, respectively, with the shell of the refrigerator or vapourizer, either by
a simple set of ferrules and conical joints or by means of a set of gland cocks, but if
cocks are used, they should have a comparatively large liquid way through them.
A length of 12 in. or 14 in. is a convenient length for the above pipe; but it should
not be much less for the smaller machines, whereas it is sufficiently large for the
largest machines; the whole of the above is encased by a wooden box o fitting close
to the side of the refrigerator or vapourizer so as to secure a temperature of air
around the level tube, somewhat above freezing point when the machine is working.
In cold climates, the cover of the box should be left open to warm up the level pipe,
and in hot climates it should be closed, or mostly so, to prevent the access of air of an
excessively high temperature. The level pipe is made of any malleable metal that
has a low caloric conductivity; the ordinary composition gas-pipe being among the
good ones.
With such arrangements, description of metal and proportions, it will be found
that during the working of the ice machine, when the mean level of liquid (that is not
counting the frothy portion in very violent ebullition over the liquid) is within a few
inches above the lower ferrule or a few inches lower than the top one, a coating of ice
is formed on one part of the pipe and not on the other and this indicates the relative
and corresponding quantity of liquid in the refrigerator or vapourizer with sufficient
accuracy to manage the machine properly.

page_text: The proportions of this level do not much vary with the description of refrigerating
liquid in the refrigerator or vapourizer; the above described one is the one suitable
for Ether machines. But the material employed should be chosen so as not to be
corroded or affected by the volatile liquid used. If the machine is an ammonia one
for instance, a somewhat thin 1 in. iron gas pipe should be used; the thickness should
be the least that can safely stand the very high working pressure of ammonia
inachines; and, as a general guidance, the level should be set further away from the
shell of the refrigerator or vapourizer, according as the temperature of the latter is
required to be lower; for example, with temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the
shortest distance of the level pipe should be increased to say 34 in. or 4 in., and all
further requirements are regulated by admitting a greater or less draught of external
air to the level, so that only one part keeps frozen and not the other. Other liquids
which are intermediate between these two, have their requirements met in a
similar way.
Third;
The lubrication of the gas or vapour pump is effected in the following
automatic manner. A regulating cock is fixed to the side of the refrigerator or
vapourizer a little below the level that the liquid in it should ever reach, and from it,
a small pipe is connected by a branch pipe to both the inlet valve boxes at the back
of the valve. By this means a suction at each stroke is produced alternately in each
branch of the pipe and some volatilo liquid and some of the oil or greasy substance
which there is always with it, is drawn into the pump through the inlet valves and
that lubricates the pump and the leathers of the valves, should leather valves be
employed or adapted to machines having only outlet sheet valves.
In the case, however, of the complete set of valves above described, that is to say,
if both the outlet and also the inlet valves are metallic, this obviating the necessity of
keeping the leathers soft with oil, the pump is lubricated directly by fitting it with
a set of miniature complete inlet valve boxes or elastic sheet valves as above described
and one of each of the branches of the above mentioned branch pipe is connected each
to cach; these valve boxes are screwed on to the pump, one at each end. The size
of the lubricating pipe and of these valves does not much vary with the size of the
engine as they are to be as small as will fairly allow them to work or perform their
duty; the further adjustment of the amount of liquid that it is desired to introduce
into the pump is finally regulated by the small cock (say a in. one for a ten tons
machine) on the refrigerator or vapourizer. Thus the smallest valve for the smaller
machines should not have less than 1 square inch effective area whereas 2 square
inches or so for a twenty tons machine would be sufficient.
Fourth The condenser is composed of a series of multibular vessels A A' A",
shewn in side elevation in Figure 7 and in end view in Figure 7, in shape like the
body of a locomotive boiler without either smoke box or fire box; B, B, B, being the
tube plates of brass, gun metal, copper or other suitable material. The vessels are
of various sizes according to the size of machine but generally are from one foot to
one foot and a half in diameter and from four to eight feet long; they are grouped
above each other in one vertical row as represented and several rows are set together
for the larger machines; they are all connected together as represented by gas or
vapour pipes C, C. D is the gas or vapour pipe from the pump, delivering
the gas or vapour at the bottom of the condenser; E is a small pipe connecting
the pump gas or vapour pipe directly with the top-most vessel; it is of a small
diameter and say onc or two feet long so as to admit but very little gas or
vapour directly from the pump into the top vessel; it varies in size say from
in. to in. for the larger machines, its object is to prevent the liquid of
condensation being ever drawn up in pipe D if a partial vacuum should take
place in it, as the gas or vapour supplied into D through E would equalize the
pressure. F, F, are small spring pipes of sufficient diameter to prevent the liquid
accumulating to an over great extent in the upper vessels. They allow it to flow back
entirely into the lower one during stoppages. G is the return pipe; it leads to an
ordinary serpentine pipe in a cooling vessel kept cool by part of the condensing water
passing first through it. H, H are covers and K, K, are pass-over pipes; L and

page_text: M are the condensing water inlet and outlet pipes respectively; it is evident that this
water flows through all the small pipes in A, A³, A" in succession by passing through
the pass over pipes K, K.
The gas or vapour being admitted in the shell of A, A¹, A", is condensed on the
cool outer surface of the small pipes inside of A, A', A", the liquid of condensation in A
and A flows back into A" through F and F and out towards the refrigerator or
vapourizer through G.
This condenser is provided with all the usual fittings, gauges, return cocks and
other appurtenances of well known description.
Fifth. The refrigerator or vapourizer is practically the same as the condenser above
described and composed of similar vessels turned a quarter of a circle round so that
the flanges c¹ to which the gas or vapour pipes C, Care connected face each other;
these flanges are then in their new position connected by short lengths of straight pipe
equivalent to the pipes C, C, and thus all the vessels are connected together in a sub-
stantially similar manner to the vessels of the condenser shewn in figures 7 and 7".
The pipes F F and E are dispensed with entirely and the pump exhaust pipe is
connected to the top-most vessel; all other things remain the same.
The higher vessel is used as a gas or vapour chamber and the lower ones contain
the refrigerating liquid; the brine is admitted through L and flows out at M and
oither the whole refrigerator or vapourizer is immersed in a brine return cistern or
compartment, or it is very carefully protected from external air by a thick insulating
casing.
If owing to the small size of the machines there be only one or two such vessels
as A, composing the refrigerator or vapourizer, the covers or heads H, H, are sub-
divided by several partitions internally so that the brine is conducted forwards and
backwards not less than four times through the whole length of the internal pipes
before it leaves the refrigerator or vapourizer. The way to obtain this is well known
to manufacturers of ice machines and the only difference there is in this case is that
instead of the requisite partitions being cast in one piece with the tube plates, those
partitions in exactly the same relative position, are in one piece with or fastened to
the head pieces H, H, and the edges of those partitions have a deep groove all along,
to hold strips of india rubber along their whole length so as to make a joint through
their contact with the tube plates.
The refrigerators or vapourizers above described are suitable to work any description
of ice tanks of the cans or cells types as it is most casy to change the heads of the
refrigerators or vapourizers so as to have either a considerable cooling of uncongealable
liquid by circulating it rapidly a great many times backwards and forwards and in
relatively small quantity, or (if heads H, H, with few or no partitions are used) to
have such liquid passed a few times to and fro and in large quantities. The latter
plan being more advantageous to the cell system for very slow freezing with few
degrees of cold, such refrigerators or vapourizers should then have no partitions at all
but should have a large bulk of uncongealable liquid run at a slow speed from one
vessel to the other in succession.
Sixth If cells be employed, a new method of working the ice out, is had recourse
to, namely; instead of freezing a piece of knotted rope in the blocks, in order to
raise them, a hollow metallic box or pipe open at the top end, is substituted and set to
freeze in the blocks in the very same way and position as the rope.
Figures 8 and 8ª represent the tube shape of this ice-lifter; this is the shape suitable
for most purposes; the other shape, used when the ice does not solidify up to the
centre of the block, is elliptical in section or like a flattened tube; it is, of course, set
cross-wise in such a manner that its edges (according to its larger diameter) be frozen
in the sile ice, so that also hollow blocks may be raised by it. The thickness of the
pipe is generally 1 in. galvanized or ordinary gas pipe and its length say from 12 in.
to 18 in. for 5 to 10 cwt. blocks and in. pipe is a good size for 2 to 5 cwt. ones; it
is closed at the bottom 3 to prevent any water entering it, but the top or head part 4
is open.
As an additional precaution to secure a more firm grip in the block a coarse
thread may be cut outside of this pipe from the bottom upwards for a length of 10 in.

page_text: or 12 in., or again the end of it may be somewhat wider than the rest, but a plain
pipe answers well provided the blocks be lifted out not very long after they are
finished.
A double hook is used to catch the head 4 and after the block has been taken out
from the cells and let down some hot water or a small jet of steam is run into the pipe
or box; or a hot piece of iron bolt is let down into it; this thawing the ice around it,
loosens it immediately from the block.
Seventh; The gas or vapour pump used to work the above improved parts of ice
machinery is represented in figure 9 in its general outline of design; L is the pump
with the usual piston, M is the foundation plate also used as a framing to support the
crank shaft NO, O is a cylindrical guide head to the cross head of the pump piston;
the top of it is shaped as is represented to admit of a steam cylinder being set on top
of it to work the pump in special cases. These pumps are designed and intended to
he worked by separate engines by means of belt or rope and pulleys; but when there
is one pump only in a factory, the addition of a steam cylinder is advisable and this is
provided for as above. The cross-head pin P is in this last case left projecting on
either side of the pump cross-head and the steam cylinder rod cross-head is coupled to
it by a pair of ordinary straps without brasses.
The connecting rod and the manner in which it is connected to the pump cross-
head and crank shaft is the characteristic feature of this gas or vapour pump. It is
composed of two parts, as shewn in the drawing, joined by fish plates and works
through an opening in the foundation plate and through opposite long slots R, R in
the cylindrical guide.
As represented by the figures, both the cylindrical guide and the bed plate engage
with the outer edges of the pump flanges S, S, S, these being made extra wide for
such purpose.
The object.of this provision is to permit of both the top and bottom pump covers
being removed for examination and repairs to the pump or its piston without having to
take up the pump body and also the cylindrical guide-head, which would have to be
done if the ordinary-design for similar arrangement with vertical steam engine
cylinders or ordinary vertical Ether pump was left as usual, and so this present design
embodies a valuable improvement with numerous advantages in practice. To this
effect, also, the guide head base is a complete circle, faced and turned exactly to fit all
round the pump-flanges; but a sufficiently wide gap T. T. T. T. is left at each end of
the guide-head in order to remove laterally either the pump or cylinder covers.
The converse arrangement of the cross-head brasses is sometimes resorted to, namely
the brasses are themselves a fixture on the cross-head and the cross-head pin is driven
tight through the connecting rod and set into it.
The above arrangement for connecting the gas or vapour pump cross-head to the
crank is the shortest ono possible embodying the sought for advantages of single
bearings at each end of connecting frame and gives the least possible vertical height
of machine; nevertheless a 6 tons ice machine and its steam cylinder is not less than
fifteen feet in vertical height. In smaller machines, however, as excessive height is
not so soon reached, a more practical shape of frame for the same purpose is pre-
ferable it is represented in figures 10 and 10" which are respectively sectional
elevations taken at right angles to each other. As therein shown, the connecting
frame requires to be longer than the frame shewn in Figure 9 from the centre of the
cross-beam 5 to the centre 6 of the crank pin, by the length x that is the length
necessary for the cross-beam 5 to clear the crank-shaft pedestals when the crank is in
its lowest position. This extra length for a 6 tons gas or vapour pump and steam
cylinder would be about two feet and a half over the length of the one represented in
figure 9, which is roughly a 6 tons size one, and would, if so made, reach the excessive
height of nearly eighteeen feet; hence this arrangement is more appropriate to smaller
machines, the total height of which does not exceed fifteen feet by the arrangement
figure 16.
It should be understood that the dimensions herein before mentioned are merely
given as examples and may be varied according to circumstances.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangements of metallic sheet valves for the gas or vapour pumps of ice
machines substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 1",
2 and 2, 3 and 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
2. A metallic tube showing the level of liquid in the refrigerator or vapourizor of
an ice machine, by part of such tube remaining covered with a coat of ice and part
not so covered, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The peculiar means of lubricating the gas or vapour pumps of ice machines
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of a series of multitubular vessels, set and connected together
to form a condenser for the gas or vapour of ice machines, substantially as herein before
described.
5. In condensers of ice machines in which evaporation of a liquid is produced by a
pump, the peculiar arrangement of the pump gas or vapour pipe, delivering the gas or
vapour at the bottom of the condenser, and of only a small gas or vapour pipe
delivering in or out some of the gas or vapour at the top of the same condenser,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. The combination of a series of multitubular vessels set and connected together to
form a refrigerator or vapourizer, substantially as hercinbefore described.
7. The hollow metallic ice block-lifter, that is to say, a metallic hollow vessel, box
or pipe, closed at the bottom and open at the top, so as to permit of a hot or thawing
body being introduced into it, to loosen it from the middle of the ice block,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
gas or vapour pump of an ice machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.
9. The employment of a connecting frame for transmitting motion from a crank at
one end of a gas or vapour pump, to the piston cross-head at the other end of the
same pump, such frame having two bearings only, substantially as herein before
described with reference to Figure 9 and Figures 10 and 10" of the accompanying
drawings.
1 1ST... 1000
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C..
Agent.