Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Operating on the Atmosphere of Glaciaria or Apartments wherein Sheet Ice Artificially Obtained is Tised.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Operating on the
Atmosphere of Glaciaria or Apartments wherein Sheet Ice
Artificially Obtained is Tised.
TRUYISIONAL DEVIFICATION,
I WILLIAM WHITWORTH NIGHTINGALE of the Glaciarium Lord Street Southport
in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of any invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON THE ATMOSPHERE
OF GLACIARIA OR APARTMENTS WHEREIN SHEET ICE ARTIFICIALLY OBTAINED IS
USED, to be as follows:-
These improvements have reference to that description of means or apparatus for
operating on the atmosphere of apartments wherein sheet ice obtained by artificial
means is provided for use for skating, curling or otherwise, for which Letters
Patent were granted to me dated the 30th September 1882 and the present object
I have in view is to remedy the condition of the atmosphere in such places and
the injurious effects arising therefrom in a somewhat similar manner to that
described in my specification filed in accordance with the said patent but with a
considerable reduction in first cost of plant or apparatus as well as in working
expenses and to reduce the power required for driving the apparatus with consequent
economy.
In carrying out my invention I provide openings for the passage or conveyance
away of the atmosphere of such apartments as close as possible conveniently to
the surface of the sheet ice floor or field at suitable distances all around and suit-
ably close to each other to operate the whole surface air and the openings give
access to channels or conduits whereby that atmosphere is conveyed or forced by
means of a fan, pump or other exhausting means and conveyed to certain vertical
pipes or channels suitably distributed over the upper part of the apartment and
thereby to be distributed over the apartment.
Suitable intercepting means are provided by means of channels and pipes or other
equivalent means for intercepting any condensation of moisture obtained from such
atmosphere in its passage through these channels for withdrawal and return of air
as required or circumstances may render desirable and so secure a current of dry
cool air.
To avoid the inconvenience arising from a too free or direct downward flow of
the air resupplied by the vertical pipes I provide suitable deflectors, guards, shields,

page_text: or baffle plates having suitable means for their adjustment or regulation provided
and to the channels for the abstraction and resupply of the circulated air I also
provide means of regulation conveniently accessible as desired.
By these means I am enabled in many instances to dispense with the refrigera-
ting box or chamber provided with a coil or coils of piping through which the air
is forced in order to its being cooled through the influence of brine or other suit-
able refrigerating fluid circulating therein, when proceeding according to the
invention described in my Specification of Patent aforesaid and I am enabled by
causing such air to come more directly within the cooling influence of the ice
floor itself and withdrawing it whilst in more immediate contact therewith either
with or without special means of collecting any condensed moisture, to maintain, a
clear or transparent condition of the contained atmosphere of the Glaciarium or
other apartment of sheet ice and to avoid that condensation of moisture, mistiness
or fog which it is the object of my improvements to prevent.

page_text: I WILLIAM WHITWORTH NIGHTINGALE of the Glaciarium Lord Street Southport
in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON THE ATMOSPHERE
OF GLACIARIA OR APARTMENTS WHEREIN SHEET ICE ARTIFICIALLY OBTAINED IS
USED, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
These improvements have reference to that description of means or apparatus for
operating on the atmosphere of apartments wherein sheet ice is produced by artificial
means and provided for use for skating, curling, or other use for which Letters
Patent were granted to me the said William Whitworth Nightingale dated the
30th of September 1882 N° 4660 and the object I have in view of attainment by
the present invention is to remedy an objectionable condition of the atmosphere of
such places that accrues and to obviate the injurious effects arising therefrom, by
means and in manner somewhat similar to what is described in my specification
filed in accordance with the said Letters Patent No 4660 but with the advan-
tages arising from my present improvements, of considerable reduction in first cost
of the plant or apparatus employed as well as economy in the working expenses
and reduction of the amount of power necessary for driving the apparatus and
other advantages arising therefrom.
In carrying out my present invention I provide openings for the passage or
conveyance away of the atmosphere of such apartments through suitable channels
such openings being situated as close as possible conveniently to the surface of the
sheet ice floor or field arranged at suitable distances apart all around the floor and
sufficiently closely to one another to effectually operate the whole of the air over
and about the ice surface and these channels for the air to which these openings
give access are in connection or communication with a fan, force pump, or other air
exhausting means whereby the air is conveyed or forced by other channels or con-
tinuations of those channels or divisions thereof to a series of vertical pipes or
outlet channels whereby the air is again suitably distributed over the wholo upper
part of the apartment or chamber and then circulates over the whole area of the
chamber and may be again drawn off and so on.
The atmosphere in the chamber holds or takes up moisture which moisture when
the air becomes cooled by the ice floor condenses more or less and this condensa-
tion of moisture present in the air drawn into the channels I intercept and throw
down and collect and remove by suitable intercepting means in the channel
between the intake and return of the air channel. This was according to my
former Specification of Patent N° 4660% effected by the interposition of a snow
box" consisting of pipes or channels conveying a current of brine or other freezing,
refrigerating or cooling medium arranged to afford a largo surface area adapted to
rapidly lower the temperature of the air passing through this "anow box" and
"

page_text: cause the "snow or condensed moisture to fall and be left behind .therein, whilst
the current of air passes on in a dry cool condition to renew the atmosphere of the
ice floored chamber and to avoid the inconvenience arising from currents of such
cold dry air being delivered into that chamber with a too free or too direct down-
ward flow from the series of vertical delivery or distributing pipes I apply below
the outlets thereof a series of deflectors, guards, shields or baffle plates against
which these down currents break and are distributed without perceptible draught
and the distance of the deflecting surfaces from the orifices for the outflow of air is
capable of regulation by racks and stops or equivalent adjusting means applied to
their supports and this may conveniently be done by means of arms operated from
above the ceiling of the chamber passing down therethrough to below the air
outlets.
-
By my present invention I am enabled in many cases to entirely dispense with
and in other cases to use only as an auxiliary, the "snow box," refrigerating
chamber or condensing means provided with piping through which. the air passed
when proceeding according to my said former invention and I am now enabled by
the present arrangement of intake openings to the air channels situated in close
proximity to the surface of the ice floor, to cause such moisture-containing-air of
the chamber to be brought more directly within the cooling influence of the ice
Hoor itself and thereby to withdraw such air whilst it is in immediato contact with
the ice and I provide means for collecting any condensed moisture resulting or
simply remove it, as formed. I am enabled by my improvements to effect the
maintenance of the clearness or transparency of the atmosphere of a Glaciarium or
other chamber having a sheet ice floor obtained by artificial moans and to provent
condensation of moisture in such atmosphere producing mist or fog, with increased
economy and facility.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the naturo of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
"
The employment of channels and parts operating therewith for operating upon
the atmosphere of chambers having sheet ice floors obtained by artificial means,
with intake openings, for such air in close proximity to such ice floor so as to
condense and throw down moisture suspended in such air and prevent mist in the
chamber, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.