Improvements in Apparatus and Mechanism for Refrigerating and Making Ice.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Mechanism for Refrigerating and
Making Ice.
I. HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Stephen Wells Wood, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman), and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This invention relates to novel apparatus and mechanism in which anhydrous
ammonia or other suitable refrigerant is to be employed to reduce temperature by
direct expansion from a liquid to a gas thereby absorbing the heat, after which the
gas is to be converted into, or returned to, a liquid state by compression, and cooled
without distillation. The said invention consists chiefly in mechanism designed to
force the refrigerant into the refrigerating pipes, and to draw the gas or volatilized
refrigerant from the refrigerating pipes causing thereby a continuous volatilization of
the refrigerant within said pipes, to condense or return the refrigerant to a liquid
state to be again volatilized in the process of refrigeration or ice-making, and to cool
said refrigerant on its passage from the condensing mechanism to a reservoir.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism proper to receive the gas from the
refrigerating pipes, condense it to a liquid by compression, and to force the liquid
refrigerant into a reservoir, a box within which the refrigerating pipes are arranged
connecting at one end with the reservoir, and at the other end connected with the
chamber of the condensing pump. Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal central section
showing the interior construction of the condensing mechanism. Figure 3 is a
sectional end elevation of Figure 2, showing the shaft of the pumps and its packing in
section. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the casing through the line X X of Figure 2,
showing the construction of the flexible packing, also in section. Figure 5 is a
central, longitudinal section of a packing adapted to an oscillating shaft having an
independent metal sleeve. Figures 6 and 7 are views of a clamp, detached for securing
the rubber sleeve packing to the shaft, and to a metal stud projecting from a wall of
the chamber to he rendered gas tight. Figures 8 and 9 are views respectively of an
apparatus to be employed in cooling the refrigerant after having been condensed from
a gas to a liquid state. Figure 10 is a side elevation of an ordinary gas-pump
detached from the apparatus and provided with a fibrous covering, Q, as and for the
purpose hereinafter described, and Figure 11 represents a fragment of a cooling pipe
also provided with a like fibrous covering.
In the accompanying drawing A, A1, Figures 1 and 2, represents a casing composed
of two sections bolted together centrally, having rubber packing between the
flanges a,
a' to render the joint gas-tight. These sections A. A when bolted together
form a chamber A² into which the refrigerating medium is discharged from the
refrigerating pipes O. Between chamber A and a reservoir S are two gas-
pumps, JJ, connecting with said chamber A2 by means of which the gas is pumped
from the chamber, condensed by pressure into a liquid and forced into the reservoir S,
from which reservoir it is again delivered in a liquid state to refrigerating pipes O,
through a suitable valve. In the bottom of the lower section A of the casing are two
circular openings to which are fitted two cylinders B B, said cylinders being secured
to the said casing below the openings. Rubber packing is interposed between the
cylinders and casing, said cylinders being secured in position by bolts passing through
the flanges bb on the cylinders as shown in Figure 2. These cylinders are supported
on a stand Z which rests in the tank Y, containing cold water rising nearly to the top
of the cylinders, and which is constantly being changed. In the lower part A of the

page_text: casing, a shaft is journaled, only one end of which extends through one side of
the casing
For convenience of manufacture an opening is made in one side or wall
of the casing A, which is covered by a cylindrical flanged cap D, with packing inter-
posed, and bolted to the exterior of said casing, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the
bearing for the shaft being formed with cap D, the opposite end of shift extending
through the casing and supported in suitable hearings secured thereto. A flange
or collar F is secured to and surrounds shaft on the insi le of the casing A.
In order that there shall be no escape of gas from casing A- around shaft C, a
rubber sleeve packing E is placed around said shaft, one end of said sleeve packing
being secured to shaft C, and the other end to collar F, by suitable clamps or by a
wire wound tightly around said sleeve packing near its ends. To preserve this
rubber sleeve packing, a coiled spring H, Figures 3 and 4, of wire is fitted to the
interior thereof, which coil is secured at its ends respectively, one end to the shaft C,
its opposite end to the collar F. The rubber sleeve E fits snugly over the coiled
spring H, and is also secured beyond the ends of said coil to the shaft C, and to the
collar F, respectively as shown. This wire spring prevents the rubber sleeve from
being forced, by the pressure of the gas, against oscillating shaft C, which it
surrounds, and at the same time distributes the strain evenly throughout the length of
said sleeve caused by the oscillations of shaft C, thereby preserving its texture and
usefulness. A walking-beam, I, is mounted upon shaft C, to the ends of which are
connected the piston rods i, i of the pistons j,j, of the pumps. The piston rods i, i,
are guided in their movements up and down by passing through ears g, g, extending
from the interior walls of the casing and move freely through the slotted ends of this
walking-beam I in operating the pumps.
Outside of casing A, shaft C is fitted with a crank L, which crank is connected by
a rod to a wheel or crank K whereby the revolving of the shaft K imparts an
oscillating movement to shaft C. The shaft K is journaled to the upper part A¹ of
the casing as shown in Figure 2. Another shaft, 10, similarly mounted transmits
motion to shaft K through the gear wheels h, h. The shaft 10 is caused to revolve
by a belt-wheel, 9, through which mechanism the pumps are to be operated. These pumps
may be of any suitable form of construction adapted to draw the gas from chamber A²,
condense it to a liquid and discharge the liquefied gas through suitable valves into
cooling pipes N coiled within the tank Y, which pipes are submerged in cold water,
and which finally connect with reservoir S by a branch pipe N'. The reservoir S is
provided with an outlet pipe N2 which extends nearly to the bottom of the interior
thereof, and through which outlet pipe the liquid refrigerant is to be forced by the
pressure on the surface of the liquid in the upper part of the reservoir, through a
valve to expand into a gas within refrigerating pipes O.
The gas from the pumps is reduced to a liquid by compression and cooled by being
forced through the coil of pipes N, immersed in water in cooling tank Y, and in this
cooled condition it is returned to reservoir S, as before stated. This liquid refrigerant
is forced from reservoir S through an adjustable valve which may open and close
automatically, or be operated by hand as preferred, whereby the flow of the
refrigerant from reservoir S into the refrigerating pipes O may be governed as
required. In refrigerating pipes O arranged within a suitable chamber P, the
refrigerant volatizes thereby. producing a reduction of temperature within said pipes
and absorbing the heat from within said chamber in the usual manner. The amount
of refrigeration produced by the volatilization of the refrigerant is greater the more
rapid the volatilization, and the volatilization is more rapid as the pressure of the gas
within refrigerating pipes O is reduced.
The elastic rubber packing shown in Figure 4 is adapted to be employed in
refrigerating apparatus where a chamber in the pump is to be maintained gas-tight.
This peculiar packing -is-adapted only to an oscillating shaft to prevent the escape of
gas from around the shaft and from-the chamber, through the walls of which but one
end of the shaft extends in order to be operated by driving mechanism from the
exterior of said chamber.
Crepresents the shaft, B³, the wall through which it passes, and 6' a sleeve integral

page_text: with or firmly secured to said wall and surrounding shaft C, as clearly shown in
Figure 4. H represents a coiled spring surrounding said shaft, the interior of the
coil being sufficiently large to prevent the spring from binding upon or coming in
contact with the shaft. One end of the sleeve E is secured to the shaft by binding
wire V, its opposite end being attached to the sleeve b' as shown in Figure 4, which
construction renders the chamber gas-tight and permits shaft C to oscillate freely
therein to operate the pumps. The spring H serves a double parposs. First, it
prevents the rubber sleeve from collapsing and thereby binding upon shaft C, and
thus interfering with the free oscillating movement of said shaft. Second, by being
connected with its two ends, one end with the shaft (, and its opposite end with the
metal sleeve 61, the coils twist and untwist, or move toward and from each other, as
the case may be, throughout its entire length as the shaft Coscillates back and forth
to operate the pumps, and since the rubber sleeve fits tightly over coiled spring H,
the strain upon this rubber sleeve is equally distributed throughout thus preserving
its texture indefinitely.
In the form of construction of this packing shown in Figure 5 an independent
metal sleeve is provided which surrounds shaft within the chamber to be packed
and renders gas-tight one end of said independent metal sleeve resting upon an
enlarged part R of shaft C, its opposite end being supported by a bearing T secured
to the inner surface of the gas-chamber. A rubber or other suitable flexible sleeve E¹
surrounds said metal sleeve, one end of which is secured to shaft C, the other end to
the stud or bearing T, as shown in Figure 4. A split ring clamp is shown in
Figures 6 and 7, by which the rubber sleeve El may be secured, one end thereof to
shaft C, the other end to the fixed bearing or stud T.
W represents fragments of the walls of a chamber within which oscillating
shaft C is placed. UU are fragments of arms extending from shaft (by means of
which the pumps are to be operated, one end of the shaft resting in bearings D, on
the inner side of one of the walls of the chamber, the other end extending through the
opposite wall to be connected with driving mechanism on the exterior of said chamber
the same as in Figures 3 and 4. By means of this metal sleeve G the rubber
sleeve E is supported throughout its entire length against the pressure of the gas in
the chamber, said sleeve inclosing shaft (, thereby rendering the chamber gas-tight
and permitting the shaft to oscillate freely to operate the pumps.
In order to adapt a refrigerating apparatus or an ice-making machine to warm
climates, or where the temperature is too high to employ and render available the
running bath in the usual manner to cool the pipes No through which the refrigerant
is conveyed from the condensing pumps to reservoir S, the following method and the
mechanism for cooling these pipes are adopted consisting essentially in subjecting
pipes No to the action of water and a volume of air therewith as hereinafter
described.
The mechanism represented in section, Figure 8, shows the manner by which water
is to be thrown against the cooling pipes by means of a blast of air from an ordinary
fan blower M. S shows an elevation of the reservoir to contain the refrigerant and
its connection with the cooling pipes, and B a side elevation of a condensing pump,
also its connection with the cooling pipes. A similar section is shown in Figure 9, in
which the cooling pipes N in dotted lines are incased within pipes N³ of greater
diameter and between which pipes the water and air combined may be forced to cool
the pipes N as shown.
A represents a vertical, longitudinal section of a suitable box within which is
placed the mechanism by which this method of cooling pipes N may be effected.
N is a coil of pipes through which the condensed refrigerant is to be cooled and
conveyed from condensing pump B to reservoir S. A fan blower M is provided by
which a volume of air is forced around and between cooling pipes No and around
intermediate water supply pipes Ne perforated with small holes from which water is
to be thrown against the cooling pipes and pump B, in sprays or small jets by means
of a blast or volume of air from the blower M to moisten the pipes and pump, and
thereby absorb the heat therefrom by the rapid evaporation of the water and the

page_text: removal of the evaporation and condensation from around the cooling pipes and box
by the constant blast of air from the blower. The perforated pipes No are supplied
with water by means of a supply pipe N'. If preferred, the shaft P of the blower
may be hollow and pierced with holes as a means of introducing sprays or jets
of water to be thrown against the cooling pipes and pump by the blast of air from
the blower.
The box A Figure 8, is open at to permit the air and evaporation from the
cooling pipes and pump to escape freely therefrom, thus conveying away rapidly and
continuously all condensation and maintaining the coolness of the box in which the
pipes and pump are placed by means of the rapid current of air and water passing
through it.
1
The box A, Figure 9, has an opening a¹ on its upper side to admit of the escape
of the air and evaporation therefrom, the condensation passing away through an exit
pipe on the lower side. The cooling pipes and pumps may be covered with any
suitable fibrous material to absorb the moisture in order to assist in cooling them
by the absorption and rapid evaporation of the moisture caused by the strong volume
of air from the blower.
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 1
claim is:
First. A refrigerating and ice-making apparatus and mechanism consisting of the
following elements: A pump or pumps, a chamber with which said pump or pumps
connect, an oscillating shaft provided with a flexible rubber packing, one end of said
shaft supported in a suitable bearing in a wall of the chamber, the other end extending
through the opposite wall thereof, a reservoir to contain the refrigerant, a refrige-
rating chamber and refrigerating pipes therein substantially as set forth.
Second. A flexible rubber packing adapted to an oscillating shaft in refrigerating
and ice-making mechanism or apparatus consisting of a rubber sleeve surrounding
the shaft and secured at one end thereto, the other end being secured to a fixed sleeve
or stud extending from the interior of a wall of the chamber to be rendered gas-tight
substantially as described.
Third. A flexible sleeve packing adapted to an oscillating shaft in a refrigerating
and ice-making machine or apparatus provided with a coiled spring on the interior
thereof substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. A flexible sleeve packing adapted to an oscillating shaft in refrigerating
and ice-making apparatus or mechanism, provided with an independent metal sleeve
to support said packing substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The method of cooling the pipes N and No in refrigerating and ice-making
apparatus which consists in forcing a volume of air and water, under pressure, between
and around said cooling pipes substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 10th day of June 1890.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.