Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanical Refrigeration and for the Artificial Production of Ice.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanical Refrigeration and for
the Artificial Production of Ice.
SAMUEL PUPLETT Westmoors, Knowle Warwickshire Engineer and JONATHAN
LUCAS RIGG 11 Victoria Grove Gloucester Road Kensington London Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In ice making and cooling apparatus particularly in those machines constructed on
what is known as the compression system serious difficulty arises from the accumulation
in the refrigerator and in other parts of the apparatus of oil which is carried into
the compression pump principally around the piston rod. This oils finds its way first
into the condenser and from thence it is forced through the return liquor pipe into
the refrigerator where it lodges and after a time materially impairs the efficiency of
the machine until the oil is removed which cannot be effected without stopping the
machine and entailing more or less loss of gas and admission of air.
Another difficulty met with when working machines in warm atmospheres or with
condensing water at high temperatures arises from the difficulty of completely
liquefying the gas before its return to the refrigerator thus reducing the productive
power of the apparatus. Great difficulty has also been experienced in niaking the
cocks used for regulating the flow of gas or of the liquid used as a frigorific,
tight against high pressures even when the greatest care has been exercised in
grinding in the plugs. In cases where valves have been used in place of cocks
difficulty has been found in preventing leakage around the valve spindles.
overcome this objection a packing of rubber gutta percha, lead, or other yielding
material has been compressed around the body of the valve, it has however been found
(especially in valves that are only occasionally moved) that they become set fast in
this packing.
То
In apparatus in which the ice is formed in cans or moulds, the moulds or cans are
lifted out of the congealing tanks by means of an overhead traveller and are carried

page_text: to a tank containing a warm liquid in which they are immersed to liberate the ice.
The moulds are then lifted out of this thawing off tank by the same traveller and are
placed upon a tip table which is then inclined to a suitable angle to shoot the ice
out of the moulds. This involves considerable labor and is a slow and tedious
process.
To overcome these difficulties and firstly, to prevent the accumulation of oil in the
apparatus we form chambers at the bottom of the inlet valve chests or we attach
thereto receptacles by means of pipes communicating with the bottoms of the inlet
valve chests into which chambers or receptacles any oil that otherwise would
accumulate underneath these valves passes. To the underside of these chambers or
receptacles we attach cocks through which the oil may from time to time be withdrawn
whilst the machine is in motion and without any appreciable loss of gas or admission
of air. We also fix in any convenient place in the delivery pipe between the
compression pump and the condenser a separator consisting of a cylindrical vessel
having a water jacket through which a circulation of water is maintained. In the
centre of this vessel we fix two or more perforated sheets or screens of wire gauze
which divide the chamber vertically into two compartiments. The gas is discharged
from the compression pump into this vessel or chamber against the sheets or screens
and is forced through the interstices or meshes, the surface contact separating the oil
held in mechanical suspension from the gas. The separator being kept by means of
the water-jacket at a lower temperature than that of the gas causes a rapid condensation
of any oil passing over with the gas, which oil deposited on the screens and falls to the
bottom of the separator whence it can be drawn off by means of a cock fixed therein
without stopping the machine and without appreciable loss of gas or admission of
air. We likewise attach to the return liquid pipe in any convenient place preferably
the refrigerator an interceptor consisting of a cylindrical vessel having a
diaphragm extending from the cover to within a short distance of the bottom and
another diaphragm extending from the bottom of the interceptor to within a short
distance of the cover. The return liquid pipe passes through the cover nearly to the
.bottom of the interceptor on one side of the first diaphragm and is continued from
the bottom of the interceptor beyond the second diaphragm that is to say out of
the third compartment. Any oil passing down the return liquid pipe collects in
the first compartment of the interceptor from whence it can be withdrawn through a
cock fixed in the first compartiment, without stopping the machine and without any
appreciable loss of gas or admission of air. To aid the separation of the oil from
the liquefied gas we surround the interceptor with cold brine in any convenient
near
"manner.
Secondly to ensure the complete liquefaction of the gas; instead of running the
return liquid pipe (between the condenser and refrigerator) outside the congealing
tanks as has hitherto been the practice we carry it through the brine thus utilizing
the reduced temperature of the brine to complete the condensation of the gas.
Thirdly for regulating and stopping the flow of the gas or liquid in the various
parts of the apparatus we employ valves with metal seats the stuffing boxes of these
values being provided with a screwed gland which is also screwed onto the valve
spindle. The spindle is threaded for its entire length and is packed with a yielding
fibrous or metallic packing such as hemp or lead which packing is forced into the
thread on the spindle as the gland is screwed down thus making a gas tight joint
which does not cause the valve to set fast.
Fourthly to minimise the labor require in lifting the ice we connect two or more
of the moulds together by means of a frame. This frame we provide with trunnions
which we place a little above the centre of gravity of the moulds. To the crane or
traveller we attach links which engage the trunnions and by means of the links the
traveller lifts the moulds out of the congealing tanks. At one end of each frame of
"moulds we provide a quadrant, a worm wheel or other similar apparatus, which engages
with a suitable device fixed onto the link, by means of which the frame of moulds
can be inclined to any required angle. The frame of moulds being nearly 1 balanced

page_text: on the trunnions the minimum amount of time and of labor are required to discharge
the ice from the moulds and a tip table is dispensed with.
The quadrant or worm gear can be dispensed with & the frame of moulds tipped
by hand or by means of any of the well known devices used for tipping ships or
buckets.
SAMUEL PUPLETT.
JONATHAN LUCAS RIGG.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanical Refrigeration and for
the Artificial Production of Ice.
SAMUEL PUPLETT late of Westmoors Knowle Warwickshire now 5 Thornbury Road
Clapham Park London S.W. and JONATHAN LUCAS RIGG 11 Victoria Grove
Gloucester Road Kensington W. Engineers 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 :-
In ice making and cooling apparatus in which any one of the condensable gases is
employed as a frigorific particularly in those machines constructed on what is known
as the compression system, serious difficulty arises from the accumulation of oil or
other lubricant in the refrigerator and in other parts of the apparatus. The oil is
carried into the compression pump, principally, around the piston rod and finds its
way first into the condenser and from thence it is forced through the return-liquid
pipe into the refrigerator where it lodges and until the oil is removed it materially
impares the efficiency of the apparatus. This removal cannot be effected without
stopping the machine and incurring more or less loss of gas or frigorific and admission
of air.
2. Another difficulty met with when working these machines in warm atmospheres
or with condensing water at high temperatures, when a gas of high tension such
as Ammonia is employed as the frigorific, arises from the difficulty of completely
liquefying the gas before its return to the refrigerator, which materially reduces
the productive power of the apparatus.
3. Great difficulty has also been experienced in making the cocks used for
regulating the flow of the frigorific or the gas, tight against high pressures even
when the greatest care has been exercised in grinding in the plugs. In cases where
valves have been used in place of cocks difficulty has been found in preventing
leakage around the valve spindie. To overcome this objection a packing of rubber,

page_text: gutta percha, lead or other yielding material has been compressed around the body
of the valves, but it has been found (especially in valves that are only occasionally
used) that they become set fast in the packing.
4. In machines in which ice is formed in cans or moulds, the moulds are lifted out
of the congealing tanks by means of an overhead traveller and carried to a tank
containing a warm liquid in which they are immersed in order to liberate the ice from
the sides of the moulds. The moulds are then raised by the traveller and placed on
tip-table which is then inclined to a suitable angle to shoot the ice out of the
moulds, thus involving considerable labor and loss of time.
Our Invention is chiefly intended to overcome the before mentioned difficulties
and in order that the said Invention may be perfectly understood we shall now proceed
more 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 Fig. 1 sheet 1 of the accompanying
drawings, is a plan of an ice making apparatus the congealing tanks being omitted.
Fig. 2 sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation partly in section of
the same corresponding to the plan. A is the motor. B the compression pump.
C the condenser. D the refrigerator. E the separator. F the interceptor. G the coil.
a. a the delivery pipe. . the return-liquid pipe. c. c the refrigerator tank.
water circulating pumps. f. f the brine circulating pumps.
regulating and stopping the flow of the refrigerant.
e. e the
9. gare valves for
Fig. 3. sheet 3 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of the compression
pump B. h. h. are chambers at the bottom of each inlet valve chest i. i.
Fig. sheet 3. of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of the compression
pump B showing a receptacle H placed outside the compression pump and connected
with the underside of the inlet valves 7. by means of a pipe k.
Fig. 5 sheet 3 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation of the
valves g. 9.
Fig. 6 sheet 4 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of an overhead traveller
with frame of moulds and tipping arrangement for discharging the ice.
Fig. 7 sheet 4 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of the same with
the traveller omitted.
In carrying out our Invention that is to say to prevent the accumulation of oil in
the refrigerator and to withdraw any oil that may collect therein, we form a chamber /
at the bottom of each inlet valve chest i. of the compression pump B or where it is
not convenient to form such chambers we carry a pipe from the underside of each
inlet valve to a receptacle H placed in any convenient position outside the compression
pump Bany oil that would otherwise accumulate in the valve chests i. i collects in the
before named chambers h, h or passes through the pipe into the receptacle H
provided from whence it can be withdrawn by means of cocks fixed therein, at
any time whilst the machine is in motion and without any appreciable loss of gas or
admission of air. We also fix in any convenient position in the delivery pipe a
between the compression pump B and the condenser Ca separator E consisting of a
cylindrical vessel having a water jacket, through which jacket a circulation of water is
⚫ maintained. In the centre of the vessel we fix two or more perforated sheets, or screens
of wire gauze, m. m which divide the vessel vertically into two compartments n―o.
The gas is discharged from the compression pump into the separator against the
perforated sheets or screens and is forced through the intertices or meshes, the surface
contact separating the oil held in mechanical suspension, from the gas. The separator
being kept at a lower temperature than that of the gas, by means of the water jacket,
causes the condensation of any oily vapor passing over with the gas, the oil being
deposited on the screens from whence it falls to the bottom of the separator from
whence it can be drawn off through a cock or valve p whilst the machine is in motion
and without any appreciable loss of gas or admission of air. We also attach to the
return-liquid pipe b b in a convenient position preferably near to the refrigerator D an
Interceptor E consisting of a cylindrical vessel having a diaphragm q extending from
the cover to within a short distance of the bottom of the vessel, and another

page_text: diaphragm extending from the bottom of the interceptor to within a short distance
of the cover. The return-liquid pipe passes through the cover nearly to the bottom
of the Interceptor on one side of the first diaphragm and is continued from the
bottom of the interceptor beyond the second diaphragm. Any oil passing down the
return-liquid pipe collects in the first chamber of the Interceptor from whence it
can be withdrawn through a cocks fixed in the bottom, without stopping the machine
and without any appreciable loss of gas or frigorific or admission of air. To aid the
separation of the oil from the frigorific the interceptor may be placed inside the
refrigerator tank cc or surrounded by the cold brine in any other convenient manner.
2nd. To secure the complete liquefaction of the gas, instead of running the return-
liquid pipe bb direct from the condenser C to the refrigerator D outside the congealing
tank as las hitherto been the practice we carry it through the brine inside the tank-
or in case of cooling machines where no congealing tanks are used we carry the
return-liquid pipe 6 through the brine inside the refrigerator tank c, c either by
means of a coil G or a straight pipe. By this means the temperature of the return-
liquid is reduced, complete liquefaction of the gas is effected, and the frigorific passes
into the refrigerator at a temperature nearly as low as that of the cold brine.
3rd. For regulating and stopping the flow of the gas or frigorific we use valves y
with metal seats. The stuffing box 1 around the valve spindle 2 we provide with a
gland 3 which is screwed onto the spindle. The spindle is screwed for its entire
length and the stuffing box is packed with a yielding fibrous or metallic packing 4 such
as hemp or lead. As the gland 3 is tightened the packing is forced into the threads on
the spindle 2 thus making a gas tight joint without causing the valve to set fast.
4th. To minimise the labor required in lifting the ice we connect two or more of the
moulds 5. 5 or cans together by means of a frame 6. This frame we provide with
trunnions 7 which we place a little above the centre of gravity of the moulds. To the
traveller S we attach links 9. 9 which we engage with the trunnions 7. on the frames 6
and by means of these links the moulds are lifted out of the congealing tanks and carried
to the thawing off tank. At one end of each frame of moulds we fix a quadrant or
rack 10 which engages with a pinion 11 fixed onto the corresponding link of the
traveller-the pinion is revolved by means of a handle 12 and by this device the
moulds can be inclined to any desired angle and the blocks of ice discharged. The
moulds being nearly balanced upon the trunnions the minimum amount of labor and
time is required to discharge the ice from the moulds and the necessity of a tip table
is dispensed with, the frames of moulds being lifted from the congealing tanks, carried
to the thawing off tank and thawed, the ico removed, the moulds refilled with fresh
water, and replaced in the congealing tanks, without once disconnecting the frame of
moulds from the traveller.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. In ice making and cooling apparatus in which any one of the condensable gases
is used as a frigorific the formation of oil chambers underneath the inlet valves of
the compression pump substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In compression pumps of ice making and cooling apparatus the combination of
eduction pipes from the underside of the inlet valves and separate receptacles placed
outside and apart from the compression pump substantially as & for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
3. In ice making and cooling machines the interposing, between the compression
pump and condenser, of a separator substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
4. In ice making and cooling machines the attaching to the return-liquid pipe
between the condenser and refrigerator of an Interceptor substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
5. In ice making and cooling apparatus the cooling of the return-liquid during its
passage from the condenser to the refrigerator by conveying the liquid through pipes

page_text: submerged in the cold brine substantially as and for the purpose herein beford
described.
6. In ice making and cooling machines the construction of valves for regulating
the flow of the gas & frigorific substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
7. In ice making apparatus the combination of frames with trunnions, in which two
or more moulds are carried, lifting links, tipping gear and an overhead traveller
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
SAMUEL PUPLETT.
JONATHAN LUCAS RIGG.