IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING ICE AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leon Mignot, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at
Paris, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
MAKING ICE AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 21st October 1870, and dated the 30th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leon Mignot at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th May 1870.
I, LEON MIGNOT, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at Paris, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED MACHINery for Making Ice and for otHER REFRIGERATING PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
Many attempts have been made to utilize for the production of cold
the well known principle of the lowering in temperature of a gas, air
for example, when it dilates in exercising an exterior pressure. The
reason of the failures of these attempts was the insufficiency of the
means employed to destroy the heating of the air occasioned by its
compression, for this is the great difficulty to be overcome before the
principle can be made use of. Mr. Kirk simply forms at the base of
an expansion cylinder a double hollow receptacle in which he causes a

page_text: circulation of the water to be refrigerated. Mr. Windhausen annexes
a separate refrigerator similar to a tubular condenser to his machine.
Now my system is entirely different, for while these Inventors
refrigerate the air after it has been compressed and away from the
compression cylinder, I occasion the cooling of the air during the
compressing action, and in the same cylinder where it is effected, and
instead of leaving the water and air separate I put them in contact,
that is to say, I inject the cooling water into the midst of the air as it
is becoming compressed. Therefore the essential feature in my Invention
is the injection of water or other cold liquid into the midst of the air
while undergoing treatment in the compression cylinder.
Theory and experience have shown that a very small quantity of water
is sufficient to remove the high temperature from the air heated by the
compression. This water I inject in the form a jet or fine spray. After
the compression the mixture of air and water is driven by the piston
and passes through a valve into the air receiver from which the
expansion cylinder is fed.
My system is also characterized by the special means I have adopted
in order to unite the compression and expansion cylinders, in order to
establish a more perfect relation between their action.
I proceed to describe an arrangement of mechanism for carrying out
the above distinctive points of my Invention which I have found to
answer well in practice, but I do not wish to confine myself thereto, as
it is evident that many others might be adopted without departing from
the spirit of my Invention.
The air receptacle forms the base of the whole machine, it supports
at its ends the compression cylinder and the expansion cylinder, and
at the centre the supports of the bent shaft, the centre of which
receives the cranks of this cylinder. The cylinders are double acting,
that is to say, they aspire and throw back from both sides of their
pistons, they are for this purpose each provided with pin valves
serving for the suitable distribution of air. The valves are formed
of metal discs provided with a copper ring, cut in such a manner
as to close the orifice, following a circumferential line of contact. The
valves are worked by rods actuated by forked arms, commanded, in the
case of the compression cylinder by butting pieces fixed to the piston rod,
and in the case of the expansion cylinder by eccentrics fastened on the
main shaft. The compression cylinder draws the air through its two

page_text: aspiration valves, and throws it out through its two other valves.
Against this cylinder the injector arrangement is fitted for the cooling
of the air in proportion to its compression. It is simply composed of a
pump, the piston of which actuated by a rod united to the principal
crank sends the cold water through one of two pipes into the part of
the cylinder where the compression takes place. The mixture of air
and water compressed without being heated proceeds by one of the
outlet valves, enters into a receptacle, which forming a syphon, serves
to effect the separation of the fluids. The air rises quickly to the upper
part of the receptacle, and escapes through its orifice, following a
conduit which leads it to the base of the air receiver. The water on the
other hand desoends into a reservoir beneath the compression cylinder
where it finds its level, the excess falls into the air receiver through
an orifice situated at its side. The receiver is divided by inclined plates
forming furrows backwards and forwards, in which the two fluids, air and
water, circulate in a contrary direction. The air follows the undulations
and finally takes its exit by an orifice which leads it to the expansion,
cylinder whilst the water which has flowed downwards leaves the receiver
finally, or is again restored to the apparatus by an injection pump. The.
expansion cylinder receives the air to be dilated through an orifice which
proceeds from a pipe communicating with the two outlet valves. The
air dilated and refrigerated by the expansion leaves the cylinder through
one of the outlet valves and passes into a conduit from whence it is led
into the medium to be cooled, or into an ice house or machine.
With this system the lowering of the temperature may be carried
to any desired extent by taking a portion of the cold air produced
in order to cool the injection water, or even by directly compressing
this cold air in the compressing cylinder.
It will be seen that in consequence of the inclination of the two
cylinders and of the junction of the cranks of their respective pistons
upon the same shaft the compression and expansion take place simulta-
eously, the second action aids the first, which gives the resisting force
and developes the fugorific disposition already attained.
It is needless to enter into a description of the details of the system
which may be varied greatly. The valves may be like those of blowing
machines, but it is imperative that they be worked directly from the
apparatus itself.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Leon Mignot in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEON
MIGNOT, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at Paris, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Leon Mignot, Her special licence that I,
the said Leon Mignot, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Leon Mignot, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING
ICE AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Leon Mignot, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
KNOW NOW YE, that I, the said Leon Mignot, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Many attempts have been made to utilize for the production of cold
the well known principle of the lowering in temperature of a gas, air
for example, when it dilates in exercising an exterior pressure. The
failures of these attempts have been caused by the insufficiency of
the means employed to destroy the heating of the air occasioned by its

page_text: compression, for this is the great difficulty to be overcome before the
principle can be made use of.
Now according to my Invention I propose in the first case to cool the
air during the compressing action, and in the same cylinder where it is
effected, instead of having the water and air separate I put them in
contact, that is to say, I inject the cooling fluid, either air or water into
the midst of the air or gas as it is being compressed.
The essential feature in the first part of my Invention is the injection
of water or other cold liquid into the midst of the air while undergoing
treatment in the compression cylinder.
Theory and experience have shown that a very small quantity of water
is sufficient to remove the high temperature for the air heated by the
compression; this water I inject in the form of a jet or fine spray.
After the compression the mixture of air and water is driven by the
piston through a valve into a chamber where they become separated,
the air being forced into a receiver from which the expansion cylinder is
fed, and the water which settles at the bottom being removed by means
of a pump either to be used over again or to waste.
My system is also characterized by the special means I have adopted
in order to unite the compression and expansion cylinders, in order to
establish a more perfect relation between their action.
I proceed to describe one arrangement of mechanism for carrying out
the above distinctive points of my Invention which I have found to
answer well in practice.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section of
one construction of apparatus or machine by which my Invention can be
carried into effect; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively transverse sections
through the line U, X, and Y, Z, of Figure 1.
The air receptacle G forms the base of the whole machine; it supports
at its ends the compression cylinder A, and the expansion cylinder B,
and at the centre the supports of the crank shaft O, the centre portion
of which receives the rods of both cylinders. Each of the cylinders are
double-acting, that is to say, they aspire and throw back from both sides
of their pistons P and Q; they are provided with valves a¹, a², a³, a*,
serving for the suitable distribution of air for the compression cylinder A,
and b¹, b², b³, b*, for the expansion cylinder B. The valves are formed of
metal discs provided with a copper ring, cut in such a manner as to

page_text: close the orifice, following a circumferential line of contact. The valves
are worked by rods actuated by forked arms, commanded in the case of
the compression cylinder by butting pieces fixed to the piston rod, and
in the case of the expansion cylinder by excentrics fastened on the main
shaft. The compression cylinder A draws the air through its two
aspiration valves a¹, a², and throws it out through its two other
valves a³, a*; against this cylinder the injection arrangement is fitted for
the cooling of the air in proportion to its compression. It is simply
composed of a pump M, the piston m of which, actuated by a rod united
to the principal crank, sends the cold water through one of two pipes n
and ¹ into the part of the cylinder where the compression takes place.
The mixture of compressed air and water without being heated proceeds
by one of the outlet valves a³ or a*, and enters into the receptacle S,
which forming a syphon serves to effect the separation of the fluids
through the water falling to the bottom. The air being retained at the
upper part of the receptacle is allowed to escape through a valve or port
and pipes, which leads it to the lower part of the receiver G. The
water on the other hand descends into a reservoir U, where it finds its
level; the excess falls into the air receiver through an orifice u situated
at its side. The receiver is provided with inclined plates forming a
zig-zag course or passage, in which the two fluids, air and water, circulate
in a contrary direction. The air rising to the upper part of the chamber
and kept in reserve to be taken by the pipet which leads it to the expan-
sion cylinder B, whilst the water which has passed through the pipe "
flows downwards towards r, and leaves the receiver finally, or is again
returned to the apparatus by an injection pump. The expansion
cylinder B draws the air from the receiver G through the pipe t com-
municating with the two outlet valves b¹, b. The refrigerated air leaves
the cylinder through one of the outlet valves 62, 63, and passes into a pipe e,
from whence it is led into the medium or place to be cooled or frozen.
With this arrangement of mechanism, the lowering of the temperature
may be carried to any desired extent by taking a portion of the cold air
produced in order to cool the injection water, or even by directly com-
pressing this cold air in the compressing cylinder A.
It will be seen that in consequence of the inclination of the two
cylinders A, B, and of the junction of the cranks of their respective
pistons P and Q upon the same shaft O, the compression and expansion

page_text: take place simultaneously, the second action aids the first, which gives
the resisting force and develops the frigorific disposition already attained.
The foregoing arrangement of mechanism I propose only for large
machines, and where a large quantity of cooling agency is required, such
as in breweries, dye-houses, and the like, or where large buildings, such as
theatres and public halls, have to be kept cool, which is often the case
where a number of gas lights are kept burning for any length of time,
and the place is occupied by a large number of persons. But for small
breweries and other places I propose to construct the apparatus of small
dimensions and to so arrange the parts that the machine shall occupy
but little room, and this I accomplish by making the machine single
acting, that is to say, the piston or pistons draw and force out from one
end of the cylinder or cylinders only.
One method of accomplishing this is exemplified in Figures 4, 5, and 6,
on the same Sheet of Drawings. Here the air to be compressed is
drawn into the cylinder C through the valve D on the upstroke of the
piston E, which upstroke is effected by the lift of the lever F or by the
throw of the crank G on the fly wheel spindle H, through the inter-
mediate levers I, or in any other well known manner.
I do not propose in all cases to eject a spray of cold water into the
compression cylinder, as the same cooling effect is produced upon the
compressed air by passing it through the pipes J, which are immersed
in the cold water in the trunk L, which it does after passing through the
valve K on the down stroke of the piston E in a compressed state. The
cylinder C is divided by a partition M, and the upper portion N is
employed as an expansion cylinder, by which the air is received after
leaving the pipes J. The compressed and refrigerated air in passing into
the compartment N is admitted by fixed quantities according to its
pressure or the purpose for which it is intended to be used, the tap or
valve being opened to allow it to pass at each down stroke or fall of the
piston O. This piston is of some depth, and passes partly through the
top of the cylinder, it has the distributing tube P formed on or
connected to it, as seen in Figure 5, so that the air passes away by that
channel the moment the valve R is opened, while at the same time the
piston O is lifted to the top of its course, which movement is accom-
plished by the bowl of the rod Q riding upon the lever F, as will be
understood, but on the down stroke of the lever F the piston O is left
to fall by itself, and a rod T, which is fixed on its side, is caused to act

page_text: upon a weighted arm or a projecting rod fitted to it to throw it over and
thereby open a plug or valve U to allow a quantity of the cooled com-
pressed air to pass into the cylinder, and it is this rush of air which
raises it to the top of its course, the valve U being shut at the same
time by means of a socket, ring, or other contrivance V on the rod T,
which throws the weight over in the reverse direction to that previously
given to it on its down stroke by the socket or ring W, as before men-
tioned. The opening and closing of the valve U can be regulated to
the greatest nicety, so that only the necessary quantity of air shall pass
through it, and according to the degree of pressure or the intensity of 1
the coldness it is required to produce. The piston O is fitted with a
valve R, and this is made to uncover the outlet port at fixed intervals so
that there is no back rush of air.
I have stated that I do not always admit a jet or spray of cold water
into the compression cylinder in the apparatus last described, and I 1
only mention this because by the arrangement and the proximity of the
water trunk to the cylinder it is not in most cases necessary to do so,
but when a great degree of coldness is required it would be requisite to
inject the spray, and in that case I should arrange a small pump on the
side of the cylinder and have it in connection with a head or body of 2
water somewhat according to the first arranged machinery, the water
passing out by the same valve K, and afterwards to be drawn from the
pipe J into a box or receiver by a draw off tap.
I have in the foregoing description and Drawings given what I
consider to be the best form of apparatus, whether of double or single 2
action, for the purpose, but I do not wish to confine myself thereto, as
under certain circumstances, such as the style of building or position in
which such machines would require to be placed, various alterations or
modes of action would require to be made in the construction,
therefore it must be understood that the views herein-before set forth 3
are capable of re-arrangements and modifications to effect the purpose
for which my Invention is available.
It will be seen that one of the main features in this Invention is the
mode by which the piston of one cylinder aids the other, and thus
reduces, to a large extent, the great strain upon the parts in connection 3
with the prime mover, a fault which has proved detrimental to all other
kinds of machines which have been used for a similar purpose, thus it
will be observed that machines made according to my Invention are, so

page_text: to speak, perfect in their action, and any degree of coldness can be
produced in or by them to make them of service in all positions in which
they may be placed, as well as under all conditions of weather.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly. The construction and employment of machines for making ice
and for refrigerating purposes generally, in the manner substantially as
described and shewn.
Secondly. I claim, fitting cylinders of freezing or refrigerating
machines with the compression piston in connection with the expansion
piston, so that they mutually assist each other in their actions, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and shown.
Thirdly. I claim, the employment of a jet or spray of water or other
liquid into the compression cylinder of freezing or cooling machines
for the purpose of reducing the temperature of the air under com-
pression, whether such jet or spray is used in the machines or apparatus
before described and shown, or in machines of other construction.
And lastly. I claim, all modifications and arrangements of parts of
freezing and cooling machines by or in which the features of my
Invention can or may be introduced as mentioned in my Provisional
Specification, under which my Patent rights have been obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leon Mignot, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, One
thousand cight hundred and seventy.