IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Eunson, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING
APPARATUS."-A communication from abroad by Robert Groat Eunson,
of the City of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 29th June 1860, and dated the 13th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Eunson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
January 1860.
I, JOHN EUNSON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Juvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
REFRIGERATING APPARATUS," a communication from abroad by Robert Groat
Eunson, of the City of New York, in the United States of America, to be as.
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for cooling or refrigerating liquids generally, but more particularly
applicable to the cooling of the condensing water of marine steam engines...
This apparatus consists of an outer shell or casing of boiler plate, or other
suitable material, forming a vessel or chamber of any convenient form, within
which are disposed horizontally a number of small tubes supported by tube
plates at suitable intervals. The tubes are disposed in rows in the form of a
quincunx, that is to say, each tube of one row is opposite to the space between.
the tubes in the rows above and below it, the object being to afford greater.
facility for the free circulation of cold water round the tubes.. The intermediata

page_text: tube plates do not extend completely across the vessel, and are fitted alternately
to opposite sides, or to the top and bottom alteranately, so that the cold water
flows in a zig-zag or serpentine course along the outsides of the tubes as it
passes from one end of the vessel to the other, an inlet and outlet pipe being
severally fitted to the opposite ends of the vessel. A closed box or chamber is
formed on each end of the vessel, into which boxes the ends of the tubes open,
and these boxes are each fitted with 'a branch pipe, leading, the one to the
source of the heated liquid to be cooled, and the other to the receptacle for
the liquid after it has by passing through the series of refrigerating tubes
become cooled. When applied to a marine engine the boilers may be kept
constantly supplied with fresh water, and the condensed steam and water from
the hot well may be returned to the boilers to be again generated into steam.
The cooling effect is derived by forcing, by any convenient apparatus, a current
of sea water through the cooling vessel and round the refrigerating tubes
therein, the water passing off into the sea again from one end of the apparatus
as fast as it enters by the other, so that a constant stream of cold water is
obtained. The hot well is connected by a pipe with the box and tubes at one
end of the apparatus, whilst the other end communicates by means of the
ordinary injection pipe with the condenser. As the water from the hot well
passes along the series of refrigerating tubes it becomes perfectly cooled, and
is in that state injected in the form of spray into the condenser, whence it is
removed with the water of condensation by means of the air pump, and again
returned to the hot well to be repassed through the refrigerating apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Eunson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EUNSON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, .send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Eunson, Her special license that I, the said Jolin Eunson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Eunson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agrec

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING
APPARATUS," a communication from abroad by Robert Groat Eunson, of the
City of New York, in the United States of America, upon the condition.
(amongst others) that I, the said John Eunson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Eunson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for cooling or refrigerating liquids generally, but more particularly.
applicable to the cooling of the condensing water of marine steam engines.
This apparatus, which I call a "hydraulic decalorator," consists of an
outer shell or casing of boiler plate or other suitable material, forming a vessel
or chamber of any convenient form, within which are disposed horizontally a
number of small tubes supported by tube plates at suitable intervals. The
tubes are disposed in rows in the form of a quincunx, that is to say, each tube
of one row is opposite to the space between the tubes in the rows above and
below it, the object being to afford greater facility for the free circulation of
cold water round the tubes. The intermediate tube plates do not extend
completely across the vessel or chamber, and are fitted alternately to opposite
sides thereof, or to the top and bottom alternately, so that the cold water may.
flow in a zig-zag or serpentine course along the outsides of the tubes as it
passes from one end of the vessel or chamber to the other, an inlet and outlet
pipe being severally fitted to the opposite ends of such vessel or chamber. A
closed box or chamber is formed on each end of the before-mentioned vessel or
chamber, into which boxes the ends of the tubes open, and these boxes are
each fitted with a branch pipe leading, the one to the source of the heated
liquid to be cooled (as, for example, the hot well in steam engines,) and the
other to the receptacle for the liquid after it has been cooled by passing
through the series of refrigerating tubes contained in the vessel or chamber.

page_text: When applied to a marine engine the boilers may be kept constantly sup-
plied with fresh water, and the condensed steam and water from the hot well.
may be returned to the boilers to be again generated into steam.
The cooling
effect is derived by forcing, by any convenient apparatus, or by the motion of
the ship itself when applied thereto, a current of cold or sea water through
the cooling vessel and round the refrigerating tubes therein, the water passing.
off into the sea again from one end of the apparatus as fast as it enters by the
other, so that a constant stream of cold water is obtained. The hot well is
connected by a pipe with the box and tubes at one end of the vessel or chamber,
whilst the other end of such vessel or chamber communicates by means of the
ordinary injection pipe with the condenser. As the water from the hot well
passes along the interior of the series of refrigerating tubes, it becomes per-
fectly cooled, and is in that state injected in the form of spray into the conden-
ser, whence it is removed with the water of condensation by means of the air
pump, and again returned to the hot well to be repassed through the "deca-
lorator."
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now.
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings bereunto annexed, the:
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed represents an end view of my "hydraulic "
decalorator," as applied to the cooling of the condensing water of marine steam>
engines. In this view one of the end boxes or tube chambers is represented
with its end cover removed to shew the ends of the tubes in their tube plate;
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same partly broken away in the centre
and shewing the connections with the side of the ship, and also the connections
with the hot well and condenser respectively; Figure 3 is a full length plan of
the "decalorator" with its covers removed and shewing its tube chambers or
end boxes in horizontal section; Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of
one end of the "decalorator," shewing the opening of the delivery port and
the opening for the connection with the hot well; Figure 5 is a full sized
detail face view of a portion of one of the tube plates shewing the outside and
inside diameters of the refrigerating tubes; Figure 6 is a full sized sectional
plan of a portion of one of the intermediate or diaphragm plates, with a few of
the tubes therein, and Figure 7 is a similar view of a portion of one of the
tube plates.
.
A, A, is the outer shell or casing of the "decalorator." It is composed of
boiler plate, and of a rectangular section with rounded corners. At each end

page_text: of this vessel or chamber there is formed a closed box or chamber B; B¹, one
side of each of which forms a tube plate C, C', and into these plates are fitted
the group of small tubes D, D, which are caulked perfectly water-tight
therein, the tube plates being composed of lead or other material, and having
their holes cast therein with projecting nipples, as shewn at a, a, (Figure 7) for
the convenience of caulking the tubes tightly therein. This group of tubes is
supported intermediately between the tube plates by a series of diaphragm
plates E, E, which do not extend entirely across the main vessel or chamber A
of the "decalorator," but project to within a short distance of each side, or of
the top and bottom alternately, according as they are fitted alternately to the
opposite sides (as shewn in the Drawings), or to the top and bottom alter-
nately of the "decalorator," by which arrangement the current cold or sea
water which flows across and along the outsides of the tubes, as herein-before
described, is made to take a serpentine or zig-zag course, as shewn by the
arrows in Figure 3.
For the facility of fixing these diaphragm plates, projecting flanges are fitted
or formed on the inner sides of the vessel or chamber, as shewn .at b, b,
(Figure 3); F, F, are a series of openings made in the upper side of the
vessel or chamber A, and provided with tight fitting covers bolted thereon.
These covers are, however, removed in the Drawings, in order to shew. the
diaphragm plates and tubes more clearly, the object of the openings being to
facilitate the introduction of the diaphragm plates and the inspection and
cleansing of the vessel or chamber when requisite. This apparatus is intended
to be placed near the inner side of the ship, and is provided at each. extremity
with a lateral branch pipe G, G!, passing through the ship's side, and opening
into the sea, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. On the outside of the ship, and
over each opening, is fitted a hood H, H', the respective mouths of which are
placed in opposite directions, as shewn, for the purpose of allowing the sen
water to rush in at one branch by the forward motion of the ship, and after
passing and repassing across and along the outsides of the several refrigerating
tubes D, D, is delivered again or pass off through the delivery branch G'. A
grating c, c, may be placed over the mouth of each hood for the purpose of
preventing the entrance of sea weed or other substances into the apparatus,
I is a stop valve fitted inside the delivery and also inside the inlet branch for
the facility of shutting off the sea water when requisite ; K is a large pipe
connecting the hot well with the tube chamber B, and to this pipe is connected
the feed pipe L of the boiler, which pipe should be placed about the height
of the lower side of the discharge pipe of the condensed water, or not more
than two feet below it; M (Figure 2) is the pipe leading from the tube

page_text: chamber B to the condenser. Care should be taken, in constructing the
"decalorator," that both ends be easy of access, so that by removing the end
covers, any defective tubes can be replaced by perfect one.
I also so pro-
portion the dimensions, that the stream of fresh water passing through the
insides of the refrigerating tubes, shall flow rapidly and without obstruction,
the length of the tubes being such as to effectually cool the water by the time it
has passed once through them such current of fresh water through the tubes,
being in the contrary direction to the current of sea or cold water outside the
tubes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for cooling
or refrigerating liquids, and particularly the condensing water of marine steam
engines, as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second, the application and use to and in the refrigerating or cooling of the
condensing water of marine engines and other liquids of a chamber or vessel
provided with a number of tubes arranged in such a manner that the centres of
the tubes in one row will be opposite to the spaces between the tubes in the
next row in combination with supporting and directing tube plates, as herein-
before described.
Third, the application and use of the directing or diaphragm tubo plates,
extending partly across the main chamber or vessel whereby the current of
cold or sea water is directed to and fro in a serpentine or zig-zag course across
the series of tubes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Eunson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty.