IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL ICE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Charles Smith, of Port Louis, in the
Island of Mauritius, but at present of 205, Argyll Street, Glasgow,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL ICE."
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Charles Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th March 1874.
I, HENRY CHARLES SMITH, of Port Louis, in the Island of Mauritius,
but at present of 205, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL ICE," to be as follows, that is to
say:―
This Invention, which relates to improvements in apparatus used in
the manufacture of artificial ice, has for its object to overcome certain

page_text: difficulties in that manufacture due to the construction of the boxes
wherein 'the ice is formed.
According to one of the improvements a non-conducting material,
such as wood, vulcanite, or slate, is used for the construction of the tube
separators for the purpose of preventing the ice collecting on them, and
to facilitate the removal of the ice from the tubes or cells after the tube
separators are withdrawn.
According to a second improvement the flat tubes or cells through
which the brine passes in the ice boxes, are taken through both ends of
the ice box, and connected at the outside for the purpose of facilitating
repairs, both ends of the tubes or cells being protected by a non-
conducting material.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Charles Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CHARLES SMITH, of Port Louis, in the Island of Mauritius, but at present
of 205, Argyle Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henry Charles Smith, Her special license that
I, the said Henry Charles Smith, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Charles Smith, my executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL ICE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Charles Smith, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: Figure 2 is a horizontal section at the line a, b, Figure 1; while Figure 3
is a cross vertical section at the line e, f, Figure 1.
The ice box C, which contains the cells, dividers, and water to be
frozen, consists of an oblong receptacle constructed of wood or other
suitable material, and is surrounded in the ordinary manner by an
outer casing D, the space x intervening between the sides of the ice
box C and outer casing D being filled with sawdust or other suitable
non-conducting material. The upper part is also provided with box
covers E filled with non-conducting material. At each end of the ice
box C are plates or ends F, with oblong spaces formed therein through
which the cells B protrude to the outside of the box.
The cells B consist of any required number of flat tubes open at both
ends, and placed in the ice box one upon another, but without being
attached to each other, so that should any one of the tubes or cells B
expand or contract more than the others it is free to do so without
straining the cells beneath or superposed as it would do if it were
attached to them. The ends of the tubes are or may be provided with
strengthening pieces G. In the Drawings these strengthening pieces G
serve as continuations of the tubes B, and project through the end
plates F. India-rubber packing i prevents the water in the ice box from
leaking around the sides of the tubes or cells at the end plates F. To
direct the current of brine from one set of tubes or cells to the other
oblong caps H, H³, are provided, which are bolted to the end plates F of
the ice box, and which enclose the projecting ends of the tubes B. The
caps H are divided by a partition into two chambers, into the upper of
which the current of brine is first directed through the pipes I, but the
caps H¹ at the other end of the ice box have no such division, but con-
stitute an open chamber from top to bottom. Branches are formed
upon the upper and lower parts of the cap H, to the upper of which
the influx pipes I are attached, and to the lower the efflux pipes J, or
'vice versa.
Figure 4 is a section of Figure 2 at the line g, h, shewing an exterior
view of the caps H, and also a section of the end plates F in front of the
slot or space through which the cells or tubes B project.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively longitudinal and cross vertical sections
of my improved ice divider or separator, Figure 7 being a horizontal.
section of the same. It consists, as shewn, of a narrow, oblong, and

page_text: slightly wedged-shaped vessel or receptacle A, which may cither be
constructed entirely of wood, vulcanite, slate, india-rubber, guttà percha,
or papier machè, or other non-conducting material, or it may be con-
structed of sheet iron, copper, or other suitable conducting material, and
covered or coated on the outside with a sufficient thickness of non-
conducting material to destroy the conducting properties of the inner
metal case, and also to counteract by its elasticity the expansion or
contraction of the metal. The interior of my improved ice divider, as
shewn, is partitioned into three spaces by two partitions k, the centre
space being preferably made higher than the other two, or a greater or
less number of spaces may be formed in the interior of the divider. The
partitions are stopped a short distance above the bottom of the divider,
leaving a space by which the centre division communicates with those on
either side.
The hercin-before described ice dividers are placed in the ice box C in
a direction at right angles to that of the tubes or cells B, and are
arranged between the cells B at intervals corresponding to the length of
the blocks of ice to be frozen. They extend a short distance above and
below, and also serve as supports to the tier of tubes or cells B, upon
whose collective vertical surface (thus partitioned off into lengths by the
dividers) the ice is formed.
The dividers A are retained in their upright position by bars k through
slots or mortices in which they are lowered to their places, or spring
clamps or other mechanical equivalents may be employed for that purpose,
which hold them against the sides of the cells or ice box.
In operating my Invention the ice box O having been filled with
water a current of brine, from which the heat has been abstracted, is
pumped or otherwise caused to flow through the influx pipes I into the
upper chambers of the caps H, and thence in the direction of the arrows
through the upper tiers of tubes or cells B into the caps or chambers H',
which divert the current through the lower tiers of tubes to the lower
chambers of the caps H, whence it makes its exit by the efflux pipes J,
or vice versa. In its passage through the tubes or cells B the brine
abstracts heat therefrom, and also from the surrounding water, which
5 freezes into blocks upon the sides of the cells and between the dividers A,
as indicated by the dotted lines Figures 2 and 3.
In using metal dividers as hitherto constructed ice forms in con-

page_text: *
siderable thickness across the box in the locality of the dividers (as
shewn in dotted lines at the section marked A, Figure 8, which is a
diagram of a portion of an ice box), thus uniting the two slabs, which,
before they can be removed from the ice box, require to be sawn
asunder, thereby entailing great labour, besides destroying the shapely-
ness of the block. This difficulty is obviated by the employment of my
herein-before described improved ice divider, constructed of or coated
with non-conducting material, which, as they do not part readily with
their heat the ice is entirely or to a great extent prevented from forming
on the central part of their surface, and the different blocks of ice are
therefore kept separate from one another (as shewn by the dotted lines
at that part of Figure 8 marked B). When the blocks of ice are of the
required thickness warm brine is pumped through the cells B, and the
dividers are released by pouring hot water into the central compartments
thereof. The hot water when it reaches the bottom of the divider
becomes cold, and if allowed to remain there would congeal, but by
continuing the supply of hot water to the central compartment the cold
water rises by the side passages and overflows the divider, so that a
current of warm water circulates through all parts of the divider, as
indicated by the arrows Figure 5. When the divider has been thus
sufficiently loosened from the surrounding ice it is lifted therefrom, and
the blocks of ice are in a condition to be removed. The dividers next
the end of the ice box, and which are placed there to counteract the
effect of the metal plate F, may be left permanently in position.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically 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. Constructing the ice dividers of or coating them with non-

page_text: described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Charles Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
HENRY CHARLES SMITH. (L.S.)