Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 4th Oct., 1887.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to a process and apparatus for making clear ice. The process
consists of the following steps. Steam of considerable pressure and temperature is
generated in a boiler and condensed by passing it through a coil or set of tubes or
other form of extended surface immersed in water in a condensing vessel, the heat
evolved by its condensation generating in the condensing vessel steam at lower than
the boiler pressure, which steam is used to work an engine. The condensed water
which is distilled water, flows through a reducing valve into a receptacle where the
pressure is maintained at that of the atmosphere a small escape pipe being provided.
The condensed distilled water entering this receptacle at a temperature higher than
that due to steam at atmospheric pressure becomes partly vaporised, and owing to this
evolution of vapour producing agitation in conjunction with the relief of pressure, the
distilled water is freed from most or all of the air which it contained, so that it is now
in the condition of de-aerated distilled water. This water, still hot, is now passed
through one compartment of a feed water heater of any suitable known kind in which
it gives up a large portion of its heat to the water that passes through the other
compartment on its way to supply the boiler and also the condensing vessel. The
cooled de-aerated distilled water is congealed by any suitable known freezing apparatus
producing clear ice.
In charging the freezing moulds with this de-aerated distilled water, the liquid is
caused to enter slowly under a floating piston so as to prevent as much as possible the
absorption of air. In the course of freezing, the liquid is kept in agitation by stirring
rods the strokes of which are gradually reduced as the space unfrozen in the middle
TD

page_text: of the mould becomes less. When the freezing has extended so far towards the middle
that the agitators have to be removed, the portion remaining liquid which contains
most of the impurities is also removed and a fresh supply of de-aerated distilled water
introduced in its place.
For operating according to this process I employ apparatus consisting of a steam
boiler, a condensing vessel containing the coil or its equivalent, the de-aerating
receptacle and the feed water heater, with their connecting pipes and valves, that is
to say a pipe from the boiler to the condensing coil or its equivalent, and from it a
pipe with a reducing valve to the upper part of the de-aerating receptacle-a steam
pipe from the condensing vessel to the engine-a pipe from the lower part of the
de-aerating receptacle to one compartment of the feed water heater, and a pipe thence
to the freezing apparatus-also a feed pipe to the other compartment of the feed water
heater, and supply pipes thence to the boiler and to the condensing vessel.
Dated this 11th day of December 1886.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent 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 :-
My invention relates to a process and apparatus for making clear ice. The process
consists of the following steps. Steam of considerable pressure and temperature is
generated in a boiler and condensed by passing it through a coil or set of tubes or
other form of extended surface immersed in water in a condensing vessel, the heat
evolved by its condensation generating in the condensing vessel steam at lower than
the boiler pressure, which steam is used to work an engine. The condensed water
which is distilled water, flows through a reducing valve into a receptacle where the
pressure is maintained at that of the atmosphere a small escape pipe being provided.
The condensed distilled water entering this receptacle at a temperature higher than
that due to steam at atmospheric pressure becomes partly vaporised, and owing to this
evolution of vapour producing agitation in conjunction with the relief of pressure,
the distilled water is freed from most or all of the air which it contained, so that it
is now in the condition of de-aerated distilled water. This water, still hot, is now
passed through one compartment of a feed water heater of any suitable known kind
in which it gives up a large portion of its heat to the water that passes through the
other compartment on its way to supply the boiler and also the condensing vessel.
The cooled de-aerated distilled water congealed by any suitable known freezing
apparatus produces clear ice.
In charging the freezing moulds with this de-aerated distilled water, the liquid is
caused to enter slowly under a floating piston so as to prevent as much as possible
the absorption of air. In the course of freezing, the liquid may be kept in agitation
by stirring rods the strokes of which are gradually reduced as the space unfrozen in
the middle of the mould becomes less. When the freezing has extended so far towards
the middle that the agitators have to be removed, the portion remaining liquid which
contains most of the impurities is also removed and a fresh supply of de-aerated
distilled water is introduced in its place.
For operating according to this process I employ apparatus consisting of a steam
boiler, a condensing vessel containing the coil or its equivalent, the de-aerating
receptacle and the feed water heater, with their connecting pipes and valves, that is
to say a pipe from the boiler to the condensing coil or its equivalent, and from it a
pipe with a reducing valve preferably to the upper part of the de-aerating receptacle
a steam pipe from the condensing vessel to the engine-a pipe from the lower part
of the de-aerating receptacle to one compartment of the feed water heater, and a pipe
thence to the freezing apparatus also a feed pipe to the other compartment of the feed
water heater, and supply pipes thence to the boiler and to the condensing vessel.

page_text: The accompanying drawing represents a side view partly in section of apparatus for
operating according to this invention. A is the primary boiler or still, the steam from
which is conducted by a pipe a to the secondary still B wherein it passes through a
pipe coil b surrounded by water. In passing through the coil the steam is partly
condensed heating the water in B surrounding the coil and converting part of it into
steam at lower pressure than that generated in A. The steam from the vessel B is
conducted by a pipe d to the cylinder of a steam engine G whence after performing
work the exhaust escapes by a pipe m either into the atmosphere or into a condenser.
The water of condensation in the coil b which is distilled but not de-aerated water,
passes by a pipe e through a reducing valve f which is so adjusted as to reduce the
pressure of the fluid that passes it to that of the atmosphere which pressure is main-
tained in the vessel C that receives it by a pipe 9 open to the atmosphere. The hot
water having in the coil b a pressure higher than that which it has when it enters the
vessel C, becomes partly converted into vapour, causing more or less ebullition in C,
and the effect of this is to expel the air so that the contents of C, especially at its lower
part, consist of de-aerated distilled water. From the vessel U the de-aerated distilled
hot water passes by a pipe h into a feed water heater D where it surrounds a coil p
giving out great part of its heat, and then after being thus cooled it passes by the
pipe to a pump H whence it is delivered by the piper to the ice moulds to be
converted as described into clear transparent ice. The feed water is by the pump E
and pipes i sent through the coil p receiving heat from the water in D, and thus
heated it is delivered by the pipes k and I partly into the primary boiler A and partly
into the secondary still B as regulated by suitable stopcocks or valves. Although
I have represented the boiler A as of simple cylindrical form and have shewn pipe
coils b and p, obviously the boiler A may be of tubular or other kind, and instead of
coils band p sets of tubes presenting extended surface may be employed. Also
although, for the sake of clearness of illustration, I have shewn the feed pump E and
the pump H separate from the engine G, it is to be understood that they are to be
arranged in any convenient position to be worked by the engine, which may also work
the refrigerating machine employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1. The herein process for making clear ice by generating and condensing steam
under pressure above that of the atmosphere, admitting the water of condensation
into a vessel at atmospheric pressure, whereby it is de-aerated, and cooling the
de-aerated distilled water by its passage through a feed water heater on its way to the
moulds in which it is congealed.
2. As apparatus for conducting the process referred to in the preceding claim, the
combination of a primary boiler or still, a secondary still, a de-aerating vessel, a feed
water heater and a steam engine and pumps with the necessary connecting pipes and
their cocks or valves, substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
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