Improvements in or connected with Ice for Cooling Beverages and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Ice for Cooling Beverages and
other purposes.
I, PAUL DAMES, of 42, Klopstockstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention relates to a substitute for the present methods of cooling
beverages. The practice now followed out in cooling wines and the like is either
placing the bottle in a vessel filled with ice or mixing the crushed ice with the
liquid itself. Both these methods have great disadvantages, as for example the
first instance, the cooling of the bottles in a vessel containing crushed ice
necessitates a very large supply of ice for each bottle cooled, usually from 2 to 3
volumes of ice is required to cool one volume of liquid. Further in this method the
bottle when removed from the ice cooler requires to be dried, thus producing
considerable inconvenience as well as a possible danger owing to the doubtful purity
of the ice employed. The objections to the other method commonly in use, viz.,
placing the ice in the liquid to be cooled are very great. The liquid is undoubtedly
cooled rapidly and at a smaller consumption of ice per volume of liquid, but the
dangers from impure ice carrying bacteria or the like are always present, and
further the liquid is diluted and therefore as a rule rendered unpleasant.
The invention consists in providing a large number of very small containers or
vessels suitably shaped and filled with sterilised water. These small containers
may be made of any metal or water-tight material, though they are preferably
constructed of a material which will conduct heat rapidly. The containers may be
filled just sufficiently to allow for the expansion of the sterilised water when frozen,
or the containers themselves may be constructed of such material or with such
stoppers as will allow for the expansion due to freezing. After the containers are
filled with the sterilised water they are placed in the freezing box of an ice
machine, and in this way the water contained therein is frozen.
The containers are thus filled with perfectly compact and pure ice and they are
then carefully sterilised or cleaned on their outer surface and placed in large vessels
suitably provided with heat insulating arrangements, so that they may be
transmitted to the consumer in any number. When in use a vessel with a number
of these small containers is placed before the consumer and he extracts one or more
of the small containers by a pair of tongs like those in use for sugar and places
it in the drink or beverage. Thus the ice within the container does not come into
contact with drink at all, though at the same time the total reduction of temperature
by the ice melting within the container is the same as is the case when ice alone is
used. This arrangement therefore gives the advantages of using the ice directly in
the beverage or liquid without the evident disadvantages of probable contamination
or dilution. The neatness and convenience of the manipulation is also a great
advantage. The cooling vessels with the small containers can be returned to the
ice factory for renewal when used.

page_text: It is to be understood that these small ice containers may be used for other
purposes than the cooling of beverages such as the cooling of meat, or where in
surgical or medical cases ice-packs or presses are required.
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 improved device for cooling beverages and the like consisting in the
provision of sterilised water within very small containers and freezing the same, so
that each small container is a compact mass of ice; the whole as a means substituted
for the direct addition of broken ice to the liquid or beverage to be cooled, or
applied in medical and surgical cases in ice packs or presses.
Dated this 8th day of January 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.