IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND MAINTAINING ICE SURFACES AND FOR COOLING CHAMBERS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gamgee, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
FORMING AND MAINTAINING ICE SURFACES AND FOR COOLING CHAMBERS."
Sealed the 27th April 1877, and dated the 28th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gamgee at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1876.
JOHN GAMGEE, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND MAINTAINING ICE SURFACES AND FOR
COOLING CHAMBERS."
The primary object of my Invention is to effect the freezing of a large surface of
water more quickly and to maintain it in a hard frozen state suitable for being
skated upon or for other purposes, more effectually and regularly than has been
accomplished heretofore.
According to my present improvements I cause the cooling liquid to circulate
through the pipes or cells composing the freezing floor of the ice surface or rink in a
manner which I call "direct alternate circulation," and which consists in causing a
supply of the refrigerating liquid to flow directly from one side or end of the rink
or ice floor to its corresponding opposite side or end through each alternate pipe or
cell, and thence away to the refrigerator or other cooling or storing chamber, and
another and separate supply of the refrigerating liquid to flow directly from the other
side or end of the rink or ice floor to its corresponding opposite side or end through
each alternate pipe or cell placed between the first-mentioned alternate pipes or cells,
and thence back to the refrigerator or other cooling or storing chamber. By this
arrangement one supply of the refrigerating liquid flows through a set of pipes in
one direction, and a second supply of the refrigerating liquid flows in the opposite
direction through another set of pipes interspaced between those of the first set,
whereby the cooling effect is more nearly equalized all over the surface of the ice
floor than by the methods of circulation heretofore employed.
In order to carry into effect this part of my Invention I connect one alternate
set of floor pipes or cells at one end to an inlet pipe and at the other end to an
outlet pipe, and the other alternate set of pipes or cells at one end to a second inlet

page_text: pipe, and at the other to a second outlet pipe, placing by preference the inlet pipe
of the first set and the outlet pipe of the second set at one side or end of the rink
or ice floor, and the inlet pipe of the second and the outlet pipe of the first set at
the other side or end of the rink or ice floor, the said inlet and outlet pipes being
connected to the floor pipes or cells by any suitable or convenient joints or junctions
and arranged with reference to each other as circumstances may require.
My Invention is also applicable for the purpose of cooling chambers or rooms, the
pipes through which the direct alternate circulation as herein-before described is
kept up forming the floor, the walls and the ceiling (all or any of them) of the said
chambers or rooms,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Gamgee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th April
1877.
JOHN GAMGEE, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND MAINTAINING ICE SURFACES AND FOR
COOLING CHAMBERS."
The primary object of my Invention is to effect the freezing of a large surface of
water more quickly and to maintain it in a hard frozen state, suitable for being
skated upon or for other purposes, more effectually and regularly than has been
accomplished heretofore.
According to my present improvements I cause the cooling liquid to circulate
through the pipes or cells composing the freezing floor of the ice surface or rink in a
manner which I call "direct alternate circulation," and which consists in causing a
supply of the refrigerating liquid to flow directly from one side or end of the rink
or ice floor to its corresponding opposite side or end through each alternate pipe or
cell, and thence away to the refrigerator or other cooling or storing chamber, and
another and separate supply of the refrigerating liquid to flow directly from the
other side or end of the rink or ice floor to its corresponding opposite side or end
through each alternate pipe or cell placed between the first-mentioned alternate
pipes or cells, and thence back to the refrigerator or other cooling or storing
chamber. By this arrangement one supply of the refrigerating liquid flows through
a set of pipes in one direction, and a second supply of the refrigerating liquid flows
in the opposite direction through another set of pipes interspaced between those of
the first set, whereby the cooling effect is more nearly equalized all over the surface
of the ice floor than by the methods of circulation heretofore employed.
In order to carry into effect this part of my Invention I connect one alternate
set of floor pipes or cells at one end to an inlet pipe, and at the other end to an
outlet pipe, and the other alternate set of pipes or cells at one end to a second inlet
pipe, and at the other to a second outlet pipe, placing by preference the inlet pipe
of the first set and the outlet pipe of the second set at one side or end of the rink
or ice floor, and the inlet pipe of the second and the outlet pipe of the first set at
the other side or end of the rink or ice floor, the said inlet and outlet pipes being
connected to the floor pipes or cells by any suitable or convenient joints or junctions
and arranged with reference to each other as circumstances may require.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings represents a sectional elevation of an arrange-
ment of pipes suited for the formation of a rink or ice floor in accordance with
the system of "direct alternate circulation" herein-before referred to; Figure 2 is a
plan of the same.
A is the main supply or inlet pipe for the conveyance of the refrigerating liquid
from the refrigerator or other cooling or storing chamber to one side or end of the
rink or ice floor; A¹, the main supply or inlet pipe for the conveyance of the
refrigerating liquid from the refrigerator or other cooling or storing chamber to

page_text: the opposite side or end of the rink or ice floor; B, B¹, the corresponding return or
outlet pipes for the conveyance of the refrigerating liquid from the rink back to the
refrigerator or other cooling apparatus or agent; C, C, C, C, are the floor pipes or
cells which I prefer to be of the section shewn in Figure 1; D, D', the branches
connecting the inlet pipes A, A', respectively with the inlet ends of the said floor
pipes or cells C, C, and C¹, C, and E, E, the branches connecting the outlet
pipes B, B', respectively with the outlet ends of the said floor pipes or cells C, C,
and C, C. It will easily be understood that the refrigerating liquid brought by
the pipe A passes by the branches D, D, into cach alternate floor pipe or cell C, C, and
after traversing the latter escapes by the branches E, E, into the outlet pipe B, and
that the refrigerating liquid brought by the pipe A¹ passes by the branches D¹, D¹,
into each alternate floor pipe or cell C, C, at the end opposite to that at which the
liquid enters the adjacent pipes or cells C, C, and after traversing the said floor
pipes or cells C, C, escapes by the branches E', E', into the outlet pipe B¹. The
source of supply to the inlet pipes A, A¹, must of course be elevated above the level
of the outlet pipes B, B', or other means must be employed (such for example as
pumps), to force the liquid to circulate through the pipes at the required speed.
In the Figures the inlet and outlet pipes are shewn placed above the level of the
floor pipes or cells, but it will be obvious that they may be placed in any convenient
position with reference thereto, and the branch pipes connected to them by any
suitable joints or couplings. By these means the circulation of the refrigerating liquid
is direct from one side or end to the other and back to the refrigerator and in
alternate directions, whereby greater uniformity of effect is obtained than by the
ordinary method of circulation.
The Drawing illustrates the application of my direct alternate circulating system
to the formation of an ice floor for skating or other purposes, but it will be readily
understood that similar arrangements of pipes may be applied to form the floor,
walls, and ceiling (all or any of them) of cooling chambers or rooms, the refrigerating
liquid circulating in such pipes for the purpose of keeping cool the air and other
contents of such rooms.
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, arranging pipes or cells for rink
or ice floors, or for the floors, walls, or ceilings of chambers or rooms, and the inlet
and outlet pipes connected therewith, so that the cooling liquid circulates through
such pipes or cells in the manner which I call "direct alternate circulation," sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gamgee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and carranty coven
JOHN GAMGEE. (L.S.)