IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR, AND FOR COOLING AND REFRIGERATING LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry William Neild, of Reece's Patent Ice
Company (Limited), St. Bride's St., in the City of London,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ICE AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR, AND
FOR COOLING AND REFRIGERATING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 5th January 1875, and dated the 17th October 1874.
I, HARRY WILLIAM NEILD, of Reece's Patent Ice Company (Limited),
5 St. Bride's St., in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE

page_text: AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR, AND FOR COOLING AND
REFRIGERATING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on the Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to Rees Reece, bearing date the 2nd of
November 1870, No. 2891, and has for its object economy of fuel and
increased efficiency of action.
According to one part of my Invention I propose to dispense entirely
with the open fire employed for boiling the weak solution of ammonia,
and I substitute therefor steam heat by the use of pipes inside the
generator, or a steam jacket or other suitable or well known contrivance
for heating by steam. In practice I prefer to employ the waste or
exhaust steam from the engine, but the steam may be obtained from any
other source. By this method of boiling I obtain what is a most
essential feature in the production of anhydrous ammonia, namely, an
even or uniform temperature capable of being easily regulated with the
greatest nicety.
Another of my improvements relates to the cooler or refrigerator, and
has for its object the ensuring of the continuous working of the
apparatus. In practice it has been found that the ammonia in the
refrigerator is not absolutely anhydrous, but after working some time
becomes so far diluted with water as to lose its efficiency. This involves
the stopping of the working of the apparatus for several hours, to enable
the refrigerator to be emptied and refilled. In order to overcome this
objection I propose to employ two refrigerators or coolers, the one being
in work whilst the other containing the weakened ammonia is being
slowly emptied into the absorber and refilled again with so called
anhydrous ammonia. Or the weakened ammonia may be discharged
into the analyser or into the generator against the pressure, by intro-
ducing a small steam heating pipe inside the refrigerator, so as to raise
the temperature therein slightly and by the pressure thus produced force
the weakened ammonia into the generator or into the analyser. Or the
said solution may be pumped from the refrigerator into the generator or
the analyser.
With a view to improving the quality of the ice by increasing its
clearness and solidity, I propose to exhaust the air from the water about
to be frozen by introducing such water into an air-tight receiver from

page_text: which the air is subsequently exhausted, leaving the water in vacuuo.
Whilst in vacuuo the water is agitated by a stirrer or other mechanical
means, or the air may be liberated by injecting the water in the form of
a jet or spray into the vacuum chamber or receiver, in order to expedite
the escape of the air therefrom, which is extracted by an air pump or
other exhausting apparatus.