AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE, AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING OR COOLING PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE, AND FOR OTHER
REFRIGERATING OR COOLING PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by
Etienne Antoine Gillet, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 17th March 1877.
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th March 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF ICE, AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING OR COOLING PURPOSES." A communication
from abroad by Etienne Antoine Gillet, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
This Invention consists in a process of producing artificial cold for the manufac-
ture of ice and similar purposes by means of anhydrous sulphurous oxide.
Various methods of manufacturing ice have heretofore been invented, but all are
attended with difficulties which this Invention is intended to obviate.
The three principal methods now in use to a greater or less extent are,―
First. That in which a saturated solution of ammonia is used, and also in the use
of liquefied ammonia. This has to be heated to a temperature of 280° to 302°
Fahrenheit, with a pressure in the apparatus of from fifteen to eighteen atmospheres,
thus requiring enormous strength in the apparatus, and rendering it dangerous on
account of the liability of bursting, besides being very difficult to keep the joints
tight and keeping the ammonia from escaping. In addition to this the fire under
the boiler causes deposits to be formed, requiring constant care to prevent
explosions.
Second. The method in which sulphuric ether is used. This is found to be
objectionable for the reason that ether is a liquid of small volatility and giving but
weak tensions, it being at 23° to 27° Fahrenheit, equal to three and one-eighth

page_text: to six and one-fourth inches of mercury only. The pneumatic apparatus must there-
fore be of a large dimension, in order to draw up a small amount of ether and
produce a limited amount of cold. And if air be admitted through the joints of
the
the apparatus, the first half of which works an almost complete vacuum,
vaporization of the ether will entirely cease. Moreover, the ether is not perfectly
constant in its chemical characteristics, and under frequent volatilizations and con-
densations it becomes acidified, thus rendering it necessary to frequently change
the active liquid, which is troublesome and expensive. Besides, the action of the
ether upon the greases used for lubricating the piston of the cylinder forms a
mixture, which is carried into all parts of the apparatus, and interferes with its
successful operation more or less.
Third. The method of using compressed air; this, in order to work successfully,
requires large cylinders and close fitting pistons with little friction, and a perfectly
regulated introduction into the expansion cylinder and orifices, with valves without
a flaw, conditions which are exceedingly difficult to realize or maintain. A large
piston operating under a temperature of 140° Fahrenheit of cold is productive of
much friction. In addition to this a coating of frost or ice in the expansion cylinder
is also a cause of accidents and trouble in working it.
It is known that sulphurous oxide as a refrigerating agent possesses many and
great advantages over any of the other volatile substances that have been employed
as such. It liquefies at 10° centigrade, and then has a tension equal to the pressure
of the atmosphere, and at 30° centigrade its tension does not equal four atmospheres,
so that an excessive and dangerous pressure in the apparatus employed is avoided
by its use, and much less power is required to reduce it from a state of vapor to a
liquid form in ice-making and other forms of refrigeration than with sulphuric ether
and the other substance above named.
Notwithstanding these advantages, the various attempts that have been made to
practically employ sulphurous oxides as a refrigerating agent in the manufacture of
ice, the refrigeration of air, and for other like purposes, by apparatus adapted to the
continuous alternate evaporation and condensation of the said oxide, have resulted
only in failure, it having been found to attack and destroy or injure the apparatus
in which attempts have been made to employ it also to form ice within the tubes,
and the vacuum and condensing pump necessarily employed, thereby clogging them,
and interfering with their operation. The reason of such results is that the said
oxide has not been employed in a pure and entirely anhydrous state, even though
the substance used may have been designated by those who have used it by its
chemical name.
It has been found by a series of experiments that pure anhydrous sulphurous
oxide may be successfuly employed in an apparatus suitable for effecting therein its
continuous alternate evaporization and condensation, so as to successfully manufac-
ture ice and refrigerate air on a practical scale without injury to the apparatus or
the formation of ice within the vacuum or condensing pump. But the presence in
the said oxide of even a small per-centage of water or sulphuric acid will render
it unfit for use by causing the destruction or disabling of the apparatus.
For the purposes of this Invention the sulphurous oxide, to be susceptible of
being successfully used, must be rendered anhydrous. This may be done in any of
the modes known to chemistry.
According to one method of carrying the said Invention into practice, the cold is
produced by causing the liquefied gas to enter a refrigerator where its volatilization
absorbs the heat from the brine in which the refrigerator is immersed in a tank,
thereby reducing the temperature of the brine to a degree sufficient to congeal fresh
water held in suitable vessels and immersed in the brine.
In order however to produce the best results, I use a refrigerator constructed on
the plan of a tubular boiler with a large number of tubes, through which, as well
as around the body of the vessel, the brine is caused to circulate, so as to bring it
in contact with as large a surface as possible, in order that the gas may absorb the
heat as rapidly as possible; and as a further aid to success, it is important that the

page_text: brine should be caused to circulate rapidly through the tubes of the refrigerator,
and also among and around the the vessels containing the liquid to be frozen, or
the articles to be cooled.
By means of a pump the gas is drawn off' from the refrigerator continuously as it
is formed by the volatilization of the liquid, is re-condensed and again returned to
the refrigerator, and thus the process is rendered continuous, the same material
being used over and over repeatedly, the stability of character of the anhydrous
sulphurous oxide rendering it especially capable of being so used.
It is obvious that it may in like manner be used for cooling air or other sub-
stances for refrigerating or cooling chambers, or cellars, store-rooms of any kind,
and also for cooling the air in dwellings or other buildings.
It is obvious that the anhydrous sulphurous oxide may either be immediately
used when produced, or it may be condensed or liquefied and stored in suitable
vessels, and be conducted to the refrigerator as it may be required.
The advantages of the use of this material for these purposes are,―
First. That the pressure never exceeds four atmospheres.
Second. There is never any entry of air to fear since the pressures up to 14°
Fahrenheit are always above that of the atmospheres.
Third. All greasing of the machine with which the material comes in contact is
dispensed with, the material itself serving as a lubricant, and if grease be used, it is
not effected by the anhydrous material.
Fourth. The volatile liquid employed is perfectly stable, undecomposable, and
without action on metals.
Fifth. The volatile liquid is produced at a very low price, and it is accompanied by
on danger of explosion or fire.
Sixth By its use in the manner described ice can be produced at a very low
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th September 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake. & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF ICE, AND FOR OTHER REFRIGERATING OR COOLING PURPOSES." A coinmunication
from abroad by Etienne Antoine Gillet, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America.
This Invention consists in a process of producing artificial cold for the manufac-
ture of ice and similar purposes by means of anhydrous sulphurous oxide.
Various methods of manufacturing ice have heretofore been invented, but all are
attended with difficulties which this Invention is intended to obviate.
The three principal methods now in use to a greater or less extent are the
following, namely:-
-
First. That in which a saturated solution of ammonia is used, and also liquefied
ammonia. This has to be heated to a temperature of 280° to 302° Fahrenheit,
with a pressure in the apparatus of from fifteen to eighteen atmospheres. Enormous
strength is required in the apparatus; there is danger of its bursting and it is very
difficult to keep the joints tight and the ammonia from escaping. In addition to
this, the fire under the boiler causes deposits to be formed, requiring constant care
to prevent explosions.
Second. The method in which sulphuric ether is used. This is found to be
objectionable, for the reason that ether is a liquid of small volatility, and gives but
weak tension, it being at 23° to 27° Fahrenheit, equal to three and one-eighth to
six and one-fourth inches of mercury only. The pneumatic apparatus must there-

page_text: fore be of a large dimension in order to draw up a small amount of ether and effect
a limited production of cold. And if air be admitted through the joints of the
apparatus, the first half of which works an almost complete vacuum, the vaporiza-
tion of the ether will entirely cease. Moreover, the ether is not perfectly constant
in its chemical characteristics, and under frequent volatilizations and condensations
becomes acidified, thus rendering it necessary to frequently change the active liquid,
which operation is troublesome and expensive. Moreover, the action of the ether
upon the greases used for lubricating the piston of the cylinder forms a mixture,
which is carried into all parts of the apparatus, and interferes with its successful
operation.
Third. The method in which compressed air is used; this method to work
successfully requires large cylinders and close fitting pistons with little friction, and
a perfectly regulated introduction into the expansion cylinder and orifices and
valves without a flaw, conditions which are exceedingly difficult to realize or inain-
tain. A large piston operating under a temperature of 140° Fahrenheit of cold, is
productive of much friction. In addition to this a coating of frost or ice in the
expansion cylinder is also a cause of accident and trouble.
It is known that sulphurous oxide as a refrigerating agent possesses many and
great advantages over any of the other volatile substances heretofore employed. It
liquefies at 10° centigrade, and then has a tension equal to the pressure of the
atmosphere; and at 30° centigrade its tension does not equal four atmospheres, so
that an excessive and dangerous pressure in the apparatus employed is avoided by
its use, and much less power is required to reduce it from a state of vapor to a
liquid form in ice making and other forms of refrigeration than with sulphuric
ether and the other substances above named.
Notwithstanding these advantages the various attempts that have been made to
practically employ sulphurous oxide as a refrigerating agent in the manufacture of
ice, the refrigeration of air, and for other like purposes by apparatus adapted to the
continuous alternate evaporation and condensation of the said oxide have resulted
only in failure, it having been found to attack and destroy or injure the apparatus
in which attempts have been made to employ it. Moreover, it forms ice within the
tubes and the vacuum and condensing pump necessarily employed, thereby clogging
them and interfering with their operation. These results are duc to the fact that
this agent has not been employed in a pure and entirely anhydrous state, even
though the substance used may have been designated by those who have used it by
its chemical name.
It has been found by a series of experiments that pure anhydrous sulphurous
oxide may be successfully employed in an apparatus suitable for effecting its con-
tinuous alternate vaporization and condensation, so as to successfully manufacture
ice and refrigerate air on a practical scale without injury to the apparatus or the
formation of ice within the vacuum or condensing pump. But the presence in this
oxide of even a small per-centage of water or sulphuric acid will render it unfit for
use by causing the destruction or disabling of the apparatus.
The sulphurous oxide, to be susceptible of successful use for the purposes of this
Invention; must be rendered anhydrous. This may be done in any of the modes
known to chemistry.
The following description will enable this Invention to be fully understood:-
According to one method of carrying the said Invention into practice, the cold is
produced by causing the liquefied gas to enter a refrigerator, where its volatilization
absorbs the heat from the brine in which the refrigerator is immersed in a tank,
thereby reducing the temperature of the brine to a degree sufficient to congeal fresh
water held in suitable vessels and immersed in the brine.
In order however to produce the best results, I use a refrigerator constructed like
à tubular boiler, with a large number of tubes, through which, as well as around the
body of the vessel, the brine is so caused to circulate as to bring it in contact with
as large a surface as possible in order that the gas may absorb the heat rapidly, and
it is important that the brine should be caused to circulate rapidly through the

page_text: tubes of the refrigerator, and also among and around the vessels containing the
liquid to be frozen, or the articles to be cooled.
By means of a pump the gas is drawn off from the refrigerator continuously, as it
is formed by the volatilization of the liquid, is recondensed, and again returned to
the refrigerator, and thus the process is rendered continuous, the same material
being used over and over repeatedly, the stability of character of the anhydrous
sulphurous oxide rendering it especially capabable of being so used.
It is obvious that it may in like manner be used for cooling air for refrigerating
or cooling chambers, or cellars, storerooms of any kind, and also for cooling the air
in houses or other buildings, and for other like purposes.
It is obvious that the anhydrous sulphurous oxide may either be immediately
used when produced, or may be condensed or liquefied and stored in suitable vessels
and be conducted to the refrigerator as it may be required.
The advantages of the use of this material for the above purposes are,—
First. That the pressure never exceeds four atmospheres.
Second. There is never any entry of air to fear, since the pressure up to 14°
Fahrenheit is always above that of the atinospheres.
Third. All greasing of the machine with which the material comes in contact is
dispensed with, the material itself serving as a lubricant, and if grease be used it is
not affected by the anhydrous material.
Fourth. The volatile liquid employed is perfectly stable, undecomposable and
without action on metals.
Fifth. The volatile liquid is produced at a very slight cost, and is accompanied by
no danger of explosion or fire.
Sixth. By its use in the manner described, ice can be produced at a very slight
cost.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the inanner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim the heroin-described improved process of producing artificial cold for
the manufacture of ice and for other purposes, which process consists in the utiliza-
tion of sulphurous oxide that has been rendered anhydrous, and condensed by con-
ducting the same into a refrigerator, and allowing it to volatilize therein as abovo
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.