Improved Means and Apparatus Employed in Conjunction with Ice Making Machines for Producing Transparent Ice.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb. 1888
Improved Means and Apparatus Employed in Conjunction with Ice
Making Machines for Producing Transparent Ice.
I, EDWARD DE STOPPANI, of No. 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It has been found that the best transparent ice is produced from condensed steam,
and with a view to economy, in working according to this system, I, according
to my present invention, utilise, for this purpose, the waste steam of the steam engines
that work the compressing pumps of ice making machines. It is, however, not
possible to employ such waste steam direct as it comes from the engine, on account
of its always retaining particles of grease or other inpurities taken up on its passage
through the engine, and, consequently, according to my present invention, I render
such waste steain perfectly available for the above described purpose, by causing it,
after leaving the steam engine to pass through apparatus operating in such a manner
as to deprive it of all impurities, as I will now describe. The steam is first
caused to pass into a cylindrical casing in which are a number of concentric cylindrical
partitions, each of which has a number of very narrow vertical slits all round, of a
length equal to about one half the height of the cylinder, these slits being alternately
in the bottom part of the one cylinder and in the top part of the next, and they are
also so arranged that the slits of one cylinder are in line with the spaces between the
slits of the next. Thus the exhaust steam entering the outer casing is caused to pass
in a very, tortuous manner and finely divided condition through the successive
cylindrical partitions in order to arrive at the central discharge tube, whence it passes
to the condenser, and by this means the particles of oil carried along with the steam
will be separated therefrom, and collect, together with some water of condensation, at
the bottom of the apparatus, whence it is drawn off by a pump, the oil being used over
again for lubricating the engine.
According to another modification of this apparatus, the cylindrical casing is laid
in a horizontal or slightly inclined position, and contains a series of flat transverse
partitions, having the before described long narrow slits arranged in zig zag positions,
through which the steam is caused to pass on its way from the inlet at one end and

page_text: to the outlet at the other end, the separated oil being collected in a well at the one
end of the casing, or at the lower end thereof when it is in an inclined position.
The surface condenser into which the steam passes from the purifying apparatus
consists by preference of a vertical cylinder having a number of tubes connected to
tube plates at top and bottom, through which cold water is made to flow in an upward
direction, while the steam enters at the top of the enclosed space surrounding those
tubes, in which space are provided baffle plates for causing the steam to come into
intimate contact with all parts of the tubes, the resulting water of condensation being
drawn off from the bottom of such space by a suitable pump and discharged into a
raised closed reservoir, whence it descends through pipes to the bottoms of the moulds
of the ice making apparatus. Any air carried with the steam into the surface con-
denser is also drawn off by an air pump.
The above mentioned closed reservoir is always kept full of the condensed water,
and in order to prevent the necessity of stopping the action of the pump of the
condensing apparatus every time the supply pipe to the ice moulds is closed in con-
secutively filling these, the reservoir is connected at top by a pipe with the surface
condenser, such pipe having a check valve so loaded as to open as soon as a certain
pressure is attained in the reservoir, and thus allow the water to flow back into the
condenser as fast as it is pumped in.
When the whole of the moulds are filled, the supply pump is stopped.
Dated this 4th day of March 1887
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus Employed in Conjunction with Ice
Making Machines for Producing Transparent Ice.
I, EDWARD DE STOPPANI of No. 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
Engineer 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 :-
It has been found that the best transparent ice is produced from condensed steam,
and with a view to economy, in working according to this system, I, according to my
present invention, utilise, for this purpose the waste steam of the steam engines that
work the compressing pump of ice making machines. It is, however, not possible to
employ such waste steam direct as it comes from the engine, on account of its always
retaining particles of grease or other impurities taken up on its passage through
the engine, and, consequently, according to my present invention, I render such
waste steam perfectly available for the above described purpose, by causing it, after
leaving the steam engine to pass through apparatus operating in such a manner as to
deprive it of all impurities, as I will now describe.
The steam is first caused to pass into a cylindrical casing in which are a number
of concentric cylindrical partitions, each of which has a number of very narrow
vertical slits all round, of a length equal to about one half the height of the cylinder,
these slits being alternately in the bottom part of the one cylinder and in the top
part of the next, and they are also so arranged that the slits of one cylinder are in
line with the spaces between the slits of the next. Thus the exhaust steam entering
the outer casing is caused to pass in a very tortuous manner and finely divided
condition through the successive cylindrical partitions in order to arrive at the central
discharge tube, whence it passes to the condenser, and by this means the particles of
oil carried along with the steam will be separated therefrom, and collect together with
some water of condensation, at the bottom of the apparatus, whence it is drawn off
by a pump, the oil being used over again for lubricating the engine.
According to another modification of this apparatus, the cylindrical casing is laid
in a horizontal or slightly inclined position, and contains a series of flat transverse
partitions, having the before described long narrow slits arranged in zig zag positions,
through which the steam is caused to pass on its way from the inlet at one end and
to the outlet at the other end, the separated oil being collected in a well at the ono
end of the casing, or at the lower end thereof when it is in an inclined position.
The surface condenser into which the steam passes from the purifying apparatus
consists by preference of a vertical cylinder having a number of tubes connected to
tube plates at top and bottom, through which cold water is made to flow in an upward
direction, while the steam enters at the top of the enclosed space surrounding those
tubes, in which space are provided baffle plates for causing the steam to come into
intimate contact with all parts of the tubes, the resulting water of condensation being

page_text: drawn off from the bottom of such space by a suitable pump and discharged into a
raised closed reservoir, whence it descends through pipes to bottoms of the moulds of
the ice making apparatus. Any air carried with the steam into the surface condenser
is also drawn off by an air pump.
The above mentioned closed reservoir is always kept full of the condensed water
and in order to prevent the necessity of stopping the action of the pump of the
condensing apparatus every time the supply pipe to the ice moulds is closed in con-
secutively filling these, the reservoir is connected at top by a pipe with the surface
condenser, such pipe having a check valve so loaded as to open as soon as a certain
pressure is attained in the reservoir, and thus allow the water to flow back into the
condenser as fast as it is pumped in.
When the whole of the moulds are filled, the supply pump is stopped.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a vertical section of apparatus con-
structed according to my above described invention; Fig. 2 shews a sectional plan of
the oil purifier; it consists of a sheet metal cylinder C within which are concentric
perforated cylinders, each of which has longitudinal slits a 6 formed as shewn
partially developed at Fig. 3. the slits being about millimetre wide and somewhat
less than the height of the cylinder high. The slits in the 1st, 3rd 5th &c. cylinders
are formed at the lower part of the cylinders while those in the 2nd 4th 6th &c.
cylinders are made in the upper part. The slits in the successive cylinders are also
so arranged as to be opposite the spaces of the contiguous ones as shewn in Figs. 2
and 3.
The exhaust steam entering at D has to pass in a serpentine direction through the
slits of the successive cylinders before arriving at the central discharge tube X whence
it passes to the condenser. The oil and condensed steam are drawn off by a pump
through the pipe a.
In place of the above arrangement may be employed that shewn at Fig. 4 in
longitudinal section and at Fig. 5 in cross section to a larger scale. The apparatus
consists of cylindrical casing having sheet metal partitions Z with slits as shewn at
Fig. 5, which may be millimetre wide and from 10 to 15 centimetres long, the slits
in the one partition being opposite the spaces of the contiguous ones, so that the
steam entering through D passes in a serpentine direction through the partitions
to the escape pipe y. The casing is placed on an incline as shewn, so that the oil and
condensed steam will collect at the lower end whence it is drawn off through the
pipe, the oil being used again for lubricating the engine. Instead of. using per-
forated partitions in the oil purifier as described for separating the oil from the steam
it will be. evident that the apparatus might be filled with pieces of coke or other
suitable material so as to leave small tortuous passages for the steam to pass
through.
From the purifier C the exhaust steam free from oil passes through the pipe y to the
surface condenser E, through which a current of cold water circulates, entering
through the pipe c and escaping through pipe d. Perforated battle plates are suitably
arranged in the steam space for bringing the steam effectually in contact with the
water tubes. The condensed steam falls to the bottom of the condenser and is drawn
thence through pipe e by the centrifugal pump G which discharges it into the safety
tank H through the tube f. The air pump F draws off from the conienser through
pipe g the air entering with the steam, which might interfere with the transparency
of the ice, and maintains the required vacuum in the apparatus. From the reservoir
H the water passes to the hottom of the ice moulds K by the pipe J and cock h.
spring check valve L in the bottom of the pipe prevents the air from entering.
d
In order to render the apparatus continuous acting and to prevent the necessity of
having to stop the pump every time the cock is closed on a mould being filled, the
reservoir H has a safety valve I adjusted to a pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure
so that, the reservoir H being always kept full, the water forced in by the pump will
escape by the valve I and pass back into the condenser by the pipe m whenever the
cock is closed. When a series of moulds has been filled the pump G can be
stopped.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use for producing transparent ice in ice making machines, of the exhaust
steam of steam engines, such steam being freed of the oil and air which it carries
with it from the engine.
2. The use for separating the oil contained in exhaust steam employed as set forth
in the preceding claim, of a purifying apparatus containing either perforated
partitions, coke or other suitable material, through which the steam is made to pass,
substantially as herein described.
3. The use in combination with the condensing apparatus of a pump discharging
the water of condensation into a closed tank H having a safety valve I through which
any water forced in in excess of the discharge escapes back into the condenser, so as
to allow of continuous action substantially as herein described.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1987
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.