COLD AIR MACHINES."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Everard Hesketh at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1881.
EVERARD HESKETH, of Dartford, in the County of Kent.
COLD AIR MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to machines in which cold air is produced by compressing
air, cooling it, and then expanding it while it performs work, the object which I
have in view being to arrange the air compressing pump, the air coolers and
the air expanding cylinder in combination with a steam engine in a compact form
with the parts readily accessible, and with provision against stoppage of the
passages by snow or ice.
For this purpose I arrange the machine as follows:-On a rectangular hollow
foundation at opposite ends thereof I fix the steam cylinder, and in line with it the
air compressing pump, the piston rods of both being connected by a parallel motion
to the upper end of a double vertical beam which has its fulcrum working in
bearings in the foundation. From a pin of the beam, intermediate between its
upper end and its fulcrum, I link the connecting rod to a crank on the fly wheel
shaft which works in bearings at the end of the foundation, under or beyond the
steam cylinder at a lower level. From another crank on this shaft I link a
connecting rod to a crosshead working in guides, which crosshead is fixed to two
piston rods of the expansion cylinder. This cylinder is fixed on the foundation at
one side of the air compressing cylinder, but at a lower level so that its axis is in
the same plane with the axis of the fly wheel shaft. Excentrics on the shaft are
linked to vertical beams which work the main slide and the expansion slide of the
steam cylinder. And other excentrics on the shaft work the slides and valves of
the expansion cylinder, that is to say, a lateral slide at each end for admitting the
cooled compressed air, and a shut off valve in each cover for discharge of the cold
expanded air. These latter valves are arranged in passages which bend downwards
[Price 6d1

page_text: into a snow box below the expansion cylinder, so that the particles of snow and ice
produced from the moisture in the cold air, instead of lodging in the parts and
impeding the passage through them are blown directly into the snow box, from
which the snow or ice is from time to time removed. In order to accommodate the
shut off valve in the front cover of the expansion cylinder, its piston as stated
above is provided with two piston rods which pass through stuffing boxes in the
cover, one on each side of the central shut off valve; the air compressing pump is
as usual surrounded by a casing through which water circulates to keep the pump
cool. The compressed air passes from both ends of the pump through coolers
arranged in the foundation below the pump and expansion cylinder, these coolers
consisting of sheaves of tubes through which water circulates, while the compressed
air passes through cylindrical vessels containing the tubes. From the cooler the
air passes to the expansion cylinder in which it expands, becoming greatly reduced
in temperature, and the cold expanded air is then conveyed by pipes to the
chamber or chambers in which it is used for refrigeration. From the arrangement
of the steam cylinder and compressing pump in line as described, it results that a
large portion of the work of compression is performed directly without having to
pass through the crank shaft, which to a great extent is assisted in its revolution
by the air in the expansion cylinder. In some cases the steain from the steam
cylinder is condensed, the air pump being placed below the steam cylinder, and
worked from a pin on the main beam, which for that purpose is extended
downwards below its fulcrum.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Everard Hesketh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May
1882.
EVERARD HESKETH, of Dartford, in the County of Kent.
COLD AIR MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to machines in which cold air is produced by compressing
air, cooling it, and then expanding it while it performs work, the object which I
have in view being to arrange the air compressing pump, the air coolers, and the
air expanding cylinder in combination with a steam engine in a compact form with
their parts readily accessible, and with provision against stoppage of the passages
by snow or ice.
For this purpose I arrange the machine, as shewn by the accompanying
Drawings, Fig. 1 being a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan. On a rectangular hollow
foundation A at opposite ends thereof I fix the steam cylinder B, and in line with
it the air compressing pump C, the piston rods of both being connected to a cross-
head jointed to the upper end of a double vertical beam D which has its fulcrum
linked to the foundation, and is guided by parallel motion links T. From a pin of
the beam, intermediate between its upper end and its fulcrum, I link the con-
necting rod E to a crank F on the flywheel shaft which works in bearings at the end
of the foundation under or beyond the steam cylinder B, and at a lower level.
From another crank J on this shaft I link a connecting rod I to a crosshead
working in guides, which crosshead is fixed to two piston rods of the expansion
cylinder H. This cylinder is fixed on the foundation at one side of the air com-
pressing cylinder, but at a lower level, so that its axis is in the same plane with
the axis of the flywheel shaft. Eccentrics O on the shaft are linked to vertical
beams P which work the main slide and the expansion slide of the steam cylinder.
And other eccentrics Q on the shaft work the slides of the expansion cylinder H,
that is to say, a lateral slide at each end for admitting the cooled compressed air,
and a cam R opens, and a spring S closes a shut off valve in each cover for discharge
of the cold expanded air. These latter valves are arranged in passages which bend
downwards into a snow box N below the expansion cylinder, so that the particles
of snow and ice produced from the moisture in the cold air, instead of lodging in
the ports and impeding the passage through them are blown directly into the
snow box, from which the snow or ice is from time to time removed. In order to
accommodate the shut off valve in the front cover of the expansion cylinder, its
piston as stated above is provided with two piston rods which pass through
stuffing boxes in the cover, one on each side of the central shut off valve. The air
compressing pump C is as usual surrounded by a casing through which water
circulates to keep the pump cool. The compressed air passes from both ends of the
pump by pipes L, through coolers K arranged in the foundation below the pump
and expansion cylinder, these coolers consisting of sheaves of tubes through which
water circulates while the compressed air passes through cylindrical vessels con-
taining the tubes. From the coolers the air passes to the expansion cylinder in
which it expands, becoming greatly reduced in temperature, and the cold expanded
air is then conveyed by pipes to the chamber or chambers in which it is used for
refrigeration. From the arrangement of the steam cylinder and compressing pump
in line as described, it results that a large portion of the work of compression is
performed directly without having to pass through the crank shaft, which to a
great extent is assisted in its revolution by the air acting in the expansion

page_text: cylinder. In some cases the steam from the steam cylinder is condensed, the air
pump being placed below the steam cylinder, and worked from a pin on the main
beam, which for that purpose is extended downwards below its fulcrum.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,-
The herein described arrangement and construction of cold air machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Everard Hesketh, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
E. HESKETH. (L.S.)