Improvements in Freezing or Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Freezing or Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS, of 19, Adelaide Road, Brockley, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to freezing or refrigerating apparatus in which a
substance say a solution of ammonia in water is first heated in one vessel and the
ammonia vaporized and driven off and condensed and liquified under pressure in a
second, vessel and in which the heated vessel is then cooled and the pressure within
it thereby decreased so that the condensed ammonia again vaporizes and is
reabsorbed in the water which remained in the vessel to which heat was applied-
thereby producing intense cold in the vessel containing the liquified ammonia.
I construct apparatus of this kind in such a manner that it may act automatically
and continuously.
For this purpose I employ two pairs of vessels, one vessel of each pair carried by
an arm extending downwards from a horizontal axis and the other by an arm
extending outwards approximately in a horizontal direction. The axis is capable
of being rocked into one or other of two positions-so as in one position to bring one
of the lower vessels into position to be heated by aigas flame or otherwise and in the
other position to bring the other lower vessel into position to be heated. The
upper vessels are also so carried by the axis that when the axis is in one of its
positions one of these vessels is in a position where it is being cooled by water
passed over it or through tubes which traverse its interior whilst the other is out
of position for being so cooled but is preferably plunged into brine or other
uncongealable liquid and cools this liquid as the ammonia in the vessel vaporizes.
When the
Above each of the upper vessels is a small tank for holding water.
vessel is out of the brine the tank gets filled with water as it is then brought into
such a position that a gutter projecting from it. comes below a pipe from which a
small stream of water is constantly running.
From the tank pass two overflow pipes one of these conducts water to pipes which
pass to and fro through the vessel below the tank and the other conducts water to
pipes which pass to and fro through that one of the lower vessels which at the time
is not being heated.
As ammonia passes off from the vessel that is being heated to the upper vessel
that is being cooled liquid ammonia gradually collects in this upper vessel and its
weight added to the weight of the water tank above it gradually becomes sufficient
to cause the axis to rock-the upper vessel then descends into the brine whilst the
other upper vessel which before was immersed in the brine rises out of it. The
water in the tank above the vessel that descended is then caused to empty out of it
and pass slowly to the pipes which run to and fro through the vessel which was
moved away from the source of heat. At the same time the tank above this vessel
comes into position to get filled with water from the small constantly running stream
above mentioned and when full overflows through its overflow pipes and serves as
cooling water as above mentioned.
To so empty each tank after it has descended 1 preferably employ a syphon the
upper bend of which is above the surface of the water when the tank is in its
upper position but is covered with water when the tank is in its lower position so
that when the tank descends the syphon becomes at once charged and commences
to act.
In order that when one of the upper vessels and the tank above it have been
caused to descend as above described and the vessel to be immersed in brine, that
the vessel may be bant. so immersed after the tank has been emptied of water I

page_text: employ hinged catches acting in conjunction with arms which extend outwards from
the rocking axis. When one of the vessel descends one of these arms passes below
the catch, the catch turning on its axis and allowing it to do so the catch then
resumes its position and hinders the arm from moving back.
To allow the catch to give way at the proper time to allow the axis to again rock
in the opposite direction I mount the catch upon a weighted lever and when the
tank that has become filled with water together with the weight of the ammonia
collected in the upper vessel which is then acting as a condenser is sufficient to
raise the weighted lever the lever is slightly lifted and the catch is thereby moved
out of the way of the arm and so no longer hinders the axis from being rocked.
To avoid vapour of water being carried over with ammonia from the vessel that
is being heated to the vessel in which ammonia is being condensed, I insert a
number of pins or other baffle surfaces transversely across the interior of the pipe
which rises from the one vessel to the other and the water is arrested by these
surfaces.
In order that when the ammonia condensed in one of these upper vessels is
subsequently allowed to vaporize, the vapour may be brought into intimate contact
with the water or spent liquor that remained in the vessel from which the ammonia
was previously expelled by heat; instead of allowing the vapour to pass back by
the same pipe cause it to pass back by another pipe which dips town into the
water. To do this I use a ball valve in the passage by which ammonia passed from
the heated lower vessel to the upper one as the apparatus rocks on the horizontal
axis from one position to the other this ball valve alternately rolls on to and off its
seat so that when ammonia has to rise from the lower to the upper vessel the ball is
off its seat and the passage free but when ammonia has to descend from the upper to
the lower one the ball has been rolled on to its seat and closes the passage-the
ammonia therefore has to pass back by the second pipe which dips down into the
water.
In order also to still further ensure that no water shall be carried up from the
vessel that is being heated to the vessel in which ammonia is being condensed I
cause the flow pipe by which ammonia passes away from the heated vessel after
rising up for a distance from this vessel to be led into the return pipe by which
ammonia has to return to it and to descend for a distance within this pipe so that
any particles of water which are being carried along the flow pipe are discharged
downwards from its end and back to the heated vessel or boiler and at a level
above the lower end of this flow pipe I lead the vapour return pipe upwards in an
inclined direction so that any particles of water entering it may readily flow
back.
I also lead this pipe through the water tank which is above the upper condensing
vessel to cool the gas before it enters the condenser or receiving vessel. The gas
might in this way be cooled to such an extent as to be liquified within the pipe
and flow down the pipe into the receiving vessel below which in this case would
not necessarily require to be itself cooled. I however prefer to cool this vessel and
to liquify the gas within it as above described.
If steam is used for heating the lower vessels instead of a gas or other flame
then preferably I cause the steam to circulate through pipes which pass to and fro
through each of these vessels. In this case the water used for cooling these
vessels when they are not being heated may be inade to circulate through jackets
surrounding them. To supply the steam to the vessels the arms that carry them
may be made hollow and the steam conveyed through the hollow arms, the portion
of the axis from which the arms extend being made to serve as a tap so that oue
vessel only at a time may have steam supplied to it.
It will be seen that with refrigerating and freezing apparatus constructed as
herein before described the process of cooling or freezing can be carried on con-
tinuously and automatically as there is at all times one of the lower vessels that is
being heated and ammonia being driven off from it and condensed in one of the
upper vessels which is being cooled whilst the other upper vessel is immersed in

page_text: brine and abstracting heat from it as the liquid ammonia which the vessel contains
gradually vaporizes and is being reabsorbed in the water in the second of the lower
vessels which is being cooled.
D1
100
1
" A
11000
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
Improvements in Freezing or Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS, of 19 Adelaide Road, Brockley, in the County of
Kent, 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:-
My improvements relate to freezing or refrigerating apparatus in which a
substance say a solution of ammonia in water is first. heated in one vessel and the
ammonia vaporized and driven off and condensed and liquified under pressure in a
second vessel and in which the heated vessel is then cooled and the pressure within
it thereby decreased so that the condensed ammonia again vaporizes and is
reabsorbed in the water which remained in the vessel to which heat was applied-
thereby producing intense cold in the vessel containing the liquified ammonia.
I construct apparatus of this kind in such a manner that it may act automatically
and continuously.
For this purpose I employ two pairs of vessels, one vessel of each pair carried
by an arm extending downwards from a horizontal axis and the other by an arm
extending outwards approximately in a horizontal direction. The axis is capable
of being rocked into one or other of two positions-so as in one position to bring
one of the lower vessels into position to be heated by a gas flame or otherwise
and in the other position to bring the other lower vessel into position to be
heated. The upper vessels are also so carried by the axis that when the axis
is in one of its positions one of these vessels or a part of it is in a position
where it is being cooled by water passed over it or through tubes which traverse
its interior whilst the other is out of position for being so cooled but is preferably
plunged or a part of it into brine or other uncongealable liquid and cools this
liquid as the ammonia in the vessel vaporizes.
Above each of the upper vessels is a small tank for holding water. When the
vessel is raised the tank gets filled with water as it is then brought into such a
position that a gutter projecting from it comes below a pipe from which a small
stream of water is constantly running.
From the tank passes an overflow pipe by which water is led from it to cool that
one of the lower vessels which at the time is not being heated.
As ammonia passes off from the vessel that is being heated to the upper vessel
that is being cooled liquid ammonia gradually collects in this upper vessel and its
weight added to the weight of the water tank above it gradually becomes sufficient
to cause the axis to rock-the upper vessel or that part of it in which liquid
ammonia is collected then descends into the brine whilst the other upper vessel or
part of it which before was immersed in the brine rises out of it. The water in
the tank above the vessel that descended is then caused to empty and the water is
led away to cool the vessel which was moved away from the source of heat.
the same time the tank above this vessel comes into position to get filled with
water from the small constantly running stream above mentioned and when full
overflows through its overflow pipes and serves as cooling water as above
mentioned.
At
To so empty each tank after it has descended I preferably employ a syphon
the upper bend of which is above the surface of the water when the tank is in its
upper position but is covered with water when the tank is in its lower position so

page_text: that when the tank descends the syphon becomes at once charged and commences
to act.
In order that when one of the upper vessels and the tank above it have been
caused to descend as above described and the vessel to be immersed in brine, that
the vessel may be kept so immersed after the tank has been emptied of water
I employ hinged catches acting in conjunction with arms which extend outwards
from the rocking axis. When one of the vessels descends one of these arms passes
below the catch, the catch turning on its axis and allowing it to do so the catch then
resumes its position and hinders the arm from moving back.
To allow the catch to give way at the proper time to allow the axis to again
rock in the opposite direction I mount the catch upon a weighted lever and when
the tank that has become filled with water together with the weight of the
ammonia collected in the upper vessel which is then acting as a condenser is
sufficient to raise the weighted lever the lever is slightly lifted and the catch is
thereby moved out of the way of the arm and so no longer hinders the axis from
being rocked.
To avoid vapour of water being carried over with ammonia from the vessel that
is being heated to the vessel in which ammonia is being condensed, I insert a
number of pins or other baffle surfaces transversely across the interior of the pipe
which rises from the one vessel to the other and the water is arrested by these
surfaces.
In order that when the ammonia condensed in one of these upper vessels is
subsequently allowed to vaporize, the vapour may be brought into intimate
contact with the water or spent liquor that remained in the vessel from which the
ammonia was previously expelled by heat; instead of allowing the vapour to pass
back by the same pipe I cause it to pass back by another pipe which dips down
into the water. To do this I use a ball valve in the passage by which ammonia
passed from the heated lower vessel to the upper one as the apparatus rocks on the
horizontal axis from one position to the other this ball valve alternately rolls on to
and off its seat so that when ammonia has to rise from the lower to the upper
vessel the ball is off its seat and the passage free but when ammonia has to descend
from the upper to the lower one the ball has been rolled on to its seat and closes
the passage the ammonia therefore has to pass back by the second pipe which
dips down into the water.
In order also to still further ensure that no water shall be carried up from the
vessel that is being heated to the vessel in which ammonia is being condensed.I
cause the flow pipe by which ammonia passes away from the heated vessel after
rising up for a distance from this vessel to be led into the return pipe by which
ammonia has to return to it and to descend for a distance within this pipe so that
any particles of water which are being carried along the flow pipe are discharged
downwards from its end and back to the heated vessel or boiler and at a level
above the lower end of this flow pipe I lead the vapour return pipe upwards in an
inclined direction so that any particles of water entering it may readily flow
back.
I also lead this pipe through the water tank which is above the upper
condensing vessel to cool the gas before it enters the condenser or receiving vessel.
The gas might in this way be cooled to such an extent as to be liquified within the
pipe and flow down the pipe into the receiving vessel below which in this case
would not necessarily require to be itself cooled.
If steam is used for heating the lower vessels instead of a gas or other flame
then preferably I cause the steam to circulate through pipes which pass to and
fro through each of these vessels. In this case the water used for cooling these
vessels when they are not being heated may be made to circulate through jackets
surrounding them. To supply the steam to the vessels the arms that carry them
may be made hollow and the steam conveyed through the hollow arms, the portion
of the axis from which the arms extend being made to serve as a tap so that one
vessel only at a time may have steam supplied to it.

page_text: on
It will be seen that with refrigerating and freezing apparatus constructed as
hereinbefore described the process of cooling or freezing can be carried
continuously and automatically as there is at all times one of the lower vessels that
is being heated and ammonia being driven off from it and condensed in one of
the upper vessels which is being cooled whilst the other upper vessel is immersed
in brine and abstracting heat from it as the liquid aminonia which the vessel
contains gradually vaporizes and is being reabsorbed in the water in the second of
the lower vessels which is being cooled.
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings annexed are sectional elevations of apparatus
constructed in the manner above described. In the apparatus shewn in these
figures the receiving vessels in which the liquified gas is collected are not at any
time themselves cooled by the application of water to their exterior but the gas is
cooled and liquified in the pipes which lead to the receivers.
In the drawing the parts are shewn centrally between the two positions in which
they come to rest.
A is the rocking axis. BB' are two vessels below and carried from this axis.
CC are two tanks carried by and somewhat above the axis. DD' are two
receivers for liquified gas carried by arms from the axis and approximately in the
same horizontal plane with it.
Each vessel B B' has two pipes EF passing from it. The pipe E rises from the
upper part of the vessel and the pipe F from the lower part. The pipe E after
being led upwards for a distance is bent downwards into the pipe F as shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 2 and is made to descend for a distance within this pipe as
shewn.
The pipe E has also within it a ball valve G. When the vessel from which the
pipe E passes is in position for being heated the valve G is open as shewn at
Figure 3 and when the vessel is in position for being cooled the valve is closed as
shewn in Figure 4.
The pipes F are continued upwards one to a coil contained in the tank C the
other to a coil in the tank C. From the lower ends of the coils pipes H H' pass
to the receivers D D¹.
II' are tanks containing brine or uncongealable liquid.
JJ are inclined gutters one leading to the tank C the other to the tank C'.
K is a tank from which a small stream of water is constantly flowing.
When the tank C is uppermost this stream of water is led into it by the gutter .J
and when C is uppermost the stream of water is led into it by the gutter J.
When the tanks are in mid position the stream of water is caught in a channel L
and conducted away from its ends to one or other of the two tanks M M'.
N is a syphon for emptying the tank C whenever it descends to its lowest position
and Na syphon for emptying the tank C¹.
The syphon N discharges into the tank M¹ and N' into M.
Thus as soon as the tank C descends, the water in it flows to the tank M¹ and
from this tank is conducted away and thrown as a fine spray against the underside
of the vessel B. An overflow pipe O' from the tank also leads water on to the top
of the vessel between it and a casing P by which it is enveloped except that the
casing is open at the bottom. The tank M³ is also kept supplied with water from
the tank so soon as the water level rises to the overflow W. In place of using
fixed tanks M M³ and applying the cooling water passing from them to cool the
exterior of the boilers and absorbers B B'a coil of pipe might be within each boiler
and absorber and the water which in the arrangement shewn is led into the
tanks M M' would then be led directly through the coils of pipe.
Qis a charcoal or other stove for heating the boilers and absorbers B B'.
RR' are hinged catches for retaining for a time the tanks C C' whenever either
of them has descended to its its lowest position. Each catch is carried by a lever S
turning on a fixed fulcrum at St. T is a weight carried by each lever and which
has to be lifted before the tank C or C¹ can escape from the catch R or R¹.
V V₁ are projections from the tanks C C¹ which engage with the catches R R'.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows.
When the tank C descends to its lowest position it is retained by the catch R
and the water within it is discharged by the syphon N into the tank M' and the
water flowing from this tank cools the boiler and absorber B which has then been
moved away from over the heating stove and as it cools the pressure within it
diminishes and the water which it contains absorbs ammonia vaporized from the
liquid ammonia in the receiver D which receiver is then immersed in the brine in
the brine tank I. At the same time the boiler and absorber B¹ is over the fire and
is being heated and the ammonia driven off from the liquid contained in it passes
to the coil of pipe in the tank C' into which water is now flowing from the cistern K
and being condensed in the coil of pipes it flows into the receiver D' and this
goes
on as above explained until the weight of liquid so collected in the receiver
together with the weight of the tank C and the water within it is sufficient to lift
the catch R. The apparatus then rocks on the axis A and the tank C rises as C¹
descends and so the operation goes on continuously.
Where the apparatus is not required to be acting continuously a single boiler B,
tank C and receiver D might be used and the weight of liquid ammonia collected
in the receiver D be made to shift the boiler B away from the fire or stove so soon
as sufficient ammonia has been driven off from it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A freezing or refrigerating machine in which a boiler, condenser and receiver
are carried by a rocking frame and in which the weight of liquid collected in the
receiver causes the frame to rock when sufficient of the liquid in the boiler has been
vaporized and so carries the boiler away from the flame or stove by which it was
previously being heated.
2. A freezing or refrigerating machine in which two sets of boilers, condenser and
receiver are carried by a rocking frame and are by the rocking of the frame caused
to alternate in their action as herein described.
3. A freezing or refrigerating machine in which two sets of boilers, condenser and
receiver are carried by a rocking frame and in which the rocking of the frame at
the required times is effected by the collection of liquid ammonia in one or other of
the receivers as described.
4. The construction of freezing or refrigerating machines substantially as herein
before described.
5. The arrangement of the pipes for conveying gas or vapour to and from
the vessels which act alternately as vaporizers and absorbers substantially in the
manner herein before described with reference to Figure 2 to avoid water being
carried over from them to the condenser and also the arrangement of the pipes and
valve to ensure that gas or vapour passing back to the vessel shall pass into it
below the level of liquid that is therein.
Dated this 12th day of January 1891.
HENRY A. FLEUSS.