Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1886)
Complete Left, 16th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Oct., 1887
I, JAMES ATKINSON, of 3 Nassington Road, Hampstead, London, N.W. Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for improved apparatus for cooling liquides either primarily by
the evaporation of a portion of the liquid to be cooled, or secondarily by cooling one
liquid and using it as a means of carrying cold to another liquid, solid, gas, or vapour,
in any known manner.
It is well known that heat is absorbed by the evaporation of liquids and if this
evaporation can be done by drawing off the vapour which rises from the liquid, this
liquid will be cooled by the abstraction of heat absorbed by the evaporation of the
portion converted into vapour. The tension or pressure of the vapour is governed by
the character of the liquid being evaporated, and its temperature.
Water is a fluid commonly requiring to be cooled for various purposes; and
when mixed with some salt or other ingredient is a useful medium for carrying cold,
for ice making and other puposes, and it is chiefly in connection with water that this
apparatus is intended to be applied, although other liquids may be used.
The tension or pressure of the vapour of water when at low temperatures is very
slight, and the extraction of its vapour cannot be readily performed by ordinary
pumps or appliances; for instance, the pressure of the vapour in the presence of water
at freezing point is only 089 lbs. per sq. inch above a perfect vacuum. This invention
is chiefly for the purpose of creating this vacuum, if the apparatus is to be used
for ice making, or other low pressures, according to the purpose for which the apparatus
is to be used.
Generally speaking I employ two chambers; one hereinafter called the evaporator,
and the other the condenser. The liquid to be cooled is contained in the evaporator,
and it may be in bulk, or passed through it continuously; between the evaporator and
the condenser there is an open connection, (which may be closed when desired by a
cock or valve,) in this connection 1 place an ejector nozzle which by means of steam,
(or the vapour of some other liquid,) under a higher pressure than that in the
evaporator causes in a well known manner a suction from the evaporator into the
condenser. The condenser is fitted with a jet of water which condenses the steam
used in the ejector, and also cools the vapour drawn over from the evaporator. The

page_text: water in the condenser and the vapour, now at a higher pressure, is drawn out by a
pump, which I prefer to make in the following manner,
The piston of the pump on the up stroke draws the vapour and water in through
thin annular valves similar to those described by me in Letters Patent No. 1439.
1886. On the down stroke, the vapour and water are transferred through similar
valves in the piston into an annular space formed between the sides of the cylinder
and a trunk on the piston, on the next up stroke, they are driven out through other
similar valves in the top cover; prefer to proportion the area of the annular space,
to the area of the pump, so that the work is equally divided between the two strokes
of the pump.
In place of a jet condenser, a surface condenser may be used; especially if ammonia,
ether, or similar fluids are used as the cooling medium.
The vacuum in the evaporator may be utilized for the purpose of lifting the water
to be cooled, and it may be drawn off by delivering the cooled water at a level low
enough to pass out by gravity.
When the cooled liquid is used as a cooling medium it may be used in an enclosed
system, and circulated by gravity, the cooled liquid passing downwards from the
evaporator to the coil or other appliance by which its cooling properties are utilized,
and rising when heated 'back into the evaporator to be again cooled.
In some instances it will be necessary to use a pump to draw the cooled liquid from
the evaporator.
In some instances more than one evaporator may be used in connection with one
ejector, condenser, and pump.
The steam for supplying the ejector may be drawn from an ordinary boiler, or it
may be the exhaust steam from the engine driving the air pump.
If used for ice making, the ice may be made in the evaporator, or brine may be
placed in the evaporator and the ice moulds inserted into the evaporator; in some
instances the ice moulds may be put into recesses of a similar shape but a little larger
and the space between the mould and the recess also filled with brine, so that the
moulds may be withdrawn and replaced without destroying the vacuum.
Dated this 17th day of December 1886.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
1, JAMES ATKINSON, of 3 Nassington Road, Hampstead, London, N.W. 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:-
This invention is for improved apparatus for cooling liquids, either primarily by
the evaporation of a portion of the liquid to be cooled, or secondarily by cooling one
liquid and using it as a means of carrying cold to another liquid, solid, gas, or vapour
in any known manner.
It is well known that beat is absorbed by the evaporation of liquids, and if this
evaporation can be done by drawing off the vapour which rises from the liquid,
this liquid will be cooled by the abstraction of heat absorbed by the evaporation of
the portion converted into vapour. The tension or pressure of the vapour is governed
by the character of the liquid being evaporated, and its temperature.
Water is a fluid commonly requiring to be cooled for various purposes, and when
mixed with some salt, or other ingredient is a useful medium for carrying cold, for
ice making, and for other purposes; and it is chiefly in connection with water that
this apparatus is intended to be applied, although other liquids may be used.
The tension or pressure of the vapour of water when at low temperatures is very
slight, and its volume is very large, so that the extraction of its vapour cannot readily
be performed by ordinary pumps, or appliances; for instance, the pressure of the
vapour evaporated from water being cooled by evaporation when at freezing point is
only 089 lbs. per square inch above a perfect vacuum, and its bulk is enormous.
This invention is for the purpose of creating this vacuum and dealing readily with
the large volume of vapour requiring to be removed; I am aware that pumps have
been used for this purpose either by themselves or in conjunction with anhydrous
sulphuric acid, or other substances which readily absorbe moisture, and I wish it to be
understood that this invention is for the novel method of dealing with the large
volumes and low pressures required.
Generally speaking I employ two chambers which are shown in section in the
accompanying drawing in which A. represents the evaporater, and B. the condenser.
The liquid to be cooled is contained in the evaporater A. and it may be in bulk, or
passed through it continuously; between the evaporater A. and the condenser B.
there is an open connection C; (there may be a cock or valve in this connection if
desired); in this connection I place an ejector nozzle D. which by means of steam,
(or the vapour of some other liquid, or gas) under a higher pressure than that in the
evaporater causes in a well known manner a suction from the evaporater A. into
the condenser B. which is shown as an ordinary jet condenser, the condensing water
entering at the opening E., the passage F. being connected to an air-pump, or any other
means of creating an ordinary condenser vacuum which however should be as good
a vacuum as can be obtained, and to this em I should prefer to use an air-pump

page_text: having very light valves similar to those described by me in Letters Patent No. 14398,
the pump drawing on one side only from the condenser B., delivering into an annular
space on the other side from which it delivers into the atmosphere; any other
ordinary air-pump which will maintain a good steady vacuum will however be suitable,
or a jet ejector would also answer the purpose. The better the vacuum maintained in
the condenser B. the less work will be required to be done by the ejector D. in increasing
this vacuum to the almost perfect vacuuin required in the evaporater A.
In place of a jet condenser, a surface condenser may be used; especially if ammonia,
ether, or similar fluids are used as the cooling medium.
The vacuum in the evaporater A. may be utilized for the purpose of lifting the
water to be cooled, and it may enter the evaporater at the inlet G., being regulated in
quantity by means of a cock or valve, in some instances it may be desirable to pass it
over trays or adopt other means for exposing a large surface to be cooled. The outlet
for the cooled water is at H., and it may be drawn off by delivering it at a lower
level so as to pass out by gravity, or it may be pumped out.
When the cooled liquid is to be used as a cooling medium it may be used in an
enclosed system, and circulate by gravity, the cooled liquid passing downwards from
the evaporater A. to the coil or other appliance by means of which its cooling
properties are to be utilized, and rising when heated back to the evaporater A. to be
again cooled. The amount of cooling liquid drawn away by evaporation may be
made up by fresh liquid admitted into the evaporater by a ball cock so as to maintain
a steady level.
In some instances more than one evaporater may be used in connection with one
ejector, condenser, & pump. Also where used aboard steam ships the ejector may
deliver into the condenser of the main engines. Where economy is not of much
importance the condenser & pump may be dispensed with.
The steam for working the ejector may be exhaust steam from the engine driving
the pump, or other source.
The form of the ejector D., the form of the evaporater A., and the arrangement of
parts may be varied as may be found to be most suitable for the conditions under
which they are to work.
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. The general construction and arrangement of Refrigerating Apparatus, as
described and illustrated.
2. The use of the ejector. D. for
combination with an air pump.
creating the vacuum in the evaporater A., in
3. The use of the ejector D. for creating the vacuum in the evaporater A., in
combination with another jet ejector for assisting in creating the necessary vacuum.
4. The use of the ejector D. only for creating the vacuum in the evaporater A.
5. The use of exhaust steam in the ejector D.
Witness,
GEORGE E. PRIDDLE,
16, Shirlock Road, N.W.
400
JAMES ATKINSON.