A Method and Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of Ice.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method and Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of Ice.
I PAUL MARIE FRANÇOIS LAURENT, of 1 Rue Jacquier, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
ollows
My invention has for its object an improved method and apparatus for use in the
manufacture of ice.
The apparatus is composed of shallow-tanks of sheet-iron, superposed, so that the
water drops from each tank to the next below, the water being introduced into
the uppermost tank and the surplus, not converted into ice, passing down
successively into the others. The overflow walls of the tanks are made with
narrow slits for openings, so that the water runs down in streams of no appreciable
thickness. The water enters through a pipe and its delivery is regulated by the
opening of a cock. The regulation is adjusted so that only drops of water pass
through the overfall of the lowest tank. This regulation is done by hand or by
means of the automatic regulator, described hereinafter. The water first passes
to the top of the apparatus through a pipe, feeding a system of subsidiary pipes,
the latter being furnished with very small perforations. These pipes are placed as
high as possible above the uppermost tank. If the wind is strong, the water is to
be introduced directly into the uppermost tank through a lower pipe. But it can
also be thrown in jets through a third pipe perforated pipe.
The overplus of water running from the last tank passes into a hopper and thence
into a vessel, furnished with a weir, which is capable of being lifted up and lowered
and which by means of a flexible pipe communicates with a second vessel, in which
is a float, commanding the feed-water cock, the opening of which depends on the
level of the water in this second vessel, the latter has an outflow pipe, closed by
two cocks: one to be opened fully and the other for regulating the overflow. This
last mentioned cock is so regulated, that the water flows out drop by drop. If the
first of the two overflow cocks is opened, the vessel containing the float empties by
degrees and the feed cock opens. As soon as the quantity of water, which the
apparatus can freeze, is exceeded, the excess runs into the hopper and raises the
level in the float vessel, the float closing the inlet. Equilibrium is established,
when the excess of unfrozen water is equal to the delivery of the outflow-cock. It
is also possible to admit the water intermittently by raising the level of the weir in
the first vessel.. The excess of water having filled up the vessels up to the level of
the weir, the inlet will remain closed until the time when the outflow will have
brought back the general level to that at which the inlet is opened. One of the
cocks in the outflow is counterbalanced by a plate of metal, upon which water falls
drop by drop. The cock will open as soon as the plate becomes charged with a
layer of ice. If the temperature rises above the freezing point, the ice melts on
the plate and the latter regains its normal weight and allows the cock to he closed.
This cock can also be moved by hand or by means of an electro-magnet, governed
by a thermometer.
For opening this cock, when the temperature descends below the freezing point
and for closing the cock, when the temperature rises above that point, I build a
thermometer, which by dilatation of the liquid therein gives sufficient force to move
the cock.
This apparatus may by made of a tube of metal, several yards long, which is
placed so as to be affected by the temperature of the air, a tube with a smaller
calibre being fixed on the base of this main tube.

page_text: A stopper or piston of ebonite moves in this smaller tube and is connected to a
rod, which moves the cock.
The tube is filled with alcohol, a small portion of quick-silver being placed over
the piston. Counter-weights lift the piston.
The rod is also furnished with an index, indicating the temperature upon a
graduated scale or recording the same upon a registering apparatus.
Collection of the ice. When the ice in the tanks is thick enough, it is to be
divided in regular blocks, which are detached from the metal-walls by heating same
by aid of a transportable fire-grate or by a jet of steam.
One wall of each tank
is made movable for removal of the blocks of ice. The perforations in the pipes
and the pipes themselves are to be preserved from freezing, preferably by jacketting
them with heated gases or steam.
Dated this 1st day of November 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method and Apparatus for use in the Manufacture of Ice.
I PAUL MARIE FRANÇOIS LAURENT, Engineer of 1 Rue Jacquier, Paris in the
Republic of France 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 invention has for its object an improved method and apparatus for use in the
manufacture of ice.
In the annexed drawing
Fig. is a sectional elevation of the apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 detail views
thereof.
The apparatus is composed of shallow tanks of sheet iron A A', B B, C C, D D',
superposed so that the water drops from each tank to the next below the water
being introduced into the uppermost tank A A' and the surplus, not converted
into ice, passing down successively into the others (Fig. 1). The overflow
walls AB, C, D' of the tanks are made with narrow slits or openings as shown
in Fig. 2 so that the water runs down in streams of no appreciable thickness. The
water enters through a pipe T and its delivery is regulated by the opening of a
cock R. The regulation is adjusted so that only drops of water pass through the
overfall D' of the lowest tank. This regulation is done by hand or by means of
the automatic regulator described hereinafter.
The water first passes to the top of the apparatus through a pipe T" feeding a
system of subsidiary pipes M the latter being furnished with very small perforations.
These pipes are placed as high as possible above the uppermost tank A A'. If
the wind is strong the water is to be introduced indirectly into the uppermost tank
through a lower pipe T' but it can also be thrown in jets through a third perforated
pipe T
The overplus of water running from the last tank at D¹ passes into a hopper H
and thence into a vessel V furnished with a weir or overfall which is capable of
being lifted up and lowered and which by means of a flexible pipe communicates
with a second vessel x in which is a float y commanding the feed water cock R the
opening of which depends on the level of water in this second vessel x; the latter
has an outflow pipe closed by two cocks U Z one to be opened fully and the other
for regulating the overflow.
This lastmentioned cock Z is so regulated by hand that the water flows out drop
by drop. If the first of the two overflow cocks U is opened, the vessel containing
the float, empties by degrees, and the feed cock R opens. As soon as the quantity
of water which the apparatus can freeze is exceeded, the excess runs into the
hopper H, passes into vessel V and raises the level in the float vessel z, the float

page_text: closing the inlet R. Equilibrium is established when the excess of unfrozen water
is equal to the delivery of the outflow cock Z. It is also possible to admit the
water intermittently by raising the level of the weir in the first vessel V above
the level corresponding in the vessel to the complete closing of the cock R. The
excess of water having filled up the vessels V and x up to the level of the weir the
inlet will remain closed until the time when the outflow through cock Z will have
brought back the general level to that at which the inlet R is opened.
One of the cocks U in the outflow is counterbalanced by a weight S' and provided
with a plate of metal S upon which water falls drop by drop. The cock U will
If the temperature
open as soon as the plate becomes charged with a layer of ice.
rises above the freezing point the ice melts on the plate S and the latter regains its
normal weight and allows the cock to be closed by weight S₁. This cock can also
be moved by hand or by means of an electromagnet or governed by a thermometer.
For opening this cock U when the temperature descends below the freezing
point and for closing the cock when the temperature rises above that point I may
use a thermometer which by dilatation of the liquid therein gives sufficient force to
move the cock.
This apparatus may be made as in Fig. 3 of a tube of metal A' several yards
long which is placed so as to be affected by the temperature of the air, a tube B*
with a smaller calibre being fixed on the base of this main tube A. A stopper or
piston C of ebonite moves in this smaller tube B' and is connected to a rod D'
fitted to move the cock U.
The tube A' is filled with alcohol, a small portion of quick-silver a being placed
over the piston C. Counter weights X X lift the piston C²
The rod D' may also be furnished with an index indicating the temperature upon
a graduated scale or recording the same upon a registering apparatus.
When the ice in the tanks is thick enough it should be divided in regular blocks
which are detached from the metal walls by heating same by aid of a transportable
fire grate or by a jet of steam.
One wall of each tank is made movable for removal of the blocks of ice. The
perforations in the pipes M and the pipes T T T T themselves are to be preserved
from freezing preferably by jacketting them with heated gases or steam.
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 method of manufacturing ice consisting in permitting water to flow over
shallow tanks and regulating the supply of water for operation below the freezing
point of water substantially as described.
2. The apparatus comprising the arrangement of tanks feed pipes and regulating
apparatus substantially as herein described.
Dated this 26th day or July 100.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.