Improved Means and Apparatus used in the Construction of Refrigerating Apparatus,
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus used in the Construction of
Refrigerating Apparatus,
We, A. M. PERKINS & SON LIMITED and WILLIAM WALLINGTON HARRIS, both
of 43, Regents Square, Grays Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to refrigerating apparatus such as is described in
the Specification of a l'atent granted to Loftus Perkins No. 11865 of 1889 and
known as the "Arktos." In apparatus of this kind the refrigerating tubes fixed
in the cold chamber are charged with an ammonia solution and this solution
circulates by gravitation into and out of the liquifier and is used as a vehicle for
the transmission of the cooling effect produced by the evaporation of the
anhydrous ammonia with which from time to time the liquifier is filled. In
practice this action that of circulating ammonia solution in the refrigerating
pipes into the anhydrous ammonia in the liquifier has been found to be imperfect
owing to the water contained in the solution.
So long as any water remained in the pipes a certain degree of heat was
generated by its entering into combination with the pure liquid ammonia as it
entered into the liquifier. The object of our invention is to obviate this defect.
By it we are enabled to practically transform the ammonia solution in the
refrigerating tubes into anhydrous ammonia.
According to our present invention we charge the apparatus in the following
manner: After the apparatus has been proved by hydraulic pressure and found
to be sound every drop of water should be removed from it and as much air also
extracted as is practicable before the charging with ammonia is commenced.
To withdraw the water and air and afterwards to pump in ammonia solution
we use a pump which is so constructed that it may by simply swivelling it on
its axis be used either as an exhausting pump to remove water and air, or as a
force pump to pump in ammonia, and this can be done at pleasure as often as
may be required without its being necessary in any way to interfere with the
pipe connecting the pump to the combiner, or the carboys of ammonia solution.
When this pump is attached the apparatus is ready for charging. As also in
the carrying out of our process the water which has from time to time to he
drawn from the apparatus is much abové boiling point the pump is provided
with a coil of pipes placed in a cooling tank below it, which tank is kept filled
with cold water. A measuring vessel suspended from a scale balance is also
provided to receive the cooled water.
To bring the apparatus into efficient working order the refrigerating pipes and
the liquifier up to the level of the syphon overflow have to be filled with perfectly
anhydrous ammonia and the combiner should contain the quantity of water that
will absorb the greater part of the ammonia contained in the liquifier that
contained in the refrigerating pipes being in excess of this quantity.
To charge the apparatus and bring it into the above state the parts of the

page_text: apparatus are first charged with ammonia solution. Afterwards in order to effect
the alteration of the ammonia solution that the refrigerating tubes are first charged
with into anhydrous ammonia the combiner is heated to a temperature of about 270
to 280° Fah. at which temperature nearly the whole of the ammonia gas is driven
out of the water contained in it and the ammonia is collected in the liquifier in
the ordinary way of working. A portion of the heated water in the combiner is
then drawn off care being taken to maintain the full temperature of the heated
water in the combiner, whilst this is being done. This water is then passed
through the coil in the vessel below the pump where it is deprived of its heat.
It is then collected in the measuring vessel where it is carefully weighed, its
temperature and percentage of ammonia noted. The pump is then used to
pump in a measured quantity of ammonia solution, which quantity should contain
the same amount of water that has been drawn out but with the additional amount
of ammonia that the solution of full strength contains and this operation is
repeated until the accumulated quantity of ammonia passed into the apparatus
corresponds with the quantity of water that was originally contained in the
refrigerating pipes, and by means of the syphon attached to the liquifier this
water is flooded out and overflowed into the combiner, and from thence it is
drawn off and measured care being taken that the quantity of water finally
taken out corresponds exactly with that originally contained in the refrigerating
pipes, but leaving in the combiner sufficient water to take up the ammonia gas
that is separated and absorbed under the ordinary conditions of working.
Dated this 25th day of March 1808
Improved Means and Apparatus used in the Construction of
Refrigerating Apparatus.
We, A. M. PERKINS & SON LIMITED and WILLIAM WALLINGTON HARRIS, both
of 43, Regents Square, Grays Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers,
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:―
The improvements relate to absorption refrigerating apparatus of the kind in
which ammonia or other gas is alternately driven off by heat from an evaporator
or combiner and collected in a liquid form in a liquifier and afterwards when the
evaporator or combiner is cooled and the pressure in the apparatus thereby
diminished evaporates off from the liquifier and is absorbed in water or liquid
contained in the evaporator or combiner.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to Loftus Perkins No. 11865
of 1889 is described such a refrigerating apparatus known as the "Arktos" in which
the liquifier which also serves as a vaporizer is of a capacity capable of containing
a greater quantity of liquid than the quantity of liquified gas which is collected
in it each time that the combiner is heated. In this apparatus the capacity of

page_text: e liquifier or vaporizer was increased by its being formed with circulating
frigerating tubes descending from it and these circulating tubes were charged
ith ammonia solution--this solution being used as a vehicle for the trans-
ission of the cooling effect produced by the evaporation of the liquid anhydrous
mmonia with which the main body of the liquifier from time to time became
lled. This use of ammonia solution circulating into and out from the liquifier
s objectionable for various reasons.
By our invention we are enabled to fill the whole of such a liquifier or vapourizer
raliquifier or vapourizer of other form capable of containing more liquid than
he quantity of liquified ammonia which collects in it each time the combiner is
Therefore when the
heated entirely with pure anhydrous liquid ammonia.
combiner is allowed to cool the evaporation of liquid anhydrous ammonia will
take place much more rapidly than heretofore as anhydrous ammonia is a much
more sensitive medium for absorbing heat than ammonia solution and will
absorb heat directly from all parts of the circulating tubes or other extension
of the liquifier.
As also the liquifier and refrigerating pipes or other extension of the liquifier
contain a far larger quantity of anhydrous liquid ammonia than the water in the
combiner is capable of absorbing the flow of gas to the combiner will remain
constant to the end of each operation and consequently there will be no feeble
each working.
period as heretofore at the end
The apparatus is therefore rendered much more effective than heretofore as
it can be worked a greater number of times in the same period.
We effect the filling of the liquifier with a larger quantity of pure liquid
anhydrous ammonia than passes to the liquifier each time the combiner is heated
in the following manner:-
The parts of the apparatus are either first charged with ammonia solution or
preferably the interior of the whole of the refrigerating apparatus is first cleared
as far as practicable of all air and water which it may contain and then ammonia
solution is delivered by a pump into the combiner only preferably until the
combiner contains the quantity of water which it is required always to contain.
The combiner is then heated to a temperature of about 270 to 280° Fahrenheit
at which temperature nearly the whole of the ammonia gas is driven off from
the water and the ammonia is collected in a liquified state in the liquifier as
in the ordinary way of working. A portion of the heated water in the combiner
is then drawn off care being taken to maintain the full temperature of the heated
water in the combiner whilst this is being done. The water as it is drawn off
is cooled and collected and then carefully weighed and its temperature and
A measured quantity of ammonia solution which
percentage of ammonia noted.
contains the same amount of water as the amount of water that was drawn off
is then by a force pump forced into the combiner and the above described opera-
tion is repeated until the circulating pipes and liquifier have become filled with
liquid ammonia up to the level of the overflow from the liquifier. The liquid
capacity of the liquifier being known there is no difficulty in knowing when it
5 will thus have been filled.
"Arktos"
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed is a longitudinal section of an
refrigerator having apparatus combined with it whereby the refrigerating tubes
and liquifier can be charged with liquid ammonia in the above manner.
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a plan and side elevation on a larger scale of
0 the combiner and apparatus for withdrawing liquid from and forcing liquid
into it.
55
Figure 4 is a side elevation and Figure 5 a plan of the pumping apparatus.
Figure 6 is a vertical section on a larger scale of the lower part of the pump
Figure 7 is a horizonal section on the line 7, 7, Figure 6.
In these figures A is the combiner. B apparatus by which the liquid in the
lower part of the combiner can be heated as described in the above mentioned
patent. C coils of pipe in which gas passing from the combiner is cooled. Di

page_text: the liquifier in which cooled and liquified gas is collected. E are circulating
pipes descending from the lower part of the liquifier. Fis the overflow from
the liquifier to the combiner. G is a pump and H a tank below the pump con-
taining a coil of pipe H¹ through which water can be drawn off from the combiner
and cooled. I is a vessel in which the water drawn off from the combiner is
collected and weighed. J is a weighing apparatus from which the vessel I is
suspended and K is a vessel containing a supply of ammonia solution.
As will be seen from Figures 6 and 7 the lower part of the pump barrel has
attached to it a conical plug a received into a conical seat in a fixed block b.
The plug has a handle a extending from it by which the plug may have a
quarter turn given to it. At the top of the plug are carried the inlet valve c
and the delivery valve & the valve e opening upwards and the valve d downwards.
The space below the inlet valve is connected by a passage el with two ports (2
at right angles to one another in the side of the plug and similarly the space
below the outlet or delivery valve d is connected by a passage with two
ports.
In the conical seat bare four equidistant ports 61 62 63 64 the port 1 has a
pressure gauge not shewn in the drawing connected to it-the opposite port 63 is
similarly connected with the vacuum gauge-the port 62 is connected by a pipe e
with the lower part of the combiner A and the opposite port 6 has a pipe f
connected to it the end of which may be inserted into a vessel K containing
ammonia solution.
The pipe e which leads from the combiner is as shewn at Figure 5 branched
at its end-one branch having on it a stop valve e¹ being connected with the
port above mentioned and the other having on it a stop valve 2 being connected
to the upper end of the coil of pipe H¹ in the tank H above which the pump
is mounted.
When the stop cock e² is opened and e' closed water can pass out from the
combiner through the coil of pipe H¹ and be collected in the vessel I in which
the amount so drawn off is to be weighed.
When the stop cock e¹ is opened and 2 closed and the handle on the plug a
is turned into the position shown by full lines in Figure 7 the pump can be used
for exhausting air and water from the combiner and other parts of the refrigerating
apparatus and when the handle has a quarter turn given to it and is turned
into the position shewn by dotted lines the pump can be used for drawing
ammonia solution from the vessel K and forcing it into the combiner.
Lis a lever pivotted at L' by which a reciprocating to and fro movement
can be given to the pump piston. I is a link passing from the lever to the
piston rod.
To charge the refrigerating apparatus with ammonia the stop cock e¹ is opened
and closed until all air has been exhausted as far as practicable from the
interior of the apparatus. A quarter turn is then given to the pump barrel so
that when the pump is again worked it will draw ammonia solution from the
vessel K and force it into the combiner. When the combiner has in this
way been filled with the required quantity of ammonia solution the
stop cock el is closed and the combiner is heated until the liquid contained
init has been heated up to about 280° Fahrenheit. When this
has been done the liquid in the combiner will be nearly pure water.
The stop cock is now opened so allowing water to pass from the combiner
through the cooling coil and into the vessel I. When any desired weight of
liquid (as indicated by the weighing mechanism J) has so been drawn off from
the combiner the stop cock e² is closed and e¹ opened-the pump is then again
worked to force into the combiner such a quantity of ammonia solution as
contains an amount of water equal to that previously drawn off from the combiner
and the solution so introduced is heated as before up to about 280° Fahrenheit
and this is again and again repeated until the liquifier is filled up to its overflow
with liquid ammonia and the combiner with water.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. An absorption refrigerating apparatus in which the liquifier contains pure
liquified anhydrous ammonia or like gas in greater quantity than the amount
which passes from the combiner to the liquifier each time the combiner is heated.
2. The hereinbefore described process for filling the liquifier of absorption
apparatus with pure liquified anhydrous ammonia or like gas in greater quantity
than the amount of gas which passes from the combiner to the liquifier each time
the combiner is heated.
3. The pump swivelling on an axis and adapted to be used either as a force
pump or an exhausting pump substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of the combiner, the liquifier, the pump, the conical plug
valve at the bottom of the pump barrel, the corresponding valve seat in which
this plug rests, a port in the valve seat from which a pipe passes to the combiner,
a second port in the valve seat from which a pipe passes to a vessel containing
ammonia solution, the pump inlet and outlet valves carried at the top of the
conical plug and the passages through the plug from below the inlet and outlet
valves to ports in the side of the plug by which the exhaust valve can be put into
connection with one port in the conical valve seat and the delivery valve with the
other port and so that by giving a partial turn to the pump barrel the connections
may be reversed.
10
1. 1900