An Improved Apparatus for Ice-making and Refrigerating.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 22nd June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
Date of Application, zora Aug., 1094
*Complete Specification Left. 22nd June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Ice-making and Refrigerating.
I ALFRED GLASSON Engineer of 339 Upland Road East Dulwich in the
County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The apparatus consists of an iron or steel cylindrical vessel called the generator.
To the top of this is bolted a cylindrical vertical casing called the condenser
casing. Down the centre of this casing and standing vertically is a large bore iron
pipe bolted at its lower end to the top of the generator & opening into it.
At the top end of this pipe is fixed a flange & boss with a back pressure valve in
it opening upwards. This valve is connected by a bent pipe with the top end or
inlet to an iron pipe coil which extends.downwards & surrounds the rectifier pipe
and lies inside the condenser casing. The rectifier pipe has also down its centre a
smaller wrought iron pipe filled with wood which acts as a displacement piece.
On the top of the condenser casing and bolted to it is placed an iron vessel inside
of which is a pipe coil. This vessel is called the absorber. This vessel is con-
nected by a pipe & valve with the bottom of the generator and is the weak liquor
pipe. The absorber is also connected to the back pressure valve on top of rectifier
by a small pipe & valve & called the equalizing pressure pipe. There is a pipe
connection & valve from the bottom of the absorber into the top of generator called
the blow out pipe. Through the top of the absorber is fitted a pipe & a valve
fixed close to it. This pipe is called the gas pipe and runs down inside the absorber
to near the bottom and terminates in a perforated nozzle or nozzles. In this pipe
and near the nozzles is placed a ball back pressure valve so that no liquid or gas
can return back through this pipe. The outlet from condenser coil runs into a
small vessel which has an outlet with a special regulating valve for small openings
fixed to the top end or inlet to a rectangular wrought iron pipe coil called the
freezing or cooling coil. This coil again is connected at its bottom end with the
gas pipe & valve on the top of absorber. To work the machine :-I place a
strong solution of ammonia in water in the generator & heating this by a gas or
an oil or fire stove placed under the generator.
The ammonia is thus evaporated from its solution and rising upwards passes
through the rectifier and there parts with any watery vapour it may contain &
becomes anhydrous.
Cold water is allowed to circulate & flow inside the condenser casing thus
keeping both the condenser coils & rectifier pipe cool the water also then passes
upwards & through the coil in the absorbers keeps that cool also.
The ammoniacal gas is now allowed to pass through the valve on top of rectifier
pipe & enters the condenser coil in which it becomes condensed into a liquid
through the increase of pressure and drains away into the vessel near freezing coil
called the receiver. It is now allowed to enter slowly into the freezing coil where
it quickly evaporates at a lower pressure and rendering latent a large amount of
heat it abstracts this from the medium surrounding the freezing coil which is thus
Oon reduced in temperature & thus may be used for refrigeration.
To keep down the pressure in the freezing coil the gas as fast as it forms is taken
by the gas pipe to the absorber and passing out through the nozzles which are
covered & under a layer of the weak solution which has now been turned on from

page_text: the generator through the weak liquor pipe. The gas, from the freezing coil
bubbles up through the layer of liquid & is absorbed by it. The heat of absorption
is now taken off by the stream of cold water running through the coil inside the
absorber.
When the whole charge of ammonia has thus been worked over from the generator
to freezing coil and to the absorber.
The solution now in absorber is a strong solution and is returned to the generator
to be used over again by means of the equalizing pressure pipe & valve. This
valve being turned on the pressure in the generator passes into the top of the
absorber and I then turn on the valve on the blow out pipe which opens a free
passage to the top of generator. The pressure in the absorber and generator being
now the same the whole of the contents contained in the absorber fall by gravity
into the generator to be used over again as before described.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1894:
An Improved Apparatus for Ice-making and Refrigerating.
1, ALFRED GLASSON, Engineer, of 339 Upland Road, Dulwich, in the County
of Surrey, 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 relates. to an improved ice-making and refrigerating apparatus of
the kind wherein are employed a generator for producing aminoniacal gas from a
strong solution of ammonia; a-condenser for converting the ammoniacal gas into
liquid ammonia; a coil of piping into which the liquid ammonia enters and assumes
a gaseous condition thereby abstracting heat from the surrounding liquid and
producing refrigeration; and an absorber where the ammoniacal gas is absorbed
by the liquor therein and a strong solution of ammonia thus re-produced which is
returned to the generator for use over again.
My invention more particularly consists in the arrangement of parts whereby
the generator, condenser and. absorber can be superimposed in the form of a
column. My invention further relates to the arrangement of pipes, valves and
cocks for enabling the apparatus to be effectually worked.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawing which illustrates a vertical longitudinal section of a freezing or refrigerating
apparatus constructed according to my invention.
A is the generator to the top of which is bolted the condenser B, and C is the
absorber which is bolted to the upper end of the said condenser. D is the
refrigerating coil of piping surrounding an ice-can or mould E which is located
within a vessel F containing brine or other suitable liquid; the whole being
contained in a casing G packed with sawdust and wood as is well understood.
The upper end of the generator A is provided with a neck or opening a which
communicates with a rectifier tube a' located vertically within the condenser B and
surrounded by the condensing coil b. The upper end of this rectifier tube a¹
terminates in a boss or bonnet a³ containing a back pressure valve a³ opening
upwardly. Within the said rectifier tube a' may be provided a centrally arranged
core a for the purpose of reducing the space within the rectifier tube. In the
drawing this core consists of a tube closed at its lower end and filled with wood or
other light material, and it is formed near its upper end with apertures a through
which the ammoniacal gas reaches the valve a³. The upper end of the before-
méntioned condensing coil 6 is connected to the said bonnet a³, while the lower end

page_text: thereof is connected to a small vessel or receiver H by a pipe h. This receiver
communicates with the upper end of the refrigerating coil D by a pipe h³ controlled
by a valve h. The opposite or lower end of the refrigerating coil communicates
with the absorber C by means of a pipe d which terminates in branch pipes d'
having outlets d' at their free ends. These outlets are provided with back pressure
all-valves enclosed in perforated screw caps or nozzles d³ fitting onto the said
outlets. I and J are two pipes, the former of which communicates with the top
and the latter with the bottom of the absorber, the said pipe I where it enters the
absorber being furnished with a sprayer i. Either of these pipes I and J can be
put into connection with the bottom of the generator, or be shut off therefrom, by
means of the three-way-cock k controlling the pipe K. There is also another
pipe L connecting the upper part of the absorber with the upper part of the
generator, this pipe being controlled by a valve l.
c is a coil of piping contained in the absorber C and opening at its lower end cl
into the condenser B, which latter is filled with cold water entering through the
inlet pipe B and flowing away through the coil c to the outlet c. A. constant
circulation of cold water is thus obtained.
The working of the apparatus. is as follows:-A strong solution of ammonia in
water having been placed in the generator A, heat is applied thereto by a gas
stove or other suitable means, whereby the ammonia is evaporated and rises in a
gaseous condition within the rectifier tube a¹. Here it parts with any watery
vapour that it may contain which condenses on the inner surface of the rectifier
tube and trickles back into the generator. The ammoniacal gas thus becomes
anhydrous. As soon as the pressure of the ammoniacal gas produced by the
generator becomes high enough to lift the valve a³ the said gas enters the condensing
coil b, wherein it becomes condensed and assumes a liquid condition and flows into
the receiver H. By slightly opening the cock h³ a small quantity of the said
liquid ammonia is allowed to pass from the recess into the upper end of the
refrigerating coil D wherein it rapidly evaporates and assumes its gaseous condition
owing to the reduced pressure in this coil, at the same time rendering latent a large
amount of heat, which it abstracts from the brine or other medium surrounding the
sai coils. The temperature of the liquid or substance contained in the ice-can or
nould E is thereby reduced and refrigeration takes place. The whole of the liquid
ammonia thus gradually becomes used up and converted into a gaseous condition,
the gas being conducted to the absorber C as fast as it is produced by means of the
pipe d.
Prior to admitting the liquid ammonia from the receiver H to the refrigerating
coil D, the cock k is turned into a position to put the generator A. into communi-
cation with the absorber C through the pipe I. The liquid in the generator (which
liquid has at this time given up most of its ammonia and is therefore only a weak
liquor) now rises up the pipe I owing to the pressure within the generator and
reaches the absorber through the sprayer i. Consequently as fast as the
ammoniacal gas coming from the refrigerating coil D, enters the absorber through
the pipe d and nozzles d³ it is absorbed by the weak liquor. The pressure within
the refrigerating coil D is thus kept low and at the same time the weak liquor
gradually becomes again converted into a strong solution of ammonia. The
heat of absorption is taken up by the cold water circulating through the absorber
coil c.
The liquor within the generator A having thus been transferred to the absorber C
and converted into a strong solution of ammonia the valve on the pipe L which
connects the absorber with the generator is now opened and the pressures within
the said generator and absorber then become equalized; it therefore only remains
to turn the three way cock k into a position to put the pipe J into communication
with the pipe K when the whole of the strong liquor within the absorber will flow
by gravity back into the generator ready to be used over again. During this time
the back pressure valve a³ operates to prevent the return of the liquid anhydrous
ammonia from the condensing coil b to the generator A.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would state that I do not
intend to claim broadly an ice-making and refrigerating apparatus comprising a
generator, a condenser, an absorber, and a refrigerating coil as I am aware that
apparatus of this description was well known prior to the date of my present
application for Patent; but what I do claim is :-
1. An ice-making and refrigerating apparatus in which the generator, condenser
and absorber are located one above the other substantially as described.
2. In an ice-making and refrigerating apparatus the construction of the rectifier
tube with a back pressure valve substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination with a rectifier tube of the kind claimed in the preceding
claim of an internal core constructed substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
4. In an ice-making and refrigerating machine having the generator condenser
and absorber superimposed, the arrangement of the various pipes cocks and valves
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing and for the
purposes specified.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.