IMPROVED ICE-MAKING MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck of 139 Cannon Street in the City
.. 1
of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent for an Invention of
"IMPROVED ICE-MAKING MACHINERY" A communication to him from abroad
by G. Dubern of Calcutta in the Empire of India
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said William Henry Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "IMPROVED ICE-MAKING MACHINERY" [A commu-
nication to him from abroad by G. Dubern of Calcutta in the Empire of India.]
According to the first part of this invention, instead of employing a single air
pump in those ice making or cooling machines in which cold is generated by the
compression and subsequent expansion of a gas or vapour, a second or auxilliary
pump is added to and worked in combination with the ordinary air pump in such
manner that one pump draws the vapour or gas from the vapourizer producing a
vacuum therein and partly compressing the said vapour or gas, the other puinp
draws the said vapour or gas from the first pump and further compresses and forces
it into the condenser.
The same result may be effected with one pump cylinder by constructing the
piston with a trunk at one end so as to reduce the area of the piston on that side,
the vapour or gas is drawn from the vapourizer into the end of the cylinder
opposite to that containing the trunk and is forced from that end into the other or
trunk end where it is further compressed and ultimately forced therefrom into the
condenser.
The aforesaid pumps are completely jacketed with a strong wrought or cast iron
or copper casing furnished with a stuffing box through which the pump rod passes.
This outer casing is kept in connection with the condenser by means of a small
pipe so as to keep a pressure of the gas or vapour all round the cylinder. In the
case of a single acting pump the jacket is divided into two, one round each end.
These jackets prevent leakage of air into the pumps.

page_text: The condenser is composed of two large parallel pipes placed nearly horizontal
but having the plane passing through their axes at an angle of about 45° with the
horizon. Between these large pipes are a great many coils of small pipes or
serpentines, and the vapour or gas to be cooled and liquified is admitted into the
lower large pipe. One end of this pipe is closed by a partition and forms a
reservoir for liquified vapour.
The vapourizer is also composed of two large horizontal pipes one acting as a
dome to the other. The lower pipe has a flat bottom into which a great number
of small pipes about an inch in diameter are screwed, the lower ends of these pipes
are closed. This lower large pipe is half filled with the liquid whilst the small
ones under it are of course quite filled. therewith. The brine circulates around all
these large and small pipes.
According to the second part of the invention, the water for making transparent
ice is submitted to the following treatment by means of the machinery hereafter
described
1st It is thoroughly purged of air.
2nd-It is then kept in closed vessels without ever coming in contact with air
after being so purged.
3rd It is frozen out of contact with air.
The purging of air is effected by boiling the water in vessels or moulds provided
with means for preventing the atmospheric pressure from crushing such vessels or
moulds during the subsequent cooling, namely by employing a piston or diaphragm
which yields first to the atmospheric pressure or by admitting into the closed
vessels or moulds other water previously purged of air, so as to make up for the
contraction of the water in the ice vessels or moulds occasioned by the cooling.
The water may be purged of air by pumping; for this purpose it may be placed
in a metallic vessel strong enough to resist the pressure of the atmosphere, the top
of the said vessel is furnished with a valve. This vessel is filled entirely with
water and closed airtight; some of the water is then drawn out of it by means of a
pump applied to the bottom thereof; a comparatively perfect vacuum is thus
produced therein by the very first stroke of the pump and air is immediately
disengaged from the water, the pump plunger being then pushed back, the free air
escapes through the valve at the top, and so on till no more air issues from the
valve.
A circulation of cold brine is then kept up around the vessel until the whole of
the water is transformed into ice.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th March 1883.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "IMPROVED ICE-MAKING MACHINERY" [A commu-
nication to him from abroad by G. Dùbern of Calcutta in the Empire of India.]
According to the first part of this invention, instead of employing a single air
or vapour pump in those ice-making or cooling machines in which cold is generated
by the compression and subsequent expansion of a gas or vapour, a second or
auxilliary pump is added to, and worked in combination with, the ordinary air or
vapour pump in such manner that one pump draws the vapour or gas from the
vapourizer producing a vacuum therein, the other pump draws the said vapour or
gas from the first pump and compresses and forces it into the condenser.
The same result may be effected with one pump cylinder by constructing the.
piston somewhat longer than the length of the stroke one end of the cylinder
only drawing vapour or gas from the vapourizer, and that vapour or gas, transferred*
to the other end of the cylinder, is there compressed and ultimately forced
therefrom into the condenser.
The aforesaid pumps are completely jacketed with a strong wrought or cast iron
or copper casing furnished with a stuffing box through which the pump rod passes..
This outer casing is kept in connection with the condenser by means of a small
pipe so as to keep a pressure of the gas or vapour all round the cylinder. In the
case of a single acting pump the jacket is divided into two, one about each end.
These jackets prevent leakage of air into the pumps.
The condenser is composed of two large parallel pipes placed nearly horizontal
but having the plane passing through their axes at an angle with the horizon.
Between these large pipes are a great many coils of small pipes or serpentines and
the vapour or gas to be cooled and liquified is admitted into the lower large pipe.
One end of this pipe is closed by a partition and forms a reservoir for liquified
vapour.
+
The vapourizer is also composed of horizontal pipes, one of which acts as a dome
to the other or others. The lower pipes have each a flat bottom into which a great
number of small pipes about an inch in 'diameter are screwed; the lower ends of
these pipes are closed or connected together by a common channel or chamber. The
above mentioned lower pipe or pipes is or are half filled with the liquid, whilst the
small ones under it are of course quite filled therewith. The brine circulates around
all these large and small pipes.
According to the second part of the invention, the water for making transparent
ice is submitted to the following treatment, by means of the machinery hereafter
described.
First. It is thoroughly purged of air.
Second. It is then kept in closed vessels without ever coming in contact with
air after being so purged.
Third. It is frozen out of contact with air.
The purging of air is effected by boiling the water in vessels or moulds provided
with means for preventing the atmospheric pressure from crushing such vessels or
moulds during the subsequent cooling, namely, by employing a piston or
diaphragm which yields first to the atmospheric pressure, or by admitting into
he closed vessels or moulds other water previously purged of air, so as to make up.
for the contraction of the water in the ice vessels or moulds occasioned by the
ooling.
} .

page_text: A circulation of cold brine is then kept up around the vessel until the whole of
the water is transformed into ice.
In the following arrangement the volatilisation is produced only by pump A.
Figure 1. of the drawings, and the compression by pump B only, and so the cold
produced is not neutralised partly in the pump by heat being produced by 5
compression in that very. pump; as is generally the case.
Both pumps A and B are similar to each other but B is about one tenth more in
capacity than A so as to make up for leakages, and the small expansion of the cold
vapour coming in contact with the hot sides of pump B.
'
The details of such vapour pumps being the same as well known ones only a
diagram of the combination of such parts is given, whilst the improved parts or
the new ones are fully represented in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
As illustrated in Figure 1, on account of the position of the valves and pipes of
pump A, this latter can only draw vapours from the vapourizer. The pump B can
only draw the vapours from A, so that there is in fact but a simple transfer of that
vapour from A to B, which at the next stroke is compressed into the condenser;
the action of pump B is in every way similar to that of the pumps used in ordinary
ice-machines.
IA,
1:
This arrangement is chiefly intended to be adapted to any existing ice machines
by adding to them another pump and connecting the valves, pipes, and piston rods
as represented.
In new machines the above described results are also attained in
manner by a single cylinder or pump as represented in Figure 2.
a simpler
In this case, the cylinder is made from. four inches to six inches longer
(according to size of machine) than twice the diameter of the circle described
by the engine crank. The total thickness of the piston is then made equal to
one such diameter plus four inches (or six inches if for the larger size) minus
twice the clearance of the piston. As shown by Figure 2, only the back end of
such a pump can draw the vapour from the vapourizer through pipe A; whilst
the front end is the only one that ever gets in direct communication with the
condenser through the pipe B; the forward stroke of the piston produces vacuum
in the vapourizer and compression in the condenser; the backwards one only
produces transfer of the vapour from the back end to the front one, and hence,
absorbs no mechanical power except that required to overcome friction. To work
such a pump, a trunk steam engine, having a relatively very large trunk towards
the front end of its cylinder, would answer well.
The four inch neutral and central part of the pump is never crossed over by
the ends of the piston, so that cold vapours never get in contact with hot surfaces
as long as that might be harmful.
:
The piston C is composed of three parts; a and b are ordinary vapour pump
pistons; the central part C is a hollow drum closed all around and turned accurately
to fill up entirely (it must also be easy smooth working) the space between' the
two pistons a and b both its ends are lined with discs one eighth of an inch thick
of a non-conductor of heat; compressed paper. or cardboard being among the best
materials for that purpose; the pistons a and b are screwed hard to the central
part C, and the front one b is connected as usual to a rod; some narrow grooves
are also cut all round and all over the surface of C at about one inch interval
between each.
11;
1. • .
1.
J
To avoid complication, ordinary ice-machine pump-valves may well be used in
connection with such machines as are represented in Figures 1 and 2; but for hot
climates it is preferable to have the utmost perfection notwithstanding a certain
degree of complication and extra cost, and the following combination of valves,
springs and spring-tension reversers are adjoined.
The set of valves worked by rod I in Figure 1 will only be described; the same
kind of arrangement is employed for rod II and the valves in the diagrams have
all the beviled shape rather for the sake of "clearness than because actually so
Figure 3 shows one of the valves complete in its details, a and b are the valve

page_text: spindle guides; c and d are two ring collars pinned on the valve spindle and against
which the springs e and f press: g is a collar rather free on the valve spindle :
the two springs e and f keep it midway between the collars c and d, g' is a
trunnion on g; there is also another similar one on the opposite side of it: h is a
fork which works the collar g; g¹ should be somewhat free in the fork: k is a
guide preventing any side motion of h or its exerting any action on the spindle
except through the springs; at b is a nut and a spring washer, it begins to act if
the valve should be thrust too much forward.
In Figure 1, I. and II. are the main rods on which the forks m m are fixed: as
represented they work in guides n, n', and are themselves set in motion by forks
and levers o, o pivotted at p, p', where their axles pass out through stuffing boxes
outside of the vapour pipes QQ1; levers fixed on the outer ends of the axles p, p'
receive the required motion from rods worked by cams on the main or crank axle.
In Figure 2, r is a spring pushing outwards the plug s:-there is a similar
arrangement at t, w, v; they are all composed of similar parts, and the plugs have
a head which prevents them from being entirely pushed out; they project about half
of an inch out of the piston; in the larger machines of five tons and upwards they
gradually increase to one inch; the springs pushing these plugs out should be about
twice as strong as the valve spindle springs.
The manner these act is as follows: through the cams on the main shaft the.
rods I and II receive an alternating motion of about one inch; the springs on the
valve spindles should be so made that for about such play of the rods a slight
drawing action should be reversed into a slight pushing off the valve seat.
Rod I has to begin to move just when the crank is at the last inch and a quarter
from dead point. (This in larger machines of five tons and above increasing
to three or four inches and corresponds to the last one hundredth of the total
piston travel increasing to one fiftieth of such travel in the smaller.)
Rod II begins to move when the crank is nearly at the dead point. As I and II
begin to move by a proper shape of cam they have to get the same direction of
motion as the piston rod will have after passing the dead points, and the entire
play of rod II should be completed by the time the piston has progressed through
the first fiftieth of the new stroke: the play of I should be completed sooner in
proportion as it began sooner.
The diameters of the cams should not be smaller than the circle described by
the crank centre so as to permit of easy and correct motion of valves. However
cams of larger diameter than eighteen inches are not necessary.
To prevent flow of vapour through and through valves of same end of cylinder
during change of position of valves, springs and plugs r, t, u, v, keep pressing
down their corresponding valve as long as all the others are not in proper
position, namely as long as the piston is within the first half-inch or one inch of
its travel.
The effect of this arrangement is that the spring action which is necessary to
close the valves, when working with highly rarified vapours, does not tend con-
tinually in a very objectionable manner to close them when they should be open.
Another arrangement of the same is also obtained by making the vapour pump
vacuum valves as represented in Figure 4 (the fork h and rods d, k of Figure 3
being omitted). The lever B is replaced by a stiff spring-like lever of the same
length as B and adapted to work the arm A, but to yield a little should the
valve F be forced accidentally against the pump piston. When the valve F is
closed A should be clear of the end of F. B is in this case worked directly from
an appropriate separate cam on the main axle for each vacuum valve, such cam
being shaped so as to produce the opening of the valve in a rapid and fair manner
just after the pump piston starts forward, and to let it close again by the arm A
being moved backwards by the same cam so as to let the spring of F bring the
latter back to its seat the moment the piston is stationary and about to reverse its
motion: with this arrangement the springs t and w of Figure 1, and r and v of
Figure 2 are dispensed with,

page_text: Disconnecting rods I and II and fixing them at half stroke reproduces the
ordinary circumstances of the usual vapour pumps and valves.
In Figure 2 all the valves are moved at the same time by a single cam and
connecting rod and the necessary retardation of one valve relatively to the other
one of the same cylinder end is produced by springs r and v. In the machines
represented in Figures 1 and 2 the valves on the outlet or compression side are
left entirely automatic: as usual a spiral spring slightly helps them back to
their seat.
In Figure 1, E and F are two valves opening inwards; their section is about one
third of that of the other valves; their boxes are both directly in communication
by means of a pipe crossing from the one to the other: the valves are kept centred
by the usual valve guides and they are held back by springs. In Figure 4 one of
the valves E F is represented complete. A is a lever pivotted at a'; the axle a¹
passes through a packing box and at its outer end a lever B is fixed to it. It is
plain that when B and A receive a rocking motion A will push away the valve
from its seat and then recede from the valve spindle and so leave it in fair contact
with its seat. The lever A has to push forward the valve by about one quarter
of an inch and then recede from the spindle end by one sixteenth of an inch.
Both valves E F are similar and have to work at the same instant, this being
managed by the combination of levers represented, in which C is a fixed centre,
the connecting rod D moves a lever exactly the same as B working the other valve
(not represented here). A rocking motion is given to lever H by rod K which last
is set in motion by a cam on the crank axle: such combination of levers evidently
opens and closes both valves E and F at the same time. The cam working these
levers must be so set as to begin to open the valves when the rod II of Figure 1 is
at half stroke. The closing must be effected again immediately after rod II is at
rest i.e. when all other valves are in their final position.
The object of the above is to put both ends of the cylinder in communication
with each other each time the crank reaches the dead points and to keep them in
communication for a short while to enable the highly compressed vapour contained
in the clearance spaces to pass to the other side where there is only a very low
pressure the usefulness of this sort of purging at each stroke becomes greater and
greater as the pressures in the condenser, from whatever cause they arise, become
greater and greater. The pipe uniting the two valve boxes should be of ample
section say one half more than the way through the valves when a quarter of an
inch open.
To obviate leakage of air into the vapour pumps they are completely jacketted
with an external casing having an additional packing box for the piston rod and a
pressure of vapour is kept between both by a connecting pipe to the condenser.
Most of the leakage however taking place at the packing box of the pump rod this
sort of jacketting may practically be restricted to the packing box itself as
represented in Figure 6.
Figure 5 is also designed to transform leakages into the pump (if any) into
vapour, leaks: half of the arrangement is shown in the Figure the other half, with
the exception of the vapour pipe P is exactly the same. The annular space A holds
the usual packing which is pressed down by a tightening ring B: C. is a second
ordinary packing: E is an annular groove hollowed out in the piece B and which
through channel b b b is continually kept in communication through pipe P with
the condenser or any part of the machine or any recipient where there is a
constant pressure of the vapour or gas employed greater than that of the
atmosphere H is an ordinary packing nut with notches all around its head to
enable it to be turned by means of a special key: this nut presses down the steel
ring I and this last jams a lead ring L against the piece B, and the side of the
packing box, and so prevents any leakage there. At N, O, is the very same sort
of packing as the one at H. L. On the pressure pipe P there is first a small
manometer or pressure gauge and after it towards the part from which the vapour

page_text: comes, is a stop cock which is also furnished with an oil cup and cock over as in all
lubricators for pressure chambers and through b b b the lubricant can get into E.
With this arrangement, if there be a smell of the vapour, the outside packing is
to be tightened a little. When it is desired to ascertain the state of the packing
at A, the stop cock of pipe P is closed and the manometer observed: if at each
stroke of the piston it varies but slightly it may be left as it is: if there are large
variations of pressures the packing requires tightening: calipers should be used to
see that the distance m, m is the same right round as it is of great importance.
>
In Figure 6, A is the pipe bringing the vapour under pressure and also the
lubricant; as before stated the manometer is also attached to it. The combination
of the several parts is plain from the Figure as they are either well known or
ahove described. This one is used to the same end and same way as the above
but takes up less room and so may be employed where the one shown in Figure 5
would not answer well.
The condenser is composed of two large parallel pipes, each divided into two
separate sections A. A¹. and B. B¹, (See Figure 7) making altogether a length of
from eight feet to fourteen feet and having a diameter of from six inches to
twelve inches, all these numbers depending of course on the size of machines, but
the large size is referred to in this description. The pipes A A², B B¹ as repre-
sented are placed from three feet to six feet or at most eight feet apart: C C C¹
and D D¹ are a number of serpentines: C C and D only show the space occupied
by the serpentines each of which is like those represented in complete drawing
at C D C C C are to be made of one inch or one and a quarter inch. pipes
each one hundred feet long, and making thirty or forty circumvolutions: the total
section of all their bores taken together should be about equal to that of the
pipe E, that is the compression pipe. FF same size as E is a pipe connecting A
with B D D are coils of double or triple parallel rows of pipes: their total bore
section should be once and a half that of the pipe E: the diameter of these pipes
is about one inch and a half or one inch and three quarters at most. Sufficient
bore section should be got at by increasing the number of pipes if required but not
this size; the ends of each set of parallel pipes are all joined to single main
pipes G G³, which last are joined by means of sockets (not represented) to the
under part of A' and top part of B¹.
:
The serpentines CCC are generally made of single pipes: but whatever be the
case the lower end projects downwards to within one half inch of the bottom of B
as shown in the Figure at H. Jis the return cock and pipe through which the
liquid returns to the vapourizer. There is also a small pipe and a purge cock (not
represented) at the lowest part of B and B' enabling B to be put in direct
communication with B': iii are tie bars also used to keep the serpentines in shape
by means of clamps inside these tiebars as represented are screwed to bars LL
and L'L'; these last are strapped onto A A¹ B B by clamps N. N. N' N'.
:
The whole condenser as usual is surrounded on every side by a box or cistern
wide enough to allow of its being inclined at an angle of about twenty-five degrees
with the vertical: it is also to be high enough to permit of the condenser being set
vertical without getting higher than the box. In Figure 7 it is represented
vertical: by inclining it more or less, it is made to keep more or less liquid in the
serpentines C C C¹. The required inclination depends mostly on the pitch of the
pipes. In general it should be so inclined as to keep enough liquid in the lower
part of the serpentines to not only close them but also to keep a head of liquid of
about two inches in the rising part of the pipe opposite to that from where the vapour
comes. This is approximately represented in Figure 8, where for such a pitch and
diameter of serpentine, the inclination of the axial line a b of the serpentine, and
therefore of the whole condenser, requires to make an angle of fifteen degrees with
the vertical cd: efis the horizontal line shewing also the relative position that the
liquid would take in the lower part of the circumvolutions. If the serpentine was
quite vertical of course no liquid whatever would remain in it: by inclining the
serpentine more and more there comes a point when it will hold enough liquid to

page_text: ་
just close the free passage of vapour from circumvolution to circumvolution, and
this point in Figure 8, or a proportionally larger one, will be found to be an angle
of nine degrees: the additional six degrees inclination is calculated to prevent the
flow of vapour driving nearly all the liquid out of all except perhaps in some
of the lowest circumvolutions.
The condenser cistern is divided into two parts by partition 000: PP Pis a
pipe delivering the surface water from division of A to the bottom of the one
containing B¹: QQ are cool water inlets, R R are the hot water outlets. .
The working of this condenser is as follows: the hot vapour comes in through E
into A¹, passes into the coils D, D, D¹ where it loses the first excess of heat; whilst
it gets down to B¹; it next ascends through F F into A: here it subdivides into
all the coils C, C, C and gets cool and liquified in them, but mostly in the lower
part of the lowest circumvolution, where quite possibly only liquid flows, whilst a
little higher there will be vapour and liquid both flowing the one stirring the other;
still higher up there will be mostly vapour and little liquid, this last being kept, by
the flow of vapour, in constant agitation and getting partly volatilized again whilst
some of the vapour gets condensed; this stirring of the vapour and liquid together
assisting convection and conduction of heat and hence helping condensation: all
the liquid that the coils cannot hold drips into B and through J goes to the
vapourizer.
The vapourizer is composed of horizontal pipes A and B Figure 9, A being
ten inches or twelve inches in diameter and answering the purpose of vapour
chamber or dome to two or three other pipes B, B1, B placed side by side and all
communicating with A by means of vapour pipes D, D', D".
B, B1, B, as represented, have flat bottoms made out of thick plates, and into
which narrow pipes bbb are screwed and soldered one inch apart from each
other; they are from one inch to one and a quarter inches for a length of three
feet, and placed in double rows all along B, B', B". Their lower ends are joined
to channels C, C¹, Cu by sockets (not represented) and soldered. To suit the
smaller size of machines the diameter of pipes b b b should in no case be diminished
below three quarters of an inch but the length may be.
The length of A and B is from six feet to eight feet: if more surface is required
than got at by this size, they may be increased at will; it is better to add another
such vapourizer alongside of the first one.
H is the return pipe and cock: h, h', h¹¹ are small pipes establishing a communi-
cation between C, C¹, C" and H: ii are two stirring screws turning between
the somewhat wider spaces between the sets of pipes B, B¹, B₁ each screw is kept
tight against its collar by means of a pipe and tightened by set nut e.
The shaft J is kept in position by an inverted cone bearing K: there is an
ordinary packing box at L, and at M there is a cap preventing leakage of brine
through the conical bearing. N N is the brine box also insulating the vapourizer
from external heat: 00¹ are straps screwed to C, C¹, C" and keeping them close
together.
The advantages of this vapourizer are its external brine circulation doing away
with any risk of injury through the freezing of brine; and facility of repairs to
pipes if found leaky.
Water to be frozen is previously submitted to a process which mostly frees it of
air: this is accomplished by the following apparatuses.
:
In Figure 11, A A are the insulating sides of an ordinary freezing box, fitted
with the ordinary disposition for brine circulation, but also with another such set
of pipes for cool water circulation. It is also fitted with a special pipe P along its
whole length from this pipe P there are other small pipes p starting from it and
going into the lowest part of each ice cell compartment. Inside of P there is
another easy fitting pipe p¹ having holes corresponding to the holes and pipes p:
when turned away half a circle from these holes it closes very imperfectly, but
Both ends of P
nevertheless sufficiently, all the successive pipes p from each other.
are furnished with packing boxes, through which the internal pipe p¹ passes: one

page_text: end of this last is closed and furnished with a handle, and there is a cock at the
other end.
It is evident that when the cock is open, and holes facing holes, all the liquid
in the compartments is discharged. All compartments are internally lined with
thin sheeting, copper being among the best. B represents one out of the ten or
twelve such covered ice cells set in succession in A A'; the one represented being
four feet by four feet by six or nine inches. CC is a half inch steam pipe bent as
represented so as to cause a circulation D is a funnel placed in the slightly
conical aperture d of the cover E: this aperture is about a quarter of an inch larger
on every side than the external diameter of pipe C; F is a small length of rubber
tube connecting the cover inlet pipe to the purged water pipe G¹; G is the main
purged water pipe: H is the main steam pipe. From H and G there are as many
small pipes branching off as there are ice cells: all the pipes like C'on H can turn
over right round in the bracket I so as to not be in the way during removal of ice.
The rubber pipe F is furnished with a pressing down clip (not represented) which
when put on closes it completely. K is a serpentine kept cool by a flow of water
in the cistern about it: this serpentine is composed of half inch pipe and is fifty
feet long. L is a covered vessel having four three eighths of an inch holes and
pipes N N in the cover: Q is a steam pipe by means of which the water in Ļ is
continually kept boiling. M is a water level indicator. O is a cock and pipe
supplying hot boiled water. The size of L is to be twice that which corresponds
to the diminution of bulk of water in all the ice cells connected to L when it cools
down from one hundred degrees to four degrees.
To ensure next to complete purging there should be but hot air-purged water
fed to the boiler supplying steam and water to the cells: this is obtained by
steaming the feed water in a vessel similar to L.
In a boiler used for such purpose, the water should be agitated by means of
some well known stirring arrangement to prevent super-heating which may take
place in air-purged water and suddenly cause a much higher pressure. This
apparatus is used as follows: after B is covered in an air-tight manner, and the
clip placed on F so as to close it entirely, boiling purged water is sent into the
cells through H and C C: when entirely filled the hot water tap on H is closed,
and the steam one opened, and steam kept on till it is judged that the air that got
mixed with the hot water whilst filling the moulds is once more expelled: then
pipe C and funnel D are removed, and d is well closed by a cock; the clip on F is
removed, and cool water is circulated about the cells till they are completely
cooled the whole while the water from L flows slowly through K, G, G¹, F and
makes up for contraction of the water in the cells. Lastly the cool water is all
discharged through P, and the brine circulation kept up till the water in the cells
is completely frozen. R is an ice feeler working through a small packing box:
marks on it indicate, when it comes in contact with the ice, how far the freezing
bas progressed and when completed.
Inside the cells all along their narrow sides and bottom, is placed a wide strap
of metal, having its edges slightly turned in, and strong ears at S S. During
thawing and after removing the cover E, a cross bar is introduced through the
ears S S and by its means the ice raised whilst it leaves the cell behind. The
height of the brine circulation should be such, outside of the cells, as to always
leave the ears S S in unfrozen water. Figure 10 shews the arrangement for
making ice with air-purged water, most easily adapted to machines already at
work, as only a special cover has to be fitted to the cells.
Each ice cell A is fitted with the spécial cover B having itself an extra cover
C. C: B is joined air tight to the rims of the cell by clamps after interposing a
packing ring right round: D is a steam pipe screwed into hole a; this hole can
be closed by a screw plug after D has been removed. E is an accurately bored and
quite smooth cylinder: F is a light piston with a cup packing at one side as
represented; this piston must be able to move rather freely in the cylinder without
being loose c and d are two small openings in the cylinder through which steam

page_text: and air can escape at e there is a small screw plug; a hook is introduced through
this hole to catch and draw up the piston F by the eye f, so as to clear the small
hole d after which the plug at e is screwed on again.
The cover B having been clamped, boiling water, or boiling air-purged water, is
introduced through pipe D into the cell till the whole is entirely filled and water
issuing at d also fills cover B nearly up to the top next, steam is sent through D
which keeps on boiling and stirring the liquid continually whilst the steam escapes
through c and d together with the air that may have been in the water. When
purging is considered complete pipe D is drawn out, a closed, and, by means of a
bent hook, piston F is pushed in a little further than hole d, and the cover CC
put on cool water is now circulated about the cell or cells till entirely cooled
down, and, as described concerning Figure 11 arrangement, cool water removed,
brine circulated, etcetera, etcetera: there is also an ice-feeling rod as at R in
Figure 11 but not represented.
During the cooling of the water inside the cell the piston F is gradually drawn
in towards the end of E where hole c is. Of course the capacity of cylinder E
must be in proportion to the size of the cell, so as to make up with a small excess
for the whole contraction of water from boiling point down to four degrees
centigrade. Instead of the piston F, a tubular impermeable cloth membrane
swelling inside the cylinder may be employed, one of the ends being fastened
air-tight to the cylinder end and the other.closed like a pouch.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that the.
following claims are made only in their application to ice machinery when
combined and acting on the whole as described, and that what I claim as the
invention to be secured by the within in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First. The special combination of two separate pumps, the one producing vacuum
only, and the other compression only, (the simple transfer of vapour not
being considered) as herein before described, and illustrated in Figure 1 of
the Drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Second. The arrangement of a single pump with a very long piston, one end of
which pump is used only for producing vacuum, and the other end of which
pump is used for compression only, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated
in Figure 2 of the Drawings, and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination of moveable spring seats, butts, or rests herein called
"spring tension reversers" with ice machine valve springs, which seats or
rests are moved at each stroke of the piston so as to diminish the action or
even reverse the direction of the action of such springs on the valves, as
herein before described, and illustrated in Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the
Drawings.
Fourth. The system, plan, design, or combination for working vacuum valves in
the vapour pumps of ice machines, partly by mechanical means, and partly
by the usual so called automatic action of springs and gases acting as a
complement to the mechanical means, as herein described in connection
with Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The combination of two purging valves, cocks, slide valve, or any such
suitable arrangement, at each stroke, effecting the purging of compressed
vapour, that cannot be forced into the condenser, from the compressing end
of the pump to the exhausting end thereof, as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 of the Drawings.
Sixth. The plan of placing a jacket, or a practically air tight intermediate space or
chamber, between parts of the machine in which there is a pressure less
than that of the atmosphere, and the external air and pressure; which
jacket space or chamber is filled with the vapour used in the machine and
having a greater pressure than that of the atmosphere, as herein before
described, and illustrated in the drawings, and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Seventh. The combination of two packing boxes having between both a space kept
at a higher pressure than that of the atmosphere, as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings, and for the purpose
specified.
Eighth. The combination of the usual packing tightening-ring, with an external
packing box to it, which jams around it a lead ring, as herein before
described, and represented in Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings, and for the
purpose specified.
.
Ninth. The arrangement or combination, in application to ice-machine condensers,
of many successive spaces filled with vapour and the next with liquid,
which spaces are formed preferably by pipes of a serpentine shape which by
their inclination keep the necessary quantity of liquified vapour, producing
the said alternation of vapour-filled and liquid-filled spaces, as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in Figure 8 of the Drawings.
Tenth. The combination of the several parts of the ice-machine condenser, namely,
two large parallel pipes each divided into two separate chambers connected
in succession and having between both a great many serpentines, as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figure 7 of the Drawings.
Eleventh. The general combination of the parts constituting the vapourizer,
namely, narrow upright pipes all connected at their top and lower ends to
top and bottom chambers, the volatile fluid being inside the pipes, and
uncongealable fluid outside, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
Figure 9 of the Drawings.
Twelfth. The following process on the whole and application to ice making, namely,
First purging or expelling air out of water; Secondly-keeping the whole
water to be made into ice continuously and entirely out of contact with air
from the moment of purging until and during freezing, as herein before
described.
Thirteenth. The general combination of apparatus shewn in Figure 10 having for
object to prevent the atmospheric pressure from deforming the cells by
means of yielding pistons; or as an alternative a tubular impermeable cloth
membrane swelling inside of the cylinder, one of its ends being fastened air
tight to the cylinder end, and the other closed like a pouch, as hereinbefore
'described.
Fourteenth. The general combination of apparatus for excluding air from contact
with water whilst at the same time exerting its pressure on it through
intervening boiling water and steam, and so preventing deformation of cells,
as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figure 11 of the drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said William Henry Beck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 22nd day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
W. H. BECK (L.S.)