IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRANSPARENT BLOCK ICE"
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Mutter, of Stockport in the County of Lancaster
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF TRANSPARENT BLOCK ICE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Mutter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1883.
"
MATTHEW MUTTER, of Stockport, in the county of Lancaster, "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRANSPARENT BLOCK ICE
It is well known that if water be frozen artificially in moulds or on the surface
of cells while such water remains quiescent the blocks or slabs of ice produced are
generally more or less opaque, but that if the water be agitated or kept in motion
in such manner as to wash over the surface of the ice as it forms, the ice can be
made transparent. Various arrangements of apparatus have been devised from
time to time for effecting this agitation or motion of the water, but in most cases
with imperfect results, and the object of the present invention is to produce an
apparatus for this purpose which shall be more efficient and less liable to get out
of order than those heretofore employed. The present improvements are more
especially applicable to the production of transparent ice in moulds or cans, but
they are also applicable more or less to the production of transparent ice on the
surface of cells. The invention as applied to moulds consists of the following
arrangements. Inside the mould and at the bottom thereof is placed an open
topped box or chamber made of wood or other suitable bad or imperfect conductor
of heat. This box or chamber is composed of a bottom, sides, and ends, and
corresponds to the shape of the bottom of the mould, the sides of such box or
chamber standing up to a height which depends upon the depth of the mould and
the amount of agitation or movement it is desired to impart to the water to be
congealed. Fitting loosely into this box or chamber and placed parallel to the
bottom thereof is a false bottom or paddle adapted to be moved up and down in
the said box or chamber by means of connecting rods which are secured at their
lower ends to the said false bottom or paddle, and extending upwards above the
mould, are jointed to oscillating levers or other suitable mechanical devices whereby

page_text: up and down motion is imparted to the said rods, and by them to the false bottom
or paddle. In order to prevent these connecting rods from being frozen into the
block of ice as it is formed they are surrounded by wooden or other suitable
insulating casings placed vertically in the mould. The said insulating casings may
be made in halves vertically for convenience in withdrawing the ice from the
mould when the block is finished, the inner part of the said casings next the block
of ice being adapted to leave the mould along with the latter, or if preferred the
entire vertical casings may be adapted to leave the mould with the block of ice.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-the mould being placed in the brine
tank and filled to the required depth with the water to be congealed, and the above
described apparatus placed in position, the false bottom or paddle is moved up and
down in the box or chamber at the bottom of the mould by the mechanism with
which it is connected, and the water in the mould is thereby alternately raised and
lowered, being caused to flow or wash over the surfaces of the ice in course of
formation on the sides of the mould. The mould being usually tapered towards
the bottom for convenience in extracting the ice blocks when made, it follows that
the two slabs of ice forming on the opposite sides of the mould, will join or grow
together at the bottom sooner than at the top, and as soon as this junction takes
place, the circulation of the water between the ice-surfaces by the direct action of
the false bottom or paddle ceases but as there is still left a passage for the unfrozen
water through the vertical insulating casings containing the connecting rods, the
false bottom or paddle forces the said water to rise and fall through the said
insulating casings and to flow over the tops of the inner sides of the same next the
block of ice in course of formation so as to keep up the required agitation between
the two surfaces of ico until the same have wholly grown together and the block
is completed. The height of the sides of the vertical insulating casings which
come next to the block of ice, conjointly with the height of the cold brine outside
the mould regulate the depth of the block of ice to be made.
When applying the invention to cells, I employ similar arrangements but
modified according to the kind of cell employed.
It will be understood that as the box or chamber at the bottom, and the vertical
insulating casings are formed of bad heat conductors, little or no ice forms in them,
consequently the false bottom and its connecting rods remain free to move and the
agitation or movement of the water over the surfaces of the ice is maintained
during the whole time the block of ice is being formed whereby the complete
transparency of the latter is secured,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Matthew Mutter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th August
1883.
MATTHEW MUTTER, of Stockport, in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRANSPARENT BLOCK ICE "
It is well known that if water be frozen artificially in moulds or on the surface
of cells while such water remains quiescent the blocks or slabs of ice produced are
generally more or less opaque, but that if the water be agitated or kept in motion
in such manner as to wash over the surface of the ico as it forms the ice can be
made transparent. Various arrangements of apparatus have been devised from
time to time for effecting this agitation or motion of the water, but in most cases
with imperfect results, and the object of the present invention is to produce an
apparatus for this purpose which shall be more efficient and less liable to get out
of order than those heretofore employed. The present improvements are
applicable to the production of transparent ice in moulds or cans, or on the surface
of cells. The invention as applied to moulds is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of
the drawings hereto annexed, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of part
of a congealing tank with the moulds in place, Figure 2 a plan of same, and
Figure 3 a transverse section.
A represents the congealing tank, B the moulds placed therein, C the brine or
other incongealable liquid in which the moulds are immersed. Inside each of the
moulds B and at the bottom thereof is placed an open topped box or chamber D
made of wood or other suitable bad or imperfect conductor of heat. This box or
chamber D is composed of a bottom, sides and ends, and corresponds to the shape
of the bottom of the mould, the sides of such box or chamber standing up to a
height which depends upon the depth of the mould, and the amount of agitation
or movement it is desired to impart to the water to be congealed. Fitting loosely
into this box or chamber D, and placed parallel to the bottom thereof is a false
bottom or paddle E adapted to be moved up and down in the said box or
chamber D, by means of connecting rods F F which are secured at their lower
ends to the said false bottom or paddle, and extending upwards above the moulds
are jointed to oscillating levers or arms G or other suitable mechanical devices
whereby up and down motion is imparted to the said rods F F and by them to
the false bottom or paddle E. In order to prevent these connecting rods E from
being frozen into the block of ice as it is formed, they are surrounded by wooden
or other suitable insulating casings H placed vertically in the moulds. The said
insulating casings may be made so as to remain behind in the moulds when the
blocks of ice are withdrawn or so as to come out bodily with the blocks of ice,
but I prefer to make them in two parts vertically for convenience in withdrawing
the ice from the moulds when the blocks are finished; the parts H of the said
casings next the blocks of ice being adapted to leave the moulds with the latter,
and the parts H to remain in the moulds.
The action of the apparatus is as follows; the moulds, filled to the required
depth with the water to be congealed are placed in the brine tank A and the brine
circulated round them in the usual way, the above described apparatus being
placed in position the false bottoms or paddles E are moved up and down in the
boxes or chambers D at the bottom of the moulds by the connecting rods F F
operated by the levers or arms G which are secured on rocking shafts I to which

page_text: a partial reciprocating rotary motion is imparted by the rods or links J acting upon
cranks or arms K. The rods or links J receive their motion from the bar L which
receives a to and fro longitudinal motion from a steam engine or other prime mover.
The water in the moulds is alternately raised and lowered by the motion of the
paddle E, being caused to flow or wash over the surfaces of the ice in course of
formation on the sides of the moulds. The moulds being usually tapered towards the
bottom for convenience in extracting the ice blocks when made, it follows that the
two slabs of ice forming on the opposite sides of the mould will join or grow together
at the bottom sooner than at the top, and as soon as this junction takes place the
circulation of the water between the ice surfaces by the direct action of the false-
bottom or paddle E ceases, but as there is still left a passage for the unfrozen
water through the vertical insulating casings H containing the connecting rods
FF, the false bottom or paddle E forces the said water to rise and fall through the
said insulating casings and to flow over the tops of the inner sides H of the same
next the blocks of ice in course of formation so as to keep up the required agitation
between the two surfaces of ice until the same have wholly grown together and
the block is completed. The height of the sides H of the vertical insulating
casings which come next to the block of ice, conjointly with the height of the cold
brine outside the moulds regulate the depth of the block of ice to be made.
When applying the invention to cells I employ arrangements similar to those
above described for moulds but modified to suit the kind of cell employed. These
modifications will be obvious to any one skilled in ice making machinery, but an
example of the application to cells is shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings in
which Figure 4 shows a longitudinal cection of a water tank containing cells, and
Figure 5 a transverse section of same.
A is the tank containing the water to be frozen, B the cells through the interior-
of which the brine or other incongealable liquid is circulated, D-the open topped
boxes or chambers placed at the bottoms of the spaces between two adjacent cells,
E the false bottoms or paddles, F F the connecting rods for working the same,
and H the insulating casings for preventing the rods F F from being frozen into
the blocks of ice. The action of the apparatus is the same as that described in
reference to the application to moulds.
It will be understood that as the boxes or chambers D at the bottom and the
vertical insulating casings H are formed of bad heat conductors little or no ice
forms in them, consequently the false bottoms or paddles E and their connecting
rods F F remain free to move, and the agitation or movement of the water over
the surfaces of the ice is maintained during the whole time the blocks of ice aro
being formed whereby the complete transparency of the latter is secured.
It will be obvious that any other suitable mechanical devices may be employed
for actuating the false bottom or paddle E, but I have found the arrangement of
levers or arms, rocking shafts, cranks, links and bars above described, and
illustrated in the drawings, to be convenient and suitable for the purpose.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner in which
the same is to, or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I
make no claim generally to the agitation of water being frozen on the surface of
either moulds or cells by the movement of a paddle or piston in a non-conducting
or badly conducting chamber contained in the water to be frozen, as I am aware
that such arrangements have already been used and patented, but what I do
claim is
First. For the purpose of producing transparent ice on the surfaces of either moulds
or cells, the open topped box or chamber constructed of material which is a
bad or imperfect conductor of beat placed at the bottom of the mould or of
the space between two cells, and having a false bottom or paddle working
vertically therein, the whole arranged, combined and operating substantially
as herein before described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.

page_text: Second. In connection with the open topped box or chamber having a false bottom
or paddle working vertically therein and placed at the bottom of the mould
or cell, the use of the insulating casings for preventing the actuating rods
of the false bottom or paddle from being frozen into the block of ice, such
insulating casings being either arranged so as to remain in position when
the ice is removed, or to come out bodily with such ice, or so that a part
only thereof shall come out with the ice, substantially ag hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Mutter have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-three.
MATTHEW MUTTER (L.S.)