IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFActure of ICE AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO AND REFRIGERATING OTHER COOLING PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Coughlin, of Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFActure of
ICE AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF
WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
AND REFRIGERATING
OTHER COOLING
PURPOSES
"
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 3rd July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Coughlin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd July 1875.
I, DAVID COUGHLIN, of Lambeth," in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER COOLING AND
THEREIN, PARTS OF
REPRIGERATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-

page_text: vaporization of liquefied or condensed ammonia, or other suitable
volatilo refrigerating agent. The apparatus is however partly applicable
to the production of cooling fluids, and to other refrigerating purposes.
In carrying out my Invention I employ the following apparatus,
vizt
Fitth. A cooler.
First. I propose to employ two ammonia boilers herein-after designated
Nos. 1 and 2, which are connected together by a communicating pipe
at one end, and between or beneath which they may be placed a boiler
for the generation of steam to be used for driving various parts of the
apparatus, the two ammonia boilers and the steam boilers being all
arranged within a suitable furnace, so that their contents may be heated
by a single fire. The ammonia boilers are each provided with another
pipe at the opposite end to that at which the connecting pipe is fitted,
one of which pipes, say for example, that of boiler No. 1 is employed for
the introduction of a solution of ammonia, cither (as for example, in
starting the apparatus) from any external source, or (when the apparatus
is in operation) from the absorber and recondenser, as herein-after
mentioned, whilst the other pipe, viz., that of boiler No. 2 serves to
conduct a certain quantity of ammonia through the cooler to the
absorber for the purpose of absorbing the vaporized ammonia discharged
from the congealer as herein-after explained, the mixture of liquid,
ammonia, and vapor being then recondensed and returned to ammonia
boiler No. 1 as before mentioned. Each of the ammonia boilers also
carries a pipe on the top, which pipes are connected to a single pipe
common to the two, and serving to conduct the vaporized ammonia to
the condenser. This gas on its passage to the condenser is caused to
pass through a doubly bent or serpentine pipe, which is surrounded by
or enclosed in another pipe, so that an annular space or passage is
formed between the two pipes, through which the liquid ammonia
is conducted in the reverse direction from the recondenser, whereby
such liquid is partially heated by the abstraction of a portion of the

page_text: caloric from or partially condensing the vaporized ammonia in its
passage to the condenser.
Second. The condenser consists of a series of superposed horizontal
pipes communicating the one with the other at opposite ends alternately,
and thereby forming a serpentine coil having a continuous passage from
the top pipe to the bottom pipe. These pipes gradually decrease in
diameter from the top pipe to the bottom pipe of the series so as to form
a passage of a gradually decreasing area, along which the gas which is
introduced from the serpentine first herein-before mentioned at the first
or top pipe of the series is conducted through the whole of the pipes to
the two lowest pipes of the series which serve as a chamber or reservoir
for the condensed or liquefied ammonia, and are provided with a glass
gauge for the purpose of indicating the level of the liquid therein. The
condenser is non-submerged, but a shower or stream of water is pro-
jected on to or passed over it by the means herein-after explained. In
the improved condenser by gradually diminishing the area of the
passage, the condensing surface is augmented in a corresponding ratio
as the gas or partially condensed vapor approaches the bottom of the
series of pipes, so as to ensure its complete liquefaction or condensation.
Third. The liquid ammonia then passes into the congealer, which
consists of a serpentine coil or series of vertical pipes communicating
the one with the other at opposite ends alternately, and provided with a
central core, or blind pipe, or rod gradually decreasing in diameter so as
to form for the traverse of the liquid an annular passage of a gradually
increasing area from the first to the last pipe of the serics at which it
may be nearly equal to the entire area of the bore of the pipe. At.
invervals, say, between every two consecutive pipes of the series there is
fitted a vertical filling frame composed, by preference, of cast iron and
formed flat on two sides, so that when the whole of the filling frames
arc in position a continuous or nearly continuous flat surface on both
sides will be produced, on which the ice is to be formed.
In some cases two or more of the central pipes may be unprovided
with cores, such pipes being made of a relatively small diameter in order
to equalize the thickness of the ice. Any suitable number of these
congealers (which are non-submerged) may be arranged side by side at.
any suitable distance apart, according to the thickness of ice required,
and water is supplied in a sheet, stream, or spray, to one side at a time

page_text: or to both sides of any or all of the congealers simultaneously, by means
of overhead or intervening pipes suitably supported in bearings, and
which are fitted with open cocks or outlet nozzles having water deflecting
wires, and are oscillated by means of reciprocating rods operated
automatically or otherwise.
The angle of the cocks or nozzles is thus gradually varied so as to
project the water on to the flat congealing surfaces formed by the filling
frames, either throughout each portion in succession of the entire depth
of such frames, or for any desired portion of such depth, the water being
diffused over or flowing down the flat surfaces from the part on which
it was projected, and being congealed on such surfaces through
the abstraction of caloric therefrom by the vaporization or partial
vaporization of the circulating liquid ammonia, so as to produce flat
sheets or cakes of ice of any desired length or depth throughout the
entire area over which the water has passed.
In order to facilitate the detachment of the ice from the congealing
surfaces the filling frames are made hollow (by preference with a
central core) so as to form a chamber, into which water is introduced
when the ice is to be removed, which will have the effect by slightly
elevating the temperature of the congealing surfaces, of loosening the
adherent sheets or layers of ice, whilst at the same time contributing to
the vaporization of the ammonia contained in the pipes.
In some cases a space may be left at intervals between the vertical
pipes so as to admit of a passage between and around the pipes. The
congealing surfaces will thus be divided, but the pipes so separated are
still connected together in order to produce a continuous passage, a
coupling bend of additional length being in that case employed at the
top, or at the top and bottom alternately for the purpose of uniting each
two adjacent sets of pipes forming the divided congealer.
It is proposed to construct the ice house of a number of tiers or
stories, each of which is sustained by the congealers on the floor imme-
diately below, the whole of the congealers thus forming pillars or supports
for the structure.
Fourth and Fifth. The vaporized ammonia is conducted into the
absorber consisting of a chamber in which the vapor is mixed, with a
portion of solution of ammonia derived from boiler No. 2. The solution
in its passage to the absorber is conducted through a cooler composed of

page_text: a series of superposed horizontal pipes connected the one with the other
at opposite ends alternately, over which pipes a stream of water is
caused to pass by the means herein-after described. The liquid enters
the bottom pipe in a warm condition from boiler No. 2, and passing
through the whole length of each pipe of the series in succession arrives
in the absorber in a perfectly cool condition. The mixture of vaporized
and liquid ammonia then passes through the recondenser which is
situate below the absorber, and is constructed and arranged in a similar
manner to the condenser, the liquid entering the top pipe and passing
through the whole of the pipes in succession to the bottom one, from
which it is conducted through the outer passage of the serpentine first
herein-before mentioned into boiler No. 1, so that the same ammonia is
constantly circulating and being reutilized. The recondenser like the
condenser and the cooler is non-submerged, but maintained in a cool
condition by means of streams of water directed over the
same. Theso
three apparatus are, by preference, placed side by side, and the water
for cooling them is projected thereon by means of an oscillating Cer-
head pipe or pipes having open cocks or nozzles, 'and operated by a.
reciprocating rod or rods, the apparatus being generally similar to that
employed for supplying the flowing streams to the congealers as. herein-
before described.