An Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ice for Domestic and other Purposes, or for Cooling Liquids, Solids, Air, and other Matters.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ice for Domestic
and other Purposes, or for Cooling Liquids, Solids, Air, and other
Matters.
I, CARL ADOLPH SAHLSTRÖM, of Nos. 36 & 37 St. Ermin's Mansions, Caxton
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
1. The principle of this invention is a vacuum combined with rapid absorption
of moisture such as is produced by sulphuric acid and other materials.
2. I construct an acid receptacle (when sulphuric acid is employed) of any suit-
able material, and around the same I place a water jacket, whereby the acid is
cooled as much as possible.
3. In connection with this acid receptacle I make an absorbing chamber con-
nected with the acid receptacle by a pipe furnished with stopcocks by means of
which the acid receptacle can be connected with the outer air, or with the absorbing
chamber at will.
4. The acid receptacle and absorbing chamber are further connected by a pipe,
the lower portion of which, at least, is of glass and serves for the purpose of a
gauge glass. Upon it is marked a scale shewing when the acid is concentrated,
and when it is too attenuated to be of further use.
5. In the larger forms of the apparatus, which are designed for commercial
purposes, the spent acid flows to a concentrator whence it is continuously returned
to the apparatus in a concentrated form. In the domestic form of the apparatus a
lamp is placed below the water jacket of the acid receptacle as soon as the acid
becomes too attenuated for use, and, the vacuum being maintained, the heat soon
drives off the superfluous water in the acid and restores it to its original con-
centration.
6. In the absorbing chamber I place two false bottoms, separated from each
other by a sufficient distance, and the space between the two I pack with asbestos
in a suitable form, or connect the bottoms one to the other with threads of asbestos
The two bottoms are
placed vertically, or with asbestos cloth of suitable texture.
also joined together by a pipe which projects through the upper one as far as
desired, and the portion of this pipe between the two bottoms is perforated with
suitable holes. The false bottoms also, either one or both are perforated with
suitable holes to allow the acid to flow through the asbestos from the upper portion
of the absorber to the acid receptacle below.
7. At any suitable point in the absorbing chamber I attach a pipe connected
with a steam or water ejector by means of which without any pump or wearing
parts a practical vacuum can be obtained and maintained in the absorber. When
the water ejector is employed the waste water circulates in the water jacket above
described.
8. At any other point of the absorbing chamber but between the upper and
lower false bottoms I attach a second pipe, the other end of which communicates
with the freezer or cooler.
9. When ice is required or material to be frozen, such as cream and so forth,
freezers of different sizes may be used as required; and when wine, water and so
forth are to be merely cooled, a much larger vessel may be employed as cooler.
The substitution of a vessel of one capacity for another is permitted by employing.
as a stand, a suitable plate of wood or other material fixed above a spring and
pistoned into a leg or tail piece which rises or falls as required, and which is secured
at any wished for height by means of a thumb screw.

page_text: 10. The freezer may be provided with a feed pipe with shut off tap by means of
which the material to be frozen may be fed or sprayed into the freezer and
instantly frozen into snow.
11. For cooling purposes the second pipe above described may be attached to a
meat safe (for example) the sides and top of which may be doubled and partly filled
with water in such a manner that an air space is left upon which the ejector and
absorber may act and by the conversion of the water into ice transform the safe
into a preserving chamber.
12. In a similar manner the apparatus may be connected with suitable tanks of
water placed under fishmongers' or other tradesmen's slabs, or over the ceilings of
rooms in hot climates and in any other place where coldness is desired.
Dated this Sixth day of March 1890.
C. A. SAHLSTRÖM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ice for Domestic
and other Purposes, or for Cooling Liquids, Solids, Air, and other
Matters.
I, CARL ADOLPH SAHLSTRÖM of Nos. 36 and 37 St. Ermin's Mansions Caxton
Street, Westminster in the County of Middlesex but now of 10 Colville Gardens
Bayswater in the County of Middlesex Engineer 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 refers to the production of ice by creating a vacuum combined
with rapid absorption of vapor by sulphuric acid, or other vapor absorbents.
According to my invention I provide a divided absorbing chamber in connection
with which is an acid receptacle, an air exhauster, and a freezing or cooling
chamber, together with suitable mechanical devices and fittings as hereafter
described, arranged in such manner that the vapor produced by the vacuum in the
cooling chamber is caused to pass through saturated webs or packings of asbestos
or suitable material, and ready and convenient means
manipulation and concentration of the acid.
are provided for the
My said invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings which shew in section at Figure 1 one form of apparatus constructed
according to this invention, Figure 2 being a detached elevation to show one of the
connecting pipes between the acid receptacle and the container.
I construct an acid receptacle A. (when sulphuric acid is employed) of any
suitable material, and around same I place a water jacket B whereby the acid is
cooled as much as possible.
In connection with this acid receptacle A. I make an absorbing chamber C
connected with the acid receptacle A. by a pipe D, Figure 2. The acid chamber A,
and absorbing chamber C are also connected by pipe E, Figure 1, with a two way
stop cock F, by means of which the acid receptacle can be connected with the
outer air or with the absorbing chamber at will, and operated by means of the
handle F1.
The acid receptacle A and absorbing chamber Care connected, as stated, by
the pipe D the lower portion of which, at least, is of glass and serves for the
purpose of a gauge glass. Upon it there should be marked a scale showing when
the acid is concentrated and when it is too attenuated to be of further use.
In the larger forms of the apparatus which are designed for commercial purposes
the spent acid flows to a concentrator, not shewn, whence it is continuously
returned to the apparatus in a concentrated form. In the domestic form of the
apparatus a lamp is placed below the water jacket B, of the acid receptacle A, as
soon as the acid becomes too attenuated for use, and the vacuum being maintained,
the heat soon drives off the superfluous water in the acid and restores it to its
original concentration.

page_text: In the absorbing chamber C I place two false bottoms C1 C2 separated from each
other by a sufficient distance and the space between the two I pack with asbestos
in a suitable form or connect the bottoms, one to the other, with threads of asbestos
placed vertically or with asbestos cloth C3 as shown of suitable texture. The two
bottoms are also joined together by a pipe G which projects through the upper
one C as far as desired, and the portion of this pipe between the two bottoms is
perforated with suitable holes shewn at G¹. The false bottoms C1 C2 also, either
one or both, are perforated with suitable holes to allow the acid to slowly percolate
to and through the asbestos from the upper portion of the absorber to the acid
receptacle below.
At any suitable point in the absorbing chamber C I attach a pipe H connected
with a steam or water ejector M, by means of which (without any pump or wearing
parts) a practical vacuum can be obtained and maintained in the absorber C; when
the water ejector is employed the waste water may circulate in the water jacket
above described.
At any other point of the absorbing chamber, but it must be between the upper
and lower false bottoms, I attach a second pipe J, the other end of which com-
municates with the freezer or cooler K.
When ice is required or material to be frozen, such as cream, and so forth,
freezers of different sizes and materials may be used as required, and when wine,
water, and so forth are to be merely cooled a much larger vessel may be employed
as cooler. The substitution of a vessel of one capacity for another is permitted by
employing as a stand a suitable plate of wood or other material fixed above a
spring K, and pistoned into a leg or tail piece K2, which rises or falls as required
and which is secured at any wished for height by means of a thumb screw.
The freezer K may be provided with a movable feed pipe K³ with shut off tap K*,
by means of which the material to be frozen may be fed or sprayed into the freezer
and instantly frozen.
The operation of freezing or cooling is effected and the apparatus acts as
follows.
The liquid to be frozen is introduced into the freezing vessel K by the pipe K³,
which is then closed by the tap K* and raised so as not to be frozen in the material;
and in the receptacle A. there is provided sulphuric acid or some equivalent vapor
absorbent. The water pressure cock M' is now opened and the tube H being in
connection with the upper part of the absorbing chamber C, a practical vacuum is
produced in both the chambers C and K; the plug of the two way cock F is now
so moved that air is admitted to the acid receptacle A and the acid therein ascends
to the upper part of the chamber C, through the outside pipe D, Figure 2. The
cock F is then turned so as to connect the acid chamber A and the absorbing
chamber C, when the acid in the latter percolates through holes onto or through
the asbestos packing, while the vapour produced by the vacuum in the vessel K,
passes by pipe J through the saturated asbestos and thence to the pipe G, and the
liquid or material in vessel K is thus frozen, and this is effected as soon as the acid
contained in the chamber C has passed back into the receptacle A.
For cooling purposes the pipe J above described or an additional pipe may be
attached to a meat safe (for example) the sides and top of which may be doubled
and partly filled with water in such a manner that an air space is left upon
which the ejector and absorber may act and by the conversion of the water into
ice transform the safe into a preserving chamber.
In a similar manner the apparatus may be connected with suitable tanks of
water placed under fishmongers' or other tradesmen's slabs, or over the ceilings
of rooms, in hot climates, and in any other place where coldness is desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. In ice-making or freezing apparatus the combination of an acid receptacle

page_text: and absorbing chamber, whereby the acid is automatically changed from one
chamber to the other by producing a vacuum, the two chambers being connected by
a two way cock and outer pipe substantially as set forth.
Second. In ice-making or freezing apparatus the combination with the acid
receptacle A having water jacket B of an absorbing chamber C, with false and
perforated bottoms C¹ C² containing asbestos, through which the acid raised
through vacuum from chamber A percolates, and vapour from the freezing chamber
passes while the acid returns to receptacle A substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Third. In ice-making or freezing apparatus the connection of the receiver A with
absorbing chamber C by means of a two way cock F and tube and gauge D in
combination with the vacuum tube H water ejector M whereby the acid is first
brought from receptacle A to C and returned from C to A substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In ice-making or freezing apparatus the construction and combination of
parts consisting of acid receptacle A with jacket B absorbing chamber C, freezing
chamber K, vacuum producer, together with the various connecting tubes and
necessary fittings all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of January 1891.
C. A. SAHLSTRÖM.