IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING ICE RINKS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Rose, of Seacombe, in the County of Chester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING ICE
RINKS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Rose at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th February 1876.
THOMAS ROSE, of Seacombe, in the County of Chester.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRO-
DUCING AND MAINTAINING ICE RINKS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
The object of this Invention is to provide hard and smooth frozen water surfaces
for skating, sliding, and curling upon at reduced cost, and economically to maintain
such surfaces.
For the above purposes I have perfected a method of direct freezing by means of
the evaporation of a volatile liquid or liquids in tubes (one or more but preferably
a number) in which a partial vacuum is maintained, such tubes being placed beneathi
the surface of and in the water to be frozen.
In carrying my Invention into practice I employ by preference a series of tubes
immersed in the water to be frozen and exhaust the air from the said tubes by
ineans of an air pump or pumps. When the air has been exhausted from the said
tubes, or during the exhaustion of the said air, ether or other volatile liquid is
injected on to the surface of or admitted into the said vacuum tubes through
As the ether or other
perforated pipes contained therein or their equivalent.
volatile liquid evaporates and abstracts heat from the tubes and surrounding water
the vapour of the said volatile liquid is constantly removed from the said tubes by
the exhaust pump and condensed in any ordinary way.
The condensed ether is in
ordinary working delivered alternately to two vessels connected with the outer
system of closed tubes and to the inner system of perforated pipes. During the
process of refrigeration one of the vessels receives the condensed ether or volatile
liquid from the pump as also any excess of ether unvapourized in the outer system
of tubes, whilst the ether or other volatile liquid is supplied to the perforated
internal pipes from the second vessel. As one vessel becomes empty and the other
full the connections are changed by means of taps, valves, or like appliances, the

page_text: full vessel being connected to the internal pipes and the empty vessel to the con-
denser and outer system of tubes.
It will be evident that in the above apparatus there will be no difficulty
experienced from loss of ether or other volatile liquid by leakage, for when the
water surrounding the outer system of tubes is frozen no ether or volatile liquid
can escape through the outer joints. The tightness of the joints of the inner system
of perforated pipes is obviously of small moment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Rose in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th August 1876.
THOMAS ROSE, of Seacombe, in the County of Chester. IMPROVEMENTS IN PRO-
DUCING AND MAINTAINING ICE RINKS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
86
The object of this Invention is to provide hard and smooth frozen water surfaces
for skating, sliding, and curling upon at reduced cost, and economically to maintain
such surfaces.
For the above purposes I have perfected a method of direct freezing by means of
the evaporation of a volatile liquid or liquids in tubes (one or more but preferably
a number) in which a partial vacuum is maintained, such tubes being placed
beneath the surface of and in the water to be frozen.
In carrying my Invention into practise I employ by preference a series of tubes
immersed in the water to be frozen and exhaust the air from the said tubes by
means of an air pump or pumps. When the air has been exhausted from the said
tubes, or during the exhaustion of the said air, ether or other volatile liquid is
injected on to the surface of or admitted into the said vacuum tubes through
perforated pipes contained therein or their equivalent. As the ether or other
volatile liquid evaporates and abstracts heat from the tubes and surrounding water
the vapour of the said volatile liquid is constantly removed from the said tubes by
the exhaust pump and is condensed in any ordinary way. The condensed ether is
in ordinary working delivered alternately to two vessels connected with the outer
systems of closed tubes and to the inner system of perforated pipes. During the
process of refrigeration one of the vessels receives the condensed ether or volatile
liquid from the pump as also any excess of ether vaporized in the outer system of
tubes, whilst ether or other volatile liquid is supplied to the perforated internal
pipes from the second vessel. As one vessel becomes empty and the other full the
connections are changed by means of taps, valves, or like appliances, the full vessel
being connected to the internal pipes, and the empty vessel to the outer system of
tubes.
It will be evident that in the above apparatus there will be no difficulty
experienced from loss of ether or other volatile liquid by leakage, for when the
water surrounding the outer system of tubes is frozen no ether or volatile liquid
can escape through the outer joints. The tightness of the joints of the inner system
of perforated pipes is obviously of small moment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end view and Fig. 2 a side view, both partly in section, of apparatus
constructed under my Invention.
1 is a tank or reservoir containing water to be frozen; 2 are a series of external
tubes immersed therein opening into the cross tube 3; a number of such tubes 3
may be employed; 21, 31, are internal perforated pipes. The tube 3 is connected to
the exhaust port of an air pump through the way 4 and pipe 5; 6, stop-cock;
7. 71. reservoirs for containing volatile fluid here shown specially adanted for

page_text: system of tubes 31, 21, through the pipes 9 and 10; 11, 111, 12, stop-cocks; 13, 13¹,
ways leading from the branch 14 of the delivery port of the air pump to the
reservoirs; 15, 151, stop-cocks; 16, 161, air pipes opening to reservoirs; 17, 171,
stop-cocks; 18, 18¹, ways opening from the reservoirs to the exhaust pipe 5; 19, 19¹,
stop-cocks; 20, gutter or receptacle formed in the cross pipe 3 to catch the liquid
from the pipes 2; 21, way leading from the gutter or receptacle 20 to the pipe 22;
23, stop-cock; 24, 24', ways leading from the pipe 22 to the reservoirs; 25, 25¹,
stop-cocks.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-A strong solution of ammoniacal gas
in water is filled into the reservoir 7, and the reservoir 7' is filled with water. The
cocks 6, 11, 12, 151, 17, and 23 are opened, and the air pump set in motion so as to
form a partial vacuum in the tubes 2, 3. Atmospheric pressure through the pipe 16
causes the ammonaical liquid to ascend the pipes 8, 10, and enter the tubes 21,
whence it rushes in the form of spray against the inner surface of 2. On account
of the partial vacuum in 2, 3, the ammoniacal gas is liberated from the water and
abstracts a large amount of heat from the water in 1 surrounding the tubes 2.
The said gas then passes through the exhaust pump and by the ways 14, 131, to the
bottom of the reservoir 71, where it passes through the openings 26 and is absorbed
by the water therein. The weak liquor from the pipes 2 passes into the gutter 20
and thence by the way 21 to the pipe 22. As soon as nearly all the ammonaical
gas has been liberated from the water in 2 the cocks 11, 151, and 17 are closed, and
the cocks 25, 19, opened. This allows the liquor in 22 to flow into 7. The cocks
19, 25, are now closed, and the cocks 11, 15, 171, are opened, and the same action
takes place from the reservoir 7' as from the reservoir 7 above described.
alternate use of the reservoirs may be continued indefinitely. The pipes 22, 5, 9,
serve to make the connections to the tubes 3, 31, and their system when a series of
such tubes are used.
The
Ether or other volatile liquid may be used in the same way as the ammoniacal
solution above mentioned, in which case the gutter 20, and pipe 22, and pipe 24,
and their connections, will not be required.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention in such manner that
others will be ennabled to carry my improvements into effect, I claim, producing and
maintaining ice rinks substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Rose, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.