Year: 1885

page_text: I, EDMUND LIONEL PONTIFEX of Farringdon Works, Shoe Lane, London E.C.
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for making trans-
parent blocks of ice.
For this purpose I form the apparatus of a tank preferably of wood in which are
placed one two or more sets of hollow iron walls through which cooled brine or
other fluid is caused to circulate as hereinafter described.
Each set of hollow walls I form of a hollow central vertical wall passing across
from one side of the tank to the other. On either side of this central wall are a
series of hollow parallel walls branching out from it and at right angles to it.
All the walls rest on a hollow metallic bottom which lies at the bottom of
the tank.
The interior of the central wall I divide into two by a central horizontal
partition-the interior of each of the.hollow walls branching out from it I divide
by a series of horizontal plates into a zig-zag course-the upper end of each branch
wall is connected by an opening with the interior of the upper compartiment of the
central wall and the lower end of each branch wall with the lower compartment of
the central wall so that cold brine may enter the top of each branch wall from the
upper compartment and after circulating to and fro along the zig-zag passage of
the branch wall escape from the bottom of the branch wall into the bottom com-
partment of the central wall. From this bottom compartment the brine is conveyed
by an outlet pipe to the hollow bottom through which it is made to circulate in a
zig-zag course and finally passes away to an outlet brine main to be conveyed back
again to the cooling machine.
In this way the hollow walls and bottom form a series of compartments with a
cold wall at the bottom the two sides and one end whilst the other end is open-
opposite to this open end of each compartment I place a blade hanging downwards
fron a horizontal bar to which a horizontal to and fro jigging motion is imparted-
the water in each compartment is in this way kept constantly agitated as the
freezing operation progresses and is kept agitated to the last until the compartment
has become completely filled with a solid block of clear ice.

page_text: In order to prevent the formation of ice around the outer ends of the several
branch walls and so prevent the block of ice formed in one compartment from
becoming frozen up with the blocks of ice in the compartments next to it I fix at
the outer end of each branch wall a hollow air chamber to prevent the conduction
of cold from the end of the wall.
The branch walls on one side of the central wall are set immediately opposite to
the branch walls on the opposite side of the central wall and I hold them altogether
by long bolts passed through both branch walls and through the central wall and
air chambers.
When the compartments between the walls have become filled with solid blocks
of clear ice they may be released from the walls by causing warm brine to circulate
through the walls in the opposite direction to that in which the cold brine previously
circulated.
The side branch walls are preferably made slightly taper from the end at which
they are held to the central wall to their outer end so that the blocks of ice may
the more readily be removed from the compartments between them.

page_text: OI Ice.
I EDMUND LIONEL PONTIFEX of Farringdon Works Shoe Lane London EC.
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 has for its object improvements in apparatus for making trans-
parent blocks of ice.
For this purpose I form the apparatus of a tank preferably of wood in which
are placed one, two or more sets of hollow iron walls through which cooled brine
or other fluid is caused to circulate as hereinafter described.
Each set of hollow walls I form of a hollow central vertical wall passing across
from one side of the tank to the other. On either side of this central wall are
a series of hollow parallel walls branching out from it and at right angles to it.
All the walls rest on a hollow metallic bottom which lies at the bottom of
the tank,
The interior of the central wall I divide into two parts by a central horizontal
partition and preferably also again divide each of these parts into a number of
passages by horizontal partitions in a zig-zag course.
The interior of each of the hollow walls branching out from this central wall
I divide into a number of passages by a series of horizontal partitions in a zig-zag
course. The upper end of each branch wall is connected by an opening with the
interior of the top passage of the upper compartment of the central wall and the
lower end of each branch wall with the bottom passage of the lower compartment
of the central wall, so that cold brine may enter the top of each branch wall from
the upper compartment and after circulating along the zig-zag passage of the
branch wall escape from the bottom of the branch wall into the bottom compart-
ment of the central wall. From this bottom compartment the brine after traversing
the zig-zag passage in it, is conveyed by an outlet pipe to the hollow bottom
through which it is made to circulate in a zig-zag course and finally passes away
through an outlet brine maiu to be conveyed back again to the cooling machine.
In this way the hollow walls and bottom form a series of compartments with a
cold wall at the bottom the two sides and one end whilst the other end is open-
Opposite to this open end of each compartiment I place a blade hanging downwards
from a horizontal bar to which a horizontal to and fro jigging motion is imparted-
the water in each compartment is in this way. kept constantly agitated as the
freezing operation progresses and is kept agitated to the last until the compartment
has become completely filled with a solid block of clear ice.
In order to prevent the formation of ice around the outer ends of the several
branch walls and so prevent the block of ice formed in one compartment from
becoming frozen up with the blocks of ice in the other compartments next to it,
I fix at the outer end of each branch wall a bollow air chamber to prevent the
abstraction of heat by the end of the wall.
The branch walls on one side of the central wall are set immediately opposite to
the branch walls on the opposite side of the central wall and I hold them all
together by long bolts passed through both branch walls and through the central
wall and air chambers.
When the compartments between the walls have become filled with solid blocks
of clear ice, they may be released from the walls by causing. warm brine to circulate

page_text: through the walls in the opposite direction to that in which the cold brine
previously circulated.
The side branch walls are preferably made slightly taper from the end at which
they are held to the central wall to their outer end so that the blocks of ice may
be more readily removed from the compartments.
The drawing hereunto annexed shows various views of apparatus arranged as
above described-in the apparatus shown there are two sets of hollow walls
contained in one tank-but as before stated the tank might be made to contain
any other number of sets of hollow walls.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a plan view;
Figure 3 a cross section taken on the line A B Figure 2; and Figure 4 a section
taken at right angles thereto on the line C D.
A is the tank-B is a hollow metallic floor resting on, the bottom of the tank,
C is a hollow metallic middle dividing wall and DD are branch walls extending
out at right angles from both sides of the middle wall-these all rest upon the
hollow bottom B.
The way in which I form each middle dividing wall C is shown on a larger
scale at Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13.
Figures 5 and 6 show a side elevation and plan view of one of the end sections
of which the wall is composed and Figure 7 a cross section of the same on the
line A B Figure 5.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a side elevation plan and end view of the middle
section of the wall and Figures 11, 12 and 13 show an elevation partly in section
plan and end view of the other end section of the central wall.
All the sections are as shown divided into upper and lower compartments by a
central horizontal division C¹ each compartment again being divided by a number
of partitions into a zig-zag course.
The two ends of the middle section and the inner end of each of the two outer
sections are all open so that when fitted together there is free communication from
one to the other.
The middle section is. as shown formed with pins projecting from its ends to
enter holes in the ends of the end sections when the sections are placed together-
the sections are then held the one to the other by long bolts passed through all
three sections from one end of the wall to the other-these bolts are not shown in
the drawing.
Each section has in the construction shown in the drawing three branch walls
extending out from cach side of it.
The way in which I form each brauch wall is shown at Figures 14, 15 and 16.
Figure 14 is an elevation partly in section of one of the walls. Figure 15 is a
section on the line A B (Figure 14) and Figure 16 a section on the line C D.
The hollow interior of the wall is divided into a zig-zag passage from top to bottom
by horizontal partition plates as shown at Figure 14. Each end of the branch
wall is open one end fits against the side of the middle wall. The other end is
closed by a hollow air chamber E.
An elevation and vertical section of one of these air chambers are shown at
Figures 17 and 18 and a cross section on a larger scale at Figure 19.
The branch walls on the two opposite sides of the middle wall and the air
chambers E at their end are all held together by long bolts f passed through them
all as shown at Figure 4.
Both ends of each bolt pass into the interior of the air chambers and a nut G is
screwed on to them as shown at Figure. 19. These nuts are introduced into the
air chamber through openings in the outer wall of the chamber which are after-
wards closed by screw plugs E¹ as shown at Figure 19.
Where the bolts pass through the middle wall a tubular passage is made through
the wall for the bolt to pass through.
In the sides of the middle wall opposite to each branch wall are two openings
one marked H near the top the other marked I near the bottom so that brine-can

page_text: pass from the top passage of the upper compartment of the middle wall into the
top of each branch wall and after flowing downwards along the zig-zag interior of
the branch wall pass from it at the bottom into the bottom passage of the lower
compartment of the middle wall.
Cold brine is supplied to the bottom passage of the upper compartment of the
middle wall at X from a cold brine supply pipe X and after flowing along the
zig-zag interior of this compartment passes as above explained into the top of each
branch wail and through the zig-zag interior of these walls into the bottom passage
of the lower compartment of the middle wall and passing upwards through this
compartment flows off by a pipe K to one corner of the hollow bottom; the interior
of this hollow bottom is divided by two partitions L'into a zig-zag passage as
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2 the brine flows along through this passage and
passes out at the opposite corner of the hollow bottom by a pipe M to the main
pipe N by which it is conveyed back to the cooling machine to be again cooled.
O. O. are wooden blades opposite to the end of each space enclosed between the
branch walls-these blades are carried by cross bars P which at their ends are
connected to rods Q to which a short endway to and fro motion is imparted by a
crank or otherwise.
In this way a jigging motion is given to the blades at the mouth of each space
between the branch walls and the water occupying this space is thereby kept in
constant agitation.
The way in which the blocks of ice formed in the spaces between the branch
walls are relieved from these walls is as follows:-
So soon as the water in the spaces between the branch walls has been frozen
into solid blocks the supply of cold brine to the hollow walls is shut off and
instead thereof warm brine is introduced and made to flow through them in the
opposite direction to that in which the cold brine was previously flowing.
The warm brine is supplied from a pipe R it enters the hollow floors at R¹ passes
therefrom into the lower compartment of the middle wall, from thence through the
branch walls to the upper compartment of the middle wall and passes off at X¹ by
the pipe S¹ and so to an overflow pipe S.
The flow of the warm brine or of the cold brine through the apparatus is
controlled by taps and pipe connections in the manner shewn in the drawings.
The stand pipe T shewn at Figures 1 and 3 is to ensure that the hollow walls
shall be kept completely filled with brine whilst working.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The construction of the bollow circulating central walls and the branch
walls projecting from them substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. The freezing compartments each enclosed on three sides and bottom with
cold walls and with a jigging blade in front of the fourth side which is left open
substantially as described.
8. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described for
making blocks of ice.