IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICES."AL SP
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexandro Legras, of 64, Davies Street, Berkeley
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Confectioner, for the Invontion of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexandre Legras at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
April 1868.
I, ALEXANDRE LEGRAS, of 64, Davies Street, Berkeley Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
ICES," to bo as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and com-
bination of machinery or apparatus for making confectioners' ices, to be
driven either by hand or by steam, or other motive power, whereby economy
in time and labour and a superior quality of ice is obtained.
According to this Invention, one, two, or more freezing apparatus are
actuated by means of driving bands or gearing from one single driving shaft
provided with suitablo clutches, whereby any one or more of the apparatus
may be stopped without interfering with the working of the rest. Each
freezing apparatus consists of an outer tub or vessel, in which rotates a metal
cylinder supported upon a footstep bearing in the bottom of the outer vessel.
A vertical spindle passes up the centre of the metal cylinder, and is supported

page_text: at the upper end by a suitable bracket picco secured to the edge of the tub.
The cylinder is closed at the bottom and open at the top, its mouth being
level with the top of the tub. Round the mouth of the cylinder there is
soldered a metal collar round which the strap or driving band passes, such
band being protected or covered by a circular shield in connection with a fixed
ring for supporting the cylinder in which it rotates, the object of the shield
being to protect the strap from the freezing mixture. The fixed ring is con-
nected by radial arms with the outer vessel or tub, and the strap or band
passes through slots in the side of the circular shield and tub, a metal
covering being also employed for that part of the band which extends between
the cylinder and the tub. The freezing mixture is introduced into the outer
vessel or tub, and the cream or other ingredients to be manufactured into ices
are contained in the metal cylinder, an annular lid or cover being placed over
the tub so as to cover the mouth of the tub, and leave the mouth of the
cylinder open.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said Alexandre Legras in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
24th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDRE
LEGRAS, of 64, Davics Street, Berkeley Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Confectioner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexandre Legras, Her special license that I, the said Alexandre Legras, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexandre
Legras, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to timo and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR MAKING ICES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alexandre Legras, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexandre Legras, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and
combination of machinery or apparatus for making confectioners' ices, to be
driven either by hand, or by steam, or other motive power, whereby economy
in time and labour and a superior quality of ice is obtained.
According to this Invention, one or more freezing apparatus are actuated
by means of driving bands or gearing from one driving shaft common to all,
provided with suitable clutches, whereby the working of any one or more of
the apparatus may be arrested without interfering with the working of the
rest. Each freezing apparatus consists of an outer fixed tub or vessel, in
which rotates a metal cylinder supported upon a footstep bearing in the
bottom of the outer vessel. A vertical spindle passes up the centre of the
metal cylinder, and is supported at the upper end ly à suitable bracket pieco
fitted into a socket in the edge of the tube. The cylinder is closed at the
bottom and open at the top, its mouth being level with the top of the outer
tub or vessel. Round the mouth of the cylinder there is soldered a metal
collar, round which the strap or driving band passes, slots or openings being
made in the side of the outer vessel for the strap or band to work through.
The freezing mixture is introduced into the outer vessel or tub, and the crean
or other ingredients to be manufactured into ices are contained in the metal
cylinder or inner rotatory vessel, an annular lid or cover being placed over the
tube so as to cover the mouth of the same, and leave the mouth of the cylinder
open.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a sectional elevation of my combined
apparatus complete, and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same arranged
with four separate freezing vessels, although any greater or less number may
be cinployed.
A represents the bed plate or foundation framing upon which the entire

page_text: apparatus is supported, and B is an upright frame for carrying the main
driving or actuating mechanism of the several freezing apparatus. Each of
these freezing apparatus consists of the ordinary tub or outer wooden or metal
vessel C, within which rotates an inner vessel or cylinder of tin or other
metal D, through the vortical axis of which is passed a spindle E, which
projects slightly beyond the bottom of the vessel so as to form a pivot for it to
turn upon. This pivot works in a footstep bearing F fixed in the bottom of
the outer vessel C. The upper end of the spindle above the lip or edge of the
inner vessel or cylinder D is supported by a forked or other conveniently
shaped bracket G, which is provided with a collar bearing for the spindle to
work in, and is made to fit temporarily in sockets H secured to any convenient
part of the outer vessel. Round the lip or upper edge of the inner vessel is
soldered or otherwise secured a flanged collar I, which receives the driving
strap or band K, slots or openings being made at L in the outer vessel for
this strap or band to work through; or in lieu of having a collar on the edgo
of the inner vessel to receive the driving strap, it is obvious that a small
driving pulley might be fitted on the upper part of the vertical spindle E, round
which the strap would pass, in which case the necessity for the slots in the
outer vessel would be obviated, as the strap would be situate some distance
above the same. An annular lid or cover M is fitted over the mouth of the
outer vessel C so as to close the same, but at the same time leave the mouth
of the inner rotating vessel open, as shown in the Drawings. The driving or
actuating gear consists of one long driving shaft N common to all the freezing
pots, and working in suitable bearings O, O, bolted to the framing B. This
shaft may be rotated either by hand or by steam, or other power, as preferred,
for which purpose it is provided with a fly wheel P and winch handle Q, as
well as with the ordinary fast and loose driving pullies R, R'. To this shaft
are fitted loosely a number of bevel wheels S, S, cach gearing into a cor-
responding bevel pinion T, T, fast on the several vertical shafts U, U, which
latter work in the bearings V, V, and have keyed on to them the large hori-
zontal strap pullies W, W, round which the straps or driving bands K are
passed. X, X, are sliding clutches, one to each set of gearing, the teeth of
the several clutches being thrown in or out of gear with those on the bosses
of the bevel wheels S by means of horizontal clutch levers Y, Y, the handles
of which are within convenient reaching distance of the hand of the workman
in attendance on the freezing pots, so that he is enabled at any time to stop
any one or more of the pots without interfering with the working of the others
by simply pushing the lever slightly to one side.
Although I have represented four freezing pots in my Drawing, I do not

page_text: confine mself to that number, as the machine may be constructed with one,
two, three, or more pots, according to the requirements of the establishment.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be nove!
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1st. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for making confectioners' ices, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawings.
2nd. The mode of supporting the inner or rotating freezing pot or vessel, as
herein-before described.
3rd. The rotating of one, two, or more freezing pots by means of driving
straps gearing actuated from a special driving shaft common to all tho
freezing pots, as herein-before described.
4th. The application and use of disengaging clutches in combination with
the driving gear and freezing pots, whereby when two or more of such pots aro
driven from one driving shaft, facility is afforded for arresting the rotation of
one pot without interfering with the others, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexandre Legras, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
A. LEGRAS. (L.S.)