IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gamgee, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 29th April 1878, and dated the 1st November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gamgee at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1877.
JOHN GAMGEE, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex.
MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
"
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
The object of the first part of my Invention is to manufacture transparent block
ice, and for this purpose I employ inverted moulds, maintained full of water, kept
in a state of circulation by means of a pump. I also use in combination with such
moulds an air or vacuum pump, to remove air or gases from the water as the ice
forms; and I further use in combination with such moulds a filter, through which
the water in its circulation is caused to flow, and by means of which the impurities
and sediment disengaged from the water are removed as the ice crystals form.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I take a mould of bell or other suitable
shape, the sides of which are jacketed, the space between the jacket and mould
being divided into zig-zag or other passages, through which an aqueous solution of
glycerine, reduced to a low temperature, or other freezing liquid, is caused to flow.
I place this bell mouth downwards upon a bed or seat, which may be faced with
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material An aperture in the centre of the
said bed or seat cominunicates by a pipe with a pump, by means of which water is
forced into and through the mould. From the top of the mould another pipe con-
ducts the water to a filter tank, which in its turn communicates by a pipe with the
pump. Thus a continuous circulation of water is kept up from the pump into and
through the mould, thence to the filter tank, and back to the pump, and so on. The
cold imparted by the freezing liquid causes a layer of transparent ice to form upon
the inside of the mould, and this layer gradually increases in thickness until finally the

page_text: mould is entirely filled, or nearly so, with a more or less solid transparent block.
As the freezing progresses the air or vacuum pump before named, which is connected
to the top of the mould, removes the air or gases from the water, and at the same
time by the vacuum, or partial vacuum it produces within the mould, causes the
edges of the same to be kept by the atmospheric pressure tightly down upon their
bed or seat. The impurities in the water and sediment deposited as the ice crystals
form are, as before stated, removed by the filter tank. When the ice block has been
formed the necessary parts are disconnected, the mould lifted from its seat by
counterbalance weights or other suitable mechanical means, leaving the block of ice
standing upon the bed or seat, from which it may then be removed.
Instead of forcing the water through the mould by the direct action of a pump
it may be made to circulate by the action of the air or vacuum pump above
mentioned by placing an air-cock upon the water inlet pipe. Air being admitted
by this cock rushes into the partial vacuum created by the air or vacuum pump, causing
an induced current of water to flow into and through the mould from the filter.
The object of the second part of my Invention is to produce clear ice in the
ordinary ice moulds, and this part of the Invention essentially consists in producing
agitation of the water in the mould during the freezing thereof. This I effect by
imparting rotary movement to the moulds, either continuously or intermittently,
regularly or irregularly, and either in one direction or alternately in both directions,
and to prevent the body of water in the mould rotating therewith. I sometimes
place an obstruction like a spatula therein to intercept the current. The rotary
motion may be imparted by any suitable mechanism or gearing, such, for example,
as a belt passed round a pulley on the mould, or on the mould jacket within which
the freezing liquid circulates, the said belt deriving its motion from another pulley,
driven in any ordinary manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said John Gamgee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st May
1878.
JOHN GAMGEE, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ICE AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
The object of the first part of my Invention is to manufacture transparent block
ice, and for this purpose I employ inverted moulds, maintained full of water, kept
in a state of circulation by means of a pump. I also use in combination with such
moulds an air or vacuum pump, to remove air or gases from the water as the ice
forms; and I further use in combination with such moulds a filter, through which
the water in its circulation is caused to flow, and by means of which the impurities
and sediment disengaged from the water are removed as the ice crystals form.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I take a mould of bell or other suitable
shape, the sides of which are jacketed, the spaces between the jacket and mould
being divided into zig-zag or other passages, through which an aqueous solution of
glycerine, reduced to a low temperature, or other freezing liquid, is caused to flow.
I place this bell, mouth downwards, upon a bed or seat, which may be faced with
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material. An aperture in the centre of the
said bed or seat communicates by a pipe with a pump, by means of which water is
forced into and through the mould. From the top of the mould another pipe con-
ducts the water, to a filter tank, which in its turn communicates by a pipe with the
pump. Thus a continuous circulation of water is kept up from the pump into and
through the mould, thence to the filter tank, and back to the pump, and so on. The
cold imparted by the freezing liquid causes a layer of transparent ice to form upon
the inside of the mould, and this layer gradually increases in thickness, until finally
the mould is entirely filled, or nearly so, with a more or less solid transparent block.
As the freezing progresses the air or vacuum pump before named, which is connected
to the top of the mould, removes the air or gases from the water, and at the same
time by the vacuum or partial vacuum, it produces within the mould, causes the
edges of the same to be kept by the atmospheric pressure tightly down upon their
bed or seat. The impurities in the water and sediment deposited as the ice crystals
form are, as before stated, removed by the filter tank. When the ice block has been
formed the necessary parts are disconnected, the freezing liquid is drawn out, and
steam or hot air admitted into the outer space, previously occupied by the said
liquid, to make the ice loose. The mould is then lifted from its seat by counter-
balance weights or other suitable mechanical means, leaving the block of ice standing
upon the bed or seat, from which it may then be removed.
Instead of forcing the water through the mould by the direct action of a pump, it
may be made to circulate by the action of the air or vacuum pump above men-
tioned by placing an air cock upon the water inlet pipe. Air being admitted by this
cock rushes into the partial vacuum created by the air or vacuum pump, causing an
induced current of water to flow into and through the mould from the filter.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of an apparatus con-
structed according to the first part of my Invention, as herein-before described;
Figures 2, 3, and 4, are horizontal sections through the lines A, A, B, B, and C, C,
respectively of Figure 1.
a, a, is the mould, and b, b, is a jacket to the same, the space c between the mould
and jacket being for the circulation of an aqueous solution of glycerine reduced to a
low temperature, or other freezing liquid; this liquid enters the upper part of the
space c by the inlet pipe d, and leaves it by the outlet pipe e, the circulation being
maintained in any ordinary manner. The space c may if thought desirable be
divided into passages of zig-zag, spiral, or other form; so that the liquid circulating
therein may remain longer in contact with the outer surface of the mould a;
ff, represent lagging; wood, or other suitable non-conducting substance around the

page_text: jacket b; g, g, are stays between the mould and the jacket; h is a bed or seat upon
which the lower end of the mould in an inverted position is placed; i is a washer
or strip of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material let into the bed / for the
edge of the mould to rest upon and therefore make a hermetic joint; k is an aperture
in the bed h communicating by a pipe 7 with a pump (not shewn in the Drawings),
by means of which water is forced into and through the mould; m is a pipe leading
from the top of the mould to a filter tank (not shewn), which in its turn commu-
nicates with the said pump. Thus as has been herein-before stated, a continuous
circulation of water is kept up from the pump into and through the mould, thence
to the filter tank and back to the pump, and so on; n is a pipe leading from the
pipe m to an air or vacuum pump, which as already explained removes the air or
gases from the water, and by the vacuum or partial vacuum it produces within the
mould causes its edges to be kept tightly down upon the india-rubber i; o, o, are
air spaces; p is an air-cock on the pipe d, and q an air pipe on the pipe l, to be
opened as required.
The action of the apparatus and the production of ice therein will be fully under-
stood by the explanations already herein-before given.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views corresponding respectively with Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4 of another form of the apparatus in which the mould a has an internal spacer,
in which the freezing liquid circulates before entering the space c between the
mould and the jacket b; this liquid entering by the pipe d passes down the pipe d¹,
which conducts it to the lower part of the space r; it then flows up this space, and
is conducted by the channels d², d², to the upper part of the space c; m³, m³, are
pipes communicating between the top of the mould and a space m², which latter
communicates with the pipe m.
Letters of reference in Figures 5 to 8, corresponding with those in Figures 1 to 4,
indicate corresponding parts.
Another form of the apparatus is represented in Figures 9 to 12, in which a twin
ice mould is shewn. Figure 9 is a longitudinal section; Figure 10 is a side view;
Figure 11 is one half a top view and the other half a horizontal section through A, B ;
and Figure 12 is a horizontal section through C, D, of the table or cast-iron bed.
E, E, are the moulds of rectangular shape so arranged as to fit closely into a
cylindrical outer case F and leaving space between them in the centre for the con-
necting rod G of a hydraulic lift H. Between the moulds and the cylindrical
cover F, as well as round the connecting rod G, is a space I, I, through which the
freezing liquid flows. The moulds are connected to the outside cylindrical casing by
a suitably shaped ring or plate a which is turned at the bottom to make a tight
joint with the bed or table K.
The moulds are closed at the top by a plate b, b, which may be made of cast iron
or other suitable material, having a channel c, c, for the passage of the outgoing
water through the tubes d, d, each provided with a valve or stop-cock ff. These
stop-cocks regulate the current of air and water of each mould, and the flow is
through the pipe g. Through this pipe both the air and the water ascend to a large
stand pipe, which is connected by flexible pipes or flexible joints with all the moulds
in operation. This stand pipe is so arranged that the air rises by pumping, and the
water flows into the filter tank at a lower point than the suction of the pump.
The cylindrical case F is closed by a cover on which a ring is cast with a boss i,
on which the pipe for the cold medium is fitted so as to lead the cold medium into
the space I, I. The ring h has a number of openings downwards j, j, j, j, to admit
and distribute the cold medium equally round the moulds.
The table or bed K, K, made of cast iron or other suitable material, is hollowed
out on its upper surface, as are the modifications herein-before described, so as to
hold always a little water to receive the sediment. The ring m, m, round the
table is intended for the passage of the outgoing cold medium which passes on
through the pipe n to return to the refrigerator of the ice-making machine.
The outside case F, F, has a number of apertures provided with valves or stop-
cocks 0, 0, 0, 0, which fit tightly into openings in the hollow ring m, m, so that the

page_text: mould can be lifted without impediment; p, p, represent a rubber strip which is
placed between the mould and the bed to make a joint. In the centre of the bed
plate is an opening for the connecting rod G of the hydraulic lift, and around this
opening is a rubber joint. On the lower part of the bed plate are two ports x, x,
one for each mould, and placed about the centre of each mould for the admission of
air, water, or both to the interior of the mould.
The ports are connected by a channel with the inlet water pipe r, which may be
closed by a cock 8. Under the ports x, x, are two pet cocks which may be used for
the admission of air to the moulds.
The steam pipe V is connected with the circular tube m and provided with a
stop-cock, so that when the ice is formed and the cold medium is discharged a jet
of steam or hot air may be admitted into the space I by means of the valves or
stop-cocks 0, 0, 0, 0. The pipe wis the pipe leading from the refrigerator of the
ice machine to the circular tube in the cover L, and the union y is intended to
facilitate disconnection.
The hydraulic lift H, which may or may not be used with the mould, affords a
useful method of operating the apparatus. The connecting rod G which is screwed
in the cover L has a shoulder on the ring a, a, so as to strengthen the whole mould.
On its lower end it has the piston M which has packing as usually made, and by
directing the course of water through the four-way cock N, the pressure is applied
above or below, as occasion requires. The water comes from an accumulator, into
which it has been pumped under pressure, as is usual for hydraulic machinery.
Instead of using a hydraulic lift, it is obvious that I may employ steam with a
suitably constructed piston.
The object of the second part of my Invention is to produce clear ice in the
ordinary ice moulds, and this part of the Invention essentially consists in producing
agitation of the water in the mould during the freezing thereof. This I effect by.
imparting rotary movement to the moulds, either continuously or intermittently,
regularly or irregularly, and either in one direction or alternately in both directions,
and to prevent the body of the water in the mould rotating therewith. I sometimes
place an obstruction like a spatula therein to intercept the current. The rotary
motion may be imparted by any suitable mechanism or gearing, such, for example,
as a belt passed round a pulley on the mould or on the mould jacket, within which
the freezing liquid circulates, the said belt deriving its motion from another pulley
driven in any ordinary manner.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 illustrate the manner in which this part of my Invention
may be carried into effect, Figure 13 being a plan, Figure 14 a section through A, A,
and Figure 15 a section through B, B. a, a, represent two moulds which may be
of any desired form. These moulds are supported at their lower end in a step b
at the bottom of a tank or reservoir c, through which the freezing liquid is made
to circulate, while the upper ends of the mould have a spindle d which turns in a
bearing and carries a pulley g driven by a belt from a shaft h.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The manufacture of transparent block ice in inverted moulds maintained
full of water kept in a state of circulation, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The employment in combination with inverted moulds, which are main-
tained full of water kept in a state of circulation, of an air or vacuum pump, as and
for the purpose herein-before described.
Third. The employment in combination with inverted moulds, which are main-
tained full of water kept in a state of circulation, of a filter through which the
water in its circulation is caused to flow, as herein-before described.
Fourth. Constructing apparatus for manufacturing. block ice, substantially as
herein-before described, and represented in Figures 1 to 12 of the annexed
Drawings.
Fifth. Producing agitation of the water in ice moulds during the freezing thereof

page_text: by imparting rotation to the moulds,: substantially as and for the purpose herein
before described.
Sixth. The employment in a rotating ice mould of an obstruction to prevent the
body of the water rotating with the mould, as herein-before described.
Seventh. Constructing apparatus for manufacturing ice, substantially as herein-
before described, and represented. in Figures 13, 14, and 15 of the annexed
.Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gamgee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.