Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS of Newtown, Isle of Wight, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is mainly to produce a portable freezing or
refrigerating machine capable of rapidly freezing or cooling comparatively small
quantities of water or vaporizable liquid.
I effect the freezing of the bulk of the liquid by vaporizing a portion of the
liquid, by means of a vacuum aided by the absorbtion of the vaporised steam by
sulphuric acid or other absorbent of aqueous vapour.
11
I place the liquid to be frozen into a glass or other vessel the mouth of which
can be fitted air tight to the end of a pipe leading to the top of the interior of a
closed vessel partially filled with sulphuric acid or other absorbent of aqueous
vapour. Another pipe leading from the top of this vessel I couple to the suction
pipe of an air pump so that by means of the air pump I am able to produce
a vacuum in the top of the vessel containing the sulphuric acid and in the vessel
containing the liquid to be frozen-I provide a union to allow of this pipe being
disconnected from the vessel containing the sulphuric acid so that this vessel
may be entirely separated from the pump for facility of carriage or for filling or
emptying the vessel.
I form the end of the pipe to which the vessel containing the liquid to be frozen
or cooled is to be applied with a flexible nozzle at its end to fit into the interior or
over the exterior of the neck or mouth of the vessel or if the mouth of the vessel
is of comparatively large diameter as it is say for example in a tumbler the end of
the pipe may be fitted with a disc carrying a ring of elastic material for the rim
of the glass to bed against so as to form an air tight joint. Immediately a vacuum
has been formed within the vessel the vessel will be upbeld and will remain
upheld so long as the vacuum is maintained the pipe is fitted with a cock or valve
by which, it can be shut or opened.
.10
$
The pump is formed of a piston which can be worked up and down in a vertical
cylinder.

page_text: The suction valve is at the bottom of the cylinder and is caused to be covered
with a small quantity of liquid during the down stroke of the piston a small
quantity of oil is also kept above the top of the piston. In the side of the pump
cylinder are small holes past which the piston moves just at the end of its up
stroke a small annular casing surrounds the portion of the cylinder through
which these holes are formed. When the piston moves up towards the top of its
stroke a small portion of liquid passes from above the piston into this annular
casing.
As the piston continues to rise and moves beyond the holes in the cylinder the
oil in the annular casing flows back into the cylinder below the piston and covers
the suction valve.
When the piston arrives at the bottom of its stroke it fits to the bottom of the
cylinder which is coned and this portion of liquid passes back through the valve in
the pump piston sweeping in front of it all residue of air from the end of the
cylinder the air first collecting in the hollow on the underside of the piston and
then being forced past the valve by the liquid.
The liquid I use is preferably oil as it must be a liquid which will not vaporize
under a vacuum.
The suction valve I cause to be lifted automatically during the up stroke of the
piston this I do by carrying a rod up from the top of the valve through the
piston rod which I make hollow for the purpose and clip the rod by a spring clip
within the hollow rod. A stop prevents the valve being lifted too high. Just at
the end of the up stroke the clip comes to a portion of the rod which is reduced in
diameter so that the clip is no longer able to hold the valve up-the valve then
drops and closes before oil can drop down on to it from the annular chamber before
mentioned.
The delivery valve of the pump is composed of a disc resting above the top of
openings formed through the cylinder cover-the disc is formed with an inverted
cup shaped projection standing up from its centre through which the piston rod
passes so that it makes a tight stuffing box joint where the piston rod passes out
through the top of the cylinder as well as serving as a valve.
Above the top of the cylinder is also a small vessel kept filled with oil so that
this valve which also forms the stuffing box is kept covered with liquid.
The valve is kept from rising too far from its seat by a small stop. To prevent
the oil being splashed out from this small vessel I make it with a cover coned
downwards to the centre where it fits loosely around the piston rod. To prevent
oil passing out between the piston rod and the hole in the centre of this cover
1 place a washer of leather on to the piston rod within the vessel. This washer
I keep by stops at a short distance below the hole in the cover.
When sulphuric acid is used for absorbing the aqueous vapour arising from the
liquid to be frozen I use by preference a glass jar for containing the acid-the tops
of the jar I cover by a lid of lead-To make a tight joint between the lid and the
jar which shall prevent the escape of acid and also be air tight I form a groove all
around the edge of the cover so as to leave the portion of the cover which rests on
the top of the jar comparatively thin. I also make this portion not to extend
quite to the outer circumference of the top of the jar. The thin tongue of lead so
bearing against the top makes a tight joint when the lid is pressed down and
prevents all escape of acid-whilst an elastic ring forced into the groove and
bearing against the outer portion of the top of the jar makes the joint perfectly air
tight. I also provide a revolving agitator within the vessel which contains the
sulphuric acid to admix the lighter acid which has absorbed water with the acid
below it.
The action of the apparatus is as follows.
The tap at the end of the pipe to which the vessel containing the liquid to be
frozen is to be connected is first closed and the pump worked until a good vacuum
is obtained in the vessel containing the sulphuric acid.

page_text: The vessel containing liquid to be frozen is now applied to the end of the pipe
and the tap opened-the vacuum then at once bolds up the vessel. The pump is
again set to work until by evaporation of some of the water the remainder is
frozen.
In order to be able to obtain solid blocks of ice in the above manner a small
quantity of water may first be frozen and then a further quantity of water
admitted to the vessel and so on until a block of the desired thickness is obtained.
Dated this 18th day of February 1886.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I HENRY ALBERT FLEUSS of Newtown, Isle of Wight, 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 :-
The object of the invention is mainly to produce a portable freezing or
refrigerating machine capable of rapidly freezing or cooling comparatively small
quantities of water or vaporizable liquid.
I effect the freezing of the bulk of the liquid by the well known process of
vaporizing a portion of the liquid by means of a vacuum aided by the absorption
of the vaporized steam by sulphuric acid or other absorbent of aqueous vapour.
My improvements in freezing and refrigerating machines acting in the above
manner are shown in the drawings hereunto annexed..
They relate mainly to the general form or arrangement of the apparatus and to
the construction of the acid receptacle and of the various parts of the air pump.
Figure 1 shows a plan view and Figure 2 a vertical section of the machine.
Figure 3 shows a vertical section on a larger scale of the delivery valve of the
pump and of the parts employed for preventing escape of oil from the oil chamber
which is above this valve. Figure 4 shows a vertical section of the piston and
part of the piston rod. Figure 5 shows a vertical section of the lower end of the
pump cylinder and of the suction valve and Figure 6 shows a vertical section of
the joint between the acid receptacle and its lid.
A is a vessel to contain liquid to be frozen. B is a glass vessel containing
sulphuric acid. C is the cylinder of the air pump. Da hand lever by which the
piston rod of the pump is worked up and down. The lever is shown to be formed
in two parts jointed together-this is convenient as it allows of the apparatus
being packed in small space. E is the lid of the vessel B, it is formed of lead and
has an angle iron ring e around its outer edge. Above the lid is an iron ring e¹
with arms radiating from it. The glass vessels stands on another iron ring ex
from which iron straps e* are carried upwards. The ends of the radial arms are
made to enter holes in these straps. Each arm has a screw passing through it
and the end of the screw is made to bear upon the top of the angle iron ring e so
that by turning the screws the lid can be forced downwards on to the top of the
glass vessel or jar.
To make a tight joint between the lid and jar which shall prevent the escape of
acid and also be air tight I form a groove all around the outer edge of the cover as
shown in Figure 6. Into it I insert an elastic ring Z. The thin tongue of lead z
left below the groove does not extend to the outer circumference of the top of the
jar so that when the lid is forced down on to the top of the jar the thin tongue of
lead makes a liquid tight joint around the inner circumference of the top of the
jar which the sulphuric acid cannot pass whilst the elastic ring Z maintains this
joint and makes an air tight joint around its outer circumference.
In this way the elastic ring is protected from being injured by the acid. To
still further ensure obtaining a tight joint I paint over the top of the jar and the
underside of the outer circumference of the lid and its elastic ring with paraffin

page_text: and whilst the paraffin is still soft and the jar and lid being warm also I put the
lid into its place on the top of the jar and force it down by the screw bolts. In
this way a most perfect joint is obtained.
•
The lid E is provided with a filling hole closed by a plug and also it is formed
with two sockets into which are soldered the ends of two pipes F. G which pass
upwards and carry a tap H. The tap has extending from it a disc I which to
form the lid or cover of the vessel A. is a ring of soft material interposed
between the top of the vessel A and the disc I to secure a tight joint. The
vessel A is held up by the vacuum in the apparatus. A nozzle I' is also provided
below the disc to allow of the neck of a flask being held up to the tap in place of
'a vessel A of the form shown.
By the tap H a communication can be opened between the interior of the
vessel A and the pipe F leading to the acid vessel B. The socket into which the
lower end of this pipe enters is as shown in Figure 2 carried down nearly to
the level of the acid in the vessel so that all air or vapour passing down the pipe F
is brought into close proximity with the acid. The pipe G is closed at top-a
branch pipe G¹ is led off from it to the bottom of the pump cylinder below the
suction valve. Whilst the pump is being worked the acid in the vessel B is kept
agitated by an agitator blade Ji on a vertical axis J which passes out through a
stuffing box in the lid E and has an arm extending from it which by a link is
coupled to one arm of a bell crank K the other arm of which is linked to the
lever D. The advantage derived from carrying the agitator on a vertical axis is
that the axis can be led out through an ordinary stuffing box with which the acid
does not come into contact.
The pump is formed of a piston n which can be worked up and down in a
vertical cylinder C which has above it a small reservoir R for containing oil or
other liquid which will not vaporize under a vacuum. The suction valve L is at
the apex of a cone which forms the bottom of the cylinder, so that a gutter c is
formed around the suction valve.
During the down stroke of the piston n a small quantity of oil is caused as
herein after explained to be at the bottom of the cylinder. The bottom of the
piston n is made with a corresponding conical hollow so that at the end of its
down stroke it may fit closely into the gutter c at the bottom of the cylinder.
Nearly at the end of the down stroke the bottom edge of the piston enters the oil.
The air previously in the cylinder is thereby enclosed in the hollow on the under-
side of the piston and as the piston completes its stroke the air is expelled past the
piston valve P and afterwards the oil so that all trace of air is effectually expelled
from below the piston.
The suction valve L is lifted mechanically during the greater part of each up-
stroke of the piston. To do this and yet avoid friction on the lifting mechanism
or between the valve stem and the guides in which it works I form the parts in
the following manner :—
The suction valve L has a tubular rod M extending upwards from it the valve is
not directly attached to the rod but a wire M¹ with a hook attachment at its lower
end is carried upwards from the valve and is soldered to the top of the tubular
rod M at Mas shown at Figure 4. This arrangement gives freedom of play
between the valve and rod.
The rod M passes up through the centre of the piston n and through the centre
of the piston valve P and into the hollow, piston rod N. At the lower end of the
piston rod is a spring clip N¹ which clips the tube M and holds it with a sufficient
grip to lift the valve when the piston rod moves upwards. The valve Lis
prevented from being lifted too far from its seat by a cross pin 7 passed through
the valve stem coming against the top of slots formed in the guide in which the
valve stem: works.
Just before the piston arrives at the top of its stroke the clip:N passes beyond
the top of the tube M and as the parts of the clip do not spring together sufficiently

page_text: close to allow them to take any hold of the wire M¹ the valve is no longer upheld
and drops down on to its seat.
The way in which the piston or pump bucket is formed is shown at Figure 4, a
leather O, forms a tight joint between it and the pump cylinder C. The valve P
is formed of a disc of leather with a central hole formed through it up through
which the tube M passes. Above this is a metal disc carrying on the top of it
another disc of leather. The holes through the leather discs are made to fit the
tube M easily. Qis the delivery valve at the top of the cylinder C-it is com-
posed of a disc of leather resting above openings formed through the cylinder
cover. The disc is formed as an hydraulic collar with a flange or inverted cup
. shaped projection standing up from its centre which embraces the piston rod so
that it makes a tight stuffing box joint where the piston rod passes out from the
top of the cylinder as well as serving as a valve. The disc of leather with its
conical upward projection is kept in form by a metal ring Q¹.
Above the top of the cylinder is an oil chamber R so that the delivery valve
may be always covered with oil. R¹ is a disc passing across the interior of the
oil chamber-it serves as a stop to prevent the delivery valve from being lifted
too high on the upward stroke of the piston. At the completion of the upstroke
also when oil is forced from the pump cylinder into the oil vessel it prevents the
oil from being thrown violently upwards the only passage through it being just
above the delivery valve. To prevent any oil which may be ejected upwards
through this hole being thrown out from the top of the oil vessel the piston rod is
made to pass through a hole in the centre of a dise of leather S-this disc of leather
is between two stops 81 82 which keep it from moving too far up and down with
the piston rod. The stops are carried by the cover of the oil chamber and this
cover is coned downwards as shown at Figure 3 to still further ensure that no oil
shall be ejected from the chamber. Any oil entering the bottom of the oil chamber
and rising up through it must as will be seen pursue a very circuitous course before
it can escape at the top.
T. T. are small cavities in the side of the pump cylinder C-the bottom of the
pump piston passes above these cavities just at the end of its upward stroke.
The quantity of oil in the apparatus should be such that at the end of the
upstroke of the pump piston the space above the piston may be full of oil and the
oil should also stand about to the level of the disc R¹. In working the pump
towards the completion of the up stroke some of the oil above the piston passes
into the cavities T. T. in the sides of the cylinder and when the piston has risen
above these cavities the oil within them falls to the bottom of the cylinder—and
serves at the completion of the next downward stroke to sweep out all air from
the lower part of the cylinder as before explained.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The tap H being closed a few strokes
of the pump are given until a good vacuum is obtained in the vessel B containing
the sulphuric acid. The vessel A containing a small quantity of liquid to be frozen
is now applied to the disc I or nozzle I' and the tap is opened. The vacuum then
at once holds up the vessel. The pump is now again set to work to remove the
air which was contained in the vessel A. Any vapour given off from the liquid is
absorbed by the acid and this continues until by evaporation of some of the liquid
the remainder is frozen.
In order to be able to obtain solid blocks of ice in the above manner a small
quantity of liquid should first be frozen in the vessel A and then a further quantity
of liquid may be introduced into the vessel through a tap U (see Figure 1) and
frozen and so on until a block of the desired thickness obtained.
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 as my improvements in freezing and refrigerating machines is:—
1. The construction of freezing and refrigerating machines substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.

page_text: 2. The means substantially as described for holding down the cover of the acid
vessel and for forming a tight joint between them..
3. The combination of parts forming the air pump substantially as described.
4. The means substantially as described for lifting the suction valve at each up
stroke of the piston and of releasing the valve and allowing it to close before the
oil descends from the cavities in the side of the cylinder.
5. Providing a loose or flexible joint between the suction valve and the rod
which lifts it to avoid friction substantially as described.
6. The means substantially as described for admitting a definite charge of oil or
other suitable liquid into the lower part of the pump cylinder at the end of each
upstroke of the piston.
7. The delivery valve formed so as also to serve the purpose of a stuffing box
around the piston rod substantially as described.
8. The oil or liquid receptacle around the suction valve and the piston of
corresponding form entering this receptacle and displacing the liquid substantially
as described.
9. The pump substantially as described for use in freezing and refrigerating
machines in which at each stroke a measure of liquid is admitted to the lower part
of the cylinder when the suction valve las closed and is displaced again at the end
of the stroke through the delivery valve.
•
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10. The means substantially as described for preventing splashing of oil from the
oil chamber above the pump cylinder.