An Improved Apparatus for Ice-making and Refrigerating.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Ice-making and Refrigerating.
I, ALFRED GLASSON Engineer of 339 Upland Road Dulwich in the County of
Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My apparatus consists of a cylinder which is driven by any high tension conden-
sible gas, such as sulphurous acid, ammonia carbonic anhydride; for the purposes
The
of description we will suppose the gas employed to be anhydrous ammonia,
cylinder is connected to a pump which circulates & compresses gaseous ammonia
and forces it into a coil or series of coils contained in the bedplate of the above
engine and surrounded by cold water. An ammonia boiler or superheater consisting
of an iron vessel, heated by gas, fire, exhaust steam, hot water or waste heat of any
kind. A small ammonia feed pump is also provided to feed a small portion of liquid
ammonia from condenser coil into ammonia boiler. A vessel in which the liquid
ammonia from the condenser is allowed to pass and evaporating therein at a lower
pressure abstracts heat from whatever substance passes through this vessel. For
cooling air I use a long tank in which revolve horizontally a series of thin metal
cylinders one within the other, each separated by a very small space. The lower
edge of each cylinder, dips down and passes through a layer of freezing brine as it
revolves in the bottom of the tank. The air being drawn or driven through and
between the cylinders by any suitable means becomes extremely cold and is then
taken to where it is required.
The details of the various parts are as follow ;-The driving cylinder I make
similar to an ordinary steam cylinder with piston & slide valve. The piston from
this passes direct-tandem fashion-to the ammonia compression pump. This pump
is of special design and consists of a jacketed cylinder with special piston & rod.
This piston has a projecting strip round both faces of it which strips fit into grooves
at both ends of cylinder, when the piston is either at bottom or top of stroke.
This arrangement makes it possible to bring the suction & delivery valves at each
end of the cylinder flat against the strip so leaving no clearance whatever for
expansion of waste gas. The suction and delivery valves are arranged in valve
boxes with springs at each end of pump.
A most important feature of the apparatus is the lubricators.
The pistons of both the driving cylinder & compression pump are provided with
a centre V groove round the outside edge of each and between the piston rings.
This groove is connected by a small hole to a small pipe screwed into the face of
piston.
This pipe passes through a small gland in the end of one cover, its end opening
out into a long narrow closed case bolted to the cylinder cover.
As the piston
reciprocates, the small tube passes up & down inside this case and as this case is
kept full of oil from a vessel on top of machine & the oil in this vessel is kept under
the pressure in the ammonia boiler, the oil at each stroke of the piston is forced out
round the edge of it and in fact the piston runs on a ring of oil at high pressure
which also tends to keep the piston rings tight and ensuring perfect lubrication.
Another most important point is the stuffing box gland for piston rod through
rover. Into an ordinary gland I introduce a spiral sleeve of steel closely fitting
the rod. I make this sleeve of a square bar of steel closely wound to form a close
wound spiral spring. The ends of the sleeve are fixed into collars. The bottom

page_text: collar lies at the bottom of the gland against a lead washer and is securely fixed
there. The other collar projects through the gland cover and has a square head
on the end. The gland cover passes over it & forces down some ordinary packing
on to the face of the top collar so pressing the whole of the sleeve tightly into
stuffing box. To tighten up the sleeve and so prevent all leakage of gas along the
piston rod it is only necessary to place a spanner on the square head of collar and
turn it round thus tightening all the coils of the sleeve round the piston rod by the
mere act of twisting them together. I also make the larger glands of a number
of small piston rings, similar to piston spring rings, fitted round the piston rod
inside the gland, then I keep them tight up against the rod by means of a taper
sleeve in halves surrounding these rings. This sleeve being driven in by suitable
means tightens up all the rings at once.
The manner in which I work the apparatus is as follows:-
After withdrawing all the air from it; anhydrous liquid ammonia is placed in
the condenser coils; from here it passes into the refrigerator there expanding &
producing cold, or into the pipes in air cooler thus cooling the brine. At the same
time a portion of the liquid ammonia is also placed in the ammonia boiler and is here
heated & raised to a pressure of about 250 lbs. per square inch. The starting valve
on the driving cylinder is now opened and by this means the machine is set to
work in the same way as with a steam engine. The exhaust from the driving
cylinder goes into the condenser coils which work at a pressure of about 150 lbs.
per square inch. The ammonia pump drawing from the refrigerator as fast as it
is formed the gas, compresses and delivers it into the condenser coils which are
kept cold by water circulating round them, condenses the ammonia gas into the
liquid state ready to be used over again as before described. The small feed
pump attached to the driving cylinder is so arranged that it draws the right
quantity of liquid : ammonia from the condenser coils & forces it into the ammonia
boiler thus keeping up a constant feed into it which evaporating at the higher
temperature maintains a sufficiently high pressure to keep the machine at work.
Dated this 8th day of November 1894.
ALFRED GLASSON.
I, ALFRED GLASSON, Engineer, of 339 Upland Road, East Dulwich in the
County of Surrey 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 :-
My apparatus is a refrigerating machine using any high tension condensible gas,
such as, sulphurous acid, anhydrous ammonia or carbonic anhydride. A special
feature of this apparatus is that a portion of the refrigerating agent employed in
the machine is raised to a higher temperature & pressure & utilized in driving the
machine without the aid of a steam engine or a steam boiler and by the most simple
form of heat transmission of low intensity; any substance with a temperature not
lower than 150° Fah. will work the apparatus.
For a particular & detailed description of my apparatus I refer to the accom-
panying drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet I shows a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of the gas
pump wherewith the refrigerating agent is compressed.
Figures 1 & 2, Sheet II show a sectional elevation through each of my two
improved stuffing box glands for piston & pump rods which I use in my apparatus
as hereinafter described.
Figures 3 & 4, are plans of the same partly in section.

page_text: Figure 1, Sheet III,.is an elevation of the complete apparatus,, with two parts m
section.
Figure 2, shows a longitudinal section through my improved air cooler used with
the machine.
Figure 3, is a cross section through the same.
The compression pump I make of the form and arrangement shown in Fig. 1,
Sheet I.
This is a double acting pump and consists of a cylindrical barrel A made of a
hard metal liner fixed inside a cast iron cylinder B by means of set studs C. This
arrangement forms a hollow space D which completely surrounds the barrel so
forming a jacket to the pump as shown.
At each end of the barrel A with its casing B are bolted on the top & bottom
covers I. These covers are each provided with a flange neck F. having a passage
way to the suction valve H.. The ends of these branches are closed by biank flanges
as shown at F.
On the opposite side to these branches are similar flange necks K on both top
& bottom covers of the pump. They are provided with passage ways through them
to each delivery valve J. These outlets K at the top and bottom of the pump
I connect together into one main delivery pipe by any suitable means similar to that
shown at k Figure 1, Sheet III.
The suction inlet to the pump is at G Fig. 1, Sheet I which is a flange neck
projecting from the outside casing of the pump and having a passage way through
it into the hollow space or jacket round the barrel of the pump. This jacket is
connected by a clear passage at both the top and the bottom ends of pump into the
flange branches F and so to the suction valves H. This passage is shown for the
top end of the pump at E. A similar one is made into the bottom flange neck and
in all other details the construction of the valves on both top & bottom covers are
identical.
then
This arrangement of the suction inlets forms a complete passage way for the cold
incoming vapour to pass right round the barrel of the pump, inside the jacket
through the suction valves into the pump. It is thus possible to keep the barrel
cool by means of the spent gas passing into the pump.
In starting the machine it is sometimes necessary to cool the barrel of the pump
by a direct injection of a small portion of liquified ammonia into the jacket D which
vapourising therein effects the desired object. For this purpose a small pipe
connection L is made in the suction branch G.
The suction valves H at the top & bottom of the pump I place in boxes in the
end covers I, so that they come flat up against the ends of the pump as shown.
They are made with a guide collar a, the spindle from which runs upwards in the
centre of two springs-b & c; these springs are of different strengths. The cushion
spring c is the strongest and acts as a buffer to the recoil spring b, thus taking up
easily and quietly any violent action of the suction valve. The springs are kept
apart by means of a sliding collar flange d as shown.
The top & bottom delivery valves J, I make exactly as shown.
The valve face fits into the seating e. The spindle of the valve is produced
upwards & terminates in a guide g which is cup shaped and contains a recoil
spring; this spring bears against a collar flange i at the back of which is placed
a stronger cushion spring o, which acts as a buffer to the movement of the recoil
spring, thus preventing shock in the action of the valve.
A novel feature of this pump is the piston M, having a piston rod N working
through an improved stuffing box O. The piston has four spring piston rings P.
These rings are turned true and ground together on their flat edges so that when
placed against one another they are gas tight. The division, however, between
the two centre rings is bevelled off to half its depth, as shown at j. These rings
are kept in position & close against one another by the piston cover Q as shown.
A hollow space R is formed in the centre of the piston and has small holes k
communicating with the space at the back of the piston rings as shown.

page_text: A small tube S is screwed into the piston and forms a connection into the
hollow space R. This tube at its opposite end passes through the bottom cover I
of the pump and into a small closed tube case T through a small stuffing box gland U.
This tube Sasses backwards and forwards inside the case T as the pump piston
reciprocates when at work. The object for which this tube is provided is to
secure an efficient. lubrication of the piston; for a portion of oil at a somewhat
bigher pressure than the pressure inside the pump is forced through the inlet V
and passes along the tube S fills the hollow space R inside the piston and flowing
out through the small holes k behind the piston rings P forces its way through a
small hole between the centre rings into the bevelled slot j and so fills this slot all
round the piston and most efficiently lubricates it.
In fact, the piston runs on a ring of high pressure oil, which also tends to keep
the piston rings tight and renders the escape of gas past the piston impossible.
The piston is also provided with a projecting strip W round both top & bottom
faces and these fit into corresponding recesses made in the top and bottom
covers I, whenever the piston is at the top or the bottom of its stroke. This
arrangement makes it possible to bring the suction and delivery valves at each end
of the cylinder flat against the strip W.
The strip is cut away round the delivery valve seating e at. X. The arrange-
ment of this strip prevents any clearance round the valves wherein gas might
lodge.
The stuffing box gland for the piston rod through the cover I make for the
larger sized pumps as shown at Figures 1 & 3 Sheet II. The piston rod N is
surrounded by a number of small spring rings which fit tightly round it.
The
flat sides of these rings are ground together so that no gas can leak past them.
They are pressed down & kept in position by the cover m which forces the set of
rings down on the collar n under which is a lead joint o in a recess as shown.
A cylindrical split sleeves made of any elastic material, surrounds the outside of
the spring rings & outside this again is another cylindrical sleeve in halves made
of steel. Bearing upon the exterior surface of this steel sleeve I adjust four taper
keys as shown. These keys bear on the taper sides of the gland case o and are
forced downwards by an annular ring t. The necessary adjustment of this ring is
produced by screwing down the set screws u.
By this construction secure a perfectly tight joint as by screwing down the
set screws u I can produce the necessary amount of pressure to tighten up all the
spring rings round the piston rod so being always able to maintain a tight and good
wearing gland joint. A-mall gland for ordinary packing is provided to prevent
any small leakage past the end of piston rod.
The hollow space a, Figure 3, is filled with oil and the pipe & Figure 1 is a
connection to the exhaust side of the pump so allowing a free escape to any gas
which may leak past the gland rings.
In the smaller sized pumps I introduce into an ordinary gland a spiral sleeve A¹
Figure 2 Sheet 11 made of steel or other metal closely fitting the rod N I make
this sleeve of a square bar of steel closely wound to form a spiral close spring.
This is heated & welded together, bored out, turned to fit the piston rod & then
cut with a fine saw to form a close wound spiral sleeve. The ends of this sleeve
are fixed into the collars B. The bottom collar bears upon a lead washer C¹.
The top collar is secured to a turned guide neck D'. This is provided with a
space E for ordinary packing, which packing when screwed down by the gland
cover F¹ also keeps the spiral spring sleeve A in position and tightly down upon
the bottom collar B'. The turned guide neck has a square on its upper end at G
Figures 2 & 4, by means of which it is possible at all times, so to adjust the
tension in the spiral steel sleeve A that the right amount of pressure upon the
piston rod shall be obtained sufficient to keep any gas from leaking past it. By
simply turning the neck D' Figure 2 slightly round the sleeve A' is twisted tightly
together and the set screw II being tightened maintains it in that position as
shown. The set screw 1' prevents the bottom collar from turning round.

page_text: A small gland at K' prevents any leakage past end of neck. The hollow.
space J, Figure 4, is filled with oil for lubrication and the pipe L' Figure 2, is in
communication with the exhaust.
The cylinder which drives the compression pump is made of the same pattern as
any ordinary steam cylinder for high steam pressures, with this exception, the
piston rings and the lubricator of the same I make similar to those used in the
compression pump herein before described and illustrated.
The part of the apparatus in which I obtain the energy sufficient to drive the
machine, I call the generator, P¹ Figure 1 Sheet III. It consists of a cylindrical
iron closed tank provided inside with a number of serpentine coils Q' connected
together at their lower ends into a chamber R' as shown. The outlets of these
coils at the top are connected into a cylindrical iron vessel S¹ which vessel is
provided with a level glass and pressure gauge shown at T'. For cooling the air
to very low temperatures I use with my machine a long tank U' Figure 2 Sheet III.
in which revolve horizontally a series of thin metal cylinders Vi one within the
other, each separated by a very narrow space and also provided with channels all
Figure 3 running the whole length of cylinders. The lower edge of each cylinder
dips down into and passes through a layer of freezing brine W₁ as it revolves on
the shaft X by means of the small pulley Y¹. A fan Z' is fixed at one end of the
tank & forces the air, to be cooled, through & between the metal cylinders in
the direction shown by the arrows and is delivered through the outlet a' at a very
low temperature. A coil of pipes 1 is placed along the bottom of the tank into
which the liquified ammonia is allowed to expand thus cooling the brine. A
perforated iron baffle plate C' is fixed at the outlet end so as to prevent any spray
from the brine passing out with the air.
By this arrangement of metal cylinders I am enabled to obtain a large & cold
surface in a moderate space to expose to a current of air and as the cylinders
revolve through the brine and the small channels all take up a small portion of the
freezing brine thus maintaining the whole surface very cold, the air is very rapidly
cooled.
The manner in which I work the machine is as follows:-
After withdrawing all the air from it, and taking the refrigerating agent to be
employed, to be anhydrous ammonia, a full charge of this is placed in the condenser
coils Figure 1 Sheet III which are coils of iron pipe placed inside the tank base
of the apparatus as shown and surrounded by cold water.
The ammonia from the coils flows into the circular iron vessel e¹ which is a
storage tank to retain a sufficient supply of the liquified ammonia to work the
machine. A small portion of the liquified ammonia is placed in the coils Q1 of the
generator P Figure 1. Sheet III and is then heated and raised to a pressure
of about 250 lbs. per square inch. This heat may be waste heat of any description,
such as exhaust steam, hot air, or hot water. The hot substance employed passes
into the generator tank and surrounds the outside of the coils.
The pressure
of 250 lbs. per square inch being maintained in the generator P¹ is sufficient to
drive the machine, by opening the valve f¹ this high pressure vapour passes along
the pipe into the driving cylinder h¹ which immediately sets the machine in
motion in the same way as an ordinary steam engine and thus actuates the
compression pump Figure 1, Sheet III.
21
The machine is now working and as long as the pressure in the generator is
maintained at a higher pressure than that in the condenser coils, will continue to
work. The ammonia gas being drawn by the pump from the expansion pipe
coils b¹ in air cooler Figure 2. through the pipe into the pump suction branch
and then inside the jacket hereinbefore described, cooling the barrel of the pump
as it passes along to the suction valves.
The ammonia gas being compressed in the pump
passes through the delivery branch k¹ to the pipe
vessel m called the oil-rectifier. The oil used
to about 150 lbs. per square inch
then into the top of a cylindrical
in lubricating the pump i here

page_text: separates from the ammonia gas, which gas then passes along through the pipe n¹
into the condenser coils d' where it liquifies & passes to the receiver e'. A small
cylindrical vessel o' called the oil-storage tank is placed immediately below the
oil-rectifier m'. This vessel o' is connected to the generator main vapour pipe gl
by a small pipe s¹ as shown, and also by a pipe t' to each of the oil lubricators T
on the driving cylinder ' and the compression pump i.
This arrangement permits the full pressure of the generator to act against the
oil in the oil receiver o¹ and so forces the oil into the lubricators & thus into the
pistons as herein before described and illustrated.
When the oil-rectifier m¹ is nearly full of oil the valves being closed and
the valve opened the oil immediately flows out into the bottom vessel o¹ after
which the valves being restored to their former positions the cycle of operations
proceed as before.
To maintain the continuous working of the machine a double acting feed pump u¹
of any approved design is fixed at the side of the tank base & driven off the main
shaft as shown. The suction of this pump is connected by a small pipe v to the
receiver e¹ from which it draws a small portion of liquid ammonia and. forces it
through the delivery, pipe w' into the chamber R' at the bottom of the coils Q¹.
This quantity is regulated to the exact amount required for the continuous working
of the apparatus by means of the by-pass regulating valve at al. This small portion
of ammonia continues evaporating at the higher pressure, inside the coils Q
thus producing a. sufficient quantity of vapour to drive the cylinder h¹
continuously.
The vapour passes away from the driving cylinder at the pressure of the
condenser, through the exhaust pipe y' and so into the delivery pipe from the
compression pump,.and. then to the condenser in one continuous cycle.
The liquified anhydrous ammonia is allowed to pass along the pipe z¹ into the
pipe coil 6 in. the buttom of the air cooler U₁ Figure 2. Sheet 1I. where
expanding at a lower pressure cools the brine W₁ to a very low temperature
which cooling the metal cylinders abstracts the heat from the air passing along
them as before described.
A small pipe & valve L Fig. 1. is provided for injecting a fine spray of liquified
ammonia from the receiver e¹ into the suction of pump if required for cooling the
same.
The direction of the flow of vapour and liquid in the various pipes is shown by
arrows marked on Figure 1, Sheet III.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
I. The arrangement and construction of the stuffing box glands precisely as
herein before described and illustrated and for the purposes set forth.
II. The construction and combination of the suction and the delivery valves
with their system of springs as hereinbeforo described and illustrated.
III. The arrangement and construction of the compression pump piston with its
hollow space for oil and its system of ground in piston rings, whereby I am
enabled to obtain perfect lubrication as hereinbefore described & illustrated.
IV. The arrangement and construction of the piston lubricating tube with its
oase as herein before described and illustrated.
V. The construction & arrangement of the generator whereby 1 am enabled to
obtain a high pressure vapour from hot air, hot water or exhaust steam. or similar
waste heat as shown.
VI. The construction and combination of the driving cylinder with the
generator and with the compression pump & feel pump, whereby I am enablel to
use any high tension condensible gas, other than steam, both to drive and to
refrigerate at the same time as hereinbefore described and illustrated.

page_text: VII. The arrangement of the oil storage tank with its pipe from the generator,
whereby I am enabled to force the oil into the piston for lubrication.
VIII. The construction and arrangement of the air-cooler as hereinbefore
described and illustrated and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 7th day of August 1895.
ALFRED GLASSON.