US2096584A - Dry ice machine - Google Patents

Description

c; L. HILL 2,096,584

DRY ICE MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 BY I g ATTORNEW.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 charles r.. mu, Plainfield, N. J. Application December 1'1, 1936,Serial No. 116,287

1 0 Claims.

This invention relates -to improvements in ice making apparatus and more particularly to a device for making dry ice in cake form.

One of the main features of the invention is to provide a freezer device by which dry ice in cake form may be instantly made fromI carbonio gas as and when needed, which adapts the device for use in laboratories, clinics, metallurgical work and for store keepers in the'packaging of ice cream, fruit juices and the like.

Another feature of the invention resides in a small compact dry ice making device which -is automatic in its action, small and compact of con I` struction', and which is safe of operation and l5 highly emcient and economical even though operated by one unskilledv in the art of d ry ice manufacture. Y A

A further featureof the invention is the provision of a dry ice making device which audibly has become lled with dry ice, thus notifying the user that the flow of carbonio gas to the cavity should be shut oil'. I

-With these and other objects in view, the invention relates tothe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described in the following specieation, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illusvtrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my dry ice making device connected with a tank of carbonicgas, the control valve of the device being shown in on position in full lines, and in off position in dotted lines. r A

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the dry ice making device,--

a formed cake of dry ice and the cover in partially open position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device with parts broken away.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I0 designates my improved dry ice vmaking device in its entirety and which includes a hollow cylindrical base or casing II closed at its top by a fiat top wall I2 and open at its bottom, the bottom beingprovided with outwardly extending iianges I3 having screw openings therein for the passage of screws I4 for the purpose of flxedly securing the device to a indicates to the user when the cake formingcavity supporting structure. The side wall of the base II is provided with opposed slots I4 and I5, the said slots extending inwardly from the bottom end of the side wall for a purpose to be presently explained.

Rising upwardly from the top wall I2 inwardly of the periphery thereof is an annular rib I8, the inner side of the rib defining a recess I |,the bottom wall of which isprovided with a large central opening I8 and with a plurality of spaced 10 concentric grooves I9. Restricted openings 20 vpass through the top Wall I2 and connect the concentric grooves I9 with the interior of the hollow base II. The annular side wall of the revcess I1 is provided with an annular undercut 15 I groove 2| for receiving a split clamping ring 22,`

v the/said ring serving to hold a porous disk 23 seated wit n the recess I1 and which disk overlies the co centric grooves I9. The porous disk member 23 comprises an inner layer of finely woven canva 24 and an outer disk of fine mesh screen. 25 so to provide an impervious but yet porous botto for the recess I1. The porous disk member 2 vs provided with a central opening 26 which/registers with the opening I8\in the top 25 Wall/ I2 and passing through these registering. openings is an externally screw threaded jet member 21. Clamping nuts 28 arethreaded upon the jet member 21 to secure the same to the topextends downwardly into the hollow base II, the

said lower end being provided with a flange 23.

\The jet member 21 is provided with lthree radially arranged orifices 30, each of which is substantially semi-circular shaped in cross section, and these orifices provide restricted outlet bassages for the gaseous refrigerant used in the making of dry ice. y

Suspended from the jet member 21 andcon cealed within the hollow base II is a control 46 valve 3l, the same comprising a casing 32 having a horizontally disposedf/nipple 33 which extends outwardly through the slot I5 and through which nipple passes the inlet 34 of the valve. Threaded to the'nipple 33 is a coupling nut 35 which joins 45 an internally screw threaded nipple 42,to which a bushing nut 43 is threaded, the said bushing nut acting as a bearing for the stem 44 of a conical valve element 45, the said element coacting with a seat 46 at the juncture of the passages 34 and 4| for the purpose of opening and shutting off the supplycf refrigerant from the tank 38 to the jet 21. The valve element 45 is threaded as at 41 to the valve casing, and the outer end extends through the slot I4 and has secured thereto an actuating handle 48, the said'handle being disposed beyond the outer side wall of the base I I. It will be seen that by turning the handle 48 to the vertical position shown in Figure 1, the valve may be opened or by turninguhe same to the dotted position shown in Figure 1 or the position shown in Figure 2, the supply of refrigerant through the valve will be shut off.

Pivotally connected as at 49 to the top of the cylindrical base is a cover member 58, the

same having a cavity or recess 5I in the under side thereof. Set into the underside of the cover 50 is a rubber gasket 52 which engages the rib I8 when the cover member is swung down to a closed position over the top of the base |I. For the purpose of securing the cover member in a tight sealed closed position, there is provided a hand lever 53, the same being pivoted to the cover as at 54, the hand lever adjacent the pivoted end being provided witha hook 55 which is adapted to engage a pin 56 carried by spaced ears 51 which extend from the side wall of the cylindrical base II. When the cover member 50 is swung to closed position and the hook portion 55 of the lever 53 is engaged with the pin 56, the cover 58 is sealed with respect to the top of the base and the cavity 5| is ready to receive the refrigerant from the outlet end of the orifices 30 in the jet member 21.

Carried by the cover 50 centrally thereof, is an audible safety blow off valve 58, the same-including a cylindrical body member 59 having at its lowerA end, an enlarged externally screw threaded head 80, and extending from the head 60 is a reduced threaded nipple 5| which threads into the top of the cover member 50. A passage 62 extends through the head 8| vand establishes communication betweenv the cavity 5| and the sleeve body 59. 'Threaded to the head 60 is the lower end of a cylindrical cap 53, the walls of the cap being disposed in spaced relation with respect to the sleeve body 59. Normally seated against the inner end of the passage 62, is the rounded head 64 of a valve member 55, the said valve member having a socket '86 within which a spring 61 extends, one end of the spring engaging the end wall of the socket whereas the opposite end of the spring abuts the upper end wall of the cap 63.l 'I'he spring 61 is of such predetermined tension as to maintain the valve head 54 seated until such time as an excessive pressure occurs in the cavity' 5| after the formation of a cake of dry ice therein, after which the spring 51 yields under the, excess pressure within the cavity, causing the valve head 64 to open and enabling the refrigerant to pass through the sleeve body 59 into the space between the sleeve body and the cap 63, after which the refrigerant passes to the atmosphere through openings 68 provided in the In practice, the cover 50 is held locked down against the top of the base by-engaging the hook portion 55 of the hand lever 53 with the pin 58. The handle 48 of th-valve 3| is turned` to the up position shown iii full lines in Figure 1 causing the valve 3| to open, thus admitting carbon dioxide from thev tank 38 to the cavity 5I `through the restricted orifices 38 of the jet member 21. Due to the sudden expansion of the carbon dioxide- (CO2) within the cavity 5|, it follows that the cavity will become substantially filled with dry ice due to the solidication of the carbon dioxide to produce a cake of dry ice substantially of the shape shown at 69 in Figure 4, the waste gases of the refrigerant being permitted toA pass through the porous disk 23, grooves I9, openings 20 into the hollow base II and thence outwardly through the slots I4 land I5. After the filling of the cavity 5| by the formation of dry ice therein, which requires but a few seconds, the pressure within the cavity is relieved by the audible safety blow oif valve 58, the fluid refrigerant passing from the Ajet member 21, through the porous cake of dry ice 68 to the cavity 5| and thence through the safety valve 58, and due to the restricted outlet openings 68, a hissing sound will be produced and which constitutes an audible signal to an operator that the valve 3| should be shut oif by moving the handle 48 to the down position shown in Figure 2. After the control valve 3| has been shut off, the hand lever 53 is actuated to unlock the cover 50, after which the cover is swung to raised position as shown in Figure 4 and the cake of dry ice 69 is free to be lifted from the top of the base II. l

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to. be understood that such changes and alterations as come within.the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

.Having thus described the invention, what I claim "as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

l. In an apparatus o f the class described, means providing anice forming cavity, means for introducing a fluid refrigerant under pressure into said cavity, valve means for controlling the flow of refrigerant to said cavity, and a pressure relief valve through which excess fluid pressure passes 'dicating the releasing o'f excess fluid pressure from said cavity. l

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a

basemember, a cover member having a recess.

which coacts with said base member of provide anl ice forming cavity, means for ne easably securing said cover in sealed closed ,/sitzion` against said base member, means for introducing a uid refrigerant kunder pressure tti/said cavity, and pressure relief valve means on said cover membexfor relieving the cavity of excess fluid pressure `after the formation of a cake of solidified refrigerant therein.

4. In an vapparatus of the class, described, a

V ably securing said cover member in sealed closed position against said base member, means for introducing a uid refrigerant under pressure to said cavity for solidication therein, and pressure relief means for audibly indicating when the cavity becomes lled with the solidified refrigerant. l

5. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, ,a hollow base having a recess in the top wall thereof, the interior of said hollow base'opening to the atmosphere through openings provided in the side walls thereof, a flat porous member seated in said recess, the bottom wall of said recess having gas releasing openings therein, a cover member having'a recess therein and cooperating with the topv wall of said base to provide a dry ice forming cavity, means for releasably securing said cover member in sealed closed position against the top wall of said base, and

means for introducing a uid refrigerant under pressure into said cavity through the top wall of said base and centrally through said fiat porous member.

. 6; A dry ice making device comprising in com- `-binatiorl, a hollow cylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wall thereof, an

annular upstandingrib rising upwardly from said to'p wall and defining a rece, spaced concentric grooves providedin the bottom wall of said recess communicating with the inside of said cylindrical base-through small openings provided in said top wall, aflat porous disk seated in said recess, a cover member having a cavity 4therein,

means for releasably securing said cover member in sealed engagement with said rib, and means for introducing a gaseous refrigerant under pressure into the cavitythrough the top wall of said cylindrical base and centrally through said flat porous disk whereby waste gases of the gaseous refrigerant during the formation of a cake of dry ice in said cavity may be released through said porous disk to the atmosphere.

7. A dry ice making device comprising in combination a hollow cylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wall thereof, an annular upstanding rib rising upwardly from said top wall and defining a recess., spaced concentric grooves provided in the bottom wall of said recess communicating with the inside of said cylindrical base through small openings provided in said top wall, a flat porous disk seated in said recess, a cover member having a cavity therein, means for releasably securing said cover -member in sealed engagement with said rib,

means for introducing a gaseous refrigerant under pressure into the cavity through the top vwall of said cylindrical base` and centrally through said at porous -disk whereby waste released through said porous disk to'the atmosphere. and a pressure relief valve mounted on said cover member for releasing the pressure of the fluid refrigerant from within said cavity when the same becomes filled with dry ice.

8. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, a hollow cylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wall thereof, a cover member having a recess therein which cooperates with said top wall to provide a.y dry ice forming cavity, means for releasably securing said cover member in sealed closed position against the top wall of said base, a jet extending centrally into said cavity through the tol. wall of said base, means connected with said jet for supplying a gaseous refrigerant under'pressure to said cavity, means in the top wall of said base for the escape of the waste gases from said cavity` to the inside o f said hollow base during the solidification of the refrigerant in said cavity to form dry. ice, and means op said cover" member for releasing the excess pressure of refrigerant from within said cavity when the latter becomes filled with dry ice.

9. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, a hollow cylindrical base having a top wall and opposed slots in the side wall extending inwardly from the bottom thereof, a manual control valve concealed withln said hollow'cylindrical base and provided with an actuating handle projecting outwardly through one of -said slots and a pipe coupling at the inlet side of said valve extending through the other of said slots and vadapted to be connected with a gaseous refrigerant supply, a jet member extending centrally the outlet side of said valve, a cover member having a recess therein and cooperating with the top wall of said base to provide a dry ice forming cavity, and means for releasing waste gases from said cavity to the atmosphere through said hollow base during the solidication of the refrigerant within said cavity.

l0. In a dry ice making device, a\pair of members held in sealed clamped relation and coacting to provide anice forming cavity, means for introducing a gaseous fluid refrigerant under pressure into said cavity, and a safety audible relief valve mounted in one of said members for the direct release of the excess refrigerant therethrough v-fr'om said cavity to the atmosphere -when the

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