US643269A - Plate-ice machine. - Google Patents

Description

o o w G b an F d e t n e t a P N o T n K c a 6 3 4 6 0 N PLATE ICE MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. KITTON, OF .SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO O. O. IIUTOI'IINSON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

PLATE-ICE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,269, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed April 6, 1899. Serial No. 711,9 82. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. KITToN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Plate- Ice Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the cooling of air which may afterward be used under any conditions Where cooling or refrigeration is needed. It may be applied to refrigerating air in storage-chambers of any character. In my present illustrations I have shown it as applied to the manufacturing of what is known as plate-ice--that is, ice which is frozen upon the surfaces of plates which are refrigerated from the interior, so that the ice forms outwardly from the surfaces of the plates until it has become of sufficient thickness.

It comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference tov the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure -l is a vertical section through my machine. Fig. 2 is a similar section at right angles to Fig. 1, taken through the lower part of the fresh-water tank.

In the freezing of ice upon the surfaces of large plates, which are submerged in fresh water, the temperature of the plates is reduced from the interior in the usual well-known manner. The ice at first forms rapidly upon the surfaces of the plates; but as the thickness of the ice increases, being a poor conductor, the rapidity of the formation of ice decreases until the time necessary to form the desired thickness of ice will amount to several days. It is well known that this class, known as plate-ice, is superior to any which is formed by the can or any other method; but the time and expense of making it have made it inferior from an economic point of view.

It is the object of this application of my invention to overcome the objections of slow freezing and to increase the rapidity with which the ice can be formed by so reducing the temperature of the water between the gradually-forming plates of ice as to increase the rapidity of its formation by practically freezing from the outside, aswell as that adjacent to the freezing-plate.

A is a fresh-water tank having as man freezing-plates B within it as may be desired. These plates extend transversely across the tank, reaching from the bottom up to the surface of the Water, and the temperature of the plates is reduced in the usual or any suitable manner, as by passing ammonia or other vapor through pipes or passages within the plates andallowing it to expand therein, by which operation the heat is rapidly extracted and the temperature of the plates reduced below the freezing-point of water. This, being a common method and well known, is not here illustrated.

O is a brine-tank having within it the refrigerating coils D, through which the refrigerant vapor is passed, so that the temperature of the brine within the tank is kept reduced to the lowest possible or desired degree.

E is an air-circulating apparatus. In the present case it is represented in the form of a rotary pump or blower. From this air-forcing mechanism pipes F extend into the lower part of the brine-chamber G, and these pipes are formed with downwardly and outwardly discharging openings or nozzles F, through which the air is discharged in fine subdivisions and allowed to rise up through the brine by its buoyancy. As it thus rises the heat is rapidly extracted, and its temperature is reduced to as low a point as may be desired. The construction of this brine-chamber may be of any usual or suitable form, with proper arrangements for circulating the refrigerant vapor through the coils D. From the upper part of this brine-chamber a pipe or pipes G extend to a point below the freezing-chamber A. From the pipe G branches H extend into the lower part of the fresh-water chamber and are controlled by cocks I, which enable the operator to regulate the flow of air into different parts of the chamber or close off same. As here shown, these pipes extend entirely across the lower part of the chamber and have upturned ends or nozzles at sufliciently close intervals, so that the air which has been reduced to a low temperature in the brine-chamber is delivered into the freshwater chamber A. The air thus discharged into the water being at a very low temperature rapidly extracts the heat from the water between the forming ice plates and reduces its temperature to so low a point that the additional ice forming upon the outer surface of the plates is rapidly increased, and the reduction in the rate of freezing which would otherwise occur by reason of the low conductin g power of the already-formed ice is counteracted. From the top of the tank return-pipes J will deliver the air into a main pipe K, which delivers the air again into the air-forcing mechanism E, so that the air which is discharged from this mechanism into the brine-tank will already be at a very low temperature, and a considerable economy is effected by thus using this air over and over. Experience has shown that no transfer of saline particles of vapor from the brine to the fresh-water tank occurs. The pipes J are also provided with controlling cocks L, so that the circulation of the air through different parts of the large tank may be accurately controlled and the rate at which the ice is formed therein can be equalized. In this manner I am enabled to so increase the rate of formation in this class of machine that ice twelve or fourteen inches in thickness can be formed in a very greatly reduced time, be cause by this operation a freezing-surface is practically provided upon the outside of the ice plate in addition to that which is produced from the plate itself.

It will be manifest that air thus refrigerated may be used equally well for other purposes as well as the manufacture of ice, the essence of my invention being the cooling of the air and reducing it to any desired low temperature by passing it upwardly through a refrigerating liquid the temperature of which has been suitably reduced for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a tank adapted to contain fresh waterand having freezing-plates extending transversely across it, a brine-tank having a coil through which is circulated a refrigerating fluid, a rotary blower or pump between the fresh-water and brine tanks, having a discharge-pipe entering the brine-tank and discharging downwardly therein whereby the air is permitted to rise through the brine, an air-conducting pipe connecting the upper portion of the brine-tank with the lower portion of the water-tank and having independent branches discharging air into the latter at points between adjacent freezing-plates, and a return -pipe having branches corresponding with the branches of the conducting-pipe and connecting the upper portion of the water-tank with the blower whereby the air passing the plates is return ed to the blower for reuse in the brine-tank.

2. The combination of a brine-tank provided with means for circulating a refrigerating fluid therethrough, a fresh-water tank having freezing-plates, and air forcing and circulating mechanism including a rotary blower having a pipe leading from its discharge and entering the lower portion of the brine-tank, said pipe having a plurality of flaring nozzles fitted to its under side and discharging airin fine subdivisions into the lower portion of the brine, a pipe entering the upper end of the brine-tank and thence extending downwardly below and along the watertank, and having vertical branches entering the bottom of the waterrtank at points between adjacent freezing-plates, and having controlling-valves, a return-pipe having depending branches entering the upper portion of the water-tank at points between said plates and valves controlling said branches, said return-pipe connecting with the suction end of the blower whereby the spent air is returned to the brine-tank for reuse.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN C. KITTON. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J ESSIE C. BRODIE.

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