US726852A - Apparatus for the manufacture of ice. - Google Patents

Description

No. 726,852- PATENTED, MAY 5, 1903f L. BLUGK. 1' APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE.

' APPLICATION rnnn r113. 16, 1902.

no MODEL.

LLLHH' ITIIUF:

Ill

Q ma U iTED TATEES Patented May 5, 1903.

FFICE.

APPARATUS FOFi THE MANUFACTURE QF ICE.

:PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,852, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed February 15, 1902. gerial No. 94,225. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mamaroneck, Westchester coun ty,in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ice, of which the'following is a specification.

The invention applies to the system of ice manufacture in which the water to be frozen is held in cans of thin metal and immersed in a tank of cold brine. The freezing com-' mences on the surfaces and extends inward until the whole is frozen. As the ice forms on the exterior, it compels the impurities in the water to aggregate in the smaller quantity of water remaining in the middle. If the operation as ordinarily conducted is arrested at the proper stage, the can may be lifted out of the brine-tank, and on subsequently i'mmersing it in a bath of tepid water to thaw it clear the ice comes out in a pure condition, with an empty space in the middle flared or trumpet-shaped at its lower end, which space is not seriously objectionable; butif the lifting of the can from the brine is done too soon the cavity in the centerwill be unreasonably large, and if, on the other hand, it is delayed too long a still greater evil will result from the whole having become'solid, with a quantity of impure water frozen in, constituting what is known in the trade as a core.

The object of my invention is to avoid the necessity for accurately timing the, work. I lead compressed air to the brine-tank and blow up a small stream of bubbles through the center of each can during the main portion of the freezing operation. Near the close the freezing stops the ascent, and I cause the continued accession of air to accumulate in the lower portion and force out the remaining water against a resistance which is nicely adjusted so as to be sufficient to resist the weight of the water, but will yield to the force when such pressure is increased by the compressed air. By a modified form I force the air into the enveloped portion of the can and through a valve in the insulated portion of the inner bottom and let it bubble up through the water until the freezing process is completed.

The following is a description of what I con- 2 is a-plan View of one of the cans. and 5 are on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a censider the best means of carrying out the invention.

- The accompanying drawings form apart of this specification.

Figure 1 is a section through a portion of a series of cans and associated parts in the tank of-brine kept at a very low temperature by any suitable means. I have indicated pipes F conveying expanded ammonia. Fig. Figs. 3, 4,

tral vertical section" through the lower portion of a can at ,the commencement of the freezing operation. Fig. 4 is a-corresponding section showing the condition when the gradually-forming ice has closed the central passage and arrested the previously-free ascent of the air-bubbles. Fig. 5 is a corresponding section showing the same at alittle later stage, when the compressed air which continues to be received has accumulated above the impure water vand'forced it downward. Fig. 6 is a corresponding section showing the condition when a can is temporarily plunged in another tank to thaw the surface and release the cake of ice. It shows how tepid water is admitted to thaw the bottom. Fig. 7 shows the can in a nearly-inverted position in the act of discharging the ice and also the tepid water. Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of a portion, on a larger scale, in the ordinary erect position. Fig. 9 isacrosssection showing a modification having a flexible bottom dome-shaped. Fig. 10 shows the same with the flexible bottom domed downward. Fig. 11 shows a portion .of the center of this modification on the same scale as Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a vertical section showing'still another modification. Fig. 13 is a vertical section showing still another modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is a can of galvanized sheetdron or other suitable material of the ordinary size and having its main portion of the standard rectangular form.

A is the metallic portion of the bottom.

B is a non-conducting portion. Wood will serve well.

D is an envelop, which I will term an aircasing, inclosing the bottom of the can A and small escape of air.

extending a little distance up the sides with its upper portion contracted and secured by rivets or by solder, or both. The chamber d, inclosed between this air-casing and the can, forms an effectual non-conductor to retain the warmth of the water in the lower portion of the can A. It also serves to receive tepid water at a later stage to warm the bottom of the can and facilitate the removal of the icecake.

E is a pipe leading from the air-casing D within the can and extending a little above the top thereof, which performs important functions to be described farther on. The upper end of the pipe E is adapted to receive and form a tight junction with a length of hose P from a short branch pipe R, connected to a line-pipe R, which latter extends over the brine, but under the covers in the brinetank Z, and is supplied with compressed air by means of a pump Q. The pump maintains a pressure in the pipeR of four or five pounds above atmosphere. The delivery of t such air through the hose P is controlled by a stop-cock T, operated at will by the attendant and by which it may be cut off entirely when required. This passageis small, so that even when fully open it allows but a This economizes the consumption of the compressed air under all possible conditions.

A metallic center piece 0, preferably brass, screwed or otherwise firmly set in the wood base B, supports a removable seat C for a self-acting valve I, arranged to open upward. This seat is screwed into place and allows of easily removing the valve and seat for repairs.

M is a bent pipe inclosed in the chamber d and connecting the lower end of the pipe E with the lower end of the seat 0.

Another valve V opens downward. It is held up to its seat by acoiled spring X, which abuts on the removable seat G which latter is tapped into the bottom of the passage. This is also easy to remove and repair or replace. ThespringXmaybeadjustedbyturning the nut and jam-nut V V to raise and lower it. The tension should be adjusted so that it will hold the valve V reliably to its seat against the hydrostatic pressure of the water, but will yield and allow the valve to open and discharge water downward when that pressure is much exceeded.

The pipe E may extend up outside; but preferably it is within the can. Its best location is in one corner. It need not be large. Two further pipes O O extend up from the air-chamber in other corners of the can and form two small but free communications between the chamber 61 and the atmos phere. These should be of such caliber as to allow water to flow liberally down through one and air to escape upward through the other when the whole is immersed in tepid water to liberate the ice and to allow a corresponding reverse flow of air and water at a little later period when the whole is partially inverted to discharge the ice and empty the water from the space (1. A cork 0 may be inserted at the top of each pipe 0 0 during the period while the ice is forming and removed when the can is to be immersed in the tepid-water tank Y and the tepid water is to be admitted and subsequently discharged.

My invention does not prevent the formation of a core-cavity, which assumes the ordinary tapered and approximately trumpet like form, as indicated in Fig. 4. That cavity is filled with water which may contain impurities. At a late stage I expel that water automatically and supply its place with air. When my can A, nearly filled with fresh water to be frozen, stands in the brine in the tank Z and the hose P is connected to the pipe E and the cock T is opened, the stream of air delivered through the contracted aperture of the valve T flows slowly through the pipe E and the bent pipe M, lifts the valve I, and rises in small bubbles in the center of the can and escapes at the top. This condition, the air exercising no influence except to gently agitate the water in the can, is continued, while the refrigerating influence of the brine acting through the thin metallic sides of the center of the can A forms a gradually-increasing coating of ice around it. This coating continues below the junction of the air-casing D, because the metal of the can A conducts the caloric upward from below to the exposed portion, where it can be taken up by the brine. The part B must be so good a non-conductor that the valve and adjacent parts will retain sufficient warmth to avoid the formation of ice there. The freezing action proceeds rapidly in the can above the air-casing D until it completely fills with ice the upper and mid-height portions ofthecan. When thisstepis reached, a new condition obtains, as follows: The air forced downward through the pipeE,nolonger allowed to escape upward through the can, is arrested and by virtue of the continued flow through the contracted aperture provided by the valve T, due to the superior tension in the pipe R, increases in pressure, continuing to How up, as before, but with a higher pressure, through the valve I and to displace the water from the core-space and to fill its place with compressed air, beginning, of course, in the apex or top. The first effect of this is to depress, through the valve V, the water in the can containing impurities. The delivery of the compressed air upward through the valve I and the delivery of the stained water downward through the valve V will proceed continuously until the water is all expelled, after which if it shall be allowed to remain neglected and the precaution has not been taken to insert the corks O the air will follow the water downward, moving slowly through the valve V into the space (1 and thence upward idly, escaping through one or both of the pipes O 0; but the restraint imposed by the contracted aperture in the cock '1 will pre- IIO Vent any serious loss ofthe compressed air, The impure even under these conditions. water expelled through V will lie harmless in the bottom of the air-chamber cl. It will now be seen that when the freezing is completed and the can is lifted out of the brinetank the detaching of the ice from the can is effected in the ordinary manner by immersing the can and its contents in a tank of tepid water. The warmth thus applied directly to the upper and mid-height portions of the can will thaw a thin coatingin the ordinary longapproved manner. Ieffect the almost equally rapiddetaching of the ice which will form in a more or less thick coating within the lower portionof the sides and near the periphery of the bottom by sinking the can with its contents sufficiently into the tepid water to allow such water to flow down through the pipe E and fill the chamber cl. My experiments indicate that the liberation of the ice from the metallic portion of the bottom, and if the freezing has through long delay proceeded so far as to cause the ice cake to adhere to the valve or adjacent parts, the liberation from these parts also will be very nearly simultaneous with the liberation from the plane rectangular portion of the'can A above. So soon as so much thawingis effected the can and its contained ice are easily separated, and on the emergence of theice cake from the can any waterremaining liquid in the can a will flow away. If any stained water is frozen into the lower end of the ice cake,.it will be in the sunk portion of the bottom below the bottom of the ice cake proper, and such objectionable ice is easily separated by a few strokes of an axe and the pure ice is readyfor delivery and use. The emptying of the Water is effected by thesame partial inverting of the can. In this position the small quantity of water which has been forced down from the can through thevalve V and also the larger quantity of water received in a tepid condition through the pipes O or O, mingled together in the space (Z, is discharged through one pipe, 0, while air may enter to supply its place in the chamber (1 through the other pipe, 0. As soon as properly drained the can may be again set upright, filled, and connected as before, and the operationmay be repeated indefinitely.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantage of the invention. The forms and proportions of the parts may be varied within wide limits. The pipe E may be half-round and apply with the flat-side against the interior of the can, or it may be round or any other forms of cross-section. In any form it may, if preferred, extend. up and down the exterior instead of the interior of the can. Such arrangement is-shown in dottedlinesin Fig. 9. Forming the valve-seats each in. a

separate piece from the casting O, as shown in Fig. 8, facilitates the removal of a valve and its seat for examination or repairs without disturbing the other parts, and I .prefer such construction; but the seat and casting may be more simply made all in one, as indicated in the earlier figures. Insteadof the nut V and jam-nut V on the upper end of ably against the simple hydrostatic pressure of the filled can-but will open and allow the delivery of water downward as soon as the pressure from above is increased by the freezing.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a modification to which I attach much importance. It differs materially from the form first and mainly shown in havingan annular. portion of the bottom of the can flexible. Such may be sufficiently thick dome-shaped rubber adaptedto spring up. I can use a sheet of rubber which is. naturally planeor even a sheet of other yielding material,as leather. The bent pipe shown as rigid should be flexible hose when the yielding diaphragm is .used. There may be no pipes O 0, but simply a removable plug W in a hole. in one of the. sides of the easing D, with all theother. parts as before described. Such is shown in Fig. 10.. To operate with this form of the invention, theplug W must be removed before the can is plunged gives one advantage-the compressed air will not be allowed to wasteatall, no matter how long the emptying and rechargingof the can is postponed. As soon as the air has forced down water enough to raise the .pressure in the spaced to two atmospheres, or whatever may be the pressure in thepipe R, the reception of airwill stop. Loan with the pipes O O by only about the same amount of trouble attain the same end. This is effected, as before suggested, by simply insertingcorks or other plugs in the top of each-pipe O and O". In such caseI keep the plug or plugsremoved only while the can .is-rimmersedin the tepid water and while it .is afterward. held partially-inverted to empty.

A good form for manyreasons is shownin Fig. 12. In this the pipe M is dispensed-with, a cork 0 being tightlyset in each pipe 0 and O and. the pressure of the airreceived through the pipe E is feltin'the whole bottom I the freezing in the water above and the movement of the air stops, only a smallv air-space is left'unfilled inthe bottom of thecan.

It may be preferable in some cases for economy of construction or other reasons to have the bottom plane instead of depressed. Fig. 13 shows such a construction.

The envelop D may be of various materials, as papier-mach made waterproof, or it may be wood. When wood is used in any part, I propose to saturate it with linseed or other oil or with paraffin to reduce the chance of adhesion of the ice thereto.

Parts of the invention can be omitted entirely. I believe the valve V can be thus dispensed with, especially when the bottom is flexible, as shown in Fig. 9. When thus used, the flexible portion should be so much domed that when the freezing in the main portion of the can stops the ascent of the air and the'air accumulates in a compressed condition over the stained water in the corespace remaining near the bottom the water can be depressed sufficiently by the simple sinking of the bottom. I prefer to use both valves, as shown. The stop-cock T affords means for varying the size of the contracted aperture thereby provided; but the invention may be worked successfully with a contracted aperture of fixed size in its place.

I claim as my invention- 1. An ice'can A, having an exterior casing D around the bottom extending upward only a portion of the height, the space between the two casings and across under the bottom constituting a chamber adapted to inclose air during the freezing period and having pipes O O to serve for the introduction of tepid water at a later period to allow its warmth to thaw the ad jaccnt surface of the ice and rapidly release the ice cake, all substantially as herein specified.

2. A can A having a pipe extending up and down within it, a bottom B which is a good non-conductor of heat, and a chamber d enveloping its base, in combination with a selfacting valve I opening npwardin such bottom, and provisions for leading air under pressure to such valve all arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

3. A canAhaviuga chamber (1 enveloping its base, a bottom B whichis a good non-conductor of heat, a self-acting valve I opening upward in such bottom and provisions for leading air under pressure to such valve, in combination with an air-compressor Q, pipe R, a contracted aperture T, and connection P for leading the air slowly therethrough into the can and releasing it in the bottom thereof, all substantially as herein specified.

4. A can A having a chamber d enveloping its base, a non-conducting bottom B, a selfacting valve I opening upward in such bottom and provisionsincluding a pipe Ewithin the can for leading the air under pressure to such valve, in combination with an air-compressor Q, pipe R, a contracted aperture T restraining the flow to the can, and also with one or more additional pipes O 0' arranged to serve the several functions of a vent for air and a means for admitting tepid water to the chamber at and for discharging the same, all arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

5. A can having a chamber d enveloping its base, a bottom B, a self-acting valve I opening upward in such bottom and provisions for leading air under pressure to such valve, in combination with an air compressor Q, pipe R, a contracted aperture T and a connection P for leading air slowly therefrom to the can, with a pipe E for conducting air downward under pressure, and one or more additional pipes arranged to serve the several functions of a vent for air and a means for admitting tepid water to the chamber d and discharging the same, a connection M in such chamber, and the additional valve V opening downward, conditioned as described so that the air will accumulate in the interior of the can and force out the remaining water, adapted to retain the water until the freezing is far advanced and then to facilitate the discharge of the impure water, allsubstantially as herein specified.

6. A can A having a chamber cZ enveloping its base, a non-conducting bottom B, a selfacting valve I opening upward in such bottom and provisions for leading air under pressure to such valve, in combination with an air-compressor Q, pipe R, a contracted aperture T, and connections P for leading air slowly therefrom to the can, with a pipe 0 arranged to serve as a means for admitting tepid water to the chamber d and discharging the same, a connection M in such chamber, and an additional valve V and a spring X holding such valve yieldingly close, and means Y for adjusting such force holding such valve to its seat, conditioned as de scribed so that the air will accumulate in the interior of the can and force out the remaining water, all substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS BLOCK. Witnesses:

J. B. OLAU'rIoE, M. F. BOYLE.

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