US1481927A - Artificial-ice-making apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan; 295 1924. I 1,481,927

v H. D. PQWNALL ARTIFICIAL; IGE MAKING APPARATUS 'Fild may 4, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v o a F1 I H. D. POWNALL ARTIFICIAL ICE MAKING APPARATUS Jan. -1924;

,2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 4, 1921 ig |e blocks.

circulating pump.

Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES i 1,481,927 PATENT OFFICE. Q

HENRY D. POWNALL, OF CANTON. OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL-ICE-MAKING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 4, 1921. Serial No; 466,759.

cold or warm brine to the respective freezing tank units to freeze and release the ice Another object is to avoid projection of valve stems or other objects above. the floor of the tank room. Another object is to provide improved valve mechanism adapted to reliably control the brine l'l()\\' and to avoid liability of the 'alve mechanism being rendered inoperative from the lodging of obstruction therein. and toproride for the convenient removal of obstructions and maintenance of'the valves in operative condition. Another object is to provide mproved and simple valve mechanism, and means to connect the same to the tanksand conduits. Another object is to provide improved means to avoid fracturing the ice blocks by subjecting the ice molds to rapid changes of temperature or local changes of temperature or any considerable range of temperature. Another object is to eliminate all stufting boxes and the packing -orleakage thereof on the brine circulatory system, or the introduction of air or gas into such system to interfere with the action of the Another object is to secure quickly actuated valves. .\ly invention also comprises certain details of form, combination and arrangement. all of. which will be fullyset forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan of a portion of an artificial refrigerating apparatus embodying my improvements. 7

Fig. 2. is a plan of the inside of one end of one of the freezing tank units with the warm and cool brine inlet and exit valves mounted thereon. Fig. 3, is an enlarged inside elevation of one of the warm brine inlet and exit valves and also showing the relation of the valve stem to the tank floor.

Fig. 4, is a central vertical section through one of the warm brine valves on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5. is a. horizontal section through one of the varm brine valves on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which 14 represents a brine cooler tank of an artificial ice making apparatus, divided by an L-shaped partition 140 into a brine receiving compartment 14"and a brine distributing compartment 14'. A brinecirculating propeller .15 forces the brine under a head of a few inches from the receiving compartment through a series of fines or channels. Where the brine is cooled by a di rect expansion system 16 into the brine distributing compartment. A plurality of 'freezing tank units 17 are employed on both sides of the brine cooler if desired, which are substantially duplicates of each other and in each of which are aseries of cans or ice molds 18, mounted therein in a substantially permanentmanner. so that all the cans of oneunit are filled with raw Water through ports 18 at their bottoms at one operation. and all the blocks of ice are released from the ice molds 18 at one operation by displacing the cool brine with a warmer brine from a warm brine coil 20. thus gradually warniing the cold brine by circulating the same through thecoil :20. The tank 19 contains a body of fresh water sufficient to fill all of the cans in anyone of the freezing tanks and has submerged therein a coil of pipe 20. through which cold brine; taken from one of the freezing tanks in which the ice is completely frozen and ready to beharvested through the pipe 25. is circulated to warm or partially warm the brine in its passage through the pipe 20. The passage of the raiv water through the tank 19 and raw water conduit 19 reduces the temperature of the raw water before it enters the ice cans 18 to near its freezing point. while in turn the brine passing through the coil 20 has its temperature correspondingly elevated and thereby adapts the raw water from the tank 19 to be economically employed to fill the ice cans and the Warm brine from the coil 20 to be economically employed in one of the freezing tanks 17 surrounding the ice cans to release the ice from the cans in the respective freezing tanks and Without liabilit to subject the ice in the molds to such su den changes in temperature as to fracture the ice in the ice cans. A supply pipe 21 leads from the exit end of the coil 20 with a branch pipe 22 to each freezing tank and a circulating pump, 23 is included in the circuit. The warm brine'returns to the coil 20 from the respective freezing tanks through branch pipes 24 and main return pipe 25.

n practice it is designed to have relatively large brine supply and return conduits 30 and 31 leading from the brine cooler to the respective freezing tanks in pairs to rapidly supply a relatively large volume of cold brine under a relatively low "head or pressure and to take back to the brine cooler a corresponding quantity of brine not quite but nearly as cold as that flowing from the brine cooler. thereby maintaining a rapid exchange and circulatory flow which serves to keep the cold brine in all parts of the freezing tanks at substantially uniform temperature, and avoids pockets and localities therein of higher temperature than the general average. One or more partitions 17 are provided in the respective freezing tanks, to insure a uniform circuitous flow of brine through .the freezing tanks and about the ice cans therein as indicated by arrows in Fig. l. I

In order to control the flow of ,cold brine toand from said respective freezing tanks, I provided an intakec valve frame 26 and an exit valve frame 27 adapted to be at-o tached by cap screws 28 to one end plate 2:) of each of the freezing tanks 17 opposite a perforation in said plate 29. In order to conveniently couple the cold brine conduits 30 and 31 leading from the brine cooler to the respective freezing tanks. to the wall 21) of said tanks, and to thevalve casings at the same time with leak proof joints, I pr)- vide collars 32 outside of the plate 29 and stuffing box recesses with pac ring therein in the valve casings. so that when the cap screws are drawn up tight the packing is compressed and forms lcak proof joints about the unthreaded ends of the conduits 30 and 31, and also a leak proof joint against leakage of brine past the valve between the plate 29 and the valve casing. Each valve casing is provided with a valve seat 34 adapted to be machined or ground to a uniform plane surface. Each casing is also provided with ways or guides 3.3 which serve to guide a disk shaped gate valve 36 to and from its seat 34. To the center of each valve is pivotally attached one end of a link 37, the opposite end of which link is pivotally connected'to a lever 38. The lever 38 is pivotally connected to the valve casing at 38 and is guided by a lug 35 and its upper end extends upwardly to the floor of the tank room. or slightly below said floor where it is perforated so as to be engaged by the operator by means of a hooked lever to either open or close the valve, thereby enabling said valves to be operated without presenting any valve stems or other obstructions above the floor of the tank room. The force exerted by the lever and link upon the gate valve is always substantially in direct line to force the valve over its valve seat or away therefrom. A pair of screws 40. having conical inner ends are threaded through projections 41 on'the valve casings, and as the gate valves 36 are forced by the levers over their seats, the beveled edges of the gate valves are engaged by the conical ends of screws 40 to force the gate valves down tightly upon theirseats to form a leak proof joint therewith. The screws 40 may be cldsely adjusted and locked by set-screws 41 so as to engage the valve at such a position of the valve as to force the valve firmly down upon its seat to produce a leak proof joint. It will be noted that the valve seats and valves open into the freezing tank in such a manner that any solid or foreign matter carried in the liquid is free to fall away from or be brushed away from the valveseat by the valve, and that any such solid or foreign matter tends to fall away from the valve and thus leave the valve and its seat at all times clean and free to form a leak proof joint. Said'valves are also readily accessible by hand or by means of a tool to detach any foreign matter that may obstruct or render them inoperative. The screws 40 are adapted to be adjusted from time to time so that their conical points will engage and seat the valve at the correct position of the valve, and when so adjusted are adapted to be locked to their adjusted positions by means of set-screws 41'.

The valve casing 27 of the brine exit conduit 31 differs from the casing 26 of the brine inlet conduit 30 in that an overflow port 44 is provided therein to conduct either cold brine or warm brine bv overflow method to the brine cooler even though the exit valve 36 be left closed. The exit valve :27 and conduit 31 are located near the top of the freezing tank and the entrance of the overflow port 44 is a sufiicient distance above the valve so that the valve remains continuously submerged Thus even though the cold brine inlet valve may be opened accidentally without also opening the cold brine exit valve, or in the event that the warm brine inlet valve be opened without at the same time opening the warm brine exit valve. the brine will not accumulate in any one of the freezing tanks to such an extent as to overflow into the ice molds and damage the partially frozen or finished ice cakes, or get into the fresh water conduits or overflow the freezing tank and injure its insulation. or the building in which it is located. Instead of causing a brine overflow or other injury in the event of the improper regulation of the brine conduit valves of any one of said fr ezing tank units, the brine will be maintained at a uniform surface level in such freezing tank -unit ,.without liability to overflow into the ice molds, or to overflow to the exterior of such freezing tank unit, and the excess brine will be conducted from said tank through the overflow port 44 to the brine cooler tank where it will find its level by reacting upon the head and distribution of the entire brine circulation system of which the brine in one freezing tank is a relatively small fraction.

When the fresh water in the ice molds of any one freezing tank has been completely frozen into blocks of ice, the cold brine circulating valves 36 thereof are closed and the warm brine valves 46 and 47 to that freezing tank unit are opened, thereby slowly re-v moving cold brine and replacing it with warmer brine in such manner'as to release the blocks of ice from the molds Without so suddenly applying warm brine as to cause the ice blocks to become fractured. After the ice blocks have been removed the ice molds are refilled with fresh water, the warm brine circulation through that freezing tank unit is cut off and the valves '36 opened to reestablish a cir nlationof cold brine until the ice molds are again filled with ice.

In order that the warm brine valves 46 and 47 may be conveniently applied to the tanks, connected to the branch warm brine conduits, actuated without projections above the tank floor, from obstruction, and prevented from discharging warm brine so as to fracture the ice, I secure warm brine valve casings 50 by means of flanges 51 and bolts or rivets 51' directly to the inner faces of the freezing tanks, and provide threaded flanges 5% on said valve casings into which the ends of the branch warm brine conduits '22 and 24 are threaded. Each of said valve casings is provided with a through port 53 for the passage of the warm brine, and a deflector 54 to divert or deflect the current of Warm brine from opposite sides laterally. and thus mixing the incoming wann brine with the cooler brine in the tank to even its temperature and avoid a direct current of Warm brine being locally applied to one of the cans so as to fracture the ice blocks therein.

Each valve casing 50 is provided with a tapered bore or recess vertically disposed to receive a correspondingly tapered valve or cock 46 or 47 having a brine port 56 therein to be turned so as to register with the casing port 53 when the valve is open, and to be adjusted to a position transverselyto the port 53 when the valve is closed. The tapered valves 46 and 47 are held in place in the valve casings by gravity and are provided with the valve stems 57 projecting up to recesses58 cut in the tank lid or tank floor 59, where said valve rods are provided with readily freed and kept free slots 60 to receive a detachable manually its valve rod may be lifted from the casing and the obstruction manually removed and the valve replaced without seriously interruptingthe operation of the apparatus.

Each of the valves 46 and 47 being at all times below the level of the brine in the freezing tank they require no stufling boxes or packing and it is impossible for air to enter the warm brine circuit to become pocketed or trapped therein or to interfere with-the brine flow, or to interfere with the action and efiiciency of the circulating pump 23.

The warm brine regulating and distributing apparatus herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention. i

What I claim is z- 1. Incombination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice makingapparatus, a heat exchange member through separate compartments of which the raw water and brine are circulated so that the raw water leaves the exchange member cooler than when it entered and the brine leaves the exchange member warmer than when it entered. a brine supply conduit leading from said ex"- change member to said freezing tank and a brine return conduit leading from the freezing tank to the exchange member. means to circulate brine to and from said freezing tank, a valve casing attached to the inside of the freezing tank wall and to which the warm brine inlet conduit is attached, said valve casing being provided with a brine inlet port and a warm brine deflector to deflectthe incoming warm brine inside the tank and mix the warm brine with the brine in the freezing tank ga valve removably seated in said valve casing and provided with a valve stem pro ecting upwardly within the freezing tank to near the top of the said freczing tank.

2. In combination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice making apparatus, a heat .exchange member through separate compartments of which the raw water and brine are circulated so that the raw water leaves the exchange member cooler than when it entered and the brine leaves the exchange member warmer than when it entered. a brine supply conduit leading from said heatexchange memberto said freezing tank and a brine return conduit leading from the freezing tank to said heat exchange member, means toicirculate brine "from saidheat exchange member to. said freezing tank. a valve casing attached to the inside of the freezing tank wall at the terminus of said brine inlet conduit, said valve casing being provided with a brine inlet. port and warm brlne deflector to deflect the incoming warm brine inside the tank and mix it with the brine in the tank. a valve seated in said valve casing inside of freezing tank adjustable to open and close the port in said valve casing. and means to actuate said valve.

3. In combination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice machine, a heat exchange member through separate compartments of which the raw water and brine are circulated so that the raw water leaves the exchange member cooler than when it entered and the brine leaves the exchange member "warmer than when it entered. a brine supply conduit leading from said heat exchange member to said freezing tank. a brine return conduit leading from said freezing tank to said heat exchange member. separate valve casings attached to the inner face of the freezing tank at the terminals respectively of said supply conduit and said brine re turn conduit. said valve casings being provided with ports for the passage of brine. and recesses to receive valves to control said ports, valves removably seated in the recesses in said valve casings, and valve stems extending upwardly through said freezing tank and serving to adjust said valves in their casings from open to closed position, and also to lift said valves from and return them to their position in said valve casings.

4. In combination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice machine, a warm brine supply conduit lea ing to said freezing tank, a valve casing t the terminus of said conduit attached to the inner face of one of the side walls of the said tank and provided with a brine port, a tapered recess to receive a valve and a deflector to deflect the current of warm brine entering the brine tank and to mix the warm brine with the brine in the freezing tank before it comes in contact with the ice cans, a tapered valve to be seated in the recess in said valve casing. and adjustable to open and close the brine port in the valve casing, and means to actuate said valve.

In combination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice making machine, a warm brine supply conduit leading to said freezing tank, a valve casing located at the terminus of said conduit and below the-surface of brine in said freezing tank attached to the inner face of one of theside walls of said tank and provided with a brine port. a tapered recess to receive a valve and dctlector to deflect the current of warm brine entering the freezing tank and to mix the warm brine with the brine in said freezing tank before it comes in contact-,with the ice cans. a tapered valve to seat in the recess of said valve casing and adjustable to open and close the brine port in the valve casing. a valve stem projecting upwardly from said valve to near the top of the freezing tank and adapted to rotatablv actuate said valve and also to lifting said valve from its seat and replacing it therein.

6. In combination with the freezing tank of an artificial ice making machine. a warm brine supplv conduit. a warm brine return conduit. valve casings at the terminals of said respective warm brine conduits, attached to the inner face of one of the side walls of said freezing tank and provided with brine ports and tapered recesses to receive the valves to control the flow of warm brine to and from said tank. tapered valves respectively seated in recesses in said valve casings and removable therefrom and valve stems projecting upwardly from said respective valves to near the top of the tank and adapted to rotatably adjust said valves. and to remove said valves from their casings and to replace them therein.

7. In combination with a freezing tank provided with a plurality of ice cans and a heat exchange member through the separate compartments of which the raw water and brine are circulated so that the raw water leaves the exchange member cooler than when it entered and the brine leaves the exchange member warmer than when it en tered, a brine supply conduit leading from the exchange member to said freezing tank and a brine return conduit leading from the freezing tank to the exchange member. means to circulate brine to and from said freezing tank and inlet and exit valves at the terminals of said brine conduits to con trol the flow of brine to and from said heat exchange member. said valves being located within said freezing tank and below the surface of the brine therein to avoid packing of said valves and leakage of brine from said valves or the introduction of air into said brine circulating conduits.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

- HENRY D. POWNALL.

Images