Complete Text (Part 1)

_ ‘THE HERCULES ICE MAKING AND REFRIGERATING fe MACHINES. ]LLUSTRATED (CIRCULAR FP THE HERCULES ICE MAKING REFRIGERATING: MACHINERY, HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO, ILLS. 1891 FRANKLIN INSTITUTE LIBRARY, PHILADEt PHIA, Class 62:5. Book HAN Accessiony \ 14. From. Comp Pom anno 2,9 HEPFE RE NCE. PAMPHLET, The Craig Press Printers 77 & 79 Jackson Strect Chicago THE ANGLO-AMERICAN PROVISION CO, =e UNION STOCK YARDS, CHICAGO, ILL. AFTER USING 70 TONS MACHINE TWO YEARS, SAYS: “ Little trace of wear.” “ Every way satisfactory.” PY “ Not only meets your guarantee, but ‘exceeds 11." “Five machines of other manufacture in use, but yours ts the most economical.” AND, AFTER USING ABOVE MACHINE FIVE YEARS, ADDS: “ Our opinion, as above expressed, remains un- Kansas Cry, MISSOURI. AYTER TESTING 65 TONS MACHINE, BATE “Gratified with results of test.” ; “Tests show eleven and one-third tons more daily than stipulated in contract.” s “Our choice could not have fallen upon a bet AND ONE YEAR LATER THEY SAYr= “Entirely satisfied.” |NTRODUCTORY. ORE than five years have elapsed since the Hercules Ice and Refrigerating Ma- chines were first placed upon the market. The constantly increasing demand, and the uniformly high record made by these machines fully justify our claims of their superiority. We entered upon this business under unusually favorable conditions. As designers and builders of heavy machinery of various descriptions, comprising Corliss and marine engines, hydraulic machinery, complete equipments for rolling mills, etc., we had placed the Hercules Iron Works in the foremost rank; and, with a large force of skilled workmen, and shops amply stocked with appliances of the latest design, we were fully assured of results far in advance of the most successful, and superior to any of our com- petitors, all of whom were compelled to resort to general machine shops for the manufacture of their plants, instead of availing themselves of the unusual advantages we possess in our specialty works. Starting out with what we believed to be a mach- ine mechanically and scientifically correct in design, we determined to maintain the grade of workmanship at the highest point, and that nothing but the best material should enter into the construction of machinery upon which such large interests depended. As the demands for the Hercules increased, and our business became extended over an ever-enlarging s 6 HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO territory, we have gradually dropped other lines of work, have added special tools for the rapid con- struction and exact duplication of the various sizes of ice-making and refrigerating machines, and have thrown our whole energy into what was formerly only a single department of our business. With works thus completely equipped, and with workmen, both in our shops and as erecting engineers, who have become thoroughly competent by years of experience, we have no hesitation in asserting that the “Hercules” is the most intelligently designed, the best constructed, and the most carefully erected machine on the market. Every portion of the machine is constructed at our works under the supervision of skilled superinten- dents, and all material used is thoroughly inspected and rigidly tested. An exceedingly strong and durable machine, of the simplest possible construction, with all the parts so arranged as to give the greatest results with the expenditure of the least amount of fuel, has been the central idea which we have always kept in view. The “Hercules” has no intricate or delicate parts requir- ing the constant care of an expert, but it can be operated by any one competent to take charge of a steam engine. The only conclusive test of any machine is that given by years of service, and the most convincing statements regarding its merits come, not from maker but from the user. Such results of the tests of time, and such words of commendation from ~ patrons will be found in other portions of this ci The mechanical industries have reached stage of development. No branch of science is more important, or has demanded degree of skill than artificial refrij manufacture of pure ice. The “Hi embodiment of the most advanced k the subject. UNION STOCK YARDS, CHICAGO. 80 TONS MACHINE, IN USE ONE YEAR. complete satisfaction in all respects.” “Thoroughly satisfied with cur choice.” guarantees were broad, but you have far exceeded them.” received an order from this firm for ‘ _machine, of same size, to be ted Feb. 1, 1890, THE LONE STAR BREWING 0 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, 7) TONS MACHINE, SECOND YEAR, “Best refrigerating machine tn exist not only for economy in fuel, but for efficiency.” “Not vost one cent for “Performs more work than guar OUR SYSTEM. HE principles governing artificial refrigera- tion are simple, and have so often been described, and are so well known, that we will refer to them but briefly. By common consent manufacturers have, almost without excep- tion, adopted ammonia as the most satisfactory re- frigerating agent, and to a very large extent they are agreed that compressing the ammonia by means of pumps driven by a steam engine is the most desirable and economical method of producing the desired result. Every refrigerating apparatus consists of three parts: viz. {1] An Enerve and Ammonia Pumps which com- press the gas toa liquifyi ing pressure. [2] A Conn: rin which the gas is cooled a changed to a liquid. {3] A system of Evaroratine Corts, in which the liquid ammonia is expanded into a gaseous state, and then cools the surrounding space by the absorption of heat. For the benefit of those unacquainted with the method of operating cooling machinery, we will ex- plain that the ammonia is furnished in heavy iron drums, and is allowed to enter the evaporating coils, and from thence to the induction pipe of the compres- sion pumps it is drawn into the cylinders where it is 10 HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO. compressed into a comparatively small volume. Passing from the pumps it enters a system of pipes known as the Condenser, which is either placed in a tank containing water or is sprinkled by water flow- ing over it, the former being called a submerged condenser, and the latter an open air condenser. The ammonia is thus cooled to the temperature of the condensing water, and, becoming liquified, is then ready for use. In the Brine system we use one or more tanks of salt water, in which the evaporating coils are sub- merged, and the liquid ammonia, allowed to expand within the coils, assumes its original gaseous con- dition, and in doing so absorbs the heat from the surrounding brine, reducing it to any required tem- perature. In ice-making the brine tank is adapted to receive cans containing fresh water, which remain until their contents are frozen. For refrigeration the brine is pumped through a system of coils which are placed in the rooms to be cooled, and the brine ab- sorbing the heat, returns to the tank to be again cool- ed, and so on through an endless round of cooling and warming. an In the Direct Expansion system the ammonia ex- pands directly in coils placed in the rooms to be cooled, the pipes being stronger, but in other respects: similar to those used in the brine circulation, — A detailed description of the various parts posing the “Hercules” machine will now be HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO, 13 THE ENGINE. With an experience of over twenty years as designers and builders of high grade steam engines, the selection of the type of motive power received our careful attention. The well established advant- ages of the “Corliss engine” decided us in favor of its adoption, and the results obtained have been in the highest degree satisfactory. Tue Enere is complete in itself, its power being transmitted to the compressor from a crank placed on the extremity of its main shaft. The distance be- tween the engine and compressor is determined by the main shaft, which may be of any required length. Pulleys may be placed on the shaft to drive machinery outside of the refrigerating plant. All portions of the engine are built to standard gauges and tem- plates, and duplicate parts are at all times carried in stock. Nothing but the highest grade of material is used and strictly first-class workmanship employed in its construction. Special attention is directed to our fly-wheel, which is of great weight and perfectly balanced. Our governor is of a very sensitive pattern, and the fly wheel is of sufficient diameter and weight to insure and maintain perfect regularity. The absence of all vibration, and the smooth and steady stroke of the “Hercules,” from the smallest size to those of one hundred tons and upwards, give ample evidence that the most difficult of all acquirements of the designer of machinery—the proper proportion of each part— has been carefully studied and successfully applied. 14 HERCUL IRON WORKS, CHICAGO. THE COMPRESSOR. The one great distinguishing feature of rival machinery consists in the Compression Pumps. To them more than any other portion has the attention of inventors been directed. Nearly all builders, ourselyes included, are agreed that compression pumps should be in a vertical position. Until the introduction of the “Hercules” the usual plan was to raise the pump cylinders high in the air, (some- times in the case of large machines, thirty feet or more,) and connect downwards with the piston rods, cross heads and connecting rods to internal cranks near the floor. The waste of room, the long flights of stairs for the engineer to climb frequently, the impossibility of reaching the top quickly in case of emergency, the great unsteadiness and the undue strain upon foundations, the use of internal cranks which are liable to break and impossible to repair, besides many other objections, caused us to inquire if some other design might not be found which would be free from such difficulties and more in accordance with the mechanical advancement of the day. By reference to the illustration of the “Hercules” Compressor, the solution of the problem is shown. Still preserving the vertical position of the cylinders, by one of the simplest and most approved mechanical devices the rotary motion imparted by the engine is changed into the required reciprocating motion for driving the pumps, all parts being compact and rigid, — with loss of friction far less than by the old methods. some! HERCULE! IRON WORKS, CHICAGO re] The Maryn Frame of the Compressor, mad single casting of great weight, is spread over a foun- dation surface nearly the length of the engine itself and of ample breadth. Heavy steel beams, securely keyed toa steel rock shaft are placed on each side, and from their ends hang four links which connect with the steel cross heads of the pumps, moving them up and down in guides bored from the solid metal of the frame. No simpler nor easier motion has ever been devised, and by its use we have the combination of vertical pumps with a main frame, horizontal, massive, and stable, all portions being as accessible as the en- gine itself. An iron platform and stairs are provided for examining the upper portion of the pumps. All valves used in handling the machine are within e reach of the engineer while standing on the engine-room floor. On our 100 tons machine the height of the platform from the top of the foundations is only five and one half feet, and the tops of the cylinders only eight and one half feet. On smaller machines the height is proportionately less. The “Hercules” compressor has been critically examined by many competent mechanical engineers, every one of whom has pronounced it a model of mechanical excellence. 18 HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO, THE COMPRESSION PUMPS. The parts of the machine already described—the engine, carefully designed to produce the maximum of power with the minimum expenditure of fuel; the heavy fly-wheel, insuring regularity of motion; the rigid compressor frame, with its working parts of steel; all representing the most advanced mechanical thought of the day, are used for the single purpose of operat- ing the two ammonia pumps placed on top of the compressor frame. What the heart is to the human body, these pumps are to the machine. The degree of perfection in their design and construction, repre- sents, therefore, the degree of their efficiency. In designing the “Hercules” we began with the pump, as we were assured that when that was per- fected, all other problems would be less difficult of solution. The requirements of a good pump are: to instantly admit the gas to the cylinder, to fill it full at each stroke, and, after compressing, to expel the entire contents of the pump through the outlet valve. Valves of ample area, durable in construction and reliable in action, must be supplied. A pi required that is absolutely tight, yet working and a stuffing box for the piston rod in which packing can be readily tightened while in op The desideratum in constructing a ref machine pump is to admit the ammonia cylinder so that the pressure in the cylinder the same as that in the evaporating “Hercules” is the only machine manuf: perfectly accomplishes this, by freely ; gas into the cylinder from the annular are situated at the extreme lower er and which is filled with gasatthe it ARTESIAN ICE COMPANY, Fort Worti, TExas, eat 20 TONS ICE MAKING. “Eminently satisfied.” “Has Performed every guarantee.” “ Getting along finely.” Every hing working emothy ; AT CLOSE OF FIRST YEAR |) yn } |) | 20 HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO. All makers of ice and refrigerating machinery ad- mit that a certain amount of power is required to overcome the tension of the springs which hold the inlet valves in position; hence the pressure in the cylinder is less than the evaporating pressure to the extent of the strength of the spring and the friction of the valve. This is by no means theoretical, indi- cator diagrams taken from a large number of leading machines under all conditions showing the aver- age amount of gas entering their cylinders at each stroke to be little more than three-fourths of what should have been admitted. On the opposite page isa cut showing the method employed in the “Hercules” to overcome this diffi- culty—a method so novel and so admirable as to merit a full description. The piston is seen at the extreme limit of its downward stroke; the cylinder is thus filled with gas, but at much less than its evaporating pressure, as the tension of the spring on the inlet valve prevented the freedom of its flow, as already explained. The in- coming gas, entering through the inlet pipe, is ad- mitted to a hollow chamber extending around the cylinder and continuing up its side to the inlet valve. From this chamber, following a line completely around the cylinder, are a large number of openings connecting the chamber with the interior of the cylinder. The piston, just before completing its stroke, passes these openings, whose combined area equals that of the inlet valve, and instantly the entire cylinder is filled by the inflowing gas, which, unchecked by the inlet valve and its spring, has free access to the cylinder at full pressure. As the piston rises it passes the openings, and the gas, now confined in the cylinder, becomes compressed to the required degree. This simple device, found only CORSICANA ICE COMPANY, CORSICANA, TEXAS, “ Not a cent expended for repairs,” “ Not a single stoppage from any cause whate: “ You sold us the machine to make seven and one- tons daily, We get ten tons of solid, pure i daily, with the use of only 2,600 Ibs. of cheap nut coal.” “From large experience with various HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO. 23 in the “Hercules,” and fully covered by letters patent, is beyond question one of the most valuable inventions pertaining to refrigerating machinery. The work now to be accomplished is to expel all the compressed gas. Should any remain, it again expands, and the power originally required to com- press it is lost. Once more the absolutely rigid con- struction of the compressor comes to our assistance. With positive, unyielding stroke, the piston can be gauged to within a hair's breadth of the upper cylin- der head, and, with never varying travel, forces the gas completely from the cylinder. THE PUMP VALVES. A well-proportioned valve, admitting the gas free- ly, shutting instantly and without slamming, and re- maining tight under constant and long-continued ser- vice, is necessary to insure economy and a quiet engine room. : The pump valves used in the “ Hercules” possess all these requisites. Areas are limited only by the size of the cylinders, enabling us to make the lift very low to obtain the necessary amount of opening, and, when closing, the distance to be passed over is so slight that the blow of the valve in seating, so com- monly heard in other machines, is wholly obviated. The construction of the valve will be readily un- derstood from an examination of the cut on page 25. The induction, or suction valve is shown closed, the piston being on its upward stroke. Surrounding the upper portion of the valve stem is seen a coiled spring which raises the valve, holding it firmly upon its seat, as shown. As the piston commences 24 HERCULES IRON WORKS, CHICAGO. its downward stroke the pressure of the gas from above opens the valve, and the cylinder commences to fill, Below “A” is seen a small passage connect- ing the gas inlet space on the right with a small chamber on its left, formed by the ring “ B” on the valve stem and the bore of the valve cage. This passage opens a little above the bottom of the chamber, and when the valve is fully opened the ring “B"” covers the passage, and the gas in the lower portion of the chamber, unable to