This machine was referred to as the "Raplin Ice Maker", and the snippet of text stated, "Before refrigerators were common, ice-making machines could be found in many homes.  The Raplin ice maker was one of the many machines available.  It froze water at the turn of a handle, making a block of ice in about 20 minutes."  Near as we can figure, the crank compresses a chamber with some sort of gas (perhaps ammonia), which is then released into an expansion chamber.  As the compressed gas expands, it rapidly cools and thus freezes the water housed in a separate chamber.  All of this in a unit about the size of a sewing machine.

The original manufacturer is Messrs Pulsometer Engineering Co., Ltd., Reading England, and the Nine Elms Iron Works, Reading.