Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-01
THE MAN WHO MADE REFRIGERA
TORS POPULAR

The history of the science of the pres
ervation of food in household use reads
like a romance.
In the years OF 1880 to 1885, very few
refrigerators were on the market. Peo-
pie did not know what the word meant
and those Of them that were used were
sweat boxes" condensing the air of the
provision m or the outside of the
ice tank and thus leaving the doors of
various kinds of foods within the pro-
vision chamber to spoil the flavor of
any of the delicate foods like milk and
butter. With wages at $.2 per day it
was rather difficult at that time for any
one to own even a sweat box which cost
So to SIS.
1t was just at that time that c.. II.
Leonard. of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
now n%ationall" known as a refrigerator
expert. dealt in house furnishing goods.
SO unsatisfactory had sweat boxes prov
ed to his customers that he set about to
design scientifically a real refrigerator.
In 1850 he took out his first patent, COW
ering the removable tiue, a patent which
was soon pirated away from him due to
failure OF the patent to mention the wa
ter dam behind the fue.
Mr.. Leonard'S passion was to offer good
refrigerators at fair prices. and so, in a
rented factory. he commenced to build
them himself. and after three years Of
experience selling refrigerators at less
than they cost him to build, he finally
SO lowered costs that he commenced to
make a little money. His next step was
to improve refrigerators and he pat
enteed the alright lock for the doors in
1855. The next year he invented an i'm
proved shelf made from one piece of gal.
vanized steel which supplanted the wood
en- shelves and the shelves made of scraps
Of galvanized iron soldered together. In
1887 he created a waterproof construc-
ton for the back Of the inside box which
returned the water from accidental leak
age to the waste-pipe and heightened each
refrigerator's life. Successfully. HI in
vented an air-proof trap, an all metal Ice
rack. the latter Of which added clean
illness to home refrigeration.
He was constantly forcing down, as
did Ford in the automobile field, with the
result that by 1900, good, dry-air refrig-
orators retailed at from $40 to S35. Mr.,
Leonard's big refrigerator feature was
the fact that they were cleanable. and
he decided to call his refrigerators
Leonard Cleanable Refrigerators." Or
first application, the copyright depart
ment at Washington refused to registe,
the word, but after it had been used TO,
many years and because there was nc
such word in the dictionary. they allow
ed its registration in 1908.
Still, with all this success behind him
Mr.. Leonard was not satisfied. 1t wa.
In 1901 that he achieved the biggest thing
in refrigeration history and that wa.
the building of the FIRST porcelain enam
ell lined refrigerator. The corner ant
edges were covered with a triangular
strip of nickel plated zinc.
Still he was not satisfied and invented
the one-piece porcelain lined Refrigerator
and secured a patent for the wonderful re
frigerators now on sale, but, like Fore
and Edison. the refrigerator pioneer
chief deligh is finding a way by whicl
the same efficiency can be maintained
and the price lessened. And as a result
he is to-day called the Man Who Mad
Refrigerators Popular"