Improvements in Ice Houses and Safes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ice Houses and Safes.
I, LUDWIG BIBER, of No. 9, Stendelgasse, Vienna, in the Austrian Empire,
Master Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows :-
This invention relates to closed hollow spaces cooled by means of ice for the
purpose of cooling and preserving therein foods and drinks, and it has for its object
so to arrange the said hollow spaces as to obtain a continuous inflow of air
cooled by the ice, while, at the same time, the air grown warmer in consequence
of its contact with the materials to be cooled, is gradually displaced and
expelled.
The
According to the invention, the hollow spaces to be cooled, the sides of which
are made of a bad conductor of heat, are hermetically closed at the top by a
sheet metal partition, above which the ice rests on a grating. To the under
surface of this sheet metal partition, which, in consequence of its being a good
conductor of heat, has always a very low temperature, closed hollow sheet metal
bodies are fixed, extending by preference in the direction from north to south-
from one lateral side or wall of the space or chamber to the opposite one.
bottoms of these hollow sheet metal bodies have a rather steep incline towards their
southern ends, and the northern end of each body communicates through a narrow
aperture with the outer atmosphere, while the southern end of each bottom is
provided with a hole opening into the space to be cooled. Besides, there is
arranged, immediately below the northern end of each sheet metal body, in the
side or wall of the refrigerating space, a narrow slot, which establishes a commu-
nication between the said space and the outer atmosphere.
In consequence of the described arrangement, the air contained in the said
hollow sheet metal bodies is considerably cooled, and caused to flow along the
inclined bottoms to the discharge openings arranged at the lowest points, and thence
to rush into the space to be refrigerated, while at once fresh air from without is
sucked in through the openings in the highest parts of the hollow sheet metal
bodies. The cold air accumulates on the bottom of the refrigerating chamber
and displaces the warmer air existing there in an upward direction so as to cause
it to escape to the outside through the narrow slots referred to above.
In order to increase the refrigerating surface, by which the air is cooled, the
sheet metal partition below the ice is by preference made of corrugated sheet
metal and for the slow eduction of the water produced by the melting of the ice, a
slight inclination is given to the said partition, in the same direction as to the
bottoms of the sheet metal bodies. From the lowermost portion of the partition,
eduction pipes provided with hydraulic seals extend downward into the refrigerating
chamber, where a collecting gutter is arranged below them. Into the said gutter
open other gutters arranged below the inclined bottoms of the hollow sheet metal
bodies and intended to receive the water condensed on the sides of the said
bodies.
Deted this 97th dor of Avoust 1802
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ice Houses and Safes.
I, LUDWIG BIBER, of No. 9, Stendelgasse, Vienna, in the Austrian Empire,
Master Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :--
This invention relates to closed hollow spaces cooled by means of ice for the
purpose of cooling and preserving therein foods and drinks, and it has for its
object so to arrange the said hollow spaces as to obtain a continuous inflow of air
cooled by the ice, while, at the same time, the air, grown warmer in consequence
of its contact with the materials to be cooled, is gradually displaced and
expelled.
According to the invention, the hollow spaces to be cooled, the sides of which
are made of a bad conductor of heat, are hermetically closed at the top by a
sheet metal partition, above which the ice rests on grating. To the under
surface of this sheet metal partition, which, in consequence of its being a good
conductor of heat has always a very low temperature, closed hollow sheet metal
bodies are fixed extending by preference in the direction from north to south-
from one lateral side or wall of the space or chamber to the opposite one. The
bottoms of these hollow sheet metal bodies have a rather steep incline towards
their southern ends and the northern end of each body communicates through a
narrow aperture with the outer atmosphere, while the southern end of each
bottom is provided with a hole opening into the space to be cooled. Further, there
is arranged, immediately below the northern end of each sheet metal body, in the
side or wall of the refrigerating space, a narrow slot which establishes a commu-
nication between the said space and the outer atmosphere.
In consequence of the arrangement described, the air contained in the said
hollow sheet metal bodies is cooled considerably, and caused to flow along the
inclined bottoms to the discharge openings arranged at the lowest points, and
thence to rush into the space to be refrigerated, while at the same time fresh air
from without is sucked in through the openings in the highest parts of the hollow
sheet metal bodies. The cold air accumulates on the bottom of the refrigerating
chamber and displaces the warmer air existing there, in an upward direction, so
as to cause it to escape to the outside through the narrow slots referred to above.
In order to increase the refrigerating surface by which the air is cooled, the
sheet metal partition below the ice is, by preference, made of corrugated sheet
metal, and for the slow eduction of the water produced by the melting of the ice,
a slight inclination is given to the said partition, in the same direction as to the
bottoms of the sheet metal bodies. From the lowermost portion of the partition,
eduction pipes provided with hydraulic seals extend downward into the refrigerating
chamber where a collecting gutter is arranged below them. Into the said gutter
open other gutters arranged below the inclined bottoms of the hollow sheet metal
· bodies, and which are intended to receive the water condensed on the sides of the
said bodies.
In order that the invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood, I will now describe it and them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therewith. They illustrate the application of
the invention to portable ice safes.
Fig, is a sectional elevation of the ice safe on a plane parallel with the
direction of the inclination of the sheet metal partition.
Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation taken on the line A-B of Figure 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line C-D of Figure 2.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line E-F of Figure 1

page_text: Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the warm air vents and their controlling slides.
Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on a larger scale.
a is the inner casing of the safe. It is constructed of boards rabbetted or
tongued together, and is lined on the inner face with sheet zinc. e is the outer
casing likewise constructed of boards rabbetted or tongued together. It is lined
with a double layer of paper. c is a thin wooden skin. is a hollow space between
the skin c and the inner casing a and which is filled with a perfectly dry bad
conductor of heat. The lid a and the door y are both built up on the same plan.
The ice chamber is separated from the chamber g-the one to be cooled-by a
sheet metal partition . This partition is corrugated for the purpose of increasing
the area exposed to the action of the ice and inclined at a suitable angle for the
water to flow off slowly. It is supported by crinkled bars h. The latter are
preferably of malleable cast iron. ², h² are pipes down which, the water above
mentioned flows away.
Each pipe has a water seal at its lower end. The overflowing water is received
in a transverse gutter from which a pipe delivers it into a collecting tray k.
From the latter it is drawn off through the valve . The latter is hidden by a
removable screen k².
At a certain distance below the corrugated partition A, a second plate m, zig-zag
in cross section, is supported on bars m¹, m². It extends from the front of the safe
nearly to the back. The air inlets n open into the space between the two
partitions. 2, n² are sheets of fine mesh woven wire stretched across the outer
ends of these inlets. They are concealed by lions' heads, hollow, open mouthed
and eyeless. Gutters m² of wood lined with sheet metal, or of other suitable con-
struction, are fixed under the bars m¹ and the depending edges on the underside of
the partition m, to receive the water which drops from them. These gutters open
into the gutter j into which the sheet metal gutters i, i, which are fixed to the
sides of the chamber g, also discharge the water received by them.
which
The warm air which is displaced by the continuous down currents of cold air
escapes partly through ports o, o passing below the upper end of the inclined
partition m through the front of the safe, and partly through a port p.
extends up through the full length of the door y, the lower end of the said port
communicating with the chamber to be cooled and the upper end opening into
slots which are formed in the front of the safe.
The following provision is made for regulating the rate at which the ventilation
of the chamberg proceeds. Slides 9, 7 are arranged over the slots o and pl. risa
flap adapted to prevent the slides from being seen.
The door y is adapted to fit airtight by the following devices.
A. rubber tube s
is secured by its rear side only in or to the rabbet or groove of the frame. Nails
passing only through the back of the tube may be used for this purpose. The
tube is perforated to provide for the escape of air from it when the door is closed
suddenly.
It is to be distinctly understood that the present invention is not confined in its
applicability to ice safes or refrigerators but is equally applicable to ice houses or
to cooling dwelling rooms.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In ice houses, ice safes, air cooling and ventilating apparatus for dwelling
rooms in which the chamber to be cooled receives a continuous influx of cold air
from above while the displaced warmer air flows away through suitable ports, the
combination of ice chamber, inclined metal partition below it and forming the
bottom of it, inclined metal partition forming the ceiling of the chamber to be
cooled, a space between the said partitions, ports establishing communication
between the external air and the said space, and ports for the escape of the warm
air from the chamber to be cooled, as set forth.

page_text: 2. In ice houses, ice safes and ventilating apparatus of the description defined by
the preceding claim, exhaust ports within the sides of the chamber to be cooled,
for the escape therefrom of the warmed air, the lower ends of said ports opening
into the chamber and the upper ends to the external air.
Dated this 27th day of April 1893.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.