Improvements in Refrigerators or Cooling chambers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Refrigerators or Cooling chambers.
I, ROBERT JOHANNES AUGUST HANKOW, of 62 Yorkstrasse, Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 improvements in refrigerators or cooling-chambers for
preserving provisions, the principal feature being that the provisions are cooled by
practically the same body of air kept in constant circulation; or fresh air may be
admitted into the ice chamber and, at the same time, the air which has already
circulated through the cooling-chamber allowed to escape. The latter arrangement
is put in and out of operation by a single handle and may also be opened to set
free or carry off vapours which have generated in the cooling chamber for better
preserving the articles. A suction action is thus created by the ice-chamber,
seeing that the pipes for admitting the fresh air to, and carrying off the vapours
from, the cooling-chamber, pass through such ice-chamber. The ice-chamber is
also provided with a series of pipes which communicate with the cooling-chamber, so
as to effect a complete circulation of practically the same body of air. A perforated
shutter is also provided for closing these pipes when necessary, such shutter being
attached to the connecting rod for opening and closing the afore-mentioned fresh
air inlet and vapour-outlet pipes and being thus simultaneously operated therewith.
When said series of pipes are closed by the shutter, the air cannot circulate and
consequently it passes off through the open vapour-outlet-pipe.
I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the refrigerator,
Fig. 2 is a section on line y-y of Fig. 1 and
Fig. 3 a section on line - of Fig. 2.
A is the cooling-chamber, which has a preferably slanting top or roof, tightly-
fitting door and a level latticed floor n over the inclined bottom. The ice réceptacle a,
at one side of chamber A, is also provided with a latticed or grate-like bottom b
through which the water from the inelted ice runs off into an inclined channel.
The top of the receptacle a does not extend to the roof of the chamber A, hence
a narrow space is left between same. In the chamber a are a number of pipes c,
the upper ends of which pass through the side wall of chamber a aud thus
communicate with the cooling chamber. Said pipes c are surrounded by the ice
and thus create a suction action on the warmer air near the top of the chamber A,
such air being thereby drawn into the ice-chamber a and, after being cooled
therein, re-issues through its latticed bottom 6 into the cooling-chamber again.
It will thus be seen. that a circulation of practically the same body of air is
effected.
In order that any vapors which may have been generated in the cooling chamber
can escape and, at the same time, a fresh supply of air admitted, a pipe d is pro-
vided, which passes through the ice chamber and whose upper end, (which is
preferably funnel-like and open or covered with gauze or the like) extends through
the top of the ice-chamber a into the narrow space between the top of the latter
and of the chamber A, while its other end passes through the wall of chamber A.
A further pipe e is admitted through the same wall of chamber A. and extends so
far into the ice-chamber a that a strong suction action is created, and thus fresh

page_text: air sucked through same. Such fresh air is cooled in passing through the ice,
while the open inlet-end of the pipe e is preferably covered with gauze or other
suitable material for purifying the air. A valve or cock fis provided in connection
with the vapor outlet pipe d, and a valve or cock g on the fresh air inlet pipe e,
such valves being preferably coupled by a connecting rod h provided with a handle
as shown, so that same can be simultaneously opened and closed..
On admitting fresh air and allowing the vapours to escape through the pipes e
and d respectively, the pipes c may be put out of operation i.e. closed. This is
effected by means of a shutter i, which slides along the wall of chamber a and is
provided with holes or slots corresponding to the open ends of pipes c. When,
therefore, these holes do not coincide with the pipes, the air cannot circulate
through the latter.
The arrangement may also be such, that, for instance, the connecting rod h is
made to enter the slotted end of shutter i and thus, on opening the valves fand g,
the shutter i is simultaneously operated so as to cover the ends of the pipes c,
and vice versa.
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. A refrigerator or cooling-chamber, in which practically the same body of air
is caused to circulate either by means of a series of pipes (c) arranged in the ice
receptacle (a) and communicating with the cooling chamber (A), or by closing
such pipes by means of a perforated shutter (i) and allowing fresh air to be drawn
through the pipe (e), while the air which has already circulated, and any vapours
in the cooling-chamber escape through the pipe (d), substantially as described and
shown in the drawing.
2. In a refrigerator or cooling-chamber as set forth in Claim 1, a connecting
rod (h) for simultaneously opening and closing valves (f, g) of pipes (d, e) and the
series of pipes c the latter being effected by shutter (i) substantially as described
and shown in the drawing.
Dated this 11th day of January 1896.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for Applicant.