IMPROVEMENTS RAILWAY PROVISION CARRIAGES OR WAGGONS, AND IN REFRIGERATING OR COOLING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS TO BE COMBINED THEREWITH
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William d'Alton Mann, of Mobile, Alabama, United
States of America, now residing at the Langham Hotel, Regent Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
RAILWAY PROVISION CARRIAGES OR WAGGONS, AND IN REFRIGERATING OR
COOLING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS TO BE COMBINED THEREWITH."
IN
Sealed the 29th October 1878, and dated the 29th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William d'Alton Mann at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th April 1878.
WILLIAM D'ALTON MANN, of Mobile, Alabama, United States of America, now
residing at the Langham Hotel, Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY PROVISION CARRIAGES OR WAGGONS,
AND IN REFRIGERATING OR COOLING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS TO BE COMBINED
THEREWITH.'
"
This Invention relates to improvements in railway provision carriages or waggons,
and in refrigerating or cooling and ventilating apparatus to be combined therewith,
and is designed to provide means for the transport of fresh meat, butter, milk, fish,
vegetables, fruit, and the like perishable articles in good condition in all seasons and
temperatures. To obtain this result in a provision waggon or carriage it is essential
that the body of the same should be so constructed that the transmission of heat
shall be practically prevented, so that the interior temperature may be uniform.
At the same time the air within the waggon must be constantly changed, and before
coming in contact with the articles transported it must be cleaned from the dust,
smoke, and cinders with which the atmosphere surrounding a railway train is con-
stantly charged, and it must be cooled and dried. Moreover, the interior of the
waggon must be so disposed and fitted as to admit the convenient stowage of the
meats or other articles to be carried, and so that it may be kept in a state of perfect
cleanliness. The doors must be so arranged that while affording perfect facility for
entering the waggon and loading and unloading, they can be tightly closed,
absolutely excluding the passage of air.

page_text: In carrying the said Invention into practice I make the walls, roof, and floor of
the waggon double, the outer casing being constructed of planks of wood, and the
inner casing of sheets of zinc or other metal not subject to oxidation; to one or the
other of these, on the inner surface thereof, is added a sheathing of pressed paper
board, and the space between the two walls is filled with sawdust, charcoal, or other
non-heat conducting material.
Air is introduced into the waggon with great force when the waggon is in motion
by means of pipes which terminate at their upper end in double funnels which
extend above the top of the waggon. In these double funnels at the throat is placed
a valve, and the movement of the waggon in the one direction or the other deterinines
the entrance of the air, the valve closing automatically the throat of the funnel not
in use.
The air in entering these funnels encounters first a sheet of wire gauze
which intercepts the larger particles of dirt, sparks, and like matters; it then
descends the said pipes or tubes, and particles of dust remaining are precipitated into
cups provided at the bottom of the said pipes or tubes, and which cups for facility
in emptying are attached by bayonet fastenings. The air then passes through
branch tubes into a large box suspended to the frame of the waggon and filled with
damp hay or grass. In order that the hay or grass may not settle into a compact
mass a number of horizontal wires or thin spikes are attached to the back side of
the said box and project near to the front, and among which the hay is attached.
At the front of the box a door is hinged, at a little distance from the bottom, which
is water-tight, thus retaining a certain quantity of water in the bottom, the surplus
dripping out at the said hinged door. The air passing through this mass of damp
hay or grass is relieved of the dust and cinders that may not have been previously
arrested. It then escapes by means of several vertical tubes provided for the pur-
pose, which bend and enter horizontally a reservoir of ice placed in the top part of
the waggon, under the roof thereof. These vertical tubes extend along the whole
length of the ice reservoir, are bent round and return also the whole length of the said
reservoir, and they open at different points in a compartment at the end of the said
reservoir, which compartment is loosely filled with blocks of charcoal, chloride of
calcium, or other material rapidly absorbing moisture. From this compartment the
air escapes at the top on either side through openings, and is desseminated throughout
the carriage or waggon, purified, cooled, and dried. If desirable, I may further dry
the air by placing on either side of the compartment open pans containing blocks of
lime, charcoal, or other absorbent matter, and over which the air would pass in
leaving the said compartment.
I prefer to construct the said ice reservoir of half-round form in cross section, or
nearly so, in order that as the ice gradually melts it may settle down and be kept
from shifting with the motion of the waggon. At the bottom of this reservoir I
provide a gutter, into which any moisture on the outside of the ice reservoir will
drip, and be conveyed therefrom through a pipe into a receptacle provided for it at
the bottom of the waggon.
The water resulting from the gradual melting of the ice inside the reservoir is
conducted by a small tube into the aforesaid box containing hay or grass, where by
means of a pierced tube it is distributed in a manner to cool the entire mass of hay
or grass.
The air forced into the waggon by the said funnels and pipes is drawn off at the
opposite extremity of the waggons by means of two vertical tubes, the one opening
near the floor, the other near the roof. These tubes terminate outside and at the
top of the waggon, each with a funnel jointed so as to turn automatically with the
change of direction in the movement of the waggon; thus with all movement of the
waggon a strong draught from the interior is produced by these funnels, and coupled
with the forcing action of the fixed funnels at the other end of the waggon they
secure whenever the waggon is in motion a rapid change of the interior air.
To support the said ice reservoir and to carry the hooks for attaching the carcases
of meat I place athwart the carriage or waggon at the cornice, beams consisting of
flat vertical bars of iron in pairs, which may be stayed to the roof sticks by diagonal

page_text: braces. On the said beams are placed a number of suitable hooks to support the
carcases or portions of meat. A second series of moveable beams fitted with hooks
may be inserted at a proper height to support smaller portions of meat, or long
moveable hooks may be temporarily attached to the beams to serve this latter
purpose.
The reservoir of ice and the charcoal compartment are fitted with doors in the
top to admit the ice and drying material. These doors are reached by corresponding
doors or traps in the double roof, and are so constructed as to form tight joints.
To more completely arrest the direct rays of the sun I place at a few inches
above the true roof a false roof made of canvas stretched over light rafters, which
are supported by brackets all arranged to permit free circulation of air between the
true and false roof. Through this false roof are also doors or traps to reach the
doors in the true roof.
The waggon is entered on either side by means of double doors, which serve to
open or shut by means of rollers, on which they have a slight lateral play, one door
being outside and the other inside the waggon.
In order that these doors may be closed air-tight I place entirely around the
opening in the walls, both on the exterior and in the interior, an india-rubber
tube, which is compressed when the doors are closed. The doors when shut are
brought firmly against the said india-rubber tubes by means of bolts which pass
through holes in the exterior door and screw into holes fitted with threads in the
interior door.
To facilitate the proper cleaning of the interior of the waggon the interior surface
of the floor is made to slightly incline to the centre the entire length, and a
hole in the floor fitted with a proper plug permits the escape of fluids dripping
from the meats or used in cleaning the waggon.
The waggon body may be made of any desired dimensions, and may be placed on
an ordinary under frame or on bogies.
The various parts, forms, and materials may be varied according to different cir-
cumstances without departing from the essential principles of the said Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William d'Alton Mann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
October 1878.
WILLIAM D'ALTON MANN, of Mobile, Alabama, United States of America, now
residing at the Langham Hotel, Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY PROVISION CARRIAGES OR WAGONS,
AND IN REFRIGERATING OR COOLING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS TO BE COMBINED
THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in railway provision carriages or wagons,
and in refrigerating or cooling and ventilating apparatus to be combined therewith,
and is designed to provide means for the transport of fresh meat, fish, fruit, vege-
tables, butter, milk, beer, and similar perishable articles in good condition in all
seasons and temperatures. To obtain this result in a provision wagon or carriage it
is essential that the body of the same should be so constructed that the transmission
of heat through it shall be practically prevented to ensure uniformity of its interior
temperature, while the air within the wagon must be constantly changed, and
before coming in contact with the articles therein must be freed from the dust,
smoke, and cinders with which the atmosphere surrounding a railway train is
constantly charged, and it must also be cooled and dried. Moreover the interior of
the wagon must be so arranged and fitted as to permit the convenient stowage of
the meat or other articles to be carried in such a manner that the same may be kept
in a state of cleanliness, and the doors of the said wagon must be so arranged that
while affording great facility for entering the wagon, and for loading and unloading
it, they can be so tightly closed as to absolutely prevent the passage of air through
them
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a wagon or vehicle constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section; and Figure 3 is a plan (partly in
horizontal section) of the same.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of part of a wagon, illustrating a modification of
the said Invention.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The walls, roof, and floor of the said wagon are double; the outer casing a is
formed of wood planks or boards, and the inner casing b is formed of sheets of zinc
or other metal not subject to oxidization; the floor also has planking under the zinc.
To one or the other of these casings on the inner surface thereof is added a sheathing
c of pressed paper board, or similar material, and the space between the two walls
a, b, is filled with sawdust, charcoal, or other slow heat-conducting material.
For the introduction of air into the wagon with the necessary force when the said
wagon is in motion I provide a pipe or pipes d, each terminating in a double
funnel d' at the top of the wagon. In the throat of these double funnels is placed
a valve d². The movement of the wagon in either direction causes the entrance of
air by one mouth of these funnels, and the valve d then closes automatically the
throat of the other funnel. The air in entering these funnels encounters first a
sheet of wire gauze d³, which intercepts the larger particles of dirt, sparks, and the
like; the air thus partially cleansed then descends the tubes d, and is further
purified by the precipitation of other particles of dust into the cups e at the bottom
of the tubes d, which cups for facility of emptying are attached to the said tubes
by bayonet fastenings. The air then passes by the branch tubes f¹ into the large
box g, suspended from the wagon frame, and filled with damp hay or grass or other
suitable material. In order that this hay or other material may not settle into a
dense mass, a number of horizontal wires or thin spikes g' are attached to the back

page_text: of the box g, projecting nearly to the front, and with the hay or other material
distributed among them. The front of the box has a door h hinged near the
bottom, which is water-tight; therefore a certain quantity of water is retained in
the bottom of the box, the surplus quantity dripping out at this hinged door.
The air passing through this mass of damp hay, grass, or the like is freed from the
dust and cinders that may not have been previously removed from it. It then
ascends, and passes through the vertical tubes i, and through the horizontal
portions of the same, through an ice tank or reservoir j placed at the top of and
entirely within the said wagon. The said tubes i are so bent and arranged that
they pass and return through the entire length of the ice reservoir, constantly
ascending or inclined upward, in order that the water condensed from the air
passing over the inner surfaces of the pipes resting in ice may drip back. This
arrangement is most important for ensuring a dry condition of the air entering the
carriage, which condition is essential for the proper preservation of meat and
similarly perishable articles. The air is thence discharged at different points into
the compartment k, loosely filled with blocks of charcoal, chloride of calcium, or
other material that will rapidly absorb moisture. From this compartment k the air
escapes at the top on either side by the openings l, and is disseminated throughout
the carriage or wagon in a purified, cooled, and dried condition.
If desirable I may further dry the air by placing on either side of this compart-
ment open pans containing blocks of chloride of calcium, lime, charcoal, or other
absorbent matter, and over which the air will pass in leaving the compartment k.
The said ice reservoir may be rectangular in transverse section, or half round.
It is formed of galvanized iron or other non-corroding metal, and may advanta-
geously be corrugated. It is wholly within the body of the wagon, and presents
its entire area surface to the air in the wagon, and therefore acts most efficiently to
cool the same. At the bottom of this reservoir j I provide a gutter m, into which
any moisture on the outside of the ice reservoir will drip, such drippings being
conveyed therefrom through a pipe into a receptacle provided for it at the bottom
of the wagon.
The water resulting from the gradual melting of the ice in the reservoir j is con-
ducted by the small tube o into the box g, where by means of a perforated tube P
it is so distributed as to moisten and cool the entire mass of hay, grass, or other
material in the said box..
The air forced into the wagon through the funnels d', as above described, is
exhausted at the opposite end of the said wagon by means of the vertical tube or
tubes g. These tubes q are preferably arranged as shewn, that is to say, they are
placed outside of the wagon with their lower end extending and opening into the
same; and they are each provided at the top of the wagon with a funnel or
exhauster r, so jointed thereto as to turn freely with any change in the direction
of movement of the wagon; thus throughout the movement of the said wagon a
strong draught from the interior outward is produced by these funnels, which
draught acting in combination with the forcing action of the fixed funnels d¹ at
the other end of the wagon whenever the latter is in motion will ensure a rapid
change of the air in its interior. The rapidity of this change of air is regulated
by valves in the inlet and outlet pipes.
To carry the hooks for attaching the carcases of meat I place athwart the car
at the cornice the beams 8, consisting of flat bars of iron arranged in pairs, and
which may be stayed to the roof by the diagonal braces s¹. On the beams 8 are
placed a number of suitable hooks 8 for the suspension of the entire carcases or
large joints of meat.
Å second series of movable beams 8* fitted with hooks may be inserted at a
proper height to support smaller joints or pieces of meat; or long movable hooks
may be temporarily attached to the beam s to serve this latter purpose.
To carry fruit, vegetables, flowers, and the like, the wagon may be provided with
racks or shelves.
"The ice tank may be supported by the beams s, but I prefer to suspend it by .

page_text: strong straps from the rafters, leaving the entire length of beams clear, as shewn,
for the adjustment of the meat hooks.
The ice reservoir j and the compartment k are fitted with doors j in the top to
admit the ice and drying material. These doors are accessible by corresponding
doors or traps in the double roof, so constructed as to be air-tight when closed.
To effectually ensure the protection of the wagon roof from the direct rays of
the sun I place a few inches above the true roof a false roof t formed of canvas,
stretched over light rafters t¹, which are supported by brackets t³, and which
permit free circulation of air between the said true and false roofs. This false
roof is provided with doors or traps to permit access to the doors in the true
roof.
The said wagon is provided on either side, or both sides, with the door u, which
slides in opening or closing on rollers, over which it has a slight lateral play.
To ensure the air-tight closing of this door I place entirely around the opening
in the wagon walls an india-rubber tube v, which is compressed when the said
door is closed. The door when shut is brought firmly against this india-rubber
tube by means of the bolts u', which pass through the door and screw into tapped
holes in the wall of the wagon, as shewn. I may sometimes use a door formed
double or in two parallel parts, one fitted inside, and the other outside of the wagon
walls.
To facilitate the proper cleaning of the interior of the wagon the interior surface
of the floor is made to slightly incline to the centre throughout its entire length,
and a hole or well in the floor fitted with a suitable plug permits the escape of
fluids dripping from the meats or used in cleaning the wagon.
In Figure 4 I have shewn a modification of my Invention, in which the wagon
is provided with a shallow pan or tray winstead of the said ice tank or reservoir.
This wagon is designed more especially for the transport of beer and fish, and
other materials that do not require to have the air in the wagon kept dry. The
bottom of the said pan or tray w is made of corrugated sheet metal; it is perforated
and open at the top; it is filled with ice, and as the same melts it drops through
the perforations in the tray upon the barrels of beer or fish, This modification
of my Invention may also be advantageously adopted for the carriage of milk and
for other purposes.
My improved carriages or wagons may be made of any desired dimensions, and
may be placed on an ordinary under frame or on bogies.
The construction and form of the various parts may be varied, and any suitable
materials may be used for the same.
To facilitate the transport of milk from a farm or dairy to the depôt in town
I mount my improved cars or wagons on wheels suitable for travelling on common
roads. The cans of milk may therefore be placed in the wagon at the farm, and
taken therein to the railway, where the said wagon will then be raised upon a
truck or bogie, on which it will be carried by rail to the terminus or other station
whence it is to be delivered; then the said wagon is dismounted from the truck
or bogie and taken along the ordinary road to the depôt.
It will be obvious that this manner of transporting the milk obviates the
necessity of loading and unloading, or transferring the milk cans from one vehicle to
another, and affords the means for cooling the milk almost immediately it is taken
from the cow, and of keeping it cool during transport, and at the depôt until it is
distributed.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. A railway carriage or wagon whose body has its walls, floor, and roof
double, and constructed with an outer casing of wood and an inner casing of zinc
or other metal, practically not oxidizable, and with a sheathing of paper board or
similar material, and with the space between the walls filled with sawdust or the
like, as above set forth, and for the purpose specified.
Second. Providing the said waggon or vehicle with means for ensuring by and

page_text: during its movement in either direction a free entrance of fresh air in a clean and
pure condition, and with means for drying the air and for discharging or exhausting
the same, comprising the pipe or pipes with double funnels fitted with an auto-
matic valve, and preferably with wire gauze or similar guards or screens, the box
filled with bay, grass, or other suitable material to arrest dust and the like, the
inclined pipes in the ice tank and the tube or tubes with turning funnels, all as
above set forth.
Third. The ice tank or reservoir arranged entirely within the body of the wagon,
so that the whole of its surface is in contact with the air in the same, and in which
tank the air circulates through the tubes connected with the said box, as and for
the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the said ice reservoir or tank the reservoir or com-
partment for containing material to absorb the humidity of the air, as above set
forth.
Fifth. The peculiar construction and arrangement of the doors, and the com-
bination with the same of the india-rubber tubes and the screw bolts for her-
metically closing the wagon, as above set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the above-described peculiarly constructed roof of
my improved wagon of the false roof, as and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh. A wagon or vehicle for the transport of meat and other perishable
substances with the floor, sides, and roof constructed as shewn, and with the
apparatus for admitting and discharging the air, and drying, cooling, and distributing
the same, and for containing the ice and absorbent material, all arranged as shewn
in Figures 1 to 3 of the Drawing, and as above set forth.
Eighth. The modification of the said Invention, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the
Drawing, for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William d'Alton Mann, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM D'ALTON MANN. (LS.)