Improvements in Means for Cooling Air and for Supplying such Cooled Air for the Preservation of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Fruit, and the like, and for the Cooling of Wine Cellars or similar Chambers.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Cooling Air and for Supplying such
Cooled Air for the Preservation of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Fruit, and
the like, and for the Cooling of Wine Cellars or similar Chambers.
THOMAS DOWLER GREEN, 19, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of wooden, metal, or other chamber, preferably of
cylindrical form, & contains essentially a small fan driven by a direct coupled
water motor, situated below. The water after being used for driving fan, is
passed through a screen or screens, through which air is drawn by fan. The air
80 drawn forced into a suitable room or store in which the articles to be.
cooled or preserved are placed.
If necessary other screens can be used to dry or otherwise deal with the passing
air.
.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Cooling Air and Supplying such
Cooled Air for the Preservation of Meat, Poultry, Fish, Fruit, and
the like, and for the Cooling of Wine Cellars or similar Chambers.
I, THOMAS DOWLER GREEN, of 19, Burlington Chambers, New Street, in the
City of Birmingham, Engineer, 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 apparatus or means for cooling air and supplying
such cooled air for the purpose of preserving meat, poultry, fish, fruit and the
like, also for keeping cool wine cellars and similar chambers.
The apparatus consists essentially of a chamber or casing fitted interiorly with
a water wheel or water motor driving an air-fan which is mounted in suitable bearings
and is preferably located within the mouth of an air shaft leading from the
chamber to the upper part of the cooling compartment within which the meat
or the like to be preserved is placed. The fan chamber is open or reticulated
at bottom and is preferably supported above a water trough or tray provided
with an overflow pipe, and the interior of the apparatus is fitted with one or
more screens or perforated diaphragms, made of cocoa matting or the like stiffened
or supported if necessary by metal gratings and onto which the water employed
CD071

page_text: in driving the motor in connection with the fan spindle, falls, whilst the air
entering the chamber through the open or reticulated bottom is drawn by means
of the fan through the wet screens and is thereby thoroughly cooled before being
transmitted to the cooling chamber, which is of suitable capacity and may also
be open at the bottom.
The accompanying drawing represents a vertical section of one form of apparatus
constructed according to my invention.
a is the outer casing or chamber of the air-cooling apparatus, with the bottom a¹,
which is open and supported by means of feet or legs above a water tray or catch
tank a², of a little larger diameter than the casing itself and with the top of it
open so as to admit of air passing into the interior of the apparatus as indicated
by the arrows. Located inside the casing is a Pelton wheel or other water wheel b,
made fast upon a vertical spindle or axis 6, with its ends mounted in suitable
bearings 62, 3, (which may be adjustable for the purpose of taking up wear)
whilst carried by or made fast to the upper end of the spindle is an air fan c,
working within the entrance or throat d₁, of an air shaft d, leading from the
top 3, of the casing a, into or near the upper part of the storage compartment e,
which has a closed top and an open or reticulated bottom and within which the
food substances to be kept cool are placed.
Disposed horizontally within the upper part of the chamber or casing a, is a
grating f, upon which a moisture-intercepting mat or mats f', is or are placed,
whilst the lower part of the said casing is also divided off, below the water wheel,
by a second grating g, supporting a cocoa-fibre screen g¹, onto which spray from
the water impinging onto the wheel for the purpose of driving the fan falls and
then trickles through it into the pan or catch tank at the bottom of the apparatus
and then runs away through the overflow h.
¿¹ is the nozzle of the water supply pipe i, through which a jet of water is directed
so as to impinge onto the cups or blades of the water wheel b, and so propels the
fan. The water is converted into spray and falls in a shower onto the air-cooling
mat g', below whilst the draught induced by the fan draws air through the open
bottom of the casing and through the moisture-saturated mat g', which both
thoroughly cools the air and clears it of any suspended impurities, after which
it passes or is drawn through the upper mat or absorbent medium and all moisture
is extracted before it passes through the fan and is forced into the store chamber.
The purified and thoroughly cooled air then circulates within the said storage
chamber and passes away through the open bottom.
As a supplementary means for removing moisture from the cooled air, bags
of lime or common salt, or other absorbent medium may be arranged either above
the top screen or within the air shaft itself.
I do not confine myself to any particular form of water motor, nor to the
character or material of the screens through which the air is drawn for cooling
it by moisture and then extracting the superfluous moisture therefrom. Instead
of the motor driving the fan spindle direct as described it may be connected
thereto by gearing, which may also provide a means for speeding the fan to drive
it at a higher rate than the motor.
When the apparatus is used for cooling wine cellars and similar chambers,
the shaft from the fan is directed into the chamber or cellar from the outside
and after the cooled air has circulated through the cellar it passes away by way of
ordinary ventilators.
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:-
First An apparatus for the cooling and preservation of foods and for the
cooling of wine cellars and other apartments, consisting of an open or reticulated
bottomed chamber provided interiorly with a water motor driving an air fan

page_text: located in or near the entrance to an air shaft leading to a cooling chamber,
substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly: An apparatus for the cooling and preservation of foods and for
the cooling of wine cellars and other apartments, consisting of an air-cooling
chamber, open or reticulated at the bottom and provided interiorly with a water
motor driving an air fan whilst the inside of the said chamber is divided off by
screens, mats or other absorbent divisions disposed respectively above and below
the water motor, with the water of propulsion falling onto the lower division or
divisions which serve to cool the air drawn therethrough, whilst the upper division
or divisions extract the moisture from the said air before it is drawn by the fan
into the shaft leading to the chamber to be cooled, substantially as described and
set forth.
;
Thirdly The apparatus for cooling and preserving foods and for keeping
cool wine cellars and other apartments, with the parts arranged, combined and
operating substantially as herein described and set forth.
L.
1000
THOMAS DOWLER GREEN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.