IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Max Sombart, of the firm of Buss, Sombart
and Company, Engineers and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of
Germany for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS a commu-
nication from Bernhard Moebius a person resident at Chihuahua in the
republic of Mexico
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Max Sombart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1883.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART, of the firm of Buss, Sombart and Company, Engineers
and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of Germany, "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REFRIGERATORS," a communication from Bernhard Moebius, a person resident
at Chihuahua in the republic of Mexico,
These improvements relate to a kind of refrigerators which are not only
applicable to cool liquids filled in bottles but also to cool substances preserved in
any box or vessel without departing from the principle on which my refrigerator,
is based.
The refrigerator consists chiefly of two sacks of cotton yarn of great capillary
attraction like those employed for wicks. These sacks woven in one piece are
provided with round or spherical bottoms. It suffices to give them a size which
corresponds approximately with the form and size of the bottle or box, the stuff
used being elastic enough to cause the web to fit well the outside of the bottle.
One sack is put into the other, and both are loosely stitched or basted where the
neck of the bottle begins, or a little below the top of the bottle. At the upper
end they are provided with two cords similar to those used for tobacco-pouches.
At the lower part of these sacks there is suspended by means of two or three small
chains provided with hooks, a metallic cup or dish adapted to receive the base of
the bottle.
My refrigerators are used in the following manner:
The bottle is put into the double sack, and the inner sack is laced up by means
of the said cord. The clearance thus established between these sacks may be

page_text: filled up with ice or ice with common salt, or any other frigorific mixture, or in
default of these with sponge pieces, asbestos, cotton or any other water absorbing
material.
According to circumstances this clearance may also be left quite empty.
The whole is then moistened with water, the exterior sack is also laced up by its
cord and some water must be put into the lower cup in as much as no ice is used.
Afterwards the refrigerator is put to a place exposed to a thorough draught; or it
may be suspended by means of the cords.
In consequence of the large evaporating surface a lowering of the temperature is
produced.
By the capillary attraction of the web some water is continually abstracted from
the cup and caused to vaporize thus depriving the bottle of a certain amount of its
heat.
When using ice the cooling action is of course produced at the expense of the ice
and very energetic. Besides this as the ice used gradually liquefies the ice water
accumulates in the cup to be afterwards gradually absorbed and evaporated.
To obtain a great cooling effect the clearance between the sacks may be filled
with nitrate of ammonia or other suitable salts, the said salt being dissolved by
the absorbed water from the cup and thus producing a considerable amount of
cold.
The solution of the nitrate of ammonia accumulated in the cup may be utilized
by subjecting it to vaporization using the salt thus obtained over and over again.
In many cases it is advisable to simplify the refrigerator by using only one sack
that is to say, in dispensing with the clearance for the reception of ice.
Then some ice may be placed between the neck of the bottle or cover of a box
and the sack.
In consequence of the elasticity of the web it is possible to put into my
refrigerator vessels of different shapes, as for instance kitchen pots, tea pots, milk-
bowls, preserving boxes and also fruit in order to keep them cool therein.
In using tinned sheet iron boxes with porous covers enclosing at the top a cooling
substance my refrigerator may be employed to preserve all kinds of food.
The principle of my refrigerator may be applied to technical purposes in different
manners.
For instance in order to cool liquids, or gas or air contained in horizontal tubes,
the latter may be covered with a porous material of asbestos or cotton the extremities
of which dip into a channel filled with water. Just underneath the tube the web
is stitched together so that the whole surface of the tube may be completely
enveloped by the said web.
By virtue of the capillary attraction of the latter a rapid evaporation of the
constantly absorbed water is produced, thus depriving the contents, of the tubes
of heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Max Sombart in the Patent Office on the 30th June
1884.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART, of the firm of Buss, Sombart and Company, Engineers
and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of Germany, IMPROVEMENTS
IN REFRIGERATORS," a communication from Bernhard Moebius, a person resident
at Chihuahua in the republic of Mexico,
These improvements relate to a kind of refrigerators which are not only apt to
cool liquids filled in bottles but also to cool substances preserved in any box or
vessel, without departing from the principle on which my refrigerator is based.
It consists chiefly of two bags of cotton yarn of great capillary attraction like
that employed for wicks. These bags are woven in one piece and provided
with round or spherical bottoms. It suffices to give them a size which corresponds
approximately with the form and size of the bottle or box, the stuff used being
elastic enough to cause the web to fit well the outside of the bottle.
One bag is put into the other, and both are loosely stitched at c, as shown in the
figures 3, 4 and 5. At the upper end they are provided with two cords d similar
to those used for tobacco-pouches. At the lower part of these bags there is
suspended by means of two or three small chains provided with hooks, a metallic
cup or dish fadapted to receive the base of the bottle.
My refrigerators are used in the following manner:
The bottle is put into the double bag, fig. 3, and the inner bag is laced up by
means of the said cord d. The clearance thus established between these bags may
be filled up with ice or a mixture of ice with common salt, or any other frigorific
mixture, or in default of these with sponge-pieces, asbestos, cotton or any other
water absorbing material. According to circumstances this clearance may also be
left quite empty. The whole is then moistened with water, the exterior bag is also
laced up by its cord d, and some water must be put into the lower cupf in as
much as no ice is used. Afterwards the refrigerator is put to a place exposed to a
thorough draught, or it may be suspended by means of the cords d.
In consequence of the large evaporating surface a lowering of the temperature is
soon produced by evaporation.
By the capillary attraction of the web some water is continually abstracted from
the cup fand caused to vaporise, thus depriving the bottle of a certain amount of
its heat.
When using ice the cooling action is of course produced at the expense of the
ice and very energetic. Besides this, as the ice used gradually liquefies, the ice
water accumulates in the cup f, to be afterwards gradually absorbed and evaporated.
To obtain a great cooling effect, the clearance between the bags may be filled
with nitrate of ammonia or other suitable salt, the said salt being dissolved by the
absorbed water from the cup fand thus producing a considerable amount of cold.
The solution of the nitrate of ammonia, accumulated in the cup f, may be
utilized by subjecting it to vaporization and using the salt thus obtained over and
over again.
In many cases it is advisable to simplify the refrigerator by using only one bag,
that is to say, in dispensing with the clearance for the reception of ice or other
suitable material, Fig. 2.
Some ice may also be placed between the neck of the bottle or cover of a box
and the bag. However, in this case it is rather inconvenient to open the box
because the ice must be previously removed.
:

page_text: My refrigerator is not liable to rapid wear, even if, after some time, the
capillary attraction of the web were a little reduced by the deposit of mineral
particles contained in the water, because it is easily renewed by washing the bags
in vinegar or in diluted hydrochloric acid, and subsequently in water.
In consequence of the elasticity of the web it is possible to put into my
refrigerator vessels of different shapes, as for instance kitchen pots, tea-pots, milk-
bowls, preserve boxes and also fruit in order to keep them cool therein.
In using tinned sheet iron boxes with porous covers, as represented in figs 5
and 6, my refrigerator may be employed to preserve all kinds of provisions.
The principle of my refrigerator may also be utilized for technical purposes in
different manners.
For instance, in order to cool liquids, or gas or air contained in horizontal tubes,
the latter may be covered with asbestos or cotton fabric, the extremities of which
dip into a channel filled with water fig. 8. Just underneath the tube the fabric is
stitched together, so that the whole surface of the tube may be completely
enveloped by the said fabric.
By virtue of the capillary attraction of the latter, a rapid evaporation of the
constantly absorbed water is produced, thus depriving the contents of the tubes of
Chant
CLAIM.
Refrigerators adapted to cool the contents of vessels by the vaporization of
liquids, absorbed by capillary attraction of fabrics placed round the vessel and
partly in contact with the liquid to be evaporated, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles Max Sombart, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifth day of June A.D. 1884.