Improvements in Refrigerating and Refrigerants.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
Improvements in Refrigerating and Refrigerants.
I, STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of the Borough of Richmond, City and State of
New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention has for its object the preparation and use of refrigerating sub-
stances possessing a much greater cooling power than those hitherto employed in
the arts or for the purpose of everyday life, and not being capable of conversion
into gas at ordinary atmospheric temperature.
In carrying out my invention I avail myself of the high degrees of cold which
have of late years become available on a commercial scale by the manufacture
of apparatus for liquefying ammonia, carbonic anhydride and air.
frigid conditions I subject substances that remain liquid at average atmospheric
To theso
temperatures; and I continue the cooling until solidification is attained. I
also in some cases super-freeze the solid bodies in question by cooling them down
to temperatures below their freezing points. I am thus enabled to prepare
blocks of material containing varying amounts of cold (i.c. negative thermal
units reckoned from the temperature to which the refrigerants are ultimately
to rise when employed for cooling purposes), which blocks may be used as refri-
gerants in refrigerators, railway cars, ships and other places.
In order conveniently to prepare and use the said blocks I place the liquids
in hermetically sealed cans of any desired shape and size; and these receptacles,
when the contained liquid is frozen or super-frozen to any extent that may be
desired or practicable, are put in cases or jackets of felt lined wood or other
partially heat insulating material by means of which the cans are protected from
injury during transport and the cooling-power of these blocks is regulated as
to speed of action. And when such cooling-power is exhausted the jacketed
cans are returned to the charging station where, by removing the cases and
exposing the cans to the before-mentioned frigid conditions, the blocks are
reconstituted.
In cases where the above-described blooks are required to be used for the pur-
pose of providing a supply of ordinary ice, I provide the jackets with a recess
in which a metallic tray of water may be placed in contact with the can con-
taining the frozen or super-frozen refrigerant.
A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification, as part thereof. Figure 1,
of these drawings represents a longitudinal section through an individual block
of the improved refrigerant and its jacket; Figure 2, is an end elevation of the
jacket shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3, is a plan view of the shipping case with
the top removed illustrating the method of transporting cooling-power in greater
quantities. Like letter refer to like parts in all the figures.
My refrigerant is used in the form of one or more blocks B B preferably and
conveniently rectangular in shape; cach block consisting of a hermetically-
ealed sheet-metal receptacle filled with a frozen or super-frozen liquid or solu-
[Price 81

page_text: tion as above described. The jacket for ordinary use is represented in Figures 1
and 2 and consists of a rectangular wooden case A having on one side a rect-
angular opening through which the block B of refrigerant may be introduced into
the interior of the case which is conformed thereto and has a felt-lining C. A
quadrangular frame or distance-piece D fits into the opening of the case and
forms within it a recess in which is placed a metallic tray E. A felt lined lid F
fits inside the tray and forms one side of the case being connected with the body
of the case by suitable fastenings, such as hooks and staples G. A stirrup-shaped
metallic strap H and a handle I at the open end of the strap provide convenient
means by which to lift and handle the jacketed block. When a supply of ice is
required, the lid F is removed and the tray E is filled with water, and then
covered with the lid turned top downward, and in a short time the water is frozen
into ice.
In the transportation of cooling-power in greater quantities a number of metal-
clad blocks B are preferably and conveniently packed side by side without inter-
stices of substantial extend within a shipping case A having a felt lining C as
in Figure 3.
The substance that I employ for the manufacture of my improved refrigerant
are, water, brine, cryo-hydrates (that is to say, saline solutions of such a strength
in each particular case as to have a minimum freezing point), alcohols and mix-
tures of water with glycerine or alcohol or both. For example, by exposing
water to the low temperature obtainable by means of a liquid air apparatus
manufacture super-frozen ice having a temperature of 300 degrees below zero
Fahrenheit. One pound of this substance, in rising to 42 degrees Fahrenheit
will absorb 315 thermal units; whereas one pound of ordinary ice as supplied to
domestic refrigerators will absorb only 154 units. By my invention I am thus
enabled to more than double the cooling-power of ice, thereby effecting a great
economy of weight, bulk and expense.
"
The substance however that I prefer to employ is a liquid which I name
'glyce" and which consists of 50 per cent, of water and 50 por cent. of glycerino.
It freezes at about 23 degrees below zero Fahr., and has a specific heat greater
than that of ice. One pound of "glyce" if super-frozen to 300 degrees below
zero Fahr. is capable, when acting as a refrigerant and rising to 42 degrees
Fahr. of absorbing 358 thermal units, thus being considerably more efficient
than super-frozen ice.
For special purposes the refrigerant may be put up in cylindrical, spherical and
other shapes, as well as in rectangular blocks of any desired proportions; and
other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.
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: The method of refrigeration consisting in freezing a non-volatile
liquid to a solid state within sealed cans or equivalent receptacles.
Secondly: The method of refrigeration consisting in taking a non-volatile
liquid, enclosing it in sealed portable receptacles and super-freezing it, and then
using the blocks so produced as refrigerants.
Thirdly The method of refrigeration consisting in taking a solution;
enclosing it in sealed portable receptacles and super-freezing it, and then using
the blocks so produced as refrigerents.
Fourthly: The method of refrigeration consisting in super-freezing canned
liquids and distributing them for use as refrigerants.
FifthlyThe method of transporting cooling power consisting in super-freez-
ing liquids placed in sealed cans having flat sides and then packing such cans
together without interstices of substantial extent.
Sixthly: A refrigerant consisting of a sealed receptacle containing a frozen
liquid.

page_text: Seventhly: A refrigerant consisting of a tightly closed receptacle containing
a super-frozen liquid.
Eighthly: A refrigerant consisting of a super-frozen liquid.
Ninthly: A refrigerant consisting of an artificially super-frozen liquid.
Tenthly: A refrigerant consisting of a frozen mixture of water and glycerine.
Eleventhly: A refrigerant consisting of a super-frozen mixture of water and
glycerine.
Twelfthly: A refrigerant consisting of an artificially super-frozen mixture of
water and glycerine, substantially as herein before specified.
Dated 18 21st of September 1899.
STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.