IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar B. Smith, of Albany, in the County of Albany,
and State of New York, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edgar B. Smith at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1876.
EDGAR B. SMITH, of Albany, in the County of Albany, and State of New York,
United States of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS AND OTHER SIMILAR
STRUCTURES."
Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of my refrigerator at the line x, x.
•
"
2 is a longitudinal section
3 is a perspective view of a detached section of the dead air-cells.
'up-take"
"
"
"
4 is a vertical section at the line y, y, of one of the corner pieces and "
flue.
"
5 is a plan view of a connecting piece for attaching together in a continuous
line a series of sections of dead air-cells.
6 is a vertical section of the same at the line 2, 2.
Similar marks of reference refer to like parts.
My Invention relates to refrigerators and other similar structures for maintaining
low temperatures, including transportation cars, chests, ice houses, and like structures,
and consists, firstly, in forming the interior compartment or preserving chamber of
the refrigerator of dead air-cells constructed in sections in the manner herein shown
and described, such sections being made either detachable or forming permanent
parts of the structure; secondly, in constructing the sections of dead air-cells in
the manner herein set forth so that each section shall consist of several independent
cells; thirdly, in connecting these sections together by means of the corner pieces
and connecting pieces; fourthly, in the "up-take" flues for conveying the foul air
and other gaseous impurities from the preserving chamber; fifthly, in the employ-
ment of antiseptic absorbents within the preserving chamber for purifying and
absorbing the humidity from the air contained in said chamber; sixthly, in the
means employed for removing the unabsorbed foul air from the preserving chamber,
consisting of the co-operative action of the blast produced by the closing of the
lids and the "up-take" flues; seventhly, in the construction of the receptacles for
containing the ice and absorbents.
As shown in the Drawing A represents the cabinet or exterior casing of my
refrigerator for domestic purposes, it has a lining a¹ of paper coated with any

page_text: suitable waterproof preparation cemented thereto, and for the purpose of securing
air-tight joints the reinforcing strips a² of waterproof paper covers the joints at
each corner of the casing. The bottom section of the preserving chamber consists
of a series of dead air-cells B, formed by means of the plates b₁ of waterproof paper,
board, or other material, secured to the division frames b* by any suitable menns
whereby an air-tight joint can be obtained; it (the bottom section) is maintained
in its place by the bottom of the casing A. The sides and ends of the preserving
chamber are formed by the sections containing the dead air-cells C, made by
attaching the plates c¹ of waterproof paper or other material by means of air-tight
joints to the division frames c², these plates (c) and division frames (c) when
attached together, as above described, constitute the sections of dead air-cells D,
shown in Fig. 3, which for the purpose of attaching them to their adjacent parts
are provided with a tongue piece d at each end. E is a corner piece for securing
together the sections D at the corners of refrigerators, rooms, and similar structures,
it is provided with suitable grooves for receiving the tongue- picces d of the
sections D; each of these corner pieces. is so constructed as to form in conjunction
with the corners of the casing A the "up-take" flue F, in which a lining of water-
proof paper is secured to the corner piece; an inlet opening G is made in each
corner picce near its lower, end for the purpose of forming a communication
between the preserving chamber and flue F, by means of which the unabsorbed
noxious gases are expelled from the preserving chamber (in the manner.herein-after
described) through the outlet openings, H. of the exterior, casing These "up-take
flucs instead of being made in thic corner pieces may be formed, as shown at F',
Fig 1, at any other part of the refrigerator, or the corner flues may be used in
conjunction with "up-take" flues arranged at different parts of the structure. A
inetallic lining I is placed within the preserving chamber to protect the paper
plates of the dead air-cells from injury by being punctured and broken; whereby
their utility would become impaired or destroyed, a.flange i is turned over fioni
the top of the lining J, which extends over the upper edges of the sections D
of dead air-cells; the bottom of the lining I, which I preferably make dishing
towards its centre, is provided with a trap J, which while it permits of the free
escape of any water from the preserving chamber prevents the admission of any
air from the external atmosphere at that point. K. is the top frame of the casing A
to which the lids, and cover are hinged, it is secured, by screws or by any similar
means whereby it can be readily detached from the casing The inner lids L
which fit into rebates formed in the frame K are composed of the dead air-cells 7',
made by the waterproof plates and, the division fiames P. Over the inner lids L
is the hinged cover M, which is provided with the dead air-cells m¹, made by the
waterproof plates m² and the division, frames m³; a recess, is formed in the under
side of the cover which when closed constitutes, the dead air chamber N, and for
the purpose of preventing the admission of the external air into this chamber a
packing or cushion n of waterproof paper, india-rubber, or other suitable material
is attached to the lower edge of the cover M. One or more metallic receptacles O
are placed within the preserving chamber, into the lower perforated portion of
which an antiseptic absorbent is placed, for which purpose I preferably make use
of charcoal on account of its well-known affinity for mephitic gases and the humid
particles of the air; the portion of the receptacles O for containing the charcoal is
perforated for the purpose of affording to the mophitic and humid particles of the
air within the preserving chamber a free and uninterrupted passage to the charcoal,
above the charcoal a quantity of ice is placed for cooling the air in the preserving
chamber. In some cases when desirable the receptacle O may be made in two
sections, giving to the upper or ice containing chamber a greater area than the
lower one, in such cases the bottom of the upper chamber should be perforated to
allow the water formed by the melting of the ice to pass off without coming into
contact with the charcoal. These receptacles may also be divided when desirable
by the partition o¹ into two vertical chambers, one for the ice and the other for
the chorcoal, when made in this form. lime may be mingled with the charcoal for

page_text: the purpose of aiding in the purification and drying the air in the preserving
chamber. By the use of antiseptic absorbents within the preserving chamber,
which by co-operating with the ice produces a pure cold anhydrous atmosphere
therein, the necessity for producing the circulation of currents of air commonly
employed in refrigerators for carrying off the impurities of the air is entirely
avoided. As fast as the mephitic exhalations are evolved by the perishable articles
in the preserving chamber they are absorbed by the charcoal, which when it
becomes surcharged with these impurities can be removed from the receptacle O
and a new charge of charcoal substituted, and the old charge exposed to the action
of the atmosphere, by which it is restored to a proper condition for being used
again, which operation may be repeated ad infinitum While the refrigerator
remains closed it is manifest that from the density of the air in the preserving
chamber the external atmosphere cannot gain admission into it through the "up-
take" flues and their outlet and inlet openings, and in this-respect its functions are
precisely the saine as an air-tight chamber. And it is also manifest that by placing
the access opening at the top of the refrigerator, instead of its side, the dis-
turbance of the air contained in the preserving chamber, commonly caused by the
opening of the doors of the chamber, is entirely avoided. The impulse of closing
down the lids L carries a volume of fresh air into the preserving chamber, which
displaces an equal quantity of the most impure air in the chamber, which from its
greater gravity settles at the bottom, and which by the bellows-like action of the
lids is forced out of the chamber through the inlet openings G, "up-take" flues F,
and outlet openings H, as indicated by the arrows in Figs 4 and 6. In using the
sections D for the purpose of constructing the non-conducting walls for refrigerating
100ms, cars, and other similar large structures, I make use of the connecting
pieces P, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each of which is provided with the grooves p for
receiving the tongue pieces d of the sections, 'and as I preferably make them with
the "up-take" fluc F, inlet opening G, and outlet opening H, in this way a continuous
wall for a chamber of any dimensions may be constructed, the angles of it being
formed by the corner pieces E, as in the smaller structures.
For packing large quantities of fish, meat, and such like perishable substances,
the antiseptic absorbent may when desirable be mingled with the ice and articles
to be preserved in the body of the preserving chamber, and by so doing the
receptacles O can be dispensed with, but when the refrigerator is to contain a
variety of different perishable articles I preferably make use of the receptacles as
affording the best manner for obtaining the useful action of the absorbents.
What I clann and desire to secure by Letters Patent is―
First. A refrigerator having the non-conducting walls of its preserving chamber
composed of the sections D containing a series of separate and independent dead
ain-cells constructed in the manner heiein described.
Second 1 claim the sections D of dead air-cells for forming the non-conducting
walls of refrigerating chambers when composed of a series of plates of waterproof
paper or other suitable material, and the division frames interposed between them
for forming the air-tight dead air spaces, in the mauner and for the purpose herein
specified
"
Third I claim the combination with the preserving chamber of a refrigerator, of the
up-take "flues F, inlet openings G, and outlet openings H, as and for the purpose
herein specified.
Fourth. I claim the method herein described for purifying and drying the air
contained in the preserving chambers of refrigerators by means of antiseptic
absorbents, as and for the purpose herein specified.
Fifth I claim the combination with the "up-take" flues F, inlet openings G, and
outlet openings H of the lids L, when co-operating in the manner herein described
for producing the discharge of the impure au from the preserving chamber of a
refrigerator as herein specified
Sixth I claim the recessed cover M having the dead air-cells m³, and provided
with the cushions n for forming the dead air chamber N, as herein specified.

page_text: Seventh. I claim the combination with the sections D of the corner pieces E for
forming the preserving chambers of refrigerators, as and for the purpose herein
specified.
Eighth. I claim the combination with the sections D of the corner pieces E and
connecting pieces P for forming the preserving chambers of refrigerators, rooms, and
such liko structures, as and the purpose herein specified.
Ninth. I claim the perforated receptacles for containing the antiseptic absorbents,
as and for the purpose herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edgar B. Smith, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
EDGAR B. SMITH. (L.S.)