Improvements in Stationary and Portable Apparatus for Cooling or Keeping Cool Provisions or other Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th Jan., 1889
Improvements in Stationary and Portable Apparatus for Cooling
or Keeping Cool Provisions or other Substances.
I, FRANK ASPLAND COOPER, of 69 Grove Road, St. Stephens, Norwich, in the
County of Norfolk, Provision Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
In apparatus according to this invention there is provided for the substances to be
cooled or kept cool a chamber hereinafter referred to as the "cooling chamber” above
which is arranged a vessel hereinafter referred to as the refrigerant vessel containing
a suitable refrigerant or cooling mixture: it may be ice. The cooling chamber has
doublo walls or there are partitions within it forming spaces or passages so that air
cooled by contact with the exterior of the refrigerant vessel is caused to pass down
the said passages in contact with the outer surfaces of the inner walls or partitions
of the cooling chamber and to enter the said chamber through openings formed at or
near the bottom of the same.
The entering air which may have taken up heat from the walls of the cooling
chamber, also takes up heat and therefore has its temperature further raised by contact
with the substances in the cooling chamber requiring to he cooled unless they are
already at as low a temperature as such air.
The air warmed as described expands, by reason of the increase in its temperature,
and rising to the top of the cooling chamber escapes thence by an opening or openings
provided at or near the top.
On or after issuing from these openings the warm air impinges against and becomes
cooled, by contact with the exterior of the refrigerant vessel; and being thus again
cooled is deflected by the suitably shaped bottom of the refrigerant vessel and caused
to enter the spaces or passages hereinbefore mentioned at the sides of the cooling
chamber and opening into the lower part thereof and so on.
In carrying this invention into practice the refrigerant vessel or at least its
bottom must be of good conducting material such as metal and in the arrangement I
consider most efficient has in vertical cross section the shape of a triangle with
Battened aner

page_text: The said bottom forms part or it might form the whole of the top or roof of
the cooling chamber. An arrangement of apparatus according to my invention is
as follows. The bottom of the refrigerant chamber rests with that part composed
by the flattened apex above mentioned upon a longitudinal bar or ridge fixed to
the ends of the cooling chamber.
The cooling chamber is made of non-conducting material that is to say of material
a bad conductor of heat such as wood, or may have compound walls with non-con-
ducting material and is provided with an interior lining or partition arranged so as
to leave a narrow space or spaces between it and the interior walls of the cooling
chamber.
This lining is provided with an opening or openings at top close underneath the
highest part of the bottom of the refrigerant vessel.
The lining is also provided with an opening or openings at or near the bottom of
the cooling chamber or stops short thereof.
The construction of the improved cooling apparatus may be variously modified
without departing from the nature of this invention.
Parts of the sides or top may be arranged to open, and the corresponding parts of
the partitions or linings may be attached thereto so as to open or be removeable
therewith.
Vans for conveyance of provisions or other substances by road or rail or chambers
on board ship may be constructed according to my invention.
Dated this 30th day of March 1888.

page_text: or Keeping Cool Provisions or other Substances.
1, FRANK ASPLAND COOPER of 69 Grove Road, St. Stephens, Norwich, in the
County of Norfolk, Provision Agent, 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:-
In apparatus according to this invention there is provided for the substances to be
cooled or kept cool a chamber hereinafter referred to as the "cooling chamber" above
which is arranged a vessel hereinafter referred to as the refrigerant vessel containing
a suitable refrigerant or cooling mixture; it may be ice. The cooling chamber has
double walls or there are partitions within it forming spaces or passages so that air
cooled by contact with the exterior of the refrigerant vessel is caused to pass down the
said passages in contact with the outer surfaces of the inner walls or partitions of the
cooling chamber and to enter the said chamber through openings formed at or near
the bottom of the same.
The entering air which may have taken up heat from the walls of the cooling
chamber also takes up beat and therefore has its temperature further raised by contact
with the substances in the cooling chamber requiring to be cooled unless they are
already at as low a temperature as such air.
The air warmed as described expands, by reason of the increase in its temperature,
and rising to the top of the cooling chamber escapes thence by an opening or openings
provided at or near the top.
On or after issuing from these openings the warm air impinges against and becomes
cooled, by contact with the exterior of the refrigerant vessel, and being thus again
cooled is deflected by the suitably shaped bottom of the refrigerant vessel and caused
to enter the spaces or passages hereinbefore mentioned at the sides of the cooling
chamber and opening into the lower part thereof and so on.
In carrying this invention into practice the refrigerant vessel or at least its bottom
must be of good conducting material such as metal and in the arrangement I consider
most efficient has in vertical cross section the shape of a triangle with flattened apex.
The said bottom forms part or it might form the whole of the top or roof of the cooling
chamber. An arrangement of apparatus according to my invention is as follows. The
bottom of the refrigerant chamber rests with that part composed by the flattened apex
above mentioned upon a longitudinal bar or ridge fixed to the ends of the cooling
chamber.
The cooling chamber is made of non conducting material that is to say of material
a bad conductor of heat such as wood, or may have compound walls of non conducting
material and is provided with an interior lining or partition arranged so as to leave a
narrow space or spaces between it and the interior walls of the cooling chamber.
This lining is provided with an opening or openings at top close underneath the
highest part of the bottom of the refrigerant vessel.
The lining is also provided with an opening or openings at or near the bottom c.
the cooling chamber or stops short thereof.
The construction of the improved cooling apparatus may be variously modified
without departing from the nature of this invention.
Parts of the sides or top may be arranged to open, and the corresponding part of

page_text: the partition or lining may be attached thereto so as to open or be removeable
therewith.
Vans for conveyance of provisions or other substances by road or rail or chambers
on board ship may be constructed according to my invention.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are
respectively a transverse section and a longitudinal section of apparatus according to
this invention.
Fig. 3 illustrates in vertical section a modified arrangement.
In Figs. 1 and 2. 1 is a cooling chamber to contain the substance or substances to
be cooled or to be kept cool. It is enclosed by walls or partitions 2 arranged within
outer walls so as to leave spaces or passages 4 between the inner and outer walls at
the sides ends and top for the downward passage of air. To gain access to the
cooling chamber part of the outer wall, say the part 3* (Fig. 1) may be so arranged
that it may be removed or be turned outward upon hinges, the adjacent part of the
wall or partition 2 being made separate from the remainder and secured to the part 3*
so as to move therewith. The walls 2 and 3 should be formed of a material which is
a bad conductor of heat such as wood. 5 is a refrigerant vessel to contain ice or
other suitable refrigerant or cooling mixture; it is formed wholly of metal, in the
example shewn, and is surrounded on its sides and top with a material 6 which is a
bad conductor of heat. Its bottom is formed of two inclined surfaces 7 connected
by a horizontal part 8, and in cross section is in the form of a triangle with flattened
apex as shewn. 9 is a longitudinal bar or ridge carried at the ends of the outer wall 3.
It is arranged to support the refrigerant vessel 5. This vessel may be constructed
largely of other material than metal provided its bottom be of a metal that is a good
conductor of heat. The inner wall or partition 2 is formed with a series of openings 10
at its lower part, its upper parts, which are placed approximately parralel with
the bottom of the refrigerant vessel, being so arranged with reference to the bar
or ridge 9 as to leave longitudinal openings or spaces 11 between them for the
escape of warm air as indicated by arrows." This air coming in contact with the
hottom of the refrigerant vessel 5, is cooled and reduced in volume thereby
acquiring a greater specific gravity which causes it to flow downward through the
spaces or passages 4 as indicated by arrows, and again passing into the chamber 1
is again warmed by contact with the substances contained in the same, such
increase in its temperature causing it to expand and rise up and again become
cooled by contact with the bottom of the refrigerant vessel 5, as herein before described.
A continuous circulation of the air within the provision chamber 1 is thereby effected.
It is preferable that the supporting bar 9 should be of non conducting material, such
as wood, or coated at least on its underside with non conducting material. Also it
is desirable that the extreme edge in the line or plane A A of the non conducting
supporting bar 9 should not be vertically above the extreme upper edge in the line
or plane B B, of the non-conducting lining 2 but extend to some distance beyond the
latter, in order to prevent the cooled air from falling immediately back into the
cooling chamber.
In cases in which it is requisite or convenient to have a flat top to the cooling
chamber or in which it is desirable to be able to turn an ordinary room, van, or cart
(already built) into a cooling chamber without any or the least possible alteration of
shape for the use of tradesmen such as poulterers, butchers &c. the refrigerant vessel may
be arranged at one side of the cooling chamber so that one wall of the refrigerant
vessel forms the whole or part of one side of the cooling chamber; or the refrigerant
vessel may be wholly or partially contained within the outer wall of the refrigerator.
Fig. 3 illustrates such an arrangement. The refrigerant vessel 5 is contained
within the outer wall 3 of tho refrigerator and its side 7 (which is made of a good
conducting metal) is preferably inclined so that the vertical cross section of the
refrigerant vessel decreases gradually towards its lower end. The partition 2 of
non conducting material is arranged substantially parallel to the wall 7 and to the top
or cover of the cooling chamber I so as to leave a space or passage 4. This partition 2
is provided with one or more holes or openings 11 at or near its junction with the

page_text: 5
wall 3 furthest away from the refrigerant vessel or stops short thereof; it is also
provided with one or more holes or openings 10 at or near the bottom of the cooling
chamber or stops short theroof.
The warm air rises up through the opening or openings 11 into and through the
space or passage 4 and becoming cooled by contact with the inclined metal wall 7 of
the refrigerant vessel, sinks and issues through the opening or openings 10 into the
cooling chamber.
It will be seen that a distinctive feature of this invention consists in the fact
that a thorough and continuous circulation of the air within the cooling chainber
is obtained whilst all communication between the interior of the cooling chamber
and the external atmosphere is cut off as long as the cooling chamber is shut ;
also that there is no communication between the interior of the cooling chamber
and the interior of the refrigerant vessel, and further that there need be no
communication between the interior of the refrigerant vessel and the external
atmosphere:
The arrangements and details hereinbefore described may be variously modified
without altering the nature of this invention. For instance, the whole or part of one
or more of the walls or sides and linings of the cooling chamber may be formed of
glass or other transparent material (for a shop window &c.) so as to enable the
provisions to be seen whilst inside the chambers.
Also, the refrigerant vessel, the cooling chamber and the air passages may be
divided by partitions shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and provided with slides or
other suitable devices whereby one or more of the spaces can be shut off from
communication with one or more of the others which may be desirable to prevent
delicate substances from being spoiled by or acquiring the smell or flavour
of other coarser substances, as for example in the case of milk and fish &c.
It will be understood that drain pipes and taps can be applied at the lowest
or other convenient parts of the refrigorant vessel and the cooling chamber for
draining off moisture.
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
is claimed in apparatus for cooling or keeping cool provisions or other substances is.—
1. The combination of a cooling chamber shut off from the atmosphere, a
refrigerant vessel arranged above the said chamber and baving an inclined bottom
or side or sides through which heat is conducted to the refrigerating material
within it and an air passage or air passages extending from top to bottom of the
through tho
cooling chamber the arrangement being such that air passing over or
material to be cooled comes in contact with the inclined bottom or side or sides of
the refrigerant vessel, then parting with a portion of its heat, and then descends
through the passage or passages and again entors the cooling chamber at or near the
bottom so that in rising it must pass around the substances to be cooled, the
circulation of air taking place in a closed system or circuit, and out of contact
with the refrigerating medium, substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings.
2. I also claim the improved apparatus for cooling or keeping cool provisions
or other substances, constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.