Improvements in Refrigerators and Refrigerator Buildings.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Refrigerators and Refrigerator Buildings.
AND
J, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P. A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS
REFRIGERATOR BUILDINGS (a communication from abroad by Joseph Francis
Hanrahan, of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, and Dominion of Canada,
Inventor) 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 refrigerators and refrigerator buildings, and it consists
in a novel construction and arrangement of the same as hereinafter fully set forth.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the improved
refrigerator building :
Figure 2 a longitudinal section of the same, and Figure 3 an enlarged sectional
view,
This invention is designed as an improvement upon that for which letters patent
were granted bearing dated Nov. 4 1884 No 14530; and the invention has for its
object to improve the circulation of air in the ice and refrigerating or cooling
chamber.
A indicates the ice chamber which is shown in Figures 1 and 3, supplied with
ice; and B the cooling chamber,-the two chambers being connected by a pipe or
conductor C extending from the top of the cooling chamber to near the top of the
ice chamber, as in the patent hereinbefore referred to.
The floor of the ice chamber A is double, that is to say, it is provided with two
sets of parallel passages or channels; the upper set being separated from the lower.
set in a manner now to be described.
Upon a suitable foundation a for the building are placed on edge, the joists or
timbers 6b, which extend lengthwise of the chamber A, as shown in Figures 1 and 3,
similar boards or planks c, being laid longitudinally across the top of each
[Price 6d1

page_text: alternate pair of joists or timbers b, thus forming a series of parallel long
rectangular channels or passages d.
Upon the planks c, and lapping the adjacent edges thereof, are joists or timbers e,
which are of the same length as the other floor timbers, and which form the tops
of similar channels or passages which are in all substantial respects the same as
the adjoining channels. Immediately above the timbers b, and resting upon the
timbers e, are joints or timbers f, which, extending parallel with each other
longitudinally of the building, enclose or form the side walls of a second set of
passages or chambers d which latter are above and of the same size and form as
the lower channels or passages. It will be thus seen that the floor is composed of
two sets of passages or chambers d, both extending lengthwise of the building, and
one set being immediately over the other.
The passages d are open at both ends and communicate with the chamber Bat
one end and with vertical ventilating air ducts or passages g at the other the air
ducts or passages g being constructed against the end walls of chamber A (as shown
in Figure 1) in the same manner substantially that channels d are constructed.
The passages or channels g communicate at their upper ends with chanıber A,
and at their lower ends with both sets of channels or passages d, as clearly shown
in Figure 1. The air ducts or passages g are shown at two sides of the chamber A,
but it is obvious that they may be applied to only one side, or at all the sides.
The inner upright faces of the channels or ducts g, and the upper faces of the
upper set of channels d, are left open until the ice is put in place; when they are
closed by the ice which consequently forms one side of each of the vertical ducts
or channels g, and of the upper set of channels d.
From this construction and arrangement it will be seen that the air in passing
through the ducts or passages d, g, will pass in contact with the ice. The passages d
are furnished with doors or shutters has shown in Figure 1, by which to vary or
reverse the currents of air..
The conductor or pipe C connecting the chambers A, B, may enter the former
at the ceiling line as in Figures 2 and 3; or it may enter the chamber at a point
somewhat lower as in Figure 1; in which latter case it will be found advisable if
not necessary to employ a short vertical continuation C¹ which shall extend up
along the wall of chamber A and deliver the air near the ceiling.
The walls of the whole structure, are rendered non-conducting by any usual
and well known material, such as saw-dust.
D, D, indicate ventilators in the roof of the ice chamber A, which ventilators
may be of any desired form. They communicate with the chamber A by means
of vertical tubes or pipes E and F shown in Figures 1 and 2; said tubes being of
about the same area in cross section as the tube or conductor C.
It will be noticed that the air inlet pipe E descends nearer to the surface of the
ice than does the discharge pipe F, and both may if desired be provided with
valves to regulate the air current.
The ice chamber A is supplied with ice nearly to the ceiling as indicated in all
the Figures, and the articles to be preserved or cooled are placed in chamber B.
The space above the ice allows a current of cold air to pass downward through
the vertical flues g in contact with the ice forming one face of said flues; and
thence horizontally beneath and in contact with the ice, through channels or
passages d, and into the refrigerating or cooling chamber B.
The air also descends through the vertical flues g that are adjacent to the
chamber B, and discharges into the horizontal ducts d.
As the cold air enters the refrigerating or storing chamber B, it becomes warined
by absorbing the heat from the articles placed in said chamber, and being thus
rarefied, rises, and escapes with whatever odors there may be, through the pipe or
conductor C into the top of chamber A. A portion of the heated air escapes
through the outlet of ventilating pipe F into the atmosphere, as indicated by the
arrows in Figure 1; while the remaining lesser portion will pass over the ice aud.

page_text: down through the ducts g and again delivered to the cooling chamber B through
channels d. An amount of air enters through pipe E, equal to that which escapes
through pipe F, thereby maintaining a constant circulation of air through and
around the chambers A and B.
As the heated or warmed air escapes from chamber B into chamber A, a part
passes up through pipe F and the remainder passes to the further side of the
chamber A where it meets the incoming current of fresh air discharged by pipe E.
In order to prevent the warmed air from passing up through pipe E, and thereby
destroying the perfect circulation, said pipe E extends downward below the warm
air strata and discharges the cold air below the latter. This arrangement causes
whatever warm air that passes over the further side of the ice chamber to descend
with the fresh, cooler air, down through the ducts g.
The shutters or valves h applied to the discharge mouths of the channels or
passages d, may, and preferably will be made as one continuous shutter, so that all
the upper row or all the lower row of passages d may be closed as desired.
The air in passing through the channels g and d in contact with the ice, absorbs
more or less moisture therefrom; and hence when it is desired that the air delivered
into chamber B, be particularly dry, the valves h on the upper row of passages or
channels are closed and the air made to pass through the bottom row which is not
in contact with the icc.
The foundation a may be made of stone, cement concrete or other material that
will prevent the water passing through it.
The water resulting from the melting of the ice will pass along the channels or
passages & and be discharged into a gutter j shown in Figure 3, and by which it is
discharged from the building.
The gutter j may be trapped or kept normally closed at its discharge end, so as
to prevent the ingress or escape of air to or from the chamber B, and thereby
destroy and interfere with the circulation The manner of building up the double
floor for the ice chamber A may be considerably varied, but the arrangement
shown is preferred, as it is strong and is found to answer the purpose admirably.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
.
1. In a refrigerator, the combination of an ice chamber, a cooling chamber
communicating therewith and an air inlet and an air discharge pipe in the top of
the ice chamber,. communicating with the atmosphere as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a refrigerator, the combination of an ice chamber and a cooling chamber
communicating therewith an air-inlet pipe, and an air-discharge pipe in the top of
the ice chamber and communicating with the atmosphere; said air-inlet pipe
extending downward to a point below the air-discharge pipe for the purpose set
forth.
3. In a refrigerator, the combination with an ice chamber and a cooling chamber
communicating therewith of the two sets of flues or passages d arranged one
above the other and communicating with the ice and cooling chambers.
4. In a refrigerator, the combination with an ice chamber and a cooling chamber
communicating therewith, of the two sets of flues or passages d, arranged one
above the other, and provided with valves or shutters h, as and for the purpose set
forth.
5. In a refrigerator the combination of an ice chamber, a cooling chamber an air
duct extending from the top of the cooling chamber to the upper side of the ice
chamber; vertical flues at one or more sides of the ice chamber, and horizontal
flues beneath the ice, and communicating with the vertical flues and with the
cooling chamber as described and shown.
6. In a refrigerator the combination of an ice chamber and a cooling chamber
communicating therewith vertical flues g open at their ends and one side; and

page_text: horizontal flues & communicating with the flues y and with the cooling chamber,
and also open at one side whereby the air in passing through said flues is in
contact with the mass of ice.
7. The herein-described refrigerator consisting of chamber A. provided with air
inlet and air discharge pipes E, F, and with duct g and d chamber B and pipe C
connecting the chambers A, B, substantially as described and shewn in the annexed
drawings and for the purpose set forth.