IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING OR REFRIGERATING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, 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, for an invention
LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, 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, for an invention
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING OR
REFRIGERATING."-A communication from abroad by Messrs. McMillan and
Johnson of the United States of Amanian
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON 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. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR COOLING OR REFRIGERATING." A communication from abroad by
Messrs. McMillan and Johnson of the United States of America,
This invention relates to cooling and refrigeration for all purposes, and consists
primarily in compressing a gas or fluid to a liquid form by apparatus outside of,
disconnected froin and wholly independent of the cooling apparatus or chamber
proper so that the liquefied gas may be transported in portable receivers or carried
through pipes to the point at which the cooling apparatus is located and be there
placed in communication with an expansion coil or chamber, in which it is permitted
to expand to take up the heat of the surrounding air liquid or other body as
hereinafter more fully explained.
The invention further consists in providing the expansion chamber with an outlet
through which the gas may freely escape after expansion, to prevent undue pressure
in the coil or chamber.
This plan is applicable to domestic uses, to the cooling of sick chambers,
packing houses, breweries, et cetera., to cars and vessels for transporting
perishable matters, and to any and all structures requiring to be cooled; and it
may be modified as to details according to the circumstances of particular cases.

page_text: In some instances it is proposed to compress the gas or fluid at a central point
and to conduct the liquefied product to the points at which it is to be used
through pipes though ordinarily it is considered preferable to employ a portable
receiver for transporting the liquefied gas from the compressor to the expansion
chamber or cooling apparatus.
For supplying towns or communities, cars, or vessels, a large distributing
receiver, or a compressing apparatus may be placed in a boat, car, wagon, or other
vehicle or carrier and provided with suitable pipes and connections by which the
distributing or supply receiver or the compressor may be put into communication
with the receiver of the cooling apparatus, or said compressor or distributing
receiver may be placed in a permanent structure by the side of the track or on
the pier and a flexible or jointed pipe be used to connect the same with the receiver
of the cooling apparatus.
The cooling apparatus consists of an expansion coil or chamber in or adapted to
be placed in communication with a liquefied gas-receiver, and may or may not
include a brine tank and circulating mechanism either or both, as each particular
case may demand.
Instead of the expensive gases commonly used in ice-making processes such as
ammonia gas anhydrous sulphurous oxide et cetera, carbonic acid gas is employed
which can be produced at an exceedingly low figure is capable of great compression,
and is otherwise advantageous. This gas being cheap it is proposed to discharge
it from the expansion chamber into a sewer or into the open air instead of
collecting and recompressing it for further use, as is now universally done by
others.
As a consequence of this last feature of the invention all apparatus for collecting
and storing the Spent gas may be dispensed with and all that is required at the
point of operation is simply a receiver to contain the liquefied gas, and an
expansion coil or chamber adapted to be placed in communication there with and
with the outside air. In this way one is enabled to carry in a small space the
means of cooling a large chamber or space for an extended period of time, and we
dispense with the enormous weight of ice or of ice producing machinery necessary
under existing systems.
This is a feature of great importance especially in cars, and vessels, where every
pound of weight and foot of space taken from the cooling apparatus permits an
equivalent increase of cargo.
The compressing apparatus may be of any convenient or usual construction and
such apparatus being well known and in common use in all parts of the world
where refrigeration is necessary it need not be particularly illustrated or described.
The compressing apparatus being fixed the gas is delivered through pipes
carried under ground preferably and communicating either directly with the
expansion coil or chamber of each separate building or with a receiver commu-
nicating therewith, the first mentioned plan being rather more economical than the
second, though the second is in some respects preferable.
The gas may however be stored in large distributing receivers eitlier portable or
stationary from which the gas will be delivered to the cooling apparatus or the
receivers thereof through a connecting pipe.
For railway and shipping purposes, the compressor or the distributing receiver,
either or both, may be placed within a permanent building by the side of the
roadway or on the pier, and the gas (in a liquefied form in every case) conducted
through strong jointed or flexible pipes provided with suitable couplings by which
connection can be made with the receiver on board the car or vessel.
If desired however, the compressor or the distributing receiver may be placed
upon a truck or car and transported to the different points at which cooling
apparatus may be located; or to cars or vessels containing such apparatus.
For supplying vessels or communities located along the water front, the
compressing machinery, or a large distributing receiver charged with the compressed
gas may be placed in a boat and thus be carried about the harbour from vessel to

page_text: vessel, or along the water front from one building or one community to another
supplying each in turn.
For supplying dwellings the underground pipes may be used but we prefer both
for this and for the supply of cars and vessels, to charge portable receivers at the
place where the compression is performed, with the liquefied gas, and to
transport said receivers to the point where the cooling is to be effected and
there establish communication between the receiver and the expansion coil or
chamber.
The cooling apparatus will ordinarily consist of an expansion coil or chamber a
gas receiver or vessel to contain the liquefied gas communicating with the
expansion chamber or coil and adapted to withstand enormous pressure; and
preferably a liquid tank containing brine or other non-congealable liquid to be
circulated through the coil or expansion chamber, being first rendered intensely
cold by the expansion of the gas in the chamber containing said liquid.
When the liquid is employed it is preferred to use a coil or zig-zag pipe and a
circulating apparatus which latter may be of any suitable construction.
This apparatus consists of a cup wheel rotated by the gas escaping from the
receiver through a nozzle the shaft of said wheel being furnished with a spiral
vane, or equivalent device which is surrounded by a pipe or cylinder one end of
which opens into the tank while the other end connects with one end of the coil
or expansion chamber, the opposite end of which opens into the upper part of the
tank. The gas after expansion may be permitted to escape at the rear side of
the tank, or, forcing itself through the coil, may escape through a vent or check
valve at the highest point of the coil just before said coil reenters the brine
chamber.
This mechanism or apparatus is particularly applicable to domestic refrigerators.
Instead of mechanical devices for securing or effecting the circulation of the
brine or liquid, a like result may be produced by placing the two openings to and
from the tank, at different levels, and permitting the difference in temperature to
cause a gradual flow or circulation of the liquid, in the same manner as a circulation
of water is effected in heating apparatus.
The gas may be delivered from the receiver to any desired number of coils or
chambers, and permitted to escape at such point as may be deemed best.
In order that the gas may not be wasted by being too rapidly discharged into
the coil or expansion chamber, we prefer to employ a valve capable of being opened
a limited distance only. A shoulder or collar limits the outward movement of the
valve stem or spindle.
The outlet passage of the valve will be quite small so as to allow only a fine
thread or stream of gas to escape; and the valve spindle will be tapered to a
fine needle-like point, and preferably seated against soft metal to ensure
perfect seat.
a
The receivers will be made of steel or a compound or alloy of steel and nickel, or
other tough metal such as now used for liquefied gas receivers.
The work of compression can be carried on in a large way far more economically
and efficiently than in a small way at a number of different points and the services
of skilled attendants at such points are rendered unnecessary.
In domestic refrigerators, a water service pipe will be coiled within the brine
tank so that the water may be cooled as drawn, a suitable faucet being provided
at the delivery end of the pipe.
The cooling apparatus inay obviously be used in connection with mechanism for
circulating air which being cooled by said apparatus may be delivered wherever
wanted.
This receiver may also be used in connection with an outside fusible device in
fire proof safes and also for refrigerating corpses.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, 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. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR COOLING OR REFRIGERATING." A communication from abroad by
Messrs. McMillan and Johnson, of the United States of America.
This invention relates to cooling and refrigeration for all purposes, and consists
primarily in compressing a gas or fluid to a liquid form by apparatus outside of,
disconnected from, and wholly independent of the cooling apparatus or chamber
proper, so that the liquefied gas may be transported in portable receivers or carried
through pipes to the point at which the cooling apparatus is located, and be there
placed in communication with an expansion coil or chamber, in which it is permitted
to expand to take up the heat of the surrounding air, liquid, or other body, as
hereinafter more fully explained.
The invention further consists in providing the expansion chamber with an outlet
through which the gas may freely escape after expansion, to prevent undue pressure
in the coil or chamber.
This plan is applicable to domestic uses, to the cooling of sick chambers, packing
houses, breweries etcetera, to cars and vessels for transporting perishable matters,
and to any and all structures requiring to be cooled; and it may be modified as to
details, according to the circumstances of particular cases.
In some instances it is proposed to compress the gas or fluid at a central point
and to conduct the liquefied product to the points at which it is to be used,
through pipes; though ordinarily it is preferred to employ a portable receiver for
transporting the liquefied gas from the compressor to the expansion chamber or
cooling apparatus.
For supplying towns or communities cars, or vehicles, a large distributing
receiver or a compressing apparatus may be placed in a boat, car, wagon, or other
vehicle or carrier, and provided with suitable pipes and connections by which the
distributing or supply receiver or the compressor may be put into communication
with the receiver of the cooling apparatus; or said compresser or distributing
receiver may be placed in a permanent structure by the side of the track or on the
pier, and a flexible or jointed pipe be used to connect the same with the receiver of
the cooling apparatus.
The cooling apparatus consists of an expansion coil or chamber in or adapted to
be placed in communication with a liquefied-gas receiver and may or may not
include a brine tank and circulating mechanism either or both, as each particular
case may demand.
Instead of the expensive gases commonly used in ice-making processes, such as
ammonia gas, anhydrous sulphurous oxide etcetera, carbonic acid gas is employed
which can be produced at an exceedingly low figure, is capable of great compres-
sion, and is otherwise advantageous. This gas being cheap, it is proposed to
discharge it from the expansion chamber into a sewer or into the open air,
instead of collecting and recompressing it for further use, as is now universally
done by others.
As a consequence of this last feature of the invention all apparatus for collecting
and storing the spent gas may be dispensed with requiring at the point of opera-
tion simply a receiver to contain the liquefied gas, and an expansion coil or chamber

page_text: producing machinery necessary under existing systems dispensed with.
This is a feature of great importance, especially in cars and vessels, where every
pound of weight and foot of space taken from the cooling apparatus permits an
equivalent increase of cargo.
The compressing apparatus may be of any convenient or usual construction,
and such apparatus being well known and in common use in all parts of the
valve where refrigeration is necessary it need not be particularly illustrated or
described.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, represent or illustrate the application of the invention to
different structures requiring to be cooled
Fig. 5 a side elevation of the portable distributing receiver
Fig, 6. a perspective view of the cooling apparatus ;
Fig. 7, a like view of a domestic refrigerator provided with the cooling
apparatus;
Fig. 8. an enlarged view of the circulating mechanism, and,
Fig. 9. a sectional view of the valve.
As shown in Fig. 1, the compressing apparatus A is fixed, and the gas delivered
through pipes B, carried under ground preferably, and communicating either directly
with the expansion coil or chamber G, of each separate building, or with a receiver D,
communicating therewith, the first mentioned method being rather more economical
than the second, though the second is in some respects preferable.
The gas may however be stored in large distributing receivers D', either portable
or stationary, from which the gas will be delivered to the cooling apparatus or the
receivers thereof through a connecting pipe B as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.
For railway and shipping purposes, the compressor A, or the distributing
receiver D¹, either or both, may be placed within a permanent building by the side
of the roadway or on the pier, and the gas (in a liquefied form in every case,)
conducted through strong jointed or flexible pipes B, provided with suitable
couplings C, by which connection can be made with the receiver D, on board the
car or vessel.
If desired however, the compresser A, or the distributing receiver D¹ may be
placed upon a truck or car E, and transported to the different points at which
cooling apparatus may be located; or to cars or vessels containing such apparatus.
For supplying vessels, or communities located along the water front, the
compressing machinery, or a large distributing receiver charged with the
compressed gas, may be placed in a boat F, and thus be carried about the harbour
from vessel to vessel, or along the water front from one building or one community
to another supplying each in turn.
For supplying dwellings, the underground pipes may be used, as explained in
connection with Fig. 1, but it is preferable both for this and for the supply of cars
and vessels, to charge portable receivers at the place where the compression is
performed, with the liquefied gas, and to transport said receivers to the point where
the cooling is to be effected and there establish communication between the
receiver and the expansion coil or chamber.
In Fig. 4, is illustrated such a plan applied to domestic uses, the gas being
liquefied at a central establishment and delivered in receivers D, to the buildings
lying about said establishment.
The cooling apparatus will ordinarily consist of an expansion coil or chamber G,
a gas receiver or vessel D to contain the liquefied gas, communicating with the
expansion chamber or coil, and adapted to withstand enormous pressure; and
preferably, a liquid tank H, containing brine, or other non-congealable liquid to be
circulated through the coil or expansion chamber, being first rendered intensely
cold by the expansion of the gas in the chamber H containing said liquid.
•

page_text: When the liquid is employed it is preferred to use a coil or zig-zag pipe, and a
circulating apparatus, which latter may be of any suitable construction; a convenient
form being that shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.
This apparatus consists of a cup wheel I, rotated by the gas escaping from the
receiver D through a nozzle J, the shaft of said wheel being furnished with a spiral
vane K, or equivalent device, which is surrounded by a pipe or cylinder L one end
of which opens into the tank, while the other end connects with one end of the
coil G, or expansion chamber, the opposite end of which opens into the upper
part of the tank H as shown. The gas after expansion may be permitted to
escape at the rear side of the tank, or, forcing itself through the coil, may
escape through a vent or check valve M, at the highest point of the coil, just
before said coil re-enters the brine chamber.
This mechanism or apparatus is particularly applicable to domestic refrigerators,
as shown in Fig. 7.
Instead of mechanical devices for securing or effecting the circulation of the. brine
or liquid, a like result may be produced by placing the two openings, to and
from the tank at different levels, and permitting the difference in temperature to
cause a gradual flow or circulation of the liquid, in the same manner as a
circulation of water is effected in heating apparatus.
The gas may be delivered from the receiver to any desired number of coils or
chambers, and permitted to escape at such point as may be deemed best.
In order that the gas may not be wasted by being too rapidly discharged into
the coil or expansion chamber, a valve is employed capable of being opened a
limited distance only,-such a valve being shown in Fig. 9. A shoulder or collar a,
limits the outward movement of the valve stem or spindle b as shown.
The outlet passage of the valve will be quite small, so as to allow only a
fine thread or stream of gas to escape; and the valve spindle will be tapered to
a fine needle-like point, and preferably seated against soft metal to ensure a
perfect seal.
The receivers will be made of steel, or a compound or alloy of steel and nickel,
or other tough metal such as now used for liquefied-gas receivers.
I do not purpose to claim an ice machine in which liquefied gas is used
repeatedly, and in which the compressor is a necessary and indispensable part of
the cooling apparatus, but the invention consists essentially in a portable receiver
and an expansion coil or chamber without collecting or compressing apparatus of
any kind, and by this plan the system is adapted to all the uses mentioned,
relieving the user of all trouble, expense, and danger involved in the compression
of the gas, charging of receivers et. cetera, and the space required for such apparatus,
in the structure to be cooled is saved.
The work of compression can be carried on in a large way, far more economically
and efficiently than in a small way at a number of different points, and the services
of skilled attendants at such points are rendered unnecessary.
In domestic refrigerators, a water service-pipe N, will be coiled within the brine
tank, so that the water may be cooled as drawn, a suitable faucet O, being provided
at the delivery end of the pipe.
The cooling apparatus may obviously be used in connection with mechanism
for circulating air, which being cooled by said apparatus, may be delivered wherever
wanted.
It is also proposed to use the receiver in connection with an outside fusible
device, in fire proof safes; and also for refrigerating corpses.
Having thus described the invention as communicated to me I wish it to be
understood that what I wish to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is :
1st The system of refrigerating, consisting in compressing a gas or fluid to a
liquid form at one point conducting or transporting the liquefied product to another
point, and there connecting the containing vessel with an expansion coil or chamber,
and opening communication between the two.

page_text: 2nd The combination of a portable liquefied-gas receiver and an expansion coil
or chamber, as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd A liquefied-gas receiver provided with an outlet valve adapted to be opened
only a limited distance, so that only a given quantity of gas may escape.
4th The combination substantially as herein set forth, of a gas compressing
apparatus at one point, a structure or structures removed and distinct therefrom,
and a pipe or pipes extending from the compressing apparatus to a receiver or
expansion chamber in said structure or structures, said pipe being adapted to
convey the liquefied-gas thereto.
5th The combination of a compressing apparatus at one point, an expansion
coil or chamber at another point and disconnected from the compressor, and a
portable receiver adapted to receive liquefied-gas from the compressor and to be
placed in communication with the coil or chamber.
6th The herein-described method of refrigeration, consisting in permitting or
causing liquefied gas to escape from a containing vessel into an expansion coil
or chamber, and to freely pass off therefrom after expansion substantially as
explained.
7th In combination with a gas-compressing apparatus provided with a pipe
whereby it may be placed in communication with a gas-receiver, a structure
containing a gas-receiver, the structure and the compressing apparatus being one
or both adapted to travel, relatively to the other, substantially as set forth.
8th In combination with a cooling chamber, containing a coil or expansion
chamber, a liquefied-gas receiver, or vessel communicating with said expansion coil
or chamber, and with the open air, as set forth.
9th A cooling or refrigerating chamber provided with a briue or liquid tank,
a circulating coil, and a liquefied-gas receiver communicating with the tank as and
for the purpose explained
10th In combination with the liquid or brine tank and the coil, the spiral
vane K arranged within barrel or cylinder L, wheel I, and jet or nozzle J,
connected with a vessel D, containing compressed gas or fluid, as and for the purpose
set forth.
11th In combination with a liquefied-gas receiver, brine or liquid tank, and
coil or expansion chamber, means substantially such as described, for effecting a
circulation of the brine or liquid.
12th In combination with a refrigerator or cooling chamber provided with a
brine tank and a gas-receiver or vessel communicating with said tank, a water
pipe coiled in or carried through said tank and provided with a faucet, whereby
the water is cooled as it is drawn.
In witness whereof I, the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventh day of November in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
WP. THOMPSON (L.S.)