Improvements connected with Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus for meat and other substances.
In refrigerating chambers, at present, it is found that the contained cold air, with
the present methods, is not sufficiently diffused or circulated throughout the interior
of the chamber, and, as a consequence, the temperature throughout the interior of
the chamber is not uniform, as it ought to be, with the result, that, while the
temperature at one part of the chamber may be at, or near, freezing point, that at
another part of the chamber may not be sufficiently low to prevent the formation
of mould and the decomposition of the meat.
My invention is mainly designed to overcome these disadvantages, by promoting
a thorough circulation of the cold air throughout the interior of the chamber.
In carrying out my invention, I fit or arrange in the interior of the chamber, a
number of conduits, pipes or columns, which lead to, or are connected to, a
preferably central box or casing, fitted at, or near, the top of the chamber. The
conduits are preferably so arranged as to radiate from the box as a centre, in all
directions. The conduits, which may be of any suitable conformation, are left
open, or are cut or perforated at their lower ends, or they may have roses fitted on
them. Fitted in the box, is a fan, blower, propeller, suction-pump, or any other
well-known and suitable device for drawing fluid up and through the tubes. The
suction device, which is preferably a fan, has, by preference, its shaft carried in
ball, plumbago or carbon bearings. The shaft passes, or may pass, through the
top of the chamber, and be driven by any suitable device or mechanism from the
outside.
The fluid, which is, through the action of the fan, sucked up through the conduits,
is discharged again, also by the action of the fan, through or into a number of
passage ways or openings, which re-deliver the fluid at, near to, or against the top
of the chamber. Deflectors may be used for guiding the discharge of the fluid.
With this arrangement, a constant circulation is maintained within the chamber,
as the cold fluid, when introduced at the top of the chamber, gradually falls down
to the bottom, and is then sucked up again through the tubes or conduits, to the
central box, from which it is re-delivered at the top of the chamber, and so on.
The circulation, instead of being from the top to the bottom, may be from
bottom to top, in which case, the action of the fan may be reversed.
In small refrigerating chambers, instead of having a number of conduits, only
one central one may be used. In this case, the conduit may be provided with a
number of branch tubes or feeders.
As it is very desirable to filter the air free of germs, I provide, for this purpose,
in the central box, or within a concentric casing fitted in the box, a number of
filtering screens, which are so arranged as to be capable of being taken out of
position and re-placed at pleasure. The casing for holding the screens may itself
be removable.
The filtering screens may be made of two wooden frames, into which wire netting
is fitted. The frames are hinged together in any suitable manner, so as to open

page_text: like a book. The space between the frames is preferably filled with a filtering
medium of "Gamgee" cotton wool. The frames may be made in other suitable
manner.
Any other suitable filtering medium may be used.
Improvements connected with Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
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 :-
This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus for meat and other substances.
In refrigerating chambers, at present, it is found that the contained cold air,
with the present methods, is not sufficiently diffused or circulated throughout the
interior of the chamber, and, as a consequence the temperature throughout the
interior of the chamber is not uniform, as it ought to be, with the result that
while the temperature at one part of the chamber may be at, or near, freezing
point, that at another part of the chamber may not be sufficiently low to prevent
the formation of mould and the decomposition of the meat.
My invention is mainly designed to overcome these disadvantages by promoting
a thorough circlation of the cold air throughout the interior of the chamber.
In carrying out my invention I fit or arrange in the interior of the chamber a
number of conduits, pipes, or columns, which lead to or are connected to, a,
preferably, central box or casing which may be fitted at or near the top of the
chamber. The conduits are preferably so arranged as to radiate from the box as a
centre, in all directions. The conduits, which may be of any suitable conformation
are left open, or are cut or perforated at their lower ends, or they may have roses
fitted on them.
Fitted in or above the box is a fan, blower, propeller, suction-pump, or any other
well known and suitable device for drawing fluid up and through the tubes. The
suction device, which is preferably a fan, has, by preference, its shaft carried in
ball, plumbago, or carbon bearings.
The shaft passes, or may pass, through the top of the chamber, and be driven by
any suitable device or mechanism from the outside.
The fluid, which is, through the action of the fan, sucked up through the
conduits, is discharged again, also by the action of the fan, either directly into the
chamber or through or into a number of passage ways or openings, which, re-deliver
the fluid at, near to, or against the top of the chamber. Deflectors may be used
for guiding the discharge of the fluid. With this arrangement, a constant,
circulation is maintained within the chamber as the cold fluid, when introduced at
the top of the chamber, gradually falls down to the bottom, and is then sucked up.
again through the tubes or conduits, to the central box, from which it is
redelivered at the top of the chamber and so on.
The circulation, instead of being from the top to the bottom, may be from
bottom to top, in which case, the action of the fan may be reversed.
With some refrigerating chambers, instead of having a number of conduits,
only one central one may be used. In this case the conduit may be provided with
a nuniber of branch tubes or feeders.
As it is very desirable to filter the air free of germs I provide for this purpose,
in the central box, or within a casing fitted in the box, one or more filtering

page_text: screens, which are so arranged as to be capable of being taken out of position
and re-placed at pleasure. The casing for holding the screens may itself be
removable.
The filtering screens may be made of two wooden frames, into which wire
netting is fitted. The frames may be hinged together, in any suitable manner, so
as to open like a book. The space between the frames is preferably filled with a
filtering medium of "Gamgee" cotton wool. The frames may be made in any
other suitable manner.
Any other suitable filtering medium may be used.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended three explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of part of the refrigerating chamber of a steam-ship,
fitted with the circulating apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the ball bearing for the fan shaft.
Fig. 4 is is a part sectional plan of the apparatus showing the arrangement of
the cold air circulating conduits.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 6 a part sectional plan of a modified
construction of the apparatus.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same or similar parts.
a represents the refrigerating chamber of a ship in which the air circulating
apparatus is fitted. The apparatus consists of a number of cold air conduits
which may be made of wood and be square in cross section. These conduits are,
preferably, perforated with holes c throughout their lengths and are, or may be,
open at their ends. They are, preferably, laid along the bottom of the chamber.
As will be seen at Fig. 4 the air circulating fan i, or equivalent air circulating or
pumping device, is fitted at or near the centre of the refrigerating chamber and
the trunk conduits or pipes b, extend from it, as a centre, to either side of the
chamber. Connected with the trunk conduits are branch conduits b' which extend
along the side walls and have smaller branches or off shoots entering the
corners. The branches or feeders are arranged between the trunks 6. By this
ramifying or spreading arrangement of the conduits all parts of the chamber are
reached, and, as a consequence, the air within it is thoroughly mixed and circulated.
The air passing through the conduits is collected in and passes up through a
vertical shaft or funnel d (Fig. 1) at the top of which is fitted a rectangular box
or casing e, with is provided with a bridge fat its upper end. The box which has
a central opening e in its top is, also, provided with a filtering screen g. This
screen consists of a wooden frame g', into which two pieces of wire gauze or
netting are fitted, the space between the pieces of netting being filled with
Gamgee" cotton wool or other suitable filtering medium. The screen is so
fitted between the bars h that it can be easily taken out and replaced. If desired
more than one screen may be fitted in the box.
66
The fan i is carried on the vertical shaft which passes through the roof of the
chamber and as will be seen is hollow and is carried and supported in position by
the ball bearing j fitted at the outside. This bearing, as shown at Fig. 3, consists
of an internally grooved socket base & which is bolted to the deck or hatch and
an internally grooved cover k' secured by studs to said base. The externally
grooved collar is shrunk on or pinned to the shaft !. are the balls which run
in the grooves. * are lubricating holes. is a leather packing ring and k³ a
disc or washer for supporting the ring. Secured to the shaft is a bevel wheel m
which gears with the bevel m³ on the horizontal shaft n which latter is driven at a
suitable speed by the driving shaft n'. The "Hooke's" universal joint n' for
coupling the shafts n' is, preferably, used only when the shaft is carried on the
movable hatch of a vessel. The pedestal bearing k is preferably made, as shown,
in one piece with the socket base k.
The lower end of the shaft i¹ fits into a cup-shaped socket f¹ (see Fig. 2) secured

page_text: to the bridge. The socket is lubricated by means of oil filled in at the upper end
of the shaft. is a plug for closing the end of the shaft. This socket has
secured to its lower end a box f* for collecting any surplus oil which may pass
from the socket down the passage f³ and tube f*. is an upwardly projecting
centre pin screwed through the bottom of the socket. This pin is loosely fitted
into a hole bored through a plug f inserted in the lower end of the shaft . The
lubricating oil passes through the hole in the plug f' to the socket.
The box prevents oil dropping on to and injuring the filtering screen g.
With this arrangement the air in the chamber is cooled to the desired tempera-
ture by any of the well known apparatuses at present in use and this cold air is
caused to thoroughly circulate throughout the chamber by the action of the fan
which is driven at a suitable speed. The fan sucks or draws up the cold air at the
bottom of the chamber through the several conduits b, 61, shaft d and filtering
screen 9 and discharges it again at the top of the chamber. The fan is kept in
operation continuously so that there is constant circulation or diffusion of the air
within the chamber.
The air conduits may be arranged radially or otherwise in the chamber but they
must, in all cases, to ensure a thorough_circulation, ramify from the fan as a centre
to the different parts of the chamber. The arrangement shown at Fig. 4 is adapted
for a vessel having a chamber with hatchways 2' in the positions indicated in dotted
lines. is the mast of the ship.
The fan which is covered at top and bottom by the plates o, o' and is open at the
sides, draws up the air through the central opening o in the bottom plate o¹ and
discharges it again with great centrifugal force at the periphery. o' are the fan
blades.
In the arrangement shown at Figs. 5 & 6 the air at the bottom of the chamber
is drawn through the holes p' at the bottom of the hollow columns or pipes p up
into the inflow trunk conduits q, which are fitted along the roof or ceiling of the
chamber, to the underside of the box or casing e, then through the filtering screen g
to the fan i from whence it is again discharged along the radiating outflow pipes
or conduits r. The inflow conduits preferably extend from end to end and from
side to side of the chamber whilst the outflow conduits extend to the corners. The
arrows indicate the course of the air currents.
In some cases where cold air is supplied to several refrigerating chambers from
a common source of supply a cold air supply pipe 8, as indicated in dotted lines
Fig. 4, may he led along the outside of each refrigerating chamber. This pipe
may communicate with the trunk air circulating conduit by means of an opening
in the wall of the chamber which can be closed by a damper door t or a valve.
When the damper is opened the cold air from the pipe s is drawn into the trunk b
and therein mixed with the current of air from the chamber, the combined currents
being, thereafter, circulated or diffused throughout the chamber by the fan. Air
from the chamber is allowed to escape through the openings u in one of the walls
to the discharge or exhaust pipe v. The openings u can also be closed by damper
doors u¹. With this arrangement whenever it is desired to lower or raise the
temperature in the chamber a supply of air, (which is kept at a comparatively
colder temperature than that in the chamber) is withdrawn from the pipes and
mixed with the air in the chamber until the desired temperature is obtained.
Instead of using a fan of the construction shown any other suitable fan, air
propeller or pump may be used.
The conduits may be arranged in any other suitable way to suit the shape of and
space in refrigerating chambers.
If desired a centre bearing may be fitted at the bottom of the fan shaft i¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the apparatus for

page_text: circulating the contained air of refrigerating chambers, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. The combination of the air conduits b, b' (or p, q, r), box or casing e, with
one or more filtering screens therein and an air circulating fan, blower, or
equivalent, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings
annexed.
3. The combination with a refrigerating chamber of an air propelling or
pumping device, such as a fan, blower, or equivalent, arranged at or near the centre
of the chamber, an air shaft or its equivalent leading to or in connection with the
device and air conduits ramifying or spreading from the shaft as a centre to the
different parts of the chamber, substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings annexed and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination with a refrigerating chamber of an air propelling or
pumping device, such as a fan, blower, or equivalent, arranged at or near the
centre of the chamber a box or case in communication with the fan and air influx
and efflux conduits radiating from the box or case as a centre to the different parts
of the chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 5
and 6 of the drawings annexed and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination with a refrigerating chamber, of an air circulating fan or
blower supported and revolved by a shaft which passes up through the chamber
and is suspended or hung from a bearing on the roof, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown on the drawings annexed.
Dated this 25th day of November 1893
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.