IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR ICE SAFES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Benham and Joseph William Froud,
both of Chandos Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR ICE SAFES."..
Sealed the 28th April 1874, and dated the 7th March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Benham and
Joseph William Froud at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th March 1874.
We, AUGUSTUS BENHAM and JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD, both of
5 Chandos Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR
ICE SAFES," to be as follows:-
:
The Invention has for its object improvements in refrigerators or ice
safes. For this purpose we dispense with the metal lining to the
interior of the sides and lid, and on the bottom we employ a metal tray
extending only a short distance up the sides (say about two inches).
The interior of the refrigerator is formed of wood suitably put together
to prevent the passage of moisture through the joints into the packing

page_text: and it may be left plain or it may be coated with a suitable paint,
varnish, or composition to prevent the absorption of moisture thereby.
The upper edge of the metal tray is protected by a strip of wood fixed
over it or by other suitable means to prevent any moisture which may
run down the sides of the refrigerator from getting between the tray &
and the wood lining.
Instead of employing metal shelves as heretofore we form our shelves
of bars of wood broader at the ends than at the middle in a somewhat
similar manner to furnace bars, so that when placed close together at
their ends longitudinal spaces shall be left between them, and if desired
they may be placed at distances apart to enable, say, the neck of
a bottle or other article placed below such shelves to stand up between
the bars.
The ice instead of being supported on a metal support or of being
placed on the bottom of the refrigerator is, according to our Invention,
carried by an openwork support of wood at any convenient height to
enable a dish or other article to be placed underneath it, and in order to
prevent the melted ice water from dropping on such article or articles
we fix under the wooden support a metal plate slightly inclined to carry
the melted ice water away to one side of the ice support.
The refrigerator or ice safe is as heretofore made of an inner and an
outer case, but instead of packing the space between them in the usual
manner we fix on the outside of the inner case or on the inside of the
outer case, or on both, a coating of dry hair felt, and the space then
left we pack with cocoa nut fibre, chopped straw, and the material used
by upholsterers known as "alva," such various materials being mixed
together in about equal proportions..
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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augustus Benham and Joseph William Froud in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME
WA Απαπεπιτα
3
זי
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augustus Benham and Joseph William Froud in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wo, AUGUSTUS
BENHAM and JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD, both of Chandos Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting:
3

page_text: run down the sides of the refrigerator from getting between the tray
and the wood lining.
Instead of employing metal shelves as heretofore we form our shelves
of bars of wood broader at the ends than at the middle, in a somewhat
similar manner to furnace bars, so that when placed close together at
their ends, longitudinal spaces shall be left between them; and if desired
they may be placed at distances apart to enable, say, the neck of a
bottle or other article placed below such shelves to stand up between
the bars.
The ice instead of being supported on a metal support or of being.
placed on the bottom of the refrigerator is, according to our Invention,.
carried by an openwork support of wood at any convenient height to
enable a dish or other article to be placed underneath it, and in order
to prevent the melted ice water from dropping on such article or articles
we fix under the wooden support a metal plate slightly inclined to carry 1
the melted ice water away to one side of the ice support.
The refrigerator or ice safe is as heretofore made of an inner and an
outer case, but instead of packing the space between them in the usual
manner we fix on the outside of the inner case or on the inside of the
outer case, or on both, a coating of dry hair felt, and the space then left
we pack with cocoa nut fibre, chopped straw, and the material used by
upholsterers known as 'alva," such various materials being mixed
together in about equal proportions.
And in order that our said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, we will proceed aided by the accompanying
Drawings more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view; Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the
line 1, 1, of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 2, 2,
of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is another vertical section on the line 3, 3,
of Figure 2, showing a refrigerator or ice safe having our improvements
applied thereto.
According to our Invention we dispense with the metal lining to the
interior of the sides and lid or door, and on the bottom we fix a tray a
extending only a short distance up the sides, say, about two inches.

page_text: The interior lining 6 of the refrigerator is formed of wood suitably
put together to prevent the passage of moisture through the joints
into the packing, and such lining 6 may be left plain or it may
coated with a suitable paint, varnish, or composition to prevent the
absorption of moisture theroby.
.
་
The wood lining b, as shown in the Drawings, projects slightly over
the tray a to prevent any moisture which may run down the sides of
the refrigerator from getting between the tray a and the wood lining b...
Instead of employing metal shelves as heretofore we form our shelves
of bars of wood c broader at the ends c¹ than at the middle, so that
when placed close together at their ends longitudinal spaces shall be
left between them, as shown in the Drawings, and if desired they may
be placed at distances apart to enable, say, the neck of a bottle or other
article placed below such shelves to stand up between the bars c.
'
The ice instead of being supported on a metal support or of being
placed on the bottom of the refrigerator is, according to our Invention;
carried by an openwork support d of wood at any convenient height to
enable a dish or other article to be placed underneath it, and in order
to prevent the melted ice water from dropping on such article or articles
we fix underneath the wooden support d a metal plate a slightly
inclined to carry the melted ice water away to one side of the ice
support.
The refrigerator or ice safe is as heretofore made of an inner case or
lining 6 and an outer case 6', but instead of packing the space between
them in the usual manner we fix on the outside of the case or lining b,
or on the inside of the case 6', or on both, a coating of dry hair felt, and
the space then left we pack with cocoa nut fibre, chopped straw, and
the material used by upholsterers known as "alva," such various
materials being mixed together in about equal proportions.
We would here remark that we are aware that the above-mentioned
materials have before been employed separately for the purpose of filling
the space between the inner and outer cases of refrigerators, but they
have not been combined in the manner above described; e is the door
of the refrigerator which is hinged at e¹ so as to allow the door to
open on horizontal hinges, and when open-it will hang down out of
the way.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the mode
of carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that what
we claim is,―
.
First. The novel mode of constructing refrigerators by dispensing
with the metal lining and employing a lining of wood and a metal tray |
in the bottom, in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly. We claim the mode of making up shelves or supports for
refrigerators of separate bars of wood thicker at their ends than at their
central parts, in manner and for the purpose substantially as herein
shown and described.
Thirdly. We claim the novel mode of supporting the ice in refrigerators
by employing an open woodwork support, in manner substantially as.
herein shown and described.
And, Fourthly. We claim the mode, substantially as herein described,
of filling the space between the inner and outer cases of refrigerators
with dry hair felt and a mixture of cocoa nut fibre, chopped straw, and
* alva."
In witness, whereof, we, the said Augustus Benham and Joseph
William Froud, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness to the signatures
of the within-named
Augustus Benham and
Joseph William Froud,
(Ļ.S.)-
AUGUSTUS BENHAM.
JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD. (L.S.).
WILLIAM HARDMAN,
Clerk,
40, Chandos St.,
London.