CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATOR CARS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATOR CARS." A communication from Theodore
Labatt and George Edward Labatt, two persons resident at Montreal, Canada,
and William Henry Klapp, Francis Brown Nichols, and Theodore Davis Henry,
three persons resident in the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America, all of the Firm of Labatt and Company, of Montreal,
Canada, aforesaid, Merchants.
aled the 6th July 1877, and dated the 19th April 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1877.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATOR CARS." (Communicated
by Theodore Labatt and George Edward Labatt, two persons resident at Montreal,
Canada, and William Henry Klapp, Francis Brown Nichols, and Theodore Davis
Henry, three persons resident in the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America, all of the Firm of Labatt and Company, of Montreal, Canada
aforesaid, Merchants).
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of refrigerator
cars, whereby meat and other articles can be transported over long distances and
kept fresh with a comparatively small expenditure of ice.
The Invention consists in the combination of a self-acting float valve with the
ice chamber of a refrigerating car, and with a valve chamber and waste pipe near
one side of the car, so that, whenever the car is inclined towards the side containing
the valve chamber, the water which has accumulated on the bottom of the ice
chamber is caused to flood the valve chamber, the float valve is raised, and the
water discharges, carrying off the impurities which are mixed with it, and preventing
the water pipe from clogging, and also from freezing up; also in the combination
with a fan blower and with an ice chamber and provision chamber of a pulley
mounted on the car axle, and of a gravitating frame attached to the bottom of the
I Price 1

page_text: car and carrying a shaft with a friction pulley, and with a pulley from which motion
is transmitted to the blower shaft, so that, when the car is in motion and the
gravitating frame is allowed to sink down, the friction pulley bears upon the pulley
on the car axle, and motion is imparted to the fan blower, and by raising the
gravitating frame the motion of the fan blower stops.
Further, in the combination with the fan blower and with the gravitating frame
of a hand gear, so that, by raising said frame, the fan blower can be driven by hand
while the car is standing still; also, in the combination in a refrigerator car of a
hand gear, a gravitating frame, a fan blower, and a mechanism for elevating and
sustaining the gravitating frame, so that, whenever the gravitating frame is raised
and sustained by the elevating mechanism, the cog wheels of the hand gear are
brought to engage with each other, and the fan blower can be driven by hand,
whenever it may be desirable.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1
represents a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan; Fig. 3 is a
transverse vertical section in the plane a, a, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 are details
which will be referred to as the description progresses. Similar letters indicate
corresponding parts.
In these Drawings the letter A designates a railroad car which is divided by two
vertical partitions a, b, in three compartments B, C, D, one of which forms the ice
chamber, the other the provision chamber, and the third the air chamber.
In the ice chamber is situated an air distributor E, which is made of perforated
sheet metal, and extends throughout the entire width of the car. This air distributor
communicates by a pipe or duct c with a fan blower F, which draws the air through
a pipe d from the air chamber D. The air which is injected through the air
distributor into the ice chamber escapes through openings e into the provision
chamber, whence it passes through an opening in the top of the partition b into
the air chamber, to be sucked in again and again by the fan blower.
In the bottom of the ice chamber, close to one of its sides, is secured a waste
pipe g for carrying off the ice water. This waste pipe extends a short distance
above the bottom of a valve chamber h, Fig. 4, which is secured in the bottom of
the ice chamber. On this bottom are secured slats i which support the junks of
ice, leaving channels through which the ice water can find its way into the valve
chamber h, and over this valve chamber is secured a board j, so as to protect the
valve k. This valve is constructed of a sheet-metal case, and it is provided with a
wooden bottom 7, the edge of the sheet-metal case being made to project below the
bottom, as shown in Fig. 4.
On the under surface of the bottom is secured a layer of india-rubber, and in
the bottom is fastened a rod m which extends through the waste pipe g, so that the
valve can be raised from its seat from the outside, whenever it is desirable. When
the valve is placed on the waste pipe, its bottom being lined with india-rubber
produces a close joint on the top edge of said pipe, so as to exclude the external
air. As the ice water accumulates in the valve chamber the valve is buoyed up, and
the surplus water escapes without permitting any air to enter, and whenever the
car passes round a curve, so as to depress that side of the car which contains the
waste pipe, the ice water which has accumulated between the slats i rushes towards
the valve chamber, the valve is suddenly raised from its seat, and the water
discharges violently, so as to carry off sawdust, straw, or other impurities which
may have become mixed with the ice water, and which otherwise would be liable to
clog up the water pipe, or to prevent the correct operation of the float valve.
Furthermore, the valve chamber and the waste pipe are so placed that the ice water
is not liable to freeze and to stop up the waste pipe.
The fan blower F is situated between the floor beams of the car, and on its arbor
is mounted a pulley n, from which extends a belt o to a pulley p, which is mounted
on a shaft that has its bearings in the outer end of a gravitating frame G. The
inner end of this frame swings on a pivot r, see Fig. 2, and on the shaft q is also
mounted a pulleys which bears down upon a pulley t mounted on one of the car

page_text: axles. Both these pullies are covered with india-rubber, leather, or other suitable
material, so that, when the car is in motion, the pulley & is caused to revolve by
frictional contact, and the fan blower receives the required motion. This fan blower
is so constructed that it injects air into the ice chamber, in whatever direction it
may be turned. On the shaft q is also mounted a pinion u, and to the outer end of
the gravitating frame G is secured a chain or rope v, which is attached to a shaft a¹
situated below the bottom of the car, and extending out beyond its side, so that a
hand crank can be attached to it. On this shaft is mounted a ratchet wheel b¹,
Fig. 5, with which engages a pawl c¹, and if said shaft is turned in the proper
direction the gravitating frame is raised and retained in its elevated position by
the pawl and ratchet wheel.
In the bottom of the car is also mounted a second shaft d³, which runs parallel
to the shaft a', and on which is mounted a cog wheel e' in such a position that when
the gravitating frame is raised the pinion u is thrown in gear with said cog wheel e¹.
A hand crank fl serves to turn the shaft d. When it is desired to stop the motion
of the fan blower, while the car is in motion, the gravitating frame G is raised and
retained in its elevated position, and if the car is standing still, and it is desired to
impart motion to the fan blower, this object is effected by raising the gravitating
frame and turning the shaft d¹ by hand.
I do not wish to restrict myself to the specific construction shown in the Drawings
and described in the above Specification, but what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,―
1. A refrigerator car constructed substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of a self-acting float valve with the ice chamber of a
refrigerator car, and with a valve chamber and waste pipe situated at or near one
side of the car, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
3. The combination in a refrigerator car of a gravitating frame attached to the
bottom of the car, a pulley mounted on one of the car axles, a friction pulley
mounted on a shaft which has its bearings in the gravitating frame, a belt pulley
mounted on this shaft, and a fan blower which receives motion from this belt
pulley, all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.
4. The combination in a refrigerator car of a hand gear d, e¹, u, with the
gravitating frame G, pullies 8, t, and fan blower F, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. The combination in a refrigerator car of a ratchet wheel 62, pawl c¹, and a
shaft a', with the gravitating frame G and fan blower F, substantially as and for
the purpose shown and described.
6. The combination in a refrigerator car of a hand gear, substantially such as
described, with an elevating mechanism, and with the gravitating frame G and fan
blower F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.