Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Fab., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK SINGER of 27 William Street, New York, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, 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 certain new and useful improvements in refrigerating
apparatus of the character which depends upon the expansion in volume of a vola-
tile agent or refrigerating gas, such as carbonic acid gas or other well known refri-
gerant, to produce the required degree of temperature. The apparatus, which will
be hereinafter described and which constitutes my invention, is of a character
adapted for use in domestic and other refrigeration, the apparatus being especially
designed and adapted for use as a complete refrigerating and ice making plant for
use in a house, store or other buildings, and also for use in a connected series, said
series of machines being connected with any suitable source of electrical supply.
A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a simple and
inexpensive apparatus for refrigerating and ice making purposes, which will have
a complete and independent refrigerating circulation, including a pump and an
electric motor, both of which are enclosed within a hermetically sealed case; and
including also expansion and condensing coils or chambers in proximity to the
refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator, and electric connection with a source of
electric energy, whereby the motor is operated without any moving part penetrating
the hermetically sealed case. Said source of electric energy may be a circuit with.
in which are included several independent or separate refrigerators, or it may be
a separate and independent source adapted to supply the current to an individual
apparatus, as will be at once evident, in view of the fact that each apparatus, when
electrically connected, constitutes within itself a complete and operative refrigerat-
ing plant, including a thermostatic regulator, whereby the temperature of the
interior of the refrigerator is made to automatically control the supply of current to
the motor.
To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same con-
sists in the peculiarities of construction and in the novel features and novel coin-
bination, arrangement and adaption of parts, all as more fully hereinafter
described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in
the appended claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with
the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in
which drawings:
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a refrigerating apparatus, embody-
ing my invention.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view, in which is shown a series of refrigerators in
circuit.
Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a
refrigerating or cold storage apartment, which may be of any well known construc-
tion such as are in common use. Located within a compartment B, in the upper

page_text: part of the refrigerator, is an expansion coil C, the pipes in which coil surround
an ice mold or tank D, the said tank or mold extended through the top of the
refrigerator case, and provided with a cap or cover D¹.
Upon the outside of the refrigerator A, and adjacent thereto, is placed a hermeti-
cally sealed chamber E, within which chamber are located two pumps, the barrels
of the said pumps in the present instance being shown as extending through the
bottom of the chamber, the aperture in the bottom or floor through which they
pass being hermetically sealed. These pumps F, are in all respects similar in con-
struction to pumps in common use, the piston head or plunger being provided with
the usual opening and hinged or "flap" valve which is adapted to open automatic-
ally upon the up-stroke of the piston and to close over the opening in the piston
head when the piston is forced downward. This construction of piston head
being common in pumps of this character, a detailed illustration and description
of the same in this connection is deemed to be unnecessary. The piston rods FI
of the pumps are at their upper ends connected to the pitman rods F2, which in
turn are attached in the usual manner by wrist pins to the disks 3, the shaft upon
which said disks F3 are carried being provided with a gear wheel G, which meshes
with a worm gear upon the shaft G¹, of an electrical motor H, the said motor being
placed upon a suitable support rising from the floor of the chamber.
The pipe a, connecting the chamber E with the expansion coil C, enters the
chamber E through the floor of the chamber as shown. The discharge ends of the
pumps F, F, have pipe connection with a common pipe I, which pipe I leads to
the upper part of a condensing tank J, which tank is filled with water in contact
with the condenser coil J1, which coil at its lower end connects with the lower end
of the receptacle K, which is adapted to contain the refrigerant when compressed
into liquid form. This receptacle K extends from the top to the bottom of the
tank J, and at its upper end is provided with a pipe L which connects directly
with the expansion coil C, within the compartment or tank in the refrigerator.
The tank or compartment B in constructed preferably of sheet metal, and is
filled with salt water ordinarily, though when it is desired to secure a temperature
below the freezing point of salt brine, a brine made of chloride of calcium in solu-
tion is substituted for the salt brine.
In order to provide for the carrying off of water resulting from the melting
of frost upon the outside of the tank B, when. for any reason the operation of the
device is suspended for a protracted period, I provide beneath the tank a drip-
pan M having a waste pipe M¹ which leads downward through the bottom of the
refrigerator and at its lower end is provided with a water seal M² to prevent the
escape of cold air from the refrigerator.
To indicate the degree of pressure within the hermetically sealed chamber E,
a suitable gauge b is provided, and a gauge o is provided in connection with the
pipe L connecting the receptacle K with the expansion coil in the refrigerator,
the said gauge serving to indicate the degree of pressure of the liquefied
refrigerant.
The pipe I, which connects the discharge ends of the pumps F with the con-
densing coil, is provided with a suitable oil trap d which serve to prevent the
waste oil used in lubricating pumps from passing into the condensing coils within
the refrigerating gas.
The tank J surrounding the condensing coil is provided with a suitable overflow
or waste pipe N, which communicates with the tank near its top, and the liquid
refrigerant receptacle K, is provided with a suitable filling tube which connects
with the receptacle at a point near its lower end.
At intervals throughout the pipe system of the apparatus suitable valves are
provided which will be hereinafter referred to and their use defined, in connection
with the description of the operation of the device.
In a system of the kind described it is necessary at some point to control the
motive power or to provide means whereby it may be controlled by a skilled
person having charge of the system. This is necessary as well as to maintain
"

page_text: For this
the proper amount of refrigeration as to prevent any waste of energy.
purpose of automatically regulating the motor H, I provide a thermostat 6, which
is located upon one of the walls of the interior of the refrigerator. This thermostat
may be of any of the well known constructions which may be found to be adapted
for the purpose. In the present instance however, I have shown a thermostat
consisting of two strips of metal, one of the strips being of steel, the other of
brass. These strips are bolted or otherwise secured together through their entire
length and are bent in the arc of a circle with the steel strip on the inside. To
one end of the strips thus united is connected a wire 7, which extends to one
pole of the dynamo or battery, and from the opposite ends of the strips a wire 8
extends to the motor, thence through the motor to the other pole of the battery or
dynamo, and thence from the battery to the strip 9, carrying at its free end con-
tact points 10, as shown. 11 is a lever secured at one of its ends to a bolt 12,
located at one side of the centre of the thermostat 6. The said lever 11 secured
at its free end to a rubber block 13, is adapted to, upon the movement of the
said lever, contact with the inner face of the coiled metal strips of the thermostat,
and thus expand the diameter of the same, or allow the same to contract, as the
case may be, thus regulating the distance between the free ends of the same, as
will be readily understood.
Located upon the outside of the refrigerator case, at a point directly above the
plane upon which the thermostat is placed, is an indicating dial 14. Upon the
inner end of the shaft 15, connecting the centre of the dial with the interior of
the refrigerator, is an arm or lever 16, connected by a rod or wire 17, with the
arm 11 of the thermostat, and upon the other face of the dial on the shaft 15, is
an indicating pointer 18.
So equipped, a series of independent refrigerators of any desired size may be
located at various points in dwelling houses or in shops requiring refrigeration,
and all or any number may be connected to a common line as X, which is in com-
munication with any suitable source of electrical energy.
In operation, supposing that the machine has been charged by filling the liquid
gas receptacle K with a volatile liquid gas, the expansion valve V is first slightly
opened and the liquefied gas is allowed to expand into the expansion coil C, there-
by producing an intense cold. The receptacle K containing the liquefied
refrigerant is placed within the condensing tank for the purpose of holding said
refrigerant at a nearly uniform temperature at all times, so as to prevent changes
in pressure which would be caused by fluctuations in temperature of the atmo-
sphere. The gas passes from the coil C by means of the pipe through the
bottom plate of the hermetically sealed chamber E, thus entering the said chamber
at its bottom. The gas is allowed to thus flow into the chamber until a pressure
of from six to ten pounds per square inch has accumulated. The pumps F, F,
are then put in operation by means of the motor H, exhausting a sufficient amount
of the gas to maintain a pressure at all times during the operation of the pumps
of from six to ten pounds within the chamber. The gas removed from the
chamber by the action of the pumps is forced into the common pipe I, thence
through said pipe I, into the condensing coil J, where it is cooled by the water
surrounding the coil, and compressed by the action of the pumps, to a liquid
which enters the receptacle K from which it again passes into the expansion coil,
thus completing the cycle.
The volatile refrigerant at a moment of entering the hermetically sealed
chamber E, possesses a temperature below zero (Fahrenheit) therefore, its cool-
ing effect upon the motor, the pumps and other working parts contained within
said chamber, and constantly while running subjected to said cooling influence,
is exceedingly beneficial in several ways. For example, all electric motors operat-
ing under ordinary conditions and running journals generate more or less heat
5 from friction, and in both cases the result. is a considerable lowering of efficiency.
It will be seen that this gas, filling the hermetically sealed chamber and entering
it chilled to the extremely low temperature mentioned, will take up and carry

page_text: away the heat so generated by the operation of the mechanism, maintain the
efficiency of the motor, and prevent wear of the other moving parts.
The hermetically sealed chamber serves another important purpose by prevent-
ing the escape of any portion of the usually pungent and offensive refrigerating
gas, which would otherwise, in spite of all precautions, and after some wear of the
parts, leak through the stuffing boxes and the pumps, such leakage becoming
worse with additional wear and requiring constant attention and expense.
Said sealed chamber further serves to protect the whole working mechanism
from atmospheric influences, from accident, and from interference by unauthor-
ized persons, thus tending to assure the entire automatic and regular operation
of the refrigerating system of which it forms a part.
The valve 3, is designed to be closed in order to prevent the gas from escaping
from the condenser coils when the pumps are taken apart for examination or
repairs. The valve 4 is provided for the purpose of permitting the pumps within
the hermetically sealed chamber to discharge or free the system of air before gas
is introduced into the system. The valve 6, which is located in the pipe 5, which
pipe is provided as a means for conducting the cooling water supply to the con-
densing tank J, is used for regulating the water supply, as will be readily under-
stood.
It is further intended that when preferred, two or more refrigerators may be
cooled by the agency of one set of moving machinery, to wit, one pair of pumps
and an electric motor operating the same, both pumps and motor being enclosed
in one hermetically sealed chamber, but serving, by means of a proper duplication
of expansion and condensing coils and other connected parts, to condense and
circulate the gaseous refrigerant by and through two or more associate refrigerators
or apartments.
My invention is to be used not only for the ordinary and well known purposes
of refrigerating provisions or storage chambers containing commodities and mak-
ing ice artificially, but also for the purpose of artificially cooling the atmosphere
in railway passenger cars, in ships, and in living rooms and working rooms of
residences and other buildings occupied by human beings. Modifications in con-
struction required to adapt the invention to specific purposes will be made the
subject of applications to be filed hereinafter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a hermetically sealed chamber, the gas return
pipe from the expansion coil leading to the chamber, and the gas pump, and its
motor located in the chamber.
2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a hermetically sealed chamber, the gas return
pipe leading to and opening freely into said chamber, and the gas pump and its
motor located in the chamber.
3. In a
refrigerating apparatus, a hermetically sealed chamber, the gas return
pipe from the expansion coil leading to the chamber, and the gas pump and
electric motor located in said chamber, and supply wires passing gas-tight through
the chamber wall.
4. A refrigerator, an expansion coil therein, an adjacent hermetically sealed
chamber connected to the expansion coil, and the gas pump and its motor in said
chamber, and delivering its gas outside thereof.
5. A refrigerator, an expansion coil therein, a hermetically sealed chamber
mounted on a wall of the refrigerator and connected to the expansion coil, and
the gas pump and its motor located in said chamber and delivering the gas
outside thereof.
6. A refrigerator, an expansion coil therein, an adjacent hermetically sealed
chamber connected to the expansion coil, and the gas pump and its motor in said

page_text: chamber, and the condenser connected to the pump and pipe leading from the
condenser to the expansion coil.
7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a hermetically sealed chamber, the walls of
which are free from penetration by any moving part, the gas return pipe from
the expansion coil leading to the chamber, and the gas pump and electric motor
located in said chamber and supply wires passing gas-tight through the chamber
wall.
D
1.1.
Ր T
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.