Improvements in Ice Safes for the Preservation of Food.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ice Safes for the Preservation of Food.
I JULIUS MAYER of Mannheim, Baden, Germany, Merchant, 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 and
accompanying drawings of which :--
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation
in an the gures the same letters refer to the same parts.
My said invention relates to improvements in receptacles or ice chests commonly
known as refrigerators or ice safes for the cold storage of perishable articles of
food.
Hitherto such receptacles have usually been lined with zinc. This metal is
however very liable to oxidisation whence arises a disagreeable odour in the
receptacle and the walls become dirty and rough. The cleansing is also rendered
more difficult and frequent repairs are necessary.
The object of my said invention is to obviate or to limit as much as possible the use
of oxidisable metals in the interior of such receptacles to which end I use chiefly
aluminium or wood and papier maché provided with a durable glaze or varnish.
I attain an even and lasting low temperature by an arrangement of the open ice
holders in the interior of the receptacle in combination with an improved mode of
insulation and the use of a double door. The receptacle B which is closed all
round by insulated (non-conducting) walls, has two doors Db close to each other,
is lined on the interior with aluminium or glazed wood and panels or linings of
glazed papier maché i or the like material. In the lower part is an open ice
holder A with a dished bottom covering the whole floor space of the receptacle B.
The ice lies thereon on a dished floor of turned iron fabric or netting in order that
the ice water may not remain in contact with the ice but runs away through the
syphon a directly into the vessel E underneath the receptacle. The door C in
front of the ice holder is fastened horizontally by two hasps. On unfastening the
door the ice holder A (which rests on rollers on angle irons at the sides) can be
withdrawn for re-charging. Above the ice holder A is the keeping space B
separated from the ice space by wire netting or wood or metal grating. The
door D which is fastened by a three bolt basquill lock e is hinged as a fall door and
by means of a chain or other similar restraining medium it is kept in a horizontal
position when down.
In order to keep down the temperature of the keeping space B as much as
possible when the door is open a two winged double door is used so that when
removing the contents as a rule only one wing of this double door need be opened.
In using wood or papier maché in the interior the whole of the interior walls are
thickly glazed or varnished. The insulation of the walls may be effected in the
usual way or as shown in Figure 3 in which the centre panels of a wooden frame f
are covered on both sides with sheets of cork or corticine or other non-conducting
material which is covered at each side with felt and surface layers of papier
maché i held on by rabbetted bars k secured to the fraining of the composite
panel.
The water cistern E is suspended in grooves n as shown in Figures 5 and 6 so
hat it clears the floor when being withdrawn. A cock o is provided for drawing

page_text: off the water. In the water cistern is a float m mounted in simple guides. When
the water lever is low or the cistern empty the float is down as in Figure 5. As
the water level rises the float also rises until when the cistern is about three
quarters or four fifths full the head p of the float stem touches an electrical push
contact and closing an electric current gives audible warning that the ice has
melted and that the water cistern is nearly full.
Ice safes made in accordance with my said invention have perfectly dry air in
the interior, can be easily cleaned, and economise the ice to the utmost and allow
articles of food to be kept for weeks in a perfectly fresh state. The walls are.
kept dry inasmuch as the condensed water at once runs off outside the safe into the
water cistern E and by the electric alarm automatic warning is given when the ice:
is melted and the water cistern nearly full.
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
I claim is :-
I. An ice safe lined internally with aluminium or well glazed walls of wood
papier maché or the like and having a horizontally or vertically hinged external
door D secured by a three bolt basquill lock e an inner double door b and a sliding
ice holder A substantially as set forth and shown.
II. The non-conducting walls consisting of a wood panel fenclosed on both sides
by sheets of cork corticine or the like insulating material g felt h and sheets of
papier maché i substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3
of the accompanying drawings.
III. In an ice safe a water cistern E suspended in grooves n in which it can slide
having a float m working in combination with an electric push contact r substantially,
as and for the purpose set forth and shown.
Dated 24th day of September 1894.
::
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M. Inst. C.E.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.