IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS." A communication to him
from abroad by Reuben Alfred Messervey, of Medford Massachusetts, United
States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS
[A communication to him from abroad by Reuben Alfred Messervey, of Medford
Massachusetts, United States of America.]
This invention relates to refrigerators in which a chemical refrigerant (such as
ammoniacal gas, or anhydrous sulphurous oxide) is circulated in pipes around a
chamber or receptacle for articles to be preserved.
The said invention consists in certain improvements in construction, whereby,
first, the refrigerant is prevented from escaping into the preserving chamber in
case of a leak in the refrigerating pipes; secondly, access can be had to the said
pipes for repairs without allowing outside air or gas from the pipes to enter the
preserving chamber; thirdly, direct contact between the surfaces of the refrigerating
pipes and the air in the preserving chamber is prevented and the said pipes are
kept to a great extent free from frost; and fourthly, air passages are provided of
improved form and greater cooling capacity than those heretofore used; all of
which improvements are hereinafter described.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a preserving.chamber of
any suitable size and form. Along the walls of the said chamber I arrange
refrigerating pipes which are carried back and forth to form a continuous conduit
extending from the lower to the upper portion of the chamber, and on any desired
A .

page_text: number of sides thereof, preferably three. The arrangement of the refrigerating
pipes per se forms, however, no part of the said invention.
At the corners of the chamber I provide vertical air-tight boxes or joint-pro-
tectors, through which the straight portions of the pipes pass, and in which the
joints or elbows of the pipes are contained. The orifices where the pipes pass
through the sides of the boxes are tightly packed around the pipes with india-
rubber or other suitable material, so that in case of leakage in the pipes within the
boxes, no gases can enter the said chamber. The space around the pipes in the
boxes is preferably filled with a packing of asbestos or other non-conductor
of heat.
Portions of the exterior casing of the refrigerator forming the outer surfaces of
the said boxes are made removable, so that access can be had from the outside to
the said boxes without interfering in any way with the said chamber. The portions
of the pipes intervening between the boxes are preferably single pieces of pipe, so
that all the joints will be in the boxes. The said intervening portions of the
refrigerating pipes I enclose in practically air-tight casings of sheet metal or other
suitable material, through which casings pass vertical air-passages extending from
the lower to the upper portion of the said chamber. The said casings are so
constructed that the refrigerating pipes and the spaces around them enclosed by
the said casings are entirely without communication with the said chamber and
air-passages. These air-passages and casings may be variously modified in con-
struction without departing from the nature of the said invention.
The casings at each end of the chamber are divided into two parts separated by
narrow spaces, which form the air-passages, the proximate sides of the divided
casings being corrugated and parallel with each other so that the air-passages are
tortuous and have a greater extent of cooling surfaces than if the said proximate
sides were straight. In this instance there are two series of refrigerating pipes,
one in each division of the casing, and the communication of the air-passages with
the upper and lower portions of the chamber is effected by making the inner
division of the casing shorter than the outer division, so that air can pass over the
upper portion and under the lower portion of the inner division. This arrangement
is preferred when a very low temperature is desired. In another form of con-
struction the air passages are composed of vertical independent tubes set in the
said casings which are in this instance provided with but one series of refrigerating
pipes. The casing is made of less height than the chamber, and is elevated
sufficiently, above the bottom and terminates sufficiently. far below the top of the
said chamber to allow the tubes or air-passages the necessary connection with the
upper and lower portions of the chamber.
From the upper portions of the aforesaid casings and boxes pipes extend to a
point outside of the chamber for the escape of any gases which may leak from the
refrigerating pipes into the said casings and boxes. Any well known chemical
refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerating pipes in the usual manner.
It will be seen that by the employment of the boxes containing the joints of the
refrigerating pipes, the said boxes being entirely shut off from the interior of the
preserving chamber and adapted to be entered from the outside, all gas leaking
from the joints of the pipes will escape without injuring the contents of the
chuniber, and repairs at the joints can be effected without the admission of gas or
warm air to the preserving chamber. This feature is of especial importance in
refrigerators on navigable vessels where the strain and motion of the vessel are
liable to wrench the pipes and cause leakage at the joints. The boxes, being tight,
also protect the joints which they enclose from contact with the external
atmosphere.
The pipes leading from the boxes and casings conduct away any leaking gases
and enable the leakage to be detected.
By the employment of the casings and air passages, direct contact between the
air in the chamber and the refrigerating pipes is avoided, thus preventing in

page_text: part the formation of frost on the said pipes, and cooling surfaces, that is to say, the
walls of the air passages have a greater area exposed to the air and can be more
readily cleared of frost than the surfaces of the refrigerating pipes.
When a single series of refrigerating pipes is employed each of the air-passages
may be made with a curved rear side adjacent to the refrigerating pipes, and a flat
front side.. The curved sides of the air-passages present a large area of cooling
surface to the air passing through the said passages.
The space enclosed by the casings around the refrigerating pipes may be filled
with rock-salt or other good conductor of heat, preferably solid, which will prevent
the formation of any frost on the refrigerating pipes.
The surfaces of the casings may be coated with wood or other suitable non-
conductor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent field
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London “IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS
A communication to me from abroad by Reuben Alfred Messervey, of Medford,
Massachusetts, United States of America
This invention relates to refrigerators in which a chemical refrigerant (such as
ammoniacal gas or anhydrous sulphurous oxide) is circulated in pipes around a
chamber or receptacle for containing articles to be preserved.
The said invention consists in certain improvements in construction, whereby
the refrigerant is prevented from escaping into the preserving chamber in case of
a leak in the refrigerating-pipes, access can be had to the said pipes for repairs
without allowing outside air or gas from the pipes to enter the preserving chamber,
direct contact between the surfaces of the refrigerating pipes and the air in the
preserving chamber is prevented, and the said pipes are kept to a great extent free
from frost, and air passages are provided of improved form and of greater cooling
capacity than those heretofore used, all of which improvements are hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of one wall of a refrigerating chamber constructed
according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a wall having differently constructed air-
passages.
Figure 3 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are, respectively, sections on the lines y, y, and e, &, Figures 1
and 3.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section showing the entire preserving chamber and both
forms of air passages.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a preserving chamber A of
any suitable size and form. Along the walls of the said chamber I arrange the
refrigerating pipes b which are carried backwards and forwards to form a con-
tinuous conduit, extending from the lower to the upper portion of the chamber and
on any desired number of sides thereof, preferably three, as shown in Figure 6.
The arrangement of the refrigerating pipes per se, forms, however, no part of my
invention.
At the corners of the chamber I provide vertical air-tight boxes or joint pro-
tectors D, through which the straight portions of the pipes b pass, and in which
the joints or elbows of the pipes are contained. The orifices where the pipes pass
through the sides of the boxes D are tightly packed around the pipes with india-
rubber or other suitable material, so that, in case of leakage in the pipes within the
boxes, no gases can enter the chamber A. The space around the pipes in the boxes
is preferably filled with a packing of asbestos or other non-conductor of heat.
Portions of the exterior casing of the refrigerator forming the outer surfaces of
the said boxes D are made removable, so that access can be had from the outside
The
to the said boxes without interfering in any way with the chamber A.
portions of the pipes intervening between the boxes D are preferably single, so that
all the joints will be in the said boxes D. The said intervening portions of the
refrigerating pipes are enclosed in practically air-tight casings B, of sheet metal or

page_text: other suitable material, through which casings pass vertical air passages e, extending
from the lower to the upper portion of the said chamber A. The casings B are so
constructed that the refrigerating pipes and the spaces around them enclosed by
the said casings are entirely without communication with the chamber A and
air-passages e. These air passages and casings may be variously modified in
construction without departing from the nature of the said invention.
In Figures 1 and 4, the casings B at each end of the chamber are divided into
two parts separated by narrow spaces, which form the air-passages e, the proximate
sides of the divided casings being corrugated and parallel with each other, so that
the air-passages are tortuous and have a greater extent of cooling surfaces than if
the said proximate sides were straight. In this instance there are two series of
refrigerating pipes, one in each division of the casing, and the communication of
the air-passages with the upper and lower portions of the chamber, is effected by
making the inner division of the casing shorter than the outer division, as shown
in Figure 4, so that air can pass over the upper portion and under the lower portion
of the inner division. This arrangement is preferred when a very low temperature
is desired.
In the construction shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the air passages are composed
of vertical independent tubes set in the said casings B, which are, in this instance,
provided with but one series of refrigerating pipes. The casing is made of less height
than the chamber, and is elevated sufficiently above the bottom and terminates
sufficiently far below the top of the said chamber to allow the tubes or air-passages
the necessary connection with the upper and lower portions of the chamber.
From the upper portions of the casings B and boxes D, pipes a, a, extend to &
point outside of the chamber A, for the escape of any gases which may leak from
the refrigerating pipes into the said casings and boxes. Any well known chemical
refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerating pipes in the usual manner.
It will be seen that, by the employment of the boxes D, containing the joints of
the refrigerating pipes, the said boxes being entirely shut off from the interior
of the preserving chamber and made accessible from the outside, all gas leaking
from the joints of the pipes will escape without injuring the contents of the
chamber, and repairs at the joints can be effected without the admission of gas
or warm air to the preserving chamber. This feature is of especial importance in
refrigerators on navigable vessels where the strain and motion of the vessel are
liable to wrench the pipes and cause leakage at the joints. The boxes, being tight,
also protect the joints which they enclose from contact with the external atmo
sphere.
The pipes a leading from the boxes D and casings B, conduct away any leaking
gases and enable the leakage to be detected.
By the employment of the casings B and air-passages e, direct contact between
the air in the chamber A and the refrigerating pipes is avoided, thus preventing in
part the formation of frost on the said pipes; and cooling surfaces (the walls of
the air-passages) are provided which have a greater area exposed to the air and
can be more readily cleared of frost than the surfaces of the refrigerating pipes.
When a single series of refrigerating pipes b is employed, each of the air-
passages e may be made with a curved rear side adjacent to the refrigerating pipes
and a flat front side. The curved sides of the air-passages present a large area of
cooling surface to the air passing through the said passages.
The space enclosed by the casings around the refrigerating pipes may be filled
with rock-salt or other good conductor of heat, preferably solid, which will prevent
the formation of any frost on the refrigerating pipes.
The surfaces of the casings B may be coated with wood or other suitable non-
conductor.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I am aware that it is not new to construct a refrigerating chamber with a
series of pipes extending beyond and outside of the walls of the said chamber and

page_text: _connected with each other by connections solely outside of the said chamber, but
I am not aware that the joints or connections have ever been enclosed in a tight
box, which performs the two functions of preventing the gas-leaking from the
said joints, from entering the preserving chamber and protecting the said joints
from the heat of the external atmosphere, and I claim :
First In a refrigerator having one or more series of refrigerating pipes, the
boxes or joint-protectors containing the joints of the said pipes, the said boxes
being entirely disconnected from the interior of the preserving chamber and
adapted to protect the joints of the pipes from contact with the external air, as set
forth.
Second-The boxes or joint-protectors containing the joints of the refrigerating
pipes, and provided with pipes for the escape of leaking gas, as set forth.
Third-The boxes or joint-protectors containing the joints of the refrigerating
pipes and provided with a packing of asbestos or other suitable material around
the said joints, as set forth.
Fourth In a refrigerator, the combination of a preserving chamber, refrigerating-
pipes arranged along the walls thereof in two substantially vertical series, and two
practically air-tight casings one enclosing each vertical series of pipes, the said
casings being separated by an intervening air-space communicating with the upper
and lower portion of the chamber, as set forth.
Fifth In a refrigerator, the combination of a preserving chamber, refrigerating
pipes arranged along the walls thereof, practically air tight casings enclosing the
said pipes and shutting them off from contact with the air in the chamber, and air-
passages passing through the said casings and communicating with the upper and
lower portions of the chamber, whereby direct contact between the air in the
chamber and the pipes is prevented, as set forth.
Sixth The combination of the preserving chamber, the double series of refri-
gerating pipes and the proximate sides of the divisions of the casings containing
the said pipes, the said proximate sides of the casings being corrugated and forming
air-passages communicating with the upper and lower portions of the preserving
chamber, as set forth.
Seventh-The casings B enclosing the refrigerating pipes and provided with
outlets extending outside of the chamber for the escape of leaking gas, as set forth.
Eighth The combination of the refrigerating pipes, the casings B surrounding
the said pipes, and a filling of rock salt or other solid conductor of heat, as set
forth.
Ninth The combination of the preserving chamber, the casings B enclosing the
refrigerating pipes, and the vertical air-passages e in the said casings, presenting
curved surfaces to the pipes 6 and flat front surfaces, as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this second day of June in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.