AN IMPROVED REFRIGERATOR OR COOLING 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
"AN IMPROVED REFRIGERATOR OR COOLING APPARATUS." A communication
from abroad by David Williamson Davis and Edward William Voigt, both of
Tatrait Misbican United Stator of A manice
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London. "AN IMPROVED REFRIGERATOR OR COOLING
APPARATUS A communication from abroad by David Williamson Davis and
Edward William Voigt both of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
"
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and operation
of storage chambers in houses railway vehicles and portable refrigerators designed
for the storage and preservation of perishable matter by means of refrigerants.
The said Invention is also applicable and will be found of great utility in the
construction of vaults or cooling rooms for houses and in all places where it is
desired to preserve a low dry temperature.
In the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of my improvements as applied to a railway
vehicle body and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section of a part of the same.
A represents the shell or outer wall or casing of the vehicle or of a room and B
the inner wall. These walls are so arranged with relation to each other as to leave
a space C between them which is filled with saw dust, pulverized charcoal felt or
any other suitable non-conductors of heat. D D are a series of brackets or supports
arranged and secured on each side of the room at equal distances apart so that they
can be conveniently utilized to support a ledge a upon each side; these ledges
support metallic drip pans b which extend the whole length of the vehicle and are
Pics 1

page_text: provided at any convenient points with drip pipes c the free ends of which
terminate outside of the whole device for the purpose of carrying off the water of
condensation. E is a metallic ice receptacle made substantially in the form shown
that is to say, somewhat in the form of the letter W, the lower points of the same
resting in the drip pans b. This ice receptacle extends the whole length or nearly
so of the vehicle and the end walls of the receptacle form a tight connection with
the roof or ceiling of the said vehicle while the said walls F do not extend up to
the top of the latter but are on or about on the same plane as the top of the arch
so that there may be a free circulation of air from side to side of the vehicle or
room over and around the receptacle as indicated by the arrows. In the roof of
the vehicle at proper distances apart are openings provided with covers or stops G
through which broken ice is deposited in the ice receptacle E. To increase the
intensity of the cold produced by the ice a small quantity of salt may be mingled
with the same in very warm weather although under ordinary circumstances and
unless the preserving chamber is exposed to great heat ice alone will be sufficient
to accomplish the purpose. Suitable entrances (not shewn) of any desired character
may be formed through the walls of the chamber or vehicle and are provided with
doors which when closed will exclude air. These openings are necessary for the
purpose of loading and unloading or carrying in and out of the chamber the articles
to be preserved therein.
In practice supposing the vehicle body is to be used for the transportation of
dressed beef or other meats such meats are hung upon proper hooks within the
room and the entrance doors closed. The ice receptacle is then filled with broken
ice through the openings in the roof for that purpose and this ice falls upon the
apex of the arch which divides the mass so that it slides down into the two legs or
parts of the ice receptacle both of which are V-shaped and allow from such shape
the ice to pack itself closely against the walls of the receptacle; these walls
therefore become very cold and as a natural consequence cool the air in the
chamber immediately in contact with the outer walls of the receptacle. This air
falls by its own gravity displacing the air at a greater distance from the surface of
the receptacle which air being of lighter gravity rises and circulates along such
walls and over the top where it is brought into contact with such walls and with
the ice in the open top of the receptacle and becoming very cold falls again to
displace another lighter stratum of air. By this means a constant circulation is
kept up within the chamber, without aid from the outside air or from fans. Should
any moisture be thrown off by evaporation from the material contained in the
chamber with refrigerators as ordinarily constructed in the circulation of the air
described, this moisture would again be deposited upon the surface of the articles
to be kept cool but in this case as the air loaded with the moisture passes along the
metallic sides and bottom of the receptacle the extreme coldness of these parts
freezes such moisture upon their surface where it accumulates like hoar frost upon a
window; by this arrangement providing for the circulation of air over the ice and
around the exposed surfaces of the metallic ice receptacle so long as the entrance
doors or openings exclude external air the air in the chamber will be chemically
pure having been compelled to deposit its caloric, together with the moisture upon
the walls of the receptacle.
Although I have more particularly herein described my Invention as applied to
a railway vehicle I do not confine myself to its use upon railway vehicles as my
improvements may also be employed in the building of preserving chambers
wherever needed and portable refrigerators for ordinary family use.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim
First. A chamber provided with an ice receptacle arranged near its top and
supported from below and with a top adapted when in use to cause a circulation of
air in the said chamber and around the sides and over the top of such ice receptacle
substantially as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: Second. A chamber provided with an ice receptacle arranged and operating as
described and whose legs rest in dip pans which are supported upon ledges and
are provided with drip pipes substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. A chamber provided with an ice receptacle whose ends form a tight
connection with the roof or ceiling of the chamber while its side walls are upon a
lower plane to allow a circulation of air laterally over the top of such receptacle
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a refrigerating chamber or vehicle of the W-shaped
iced receptacle the drip pans the ledges the supports and the openings and stops G
arranged and operating substantially as specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty-eighth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
TTV
DAR