IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS." A communication from
abroad by John Jones Bate, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, Merchant,
Sealed the 3rd March 1876, and dated the 10th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th January 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS."
A communication.
"
This Invention is more particularly designed for the preservation of ment,
vegetables, fruit, and the like during transportation by sea, but it may also be used
as a stationary refrigerator on land.
The object of the said Invention is to provide a refrigerator that with a
maximum of refrigerating power shall also possess in the highest possible degree
the advantage of simplicity of structure and uniformity in the circulation and
distribution of cooled air within the refrigerator.
In my said Invention I provide within a closed refrigerating chamber an ice
box constructed with an inlet pipe and outlet opening, or with an inlet opening and
outlet pipe, and a fan or equivalent means for producing an air blast or current, the
whole being so made, combined, and arranged as to secure the requisite refrigeration
of the air within the chamber, and its circulation and distribution to all parts of the
said chamber without the use of the cumbrous combinations of inlet and outlet
pipes hitherto proposed for such purposes, but found comparatively inefficient in
practice.
In some cases, however, I use a peculiar system of upright pipes arranged to take
the warmer air from the top of the refrigerating chamber, and conduct it downward
to the inlet pipe (when such is adopted), and thence through this latter to the top
of the ice box, the air then passing down through the inlet to the outlet opening
of the ice box, whence it circulates through the chamber back to the vertical pipes
aforesaid, and so on in continuous circuit.

page_text: The refrigerating chamber is closed against ingress of the external atmosphere;
the ice box is placed, preferably, at one end of this chamber. In the lower part of
the ice box opening into the said chamber near the floor thereof is an outlet
opening in the form of a narrow slit, or a number of smaller openings or holes of
such size as to permit the egress of air from the ice box into the chamber nearly or
quite across the whole width thereof.
The inlet pipe is connected with the ice box at the top thereof, and so combined
and arranged in relation to a fan blower that the operation of the said fan blower
shall draw or force the air from the upper part of the chamber in at the top of the
ice box, and thence downward through the same, and finally out through the outlet,
slit, or opening, whence it is diffused by circulation throughout the aforesaid
chamber, and finally being drawn back to the inlet pipe is caused to again pass
into and through the ice box, the air being cooled and dried by its passage in
contact with the ice.
In some cases the construction is the same, but the direction of rotation of the
fan blower is reversed, so that the air enters the lower part of the ice box, and
passing upward is ejected in a broad sheet from the latter into the chamber, and so
caused to circulate back again.
I sometimes provide an additional pipe fitted upon the inlet pipe, and extended
downward to and along the floor. From the horizontal portion of this supplemental
pipe extend vertical pipes open at their upper extremities. The operation of the
fan blower draws the warmer air from the upper part of the chamber through the
vertical pipes, and thence to and into the ice box, from which, after passing
through or in contact with the ice it is ejected through the outlet opening.
A suitable drip pipe or syphon should be used to drain off the surplus water from
the ice box, and if desired salt may be sprinkled upon the ice in the ice box to
increase its refrigerating power.
The special construction last described permits the hanging of large articles, such
as the carcases of dead animals, from the ceiling of the refrigerating room without
interference with or from the air distributing portions of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July
1876.
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 John Jones Bate, of Brooklyn, New
York, United States of America, Merchant.
This Invention is more particularly designed for the preservation of meats,
vegetables, fruit, and the like, during transportation by sea, but it may also be used
as a stationary refrigerator on land.
The object of the said Invention is to provide a refrigerator that, with a
maximum of refrigerating power, shall also possess in the highest possible degree
the advantages of simplicity of structure and uniformity in the circulation and
distribution of the cooled air within the refrigerator.
By my said Invention I provide within a closed refrigerating chamber an ice
box constructed with an inlet pipe and outlet opening, or with an inlet opening and
outlet pipe, and provided with a fan or equivalent means of producing an air blast
or current, the whole being so made, combined, and arranged as to secure the
requisite refrigeration of the air within the chamber, and its circulation and distri-
bution to all parts of the said chamber without the use of the cumbrous combina-
tions of inlet and outlet pipes hitherto proposed for such purposes, but found
comparatively inefficient in practice.

page_text: In some cases, however, I use a peculiar system of upright pipes so arranged as
to take the warmer air from the top of the refrigerating chamber, and conduct it
downward to the inlet pipe (when such is adopted), and thence through the latter
to the top of the ice box, the air then passing down through the inlet to the outlet
opening of the ice box, whence it circulates through the chamber back to the
vertical pipes aforesaid, and so on in continuous circuit.
It will be understood that the fan blower or air forcing mechanism is to be con-
pected by a belt or otherwise with the motive power, whereby a steam vessel or
ship is propelled, the same motor serving to propel the vessel, and to provide the
requisite circulation of air in the refrigerating chamber.
My Invention, although capable of advantageous use on land, being more
especially adapted to secure the preservation of meat, vegetables, and the like,
during shipment by sea.
I DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are vertical longitudinal sectional views of refri-
gerating apparatus made according to this Invention, and Figures 8 and 9 are
vertical sectional views taken transversely or at right angles to the first-named
Figures.
Having reference first to Figures 1, 3, and 8, A is the refrigerating chamber
closed against ingress of the external atmosphere; B is the ice box placed pre-
ferably at one end of the chamber A. In the lower part of the ice box B opening into
the chamber A, near the floor thereof, is an outlet opening a. This opening should
be in the form of a narrow slit, as represented in Figure 8, but may comprise a
number of smaller openings or holes ranged in line at or near the floor, and of such
size, proportions, and arrangement as to permit the egress of air from the ice box
into the chamber nearly or quite across the whole width thereof, in substantially
the same manner as when made from or through the opening in the form of a con-
tinuous slit as represented in Figure 8 aforesaid, and just herein-before described.
C is inlet pipe connected with the ice box at the top thereof, and so combined and
arranged in relation to a fan blower D that the operation of the said fan blower
shall draw or force, as the case may be, the air from the upper part of the chamber A
in at the top of the ice box, and thence downward through the same, and finally
out through the outlet, slit, or opening a, whence it is diffused by circulation
throughout the chamber A, and finally being drawn back to the inlet pipe C is
caused to again pass into and through the ice box, the air being of course cooled
and dried by its passage in contact with the ice.
In Figure 6 the construction of the apparatus is the same as in Figures 1, 3,
and 8, just mentioned, but the direction of rotation of the fan blower D is reversed,
the effect being simply to reverse the direction of the air current, the air being
drawn in through the "outlet" opening, so termed, and being ejected from the
inlet" pipe, so termed.
"
In Figures 2, 4, 5, and 9, the same letters of reference indicate the refrigerating
chamber, the ice box, and the fan blower, as in Figure 1; but in these the pipe,
indicated at G, is placed on or near the floor, while the opening shown at b (and
corresponding in shape and size with the opening a in the Figures first herein-
before described) is placed at the top of the ice box. The fan blower is so arranged
as to draw the air in at the top of the ice box through the opening, which in these
Figures is shown at b, and to eject it at the lower part of the chamber from the
pipe G, the air being of course cooled and dried by its contact with the ice, and
being made to circulate throughout the chamber by its passage through the same
from the end of said pipe G back to the opening to re-enter and again pass
through the ice box.
In Figure 4 the construction is the same, but the direction of rotation of the fan
blower is reversed, so that the air enters the lower part of the ice box, and passing
upward is ejected in a broad sheet from the latter into the chamber A, and so
caused to circulate back to the pipe G.

page_text: In Figure 7 the same letters of reference indicate the chamber, the ice box, and
the fan blower, as in the others herein mentioned, and as in Figures 1, 3, and 8. The
inlet pipe is, indicated by the letter C, and is arranged to enter the top of the
ice box; but in this Figure 7 an additional pipe F is fitted upon the pipe C, and
extended downward to and then along the floor. From the horizontal portion c of
this supplemental pipe F extend vertical pipes E open at their upper extremities.
The operation of the fan blower draws the warmer air from the upper part of the
chamber through the vertical pipes, and thence to and into the ice box, from which,
after passing through or in contact with the ice it is ejected through the outlet
opening indicated, as in Figures 1, 3, and 8 by the letter a.
It will be understood that any mechanical equivalent of the fan blower may be
used to produce the same effect, also that a suitable drip pipe or syphon should be
used to drain off the surplus water from the ice box, also that if desired, salt
may be sprinkled upon the ice in the ice box to increase its refrigerating
power.
It will also be understood that the special construction, shewn in Figure 7,
permits the hanging of large articles, such as the carcasses of dead animals, from
the ceiling of the refrigerating room without interference with or from the air
distributing portions of the apparatus.
It will be further understood that when the refrigerating room A is of small size,
the pipe C or G, as the case may be, may be made so short as to comprise merely
the hood of the fan blower, as represented in Figure 2.
It should be further understood that the pipe C or G, as the case may be, or, if
preferred, the vertical pipes E may be perforated throughout their length with any
desired number of holes or openings.
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 claim,
First. The combination within a closed chamber of the ice box and fan blower,
or other draught producing apparatus, the ice box being provided with an inlet
pipe and outlet opening, or with an inlet opening and an outlet pipe, as may be
preferred, as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of the vertical pipes with the said fan blower or
draught apparatus and the ice box provided with the inlet pipe and outlet opening,
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
LEWIS SANDERSON,
8, Southampton Bdgs.,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (LS.)