Improvements in or relating to Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Refrigerating Apparatus.
A communication from CARL KRAUSSE, Merchant of Neumarkt 9, Dresden-A,
Saxony, Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:→
This invention relates to refrigerators or refrigerating apparatus in which
liquid carbonic acid acts as the refrigerating or cooling agent by evaporation.
The recovery of the carbonic acid (an inexpensive material now) is not attempted,
but in this way the manufacture of a refrigerator is possible, supplied with liquid
carbonic acid, which can be used in any place, is not depending on either a
supply of ice or on mechanical contrivances nor on the use of chemicals (such as
sulphuric acid), such refrigerators in ordinary households being attended with
a certain amount of danger, as well as requiring careful attention.
The energetic absorption of heat accompanying the evaporation of liquid car-
bonic acid is made use of in two ways: first by means of a conduit or pipe system
suitably arranged in the refrigerating chamber, in which the acid is allowed to
expand, and, secondly in a water tank in which the tubular system ends, the
water being energetically, rapidly and effectually cooled by the carbonic acid
passing through it, thus forming a kind of "cold" reservoir lasting for a con-
siderable time. The refrigeration may be carried on until ice is formed but
this is not usually practiced or necessary, as it is not usually required to reduce
the temperature in the refrigerator to the freezing point; although it is quite
possible in case of need to produce by this means artificial ice and even carbonic
acid ice.
Water taken from the water tank, when tolerably fresh, contains a quantity
of carbonic acid far above the amount which water contains naturally and may
be used in making or mixing cool beverages, and the like.
Besides the property of the carbonic acid thus used of acting as a refrigerating
agent, its preservative and antiseptic property may also be rendered serviceable
by producing in the refrigerating chamber a carbonic acid atmosphere, which,
according to recent experiments, is more conducive for preserving food stuffs
and the like than the natural atmosphere, the more so as air in the closed space
of a refrigerator rapidly deteriorates.
In the accompanying drawing a refrigerator, according to this invention is
represented, by way of example, in the form of an ordinary refrigerator or ice
chamber with two doors.
A cylinder a containing liquid carbonic acid is supported on two arms bat
the back of the refrigerator. The neck c (Figure 3) is connected with a pipe d
which enters the interior of the chamber at e and is there formed, coiled or
arranged in any suitable manner, and ends behind the water reservoir f in a
bend (Figure 4) the descending end of which enters the said water reservoir

page_text: near the bottom of the same. The water reservoir is tightly closed at the top
by a cover or lid g, an orifice of which communicates with a pipe h forming a
flue or exhaust passage for the used carbonic acid gas, the pipe h being provided
with a trap for the purpose of collecting any water particles carried away with
the escaping carbonic acid gas. The pipe h is connected with a chimney or
extends out of doors in case it is not advisable to allow the gas to freely escape
into the room in which the refrigerator stands. In any convenient part of the
pipe d, easily accessible, is provided a cock (Figures 1 and 4) for the purpose
of admitting the gaseous carbonic acid to the interior of the refrigerating chamber.
The space occupied by the cylinder a, for which allowance must be made when
placing the refrigerator against a wall, may be covered by a lid or projection n
(dotted lines Figure 2) connected by hinges m to the top or lids or covers / of
the refrigerator.
On opening the valve of the carbonic acid cylinder a the liquid rapidly issues
expands and evaporates in the tubular structure d thus refrigerating the cham-
ber and then passes into and through the water in the tank f, refrigerating it,
and finally out through the escape pipe h. When the cock k is opened, part of
the expanding carbonic acid gas enters the refrigerating chamber in which the
air is gradually driven upwards and replaced by an atmosphere of carbonic acid
gas.
According to the purpose the refrigerator is intended for (for domestic or trade
purposes and the like), and according to its general or special use, the refrigerator
will be constructed on the lines illustrated by way of example in the drawings,
or in other forms. The same considerations govern also the arrangement of the
refrigerating tubing or conduits. The manner of supporting the carbonic acid
cylinder as represented in the accompanying drawing has also been shown only
by way of example.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
-
1. A refrigerator in which liquid carbonic acid is employed provided with a
system of tubes or conduits arranged within the refrigerating chamber and
adapted to be connected with a cylinder or supply of carbonic acid gas under
pressure, and a water tank with escape pipe into which tank the pipe system
passes substantially as described.
2. A refrigerator of the kind described provided with means for admitting
into the interior carbonic acid gas for the purpose of producing an atmosphere
of carbonic acid gas.
3. A refrigerator comprising a closed chamber, a reservoir for carbonic acid
gas under pressure, a tubular system within said chamber, a water tank, and gas
outlet, substantially as described.
4. The complete refrigerator substantially as described or illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 92nd day of October 1899
BOULT, WADE, & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.