IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR PORTABLE ICE SAFES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph William Froud, of the Firm of Benham and Froud,
of Chandos Strect, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR PORTABLE ICE SAFES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph William Froud at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th March 1877.
JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD, of the Firm of Benham and Froud, of Chandos Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS OR
PORTABLE ICE SAFES."
Heretofore refrigerators or portable ice safes have been provided either with
hinged doors or lids, or with solid sliding doors, which latter when open stood in
front of each other.
The first of these arrangements is found to be inconvenient in use in confined
situations, whilst the latter arrangement has the disadvantage of always, even when
open, covering a part of the doorway or opening into the refrigerator. Now
according to my Invention I obviate the disadvantages of both of the above
described arrangements by employing a jointed sliding door, lid, or cover.
In carrying my Invention into effect in the case of a refrigerator having an
opening or doorway in the front thereof, I form the refrigerator with an inner or
false top at a suitable distance below the outer or real top, and I provide the sides
of the doorway or opening, and the sides of the space between the real and false
tops, with grooves or channels to receive the sliding jointed door or front.
The jointed sliding door or lid is formed of a number of comparatively narrow
sections hinged together, and it is covered on the back with felt or other suitable
non-conducting material. Each section of the sliding jointed door, lid, or cover is
provided at each end with one or more studs or projections to work in the grooves
or channels aforesaid, and I prefer to provide such studs or projections with wheels
or rollers to lessen the friction in opening and closing the door, lid, or cover.

page_text: When employing various widths of sections to form the sliding jointed door, lid,
or cover, I find it convenient to mount the stud wheels or rollers of the broader
sections with capability of sliding transversely of the thickness of such sections, to
lessen friction, and permit of the froe motion of the parts.
In order to prevent the air as much as possible from entering the refrigerator at
the sides of the sliding jointed door, lid, or cover, when the latter is closed, I line
the grooves or ways with leather, india-rubber, or other flexible material, and when
using india-rubber, I prefer to fix it at an angle, so as to cause it to bear against
the inner side of the jointed sliding door, lid, or cover, in a similar manner to what
is known as the "draught and dust excluder."
I also cause the door, lid, or cover, to shut at one end against suitable flexible
or elastic material, and I pad it at its other end, so that when closed it shall make
a tight joint at that part with the false or inner top.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph William Froud in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
September 1877.
JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD, of the Firm of Benham and Froud, of Chandos Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFRIGERATORS or
PORTABLE ICE SAFES."
Heretofore refrigerators or portable ice safes have been provided either with
hinged doors or lids or with solid sliding doors, which latter when open stood in
front of cach other.
The first of these arrangements is found to be inconvenient in use in confined
situations, whilst the latter arrangement has the disadvantage of always, even when
open, covering a part of the doorway or opening into the refrigerator. Now
according to my Invention I obviate the disadvantages of both of the above
described. arrangements by employing a jointed sliding door, lid, or cover.
In carrying my Invention into effect, in the case of a refrigerator having an
opening or doorway in the front thereof, I form the refrigerator with an inner or
false top at a suitable distance below the outer or real top, and I provide the sides
of the doorway or opening and the sides of the space between the real and false
tops with grooves or channels to receive the sliding jointed door or front.
The jointed sliding door or lid is formed of a number of comparatively narrow
sections hinged together, and it is covered on the back with felt or other suitable
non-conducting material. Each section of the sliding jointed door, lid, or cover, is
provided at each end with one or more studs or projections to work in the grooves
or channels aforesaid, and I prefer to provide such studs or projections with wheels
or rollers to lessen the friction in opening and closing the door, lid, or cover.
When employing various widths of sections to form the sliding jointed door, lid,
or cover, I find it convenient to mount the studs, wheels, or rollers of the broader
sections with capability of sliding transversely of the thickness of such sections, to
lessen friction and permit of the free motion of the parts.
In order to prevent the air as much as possible from entering the refrigerator at
the sides of the sliding jointed door, lid, or cover, when the latter is closed, I line the
grooves or ways with leather, india-rubber, or other flexible material, and when
using india-rubber it may be fixed at an angle, so as to cause it to bear against the
inner side of the jointed sliding door, lid, or cover in a similar manner to what is
known as the "draught and dust excluder."
I also cause the door, lid, or cover to shut at one end against suitable flexible or

page_text: Figuro 1 is a front view; Figure 2 is a vertical section; and Figure 3 is a
horizontal section.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detail views of a refrigerator or ice safe
constructed according to my Invention. The body of the refrigerator or ice safe,
except so far as the door and top are concerned, is formed as heretofore of an outer
casing a and inner casing b, with the intermediate space filled with small charcoal
or other non-conducting material, or it may be otherwise formed in any of the
modes now adopted.
In carrying my Invention into effect in the case of a refrigerator having an
opening or doorway in the front thereof, I form the refrigerator with an inner
or false top c at a suitable distance below the outer or real top d, and provide
the sides of the doorway or opening, and the sides of the space between the real
and false tops, with grooves or channels e to receive the sliding jointed door or
front f. The jointed sliding door or lid fis formed of a number of comparatively
narrow sections hinged together, and it is covered on the back with felt or other
suitable non-conducting material f. Each section of the sliding jointed door, lid,
or cover f is provided at each end with one or more studs or projections f² to work
in the grooves or channels e, and I prefer to provide such studs or projections with
wheels or rollers to lessen the friction in opening and closing the door, lid, or
cover.
When employing various widths of sections to form the sliding jointed door, lid,
or cover, as represented in the Drawings, I find it convenient to mount the studs,
wheels, or rollers f2 of the broader sections with capability of sliding transversely of
the thickness of such sections, as represented at Figures 6 and 7, in which it, will
be seen that the stud f is mounted in a transverse slot formed in a plate f³, which
is screwed to the section. By these means I lessen friction and provide for the
free motion of the parts. Two views of the fixed or non-sliding stud f² are shown
at Figures 8 and 9.
In order to prevent the air as much as possible from entering the refrigerator at
the sides of the sliding jointed door, lid, or cover f when the latter is closed, I line
the grooves or channels e with leather, india-rubber, or other flexible material e¹,
and when using india-rubber it may be fixed at an angle, so as to cause it to bear
against the inner side of the jointed sliding door, lid, or cover, in a similar manner
to what is known as the "draught and dust excluder," but the form shown in the
Drawings at Figure 3, and to enlarged scale at Figure 5, and which has been found
to answer well, consists of a tube of india-rubber attached to the edge of a strip of
the same material, which latter is fixed to one side of the grooves or channels e.
I also cause the door, lid, or cover f to shut at the end f* against suitable
flexible or elastic material, and I pad it at its other end ƒ³, so that when closed
it shall make a tight joint at that part with the false or inner top c.
I also apply
suitable non-conducting material to the inside of the real or outer top d.
It will be readily understood that my Invention, with but slight modifications, is
equally applicable to refrigerators having the doorway or opening either in the top,
front, or end.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would have have it understood that what I claim is the
construction of refrigerators or ice safes with sliding jointed doors, lids, or covers,

page_text: and parts connected therewith, arranged and operating in manner substantially
as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph William Froud, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOSEPH WILLIAM FROUD. (L.S.)