An Improved System for the Adaptation of Ships in the Conveyance of Perishable Cargo.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System for the Adaptation of Ships in the Conveyance
of Perishable Cargo.
I, RICHARD DOUGLAS COULTER, of Orange City, in the County of Volusia
and State of Florida, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR THE ADAPTATION OF
SHIPS IN THE CONVEYANCE OF PERISHABLE CARGO, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
--
The object of my invention is to provide means for preserving cargos of
perishable merchandise on ships, whereby the goods can be easily and quickly
handled, and cooling or heating and ventilating readily and properly applied for
preserving purposes according to the kind of goods transported.
The invention consists in the novel details of improvement and the combination
of parts that will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein―
Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a portion of a ship provided
with my improvements, and
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the bin for holding
merchandise.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings the letter A, indicates the main
deck of the ship, beneath which and on the lower decks are formed rooms or
compartments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which the goods to be preserved can be placed,
which rooms are to be cooled as hereinafter shown. B indicates a dead air space
between the walls of said room, which may be filled with any suitable non-
At the upper part
conductor, such as thick paper, saw-dust, &c., when desired.
of each room 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are chambers C, having suitable inclined tight
floors, within which chambers cakes of ice can be placed for cooling said rooms.
In the rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are steam heating pipes E, which pass in suitable
manner through the rooms, and are supplied with steam from the boiler A, by
pipe A The return steam is run into the condenser A', where it is condensed
by cool water passing over the pipes. The water of condensation is carried by a
pipe a to the tank and filter 17, and when filtered it is run into the storage water
tank 19, beneath it, from whence it is pumped by pump 18, through pipe b. into
the storage water tank Z, from whence the water is drawn into the freezing
vat V.
In
Beneath the ice bins C are drip paus of sheet iron C2 to carry off waste water,
and to those pans and to the bins are connected water traps G, that are arranged
so as to prevent warm air from passing through the walls of the rooms.
addition to the ice bins C I use cooling pipes H, that are shown passing through
the rooms just beneath the bins C. The pipes H, are cooled by the expansion of
ammonia within them, or by forcing salt brine through them.
densation from the pipes H, will be carried off by the troughs C. The water
from the traps G, runs by suitable pipes to the drip trough Gover the
condenser A, and the water drips over the pipes of said condenser to condense
the steam therein.
Water of con-
It will be understood that the rooms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, can be of various sizes, so
that more or less freight can be cooled at once, and one room cooled without the
necessity of cooling the next, &c., and suitable doors can be placed between the
rooms and packed to prevent air from passing from one room to another.
The cooling pipes H, are to be connected to an ammonia receptacle X, which

page_text: may be of suitable construction. The pipes H. are at the upper part of all the
cooling rooms, and the ammonia is forced through them by a suitable pump.
The expanded ammonia returns to the receptacle X, and by a pipe through the
centre of X and then passes through an oil trap under the water tank (not shown
in the drawings) to take out all the oil, and from the oil trap the return ammonia
is run through a pipe coiled in the lower part of the water tank Z. This is to
partly cool the water in the tank Z before filling into the ice cans. From the water
tank the spent ammonia partly liquefied and part ammonia gas is run through a
pipe 6 into a suitable condensing pump 8, where the ammonia is re-condensed; and
the ammonia gas escapes or ascends the pump 8 through pipes 4, and 6 up into the
coil of pipes in the gas condenser 3, containing water, and the recondensed ammonia
passes through the pipe 5, back into the condensing pumps 8. By this means after
the ammonia has been expanded in the pipes H, for cooling the rooms, it is
recondensed and thus used over again.
The pipes H, provide a dry cold in the cooling rooms, which is best to preserve
fruits, vegetables, meats, &c.
In the vat V, cakes of ice are to be frozen which are to be placed in the bins C
over the rooms to cool them. This vat can be of suitable construction as
well known.
9 is a suitable pump supplied with steam from the boiler A³, and it is suitably
connected with the pump 8 for actuating it.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the storage rooms can be cooled by
cakes of ice. or by cooling pipes for certain kinds of goods, and for others can be
heated by the steam pipes E. Also that provision is made for using the ammonia
over and over for economy; and that all waste water and drippings can be utilized
for economy.
In the storage rooms place suitable bins capable of receiving merchandise in
bulk, such as oranges, vegetables, meats, &c. This bin is clearly shown in Fig. 2,
and consists of a suitable frame 25, whose sides are made up of removable
boards 26. Between the boards 26 spaces 27 are left also in the bottom or floors
that permit the passage of air, and wire gauze 28, covers these spaces to prevent
merchandise from escaping. Or there may be no spaces between the boards 26 ns
in the centre of the bin. if preferred to make them air tight. 29 are shelves or
bottom boards in the bin upon which the goods are to be placed with openings
between for ventilation or light, (sce dotted lines). These shelves 29, are vertically
adjustable so that different spaces can be left in the bin according to the
merchandise to be stored. By having the shelves 29 inclined both ways, i.e. length
ways and cross ways, the goods can be handled easily in bulk as they will slide or
roll on the shelves or floors of the bins. Suitable rollers 30 can be placed on the
bins to facilitate moving them from one vessel or car to another. These bins can
be suitably arranged in the storage rooms, secured by hooks and cross timbers and
braces, and are of different sizes, some movable and some permanent according to
the kind of trade the vessel is engaged in.
There are also air tubes extending from upper deck down through the cooling
rooms to the lower deck with funnel shape openings on deck and openings into the
cooling rooms to supply fresh air-these openings can all be closed and made air
tight when necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a vessel, the arrangement of storage rooms, heating and cooling
means, and means for utilizing the waste water, &c., substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In a vessel the storage rooms having bins to receive the goods, and means
for heating and cooling said rooms, and for utilizing the waste water, &c.,
substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 3. In a vessel, the combination of the storage rooms, ice vats, cooling pipes and
means for cooling them, heating pipes and means for heating them, steam condensing
vats, ammonia receptacle, recondensing pump, gas condensing tank and pipes
connecting the parts, substantially as shown and described.
4. In a vessel, the combination of the storage rooms, ice vats, drip troughs, water
traps and pipes for them, cooling pipes, aminonia receptacle and pipes connecting
them, aminonin re-condensing pumps, gas condensing tank, heating pipes and
means for heating them, steam condensing tanks, and ice freezing vat, substantially
as shown and described.
5. In a vessel, the storage bin, composed of the frame 25, sides 26 having
openings 27 and gauze covering 28, and the adjustable inclined floors 29,
substantially as shown and described.
Data: 12th day of Al 1901
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.