IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY AIR REFRIGER- ATING AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLICABLE TO SHIPS, RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, OR TO STATIONARY PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kennard Knott, junior, of 283, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRY AIR REFRIGER-
ATING AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLICABLE TO SHIPS, RAILWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGES, OR TO STATIONARY PURPOSES."
Sealed the 4th November, 1879 and dated the 6th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kennard Knott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1879.
KENNARD KNOTT, junior, of 283, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DRY AIR REFRIGERATING AND APPARATUS THEREFOR, APPLICABLE
TO SHIPS, RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, OR TO STATIONARY PURPOSES."
It is well known that in most descriptions of refrigerators as at present constructed
the actual utility is to a great extent neutralized by the damp collecting in the
refrigerating chamber, but by my Invention I seek to remedy this evil in the
following manner :— -I construct the chamber, which may be of any convenient
shape, in the usual manner and of suitable materials, and in this I insert the tank
or receptacle to contain the ice or other refrigerating agent. This tank I prefer to
make of zinc, of any convenient form to suit the shape of the chamber, and to place
it at the top of the chamber when practicable, though it sometimes happens that in
consequence of the peculiar shape of the chamber it cannot conveniently be so
placed. I do not bind myself to use zinc only in the construction of the tank, as
some other kinds of metal, such as copper, may occasionally be substituted with
advantage. Taking as an example a square or oblong tank, I prefer to form one
or more of the sides, or ends, or the top (also the bottom, but I do not claim this,
as I am aware that a somewhat similar arrangement has been previously adopted
for the bottom), with one or more corrugations, which may be rounded or have flat
sides and sharp angles, running either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, for the
purpose of obtaining a larger amount of cooling surface. In the bottom or part
nearest the refrigerating chamber I make one or more holes or perforations of any
convenient shape, but preferably star shaped, to match the corrugations already
described, and in these I fix short tubes, closed at their inner ends and projecting
into the tank. In some special cases I find it is better to omit these tubes and
holes. The tank has suitable openings or one opening for inserting the cooling

page_text: agent; these are closed with suitable lids properly fastened. I generally place
gutters under the bottom of the tank and running the whole length and breadth
thereof to carry off the moisture as formed; these may be made of any suitable
material (I find wood does very well) and may empty into a cross gutter, from
which a pipe or pipes may lead the moisture off in any desired manner. It will be
seen that this plan may be varied by each gutter having a waste pipe of its own,
etcetera. I find that by these means. I can produce a greater useful effect and at a
less cost than is attained by the usual mode of construction. I have here described a
stationary apparatus, but it will serve to illustrate my Invention sufficiently,
to carriages, etcetera, is very similar, being the same in principle, and only altered 1
to suit the altered circumstances.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Kennard Knott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th November
1879.
"IM-
KENNARD KNOTT, junior, of 283, Strand, in the County of Middlesex.
PROVEMENTS IN DRY AIR REfrigerating aND APPARATUS THEREFOR, Applicable
TO SHIPS, RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES, OR TO STATIONARY PURPOSES."
By this Invention I am enabled to produce a greater amount of effective cooling
surface in refrigerators and at a less cost than is done by the ordinary methods.
Reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2, a
perspective view, partly in section, and Fig. 3, an elevation, also partly in section,
of my improved tank for containing the refrigerating agent. Like letters represent
like parts in these views. A is the tank; B, the door by which it is filled (the lid
is not shown); C are the short closed pipes projecting inwards from the bottom,
and here shown of a star shape, some having six and some eight points; D are the
corrugations in the sides, shown vertical in Figs. 1 and 2, and horizontal in Fig. 3,
and the top and bottom may also be corrugated. The mode of construction is as
follows:-I form the chamber, which may be of any convenient shape, in the usual
manner and of any suitable materials, and in this I insert the tank or receptacle to
contain the ice or other refrigerating agent. This tank I make of zinc or other
suitable material, but usually of zinc, of any convenient form to suit the shape of
the chamber, and I place it at the top of the chamber when practicable, though, if
necessary, it can be placed in some other position. The tank is well shown at A
(Fig. 2) and the internally projecting tubes at C in the same Figure. The tubes are
shown of a star shape, so as to expose a greater amount of cooling surface to the
air within them, but it is evident that any other convenient shape may be employed
without departing from the principle of my Invention. I have only shown six of
these tubes in the Drawing, but I vary this number according to the requirements
of the case.
In the case of very small tanks (and very rarely in large tanks also) it
sometimes happens that it is advisable to omit these pipes as being awkward to fix
and taking up too much of the space in the tank. The corrugations which I
employ to increase the cooling surface of the sides, etcetera, of the tank are clearly
shown at D in the Figures. Instead of making these corrugations with sharp
angles, as shown, they may be varied so as to form a wavy line thus
and they may be placed either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, though I
profer the first (vertical) arrangement. Underneath the tank place gutters of
ordinary construction and running the whole length and breadth thereof to carry
off the moisture which collects upon tho tank; these may empty into a cross gutter,
from which the moisture may be led by a pipe or pipes in any desirable manner.
The apparatus as above described is suited for ordinary stationary refrigerators,
such as are used in private houses, hotels, etcetera, and can be made very small and
handy for private use, but it will be seen that by increasing the size and number
of tanks a very large area may be covered by them so as to fit them for railway
carriages, ships, and other places where cold is required for preservative or other
purposes.
Having now described my Invention, and the best method known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to
protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The manufacture of refrigerating tanks (A) for containing ice or other
refrigerating agent which may be placed therein through an opening (B), with
corrugated sides, ends, or tops, whether said corrugations have sharp angles or are
rounded, substantially as set forth and shown.
2nd. In refrigerating tanks, the use of one or more of the internally projecting

page_text: stopped pipes C, whether star shaped or otherwise in section, substantially as set
forth and shown.
3rd. The combination in refrigerating tanks of the corrugated sides, ends, or top
with the internally projecting stopped tube or tubes, substantially as set forth and
shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Kennard Knott, junior, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
ALFRED J. BOULT,
of W. P. Thompson, & Co.
Solicitors of Patents,
323, High Holborn,
London,
and 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
KENNARD KNOTT, JUNIOR. (LS.)