Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling Atmospheric Conditions in Storage Chambers for Food.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1897-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling Atmospheric Conditions
in Storage Chambers for Food.
I, JOSEPH HENRY BOWLEY, of Marengo, in the County of McHenry, and State of
Illinois, United States of America, Salesman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the control of atmospheric conditions for preserving food
supplies in storing chambers, and particularly to means for controlling and operating
the valves and other appliances employed to effect such control.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my switch board and battery.
Figure 2 is a part of the battery cabinet removed.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 1 on a reduced scale.
Figure 4 is a detail of my commutator cylinder and seat therefor.
Figure 5 is a cross section of commutator seat shown in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a 'longitudinal section of the commutator cylinder.
In carrying out my invention I find it necessary to arrange in cooperative relation
with respect to each other a number of elements, which I will now proceed to
individually describe.
It may be stated that my invention comprehends the provision of means for deter-
mining the atmospheric condition of the storage chamber without the necessity of a
personal visit thereto.
My improved switchboard consists of the switchboard proper 1, which is mounted
upon the table 2, preferably constructed as shown and having a cylindrical body, one,
side thereof having a cancave edge 3, contiguous to which the operator is placed.
The switchboard proper 1, consists of a thin plate of suitable material having a series
of buttons or levers 4, by means of which electrical circuits are closed and opened,.
through wires or electric conductors which will connect each push button to one
terminal of one of the several batteries 13 in the cabinet and also through electric
conductors leading from the battery circuit to the meinber to be actuated, separate
conductor leading from each button to the particular member controlled by it, thereby
operating local magnets located near by or in remote sections of the building or other
place, each lever or button having control of its respective work, which work may be
clearly designated by suitable labels. The other terminal of each battery may be
connected to earth or common return.
Upon one end of the switchboard or other preferred location I mount the com-
Hutator cylinder 5, which is mounted in the concave seat 6, provided in the face of
the switchboard at any preferred point and adapted to receive the lower third or half
of said cylinder. The opposite ends of said seat may be provided with suitable bear-
ings 7, adapted' to receive the journals.8 on the cylinder and permit the free rotation
thereof. The commutator cylinder consists, essentially, of coils of insulated-wire 9.
and are practically the well known resistance coils used in electrical devices. Upon
the peripheral face of the commutator cylinder are a series of contact points 10, which
are designed to make contact with suitable parts to establish different currents which

page_text: a
:
will be transmitted through suitable conductors, to any point desired. Said contact
points are preferably connected to a metal plate 10%, having retaining screws 10. In
forming the cylinder I fill it one half or two thirds full, more or less, when I set the
plate 10 in position and complete the winding process, after first removing a section
of the insulation of the wire at a point thereon opposite the retaining screws 10º,
when said screw is turned home against the bared section, thus providing for the
electrification of said plates and points thereon. Upon the face of the concave seat 6
are arranged the series of spring contact plates 11, each one of which will connect by
a suitable conductor with a separate battery of the cabinet and so disposed trans-
versely in the bottom of said seat that the first will extend entirely across, the second
being shorter than the first, the third slightly shorter than the second, and so on.
It will be seen that the contact points 10 upon the cylinder are arranged in a straight
line in such a manner that each point will coincide or come in contact with its
respective plate only. As many of the points and the respective plates as desired
may be brought into registration by simply turning the cylinder. Each of the
contact plates 11 preferably represents but one of the cells of the battery, with which
it is suitably connected, and it will be understood that when the force of but one cell
is required the commutator cylinder will be rotated in such a manner that but one of
its contact points will be in contact with its plate. When it is desired to increase
the power, the cylinder is rotated: so as to bring the second contact point into contact
with its individual plate, and so on until all of the pairs of said points may be brought
into connection with each other and thereby multiply the force in proportion to the
number of cells in the battery.
It will of course be understood that the journal 8 opposite the operating handle or
lever 8ª has electrical connection with the insulated wires upon the cylinder and that
a suitable wire 8b is so mounted that its end will be in contact with said journal and
thus provide means for conveying, the current to any desired point, for instance by
connecting said wire with the conductor leading from the particular push-button of
the switch controlling the member which may require a stronger or weaker current
under different conditions. A ratchet bar 8 is placed upon the bearing seat at the
end adjacent to the operating handle, in order that the point 8d on said handle may
engage with one of the ratchets and thus hold the cylinder in an adjusted position.
This ratchet bar serves to indicate the extent of rotation of the cylinder. There being
as many notches in the bar as there are pins in the cylinder and plates in the concave
seat 6 it is obvious that by observing the particular notch with which the point 8d
may for the time be engaged' it will indicate that the corresponding number of pins
and plates are in contact and hence will be known the number of battery cells
brought into action and consequently the electrical force or power for the time
employed, and which can be increased or decreased by shifting the position of the
cylinder so as to bring more or less of the pins and plates into contact.
It will be understood that in providing power for the actuation of some simple
mechanical device--such, for instance, the mechanism for opening or closing a door
or window the electrical energy comprised in one of the cells will be all that is
required, in which case the operator will so manipulate the commutator cylinder that
the desired amount of force will be applied. When it is desired to bring to bear all
the electrical force comprised in all of the cells the operator will be able by a
proper rotation of said cylinder to bring the whole force of all the cells into use.
It will be understood that each of the segmental sections 13 will contain a cell
of the battery and that the number of sections may be, multiplied as desired, and
also that in operation one of said cells or all of them may be simultaneously
applied, as the necessities of the case may demand.
In order to render the segmental sections 13 readily accessible, one or more of said
sections are omitted, which omission provides immediately under the switchboard
an opening 15, adapted to accommodate the operator.
It will be seen that a series of segmental sections are connected together, forming
the disks or compartments 14. When it is desired to have access to any of the cells
in any one of the segmental sections, the disk or compartment containing it may be

page_text: rotated until such cell comes into view under the switchboard 1, which is attached to
the body by hinges 1" and may be raised and lowered at will.
Each of the
Suitable handles 16 may be provided for each of the disks 14.
cells 13 of the battery is complete in itself that is to say, each one is provided
with its complement of zinc and carbon poles and a proper quantity of biting liquid,
and each has its individual wire and brush 18. Each brush is designed to contact
with its individual plate 19, located upon the inner face of the housing or casing 20,
attached rigidly to the top of the table and adapted to protect the series of disks 14.
Each of the contact plates 19 is connected with one of the spring, plates 11, located
in the concave seat 6, and by his arrangement it will be seen that the several cells
of the battery are entirely separated from each other, enabling the operator, through
the medium of the commutator cylinder, to bring the force of but one cell. or the
entire battery to bear upon any given work.
.
In order to make it fully apparent how I propose to absolutely control and regu-
late the temperature of different compartments, I will state that where it is desired
to establish and maintain, for instance, a certain degree of humidity in the atmos-
phere I will locate a hygrometer either within the compartment to be controlled or
in the air tight box 12 immediately within the vision of the operator, near the
switchboard. Said box shall be connected by suitable pipes with the compartment
containing the food supplies, and thus contain a sample of the atmosphere therein.
If the hygrometer is located directly in the compartment containing the subject.
matter to be treated; the operator will be required to take occasional observations
thereof, and if its indices designate that too much moisture is in suspension he will
manually or electrically by means of the switchboard from one of the push-buttons
of which a conductor will lead to a suitably electrically operated' device, for instance
to an electro-magnet operatively connected with the valve so as to actuate one of the
valves located in said compartment, and thus introduce a new supply of drier atmo-
sphere, and at the same time perinit the exit of part of the moisture laden air.
If, however, the hygrometer is located in the box 12, the operator can without re-
moving from his place at the switchboard note the condition of the atmosphere in
the compartment, which may be far distant, and by setting up an electrical connec-
tion with the valve located in the compartment open or close it through the mediation
of the proper button before him, accomplishing the same result as though he was
personally present. The temperature of the atmosphere may be observed and regu-
lated in the same manner. A thermometer of any approved pattern may be located
either within the housing 12 or within the compartment containing the goods to be
preserved, and the work of raising or lowering the temperature may be done by visit-
ing the compartment or through the control of the switchboard without necessitating
such visit.
The box or receptacle 12 is made air tight and is provided with a glass front, and
the box when thus formed is connected in any suitable manner with pipes leading to
and from the storage chamber, thus providing that a sample of the atmosphere in
said chamber will be forced in said box. Said receptacle or box 12 is provided with
a suitable bandle 12", by means of which the door may be opened when it is desired
to gain access to the interior. Within said receptacle I locate any preferred style of
barometer, hygrometer, thermometer, &c., which may at all times be readily seen
through the glass front and the condition of the atmosphere thereby ascertained.
I thus prefer to locate the box at a convenient point to the operator of the switch
board, enabling him to read the condition of the storage chamber, though it be far
removed. It will be understood that by means of the electrical control provided for
the valves in said storage chamber the operator will be enabled to easily regulate the
atmospheric condition thereof. When, for instance, the thermometer indicated too
high a temperature, one of the buttons having electrical control of the proper valve
is pressed, when, such valve is opened, admitting cooler air. In like manner if the
temperature is indicated as being too low the proper valve is opened, which will
admit heated air. It will be understood that the pipes leading from the storage

page_text: chamber to the box 12 shall be suitably covered with non-conducting material, as
Asbestos or the like.
•
It will be seen that I have produced a labor saving device by means of which the
control of the atmospheric condition of the rooms of a storage warehouse is placed_
under the control of the switchboard and one operator therefor. It is believed that
my improved commutator cylinder will be found desirable in any case requiring a
perfect control or regulation of the force of the opening cells of the motor.
Having now particularly. described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A switching device for electrical energy consisting of a cylindrical coil of
insulated wire, a series of contact points in electrical contact with said wire, a sup-
porting axle for rotatably mounting said cylindrical coil and having electrical
connection therewith, and a support or seat designed to receive part of said cylinder,
Eaid seat being provided with a series of transversely disposed contact plates for, co-
operating with the points on said cylinder, each of said plates being connected with
the source of electrical energy, substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The herein described switchboard, consisting of an outer casing, a series of
rotatable disk sections mounted therein, each of said disks having a series of seg-
mental compartments, and an open sectiou, electric batteries mounted in said
compartments, an individual contact.point or brush for each battery, attached to the
periphery of said disk, a contact plate for cooperating with said brush, located upon
the inner face of the outer casing, and a series of contact plates located in a concave
seat upon the table, each having wire connection with the plates on the casing, as
and for the purpose set forth.
-
3. As an improvement in electrical switches, the combination with a series of
batteries and graduated plates having electrical union, of a rotatably mounted
cylinder formed of insulated wire baving contact points on the surface thereof, n
supporting axle, having suitable bearings, in electrical union with said contact points
and with the transmitting wire and a concave seat designed to receive said plates and
cylinder and permit the contact points thereon to successively engage the plates,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
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