Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
Figure 4, a front elevation; and
Figure 5, a horizontal section.
An ice holder C resting on supports G is inserted in the centre of the internal
chamber of the ice chamber A, and is widened above and closed by means of a
removable cover B, the lower frame b of the latter, which runs all round and
is of shaped section, resting on and forming a tight joint with a frame c of
similar shape and I shaped section.
The
The lower part of the ice holder C ends in a hopper shaped extension C¹ the
mouth of which is provided with a flap or valve J which is automatically closed
and opened on the doors T being opened and closed respectively. This is effected
by means of angle pieces t attached to the doors on which forked pieces pare
pivotally mounted which are connected with bell cranks M by links n.
said bell cranks M are connected with the valve J by means of cords carried
over rollers so that the opening or closing of one of the 2 doors is sufficient
to automatically close or open the valve J. A grating H on which the ice rests
is arranged as usual in the ice container so that only ice water and no ice can
come into the hopper C¹. The hopper C¹ also forms a 'cold air storage chamber
so that on the closing of the doors the air accumulated therein descends with
pressure into the cool chamber and thereby produces an increased circulation
of air therein. Openings c¹ are provided in the upper part of the ice holder and
in order to produce a better circulation of the air the two shorter side walls a of
the chamber are made inclined like a roof so that the rising warmer air is con-
LD 77

page_text: veyed to the openings c¹ in the ice container C whilst the cold air descends in
the latter and so long as the valve J is not closed, passes into the chest from
the lower orifice of the hopper C¹. A constant automatic circulation of air thus
takes place in the direction indicated by the arrows which however at once ceases
through the closing of the valve J on the opening of the doors, so that the cold
air remains accumulated in the hopper until the doors are again closed.
A vessel D for catching the water is arranged under the hopper C¹ which
vessel is divided into two compartments by means of a partition D¹, and from
which the ice water is conveyed to the outside by means of a syphon pipe E.
The pipe E has outside an oblique closing flap or valve e which is opened auto-
matically by the water itself running away, whilst the partition D¹ prevents
the outside air penetrating into the ice chest.
In order to cause the warmer air to be expelled from the ice chest on the
closing of the doors which causes a compression of the air in the said chest,
whilst retaining the cold air in the latter, the following arrangement is adopted.
The cover B of the container has an opening on which a short tube b' is mounted,
the opening of which is closed by an indiarubber ball k. The latter is covered
by a cap having small openings in the top, which cap limits the movement
of the ball k, but allows air to escape from the ice chest on the opening of the
valve k. When the doors T are closed, the air in the chest is compressed and
the warmer air at the top escapes through a momentary lifting of the ball k,
Figure 1.
The doors T are also so arranged that they do not extend to the bottom of the
inner chamber, but a considerable distance w intervenes between the lower edge
of the doors and the floor so that on the opening of the doors the coldest air
lying at the deepest part remains in the ice chest, Figure 3. The doors T are
also connected with weights W which on the fastening bolt of the doors being
drawn back, the latter open automatically and simultaneously the valve J also
automatically closes. These weights have for their object to bring the doors
fully open, so that when they are not required to be fully open, they must always
be entirely closed so that self evidently a considerable saving of refrigerating
material is effected.
With a very moderate consumption of ice such an excellent air circulation
is created in the ice chamber by the arrangement hereinbefore described that
actually no deposit of water on the food products to be cooled takes place, the
latter remaining quite dry and may be preserved a much longer time. In small
refrigerating or ice chambers the ice holder may of course be placed at the side
instead of the centre of the same, whilst for larger sizes several ice holders may
be advantageously provided in the chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An arrangement for air circulation in refrigerating or ice chambers com-
bined with a means for automatically shutting off the ice holder on the opening
of the doors of the chamber, characterised by the closed ice container (C) having
at the bottom a discharge hopper (C) capable of being closed by means of a
valve or flap (J) and at the top a number of air circulation openings (e¹) and
by the sides (a) of the chamber tapering towards these openings in such a way
that the cold air produced by the ice in the ice holder descends and when the
valve (J) is open passes through the mouth of the hopper (C) down into the
refrigerating chamber, whilst the warmer air rises up outside and enters the ice
holder through the said openings (c) whilst on the opening of the doors assisted
by means of the weights (W) the valve (J) is automatically closed by means of
cords (s), bell crank levers (M) and links (n) whereupon the air circulation is
stopped, so that whilst the doors are open no cold air can escape from the ice
holder, but on the doors being closed the valve (J) is again automatically opened

page_text: and immediately an active air circulation is again established substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In refrigerating chambers, an arrangement for automatically carrying off
the surplus ice water from the ice container whilst preventing the outside air
from entering same, consisting of a syphon pipe (E) provided with an auto-
matically closing flap or valve (e) which pipe opens above into one compartment,
which is closed at the top, of a water accumulating vessel (D) divided into two
parts by means of a partition (D), whilst the other compartment which is open
above communicates with the ice container, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In a refrigerating or ice chamber such as described, an arrangement hav-
ing for its object on the opening of the chamber to retain the coldest air in the
same and on the closing of the same to allow the warm air to escape therefrom,
consisting in placing the bottom edges of the doors considerably higher than
the floor of the chamber, and also inserting in the ice container cover a ball
valve which on the closing of the doors is adapted to open by the momentary
compression of the air and allow the warmest part of the compressed air to
escape from the ice chest, substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co..
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.