Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
I, PETER WARDEN PECKHAM, of the city, county, and state of New York, in the
United States of America, but temporarily residing at No. 20, Powell Street, Goswell
Road, London, in the county of Middlesex, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with refrigerating
chambers, to more effectually preserve meat, fruit, fish and all articles of a perishable
nature during transit, or storage, or transportation from one country to another, by
sea, or land for delivery to buyers or consumers, in nearly the same condition as
when started, by the process of refrigerating to preserve the articles and products
mentioned, for meat in carcase, or in joints, fish, game, fruit in the condition in which
it is gathered, and stored or liquids requiring a certain temperature to preserve and
keep them in the required state to be consumed by refrigerating with a less con-
sumption of Ice, compounds of Ice, freezing liquids, or other compounds for freezing,
by the means now in use-to effect this, I exclude heat and air from the Ice, or its
substitute by covering it on all sides excepting the side through which it is desired to
refrigerate from, thereby causing a great saving in the waste, or escape of cold, while
the device, or refrigerating apartment is kept at the lowest temperature, or such a
temperature as may be desired according to the article or product contained therein,
by the escape of the refrigerating power, or cold, only through that portion of the
apartment, or wall, side, top or bottom of the cooling chamber, being so used to
refrigerate through, and that no outside air or heat is allowed to get to the refrigerating
material. The refrigerating apartment may be formed in a part or whole of a railway
freight car, freight case or box, decks of a ship, vessel or utensil, if in a freight goods
box, or case, I employ an external box, or case, or outer structure, which may be made
of any rough, strong, inexpensive material adapted for transportation having an inner
box, case, or structure or refrigerating apartment, both made to the shape or form as
may be deemed necessary to suit the requirements of the place, the said inner case or
refrigerating apartment is surrounded or filled with any suitable good non-conducting
material, such as sawdust, charcoal and the like.-One of the sides or the top of the
inner case or refrigerating apartment may be closed by a tight fitting cover made of
sheet metal, or other good conducting material for refrigerating through, and may
be of any desired form, or form the whole or part of the side or top of the inner case,
and the edges may be turned up to carry off the drip from the Ice, coming on; and
next to it, to one or more points of discharge. Provision is made for the refilling or
emptying of the contents of the inner apartment, or for the inspection of the same,

page_text: by a door in the side, or front of the outer and inner case, or structure, corresponding
with each other and seperated by an interval properly enclosed and packed or filled
in with non-conducting material, and closing with a tight close joint to prevent the
entrance of any air, and secured in a suitable manner. A portion or the whole of the
upper part of the outer case, or structure, may be made to lift off, or swing open
upwards on hinges, and to carry with it the cover, having upon it the refrigerating
material. In all cases the non-conducting material is made to cover the ice, or the
substitute for ice to form a non conducting envelope to protect it on every side or face
thereof not in immiediate contact with the conducting wall, or cover of the refrigerating
apartment, and arrainged in any effective manner to follow up and protect the ice or
other refrigerating material or compound that decays, if desirable a thin woven cloth,
or other flexible fabric may be placed between the refrigerating material and the non-
conducting envelope, when there is a drip from the refrigerating material, it may
percolate through the non-conducting material and be finally discharged through
openings in the bottom of the outer case, or structure, or may be collected in vessels,
arrainged in the outer case, in the most convenient manner, or collected in the bottoni
and drawn off from time to time. In the sides small ventilating tubes may be inserted
through the inner and outer walls of the structure, for the circulation of air through
the refrigerating apartment and regulated and governed by suitable valves, or plugs
for opening or closing them at pleasure also a thermometer may be inserted through
the outer structure, that its bulb is within the inner case, or refrigerating apartment,
and the temperature within read off on the outside at any time-To cheapen and
facilitate the removal of the cover of the refrigerating apartment the non-conducting
material may be enclosed in a cloth or pliable bag to form a close fitting envelope over
all sides of the refrigerating material not in contact with the conducting wall of the
inner case, or structure. If it is desirable to refrigerate from the side of the structure,
the side to be so used is made of good conducting material with the ice, or its
compounds placed against it, with the non-conducting material covering the
refrigerating material and backed, and followed up by a moveable plate, or board
worked to follow up the ice as it decays, by a spring or springs arrainged so as to
press from the outer wall of the case, or structure up and against the plate, or board
to keep a continual pressure upon the refrigerating material as it decays, the outer case,
or structure in this case may have a lid hinged on, and to co-operate with the
refrigerating apartment as hereinbefore described-When desirable to use the bottom
of a case, or structure, vessel or utensil for refrigerating from l'arrainge a good thin
conducting bottom or floor, to cover the whole or part of the bottom of the refrigerating
apartment, the non-conducting material is filled in the bottom of the outer structure,
and the ice, or its substitute is covered on all its sides except that, to come up against
the conducting floor of the inner chamber, and the said floor is arrainged to fall, as
the ice, or its substitute decays.-When a freezing liquid, or compound is held in a
recepticle, the refrigerating is done in the manner herein before described, except that
there is no following up of the refrigerating material as it decays-When the
recepticles require to be refilled the freezing material is drawn off and the screw
stoppers, or other suitable method of opening and closing up the vessel, or recepticle
removed One side of the said recepticle, or recepticles may form a part or whole of
the sides, top, or bottom of the refrigerating apartment-By this means of refrigerating
with the refrigerating material protected against heat and air, as described, all articles
of a perishable nature may be packed at the scource of supply, in the manner as before
described for shewing for exhibition, or sale, and forwarding after sale to long
distances, with economy in refrigerating, and in a good condition-of perfect
preservation.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Refrigerating Chambers.
I, PETER WARDEN PECKHAM, of the City, County, and State of New York, in
the United States of America, but temporarily residing at No. 20, Powell Street,
Goswell Road London, in the County of Middlesex, England Stationer, 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:-
This invention mainly relates to Improvements in and connected with refrigeratin
chambers the purpose of which is to more cheaply and effectually preserve meat
fruits, Fish, and all articles of a perishable nature during transit, or storage, or
transportation from one country to another, by sea or land for delivery to buyers or
consumers, in nearly the same condition as when despatched from the sender-by
methods of refrigerating to preserve perishable articles, or products such as meat, in
carcases, or in Joints, Fish, game, and fruit so that they will be preserved nearly in
a perfect condition or liquids requiring a certain temperature so that they are
preserved and kept in their proper condition by refrigerating without the use of
machinery, and causing a saving in the consumption of the Ice, compounds of Ice,
freezing liquids, or other substances, or compounds for refrigerating-To effect this,
I exclude heat and air from the Ice, or its substitute, by covering it on all sides-
excepting the side through which it is desirable to refrigerate from, in the various
ways hereinafter referred to and described-thereby cheaply causing a great saving
in the waste, or escape of cold, while the refrigerating apartment, or apartments,
are kept at the proper temperature required for the thing, or things undergoing
refrigeration, and so arranged that the refrigerating power, or cold, from the ice, or
its equivalent only escapes through that portion of the structure containing the Ice,
or its equivalent, or that portion of the walls, sides, top, or bottom used to refrigerate
through into the chamber, or chambers being refrigerated, and so that, outside air, or
heat cannot get to the refrigerating material. The chambers, or apartments for
refrigerating may be formed in a portion or the whole of a railway freight car,
building, room, freight case, box, decks, or between decks of a ship, vessel or utensil
For a freight goods box, or case I construct an external box, or case, which can be
made of any rough strong inexpensive material put together, proper for the purpose,
and adapted for Transportation-having an inner box or case for the refrigerating
apartment, both made to the shape or form to suit the requirements-After being
placed in the larger external box, or case, the said refrigerating apartment may be
surrounded with a good and suitable non-conducting material such as saw-dust,
charcoal, and the like-firmly packed between the two structures. The top of the
refrigerating apartment, or apartments, may carry a tight fitting cover, made of sheet
metal, or other good conducting material for refrigerating through, and can be of any
suitable shape or form or embrace only a part or the whole of the Top for refrigerating
through The edges of the cover may be turned up in any practical way to carry off
the drip from the Ice to one or more points of discharge, the refilling, or emptying,

page_text: or inspection of the contents of the refrigerating apartment may be effected by having
a door in the side, or front of the outer and inner case, or structure both to correspond
but seperated by an interval properly enclosed. The space being packed or filled in
with non-conducting material and made to close with a tight joint to prevent the.
entrance of air, or heat, and secured in any suitable manner, or a portion or the whole
of the Top of the outer case, or structure may be made to lift off, or swing open
upwards, or so arranged to carry with it the refrigerating material and whatever non-
conducting material is used, which latter may be of such a nature as to form a
non-conducting envelope to cover the Ice, or its substitute to protect it on every side,
or face thereof that is not in immediate contact with the conducting cover of the
refrigerating apartment, which envelope may be arranged in any desired manner so
as to follow up and protect the Ice, or other refrigerating material or compound, as
they decay, and a thin woven cloth or other flexible fabric may be put between the
refrigerating material and the non-conducting covering material, or envelope-The drip
from the refrigerating material may percolate through the non-conducting material to
be caught in suitable vessels, and drawn off from time to time or discharged through
apertures in the bottom of the outer case, or structure-In the sides, through the
outer and inner walls of the structure are inserted ventilating tubes for the circulation
of air through the refrigerating apartment or apartments, which are regulated and
governed by suitable valves, or plugs, for opening or closing them-For ascertaining
the degree of cold in the refrigerating chamber, or chambers a Thermometer is inserted
so that the bulb is within the refrigerating apartinent and the degrees of cold are
shewn by a scale on the outside-If it is desirable to refrigerate from the side of any
structure, the side so used may be arranged in the manner as described in the drawings
accompanying this specification, and the whole side, or sides or a portion thereof may.
be so used, and when it is desirable to refrigerate through the bottom of the structure,
vessel or utensil I arrange a suitable thin conducting floor, for all or any portion of
the bottom of the refrigerating apartment, or apartments and the non-conducting
material or envelope, and the Ice, or its substitute is filled in the bottom of the outer
case, or structure, under such floor, and the Ice, or its substitute is covered on all its
sides except the side coming up against the under side of the conducting floor, which
latter is made to fit airtight in any suitable manner, the said floor being so arranged
so as to fall, as the Ice, or its substitute decays, the drainings of the drip, on the under
side of the Ice, or its substitute may be drawn off, or percolate through the non-
conducting material as herein before described-When a freezing liquid or compound
is used in recepticles for refrigerating, it is not necessary to provide for the following
up, there being no decay of the material in the recepticle used-For refilling or
drawing off the freezing liquid a screw stopper may be provided, or other suitable
means employed for opening and closing the recepticles if desired. One side of the
latter may form a part, or whole of the sides, top or bottom of the refrigerating
apartment, or apartments, also, if desirable the Ice, or its equivalent may be arranged
in any of the various ways as hereinbefore described, and referred to, and held in an
enclosure of any desired form fixed or arranged within the chamber, or chambers,
apartment, or apartments, to be refrigerated the arrangement of which is described in
figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings-That my Invention may be well under-
stood reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference
thereon to illustrate some of the ways of carrying out my Invention. Figure 1. is a
view in perspective of a box or case constructed in accordance with this Invention,
the said box, or case, may be made of any rough strong material adapted for
Transportation-A, is the outer case. B is the inner case, or refrigerating apartment,
so supported within the outer case as to leave a space or spaces C, between the two,
and which is filled with good non-conducting material.-The top of the inner case is
closed by the tight fitting cover, D, of sheet metal, or other good conducting material
constructed with the sloping sides E. E. inclined from the flat central portion F, the
edges of the cover are turned up to form a conduit for the drip from the Ice on the
cover, to one, or more points of discharge, the said edges may be extended so as to
touch the outer case, provision is made for opening the case, or cooling chamber: B

page_text: the door G, is constructed with an outer caseing H. fitting the outer case, or structure,
and an inner caseing I, corresponding to the wall of the inner case, the interval
seperating the two walls, or caseings, may be packed with a non-conducting material,
the door & being provided with a tight fitting joint for the exclusion of air-The
ventilating tubes K. are for regulating the refrigerating apartment, or apartments
Temperature being read off by the thermometer K the upper part of the outer case A
may be made to swing upon hinges and to carry with it the lid, D. of the inner case B,
together with the Ice, or refrigerating material, if placed thereon. Figure 2. is a
vertical section of Figure 1 shewing the flexible cover over the ice L, with any
desired arrangement in the opposite end, the recepticle for catching any drip-
the other letters of reference representing like parts as in the preceding figure..
Figure 3, is a modification of a case, or structure, in section with the plate, or cooling
wall at one side, instead of upon the top, this side may be made of good conducting
material in part or whole in contrast with the remaining sides which are of non-
conducting material-The moveable plates between the outer wall of the case, or
structure and the conducting wall of the inner chamber, may be arranged to be forced
by the springs, M, M, M, so that after the ice, L, has been placed against the con-
ducting wall, D, and the non-conducting flexible envelope or cover h¹ placed over, or
against it, the latter being held in close contact with the ice, or its equivalent as it
decays Figure 4, illustrates this invention as applied to a case, or vessel containing
liquids, the same letters of reference represent like parts as in the foregoing figures-
the weights T, T, T, are used on the top of the material to follow up the Ice L as it
decays Figure 5 is a side view of a large case, in section, the outer walls A, with
the inner walls B, between which is the non-conducting material C, secured in the lid.
and the body on all sides by padding D, in this modification there are two refrigerating
chambers d in the one case, or structure. The conducting plates E, E, carry the ice, or
its equivalent F, F, under which is placed the pan, or trough f¹ to catch any drip
from the ice, F, the plates c, rest upon strips of metal G, G, inserted in slots on the
ledges H, H, so that there is a space between them, and the trough. The
Thermometer I, is adjusted as hereinbefore described. J & K are the ventilating
Tubes and the cold is equally distributed in each of the refrigerating chambers
without the air getting to the refrigerating material in the chambers d The non-
conducting material, or envelope over the ice F, or its equivalent, may be kept down
so as to follow up the decay of the ico evenly, by the weights L. L. L. the lid is
raised by the rack wheel M. and lever N-Figure 6 is an exterior view, partly in
section of figure 5, the letters of reference representing like parts as in the preceding
figure Whenever for any reason it is desired to lessen the weight, or room occupied
by any of the structures herein referred to I build the walls top and bottom firmly
together and interpose between them, one or more layers of any desirable material or
composition, or paper and the like treated in any desired manner, or coated with pitch,
or other proper. material or compound, or treat all the inside faces, or a portion thereof,
or the whole, or a portion of the outer faces with pitch, or any other desired
substance, or compound, or make the structures with the sides, top and bottom single
and treat them in any similar manner, to make them sufficiently non conducting of
heat or cold. If any substance is used liable to stick, the same may be covered in
any suitable manner to prevent such sticking, or transfer.-If found desirable to use
wool, or woollen cloth or their equivalents for the non-conducting and yielding
envelope hereinbefore referred to, the same may be firmly pressed, or held upon the
refrigerating material, or compound used, by employing elastic bands so arranged as
to close and press upon the refrigerating material or compound, and thus follow up
decay, and the same may be arranged in any desired way in a recepticle, or recepticles
containing a freezing liquid, or compound.. If woollen cloth or its equivalent is
employed the elastic may form a part of the fabric by being woven in to it as herein-
before described this invention mainly relates to articles of a perishable nature to be
packed at the scources of supply and forwarded as freight and may be detained for.
exhibition and sale, and reforwarded after sale long distances with economy.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A refrigerating recepticle, or recepticles constructed with an inner cooling
chamber, or chambers, and having a portion or all of the inner structure made of good
conducting material against which conducting material a body of refrigerating material
is brought, into direct contact therewith, and covered with a non-conducting material,
covering, or envelope, an outer case, or structure enclosing the whole, filled in with non-
conducting material between the outer and inner case, or structure, the non-conducting
envelope arranged so as to follow up the ice, or its substitute as it decays, substantially
in the manner as herein before described and set forth.
Second. The combinations in connection with refrigerating chambers, consisting of
a cooling chamber with a non-conducting caseing, forming any portion of the sides—
The inner part of the top or cover, in part or whole made of a good conducting
material which rests on an inclined face, or faces-the,lower edges of the said face,
or faces bent to form a conduit to allow the drip to be taken off at one or more points
of discharge, a pliable yielding non-conducting body to cover the refrigerating
material placed on the said inclined face, or faces in the manner and for the purposes
as herein before described.
Third. The combinations in connection with refrigerating chambers, consisting of
a cooling chamber or chambers, with any portion of the inner surface of the same
constituting the conducting portion-and if the floor is the conducting portion it is
arranged to follow the refrigerating material as it decays-a non-conducting, covering
of a pliable, yielding nature arranged to cover the refrigerating material-springs
bearing against a following board, or plate to keep the said non-conducting body
pressed upon the refrigerating material to follow it up as it decays-an outer case or
structure enclosing the whole substantially as described.
Fourth. The improvements in connection with refrigerating chambers, constructed
as described, and so as to form in portion, or the whole of a railway freight car, freight
case, deck, or between decks of a ship vessel, or utensil, all substantially as herein-
before described and set forth in the various drawings herewith.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1887.