GB173032A - Improvements in provision chambers for the ripening or preserving of fruit, vegetables and other perishable commodities - Google Patents

Abstract

173,032. Moore, C. A. Sept. 14, 1920. Air, heating, cooling, and treating; forced ventilation; ventilating conduits &c., arrangements or adaptations of; inlet or outlet ports, arrangements of.-A provision chamber for preserving and ripening fruit &c. is provided with two draught-ducts, one of which forms a communication between the outside atmosphere near the top of the chamber and the interior of the chamber at either the upper or lower part, whilst the other leads from the atmosphere near the lower part of the chamber to the interior near the top; an air circulation is caused by the ducts being influenced by either a heating or cooling medium. The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 comprises vertical ducts 21, 22, the former of which is open at the top and closed at the bottom by a water or other liquid heater D, beneath which are burners 40. The heater D is connected by a pipe 35 to a water jacket E formed between an outer casing 20 and drums 23, 24 surrounding the ducts 21, 22. A tube 37 terminates in an expansion tube 38 from which vapour passes into the duct 21 to humidify the air; an overflow branch 39 returns expanded liquid to the jacket E. The gases from the burners 40 pass into the drum 23, thence through a connection 41 to the drum 24 and into the duct 22 by the openings 43. The ducts 21, 22 are provided with side branches by which they may be connected to the outside of the chamber in which the apparatus is situated, the branches not in use having covers placed over them. A damper 29 is placed at the upper end of the duct 21, and dampers 32, 33 at the lower and upper ends respectively of the duct 22. Fig. 4 shows a refrigerating-chamber provided with the apparatus and with a bunker B, in which is the refrigerant or a refrigerating-coil 17. The dampers 29, 33 in the ventilating-apparatus being opened and the damper 32 closed, external air passes down a flue 52 in the wall of the chamber and thence through a connection 51 to the duct 22. From the top of the duct 22 the air passes over the bunker B, where it is cooled and de-humidified by deposition of moisture. The outward flow takes placedown the duct 21 and out through a connection at the lower end. When heating is desired, the burners 40 are lit and the dampers are arranged so that the air circulation is as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. The air is humidified by the vapour from the tube 38, Fig. 2, the humidity being regulated by adjusting the dampers 32, 33 so that more or less air is extracted from the upper part of the chamber.