US1430154A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

L. G. COPEIVIAN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18.1921.

Patentedsept. 26, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR.

d f a 7,,

A TTORNEY.

I L. e. COPEMAN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,1921.

1,430, 15%. PatentedSept. 26, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IN NTOR. 4 1 W ATTORNEY.

I L. G. COPEIVIAN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,1921.

LASOAM, v Patented Sept. 26,192Z

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

J INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 26, .1922.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD COPE'MAN, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN W. ATWOOD, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD G. COPEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus. of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to wet refrigeration. It is the object of the present inven tion to utilize cold water into which the articles desired to be kept cool are set. This, of course, is one of the old types of refrigeration. The improvement consists in the combination of this wet refrigeration with an arrangement which utilizes water drawn for service use to aid in keeping the desired temperature of the water in which the articles to be kept cool are set. In this way a fairly uniform low temperature may be kept without undue waste of water, as will presently be described.

In the drawings,-.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of the apparatus showing it connected up with an ordinary pressure-controlled farm water system.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the box from side to side.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through the same from front to back.

a designates an ordinary grocers box or small refrigerator which affords access through the cover I). This box is provided with the usual insulating walls and insulating material found in well built refrigerators, but inasmuch as the details of this are not essential parts of the invention these will not be described. \Vithin this box are located a plurality of coils c encased in stone-work (I. These coils are furnished with water from the supply main 0 and discharge through the pipe f.

Turning to the diagrammatic view, Fig. 1, it will be seen that the supply main 0 is connected up with a pump 9 operated by a motor 71 controlled by the pressure switch '1'. This pressure-controlled pump is now quite a common machine on a farm for pumping water. \Vhen suflicient water is drawn from the service taps for domestic use the pressure in the storage tank as is reduced and consequently this electric switch contained within the pressure-controlled switch casing i is closed serving to 1921. Serial No. 485,412.

turn the current into the motor and operate the pump. All the water pumped is taken first through the refrigerating box a and through the coils c. Thi serves to abstract heat from the box and consequently keep it at a fairly low temperature.

However, in extremely hot weather, such as summer weather which ranges from 90 to 100 degrees, it will be very difficult to keep the refrigerator at the temperature of well water (approximately 49 degrees) by simply circulating it through the coils. In cases where it is desirable to have a temperature in extremely hot summer weather approximating a temperature of well water, then it will be found this wet refrigeration very nicely accomplishes it with a minimum waste of water. Of course, a refrigerating box of this character is not suitable for all kinds of articles for they have to be set directly in it. It is, however, valuable for keeping beers, soft drinks, milk and things of that kind at a relatively low temperature.

Within the box are three stand pipes 0, j and k of different heights. Cut-ofi valves Z, 721 and a control these stand pipes. By keeping any two of these valves closed the water in the box can be maintained at the level of the stand pipe controlled by the other valve; hence the water can be kept at. any one of three levels.

\Vithin the box is a relatively sensitive thermostat p which closes a circuit connected with the motor M when the temperature of the water contained within the box rises above a predetermined point, say, 51 or 52 degrees, for example. This motor is connected by a train of gears g with the crank 1 which controls the valve 8. This allows water to be wasted directly. from the supply main e through the distributing pipes t into the ends of the box. A check valve .90 keeps the warmer water in the storage tank from coming back through the waste pipe- As soon as the temperature falls to a given oint the thermostat again closes a second circuit and reverses the current through the motor, thereby closing the waste valve 8.

Now where this form of wet refrigeration connects up and co-onerates with the coil refrigeration is that the wet refrigeration depends entirely upon the waste of water thermostatically controlled. The coil refrigeration depends upon service water, that is, water that would be used for other purposes anyway. Hence by combining the coil refrigeration operated solely by servicewater with the waste water refrigeration, it is possible with minimum waste to get a temperature in very hot weather that closely approximates the temperature of the.

water used in both the coils and the interior refrigerator.

In very hot weather it will not be possible to get such a minimum temperature achieved by this wet refrigeration solely by circulating and wasting water through the coils, even when continuous. Continuous circulation of water through the coils'could only be had by almost a continuous waste of the water, and this would make the cost of the system prohibitive and yet the minimum temperature desired would not be achieved. On the other hand, it would also be quite wasteful to achieve the minimum temperature solely by depending upon opening the waste valve and allowing cold water to flow in and the overflow to waste out of the stand pipe. The amount of this waste water through the stand pipes is considerably cut down by utilizing the refrigerating coils connected up with the service system of the household. Hence the two systems draw upon the same source of refrigerant and cooperate to achieve a temperature not possible with the one system alone and possible with the other system only at a considerable unnecessary waste. Furthermore, the entire installation may be regulated to the character of weather. In moderate weather it will be possible to get suitable refrigeration without any wasting of Water and hence no wet refrigeration will be required. In weather somewhat warmer a suitable temperature for the box can be maintained by using the wet refrigeration at the first level and the other two levels can be brought into use as the weather gets still hotter.

What I claim is:

1. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerating box arranged to hold water therein, and thermostaticallycontrolled means for furnishing a new supply of cold water which empties directly into the box when the temperature in said box rises above a given point.

2. In refrigeratlng apparatus, the combination of a box arranged to hold water at a given level and with an outlet to hold water at such level, and thermostatically-controlled means for wasting water into said box when the temperature in the said box rises above a given point.

3. In refrigerating apparatus,.the combination of a box arranged to hold water at any one-of a plurality of selectable levels, a plurality of controllable outlets to secure such result, means for supplying cold water to said refrigerator, and a thermostat within the sphere of influence of the water of said box and controlling a valve for wasting water into said box when the temperature rises above a given point.

4. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerating box arranged to hold water at a given level, a plurality of refrigerating coils within said box for connection with a service water line, and means for wasting water into said box for lowering the temperature when the same is not sufficiently lowered by the water circulating through said coils in connection with service use of the water.

5. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a box arranged to hold water, a plurality of water coils having connection with a water service line to cause circulation through the coils when service water is drawn, and automatically and thermally controlled means for supplying cold waste water to the interior of the box when the temperature rises above a given point.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a box arranged to hold water, a plurality of coils for circulating water in said refrigerator, means for supplying water in said coils, and means for wasting water derived from said last-mentioned means, said water being wasted in the bottom of said box to provide a body of water at a given level.

7. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a box arranged to hold water, a plurality of coils forciroulating water in the said box, means for supplying cold water to said coils, and means for taking water derived from said supplying means and maintaining the same at a plurality of selectable levels in the bottom of said box.

8. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a box arranged to hold water, a plurality of coils for circulating water through said box, means for supplying cold water to said coils, a plurality of controllable outlets for maintaining a body of water at a selectable level in the bottom of said box, and a controllable waste for Wasting water derived from said supplying means in the bottom of said box.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN.

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