US1462285A

US1462285A - Refrigerated display apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1462285A
Application number: US584235A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hilger George
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-08-25
Filing date: 1922-08-25
Publication date: 1923-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1940-07-17

Description

July 17, 1923.

G. HILGER REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July I7; 1923. A

1,462,285 G. HILGER REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTEIR EEEIREE HILEEF? ATTYS- dow of a market.

Patente July 17, 1923.

STATES GEORGE HILGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed August 25, 1922.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HILGER, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Refrigerated Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an apparatus adapted for use in displaying food products which, in order to be preserved, must be maintained in an atmosphere of reduced temperature. I

The principal object of the invention is to produce an apparatus of this general character by means of which the food products may be displayed to utmost advantage and at a minimum cost for refrigeration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of an ornamental character; compact in construction and arrange-' ment, and capable of manufacture at a low cost.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as applied to an apparatus for displaying meats in the show win- It will be understood, however, that the invention is capable of Wide application, and while I herein illustrate and describe the invention with con siderable particularity, I contemplate that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front ele vational view of a store front equipped with a display apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale through one of the display cases, the view 'being taken approximately in the plane of line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a detail of construction. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the man ner of supporting plates upon which may be placed the food products to be preserved.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the apparatus may comprise one or more cases 7 each providing a main chamber within which the food products may be suitably supported, and an upper cooling chamber equipped with means for maintaining in the main chamber at all times a reduced or preserving Serial No. 584,235.

temperature. These cases may be positioned in any desired location in a store or display room. Herein I have shown two cases positioned in the show window of a meat market so as to be visible from the front of the market, and each of-these cases is provided with a supporting means 8 for the food products. Preferably said means is arranged to be rotated by a motor 9 in order more advantageously to display such prod ucts. i

The case 7 may be of any preferred form. As herein shown for purposes of illustratlon, it is rectangular in shape and of substantial height. In order that the products enclosed in the main chamber may be visible to the observer, the front and side walls enclosing this chamber are made of glass, and the rear wall is provided with a door 10 through which access may be had to the interior of the case. In the cooling chamber in the upper portion of the case is enclosed the major portion of the refrigerating means. Hence the walls enclosing this chamber are preferably made of tile 11 or other suitable opaque material. The means for rotating the supports for the food products is arranged in the bottom portion or the case, and for this reason such portion is preferably set down in the show window slightly below the floorwhich is indicated by the broken line 12 in Fig. 2. This lower portion of the case may therefore be made of wood or other suitable material.

I have provided a combined means for rotatably supporting the food products and for distributing the cooled air. descending from the cooling means throughout the food products. Thus I provide a central member 13 constituting a supporting column for a plurality of shelves or supports 29. At its lower end the column member 13 is roand supported at the several corners of the case by arms 20.

Above the partition-19 is supported one or more coils of piping 22. Herein I have shown three coils supported as by means of legs 23 rising from .the partition. These coils are connected in series and communicate with a source of ammonia gas or other refrigerant, in a manner to be now described.

The column member 13 is tubular in form so as to provide a central air-shaft 24 which communicates at its upper end with the cooling chamber through the partition 19, and throughout its length said member is provided with a plurality of apertures 25 through which communication is established between the air-shaft and the main chamber of the case. Through this air-shaft extend a pair of

pipes

26 and 27 connected respectively with the inner and outer coils and constituting inlet and outlet pipes leading to and from a source of refrigerant supply. The partition 19 is made of dimensions slightly smaller than the cross sectional area of the case so as to provide passageways 28 between the portions 19 and the walls ofthe case; and similarly the upper edges of the portions 19 are spaced a short distance below the top wall of the case. Thus provision is made for the passage of air upwardly from the main chamber into the cooling chamber, and it will be apparent that as .the air comes in contact with the coils 22,

and becomes cooled, it descends into the shaft 24, and passes out through the apertures 25 into the main chamber in which is supported the food products by means to be now described.

Referring to Figs. 2, 5 and 6 I provide preferably a number of sets of tra s or supports 29 (Fig. 5) each substantia ly in the shape of a quadrant, there being four trays to each set arranged circumferentially about the column member 13. The several sets may be spaced any preferred or desired distance apart vertically in the case, and

they are each detachably supported upon the column member. Herein I have provided at the inner end of each member for this purpose, an angular tongue 30 adapted to be inserted through an aperture 31 provided in the column member, and a pair of downwardly projecting tongues 32 forming knees bearing against the outer side of the column member below the aperture 31. When the apparatus is to be employed for displaying meats, the trays may be provided upon their under sides with one or more hooks 33.

Any suitable means may be employed to rotate the column member 13 and hence the supporting trays 29. Herein I have shown a worm gear 34 fast upon the lower end of the column member and meshing with a

worm

35 or 35 fast upon a drive shaft 36 of the electric motor 39. When two or more.

cases 7 are employed the shaft 36 may be made common to both, and if it is desired to rotate the supports in opposite directions,

the

worms

35 and 35 are oppositely inclined as shown in Fig. 4:.

In the use of the apparatus, the food products to be displayed are placed upon or suspended from the supports 29, entrance bein had into the case through the door 10. Vhen two cases are employed it is preferable that the supports rotate in opposite directions. This enables an easy comparison between the products of the adjacent cases. By reason of the arrangement of the food products with respect to the central air-shaft from which the cooled air emerges, it will be apparent that maximum efficiency in the refrigeration is obtained. As the cooler air approaches the sides of the case it becomes warm and rises to the top, and

since it must pass into the receptacle 19 through the coils 22, it is again cooled and caused to descend into the air-shaft and out through the apertures25. Thus a constant circulation of cold air is maintained in the case.

It will also be evident that by reason. of the fact that the products are compactly arranged within a relatively small space and further because the cooling medium is caused to ass through and around the products whlle at its lowest temperature, a high degree of efficiency is obtained.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. display apparatus comprising a casing, a central tubular column mounted for rotation on a vertical axis in said casing, means carried by said column for rotation therewith adapted to support products to be preserved, said column having a plurality of openings therein adjacent said supporting means, and means providing a refrigerating chamber in the upper portion of the casing having a central opening in its bottom wall through which the upper open end of said column projects and having a coil therein with supply and return pipes depending through said column, said refrigerating chamber being arranged to communicate with the lower portion of the case at the sides thereof.

2. A display case having a stationary bearing plate at its lower end, a tubular column having a second bearin plate fixed thereto and rotatably supporte on the first plate, said column having its walls apertured and extending upwardly into the case centrally thereof, a pair of pipes extending through the column to constitute an inlet and an outlet for' a fluid refrigerant supplied to the case, means carried by the column for supporting products to be cooled, and means for rotating the column.

3. A display case having a tubular column rising centrally thereof and rotatably supported at its lower end, means providing a bearing for the upper end of the column, means for supporting products to be cooled in the case. about the column, said column having its walls apertured between each of extending through the column, and means for rotating the column.

4. A display case having a tubular column rotatablymounted in its lower end and rising to a point near the upper portion of the case, a member supported by the case and providing a bearing for the upper end of the column, a coil supported by said member and having inlet and outlet pipes extending through said column and communicating with a source of refrigerant supply, said column being arranged to communicate with the interior of the case, and said member being adapted to permit the passage of air upwardly between it and the side walls of the case into contact with said coil.

5. A display case having a coil supported in its upper portion, a member providing a partition below the coil, means depending from said partition establishing communication between the upper portion of the case and the lower portion thereof, saidpartition having upwardly extending side portions surrounding the coil and spaced from the Walls of the case so as to permit the passage of warm air into the upper portion of the case for contact with said coil, and means for supplying a refrigerating agent to said coil.

6. In a display case, means providing a transverse partition in the upper portion of the case adapted to permit of the upward passage of air between the partition and the side walls of the case only, a coil above said partition having centrally arranged supply and return pipes, and means arranged substantially centrally of the case adapted to enclose said pipes and to conduct cool air downwardly from a central point adjacent the coil-only and discharge it into the chamber below the partition, said means comprising a tubular member having apertures therein, means for rotating said member, and means providing supports for food products about said member for rotation therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GEORGE HILGER.