US1715607A - Apparatus for and method of refrigeration - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1929.

c. A. KoHL APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF REFRIGERATION Filed Feb. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet June 4, 1929. c. A. KoHL APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF REFRIGERATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lll/4 apddnnradnannunm 4 J, d 47,11 f 5 Jfr w b O. 2m w 0 33 9m 6 6g /1 l l i a LL- a. m 2

Patented `lune 4, 1929.

UNITED CHARLES A. KOHL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T ST. LOUIS BUTCHERS SUP- PLY CO., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF REFRIGERATION.

Application led February-22, 1926. Serial No. 89,825.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for and method of refrigeration, and has for its primary object an artificial refrigeration apparatus which is so4 constructed that, by the spraying of a nonfreezing solution through passageways, the air within a refrigerator is circulated rapidly and chilled thereby maintaining a uniform relatively low temperature throughout the refrigerator. My apparatus and method can be used in coolers, refrigerators of all types and sizes, in stores and restaurants, and also in household or similar refrigerators.

A further object is the method of refrigeration whereby the air within a refrigerator can be rapidly circulated and chilled, the humidity of the air being thereby regulated so that it will not contain too much moisture or too little, with a consequent result that the food stuffs stored in the refrigerator either become too soggy or dry out, and by causing the rapid circulation of air in the refrigerator, the temperature therein is uniform throughout so that there will be no spots or islands within the refrigerator in which the temperature is very much higher than in the remainder of the refrigerator.

A still further object is to construct an apparatus with artificial refrigeration which is .so constructed that the air circulating means and the vrefrigerating unit are separately and independently operated and controlled automatically so that the temperature of the refrigerator can be maintained substantially constant at all times and Without the excessive use of refrigeration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my device taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 5 vis an enlarged vertical section of one of the air circulating ducts taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view showing a modified form of air duct.

In the construction of my device I employ a refrigerator comprising a casing having sides 8, a front 9, a back 10, a bottom 11, and a top 12. The front and top are preferably provided with sheets of plate glass which are spaced apart so as to leave air space in between. This permits the articles within the refrigeratorto be readily seen. The rear wall 10 is provided with service doors 13 through which articles can be placed in and removed from the lower portion of the refrigerator while the top 12 is provided with sliding doors 14 for a similar purpose. Extending across the refrigerator is a partition 15 which divides the refrigerator into the compartments 16 and 17. Located on the floor 11 is a container 18 which is designed to hold a non-freezing solution, preferably salt water or brine. This is commercially known among the trade as a sweet pickle. The rear and side walls, as well as the doors 14, are made hollow and the space therein may be either left with an air space or it may be filled in With heat insulating material, such as cork, mineral wool, asbestos and the like. Located at a short distance above the container 18 are a plurality of removable sections 19'. These sections are preferably made hollow and of sheet metal and are filled with fibrous material 20, such as asbestos or the like so as to insulate the interior of the box from the cold and moisture contained in the container 18 and also to serve as a floor. p

Extending upwardly from the rear of the brine pan or container 18 and preferably located in the wall 10 are a plurality of air circulating ducts 21 whichare provided immediately above the sections 19 with a plurality of openings or louvres 22. These louvres extend into the duct, the reason for which will be explained in detail later. The upper ends of the ducts are left open as indicated by the numeral 23 and the front Walls thereof are also provided with openings 24 adjacent the open end. Extending into the container and adjacent the rear wall is a pipe 25 which is provided with a plurality of stand pipes 2G, one of theseI pipes extending upward in each of the air circulating ducts. Secured to the upper end of the stand pipes 26 is an L 27 through which a nipple 28 is secured. This nipple carries a valve 29 to which a spray nozzle 30 is attached by means of a nipple 31. This spray nozzle may be of any type. which will cause a liquid to issue therefrom 1n the form of a spray but in practice I prefer to use a nozzle which will cause a whirling spray to issue, similar to the spray from an automatic fire sprinkler and, as the various spray nozzles which I may employ can be bought in the open market, the details of construction thereof are not shown.

The pipe 25 is connected to the discharge end of a pump 32 which is preferably of the centrifu al type. Connected to the suction end of tIie pump 32 is a pipe 33 which has its end 34 terminating in the container 18 at approximately midway its ends and adjacent the front wall thereof. The reason of this construction is to cause the brine or non-freezing liquid within the container 18 to circulate more fully and freely because the brine, which has been passed through the pump, is discharged into the container along its rear wall and by withdrawing the brine adjacent the front wall and the center of the tank or container, I obtain a much more thorough circulation of the brine within the container. 35 represents a compressor 1n which a refrigerant is to be compressed. This compressor is driven by means of a motor 36. The motor also drives a fan 37 by means of which the cooling or condensing coil 38 is cooled. The cooling coil 38 is connected to an expander 39 by means of a pipe 40. This expander is located in the container 18 and 1s designed to be submerged in the brine. Extending from the expander 39 are a plurality of pipes 41, which pipes terminate in a header 42. The header 42 is in turn connected to a pipe 43 by means of which the expanded refrigerant is again drawn back to the compressor to be recompressed. 44 represents an automatic switch, the operation of which is controlled by the amount of pressure generated in the compressor and when this reaches a certain predetermined point, the switch is automatically operated and breaks the electric circuit, stopping the operation of lthe compresser until the pressure has again dropped when the circult is again automatically closed and the compressor started.

The pump 32 is driven by means of a motor 45. Ihe operation of this motor is controlled by means of a thermostat 46 mounted within the refrigerator and by this means the temperature within the refrigerator is controlled because when the brine pump stops, there Will be no further forced circulation of air within the refrigerator and the interior of the refrigerator being insulated from the container 18 will not become chilled .thereby so that the air will commence to warm up but, upon a predetermined rise of temperature within Lthe container, the brine pump is automatically started, the air again circulated and chilled as will be hereinafter described until the desired low temperature has been reached when the pump will againautomatically cease its operation.

The partition 15 is provided adjacent its front end with one or more openings 47 which are preferably covered with reticulated material or screen so as to permit a free circulation of air. This circulation is shown by means of the arrows in Fig. 2. In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of refrigerator in which a fiat top 49 is used. In this instance the suction end of the air circulating ducts opens through the rear Wall 10 into the interior of the container as indicated by the numeral 50. This type of air duct is used for, what is commercially known as, display counter refrigerators. I do not, however, desire to limit myself to any particular type of refrigerator because, as previously stated, my method may be practiced in any style of refrigerator or cooler by merely altering the position and size of the various air circulating parts and, of course, governing the size of the compressor or refrigerating unit, and pump according to the amount of refrigeration required and the rapidity and amount of brine circulated.

It is also my intention to control the operation of the refrigerating unit by means of a thermostat 36 immersed in the brine thereby controlling the brine temperature. This specific control construction, however, is not shown as it can be accomplished by Various devices, the specific construction of which forms no part of my invention and, therefore, is not shown nor will it be described in detail as the same can be installed by any mechanic versed in the art.

The operation of my device is as follows: After the refrigerator has been installed, the iirst step is to charge the container 18 with a non-freezing solution preferably a mixture of salt and water forming a brine which is commercially known as a sweet pickle. The refrigerating unit is also supplied with a suitable amount of refrigerant which, upon being compressed and expanded, will have a tendency to lower the temperature of the brine. After both the refrigerating unit and the container have been properly charged, the refrigerating unit is placed in operation and its first function will be to compress the refrigerant and discharge it into the condensing coil 38. The refrigerant therein is then cooled in any suitable manner, for instance by means of the fan 37 as illustrated. From there it passes into thefexpander 39 where it expands and in so doing loses its temperature or rather the temperature at which it enters the expander. It then enters the coils 41 and passes into the header 42 from whence it is again withlll) drawn through the pipe 43 to the compressor where it is again recompressed. This expanding action of the refrigerant will lower its temperature considerabl and in so doing and in passing through the pipes 41 and header 42, the temperature of these pipes or coils and header are reduced and consequently they will absorb heat from the brine or non-freezing solution within the container 18 thus lowering its temperature. This lowering of temperature is continued until a predetermined temperature of the non-freezing. lsolution has been reached, which is regulated by means of the thermostat as previously pointed out. After the brine has been cooled to a certain degree, the motor 45 is placed in operation causing the circulating pump 32 to commence circulating the brine. As soon as this pum starts, brine or non-freezing solution 1s drawn into the intake 34, through the pipe 33 and delivered to the pump 32. From thence it is discharged into the pipe 25 and from there into the stand pipes 26, passing upward through the pipe connections and being discharged in a downwardly directed spray through the air circulating ducts 2l. The brine thus discharged is under considerable pressure and at a high rate of speed, and in traveling downward the natural affinity of the air within the container to moisture and also the friction of the downwardly directed spray with the air in the ducts cause the air to travel downwardly. This has a tendency to exhaust the air from the upper portion of the refrigerator and'in so doing creates a partial vacuum. This in turn causes the air adjacent the bottom of the refrigerator to rise upwardly to replace the air thus withdrawn. This rising of air in turn creates a artial vacuum in the bottom of the refrigerator thus drawing the air out through the louvres so that a complete circulation of air is obtained by this means. The air passing downward through the air ducts is reduced in tem erature by being brought in contact with tiie Aspray of cold brine or non-freezing solution and consequently passes out from the louvres at a greatly reduced temperature to that which it entered the ducts at the top and by reason of being thus circulated a uniform temperyature throughout the refrigerator is obtained. v

It will be noted from the drawings that the air ducts are spaced apart along the rear wall of the refrigerator and in this manner it is possible to achieve an equal circulation and cooling effect throughout the length of the same thus eliminating any warm spotsv or islands.

When the desired degree of coldness has been reached in the refrigerator, the thermostat 46 will automatically cut out the operation of the motor 45 thus stopping the pump and halting any further circulation of air until such time as the temperature within the refrigerator rises above a predetermined degree but during this time, that is either the operation or the halting of the brine pump, the motor 36, which operates the refrigerating unit, continues to operate until the temperature of the brine, which is preferably colder than that of the refrigerator, reaches a predetermined degree when it is shut off until by means of a thermostat- 36a' a sweet pickle, for the non-freezing solution for the reason that it is believed that, by this sweet pickle or salt brine coming in contact with the air, it will produce a saline atmosphere in the refrigerator which `will have a tendency to keep the cut or trimmed surfaces of meat food stuffs bright. This is an essential feature because ordinarily meat, which has been cut, dulls on the outer or exposed face and necessitates the trimming or cutting away of the face so that the bright meat will appear but by the use of my system or method, this dulling will be obviated and without in any way conflicting with the pure food'laws of the various States or Government, as no chemicals are made use of to maintain the brightness of the cut meat and by reason of using a liquid to circulate the air a sufficient amount of moisture will be absorbed by the air to prevent it from absorbing juices from any food articles stored in the refrigerator thus obviating shrinkage but at the same time the air will be dry enough not to cause the food articles to become soggy.

My apparatus will, therefore, keep food stuffs in practically a perfect condition, not only in regard to appearance but also in regard to the loss of weight and by reason of the saline air distributed throughout the refrigerator, a preserving effect will be had on the food stuffs so that they will not deteriorate near as rapidly as in refrigerators of the ordinary construction.

In other words the cooling and circulation of the air within the refrigerator is achieved by means of high speed, downwardly directed sprays of a prechilled or cooled solution within ducts which are open adjacent their tops and bottoms to the air within a refrigerator.

It will also be noted from Figs. 5 and G that the lower ends of the ducts 21 extend a distance into the container 18 so that they will be immersed in the nonfreezing solution thereby preventing the escape of air into the container 18.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim iszl. A device of the class described comprising a refrigerator, a partition located therein for dividing said refrigerator into an upper and a lower compartment, an air passage formed through said partition, a container adapted to contain a non-freezing solution located in the bottom of said lower compartment, a floor located above said container, a duct extending upward from said container and terminating in the upper compartment, said duct also having communication with the lower' compartment above the floor, means for chilling s aid non-freezing solution, and means for circulating said chilled solution, said circulating means including means for spraying said solution downwardly through said duct whereby air in the refrigerator is circulated and chilled.

2. A devlce of the class described comprising a refrigerator, a partition located compartment, a floor located above said container, a duct located at the rear of the refrigerator and extending upward from said container, said duct terminating in the upper compartment and also having communication with the lower compartment above the floor, means located within said container for chilling said non-freezing solution, means for supplying a refrigerant to said chilling means, and means for cir'culating said chilled solution, said circulating means including means for forcibly sprayin said solution downward through said duct whereby air in the refrigerator is circulated and during its circulation chilled by said spray of non-freezing solution.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

CHARLES A. KOHL.

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