US1764267A - Apparatus for and method of refrigeration - Google Patents

Description

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF REFRIGERATION Filed Oct. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 19

i-jum'rso STATES.- PATEN O F C enem es 'A. 11:031., or sr. Louis, missounr, ASSIGNOR To summers-Burma's I SUPAPLY 00., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI errmrus non AND METHOD or mniemrIoN Application r;fl1ed0ctober 15, 1925. Serial No. 62,528.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for and'method of refrigeration,

and has for its primary object-an apparatus designed for use in display or con- '5I' tainer refrigerators, which will not alone provide refrigeration for said refrigerator but will also automatically create a circulation of cold air therethrough.

A further object is to construct an appa-' 10 ratus for cooling a display container or 1:5 frigerator and 'simultaneolisly"supply the stored is eliminated or excessive loss due to absorption fromlsaid articles by the air is prevented. i In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a display refrigerator or container. with my apparatuslocated therein, and connected up ready for operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal vertical section showing a modified form of apparatus; 4

, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section'of a display refrigerator. showing still another form. of apparatus;

1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

I. Fig. 5 is a modified form of-supply nozzle employed; r

In the construction of my device, I employ a display refrigerator or container having a chilling chamber 6 and a display chamber 7.- The refrigerator is provided L with a double bottom 8 on which rests a container 9. This container extends into. the display chamber and is-de signed to be filled -with a non-freezing liquid, such as brine or similar substance. That portion of the container 9 within the display. chamber is provided with a. lid 10. Located on the lid 10 is insulating material 11, such as cork or the like.- This may cover the entirelid 10 or may only partially cover it as illus-' trated in Fig. 1.

Separating the display and refrigerating chambers is a wall 12, the lower portion of which is provided with openings 13'. These openmgs are formed. by slitting the material and bending it outward as illustrated 1n F1gs.'1, 2 and 3. The walljl2 is spaced apart from the top of the refrigerator so as to form a passageway 14, which will permit the clrculation' of airs Extending beneath the pan 9 and preferably between the-two iwalls comprising the 'floor 8 is a pipe '15,-

its end L6 extending into the container 9.;

The opposite end of the pipe 15 is connected to a. pump 17, which may be either of the rotary centrifugal or reciprocating t 'e. To the outlet of the pump 17v is a ipe I S,

which extends into the chilling chamber 6 and has secured on its end a spray nozzle 19. The pump 17 is driven by an electric motor 20, which alsodrives a compressor 21 in which. the condenser constitutes the housing, there being several refrigerating machines now on the market which employ the housing or casing as a condenser and therefore the construction of the compressor will not be described in detail as thepeculiar construction thereof is not, essential to my device. Attached to the compressor is a refrigerating coil 22, which is located in the chilling chamber 6. The motor 21 is controlled by means of a thermostat 23,

which is located at any convenient point ineitherthe chilling ordisplay chambers. By means of this thermostat the temperature within the refrigerator can be controlled. 1

It will be noted from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 that thee construction of the openings through f I have shown a modified form of construction in which the refrigerating or expanding coil24is located within a container 25. This container is provided-with a cap 26,,

which closes a filling opening 27 so thatthe container can befilled with a non-freezing solution.- This non-freezing solution"- will entirely surround the coil 24. In; Fig. 3 I have shown stillanother modified form of device in which the refrigerating or expanding coil 28 is located in the container 9, thus leaving the chilling chamber 6 practically unobstructed and clear. ,The container 9 may be either the full width of both the display and chilling chambers, or it may be the full width of the chilling .chamber but have that portion, which extends into the display chamber, reduced in width as illustrated in Fig. 4. This construction is optional and depends a great deal on the amount of re-- frigeration desired for the particular refrigerator in which it is to be used. j

' The operation of my device is as follows: The container 9 is filled with a non-freezing solution, such as brine or the like, and the proper refrigerant supplied to the compressor. The device is now ready for operation."

The motor 21 is started and in sodoing the compressor 21 and pump 17 placed in operation simultaneously. The compressor works in the usual way, forcing the refrigerant through the coils where it expands and'chills the same. The pump being inoperation pumps the non-freezing solution from the container 9 and .discharges it throu h the nozzle 19 inthe form of a high spee very fine spray. .This spray strikes either the coil in Fig. 1' or the container 25 in Fig; 2 and flows over the same and cuts off all accumu lation of fiost, and at the same time, the speed, at which this liquid rushes through the air, creates a suction in the upper portion of the chilling chamber 6 and a compression in the lower portion. This com-, pression escapes through the openings and flows along the lower part of tlie display chamber while the upper portionor strata of air flows through the opening 14' into thechilling chamber, where it is driven downward, cooled by the coil and also by the cold non-freezing solution, and again passed into the display chamber.

The insulation 11 is placed on top of the lid 10 for the purpose of preventing the air within the display chamber from coming in contact with the lid because on account of the excessive cold in the container 9, any moisture in the air woul'd congeal on, the lid and form frost. This frost would in time act as an insulator and prevent the cold I from reaching the box properly as well as making an extremely moist box. It is also for thepurpose of removing frost that the spray is used because it is a well known fact among refrigerating engineers that a very heavy accumulation of frost around refr1gerating pipes diminishes their efliciency. In fact 'in packing houses it has been found necessary to install a double refrigeratin system and use one for a certain period 0 time and then use the other, thereby allowing frost to be removed from the pipes whereas in smaller plants it is frequently necessary in order to get suflicient refrigeration to have a man chop off the frost which has accumulated on the .pipes.

'My structure eliminates entirely all this accumulation of frost and consequently the refrigerating plant is always up to its capacity in refrigeration but, as before mentioned, the spray not alone keeps down and prevents this accumulation-of frost, but it also causes a rapid circulation of cold air through the refrigerator and entirely elimi- I nates the siphon'systein now relied on in chilling refrigerators.

In Fig. 5 I have shownamodified type of nozzle in which the pipe 18 is'connected to a cross :pipe129. From this pipe extend a plurality of pipes 30, which are provided with perforationsthrough which thenonfreezing solution forced at high speed in the form of a spray.

Another feature of my device is the circulation of they non-freezing liquid in the container 9, it being taken from one end and after being chilled is returned to the opposite end of the container, therefore this nonfreezing solution does not rise in temperature to any appreciable extent and by its circulatlon the entire refrigerator has the ,cold non-freezingsolution pass from one end to the other, and therefore the refrigerator is cooled much more quickly and evenly throughout than is possible where the nonfreezing solution is located in one end or in the center of' the container. Another important feature of my device is that it can be placed anywhere within." a

building because no drain pipes are necessary. This has been found to be a great drawback because most stores at the present time are equipped with concrete floors and the owners of the building object yery much to having holes for drain pipes punched through these floors. Furthermore it frequently happens, especially in butcher shops, that there is no cellar below the store and cOnSequentIy nO drain-can be installed withso constructed as to operate between certain' I it may be desirable to placeall of the oper-h ating mechanism withinthe refrigerator and againI may construct a refrigerator with a display chamber ,on each side of the refrigerating chamber or I may place a refrigerating chamber at each end of the display chamber without departing from the spirit of my invention, .andI may again.

build a separate compartment to enclose the pump, motor and compressor and utilize the top surface of the compartment as a counter. All of these variations fall within the scope of my invention and, as before mentioned, I do not therefore desire to be limited to the precise construction shown in the drawings;

the important features of my device being,

the circulation of the non-freezing solution, the artificial forced circulation of air, and

the prevention of frost accumulation onthe refrigeratin coil. Having what I claim is:

1. -An apparatus for refrigeration comprising a refrigerator having a, chilling and a display chambenarrangedlside by side, said chambers communicating with each other at their top and bottom, a nondrain- I -ing container located beneath said chambers,

a nonfreezing solutionlocated in said container, a refrigerating coil located in said chilling chamber, means adjacent the refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to saidcoil, and means for circulating'and forcibly spraying said nonfreezing solution downwardly over said coil whereby the nonfreezing solution is cooled and air in the refrigerator drawn from-the top of the display chamberinto the chilling chamber, cooled and discharged into the display chamber at its bottom by the nonfreezing solution.

2. An ap aratus for refrigeration comprising a re rigerator having a chilllng and a storage chamber'arranged side by slde, a .vertical wall having passages therethrough adjacent its top and bottom located between 'said chambers, a container located in the bottom of said refrigerator and extending below said wall, a nonfreezing solution in said container, means for removing some of said solution from said container and forcing it, through the chilling chamber in a ace the compressor lly described my invention,

downwardly directed diverging spray whereb 1 air in the storage chamber is drawn from t e top thereof into thetop of the' chilling chamber, cooled by. the spray and returned to the storage chamber at its bottom, and means located in said chilling chamber forchilling-said solution as it is sprayed, said chilling means also providing additional cooling for the circulating air.

3. An apparatus for refrigeration comprising a .refrigerator havin a chilling chamber and a storage cham er adjacent and communicating with each other at their top and bottom, a refrigerating coil located in said chilling'chamber, a combined compressor and condenser connected to said coil, a container located In said refrigerator and below said chambers, a nonfreezing solution located in said container, a suction pipe connected to said container at a point remote from said chilling chamber, a pump connected to said suction pipe, a discharge pipe connected to said pump, a downwardly directed spray nozzleconnected to said discharge pipe and' located in the chilling chamber above said coil, means for operatmg said pump and compressor simultane-- ously whereby a portion of the nonfreezing solution is withdrawn from said container and 1s forcibly and downwardly sprayed over said" coil in the chilling chamber and returned to the, container, said spray adapted to draw air into the chillin chamher from the top of the storage cham er and discharge it into the'storage chamber at its bottom, said sprayed solution and liquid being simultaneously chilled when passing said refrigerating coil, and means for preventing the spray-from entering the storage chamber at its bottom.

4. A device of the class described comprising a refrigerator having a chilling chamber and a storage chamber, a vertical wall having openings therethrough at its top and bottom located between said chambers, a.refrigerating coil located in said chilling chamber, a combined compressor and condenser connected .to said coil, a container located in the refrigerator and extending under said wall, a nonfreezing solution located in said container, a suction pipe connected to said-container at a point remote from said chilling chamber, a pump connected to said suction pipe, a discharge pipe connected to said pump, a spray nozzle carried by said discharge pipe and located within the chilling chamber above said coil, means for operating said pump and compressor simultaneously whereby the nonfreezing solution is withdrawn from the container and forcibly sprayed downwardly 'into the chilling chamber and o ver the coil whereby said solution is chilled, said forcible spraying causing the air in the chilling chamber and in the storage chamber to circulate and become cooled by contact with the air and the refrigerating coil, and means for placing the pump and compressor in and out of operation automatically as the tem- 5 perature in the refrigerator varies.

5. An apparatus or refrigeration comprising a display chamber, a brine receptacle located beneath the display chamber and separated therefrom, a chilling chamber vertically disposed adjacent said display chamber and communicating with the display chamber at its upper and lower ends an communicating with said brine receptacle, means for forcibly discharging cold liquid in said chilling chamber and comprising a conduit in communication with the brine receptacle at a point remote from said chilling chamber, a pump and a downwardly directed spray nozzle, and a chilling coil located in said chilling chamber beneath and spaced apart from the spray nozzle and in the path of the descending spray issuing from said nozzle 1 6. In a device of the class described a container having a display chamber, a chilling chamber adjacent one end of said display chamber, said chambers communicating with each other attheir top and bottom,

a nonfreezing solution container located beneath said chambers and open to the chilling chamber only, a nonfreezing solutionlocated in said solution container, a pump for withdrawing said solution from said solution container, a spray nozzle vertically disposed in said chilling chamber, a conduit connected to said pump and nozzle whereby solution withdrawn from the solution container is sprayed downwardly through the chilling chamber and returned to the solu- 0 tion container, said spray adapted to draw air from the top of the display chamber into the chilling chamber and discharge it therefrom into the bottom of the display cham ber, and'a, refrigerating coil located within 15 the chilling chamber in the path of said spray whereby said spray and the ai-rcir-, culated thereby are simultaneously chilled. I 7. The combination with a cooling chamber, of means for retaining a pool of cooled secondary refrigerant'in said chamber pipe coils for a primary refrigerant in said chamber, and means for withdrawing said cooled secondary refrigerant from said pool and spraying it into contact with the air in said chamber and then into contact with said .coils. I

'In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature; 0 CHARLES A, KOHL. I

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