US1893483A

US1893483A - Refrigerating apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: US1893483A
Application number: US506806A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph S Belt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-01-05
Filing date: 1931-01-05
Publication date: 1933-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1950-01-10

Description

Jan. 10, 1933.

J. 5. BELT 1,893,483

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 5, 1951 i I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES Lamas PATENT OFFICE Application filed January 5, 1931.

This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus and method, wherein soli carbon dioxide, a very intense refrigerant, 1s employed.

The present invention contemplates a refrigerating apparatus and method in which the solid carbon dioxide and the material or articles to be refrigerated are separated by a heat insulation which is slightly but not highly pervious to the gas resulting from sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide, and wherein the thickness of such insulation is adjustably varied to regulate the degree of refrigeration impartedto the material or articles to be refrigerated. By varying the thickness of the heat insulation between the solid carbon dioxide and the material or articles to be refrigerated, the speed of sublimation of thesolid carbon dioxide is controlled go because the thickness of the heat insulation will govern the speed with which said walls absorb heat from the material or articles to be refrigerated, and because the thickness of such insulation will govern the speed with which the gas evolved from the frozen carbon dioxide will pass therefrom through the heat insulation to the material or articles to be refrigerated. In a practical embodiment of the invention, the insulation may divide a refrigerator into an upper chamber for reception of the solid carbon dioxide and a lower chamber for reception of the material or articles to be refrigerated, said lower chamber having a bottom gas outlet 85 with which is associated means to adjustably regulate. the escape of gas. Because of the greater weight of the gas as compared to the weight of air within the refrigerator, it is apparent that when the sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide takes place at atmospheric pressure in the refrigerator, the gas will pass downwardly to and through the heat insulation into the lower chamber containing the material or articles to be refrig- 4 erated, the gas exhausting from the latter chamber through its bottom outlet. The low temperature imparted to the lower chamber containing the material or articles to be refrigerated is to a great extent caused by the chilling of the heat insulation between the Serial No. 506,806.

chambers and consequent absorption of heat from the material or articles by the insulation. To this is added the refrigerating effect of the gas directly upon the materials or articles as it slowly seeps through the heat insulation.

The aboveand other features of my invention will be readily understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of an upright refrigerator of the domestic type embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentarybottom plan view illustrating the damper for regulating the escape of gas from the bottom of the chamber for the material or articles to be refrigerated.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, a refrigerator of the upright type is conventi-onally shown, the same comprising a con- 75 tainer or box-like structure 5 whose walls are of any suitable heatinsulating construction. The interior of the refrigerator is divided into non-communicating upper and lower compartments by means of heat insulation of adjustable thickness, the upper compartment v6 being adapted to receive the solid carbon dioxide, and the lower compartment 7 being adapted to receive the material or articles to be refrigerated. A suitable 85 fora-ruinous support 8 is provided in the up er chamber 6 on which the block of solid car on dioxide D may be placed, the refrigerator having a top openin closed by a suit able rubstantially air-tig t cover 9 and through which the solid carbon dioxide may be placed into the chamber 6 upon the support 8. The lower chamber 7 may have suitable article or food-supporting racks l0 and a front substantially air-tight door 11.

As shown, the heat insulation which divides the interior of the refrigerator intothe upper and lower compartments 6 and 7 is preferably in the nature of a plurality of horizontal removable partitions 12 selectively slidably insertible or removable through the front wall of the refrigerator, said partitions bein made of cork board or other suitable insu ating material which is slightly but not hi hly pervious to the gas evolved from the so id carbon dioxide as it sublimates directly to a gas. Obviously, by varying the number of division plates or partitions 12 in use, the effective thickness of the heat insulation interposed between the two chambers 6 and 7 may be varied within reasonable limits so as to control the approximate temperature which will maintain within the lower com gartment 7, and to consequentl control the egree of refrigeration imparte to the material or articles placed in said compartment 7. This control is of course subject more or less to the rate at which the gas is allowed to escape from the lower compartment 7, and for this purpose, the refri eratorhas a bottom gas out et 13 with w ich is associated a suitable damper 14. The damper may have an actuating rod 15 adapted to be either manually or thermostatically operated, and in this way the rate of escape of the gas from the refrigerator may be regulated by varying the degree of opening of the damper 14. As shown, the refrigerator is provlded with a plurality of spaced adjacent guideways, arranged one above the other for slidable reception of the division or partition plates 12,

said guideways respectively communicatingwith slots in the front wall of the refrigerator through which the plates 12 are inserted. One or more of the lates 12 may be inserted accordingto conditions met with in use of the apparatus. In order to minimize leakage of gas around the plates 12 through the slots in the front wall of the refrigerator, said slots may be closed by means of a hinged door 16 having a facing of packing material 17 upon its inner side adapted to tightly engage the front wall of the refrigerator and the adjacent outer ends of the plates 12 when the latter are in operative position and the door 16 is closed. The outer ends of the plates 12 preferably carry handles: 18 arranged to be received in recesses 19 provided in the front wall of the refrigerator when the plates 12 are operatively positioned, the recesses 19 being suiiiciently large to permit grasping of the handles 18 when the door 16 is opened. In this way removal of the desired one or more of the plates 12 may be readily accomplished.

It will be apparent that the number of plates 12 positioned betwieen the compartments 6 and 7 will determine the effective thickness of the insulation interposed between those compartments. However, it is readily conceivable that the desired effect may be obtained in various other ways, and the use of a plurality of selectively removable plates of insulation is illustrated merely by way of example. At present, however,

In use, the desired number of insulating I plates 12 are positioned in place, and after the material or articles to be refrigerated are plaeed within the lower chamber 7, the door 11 is tightly closed. The solid carbon dioxide is then placed in the chamber 6 upon the 'support 8 and the cover 9 tightly closed,

after which the damper 14 is opened to the desired degree. As heat is absorbed from the surrounding atmosphere by the walls of the refrigerator, the solid carbon dioxide sublimates directl to a gas which falls to the bottom of the c amber 6. This gas chills the plates of insulation 12 as well as slowly see mg therethrough into the chamber 7. T e

lates 12 thus absorb heat from the chamber and the material or articles placed therein, thus refrigeratin to a material degree such material or artic es. To this refrigerating effect is added the direct action of the gas upon the material or articles as it passes down through the plates 12 into the compartment 7 and in contact with the material or articles to be refrigerated. The gas ultimate- 1y escapes from the lower compartment 7 through the outlet 13 as governed by the damper 14, the latter being opened according to existing conditions such as surrounding room temperature, efliciency of the heat insulating walls of the refrigerator, etc. It can be approximately estimated the temperaturewhich will maintain with the use of a given number of the plates 12 and a given degree of opening of the damper 14 when the refrigerator is used where substantially normal room temperature maintains, and thus the temperature produced in the chamber 7 may be regulated to a reasonable degreeor varied according to the nature of the material or articles to be refrigerated. While these conditions will vary slightly as the amount of solid carbon dioxide within the chamber 6 is reduced, it is pointed out that such solid carbon dioxide will sublimate at a greater speed as its bulk is decreased thus offsetting this variation to a great extent. It is accordingly believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood andappreciated by those skilled in the art.

While the invention is shown as applied to refrigerators of the domestic type, it is to be understood that the invention does have a general applicability to cold storage plants, refrigerating cars and the like.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, an insulating receptacle and heat insulating means of adjustable effective thickness dividing said sesame receptacle into an upper chamber for reception of solid carbon dioxide and alower chamher for reception of material or articles to be refrigerated, said insulating means being of material slightly pervious to the gas evolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, an insulating receptacle, a support for solid carbon dioxide in the upper portion of said receptacle, and heat insulation below said supportdividing said receptacle into non-communicating upper and lower chambers respectively adapted for reception of solid carbon dioxide and the material or articles to be refrigerated, said heat insulation bein slightly pervious to the gas evolved by sub imation of the solid carbon dioxide and being adjustable to vary the effective thickness thereof at will.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, an insulating receptacle, a support for solid carbon dioxide in the upper portion of said receptacle, and heat insulation below saidsupport dividing said receptacle into non-communicating upper and lower chambers respectively adapted for reception of solid carbon dioxide and the material or articles to be refrigerated, said heat insulation being slightly pervious to the gasevolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide and being adjustable to vary the effective thickness thereof at will, said receptacle having an outlet for the escape of gas from the lower chamber, and means for controlling the escape of gas through said outlet.

4:. A refrigerating apparatus comprising an insulated receptacle closed against free entry of air, a support for solid carbon dioxide in the upper portion thereof, and means to partition and adjustably heat insulate the solid carbon dioxide from materials or articles to be refrigerated placed in the 'lower portion of said receptacle, said partitioning and insulating means being slightly pervious to the gas evolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide, said receptacle having an outlet for the-escape of gas from the lower portion thereof, and means to control the escape of gas through said outlet. 5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a heat insulating receptacle closed against free entry of air, and heat insulation of adjustable thickness but of uniform thickness throughout its area when adjusted dividing said receptacle into non-communicating upper and lower compartments respectively adapted for reception of solid carbon dioxide and articles or the like to be refrigerated.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising an insulating receptacle, insulation of adjustable thickness but of uniform thickness throughoutits area when adjusted dividing said receptacle into non-communicating upper and lower compartments respectively adapted for reception of solid carbon dioxide and articles or the like to be refrigerated, said insulation embodying a plurality of independently removable division plates of material slightly pervious to the gas evolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide, and means to permit and effect the controlled escape of said gas from the lower compartment.

7. A refrigerating apparatus comprising an insulating receptacle, insulation of adjustable thickness but of uniform thickness throughout its area when adjusted dividing said receptacle into non-communicating upper and lower compartments respectively adapted for reception of solid carbon dioxide and articles or the like to be refri erated, said receptacle having a plurality 0 guideways arranged one above another and in alinement with slots in the front of the receptacle, said insulation embodying independently removable division lates insert- .able in and removable from said guideways throu h said slots.

8. refrigerating apparatus comprising an insulating receptacle, insulation of adjustable thickness but of uniform thickness throughout its area when adjusted dividing said receptacle into non-communicating upor articles by evaporation of solid carbon dioxide, which includes placing the solid carbon dioxide in the upper portion of an insulated receptacle which is closed against free entry of air, placing the material or articles in the lower portion of said receptacle, interposing a heat insulation which is.

slightly pervious to the gas evolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide between the solid carbon dioxide and the material or articles so that the gas may pass to the lower portion of the receptacle only by see age through said insulation, and varying t 0 effective thickness of said heat insulation and permitting and controlling the escape of gas from the lower portion of the receptacle according to the degree of refrigeration desired.

10. The method of refrigerating materials or articles by evaporation of solid carbon dioxide, which includes placing the solid carbon dioxide in the upper portion of an insulated receptacle which is closed against free entry 0 air and whose lower portion constitutes the space to be refri rated, entirely' dividing said portions 0 the rece tacle by means of heat insulation sligh y pervious to gas evolved by sublimation of the solid carbon dioxide, permitting restricted escape of the gas from the lower rtion of the receptacle, and varying the e ective thickness of said heat insulation according to the degree of refrigeration desired.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH S. BELT.