US1894557A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1933.

G. H. FASETT REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 30. 1951 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 17, 1233 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE Application med April 80, 1981. Serial No. 534,013.

This invention relates chiefly to refrigerating vehicles such as refrigerator cars and refrigerator trucks, being also applicable to refrigerator ships and to cold storage compartments in air craft, but is also applicable to other situations, including stationary installations, for which mechanism of the type hereafter described. is suitable.

The invention aims to rovide for the mechanical refrigeration of cold storage compartments, particularly in such vehicles, by means of power taken from any convenient rotatin member, such as a car axle or a propeller 5182B}, according to the nature of the installation. This source of power is to be used while the vehicle is in motion but rovision is also made for operating the re igerating machinery by other means when the vehicle is at rest. Thermostatic control or pressure control is provided, eifective whether the vehicle is in motion or at rest, to regulate the operation of the refrigerating mechanism to the desired temperature ranges in the refrigerated compartment. The principles of the invention are also applicable to water coolers and the like.

A further aim is to provide apparatus of the sort described which shall be simple, rugged and durable, not likely to get out of repair, but readily repaired in case of necessity, which can be constructed to a large extent with elements which are at present standard and which can obtain its source of auxiliary power from means which are to-day widely available. Other aims and purposes of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds. I

I have described and illustrated in somewhat diagrammatic style a preferred embodi ment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the description and drawin are illustrative of the principles employe but are-not to be taken as limiting other applications of those principles.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross section through a refrigerator car showing the application of my improved apparatus thereto, and Fig. 2 1s a wiring diagram applicable to my appara tus.

In Fig. 1 I have omitted unnecessary details and followed a diagrammatic style of illustration in which an assembly of driving mechanism and refrigerating elements are shown as mounted in a railway carlO having an axle 11 carrying a bevel gear 12 engaging with a corresponding bevel 13 on the lower end of the vertical shaft 14 which extends up into the car. This shaft is broken in two places by clutches as indicated at 15 and 16 and has a gear connection 17, here shown as a worm, at its upper end to the drive shaft 18 of a refrigerating gas compressor 19. This compressor is in turn connected by piping in the usual manner to coolingcoils 20 and a condenser 21. The invention is designed for use with any ordinary type of mechanical refrigeration.

The shaft which has been generally designated as 14 is herein shown as conveniently comprised of three sections indicated from bottom to top as 14", 14 and 14 each in suitable supports such asroller step bearings. The upper section 14 includes a flexible connection 14 to the worm section 17. This connection is conveniently operated by means of two oppositely coiled springs one within the other to absorb the shock of starting in either direction. The refrigerator compartment proper is connected to a thermoresponsive device or pressure responsive device, such as the sylphon 22, which in turn actuates a connection such as the lever train 23 to the clutch 16, the relations of the lever train being such that the clutch 16 is connected when the refrigerator compartment becomes too warm and disconnected when the correct chill is attained. For ordinary operation while the car isrunning, the clutch 15 will be connected by suitable means, such as a handlever 24 and appropriate rods 25, it being contemplated that the lever 24 will be set to connect the clutch 16 when the train is made up. Ohviously it will be within the purview of the invention to include automatic means for engaging the clutch 15 when the car iscoupled up in a train.

In order to provide power for operating the gas compressor 19 when the vehicle is at rest, an electric motor 30 is provided, a controls.

venient connection between this motor and the shaft 14 being by a worm 31 on the motor shaft and worm gear 32 on the section 14 of the vertical shaft. Arrangements, diagrammatically illustrated by the rod 33, are provided for disengaging the worm from the worm gear when power is to be applied from the car axle. This disengaging arrangement is preferably connected to the rod 25, thus insuring against the possibility of the worm being connected to the worm gear when the drive is to be from the axle 11, and also avoiding the possibility of the clutch 15 being engaged when power is to be taken off the motor 30.

A connection and power lead to the motor 30 is provided in the box 34 on the outside of the car, from which the conductor will lead by conduits such as 35, 36, 37 to various switches as described below and to the motor. The wiring leading up to the motor 30 will preferably be such that the mechanical controls and interlocks above described will be supplemented by similar. electrical con- The essential details of the wiring system are shown in diagrammatic style in Fig. 2 in which the connection box 34 is shown with leads 35 to a switch 38, leads 36 from this switch to a second switch 39 and finally leads 37 to the motor 30. It will be obvious that the motor cannot operate unless switches 38 and 39 are both closed. Now referring again to Fig. 1, the switch 38 is shown as housed beneath the car floor and mechanically connected to the rod and lever system 24, 25 so that when the clutch 15 is closed the switch is open. The lever train 23 from the sylphon 22 is also connected to the switch 39 so that at the same time the clutch 16 is disengaged, power is cut off from the motor.

Although the operation of the invention is believed to be clear from the foregoing description, it will be briefly summed up. Assuming the car to be on a side track and above the correct loading temperature, a flexible lead from a power line will be connected to the box 34. The lever 24 will be positioned to disengage the clutch 15 at the same time close the switch 38 and engage the worm 31 with its worm gear 32, the sylphon 22' will have automatically connected the clutch 16 and closed the switch 39. Thus the gas compressor 19 will be driven by the motor 30. When the car is cooled down sufliciently the sylphon will operate to open the clutch 16 and open the switch 39, of course being available to close these again if the temperature again rises. \Vhen the car is made up into a train the flexible connection to the box 34 will be removed and the lever 24 will be thrown to close the clutch 16 and to' disconnect the worm and worm gear 31 and 32. If the car is still cold the clutch 16 will of course remain open. When the car is under way and the temperature rises, the clutch 16 will be closed, thus allowing the gas compressor 19 to be driven from the car axle. Upon sufiicient reduction of the temperature the sylphon 22 will act to release the clutch 16, and so on. Since the mechanism is automatically self-protecting against improper clutch connections, all that has to be looked out for is to plug in an electrical lead at 34 when the car is to be stationary for any length of time and to operate the-lever 24 at the same time to close the switch 38 and open clutch 15. In case of failure to connect the clutch 15 at the time when the car is made up into a train I of the refrigerating action when needed. However, it is within the scope of the invention to provide automatic means for operating this clutch 15 in any one of a variety of ways which need not be described.

A wide range of choice is possible in, the details of the mechanism employed. This will vary according to the situation in which the apparatus is installed and to some extent according to the size of the apparatus. As already mentioned, the invention is not restricted to the exact form in which it is here shown, but its principles may be applied in a variety of ways within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle, in combination, a refrigerating compartment, coolingmechanismthere for, an operative connection between a rotating shaft of said vehicle and said cooling mechanism, means for disengaging said connection, secondary driving means for said cooling means. means for disengaging said secondary driving means, and connections between both of said disengaging means permitting connection of only one at a time.

2. In a vehicle, in combination, a refrigerating compartment, a refrigerating mechanism, and a mechanical driving connection from a rotatable shaft of said vehicle to said refrigerating mechanism, thermoresponsive means for engaging and disengaging said driving connection, and secondary means for driving said refrigerating mechanism, said secondary means comprising an electric motor, a thermoresponsive switch for said motor, and another switch for said motor, mechanical connections for disengaging said switch when said mechanically operated driving connection is engaged.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus the combination of a gas compressor, a shaft for o crating the same, a clutch on said sha means for actuating said clutch responsively to conditions created by said compressor, and two distinct means for driving said shaft, one of said means including an electric motor,

there would of course be a failure and a switch actuated by said clutch actuating means for controlling said motor.

4. In a refrigerating vehicle, in comblnation, a refrigerator room, a mechanism for reducing the temperature of said room, means responsive to conditions created by said mechanism for connecting or disconnecting to a driving element, said means comprising a shaft, a clutch between said shaft and said mechanism, two independent drivin means for said shaft, clutches between said shaft and each of said independent driving means, and connections between such clutches so related that only one independent drivin means at a time can be connected to sai shaft.

Signed by me this 6th da of A ril, 1931.

GEORGE FA SETT.

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