US1918131A - Water cooler - Google Patents

Description

July 11, 1933. s RANSTEAD 1,918,131

WATER COOLER Filed April 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fl -4 Z "IMMMM ATTORNEYS July 11, 1933- G. s. RANSTEAD WATER COOLER Filed April 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOE 9. W

A TTOHNE V6 Patented July 11, 1933 GrUY S. BAN STEAD, F \VAUKESHA, WISCONSIN warns.

Application filed April 24, 1929. Serial No. 357,665.

This invention relates to an improved water cooler particularly designed for use in cooling and dispensing bot led water and adapted for the employment of mechanical refrigeration to efiect cooling.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to providea watercooler of thls character which avoids the necessity of utiliZinga'ta-nk trap or well for containing a portion: of the water supply and thereby avoids exposing the water to contamination. Thewater is so cooled and dispensed that it is maintained in its original sanitary condition. 1 a

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of an. efficient cooling and dispensing means which aids in maintaining the water sanitary.

Another object is to provide a sanitary water cooler of. this character which is'simple and durable in coi'istruction, reliable, cfi'ective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Other objects and advantages reside 1n certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which Figurel isa view partly in side elevation and partly in central longitudinal vertical section showing a water cooler embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly in section showing a foot valve employed in the stand pipe or inlet pipe to the water cooling coil;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of F igurel and illustrating the construction of the dispensing mechanism;

Figure 4 is aplanview of the dispensing .45mechanism shown inFigure 3; the valve op- COOLER 5 Figure 5 is a view in Vertical section taken on line 55 of Figure 4. g

Referring to the drawings numeral 1 designates generally a casing having a lower or base section 2 containing a mechanical re frigerating unit 8 of conventional construction. The details of the mechanical refrigerating unit 3 per se form no part of the pres ent invention and will not be described at length as they are well known and widely used. For the purposes of the present invention it is suliicient to understand. that the refrigerating unit is of the compression and expansion type. r I

The casing 1 also has an uppersection designated generally at 1 and including a metal sheathing 5, heatfinsulating' material 6 and a suitable lining 7. The casing section4 defines a cooling chamber 8 accessible through its upper end by virtue of the provision of a removable cover 9' which also has a metal sheathing 9 and suitable heat insulating material 9 Within the section 4 of the casing a cooling coil 10 is provided and is supported in any suitable way as for instance on suit-able brackets or standards 12. Atone end of the cooling coil 10 an expansion valve 13 is provided andcommunicates with the pipe line 14; leading from the refrigerating unit. The other end of the coil connects to a return line 15 leading back to the refrigerating unit. The coil 10 is adapted to encircle a jar or container 16 of water disposed in upright position in the cooling chamber and having its bottom resting on suitable supports 17 v lVith the mechanical refrigerating unit in operation, cooling medium is'supplied' to the expansion coil 10 and serves to chillthe air in the chamber 8 and lower the temperature of the water in the container 16 tothe desired extent. 7 r

. For the purpose of dispensing the water andfurther lowering its temperature'a Water cooling coil 20 is also provided in the charm her 8 and is supported in any suitablemanner on the brackets or standards 12. The coil 20 is adapted to encircle the lower part of the container 16 and is located near the bottom of the chamber 8, that is, in the coolest part of the chamber. One end of the coil is coupled to a flexible pipe 21, the other end of the pipe 21 being coupled to the downwardly curved upper end 22 of a rigid metal pipe 23 which extends down into the container'16 and is provided at its lower end with a foot valve or check valve 24 shown in detail in Figure 2 and operating to permit free flow of the water up through the pipe 23 while precluding back flow of the water from the pipe 23 into the container 16. The opposite end :of the coil 20 connects to an inlet fitting 25 of a dispensing mechanism.

J designated generally at 26.

The dispensing mechanism 26 comprises in general a pump 27 and a dispensing nozzle 28, the water cooling COll being connected to the valve controlled inlet of the pump and a valve controlled outlet of the pump being connected to the dispensing nozzle 28. As the dispensing unit is disposed below the bot-- tom of the water container it is only necessary to utilize the pump to start a siphoning action after which theopening of the valves will permit the flow of water through the nozzle without any actuation of the pump. As shown in detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the inlet fitting 25 leads into the port formed through a valve seat 30 provided in an inlet valve chamber 31 which has open communication with one end of the cylinder 32 of the pump. An inlet valve 33 coacts with the valve seat 30 and is'urged against its seat by a spring 34. A stemv 35 is provided on the valve 33 and extends to the exterior through a stufiing box 36. On the opposite side of the cylinder 32 from the valve chamber 31, a valve chamber 37. is provided and has open communication with one end of the discharge nozzle 28. lVithin the chamber 37 a valve seat 38 is provided and surrounds an outlet port 39 affording communication between the chamber valve 3? and the cylinder 32. An outlet valve 40 coacts with the valve seat 38 and is urged against its seat by a spring 41. A valve stem 42 .is provided 011 the valve 40 and extends to the exterior througha stuffing box 43. Y

Apiston 44 is reciprocablc in the cylinder 32 underthe control of the piston rod 45 projecting exteriorly of the cylinder and carrying a' finger piece 46 at its outer end whereby manipulation of the piston 44 is facilitated. With this construction, when the piston 44 is pulled outwardly it draws water from the water cooling coil, the water being pulled in past the valve 33. During this time, the suction exerted by the piston although openmg thevalve 33 aids the spring 41 in holding the valve 40 against its seat. On the in- .stroke ofthe piston the pressure closes the valve 33 but opens the valve 40 to expell the Water from the cylinder 32 past the valve 40 and out through the nozzle 28. Obviously before the coil 20 is filled with water the pump may be utilized in this way to exhaust the air therefrom and to draw water thereinto. After the coil 20 and cylinder 32 have been filled with water the water will freely siphon out through the nozzle 28 if both valves 33 and 40 are opened.

As shown in Figure 1 the dispensing unit 26 is partially housed in a recess 50 provided in the lower front portion of the casing section 4, the forward portion of the cylinder and nozzle projecting beyond the recess through an opening provided therefor ina closure plate 51. In order to facilitate opening of both the valves 33 and 40 a valve operating lever 52 is provided and is fulcrumed as at 53 on the plate 51. The lever 53 extends through a slot 51 provided in the plate 51 and within the recess 50 is bifurcated to provide arms 54 and 55 forked at their inner ends and straddling the valve stems 35 and 42 respectively. The inner forked ends of the arms 54 and 55 are engageable with abutments 56 and 57 provided respectively on the valve stems 35 and 42. A cross member 58 connects the arms 54 and 55. Normally the lever 52 is biased to a position where the valves 33 and 40 remain closed under the action of their springs and this biasing of the valve operating lever .52 is effected by a spring 60 connected at one end of the lever and at its other end to a lug 61 cast integral with the cylinder 32. In order to limit the movement of the lever 52 under the action of the spring 60 a stop 62 is provided on the plate 51 and engages the underside of one of the arms of the lever. However, by depressing the other end of the lever 52 its arms 54 and 55 are raised and coact with the abutments 56 and 57 to lift both of the valves 33 and 40 ed of their seats.

By having the water container or jar 16 in an upright position in the cooling chamber, the water remains in its original container until it is transferred to the cooling coil from which it is directly dispensed. The use of tanks, wells or traps in which the water outlet end is exposed to air and contamination is entirely avoided. In this way the water is retained in its sanitary condition and each new supply of water is not contaminated by a mixture with the remaining portion of a previous supply. These advantages are had along with the efliciency of the cooling of the water and convenience and ease of dispensing. To renew the water supply it is merely necessary to lift the pipe 23 out of the jar 16 the flexible pipe 21 being of suflicient length to permit this, remove the jar 16 and replace it with a full jar of water and thereafter reinsert the pipe 23 into the new jar. Due to the provision. of the expanh sion coil 10 in direct contact with the air of the cooling chamber and in encircling relation and close proximity to the jar of water it exerts a cooling effect on the water in the jar as well as on the air in the chamber so that the water is cooled in the jar as well as in the water cooling coil.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A device for use in cooling and dispensing water and comprising a heat insulated casing having a cooling chamber adapted to receive a water container in upright positlon, means for cooling said chamber, a water cooling coil disposed in said chamber, means affording communication between one end of the coil and the water in the container and means connected to the other end of the coil for dispensing water therefrom and comprising a pump having a valve controlled inlet connected to the coil, a nozzle and a valve controlled outlet between the pump and the nozzle.

2. A device for use in cooling and dis pensing water and comprising a heat insulated casing having a cooling chamber a dapted to receive a water container in upright position, means for cooling said chamber, a water cooling coil disposed in said chamber,

means affording communication between one end of the coil and the water in the container, means connected to the other end of the coil for dispensing water therefrom comprising a pump having a valve controlled inlet connected to the coil, a nozzle and a valve controlled outlet between the pump and the nozzle, said pump being disposed below the level of the water container, and means for opening both of said valves whereby the water may be drawn from the container and coil and discharged from the nozzle with a siphoning action after the water cooling coil and the cylinder of the pump have been filled with water.

3. A device for use in cooling and dispensing water and comprising a casing having a cooling chamber adapted to receive an upright water container, an expansion coil in said chamber forming a unit of a refrigerating system of the compression and expansion type, a water coolingcoil positioned in the lower partof said chamber, a stand pipe adapted to be inserted into the water container and having its lower end resting on the bottom thereof, inflexible connection between the stand pipe and one end of the water cooling coil, and a combined pump and nozzle connected to the other end of the coil and projecting eXteriorly of the casing for dispensing Water from the coil and container.

4. A device for use in cooling and dispensing Water and comprising a casing having a cooling chamber adapted to receive an upright water container, an expansion coil in said chamber forming a unit of a refrigerating system of the compression and expansion type and adapted to encircle the'container, a water cooling coil positioned in the lower part of said chamber and also adapted to encircle the lower portion of the Water container, a stand pipe adapted to be inserted into the water container and having its lower end resting on the bottom thereof, a flexible connect-ion between the stand pipe and one end of the coil, and a combined pump and nozzle connected to the other end of the coil and projecting eXteriorly of the casing for dispensing water from the coil and container, said pump having a valve controlled inlet connected to the coil and. a valve controlled outlet connected to the nozzle, said pump and nozzle being disposed below the level of the bottom of the container, and means for opening said valves whereby the water may be dispensed from the coil with a siphoning action. Y

5. A device for cooling and dispensing water from original containers and comprising a heat insulated casing having a cooling chamber adapted to receive the water container in an upright position, mechanical. refrigeration means for cooling said chamber, a water cooling coil disposed in said cham. ber, means affording communicatii'in between one end of the coil and the water in the container, means connected to the other end of the coil for dispensing water therefrom comprising a. pump having a valve controlled inlet connected to the coil, a nozzle and a valve controlled outlet between the pump and the nozzle, said pump being disposed below the level of the water container, and means for opening both of said valves whereby the water may be drawn from the container and coil and discharged from the nozzle with a siphoning action after the water cooling coil and the cylinder of the pump have been filled with water.

In witness whereof, I hereto affix my sig-

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