US1948389A - Refrigerating system - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1934.

E. MAXWELL 1,948,389

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l N QQ w Q =1 Emma mwa MTTQRNE'S Feb. 20, 1934. E MAX L 1,948,389

REFRIGERAT ING SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 may [rzmeZZ/Vzrmell INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-half to John Watt Womaok,

Reidsville,

Application May 4, 1931. Serial No. 534,965

4 Claims.

My present invention has reference to refrigeration.

My object is the provision of a system of refrigeration whereby articles will be retained at substantially the same low degree of temperature as the refrigerating agent.

A further object is the provision of a refrigerating system in which ice is employed as the refrigerant, and in which cold air created by the o refrigerant will be caused to circulate entirely around the cooling chamber in which the refrigerant is arranged in a continuous flow, and further wherein such separated columns of air will serve to cushion and to insulate each other from outside or atmospheric air conditions.

A still further object is the provision of a refrigerating system which is admirably adapted for use in connection with any ordinary ice cooled refrigerator provided with the usual 0 doors, the box or body of the refrigerator being formed with spaced but closely related cold air circulating compartments that have ports which communicate with each other, but which are free from communication with the refrigerant or cooling compartment and with the outside air and in which the cold temperature created by the refrigerant will be caused to continuously circulate around the compartments as long as "0 the doors are closed so that all parts of the cooling chamber or refrigerating compartment will be maintained at substantially the same low temperature as the refrigerant, such circulation being temporarily halted when the doors are open and warm atmospheric air is permitted to enter the cooling and refrigerating chamber but will immediately and automatically occur as soon as the doors are closed.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the application, with the understanding, however, that the improvement is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described, and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therefrom as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary refrigerator embodying my improvement, parts being broken away and parts being in section.

Figure 2 is a substantially vertical transverse sectional view therethrough. V

Figure 3 is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough. V

Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. a

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one of the spacing brackets. A

While in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an ordinary construction of ice cooled 65 refrigerators provided with my new cooling system I desire it understood that the system is not to be restricted in its useful application to this type of ice boxes and that the same may be successfully employed in connection with any other type of refrigerators in which ice is employed as a refrigerant. With modifications the system is also admirably adaptable for use in connection with refrigerators where solid carbon dioxide is employed as a freezing or cooling 7 agent.

In the construction disclosed by the drawings the numeral 1 designates the cooling compartment. The compartment is preferably of metal, such as galvanized iron, zinc, copper, etc., and 30 the metal is comparatively thin. The chamber 1 is entirely closed except for the opening provided therein that is normally closed by the upper door 2 through which the ice is delivered into the chamber and the lower door 3 that provides for the insertion or removal of foodstuffs. Both of the doors 2 and 3 are packed with suitable insulating material and while the frames of the doors may be constructed of wood the inner faces thereof are lined with metal. The outer wall of the compartment 1, has the openings therethrough in which the doors 2 and 3 are received provided with outstanding angular flanges 4 respectively, against which the edges of the doors frictionally engage.

At each top and directly opposite the opening closed by the door 2 the chamber 1 is provided with a receptacle 4 for a cake of ice 5. The receptacle 4 is suspended in the top of the compartment 1 by suitable brackets 6 and, of course, the receptacle is provided with an opening that alines with the door opening, but the remainder of the receptacle, except for the top thereof, is closed. The bottom of the receptacle has an ranged thereon the usual slatted support for the refrigerant 5 and the said bottom is tapered from its sides and front to the center and to the rear thereof to provide an inclined trough '7 that communicateswith a drain pipe 9 that extends through the bottom of the refrigerator.

The front of the refrigerator, at the portions thereof surrounding the doors 2 and 3 are thickened to provide frames for the said doors, and to likewise receive the flanged. portions 4 provided by the chamber 1 therein and it is to these thickened portions 10 that the doors are hinged. The inner faces of the thickened portions are grooved to receive therein the angle ends of substantially rectangular or box- like members 11, 12 and 13, respectively. These embers are received one in the other and are closely related. The members 11, 12 and 13 may be of wood or any desired material and the said members are held in spaced relation at the corners thereof through the medium of hollow angle brackets 14 most clearly illustrated by Figure 5 of the drawings. Similar brackets hold the inner member 11 spaced from the chamber 1.

The spaces between the chamber 1 and the members 11, 12 and 13 provide air circulating ducts which, for distinction are indicated by the numerals 15, 16 and 1'7, respectively. The members ll, 12 and 13 are really in the nature of box-like partitions that have their front portions cut away to be received in the grooves provided by the parts 10.

In the cooling chamber 1, opposite the opening closed by the door 3 there are spaced transversely arranged angle brackets 18 that support thereon reticulated shelves and on these shelves the foodstuifs rest.

The walls 11, affording the outer wall of the flue for the duct 15 has its sides, and rear adjacent its top and opposite the refrigerant receptacle 4 provided with ports or openings 20 that communicate with the duct afforded by the flue provided by the walls 11 and 12. The flue wall 13, at the bottom and preferably at the center thereof is provided with a port or opening 21 to establish a communication between the duct 16 and the duct 1'? of the outer flue. The upper flue Walls 11 and 12, at the center there" of are provided with alining ports or openings through which are passed and in which are secured a short tube 22, and this tube establishes a port between the flue duct 17 and the flue duct 15.

It is to be noted that the cooling and refrigerant chamber 1 is wholly surrounded by the ducts and that there is no port or communication between the said chamber 1 and any of the air circulating flues 15, 16 or 17 provided between the spaced compartments. Thus when A the doors 2 and 3 are closed no atmospheric air can enter the chamber 1, and as all of the ducts are closed to the atmosphere no atmospheric air can enter the air circulating flues of the ducts. When the doors are closed the cool air created by the ice 5 will circulate entirely around the chamber 1, but such cooled air will naturally be directed downwardly. Therefore the cold will be transmitted to the air in the flue l5 and this cooled air builds up in the flue 15 until the openings 20 are reached when it may spill into the flue 16 and cool the air therein. As the air in the flue 16 cools it descends or passes into the flue 17 by way of the opening 21, forcing the air in the flue 17 to circulate upwardly and pass therefrom back into the upper portion of the flue 15 by way of the tube 22. Thus it will be seen that the air in the flues 15 and 17 will be maintained in circulation.

When the doors 2 or 3 are open the clrcu1ation of the cool air in the flues ceases because of the atmospheric air rushing into the chamber 1 but immediately after the closing of the doors the circulation of cold air through the flues automatically commences. With my refrigerating system I have found from actual practice that by placing a bottle of a beverage, known as Coca-Cola in the chamber 1 and that after closing the doors 2 and 3 the contents of the bottle was discovered to be frozen in an interval of thirteen minutes after the same was arranged in the refrigerator and this experiment should, it is believed, prove the emciency of my system and its manifest advantages over any other refrigerating system with which I am acquainted. In addition to this less ice is required in the cooling of the chamber 1 than with any other refrigerator system of which I have knowledge.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A refrigerating system including a refrigerating chamber, closely spaced internested cold air circulating ducts receiving the chamber therein and being closed to the chamber and to the atmosphere, the duct arranged closest to the refrigerant chamber having ports in its walls adjacent to the closed top thereof, the next duct having a port at the bottom thereof to establish a communication with the outer duct, and the said closest duct and the outer duct having a tube connecting them at a high elevation for passage of the circulating air.

2. A refrigerating system including a metal refrigerating chamber, inner, intermediate and outer cold air circulating compartments, re-

ceived one wholly in the other but spaced from each other and the inner compartment enclosing therein but being spaced from the refrigerating chamber, the inner and the intermediate compartments having ports establishing communications between each other, the inner compartment having a port for establishing a communication with the outer compartment and the outer compartment having a tubular member entering the inner compartment from the top thereof, a frame having upper and lower openings and to which the compartments and the chamber are connected, insulated hinged doors for closing said openings and an ice receptacle in the top of the chamber opposite the upper door.

3. A refrigerator comprising a metal cooling chamber having a refrigerant therein, a receptacle in the upper portion of the chamber for the refrigerant, reticulated removable trays in the chamber, internested wooden cold air circulating compartments including an inner, an intermediate and an outer compartment, 2. frame having upper and lower openings and having grooves to receive the ends of the compartments therein and the metal chamber having flanged portions which extend into and contact with the walls provided by the openings, hinged doors for the openings having inner insulations and metal covering plates therefor, the chamber being wholly received in the inner compartment, corner brackets spacing the chamher and the compartments from each other, a drain pipe leading from the receptacle and passing through the bottom of the chamber and through the members, the inner compartment having ports disposed opposite the refrigerant receptacle, the intermediate compartment having a port in its bottom communicating with the outer compartment, and the inner and intermediate compartments having communicating ports in the top thereof, and a tubular member and intermediate compartments having openings to communicate the intermediate and outer air circulating ducts and the inner and intermediate air circulating ducts, said compartments and chamber having alining openings, a frame in said alined openings and connected to the compartments and the chamber, insulated means for opening and closing the frame, and a cooling medium in the chamber and spaced from the top and sides thereof.

EMMETT MAXWELL.

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