US2016082A

US2016082A - Refrigerating unit

Info

Publication number: US2016082A
Application number: US435889A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry E Elrod
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-03-14
Filing date: 1930-03-14
Publication date: 1935-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1952-10-01

Description

Oct. 1, 1935. H. E. ELROD REFRIGERATING UNIT 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HemzyEElrod ATTORNEYJ man 770M 10 J!!! TC)! 4170 If/1M1 ION 80.

Oct. 1 1935. 4 H. E. ELROD REFRIGERATING UNIT Filed March 14, 1930 1- 46 af7 4/ Z? 56 11 E7 a J7 as BY' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYJ Oct. 1, 1935. H. E. ELROD REFRIGERATING UNIT Filed March 14, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W WE mu. m 2

A TTORNEYJ' Filed March 14, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 1, 1935. H. E. ELROD REFRIGERATING UNIT Filed Maz ch 14, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet- 5 6R0! war w s st. 1, 192.5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a condenser unit comprising, essentially, a motor, a compressor, a coil, a tan, and a heat-radiating enclosing hood for the coil, motor, and fan. The

6 unit is so designed that although it may be built into a refrigeratingbox at the factory, it may be equally well 'applied to an ordinary ice box to convert the same into a mechanical refrigerator. I

According to the embodiment of the invention to be described hereinafter, the motor is mounted within the coil in coaxial relation thereto and the fan and compressor, which latter is pretervably of the rotary type, are coaxial with the 16 1 motor. The elements are all supported by a base plate, the motor and fan being disposed at one side of the plate and the compressor at the other side in a housing preferably integral with the plate. A hood of heat-radiating material surrounds the coil in proximity thereto and has air openings through which air is drawn and expelled by the fan, the air in its passages through the hood passing along the coil to cool the same. The hood radiates outwardly heat transmitted thereto from the coil and also serves to protect the mechanism enclosed by it. It oifers a further advantage, as over an exposed coil, in that dust and dirt do not readily gather on it and it may be easily cleaned.

As I have stated, a rotary compressor most effectively enters into the combination, and the invention includes such a compressor of simplified and compact form, as well as a lubricating system therefor.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of the invention, I

. Fig. 1' is an axial section through the unit, parts being shown in elevation,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged axial section through the rotary compressor shown in Fig. l, Fig, 2a is a trans-axial section through a compressor piston, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the compressor, 45, Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view ofa cylinder block i'orming a part of the compressor,

Fig. 5 is .an axial section through a second and preferred form 0! compressor, Fig. 6 is a plan view' of a cylinder block forming apart of the compressor oi. Fig. 5, and

Fig. '1 is a plan view of a cam and valve plate forming a part of the compressor of Fig. 5. In Fig. 1, reference numeral I0 designates a circular horizontal base plate having centrally a valve plate forming .thereof a cylindrical. depending integral skirt H.

Plate I0 is provided with a central circular aperture l2 surrounded by an up-standing collar I3. A condensing coil rests on the upper margins of plate I 9 with its axis perpendicular to the plate. The coiLoutlet l5 to an expansion valve, 5 not shown, passes downwardly through a peripheral recess I6 of plate II).

An electric motor I! is mounted on a tripod l8, whose legs are secured to plate l0, coaxially with coil I4 and with its armature shaft "3 pass- 10 motor is a fan 23, here shown as comprising four blades, adapted, upon armature rotation, to draw air into the hood through holes 20, circulate it upwardly along the coil, and expel it from the hood through aperture 2|.

A conduit 24 for the electrical conductors to the motor and to a thermo switch (not shown) is secured to themotor casing and extends downwardly through an aperture in plate In. The

conductors may be led to the conduit 24 through a hole 20 of hood I! and a T coupling 25 interposed in the conduit.

To install the condenser unit in an ice refrigerator, it" will be evident that it will only be necessary to cut holes in the top of the box above the ice compartment to receivepipe I 5,

conduit 24, and skirt ll, plate l0 then being 40 adapted to rest directly on the top of the box.

The inlet end of coil I, through a connection 25, is in communication with the interior of skirt H.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, skirt I l is closed at its lower end by means of a circular plate 21 having a flat-topped, raised portion 28 extending upwardly within the skirt. Portion 28 is centrally bored to receive the lower end of shaft l8. Fixed to shaft it immediately above portion 28, and having a lower flat face resting upon the faceof the latter, is a cylindrical block 29 fixed in position. by means of a set screw". Block 29 is provided with a number of bores parallel-to shaft It and with their axes defining 5 a circle concentric with the shaft. In these bores are slidable pistons 3| whose upper ends are guided in a flange 32 of an upwardly extending sleeve 33 integral, as here shown, with block 29. A cam ring 34 is secured by meansof a flange 35 to the lower margins of aperture I2 and has an axially projecting cam face 36 opposed to and in the circle of pistons 3|.

Intermediate block 29 and fiange 32 pistons 3| are provided with annular grooves, as at 31, Fig. 2a, in which are engaged spring staples: 38. Interposed between staples or abutments 38 and block 29 are compression springs 39 which yieldingly urge the upper chamfered extremities of pistons 3| against cam face 36. Upon rotation of block 29 pistons 3| will be reciprocated by the cam and springs.

Beneath the rotary path of the pistons portion 28 of plate 21 is provided with arcuate grooves 40 and 4|, separated by

lands

42 and 43. Groove 40 is in communication with pipe 44 leading from an expansion coil, not shown, while groove 4|, by means of a duct 45, is in communication with a stand pipe 46 whoseupper end terminates below and short of plate Ill. The upwardly moving pistons 3|, or those following the cam face, are above groove 48 and draw the refrigerant into their cylinders. The downwardly moving pistons, that is, those following the cam rise, are above groove 4| and expel the refrigerant under compressive force through the groove, duct 45, and stand pipe 46 into the top of the chamber defined by skirt At the high and low points of the cam the pistons are over the lands.

A ring 41 is secured to the upper edge of collar l3 and interposed-between the collar and ring is a gasket 48 having welded to its lower face a sylphon gland 49. To the lower extremity of the sylphon gland is welded a ring 50 having a lower seat receiving a packing ring 5|. Ring 5| is pressed against a shoulder of sleeve 33 by a compression spring 52 interposed between

rings

41 and 50. Thus an air-tight joint is provided between the upper and lower sides of plate ID.

A sleeve 53, secured at its upper end to flange 35, extends downwardly to within a short distance of portion 28, surrounding the rotary parts of the compressor. This sleeve defines a chamber which is sealed at the bottom thereof by the body of oil upon the exterior of the sleeve which has imposed above its surface the compressor pressure. The body of oil upon the interior of the sleeve continually surrounds the moving elements requiring lubrication and furthermore extends to a level above that normally assumed by the oil in the skirt H, as explained in the following paragraph. Initially, ring 4'! is loosened and lubricant is introduced through an aperture normally closed by a plug 54, into the chamber defined by skirt until its level is shortly below the top of stand pipe 46. The lubricant thus introduced flows under and upwardly in sleeve 53 until it reaches its level. Plug 54 is replaced and the compressor operated until the pressure exerted on top of the lubricant body intermediate skirt H and sleeve 53 causes the lubricant to show under ring 41, whereupon the latter is tightened in place.

Due to the described arrangement it will be seen that the compressor rotor works in a body of lubricant which is under the compressor pressure and thus necessarily reaches all moving parts. The lubricant bath renders the compressor noiseless in operation and assures perfect lubrication of its parts. The lubricant need be I shaft l8.

' upper end intocollar 3.

replenished only at long intervals, and if desired it may be drained out upon removal of a plug 55. A duct 56' gives the lubricant ready access to the bottom bearing of shaft l8. s

In Figs. 5 to 7 the parts identical with those already described have been given the same reference numerals.

Referring to these figures, skirt H is closed by a plate 21 having a raised portion 28' provided with a central bore receiving the lower end of Portion 28' is bounded laterally by an upstanding flange ring 34" whose outer wall is concentric with shaft l8 but whose inner wall is eccentric thereto. Block 29' is provided with radial bores in which pistons 3| are slidable, the inner ends of the bores being adapted to communicate by means of axially extending ducts 51 with arcuate grooves 48' and 4| formed in portion 28 and separated by,lands 4'2 and 43'. Groove 48' is in communication with pipe 44 while groove 4|, through

ducts

45 and 45", is in communication with stand pipe 46'. A sleeve 33 restingon block 29' and surrounding shaft I8 has a shoulder at its upper end for cooperation with the packing instrumentalities already described.

It will be understood the lubricating arrangements are the same as those described above.

Upon rotation of block 29 pistons 3| will be urged against the opposed cam face 36 by centrifugal force and by a certain amount of back pressure existing at their inner ends to draw the refrigerant through port 40' into the cylinders. As the pistons are forced inwardly due to the cam rise, the refrigerant will be compressed and expelled through port 4|. It is believed that the operation will be perfectly clear from the preceding description of the compressor of Figs. 1 to 4, the great advantage of this second form of course being that springs such as 33 (Fig. 1)

are entirely eliminated.

Having thus described by invention, I claim:

L'The combination with a compressor, of an enclosed chamber in which said compressor is disposed, a vertically disposed actuating shaft and associated mechanisms for said compressor, an electric motor outside of said enclosed chamber for driving said actuating shaft, a sleeve having a substantial diameter defining an' auxiliary compartment surrounding said shaft and mechanisms and communicating with said chamber at the lower end thereof, means for tightly packing said shaft in said compartment, said chamber being partially filled with a body of lubricant, means for establishing the compressor pressure above the lubricant body, said body of lubricant furthermore cooperating with said auxiliary compartment to continually maintain said compartment filled with lubricant.

2. The combination with a compressor, of an enclosed chamber in which said compressor'is disposed, a vertically disposed actuating shaft and associated mechanisms for said compressor,

an electric motor outside of said enclosed chamber for driving said actuating shaft, an open-ended sleeve defining an auxiliary compartment sur-' rounding said shaft and mechanisms and opening into said'chamber; at the lower end thereof, means for tightly packing said shaft in said compartment, said chamber being partially filled with a body of lubricant, an outlet for said compressor discharging into the chamber above the lubricant body, a chamber outlet above said lubri- Sleeve 53 is threaded at its cant body, said lubricant body furthermore formof said outlets.

3-. The combination with a compressor, of an enclosed chamber in which said compressor is disposed, a vertically disposed actuating shaft and associated mechanisms for said compressor,

an open-ended sleeve, partially defining an auxiliary compartment opening into said chamber at the lower end thereof, surrounding said shaft and mechanisms;.a cover for said compartment, a packing member for said shaft near the top of said compartment, a yielding tight gland-surrounding said shaft intermediate said cover and said packing member, said chamber being par-.'-

tiallyfilied with a body of lubricant, means for establishing the compressor pressure above the lubricant body to raise the level of the lubricant body in said compartment to maintain the said packing member and said operating mechanisms continually lubricated, and a chamber outlet above said lubricant body.

4. The combination with acompressor, of an enclosed chamber in which said compressor is disposed, a vertically disposed actuating shaft and associated mechanisms for said compressor, an open-ended sleeve, partially defining an auxiliary compartment opening into said chamber at the lower end thereof, surrounding said shaft and mechanisms, a cover for said compartment, a packing member for said shaft near the top of said. compartment, a yielding tight gland surrounding said shaft intermediate said cover and said packing member, said chamber being partially filled with a body of lubricant, said body of lubricant cooperating with the open end of said sleeve to form a liquid seal between the compressor mechanisms and the tight gland within said compartment.

5. The combination of a pressure chamber, a. 5

pump mechanism at the bottom of said chamber, an operating shaft for said pump mechanism extending from the top of said chamber, a tight gland sealing the exit of said shaft through said chamber, packing means comprising a sleeve forming a compartment around said shaft and pump mechanism and terminating a short distance above the bottom of said chamber, and a lubricating medium sealing the interior of said compartment from said chamber subjected in the latter to the pressure generated by'the pump mechanism.

, enclosed-chamber in whichsaid compressor is disposed,- a vertically disposed actuating shaft and associated mechanisms for said compressor, an open-ended sleeve, partially defining an auxiliary compartment opening 'into said chamber at the lower end thereof, surrounding said shaft, a cover for said compartment, a packing member for said shaft near the top of said compartment, a yielding tight gland surrounding said shaft intermediate said cover and said packing member, said chamber being partially filled with a body of lubricant, said body of lubricant cooperating and extending above the open end of said sleeve to form a liquid seal between the compressor mechanisms and the tight gland within said compartment, the body of lubricant covering also the compressor mechanisms.

HENRY E. ELROD.

' after "chamber," in line 8; and

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,016,082. 4 October 1, 1935.

HENRY E. ELROD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, second column, line 10, claim 5, strike out the words "packing means comprising" and insert the same line 30, claim 6, after "coonerating" insert the word with; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the-same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of November, A. D. 1935. 1

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.