US2158274A

US2158274A - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: US2158274A
Application number: US7733A
Authority: US
Inventors: William D Collins
Original assignee: Servel Inc
Current assignee: Servel Inc
Priority date: 1935-02-23
Filing date: 1935-02-23
Publication date: 1939-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-16

Description

May 16, 1939. I w. D. COLLINS REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Fb. 23, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 49 ,Co m/L' AaATTORNEY.

REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y 7 Na 3/ INVENTOR May 16, 1939. w. D. COLLINS REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Feb. 23, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

J49 Me ,Az/L ATTORNEY.

W. D. COLLINS REFRIGERATOR May 16, 1939.

Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. 4%. *0, C BY ,/lATToRNEY.

May 16, 1939. w. D. COLLINS {REFRIGERATOR 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 INVENTOR. I

' Q/efaflcwa J24 ATTORNEY.

May 16, 1939. w n co s 2,158,274

REFRIGERATOR Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 l l I I INVENTOR.

W dgcream Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR William D. Collins, Evansville, Ind., asslgnor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 23, 1935, Serial No. 7,733 Renewed October 12, 1938 4 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerators and has for an object the provision of a new and improved refrigerator cabinet which is readily fabricated, as fully set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a frame for the cabinet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a front view of the frame; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the frame; Fig. 5' isan enlarged view'of the lower left hand corner of the frame base in Fig. 3;

Fig, 6 is an enlarged view of the*upper right hand corner of the frame base in Fig. 3; 1

Fig.7 is a perspective view of a refrigerator storage compartment assembly; I

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on line 8-8 .20 in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a front view of a front panel assembly for the refrigerator;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the front panel; Fig. 11 is a top view of the front panel; Fig.12 is an elevational view of a side for the refrigerator;

Fig. 13 is an end view of the side panel; Fig. 14 is a top view of the side panel; Fig. 15 is a plan view of a top for the refrig- 39 erator;

Fig. 16 is a side view of the refrigerator top; Fig. 17 is a front view of the refrigerator top;

and

Fig. 18 is a detail section taken on line l8--l8 inFig. 1. "1* 7 Referring to the drawings, 1 have shown in Fig. 1 a refrigerator cabinetv Ill having a thermally insulated storage compartment which is accessible by meansofa door ii, and a lower 40 apparatus compartment which is accessible -by means of a removable closure [2. The structure of this cabinet and theprocess of fabrication will be more clearly apparent from the further 50 The bottom of the frame is formed'by four generally channel-shaped members welded together at their ends. In Fig. 2 may be seen the outline of the front cross member l3 and the rear cross member it. 'The frontand rear members l3 and-I4 are connected by side members l5 and panel I6 (Figs. 2 and 3). At the front corners of the bottom of the frame are two upright members I! and I8. These members are substantially Z-shaped. The joint in the lower left hand of Fig. 3 is shown enlarged in Fig. 5. At the rear 5 corners of the bottom of the frame are connected upright members I!) and 20 which are also channel-shaped as may be seen in the top view in Fig. 4. Near the top of the rear upright members l9 and 28 are secured forwardly projecting arm members 2| and 22. The upper ends of the rear uprights l9 and 20 are connected by an .angle iron cross-bar 23. Between the rear frame upa

rights

19 and 28, at the level of the upper ends of the front frame uprights I! and I8, is connected a cross-bar 24 having a semi-circular offset 25. Between the upper ends of the front frame uprights l1 and I8 and the cross-bar 2a is mounted a horizontal sheet 26 having a semicircular portion' 21 cut out at the rear edge to correspond with the semi-circular offset 25 in .the cross-bar 24. The front of the sheet 26 is formed as a step 28. The sheet 26 is formed with a downturned flange 29 along the front edge and downturned flanges 38 along the side edges. In Fig. 6 is shown an enlarged view of the joint between the sheet 26 and the front frame upright l8. At each corner of the bottom of the frame are secured plates 3i. These plates may be referred to as base mounting plates and are for the purpose of securing the legs of the base 32 of the refrigerator, shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown a refrigerator storage compartment which may be separately formed as a unit, for instance, as generally disclosed in my Patent No. 1,878,111. The compartment is formed by a substantially rectangular casing 33, generally referred to as a liner. The liner 33'is preferably heavily porcelained on the interior, as well known, to .provide sanitary walls for the storage compartment. The edge of the liner 33 is secured within a substantially rectangular wooden frame 34. Thermal insulation material 35 in the form of substantially rectangular slabs is secured around the outside of the liner 33, for instance, by thin straps or bands 36. It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for securing the insulation in place around the liner. In the sectional view of the storage compartment assembly as shown in Fig. 8, there may be seen what is referred to as a window. This is an opening 31 through the rear wall of the liner 33 and insulation 35 to permit insertion of a cooling element into the storage compartment tion 35 is indented to form a semi-circular groove 38 which receives a portion of a refrigeration apparatus, namely, a gas heat exchanger of a refrigeration apparatus of the pressure equalized type.

The next step in the process of fabricating the cabinet is to mount the storage compartment assembly, just described, in position on the previously described frame. The position of the storage compartment assembly on the frame is 1 indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 2. The lower edge of the storage compartment frame is formed with a step 39 (Fig. '1) which fits the step 28 )f the steel frame. This permits accurate loca- ;ion of the storage compartment assembly on the frame. The semi-circular offset 25 in the crossbar 24 and the semi-circular opening 21 in the rear edge of the sheet 216 are aligned with the semi-circular groove 38 in the insulation material at the back of the storage compartment assembly. The forward ends of the arms 2| and 2'2 at the top of the steel frame are secured to the top of the wooden frame: 34 of the storage compartment.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 is shown what is referred to as the front panel 40 for the refrigerator cabinet. The panel 40 comprises two vertical side members 4| and 42 and a top cross member 43 which are welded together and form a substantially inverted U-shaped panel. The front panel 46 is turned rearwardly around its periphery and is formed with a step so that, after the panel has been coated with a desired material as, for instance, porcelain, it has the appearance indicated in Fig. 1. The periphery of the front panel 40 is I turned inwardly to form a flange 44. The flange 44 is provided with tabs 45 along each side of the panel. The front panel 40 is placed against the front of the previously described frame and storage compartment assembly and secured in place by fastening the tabs 45 to the wooden frame 34 around the storage compartment door opening and the front frame uprights l1 and 16.

In Figs. 12, 13, and 14 is shown a side panel 46 for the refrigerator. The side panels 46 are coated similarly to the front panel 40 as, for instance, with porcelain. The bottom and rear edges of the side panels 46 are flanged inwardly and the forward and top edges of the side panels are provided with L-shaped flanges 41 and 46 respectively. The L-shaped flange 41 on the forward edge of the side panels 46 is provided with a plurality of notches 48 which are spaced apart the same distances as the tabs 46 on the front panel 46. The side panels 46 are placed in position on the sides of the refrigerator cabinet, as thus far assembled, by inserting the L-shaped flange 41 ,on the forward edge back of the flange 44 of the front panel 46, the tabs 46 on the front panel 46 extending into the notches 49 and beneath the L-shaped flange 41 on the forward edge of the side panels 46. The inturned flange at the rear of the panels 46 is secured to the rear frame uprights Ill and 26. The forward edges of the side panels 46 are thus locked beneath the edge of the front panel 46 and require no other fastening means. time, the side panels 46 conceal the tabs 45 on the front panel so that no fastening means are externally visible. The assembled relation, just described, of the front panel 40 and the side panels 46 may be better understood upon reference to Fig. 18 showing a detail section of a completed At the same refrigerator cabinet. The section in Fig. 18 is taken substantially on line l8l6 in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 15, 16, and 1'1 is shown a top 50 for the refrigerator. The top is substantially flat with downwardly rolled sides. The side edges of the top panel 56 are flanged inwardly and the forward edge is provided with an L-shaped flange 6| similar to the flange 41 on the side panels 46 except that the flange is continuous, there being no tabs along the top edge of the front panel 40. The top panel 50 is placedin position on the top of the refrigerator by inserting the L-shaped flange 5| beneath the flange 44 along the top edge of the front panel 40, and lowering the sides onto the top edges of the side panels 46 to lock the L-shaped flanges 48 on the side panels.

The rear edge of the top panel 50 overlies the space between the two rear frame uprights l6 and 20 and, as may be seen in Fig. 15, is provided with a recess 52. This recess permits air to flow upwardly through the space between the frame uprights l9 and 20 and out at the top of the refrigerator. A ledge 53 around the recess 52,is provided to support a suitable screen or grille, not shown. In order to prevent air from circulating rapidly beneath the top panel 50, a sheet metal plate 54, referred to as an air deflector, is mounted above the top cross-bar 23 at the top of the rear frame uprights l9 and 26 (Fi 2).

It will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of my invention which, therefore, is not limited to that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet comprising a frame and a storage compartment unit supported on said frame and'including a generally rectangular liner open at the front, a door-frame around the liner opening, and thermal insulation materialaround the liner, a sheet metal casing comprising a front panel forming the side and top front corners of the cabinet and having inward flanges around its edges, the inward flanges being secured to said door-frame and formed to provide recesses, side panels having inward L- shaped flanges along their forward and top edges, said L-shaped flanges along the forward edges passing into said recesses provided in the front panel and, being locked beneath the flanged edge of said front panel, and a top panel forming the topside corners of the cabinet and having an inward L-shaped flange along its forward edge similarly locked beneath the upper flanged edge of said front panel and being inwardly flanged along its side edges to lock the L-shaped flanges on the upper edges of said side panels.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet including a frame and a thermally insulated storage compartment supported on said frame, a sheet metal casing comprising a front panel forming the side and top front edges of the cabinet and having inward flanges around its edges and formed to provide recesses, structure to which the inward flanges are secured, side panels having inward L-shaped flanges along their forward and top edges, said L-shaped flanges along the forward edges entering said recesses provided by the front panel and being locked beneath the flanged edge of said front panel, and a top panel forming the top side edges of the cabinet and having an inturned L-shaped flange along its forward edge similarly locked beneath the flanged edge of said front panel and being inwardly flanged along its -side edges to lock the L-shaped flanges on the upper edges of said side panels.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet, a front panel of sheet metal forming the side and top front. edges of the cabinet and having inward flanges around its edges and formed to provide recesses, side --panels having inward L-shaped flanges along their'forward and top edges, and a top panel forming the upper sideedges of the cabinet and having an inward L-shaped flange at its forward edge and being inwardly flanged at its side edges, said flanges onthe' top and side panels passing into said recesses provided by the front panel and serving to lock, the forward edges of the said top and side panels beneath the edge of said front panel ,and lock the top edges of said side panels beneath the side edges of said top panel.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet comprising a steel frame and a substantially rectangular storage compartment unit supported on said frame and comprising a rectangular liner open at the front, insulation material around the liner, and a wooden frame around the open front of the liner, an outer casing comprising a front panel forming the side and top front corners of the cabinet and peripherally flanged inwardly, tabs formed integrally with said front panel and secured to the sides of said wooden frame, side panels having inward L-shaped flanges along their forward and top edges, said L-shaped flanges along the forward edges being locked beneath the flanged edge of said front panel, and a top panel forming the top side corners of the cabinet and having an inward L-shaped flange along its forward edge locked beneath the upper flanged edge of said front panel and being inwardly flanged along 4 its side edges to lock the L-shaped flanges on the upper edges of said side panels.