US216935A - Improvement in refrigerators - Google Patents

Description

J. BOSTWIGK.

Refrigerator;

N6. 216,935. Patented July 1,1879.

JNVE'NT 0R 'Wiinesses UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOSEPH BOSTWIQK, OF MISHAWAKA, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Fatent No. 216,935, dated July 1, 1879; application filed February 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Bos'rWIoK, of Misha-waka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, which tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichrefrigerator embodying myimprovements with the doors mostly thrown open; Fig.2, a vertical section of the same, taken on the line :0 a9, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a similar section thereof, taken on the line y y, Fig. 2.

My invention consists in arranging the inlet to the cooling-chamber about on a level with or above the exit-opening through which the warmed air escapes from the latter, and providing the cooling-chamber with a corrugated ceiling, which directs the warm air to the exitflue.

It also consists in a peculiar construction of the under side of the icechamber bottom, whereby transverse channels are formed for conducting the warm air to the exit-opening.

In the drawings, A represents the main body or frame-work of the refrigerator, which is of the upright class, provided with doors in front, and in its general construction, so far as the exterior walls are concerned, is similar to many other refrigerators well known and in public use.

In the upper end of the refrigerator is the ice-chamber B, which extends entirely across the interior of the structure, being formed by a partition, 0, which constitutes the bottom of the ice chamber or receptacle. This chamber 13 isalso provided with a removable vertical partition, D, extending across the chamber and dividing it into two compartments when it is used.

The compartment 1) is the receptacle for the ice, and b, on the other side of the partition, is for the reception of articles which it is desired to preserve in the refrigerator, and may be provided with one or more removable shelves, d.

It is thus evident that either. the entire chamber B or a portion, 1), thereof may be used as:

Below the ice-chamberB is the cooling-chamber E, and an air-passage, e, at one end of the ice-chamber connects the latter with the coolfing chamber, and'provides for the passage of 1 cold air down into the latter from the former. is fully described in the following-specifica- When the entire chamber B is used as the jice-receptacle, a similar air-passage, 6, may be made at the other end thereof; but this may Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a be covered or closed, when the movable partition is employed, by a removable cover; or 1 it may be closed entirely and permanently, if

desired; or the air-passage may be left open,

1 and few holes made in the partition to permit the cold air to pass through from the ice-cham- 1 ber over the provisions.

for cold air proceeding from the ice-chamber f The bottom 0 of the ice-chamber is preferaj bly made of wood, and inclined from each end toward the center, for the purpose of collecting the drip. i ing, 0, on which the ice rests, and which may It may have a metallic coverbe corrugated; or a rack or other suitable support may be employed for this purpose.

On the under side of the bottom 0 is a 'cor rugated or grooved plate, F, the channels or grooves in which are arranged transversely to the ice-chamber-that is, extend across from front to rear of the refrigerator. The channels or grooves in this plate F constitute conduits for the warm air and gases ascending in the coolin g-chamber E, and their arrangement serves to conduct these warm and light vapors along the channels in the upper end of the coolingchamber to the open space Gin front of the ice-chamber, and between it and the outside of the refrigerator, which constitutes the exit or warm-air flue leading from the cooling-chamber back to the ice-chamber, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. diverted from the cold-air flues, through which cold air flows from the ice-chamber to the cooling-chamber, and permits the exit of the warm air to bemade on a level with, or even below, the inlet-opening by which the cold air enters the preserving-chamber.

The corrugated bottom F maybe made either straight or inclined toward the center from the ends. In the former case the warm-air exit will be on a level with the cold-air inlet, and in the latter case will be, in some places, a little below the inlet-opening. The bottom F may be of metal, as described, or some other suitable material. It may even be made of The warmer vapors are thus wood, in which case the channels may be formed by grooves in the bottom, or by a series of ribs or cleats fastened thereto.

Preferably an air-space, f, is left between the bottom 0 of the ice-chamber and the corrugated bottom F, which tends to prevent condensation on the latter; and in this case the parts may be so arranged as to make this space deepest near the center of its length, where the greatest risk of condensation occurs. This may be effected by inclining the two bottoms at a different angle, or making the upper on'e horizontal and the lower one inclined. This airspace f may, however, be dispensed with when the bottom proper of the ice-chamber is sufficient in itself to prevent chilling, and in either case the grooved bottom may also be made horizontal, instead of inclined, as shown in the drawings. v

The ice-chamber B is closed in front by two doors, H, each of which closes one of the divisions of this chamber when the partition D is employed. Between these doors and the outside or outer doors of the structure, when closed, there is a space, Gr, which, as above stated, constitutes the warm-air flue for the passage of air back into the ice-chamber from the cooling-chamber, there being a space at the top of the doors H for the admission of this air into the ice-chamber, as indicated by arrows in the drawings.

The warm-air flue may be differentlyarranged,if desired; though I prefer to arrange it in front, as above described, for the reason that when the outer doors are opened the warm air that enters from the outside will have a tendency to pass directly to the ice-chamber, thereby causing a less disturbance in the temperature of the cooling-chamber than would otherwise occur.

At the front of the structure there are three doorson one side a door, I, extending from top to bottom, and providing for admission to the cooling-chamber E, and the compartment 1) of the upper or ice chamber, B; on the other side a door, J, extending only as high as the cooling-chamber, and opening into it only; and above it a third door, K, which permits admittance to the compartment 1) of the ice-chamber.

In the drawings the lower door, J, is represented as provided with a separate frame,

' so as to be entirely independent of the others.

. tire chamber B, wheneverdesired, for the in troduction of ice, or any other purpose.

It is evident that the corrugated bottom for directing the warm-air current is not necessarily limited in its application to the refrigerator constructed in all respects like the one herein shown and described; but it may be employed with refrigerators of different construction and difl'erent arrangement of ice chamber. It may be found desirable, in some instances, to leave a very narrow strip at the end of this corrugated bottom next to the coldair flue perfectly plain, and also at both ends when there is a cold-air flue at each end of the ice-chamber.

In the refrigerator constructed as above described, the structure is equally well adapted for storing large or small quantities of ice, as may be desired, thereby enabling me to obtain the advantages and obviate the disadvantages attendant upon the use of either style alone. The grooved or corrugated airconductor also permits such an arrangement of air-flues as is most convenient and economical of space; and the arrangement of the doors affords access to either of the compartments independently of the others, except in the case of the long door extending from top to bottom I of the structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cold-air flue or fines, in combination with the warm-air flue, the outlet of the latter being on substantially the same level as the inlet of the former into the cooling-chamber, and a grooved or corrugated ceiling for the cooling-chamber, the channels of which lead directly to the warm -air flue, whereby the warm air is prevented from entering the coldair flue, and is conducted to its proper exitflue, substantially as described.

2. The ice-chamber B, in combination with the cold-air flue e at the end or ends of the ice-chamber, opening into the coolingchamber immediately at the ceiling thereof, the warm-air flue opening out of the cooling-chamber directly from the ceiling thereof and extending up on one side of the ice-chamber, and the corrugated plate F on the ceiling of the cooling-chamber, having its channels or corrugations arranged parallel to the cold-air fines, and perpendicular to, and leading into, the warm-air flue, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The wooden bottom 0 of the ice-chamber, in combination with the corrugated plate F, and formin g the ceiling of the cooling-chamber, and arranged with an air-space, f, be-

tween it and the bottom 0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOSEPH BOSTWIOK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. CLARK, JOHN FEITEN.

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