US2203108A - Refrigerator freight car - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1940. R. K. scHwEBs 2,203,108

` REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT GAR Filed June l5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. K. SCHWEBS REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR June 4, 1940.

Filed June13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 anni, :W

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Ir'lve nt D r'. Robert Kent Schw/EIDE.

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES,

PATENT GFFICE REFRIGERATOR FREIGHT CAR Robert Kent Schwebs, Hortonville, Wis.

Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,421

5 Claims. (Cl. 62-24) This invention appertains to refrigerator freight carsof the type employed in shipping perishable foodstuffs, and is an improvement on the constructions -shown Vin my Patents No.

5 2,136,894 of November 15, 1938. and No. 2,159,406

of May 23, 1939. p

In my two mentioned patents, I disclosed various means for continuously circulating air through the refrigerator car, while the car isin i transit. This means consisted of fans driven in various manners for drawing air up through the ice bunkers from the iioor of the car, and forcing the same over the goods in the car to the end that a continuous cycle of conditioned air would l be passed through the perishable articles, so that the perishable articles could be maintained at the 4same temperature at all points in the car. While the means employed operated admirably within certain limits, I have found that there was a decided tendency for a large portion of the air, instead of being drawn down through the articles and up through the bunkers, to flow around the upper sides of the car and over the top of the bunker, and then to the fans. Naturally, this ilow of air did not accomplish the desired conditions for cooling.

It is, therefore, one of the salient objects of my invention to provideA means for automatically closing the space above thepartition forming the ice bunker on each side of the power-driven fan, whereby, when the fan is in operation, the air will not be drawn around the sides of the car and over the top of the bunker, but will be drawn. down through the body of the lcar and up through the bunker.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of.me mbers of any desired character for closing the space between the bunker partition and the roof of the car on each side of the air-circulating fan, with means for automatically closing said members as soon as the fan starts in operation, means being provided for holding the meinbers open at all other times. A further object of my invention is to provide means for employing fluid under pressure for automatically closing the ventilator shutters over` the bunkers when fluid under pressure is utilized for driving the'air-circulating fans, so that when the pressure vis employed for operating fan, said pressure will synchronously operate and close the Ventilating shutters. l

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary.longitudinal, sectional view through a refrigerator freight car, showing one form of my improved appliance in- 5 corporated therewith.

Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional view through the car, takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of vthe arrows,

showing my improved appliance incorporated l0 therewith. l

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the car, taken substantially on the line 3-f3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating one means for autol5 matically opening and closing the Ventilating shutters, the shutters being shown in their closed position. f

Figure 4 is a view similar toliigure 3, showing the `.rentilating shutters in their open position. 20

Figure. 5 is\ a detail, vertical, sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

` Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view,

l taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Figure 3, 25 lookingin the directionof the arrows illustrating the pressure means for closing the ventilating shutters. l

Referring to the drawings'in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corre- 30 sponding parts Athroughout the several views, the

letter R generally indicates a refrigerator freight car, and the same embodiesthe usual insulated body I0 having formed at each end thereof bunkers II. 'I hese bunkers are formed by trans- 35 verse partitions I2, which extend entirely across the car. -The partitions terminate .short of the roof of a car, as can be clearly seen by referring to Figures v1 and 2 of the drawings. The partitions include vertical uprights I3, which are 4 arranged in spaced relation, and the uprights extend entirely to the roof of the car. The space above'the partition andv between the uprights I3 form"large Ventilating openings or air passageways I4. 'I'he bunkers II are adapted to receive ice during the warm seasons ofthe year, and heating devices during cold seasons of the year. The ice or the heaters, as the case may be. restsl on a grating I5 above the level of the car-11001;. 50 The body of the car is likewise provided with a suitably perforated or reticulated false bottom I6, on'which the foodstuils to be shipped are placed. The partition I2 terminates at the grating I5 and false bottom IS, but the uprights 55 I3 of the partition extend from the floor to the roof, as previously described.

An air-circulating fan I1 of the desired capacity is arranged above the partition |2 at the central portion of the car, and is employed for drawing the air up through the bunkers over the top of the foodstuffs, down through the foodstuffs, and up into the bunkers below the false bottom I6 and the grate I5. By employing the air-circulating fan I1, a continuous cycle of air can be caused to flow in the car.

The air-circulating fan I1 can be driven in any preferred manner, such as by an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, or by means shown in my two mentioned pending applications. For the purpose of illustration, l I have shown the air-circulating fan I1 driven substantially in the same manner-as in my Patent No. 2,136,894 of November 15, 1938, and thus the fan is driven from a turbine I8. A suitable liquid, such as oil under pressure, is employed for actuating the turbine, andthis oil can be placed under pressure from a rotary pump I9 driven from a friction drive wheel 20, which is normally held in Contact with one of the car-wheels. The' pump takes the fluid from a reservoir tank 2|, and forces the same through a pipe line 22, which leads to the turbines for the air-circulating fans located at the opposite ends of the car.

A pipe 22 is also connected byA a pressure relief valve 23 with the reservoir tank 2|, whereby v if the pressure exceeds a predetermined degree the same can by-pass into the reservoir tank and the valve can be adjusted to the desired pressure.

The return pipe 24 leads from the turbinev I8 back to the reservoirs 2|.

I have found that in actual practice the air tends to ilow along the sidesl of the car at the KMtop thereof and into and over the ice bunkers. It is then forced into the central part of the car by the air-circulating fan. In order to overcome this diiliculty I propose to provide means 25 for The space above the partition on each side of v 4the fan can b e automatically opened and closed in various manners, and I have only illustrated oneform for automatically opening and closing the same. As I have shown the air-circulating fans driven by turbines, which are in turn operated by liquid under pressure, I employ liquid under pressure to automatically close'the Ventilating shutters.

In the present instance I have illustrated my Ventilating shutters to consist of a plurality of vertically disposed slats orlouvres 26, which are rockably mounted on vertical pivots 21. All of the slats or louvres are connected together `by means of an operating rod 28, which extend transversely across the car.v This rod 28 is connected by means of links 29'with thev slats or shutters, and the rod is guided in its movement by bearing brackets 30. Obviously, by shifting the rod 28, the slats or louvres can. be opened or closed. y I

Adjacent to the turbine I position a cylinder 3|, in which-is mounted 4a piston 32. The piston 32 has connected therewith a. piston rod 33, which can be connected with the liquid under pressure by means of a pipe 35, and the liquid under pressure, when admitted thereto, forces the piston against the tension of the spring 34 to the opposite end of the cylinder, and moves the rod 28 in such a manner as to close these slats or louvres.

Obviously, pressure is only admitted to the cylinder 3| .when the pump I9 starts in operation to supply pressure to the turbine I8. Thus, when the car is standing still, and the air-circulating fan is not in operation, the car will be cooled in the ordinary manner and the air Will circulate in the usual way.

My invention relates broadly to automatic means for opening and closing the space above the bunker partition on 'each, side of the Ventilating fan, and it is to be understood that any desired means other than pivoted slats or louvres can be employed.

Changes in details may be made without de parting from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

l. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, an end wall, a roof, a floor, and a false bottom for said floor, a partition extending transversely across the body adjacent to the end wall terminating short of the roof and at the false bottom, said partition defining in conjunction with the side and en d walls an ice bunker, an aircirculating fanl disposed above the partition at the central portion thereof for `drawing air up through the ice bunker and into the body of the caradjacent to the roof, meansv for operating the fan, ventilators for opening and closing the space' between the partition and the roof on opposite sides of the fan, means normally maintaining the ventilators in open position, andmeans for automaticallyl closing said. ventilators against the tension of said last-mentioned means when the fan is in operation.

' 2. Inla refrigerator car, a -body having side walls, an end wall, a roof, a oonand a false bottom for said floor, apartition disposed transversely across the body vadjacent to the end-wall extending from the `false bottom toward said roof, said partition terminating short of the roof and forming in conjunction with the rside and end walls an ice bunker, an4 air-circulating device disposed above the partition at the central portion thereof for drawing airup through the ice bunker and forcing the same into the body of the car adjacent to the roof, a fluid driven motor for operating the device, ventilators for controlling the space between the partition and the roof on .terminating short of the roof,. defining an ice bunker in conjunction with the side and end walls, an air-circulating fan disposed above the partition for drawing air up `through the ice bunker and into the bodyl ofthe car adjacent to the roof, a uid driven motor for operating the fan, a ventilator for controlling the space between the partition and the roof of the car on each side of thefan, said ventilators including a plurality of pivoted slats, a single operating rod for actuating all of the slats synchronously,. a cylinde1','a piston in said cylinder, means operatively connecting the piston to the rod, spring means normally holding the piston and the rod in one position for holding the slats open, and means connecting the cylinder with the source of uid for the motor whereby to cause the operation of the piston against said spring meansl when the motor is in operation to move the slats to a closed position. v

4. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, an end wall, a roof, a floor and a false bottorn for said oor, a partition disposed transversely across the body adjacent to the end wall extending substantially from the false bottom and terminating short of the roof and forming 1n conjunction with the side and end walls a lbunker compartment separate from the lading compartment of the car, an air circulating device in the space between said partition and said roof -for drawing air from one of said compartments to the other of said compartmentsa4 uid driven motor for operating said device, ventilators for controlling the portion of the space between saidpartition and saidroof not occupied by said device, means for normallyholding the ventilators in open position, and means operated by the uid for the motor for closing said ventilators when the motor is in operation.

5. In a refrigerator car, a body having side walls, Aan end Wall, a roof, a floor and a false bottom for said oor, a partition disposed transverselyacross the body adjacent to the end wall extending substantially from the false bottom and terminating short of the roof and forming in conjunction with the side and end walls a bunker compartment separate from the lading compartment of the car, an air circulating device in the space between said partition and said roof for drawing air from one of said compartments to the other of said compartments, a fluid driven motor for operating said device, ventilators j for controlling the portion of the space between said partition and said roof not occupied by said device, a cylinder, a piston within said cylinder operatively connected to said ventilators and an expansion spring positioned to hold the piston at one end of the cylinder and thus normally hold the ventilators in open position, and means connecting the cylinder with the source of fluid for the motor whereby to cause th'e'operation of the piston against said spring when the motor is in operation to move the ventilators to closed position.

ROBERT KENT SCHWEBS.

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