US2231210A - Refrigerator car - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 11, 1941. GQ G. GILPIN REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Aug. l, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 fof/7 wm Q QM, uw

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Feb. 11', 1941. G. G. GILPIN v REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Aug. 1, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet LJEEEEEF Y .//7 l/en for r 6dr #7 6 Gf ,0f/7

Feb. 11, 1941. G. G. GILPIN REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 1, 1938 Feb. 11, 1941. G, G. G||. P1N 2231,21()

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Aug. 1, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE REFRIGERATOR CAR Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,363

13 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at a temperature within a predetermined range. This necessitates use of a cooling means in summer and a heating means in Winter.

A refrigerator car comprises insulated Walls, roof and floor and, when used in warm weather, a means for cooling the air as it circulates about the car. The cooling means may be fresh WalO ter ice, a mixture of ice and salt, a brinesolution comprising ice, Water an-d salt, or a eutectic ice consisting of frozen brine. The cooling means may be placed at the ends of the car and separated by bulkheads from the lading compart- 15 ment or may be suspended immediately below the ceiling.

This invention applies particularly to cars in which there are preferably a plurality of refrigerant. containers near the roof. These containers may have foraminous walls through which air may circulate when the refrigerant is ice or ice and salt. The containers may also be solid tanks when brine is used, or they may have their upper Walls foraminous to facilitate air circulation and their lower Walls and bottom solid for partial retention of brine. A drip pan or partition is provided below each container to catch and drain the melted ice and condensation from the container. A ue is preferably provided to communicate between the passage above the drip pan and the space between the .door rack and the floor. The flue serves as a path for the downward movement of air which has been cooled by the refrigerant.

35 It is an object of this invention to hinge the bottoms of the refrigerant containers to the containers and also to provide latches or other means for securing said bottoms to the containers. The latches may be easily released to 40 allow the bottoms to swing downwardly. It is a further object of the invention to hinge andl jacent drip pans are made removable for re-l 55 moval of ice remaining in the containers.

A further object of the invention is to hinge only parts of the bottoms of the containers. A large amount of ice is carried in refrigerator cars and the containers must be strong and, therefore, heavy to support the Weight. Further-4 5 more, there may be a considerable quantity of ice remaining in a container. This Weight might be too great for one man, or even two men, to handle safely if it is necessary to operate the entire bottom as a unit. It is an object of this 10 invention to construct part of the bottom rigid with the container and hingerthe remainder; then ice resting on the rigid portion may be pushed through the opening created by the removal of the hinged partition. It is another l5 object to further decrease the Weight to be handled by hinging only a part of the drip pan and constructing the remainder rigid with the car.

Another advantage in hinging only a part of the bottom of the container is the safety requirement. Very frequently a large amount of ice remains in a container and if the bottom is suddenly released, persons inside the car Would be liable to injury by the resultant avalanche of ice. However, if only a part of the bottom is released, the quantity of ice falling inside the car is materially less. The remaining ice can then be pushed from the rigid part of the bottom through the opening in small quantities.

It is frequently necessary to clean the containers of a refrigerator car because accumulated dirt may cause odors injurious to certain types of lading. It is an object of this invention to hinge the container bottoms and drip pans, thus making the containers easily accessible for cleaning.

Refrigerant containers are frequently in need of repairs. Damage may be caused by dropping large amounts of ice into the containers from a great height by the shifting of the ice during service movements of the car, or by the corrosive action of salt which is frequently added to the ice to produce a lower temperature. A further object of the invention is to facilitate repairs to the tank by hinging the container bottom and drip pan as heretofore described.

Another object of the invention is to make the drip pan accessible for cleaning by hinging it to the car structure.

Certain types of commodities require no refrigeration during transportation, but require ventilation. This is necessary because they emit a continuous supply of heat which must be carried away or the lading Will become so Warm swingingmovement of the unit 45. mountedupon the partition` I9 engages the leg.;

.125 and an arm 5I that it will be injured. Ventilation is ordinarily supplied by opening some or all of the hatch covers. It is an object of this invention to hinge the drip pan, thus providing a direct path for the Ventilating air to reach the lading compartment. It is a further object to provide an adjustable support for the drip pan so that the amount of air entering lthe lading compartment may be controlled.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a refrigerator car having foraminous refrigerant containers. The section is on line I I of Fig. 5 and shows the container bottom in the closed position on the left and open position onthe right.

Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section on line 2 2 of Fig. 5 showing the rigidportion of the bottom. y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section showing a ventilating feature which may be used.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section online 4 4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse section of a car having tanks as refrigerant containers, showing the bottom closed on the left and open on the right.

Fig. '7 is a partial transverse section on line I I'of Fig. 8 showing the rigid portion of the bottom.

Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 8 3of Figs. 6 and 7.

Figs. 9 and 10`show modified constructions.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the usual parts of a, refrigerator car are shown, such as center sill 2; side sills 3; underfran'ie cross members 4; sub-floor 5; floor iloor rack 'I; side sheathing 8; side lining 9; auxiliary walls I0 providing the flues II; side plates l2; outer roof sheets I3; running board I4; ceiling I5; hatch frames I6 surrounding the hatchesV II; refrigerant containers I8; drip pans or partitions I9; upright walls 20 forming the duct 2I and insulation 22.

The forarninous refrigerant container 30 preferably comprises beams 3l extending between and secured to the side wall structure 29; foraminous sides 32 and a foraminous bottom 33 extend between and are supported by the beams 3l. The beams 3i preferably consist of perforated webs 3d and upper and lower chords 35 36`. The sides 32 may be wire mesh, expanded metal, perforated sheet, or other foraminous material.

The bottom 33 of the container 3i) preferably comprises a plurality of inverted channel shaped parallel slats eil. The slats 4I near the center of the container, (i. e., under the hatch I'I) are rigidly secured to and supported by the beams 2 43, said beams also serving as the lower chords of the sides 32. The slats 44 near the ends of the container are secured to. stringers 45 to form units 45 entirely separate from the remainder of the container. These units comprisingfslats Irland stringers 45 are hinged to the beam i2 and releasably secured to the beam 43 by a latch lll orother suitable means.

The latching mea-ns 4l shownv in the drawings comprises a member 5@ secured to the stringers pivotally mounted on` the beam t3. The arm 5i has a projecting finger 52 and a downwardly disposed leg 53, said finger 52 engaging; the member 55 to prevent downwardly A lug 54 53 to prevent rotation of the arm 5I and, therefore, to prevent dropping of the unit 45 after the partition I3 has been raised to its upper horizontal position.

The upright walls 2E) are shown secured to the beams 3| and extending between said beams. The partitions I9 are hinged at 51 to the auxiliary walls II] and releasably secured by a suitable latching means 53 to the upright walls 25. The drawings show the partition I9 below the container 3@ to be formed of three sections, each separately hinged and latched. Since only the end portions 59 must be lowered to remove the ice from the container, this arrangement reduces the weight which must be handled. If it is necessaryv to cleanV or repair the containers 30 thev center portion 6I] may be lowered.

The drawingsv illustrate only a short portion of the .bottom at each end of the container hinged. Although there are other practical arrangements, the one shown is preferred because the weight to be handled is small and because it is. a relatively simple operation to dump the ice remaining on the rigid part of the bottom. The operation consists ofv reaching through the hatch with a paddle or other instrument and pushing the ice toward` the ends of the container where it falls through-the openings left by the removal ofthe end parts of the bottom.

Fig. 3 shows an arrangement used for ventilation of the car. An adjustable means 6I substituted for the' latch-like fastener 58` allows an opening G2`through which air may circulate to the lading compartmentA 6 3 when the cover is removed from the hatch I'I.

Figs. 6-8y show a refrigerant container 'Ill adapted to the use of aliquid refrigerant,Y such as brine. The tank 'Iil is formed, preferably by welding., from imperfrate metallic sheet, the bottom 'II having.corrugations 'I2tto give it greater strength. `A pipe 'I3 leads from the tank 'I0 to outside the car and is equipped with a. valve which maybe closed to insure retention of the brine.

Ithe case of the brine tank the center portion ofthe bottom I4 under the hatch II is shown hingedand the ends 'I5 rigid. A gasket 'I6 made preferably of rubber or other pliable material is providedfbetween the rigidportion 'I5 of the bottom and the hinged portion 'I4 at their overlapp-ing'edges.y The hinge 'I'I is designed 'so that the. distance between the hinge I4 and rigid porl tions. l5 lofthe bottom maybe adjusted. Then the surfaces bearing on the gasket 'IS may be adjusted to. keep the gasket compressed to an extent necessary tdinsure a watertight joint. Theclamp I8` is'ada-pted to exert a considerable pressure on the portion ofthe gasket I6 adjacent said clamp. Other clamps 'I9 spaced at intervals aroundthe overlappingportions of the bottom are used to keepthegasket 'I6 compressed at all points.`

Fig. 9y shows a constructionusing a" container having a solid bottom 84 to retain somel brine and-havingforaminous' upper walls 85; The advantages off this typeof container'arel that it retains somebrine'which isnecessary to produce' alow Atemperature and thatthe-foraminoustop 35 `allows freecirculation -and"ventilation. The

arrangement is similar to that Jsh'own. in Fig.' 1r

exceptrthevhin'ged part Aof the bottom `84f has an upstandingflange. tsurrounding it.l The flange 86adds' rigidity Vto the. bott'om85' in addition to retaining '.brine.'

Fig. 10i shows' the bottom' of the' container hinged at 90 to the side wall of the car. Any arrangement in which the part of the bottom 46 is hinged to any part of the car structure, such as refrigerant container or side wall, should be construed as being within the scope of the invention.

It is important that the hinge supporting the bottom of the container and the hinge supporting the` portion IQ be arranged so that sufcient clearance is allowed for dropping the container bottom after the partition has been dropped. Also, when only part of the partition is to be dropped, it is important that the hinged part is of sufficient size to allow passage of the hinged part of the container bottom through the opening created.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, and a hatch in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, the bottom of said container being removably secured to said container, and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, said partition being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge.

2. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, and a hatch in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, the bottom of said con- "tainer being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge, and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, said partition being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge, said bottom and said partition being arranged to permit swingable movement of said bottom upon swingable movement of said partition.

3. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, and a hatch` in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, a part of the bottom of said container being rigid with said container and another part of the bottom of said container being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge, and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, the part of said partition below the hinged part of said bottom being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge, said bottom and said partition being arranged to permit swingable movement of the hinged part of said bottom upon swingable movement of the hinged part of said partition.

4. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof, and a hatch in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, the middle part of the bottom of said container being rigid with said container and the end parts of the bottom of said container being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, a part of said -partition being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge.

6. In a refrigerator having a roof and a substantially vertical wall, a hatch in the roof, a

refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, said container being disposed adjacent the refrigerator wall, an upright wall adjacent said container and remote from said refrigerator wall, a substantially horizontal partition below said container, means associated with said refrigerator wall for hinging the bottom part ofsaid container and means to releasably secure said partition against the lower edge o-f said upright wall.

7. In a refrigerator having a roof and a substantially vertical wall, a hatch in the roof, a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, said `container being disposed adjacent the refrigerator wall, an upright wall adjacent said container and remote from said refrigerator wall, a substantially horizontal partition below said container, means associated with said refrigerator wall for hinging the bottom part of said container and means to space said partition from said upright wall in adjustable relation thereto.

8. In a refrigerator having a hatch in the roof, a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, the bottom of said container being removably secured thereto and said partition being removably secured to the refrigerator structure.

9. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart insulated walls, an insulated roof and a hatch in said roof in combination with a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, the bottom of said container being hinged at one edge thereof to the oar structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge and a substantially horizontal partition below said container, said partition being hinged at one edge thereof to the car structure and releasably secured remote from the hinge.

10. In a refrigerator car having a roof and a wall,v a refrigerant container below the roof, a hatch in said roof communicating with the interior of said container for loading refrigerant into the container, an opening in the bottom of said container for removal of refrigerant there' from, a closure for said opening, and a partition below said container, a part of said partition below said opening hinged for downward swinging movement.

11. In a refrigerator car having a roof and a wall, a refrigerant container below the roof, a hatch in said roof communicating with the interior of said container for loading refrigerant into the container, an opening in the bottom of said container for removal of refrigerant therefrom, a closure yfor said'opening, and a partition below said container, a part of said partition below said opening being removable. Y

1 2. In a refrigerator car having a roof and a Wall, a refrigerant container below the roof and adjacent said wall, a hatch in said roof communicating with the interior of said container for loading refrigerant into the container, an upright wall on the opposite side of the container from the refrigerator wall, a partition below said container extending substantially between said upright wall and said refrigerator wall, inea'ns to hinge said partition to said refrigerator wall, Yand means to support said partitiyon inadjustably spaced relation to said upright wall. t

13. In a refrigerator having an insulated roof, a hatch in said roof and a refrigerant container below said hatch and arranged to be loaded therethrough, said container comprising a fo-

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