US636888A

US636888A - Cooling apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US636888A
Application number: US67672498A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis Bell
Original assignee: BELL HOUSE COOLING Co
Current assignee: BELL HOUSE COOLING Co
Priority date: 1898-04-07
Filing date: 1898-04-07
Publication date: 1899-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1916-11-14

Description

No. 636,888. Patented Nov. l4, I899. L. BELL.

COOLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1896.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 14, I899.

L. BELL.

COOLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

No Model.)

WZZIMJJeJ/ UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

LOUIS BELL, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE BELL HOUSE COOLING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COOLlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,888, dated November 14, 1899. Application filed April '7, 1898- Serial No. 676 ,724. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Centre, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooling Apparatus,of which the following is a specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein- IO Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section .of my cooling apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with the cover removed; Fig. 3, a section below the coolingduct, showing the method of operating the chain-pump. Fig.

4 is a detail view of the lower tank showing the float and means connecting it with the valves 1, 2, and 3, to be hereinafter described. Fig. 5 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing in section one of the ducts, the mantle thereon, and its securing means. Fig. 6

shows a modification in which the inclosing case is oblong instead of round in cross-sec tion.

My invention consists in certain improve- 2 5 ments in cooling apparatus heretofore devised by me wherein a volume of air transmitted through a cooling duct or passage having a wall composed of a film of copper suitably supported mechanically is cooled by the evaporation of water contained in a moistened mantle of textile material placed on the opposite side of the said thin wall of copper. I have used with success a film of fourthousandths (.004) of an inch in thickness, 5 and while notintending to limit myself to this particular thickness of film I desire to be understood to mean by the term filmas used in this specification a conducting-wall thinner than the sheet-metal walls heretofore used in this art.

My present invention relates principally to the means employed for elevating the water at suitable intervals of time from the lower drip-tank tothe upper supply-tank, whence it is delivered to the absorbent mantle on the outside of aninclined cooling-duct, so that the water when delivered at the top of the incline may work down by gravity over the mantle.

My invention also comprises a modified form of the spiral air-duct wherein the duct instead of being continuously curved is made in straight sections connected by curved end sections, which are all inclined, so as to form a continuous descending duct for the air to be 5 5 cooled, and which also serves to form a parallel coaxial passage wherein the evaporatingblast of air is transmitted.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a cylindrical inclosing casing comprising a layer a, of wood, felt, or similar non-conducting material, a layer 1), of sheet-iron, and an inner layer a, of felt, rubber, or other non-conducting material. In the center of this casing is a hollow central shaft B, serving as a newel-post, around which extends a spiral air-duct O, rectangular in cross-section and having its upper surface composed of a film of copper D, supported and maintained in shape by its connection at the edges to the newel-post on one side and the casing on the other, as is shown by the detailed drawing, Fig. 5. On the upper side of this copper film is a mantle E, of unsized fine-meshed netting of suitable fibrous material, held in place by a retaining strip or rod F.

The inclosing casing A, with its containing spiral cooling-duct, is made in sections, which telescope one within the other. Thus at a point x midway of the length of the casing there is a telescopic joint in the casing itself and also in the hollow shaft or newel-post B, while the spiral duct would in like manner have a telescopic joint, and the two parts can be fitted one with the other by a slight turning of the upper half of the casing after it is placed in position on the lower half. The edges of the upper part of the tube should lap on the outside of the edges of the lower 0 part, so as to make a tight joint, both for the descending water on the outside and the ascending air-current on the inside of the duct.

In the upper part of the casing, above the cooling-duct, is -a supply-tank G, provided with an ordinary float and stop-cock, as indicated in Fig. 2, controlled thereby, which will admit Water from the supply-pipe H at a predetermined low level of the water in the tank to supply the amount evaporated by't-he air- :00 blast. In the lower part of the casing and below the spiral duct is a drip-tank J, which receives the unevaporated water from the lower extremity of the incline.

K is a blower operated by an electric motor L, Fig. 3, or any other suitable power, which, as also appears in Fig. 3, delivers the air from a funnel-shaped extension M, which passes partly into the evaporating duct or passage and partly into the cooling duct or passage, whence it proceeds into the upper part of the casing, and is thence withdrawn by the exit-pipes N and N, the former taking the saturated air of the evaporatingblast and the latter the cooled air of the cooling-duct and delivering the same to a dwelling-house or other apartment which it is desired to cool.

Within the hollow shaft B is a pumping device consisting of a bucket-chain comprising a link belt 0, carrying buckets P at intervals and mounted on upper and lower sprocket-wheels S and S. 011 the shaft of the sprocket-wheel S isagear-wheelR,which engages with a pinion 10 on the shaft of a small fan-wheel V. The air for this fanwheel is delivered by a pipe Q, forming a branch from the main delivery-pipe U and separated therefrom by a damper 3. In the tank J is a box-float T, held in place by parallel links 15, so that it may rise and fall with the level of the water in the tank. This float operates three dampers 1, 2, and 3, being adapted to open 1 and 3 and to close 2 when in its highest position, and, conversely, to close 1 and 3 and open 2 when in its lowest position. \Vhen damper 2 is closed or partly closed and damper 3 is open, the main airblast in pipe U is diverted wholly or partly through pipe Q to the fan-wheel V and passes thence either by a special pipe or by the airspace in the lower part of the casing to the open damper 1 into the funnel-shaped extension M and thence into the cooling and evaporating-ducts, as before described.

In operation the water from supply-tank G, which, it will be remembered, cannot fall below a certain level Without having fresh water delivered thereto from pipe H, passes to a pipe IV, Fig. 2, provided with a number of drip-nozzles 11, from which the water falls onto the mantle E and flows downward along the same by gravity, while at the same time the air-blast in the evaporating-duct passes upward over the moistened mantle and by evaporation of a portion of the moisture therein produces a cooling effect, which is transmitted through the thin film wall of the cooling-duct to the air contained therein, the latter air-current being delivered, in the manner already described, to an apartment to be cooled. The cooling effect is also taken up to a certain extent by the moisture of the mantle, and in order that this may not be lost it is necessary that the unevaporated water should be collected and returned to the supply-tank. This excess of water in the mantle falls into the drip-tank J, and when a definite amount has been collected the float T rises to a point where it operates the dampers, as already described, and diverts sufficient air to the fan-wheel, which operates the chainpump, as described, to elevate the water from the drip-tank J to the supply-tank G. When the level of water in the former tank is sufiiciently low, the float acts again to restore the dampers to their normal condition and the apparatus continues to operate as described. The float in tank G admits just enough water to make up for that evaporated.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of the apparatus which may be used to advantage in certain situations. In this form the inclined cooling-duct is composed of parallel straight lengths Xand Y, connected bycurved end lengths Z, which may be square-cornered, if desired, instead of round, into a continuous passage, forming what may be described as a flattened spiral, and being arranged and operating in all respects like the circular form shown in the remaining figures of the drawings. In this form the hollow shaft B will be elliptical instead of circular in crosssection and will admit of a chain-pump being employed, just as in the form previously described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a suitable inclosure,of parallel cooling and evaporating ducts therein, separated by a mantle-covered metal film, means for supplying water to the said mantle, a tank for receiving the excess of unevaporated water and a bucket-chain for returning the unevaporated water from the said tank to the mantle, so that it may be passed repeatedly over the same.

2. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable inclosure, of parallel cooling and evaporating ducts therein, separated by a mantlecovered metal film, means for supplying water to the said mantle, a hollow shaft within the inclosure, a tank for receiving the excess of water from the mantle and means for restoring the water from said tank to the mantle through the hollow shaft aforesaid.

3. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable inclosure of parallel spiral cooling and evaporating ducts, surrounding a central hollow shaft, a separating-Wall between the said ducts, composed of a mantlecovered film, means for supplying water to I the said mantle at the top of the incline, a tank for receiving the unevaporated water from the bottom of the incline and a bucketchain contained in the said hollow shaft for elevating the water from the said tank to the top of the incline.

4. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with parallel inclined cooling and evaporating ducts, separated by a metallic film,of means for supplying water to the said mantle at the top of the incline, a tank for receiving the unevaporated water at the bottom of the incline and a bucket-chain for elevating the water ceases 9;

from the said tank to a point at the top of the incline.

5. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with parallel cooling and evaporating ducts, separated by a mantle-covered conductingfilm, means for delivering the water to the said mantle, a tank for collecting the unevaporated water and an air-driven pumping device for delivering the water from the said tank to the mantle.

6. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with parallel cooling and evaporating ducts, separated by a mantle-covered conductingfilm, of means for delivering water to the said mantle, a tank for collecting the unevaporated water, a pumping device for delivering the water from the said tank and applying it to the mantle, a blower for delivering air to the said ducts and an air-motor placed in the aircurrent from said blower, so as to be operated thereby and connected to the said pumping device for driving the same.

7. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with suitable cooling and evaporating ducts, of a blower for delivering air to the same, a pumping device for delivering water to a mantle on the separating-film between said ducts, and an air-motor operated by the current from said blower and connected to the said pumping device for driving the same.

8. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with suitable cooling and evaporating ducts, separated by a mantle-covered wall, of means for supplying water to the said mantle, a tank for collecting the unevaporated water, a pumping device for delivering the water from said tank to the said mantle, an airmotor for driving the same and a float in the tank controlling the said motor.

9. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with suitable evaporating and cooling ducts, separated by a mantle-covered wall, means for supplying water to the said mantle, a pumping device for restoring the unevaporated water to the mantle, an air-motor for operating the same and a branch air-pipe leading from the main air-delivery pipe to the said motor.

10. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with suitable evaporating and cooling ducts, separated by a mantle-covered wall, of means for supplying water to the said mantle, a pumping device for restoring unevaporated water to the mantle, a tank in which the said unevaporated water is collected and a float in said tank controlling a damper between the main air-delivery pipe and abranch air-pipe leading to an air-motor connected to the said pumping device for driving the same.

11. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a spiral inclined cooling-duct, separated from a parallel evaporating-duct by a mantle-covered wall, i means for supplying water to the said mantle at the top of the incline, a tank for collecting the unevaporated water from the bottom of the incline,a bucketchain for restoring the said unevaporated water to the mantle, an air-motor geared to the said chain for driving it and controlled automatically by the level of the water in the said tank.

12. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing of a cooling-duct therein, made in the form of a flattened spiral with inclined straight lengths connected by curved end lengths and havinga conduct ing-film separating it from a parallel evaporating-duct formed by the successive turns of the cooling-duct,an absorbent mantle upon said separatingfilm, means for applying moisture to the said mantle, and means for creating an air-currentin each of the parallel ducts aforesaid.

13. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with parallel cooling and evaporating ducts, separated by a heat-conducting film, of a mantle on said film and means for directing a flow of water on said mantle and a flow of air in said cooling-duct in opposite directions.

14. In a cooling apparatus, a sinuous cooling-duct, separated by a metallic film from an evaporating-duct and made in detachable sections joined end to end.

15. In a coolingapparatus, a sinuous cooling-duct having a wall formed of a conducting-film, and made in detachable sections joined end to end and an inclosing casing forming a space divided by said cooling-duct into a parallel evaporating-duct and formed also in detachable sections.

16. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a spiral cooling-duct having a wall formed of a conducting-film made in detachable sections joined end to end, of a cylindrical casing therefor, divided horizontally into sections similarly detachable.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, before two subscribing witnesses, this 5th day of April, 1898.

LOUIS BELL.

Witnesses:

WILLARD S. PEEL, EUGENE GUELPA.