US686531A - Refrigerating and ventilating apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

, Patented Nov. I2, |90I. 0. P. STERGREN.

REFRIGERATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS.

(Application led June 11, 1900. Renewed Apr. 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

. JEL n J W/T/VESSES UNITED BTATns VPATnNT Trice.

OSCAR P. OSATERGREN, OF BEDFORD PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE OSTERGREN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF- NEW JERSEY.

REFRIGERATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 686,531, dated November 12, 1901. i Application filed J'une 11,1900. Renewed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 56,220. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tmay concern:

Be it known t-hatI, OSCAR P. OSTERGREN, a resident of Bedford Park, borough of Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating and Ventilating Apparatus, of which the followingis a specication.

My invention consists ofimproved means `of refrigerating and Ventilating railway-cars, xo dwelling-rooms, warerooms, dro., by evaporation of liquefied air, nitrogen, or other fiuids that evaporate by atmospheric temperature. The present system of car refrigeration in transportation of perishable goods-such as fruits, meats, vegetables, &c.-is one which as yet gives room for radical improvements. Melting ice in boxes exposed to a current of air is` the refrigerating medium generally used at the present time on the railroads ,but the zo bulk and weight of the same are very great, and the initial cost for the refrigerant is high, with a correspondingly highfreight rate. To this consideration is added the fact that the melting ice always gives off damp water-vaz 5 pors to the circulating air, which in turn deposits a part thereof on the articles we desire to preserve with damaging effect.

Before proceeding to describe my improved refrigerating and Ventilating system I will 3o first point out some desirable features in car refrigeration, the attainment of which I consider as being of greatest importance. First, the refrigerant should be in such a concentrated form that bulk and weight are minimum; second, it should be dry and preservative; third, the consumption of the refrigerant should be regulated so that the temperature is constant; fourth, the isolation from the atmospheric temperature should be as 4o perfect as possible; fifth, sufcient quantity of the refrigerant should be carried to last the entire journey of the car without refilling at intermediate stations, all of which I seek to attain by my improved system, as hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying'drawings, in which-7 Figure 1 is a vertical section of a car-body or other room or chamber to be cooled and of thc apparatus which I have chosen in this rial for said casing.

example by which to illustrate my invention. 5o Figs. 2 and 3 are details of the apparatus, Fig. 2 being a transverse section of the evaporator D; and Fig. 3, a transverse section of an evaporator, (marked D;) fourth, a heat- 6o ingcoil, (marked E;) fifth, a thermostat., (marked F,) and, sixth, a governing apparatus, (marked G.)

The room A, above referred to, to be refrigerated may be a wareroom or the trunk o? a car or other room, as stated. In either case I prefer to make the same ofalightinner casing 1, of some air-tight material, and an outer casing 2, of composite material, such as is used in best refrigerating-cars at the present time, 7o yet I do not wish to limit myself to any detinite mode of construction or kind of mate- It is important, however, that even this casing shouldbe made air-tight or as nearly so as practicable to prc- 7 5 vent atmospheric moisture from penetrating the same. Between casings 1 and 2 I leave a free air-space 3, which extends all around the entire chamber A. Distance-pieces 4 between the casings are provided; but their area 8o of contact should be as small as possible. The lower side of casing 1 is perforated with small holes 5 for communication between space 3 and the interior of chamber A. Outer casing 2, has at the top an opening 6. 7 is 85 a hood or lift-valve over opening 6. Aslight air-pressure from the inside is capable of lifting said-Valve, and thus opening communication of space 3 with the atmosphere.

Container B, which may for convenience 9o he made spherical, is composed of an inner vessel 8, an cuter shell 9, porous packing 10- such as hair, felt, or sawdust-and intermediate dividing-sheets 11 and 12. If the vessel is exposed to shocks, jars, and Vibrations, such as it will be subject to in cars, it should be suspended on elastic springs, such as 13. The dividing-sheets 11 and 12which may be made of light material-such as rubberoid, oil-cloth, or rubber-have each an opening, respectively, let and 15, placed diametrieally opposite one another. A coiled pipe 16 in the interior of vessel 8 extends between the upper and the lower parts of said vessel, being open at its upper end to the interior space. Its lower end is connected to vessel 8 and opens into space 17. Now if vessel 8 is partially filled with a liquid the air-space above said liquid will be in communication with space 17 through coil 16. Space 17 communicates with space 1S by means of opening l5 and with space 19 by means of opening 15, space 18, and opening 14. Space 19 finally communicates with a pipe 20, through which the vapor is either discharged into the room or into the atmosphere, according as the temperature is to be raised or lowered in the room. An opening 21 is provided at the top of the vessel for filling same from outside the chamber. Shell 9 hasa telescopic connection 22 with an opening through the upper wall of chamber A. A heavy removable plug 23 is provided forclosingup opening 21 after filling. By a hole 2t vessel 8 is made to cornmunicatewith evaporator D by a dischargepipe c. Said pipe c is preferably of small diameter, and the end which enters into evaporator D is besides preferably contracted. It is formed as a trap to form a liquid seal to exclude vapor from the container.

Evaporator D is a long cylindrical vessel or pipe supported on the wall of the chamber, or it may be suspended from the roof. It has several radial and longitudinal ribs, as shown in its transverse section, Fig, 3, presentinga large heat-absorbing area to the outside air.

Heater Eis a continuation of evaporator D, although made of a plain pipe-coil, as shown. Its function is to vaporize the cooling liquid from the container and discharge the cool vapor into the room when the temperature 0f the room is high and valve 35 is opened by the thermostat.

Thermostat F is preferably a cylindrical vessel placed in a vertical position, as shown. It may be provided with ribs 25, as shown in its transverse section, Fig. 3, for the purpose vofincreasingthe heat-conducting area. There is a small pipe 26 inside this vessel, which connects at the top with an overflow-cup 27 and extends to the lower end of said vessel. Vessel F is filled with liquid of a higher expansive coefficient than that of the material of the vessel. I prefer to make the vessel of cast-iron or bronze and to nearly fill the same with alcohol, which can be done through nozzle 28. After a suitable amount of alcohol has been introduced nozzle 28 must be tightly capped. I then introduce mercury through cup 27 and pipe 26 until vessel F is entirely filled. Some of the mercury will of course aggregate in the bottom of vessel F and then fill pipe 26 and partially cup 27. Any change of volume in the liquid due to change of temperature will immediately result in a change to last from two to three weeks or more.

of the mercury-level in cup 27. Two valves 29 and 30 fioat inthe mercury in cup 27. Said valves when up against their seats will cut oi communication between pipes 32 and 33, connected into the cover of cup 27, and stop the mercury from entering them.

34 is a lift-valve which closes the outlet of air into chamber A when valves 30 and 29 are down and pipes 32 and 33 are open.

35 is a valve hinged o`n a lever 36 for open-l ing or closing heater E.

3l is aweight suspended on lever 36. Weight 31 is surrounded by cylinder 37, which is an extension of cup 27. After the mercury is high enough in cup 27 to close float-valves 29 and 30 it will rapidly ascendy in cylinder 37 and lift weight 31, relieve valve 35 of said weight 31, allowing valve 35 to open.

The operation is as follows: Liquid air or liquid nitrogen is first introduced into container B through pipe 22. Plug 23 is placed in position to cover opening 21. Said plug 23 is made heavy, but is free to be lifted should any excessive pressure occur from the interior. It will thus act as a safety-valve. I'Ieat penetrating the insulated container will cause the liquid to boil at a very slow rate. I have in previous experiments found that in a similar vessel of forty gallons capacity so much liquid air is not entirely evaporated iu less than seven days. If in the case of a refrigerating-car we should use,say,one hundred and fifty to two hundred gallons, it may be mage T e vapors thus produced will be employed first in protecting the vvessel from heat from the outside as they pass through spaces 17, 18, and 19, and then for cooling the chamber as they are liberated therein. If a certain approximate temperature is required in the chamber, the thermostat will be adjusted ac cordingly simply by regulating the quantity of mercury in cup 27 to permit valves 29 and 36 to fall and allow a free passage for the cold air from pipes 2O and 32 into 33 when the minimum temperature allowable in the chamber is reached and will lift them up against their seats before the maximum temperature is reached. By means of adjustiugnut 38 weight 31 should be so located that valve 35 will open at or before maximum temperature is obtained. As long as vvalve 35 is closed no liquid air can enter evaporator D on account of back pressure from the air therein. Such a back pressure will be produced as soon as the valve is shut by the e'eet of the evapo ration of the first few drops of liquid that enters. The entire regulation of temperature within the chamber is thus accomplished automatically in a very short range of variation, and it will be entirely possible to keep a constant temperature even though the bulk of the refrigerant is gradually diminished. The gases liberated within the chamber'are allowed to sink downward and through the perforated bottom into space 3, from whence they pass out through opening 6 to the at- IOO mosphere. The same gases are thus also made to insulate the chamber from external heat, as they will absorb a good deal of such heat from wall 2 and carry it out through said opening 6.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with a chamber or room to be cooled by an evaporating liquid, of the container for the liquid having a labyrinthal insulating-jacket, an outlet from the upperinner space for the vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passage from the exterior of the jacket for the vapors, valves controlling the escape of the vapors into the chamber, or outward therefrom, according as the temperature of the room varies, and a therlnostatic controller for said valves, said controller subject to the varying temperature of the room for controlling it.

2. The combination with a chamber or room-` to be cooled'by an evaporating liquid, of the container for the liquid having a labyrinthal insulating-jacket, an outlet from the upper inner space of saidcontainer for the'vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passage from the exterior of the jacket for the vapors, valves controlling the escape of the vapors into the chamber, or outward therefrom, according as. the temperature of the room changes, an

evaporator connected with the liquid-retainer for limited escapeof the liquid thereinto, and adapted for discharge of the' vapors into the room, a valve controlling the discharge according as the temperature of the room varies, and a thermostat-contrller for said valve, and also for the valves controlling the vapors from thejacket, said thermostat subject to the varying temperature of the room.

3. The combination witha chamber or room to be cooled by an evaporating'liquid, of the container having a labyrinthal insulatingjacket, an outlet from the upper inner space of. said container, for=the vapors into said discharge the vapors into the room,the weighted float-valve and lever controlling the valve,

and the liquid thermostat controlling the Weight.` Y

5.A The combination with a chamber or room to be cooled by an evaporating liquid, of the container for the liquid, the evaporator connected with the liquid-retainer for limited escape of the liquid thereinto and adapted to discharge the vapor into the room, the weighted valve, oating weight and lever controlling the valve, the labyrinthal insulating-jacket for the container, outlet from the upper inner space of the container for the vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passage from the exterior of the jacket for thevapors, said passage having an outlet into the room provided with a gravitating valve for closing it, said passage also -having an outlet into the atmosphere provided with float-valves for closing it, and the liquid-thermostat controlling said floatvalves, and also controlling the oat of the weighted valve, toopen the one and close the other, according as the temperature of the room varies. l

Signed at- New York city this 3d day of June,

OSCAR P. OSTERGREN. Witnesses:

C. SEDGWICK, J. M HOWARD.

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