US1928212A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

SePf- 26, 1933- 'A. B. SAL-ro l i 1,928,212

REFRIGERATOR Filed July 21, 1931 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 26, 1933 asrmcmron Aage B. Salto, New York, N. Y., anignor to Bex Cole, Inc., New York, N. Y., .a corporation of New York Application Jill! 21, 1931.' Serial No. 552,219

'Ihe present invention relates to refrigerators and is more particularly directed toward a refrigerator employing a more or less toxic or irritant refrigerant and provided with a specific protective medium whereby the escape of such re-` frigerant into .the open air is effectively prevented.

Many refrigerators employ sulphur dioxide as the refrigerating'medium and, on account of the irritant and toxic properties of sulphur dioxide gas, the i'lre department regulations of marry cities forbid the use of such refrigerators under certain conditions.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a. refrigerator with suitable protective medium whereby the refrigerantI such as sulphur dioxide is adsorbed by an adsorbent so that it cannot escape to the open air. The preferred material for this purpose is partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate, known as activated alumina.

The present invention is particularly 4well adapted for use in connection with water coolers and the like where the evaporator is not exposed to the open air, and to refrigerators of theitype which employ a sealed-in motor and compressor with no exposed moving parts and requiring no extraneous oiling or upkeep, for with these refrigerators it is possible to completely enclose the condenser in a casing and to surround this unit with the adsorbent material.

The accompanying drawing shows a common form of electrically operated water cooler of the above type provided with the protective adsorbing medium, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative and that the invention is not limited to the form of refrigerator shown therein.

In the refrigerator illustrated, the entire refrigerating plant except the controls is enclosed within a steel shell or casing 10 of the usual type. The direction of flow of refrigerant is shown by the plain arrows, and of water by feathered 'arrows. The high pressure side of the refrigerator vis placed below a partition l1 made of rigid in-v sulating material as usual, while the low pressure side of the refrigerator is placed above this the casing'lO supports a removable coolertop 30 generally made of porcelain and provided with Y the usual bubbler 31 and compartment 32 for the electrical control 33 for the motor.

The liquid refrigerant tube 34 extends from 70 the float chamber 15 to the evaporator 35 carried in the uppercompartment, and the gaseous refrigerant returns through the tube 36. The cooling water enters at 37 part of it passing through the cooling coils 15 and out through a 75 tube 38 `to the waste pipe 39. Freshwater also passes from the supply pipe 37 through the double walled pre-cooling coil 40, then through a water inlet tube 41 to the outer shell 42 of the cooling compartment. It the'n passes through 80 the pressure regulator 43' and into the tank formed in the evaporator 35, from which it may be withdrawn through the tubes 44 and 45 to supply the bubbler 31, a remote bubbler connection 46, or otherwise. Waste water from the bubbler passes through the inner coils of the precooler 40 and to the waste pipe 37.

The foregoing description relates in general to a well known water cooler now available, and the present invention relates to protecting the high and low pressure sides of refrigerators of this and other types, particularly those employ ing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant.

The lower compartment housing the motor, compressor, condenser and associated parts, is completely closed and these parts are enclosed in a packing of the partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate as indicated at A. This material of granular form is packed around all the .various parts containing the suiphur dioxide. This material adsorbs 15% of its own weight of SO: gas and hence about 40 pounds of the activated valumina will suilice to provide an excess of adsorbent material for the six pounds of gas used in an ordinary water cooler. This construction affords a triple protection against the escape of SO2 gas. First, the inner mechanism is sealed in steel, second there is a protective packing of the'activated alumina, and third there .is an oute'i casing of steel which requires com- 110 plete diffusion of any escaping gases so that all such gases will come in contact with the adsorbent. 'Before the gas can escape it must expel the air and build up a pressure in excess of atmospheric.

The spaces about the low pressure side of the refrigerator are filled with this adsorbing medium as indicated at B where it affords all the advantages above referred to and functions as an insulator about the evaporator to insure the cooling of the water.

It will, of course, be understood that the in vention is not limited to Water coolers having both high and low pressure units in one casing, for it may be applied generally to evaporators which can be isolated from the outside air and to sealed-in motor compressor mechanism having no exposed moving parts and requiring no extraneous y oiling or upkeep.

It is obvious that the invention may`be embodiedin many forms and constructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, the combination with the evaporator thereof, of an enclosing casing for the evaporator and a protective packing in the cas ing and about the evaporator, said packing comprising partially dehydrated aluminum trhy drate and being adapted to act as a specific ad- -sorbing medium for any refrigerant which may escape.

2. In a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, the combination with the condenser thereof, of an enclosing casing for condenser. and a protective packing in the casing and about the condenser, said packing com prising partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate and being adapted to act as a specific arsorbing medium for any refrigerant which may escape.

3. 2in a refrigerator employing a toxic refrigerating medium, the combination with the condenser and evaporator thereof, of enclosing casings for the condenser and the evaporator, protective packing in each casing and about the condenser and evaporator, said packing comprising partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate and being adapted to act as a specific adsorbing medium for any refrigerant which may escape.

4.y In' a refrigerator, the combination with a condenser containing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant, of an enclosing casing containing partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate in sufficient amount to ai "h all the refrigerant.

5. In a refrig... ator, the combination with an evaporator containing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant, of an enclosing casing containing partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate in suiiicient amount to adsorb all the refrigerant.

6. A refrigerator employing sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant and means to prevent the escape of such refrigerant to the surrounding air comprising an enclosing casing containing partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate.

7. In a refrigerator the method of preventing the escape of substantial amounts of sulphur dioxide in the gaseous phase which consists in passing it through an adsorbent, in the form of partially dehydrated aluminum trihydrate.

AAGE B. SfiLTO.

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