USRE10500E - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

501$ 21G] ELI 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. WOOLPOLK. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

No. 10.500. Reissued July 22, 1884.:-

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. B. WOOL'POLK. RBPR'IGERATING APPARATUS.

Reissued July 22, 1884.

- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. B. WOOLPOLK. v REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Reissued July "22, 1884.

' To all whom it may concern.-

' tact with the salt.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'LUCIEN B. WOOLFOLK, OF TRACY, MINNESOTA.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Reissued Letters Patent No.- 10,500, dated July 22, 1884. Original No. 269,771, dated December 26, 1382. Application for reissue flied April 12, 1884.

Be it known that I, LUOIEN B. WOOLFOLK, of Tracy, in the county of Lyon and State of Minnesota, have invented a' new and useful Improvement in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following'is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.-

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent a refrigerator containing my improvement. Fig. l is a plan with covers removed. 1 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the line x m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a. vertical cross-section taken through the line as x of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line :0" w" of Fig, 1. Figs. 5 and 6 represent a modification of my invention Fig. 5 is a plan with covers removed. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken through the line y y of Fig. 5. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 representamodt. fication of my invention. Fig. 7 is aplan with covers removed. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the line z z of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section taken through the line z"z of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a vertical crosssection taken" through the line 2 z of Fig. 7.

A, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, is a refrigerator, having double walls filled with some non-conducting material. The refrigerator A is divided by the partition B into two compartments-the storagecompartment A and the refrigerating-compartment'A.

O is the air-inlet through which warm air passes from A into A, and D is an air-escape at the bottom of the partition B,through which cold air passes from A into A.

E is the ice-box, divided preferably by the salt-receptacle F into the two ice-compart. ments a, and preferably supplied with ice through a door in the top of the refrigerator. The salt-receptacle F has both sides slatted at the bottom-to allow the brine to come in con bis the overflow or offlet pipe of the ice box E, enlarged so as to admit of the escape of air, and having an aperture cut in its lower end for the'free passage of air. The outlet b 'the air-passages around and may be placed anywhere in the ice-box E; but it is preferably so placed that the salt-receptacle will protect it from the ice, while the I apertures callow the free passage of brine and'air.

G G are chill-pans, pipes d and (1, air and brine.

H is the bottom chillpipe d. The bottom chill-pan rests .upon suitable timbers, I, and the upper chill-pans and ice-box rest upon other timbers I, or other proper support extending from front to back in the chill-pans, so as to allow the free passage of currents of air between the ice-box E and the chill-pans over the bottom chill-pan. In Figs. 2 and 3 the bottom chill-pan is shown joined to the walls of the refrigerator, so that it will turn the air forward beneath the ice-box and between the chill-pans. The course of the air-currents is indicated by arrows.

K K are timbers,which support the ice-box on all sides in such a manner as to form airpassages e 0, through which the air passes in currents downward around and beneath the ice-box and the chill-pans.

The advantages of this apparatus are, first, the action of the salt-receptacle causes an economy of ice, together with greater intensity of having enlarged oifletrespectively, for the passage of cold; second, the air circulates thoroughly throughout the'refrigerating-compartment A, both through the ice in the ice-box and through beneath the icebox and the chill-pans; and, third, the air circulates thoroughly throughout the storagecompartment A in passing from theair-escape D to the end of the air-inlet O.

The brine passes out of the ice-box E at a very low temperature into the chill-pan G.

The bottom of the ice-box is so cold as to be A covered with ice or frost. The brine in the chill-pans is also-very cold. The air is not only chilled by themetal beneath the pans, but by means of the enlarged ofllets d d, the air chilled by the surface of the cold brine is allowed to escapeinto the air-currents e, and thus increase the refrigerating force of the icebox. Auynumber of chill-pans maybe used, and the circulation of the brine maybe increased by returning it from the bottom chillan to the ice-box E through a pipe by means of a force-pump.

the refrigerator.

and the air-inlet 0 consists merely of an opening above the top of the partition B, through which the air mayfreely pass from A into A". Such an arrangement is represented in Figs. 5 and 6, and it may be adopted wherever most convenient.

In cases where a separate partition, B, is not desired, the front of the ice-box E, together with the supports K, may constitute the partition B.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is a modification of my iu' vention as applied to a large refrigerator, A, where the storage-compartment A comprises several stories of a building. Here the refrigerator A is divided, as before, into the storage-compartment compartment A by the partition B, which extends from bottom to top of the refrigerator A. A series of ice-boxes, E, are'placed in the top of the refrigerator A. These ice-boxes E are precisely the same as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, having each the ice-compartments a, saltreceptacle F, chill-pans G and H, enlarged ofilets b, timbers I and K, and air-passages e. The only modification introduced is the modi fication of the partition B necessary to apply the force of the ice-boxes E to a refrigeratorhouse of several stories. The partition B separates the ice-boxes E and the refrigeratingcompartment A from the storage-compartment A, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The iceboxes being placed in the top of the refrigerator A, it is necessary to extend the refrigeratingcompartment containing the cold air from the ice-boxes A down to the bottom of The partition B here consists. of the wall between the ice-boxes E and the storage-compartment A of the floor beneath the ice-boxes E, and of the wall below, which separates A from A. The cold air from the ice-boxes E occupies the entire refrigerating-compartment A from-the top to the bottom of the refrigerator A, and passes through the air-escape D at'the' bottom of the refrigerating-compartment A into the storage. compartment A, and thus ascends through the .open floors and passes over the top of the partition B into the refrigerating-compartment A. Here it passes through the ice-boxes E and the air-passages e e, and, being chilled descends through the compartment A" to the bottom of the refrigerator, as before. It is thus apparent that the only modification here introduced is a modification of the partition 3, so as to extend the refrigerating-compartment A to the bottom of the refrigerator A.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10a modification of my invention is presented, applicable to smaller refrigerators when less refrigerating force is required than in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. We have here thesame two compartments, A and A,

A and the refrigerating-- as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4. The cold is induced in the same manner by the action of ice and salt in the ice-compartment a and the salt-receptacle F. The air circulates, as before,throngh the air-inlet C, and then passes through the ice in the box E, and escapes through the enlarged outlet b b, and also passes, as before, through the air-passages 6 around and beneath the ice-box, over a chill-pan,.H, and escapes through the air-escape I). In all these modifications of my improvement. the circulation of air through the ice in the ice-box is a most important feature, since the ice above the brine is excessively chilled by the conduction of its heat into the brine, so that it greedily seizes upon the heat in the air that passes through it without the ice melting much, the

heat absorbed from the air being conducted down into the brine. By this means, and by the air being conducted through the air-pas sages e around and beneath the ice-box over a chill-pan, H, the cold brine becomes the especial refrigerating force, and since one pound of ice melted into brine .at 5 to 10 Fahren heitabove zero is equivalent in refrigerating force to several pounds melted at the natural melting-point of ice, the arrangement which makes cold brine the refrigerating agent affectsf b'oth the efiiciency and economy of refrigerating materials. In all these essential features this form of apparatus is the same as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4', the modifications introduced being merely such as secure cheapness of construction and. convenience of use as applied to ordinary refrigerators where 1cm refrigerating force is required. The modifications consist, first, in placing the salt-receptacle on one side of the ice-box E, and having one ice-compartment, a, and the ice box is for convenienceopened on one side to admit of the supply of ice through the door L in the side of the refrigerator; second, for economy of construction, the partition B is formed by extending one side of the salt-receptacle up to the top of the refrigerator, so that it,with the front of the ice-box and the supports I I, constitutes thepartitiou B; third, in; placing the enlarged ofliet-pipe b behind the salt-receptacle F, which allows the free exit of air from the surface of the brine; but as the passage to the enlarged outlet b is too far and intricateto admit of sufficiently free circulation of air through the ice, this circulation is promoted by constructing air-outlets b upon the two sides of the ice-box.

' A free course for the brine to the enlarged ofiiet-pipe b is provided by constructing upon theback of the salt-receptacle F (which is a solid board) perpendicular strips 9 of any required thickness, the tops of which are lower than the top of the enlarged ofliet-pipe b, so-

that brine and air freely flow over'their top; but one of these strips, 9, is higher than the enlarged offlet-pipe b, and,bein g clamped tight to the ice-box E by the clamp M, prevents the passage of brine around that end of the salt pans beneath the ice-box, the upper chill-pans receptacle, and in passing round the other end of the salt-receptacle in its longer flow the brine loses much of its chill and flowsofi' from the ice-box with its 't-I'emperatnre so much raised that only one chill-pan is necessary to extract its remaining chill. The air-current behind the ice-box and the air-current beneath are one and the same current.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a refrigerating apparatus for cooling the air of a refrigerator, car, or house, the combination, with an ice-box, of a seriesof chill-pans located beneath the iee-box-to receive and retain the liquid that flows from the ice-box until its chill, in great measure, is extracted, the ice-box and the chill-pans beneath being separated from each other, so as to allow the passage of air between them and the icebox, as set forth.

2. Ina refrigerating apparatus, the combination, with the ice-box, of a series of chillhaving enlarged ofilets to admit of the ready escape of the air within the chill-pans,and thus allow a flow of air through the chill-pans to be chilled by their inner surface,'and to be purified by the absorption of its gases by the liquid in the chill-pans, as set forth.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination,with the ice box and the chill-pans beneath the ice-box, of vertical timbers behind the ice-box and upper chill-pans, and horizontal timbers between theice-box and chill-pans; and between the chill-pans, to form, respectively, vertical air-spaces behind the ice-box and upper chill-pans, and horizontal spaces beneath the ice-box between the ice-box and the chill-pans and between the chillpans, so communicating that an air-current passes over the ice-box and descends vertically through the air-space behind the ice-box into the hori-. zontal air-spaces between the ice-box and chillpans and between the chill-pans, as set forth.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination, with an ice-box, of a series of chillpans beneath the ice-box, theice-box and upper chill-pans being separated from the walls to form a space for a descending vertical aircurrent behind them, and the ice-box and-all the chill-pans separated from each other to form horizontal air-spaces between them, communicating with the vertical air-spaces behind them, and the bottom chill-pan joined to the wall in order to turn the vertical descending air-current behind the ice-box and upper chillpans into and through the horizontal air-spaces between the ice-box and the chill-pans and between the chill-pans, as set forth.

5. The combination of the refrigerator A, storage compartment A refrigerating compartment A partition B, air-inlet C, air-escape D, ice box E, having ice-compartment a, salt-receptacle F, and enlarged ofilet-pipe b, chill-pans G H, offlet-pipe cl, timber-supports I and K, and air-passages e, substantially as described.

6. The process of cooling the air of a refrigerator bypassing the air to. be cooled through the ice in an ice-box having ice and salt in separate compartments, with brine as the medium of communication between them, and also through air-passage around and beneath the refrigeratingbattery.

7. The salt-receptacle l+,in combination with the refrigerator A, ice-box E, havingice-compartme'ntoaand enlarged ofilet b, substantially as set forth. 1

8. The combination .of the ice-box E, saltreceptacle F, ice-compartmenta, enlarged offlet I), timber-supports I and K, and air-passages e with'the refrigerator A, partition B, air-inlet G, and air-escape D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In combination with the ice-box E, saltreceptacle F, and ice compartment a, the enlarged offlet-pipe b, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the chill-pan Gwith the refrigerator A, ice-box E, salt-receptac1e F, ice-compartment a, and enlarged offlet b,in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

ll. The combination of the air-inlet O with the refrigerator A, partition '13, storage-compartment A, refrigeratingcompartmentA ice-box E, salt-receptacle F, and ice-compartment'a, substantially as described.

LUGIEN B. WOOLFOLK.

\Vitnesses:

F. A. HU'roHINsoN, L. D. FERREE.

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