US56094A - Improvement in refrigerators - Google Patents

Description

REES & TEVIS.

Refrigerator.

Wnesses.-

Ny PErERs. Phumulhngmphnr. wamingmn. nc.

UNITED STATES Trice.

PATENT CHARLES B. BEES AND J. B. TEVIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IIVIPRVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,094, dated July 3, 1866.

To all whom it 'may concern.:

Be it known that we, CHARLES B. BEES and JOSEPH B. TEvIs, both of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Refrigerator; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention consists in the use of an icebox, C, in a refrigerator, which is so devised and situated that the ice is constantly in contact with the air of the refrigerator, keeping it dry and lowering the temperature of the air, and in retaining the dripwater from the ice in metallic or other pipes, substantially as is hereinafter shown.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is an end view, partly sectioned, showing the interior of the refrigerator andthe end and interior of the ice-box C. Fig. 2 is a side view, sectioned, showing the interior of the refrigerator and the interior and side of the ice-box; and Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing the horizontal and vertical pipes E and F.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

A is a refrigerator composed of an outer shell, B, and an inner shell, B, the space abetween them being lled with any non-conducting material. Gis an ice-box, the top of which fitstight against the top of the inner shell. It is held in place by a ridge-pole, b, which passes through it at a short distance from its bottom, and has itsends xed to the inner shell, and also by its ends fw w', projecting over and secured to the inner shell. It is constructed with air-tight sides and without a bottom. c c c, Src., are slats or gratings, one end of each being fixed to the ridge-pole, while the other end is secured to the sides of the icebox, the gratings of one side, w, forming a double incline or an angle with 'those of the other side, as shown. c c e', Ste., are drip boards or shelves, whose contiguous edges overhang, situated beneath the grating, with an air-space, y, between them, and having a parallel, or nearly so, inclination to the gratings, their lengths runnin g crosswise with the lengths of the gratings, and are `carried by cleats fff, Src., fixed to the ends of the icebox, and are shown set at a distance apart equivalent to the thickness of the cleats,

though we do not confine ourselves to any specified distance. A space, g, is left between the edge of the last board, c', of the shelving, at each side and the side of the box.

D is a drip-pan, one being at each side of the refrigerator, which communicates with ahorizontal pipe, E, traversing three sides, Fig. 3, by means of the vertical pipes F F, 812e., of which any number can be used, the said horizontal pipe being raised a short distance from the floor, and has one end,h,projected through the end of the refrigerator, and also has a trycock, t', inserted into that end, its nozzle opening upward conveniently near the top. By it a determinate height of water is preserved in the pipe without fear of drainingit or any liability of a sudden iniux of the outside air raising the temperature, as would be the case were the nozzle to open downward and also be constantly open.

The ice-boxGis so constructed as to leave an air-space, m, between its ends c o and the inner shell, Bf, for the free circulation of air, it being supplied through the ventilators a a,

they being covered with gauze to prevent the entrance of dust, 825e. The sides of the shell B form the sides of the ice-box. The sides and ends of the ice-box above the slats c have battens fr r r, &c., fixed to them to allow a free, uninterrupted circulation ofair around the entire body of the ice by preventing it from bearing against the sides and ends. The linings of the drip-pans D D, or the backs of the pans, when constructed of metal, are carried up the sides of the inner shell to above the bottom of the ice-box, as shown at c, Fig. 1.

The refrigerator, as shown, is a parallelopipedon; but we do not confine ourselves to precise forms, since the shape must conform V to the situation to be occupied.

Ice being put into the box C, through the trap G, onto the slats c, which carry it, the air contained in the refrigerator circulates freely through the openings o between t-he shelves e e', Sto., and through the interstices of the gratings or slats c, under, around, and over the ice, acquiring a uniform density and reducing its temperature to nearly that of the ice. As the ice melts the water from it drops through the interstices of the slats c onto the shelves, over which it flows and drops into the pans D D, thence through the vertical pipes F F, int-o the horizontal pipe E, where it is allowed to remain to cool the pipes, thereby assisting to keep down the temperature. The water dropping through the space included between the slats c and the shelves e also aids materially in reducing the temperature.

On the vertical pipesF F being partly filled with ice, it was found that it sank down into the drip-water in the horizontal pipes, there-` by melting vastly faster than it otherwise would if kept dry, and that the cold was greatly increased by keeping the ice high up in the pipes. To that end we employ an ad- .justable carrying-block, p, Fig. 2, one being' suspended centrally in each pipe by a takeup chain, q, or other secured to the drip-pan.

H is a double door, filled with any non-conducting substance, leading into the refrigerator. The meats, fruits, vegetables, and other articles to be preserved are fixed to hooks or stowed away on shelves arranged around the sides.

and placed either on one or both sides of the refrigerator, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our hands to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES B. BEES. JOSEPH B. TEVIS.

Witnesses W. W. DOUGHERTY, WM. R. GREBLE.

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