US2526526A - Mechanical refrigerator water cooler - Google Patents

Description

oct. 17, 1950` R. Yu'zA 2,526,526

MECHANICAL REFRIGRATOR WATER COOLER h 'I Filed Oct. 26, 1945 V 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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IIECHANICAL REFRIGERATOR WATER COOLER Filed Oct. 26, 1945 3 Sheets-sheeti- REF.

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Patented Oct. 17, 1950 OLER Rudolph Yuz'a, Chicago, Ill., assignor to A. Dalkin Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 26, 1945, Serial No. 624,753

This invention relates to certain novelV and useful improvements in mechanical refrigeratorv Water coolers and has for its principal object the .provision of a construction of this character which will be economical in manufacture, to accomplish the function of quick heat transfer of Warm water to a refrigerant through a multiple of chambers. y

A further and equally important object of the invention is to provide a -vvaterv cooler of the character hereinafter more fully described, which .is capable of adaptation in any one of the wellknown cooling circuits, which circuits are more fully hereinafter referred to.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide 4in a Water cooler of the'class hereinafer more .fully referred to, a chamber for receiving liquid refrigerant from'a surroundingchamber for the purpose of drying'up the liquid refrigerant before returnto the compressor, thus serving in the same capacity as a drier coil used with a thermo- `static expansion valve or an accumulator used with-a high Vside iioat operation.

Yet another and equally important object of 'the invention is the provision in a` water cooler of an interiorwater chamber in which a given amount of cold water is stored and Aserves further as a refrigerant of water-in a surrounding chamber or chambers, with the additional function of expediting and hastening evaporation and drying of theliquid refrigerant communicated to the refrigerant drying-upchamber. In this connection, it is an object to communicate the water in the -cooler in a manner such as will resultin an air space between the surface of the vwater and the interior of Vthe chambers, thereby providing 'an air cushionfabove the water surface which eliminates and'dissipates what is' otherwise known as water hammer or "knocks" created by pocketed Water when the dispensing valves are closed.'

A still further and equally important object of the invention is to provide in a Water cooler,

' above the water level, air cushions which cooperate with a pressure relief deviceconnected with the extreme bottom portion of the water cham# Finally, it is an object of the invention to pro- 1 claim. (C1. 257-232) fit) vide a cooler in which the refrigerant chambers are connected in series, with the refrigerant entering the chambers from the bottom and being dischargedfrom the top; also a refrigeratorunit in which the Water chambers are likewise connected in serie-s with the water finding an entrance in the bottom of the chambers and having exit from the top portion thereof, thereby providing in each instance (that through the refrigerant chambers and the Water chambers) denite, positive circulation of water and refrigerant and thus eliminating possibility of stagnant Iwater in the water chambers and of oil logging in the refrigerant passages.A The arrangement also maintaining the passages .as` fully flooded as is possible with liquid refrigerant. In this type of cooler, it is desirable, and is :an1object of the invention, to providethe water flow in the opposite direction tothe refrigerant, flow.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel'combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed;

The invention will be best understoodby refl erence to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of constructiom andrin which: l l

Fig. 1 is a Vertical sectional detail view of. the

lrefrigerating unit embodied in the invention taken substantially on line I-I of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view ofvthe same taken substantially on line ,2-2 of Fig. 3;

Venclosure Il providing a drier chamber l2 having communication at the upper end portion with aY return branch |73 leading to the compressor I4. In this chamber Vthere is projected a -well I5 having communication from the bottom I1 thereof with the chamber l2. In this well is arranged what is known as a temperature feeler bulb supu port I6 into which the feeler bulb (not shown) of a well-known construction may bev arranged, when the circuit with which my unit is employed requires the use of altemperature feeler bulb. This feeler bulb is usually confined in a body of petroleum jelly, it being found necessary tol so employ petroleum jelly to prevent freezing of the matter in which thefeelerbulb is confined. 'When relief valve 43.

the feeler bulb is not employed in the circuit, then the Well I5 is filled with the petroleum jelly for protective purposes.

The enclosure II projects into a water cooler or storage tank I8, from the concave-convex bottom I9 of which is supported, as at 20, the enclosure II. This storage tank I3 is surrounded by an enclosure 2l Iproviding, together with the storage tank I8, a compartment 22. Communicating with the top 23 of this compartment or chamber 22 is an exit 24, the limb 25 of which projects into a chamber 26 provided by an enclosure 21. The refrigerant supply pipe is indicated at 28 and communicates through an extension pipe 29 with the bottom portion of the chamber 22. Between the chambers 22 and 2B, there is provided a chamber 30, to the upper portion of which there communicates a pipe 3l likewise having an extension 32 extending to a position adjacent the bottom I9 of the storage tank I8. An exit .pipe is indicated at 33 and has communication with the upper portion of the storage tank I8.

Surrounding the chamber 26 is an enclosure 34 which vprovides a chamber 35 in communication 'from its upper end portion with the lower portion of the chamber 30 through a communicating vpipe 36. An outer shell 31 provides a chamber 38 which has communication with the upper por- -tion of the feeler bulb support I 6 by a conduit 39.

Opening communication between the bottom por- Vtion of the chamber 38 and the upper portion of 'the chamber 26, is a communicating pipe 49.

`Communicating with the storage tank I8 at the bottom thereof, is a T-shaped passage 4I, a

branch pipe 42 from which has `communication with a relief valve 43. The water supply pipe i4 has communication with the lower end portion of :the chamber 35, and leading from this pipe 44 is. a branch pipe 45 Vwhich communicates with the This relief valve 43 may be of any approved construction wherein there is pro- -vided an enclosure 46 for the housing of a suitlable material such 'as will .permit the seepage therethrough, under pressure, of water through 'the pipes 42 and 45 as well as through the bypass pipe 48 communicating with the lower portion of the chamber 39.

A suitable valve head is indicated at 49, and this valve head provides a resilient valve 53 which Ynormally closes passage from the enclosure 46,.

the valve head 5B being guided in its movement by a stem 5I and movable against the action of a spring 52.

The refrigerant is admitted to the bottom portion of the chamber 22 through the pipe 29 from whence it flows from the top portion thereof Athrough the pipe 24 leading to the lower portion of'the chamber 2E. refrigerant ows from the upper portion thereof From this chamber l the "sor`53 operated by a suitable motor 54.

The Water finds admission into the unit through the pipe 44 into the lower portion of the 'chamber'35,`from whence itflows from the upper vportion thereof through the pipe 36, where it nis admitted into the lower portion of the chamber and taken out from the upper portion of this latter-chamber by the pipe 32 for passage into the storage tank I3 at a point from the Vbottom portion thereof. From this description, it is apparent that the several water chambers, as well as the several refrigerant chambers, are connected in series and that the refrigerant is admitted to the refrigerant chambers at the lower portion of these various chambers and finds exit from the upper portions thereof; likewise that the water finds entrance into the water chambers at the lower portions of these several chambers and finds exit from the upper portions thereof. The storage tank being surrounded by the refrigerant chambers and the refrigerant chambers being surroundedby the several water chambers, it is obvious that it requires less refrigeration to maintain a supply of cold water in the storage chamber, thus resulting in a plentiful supply of cold water for rapid dispensing thereof.

It will be noted from the description herein that the pipes entering the various water chambers at the upper end portions thereof, extend a substantial distanceinto these chambers, thereby to maintain a constant water level, a water level which is spaced from the top walls of these various water chambers. The space 32 between the water level and the top wall of these 'Water chambers constitutes an air pocket providing an air cushion which dissipates hammer knocks resulting when the dispensing valves are manipulated, particularly when closed.

These spaces 32 also serve to compensate for expansion of the Water in the event of defect in the system resulting in water freezing and, with the cooperation of the relief valve,'rupture or damage to the unit is reduced to a minimum by virtue of the relief of pressure within `the water chambers by the relief valve in the event of a freeze-up. Like `air-traps 33 for a like purpose are provided at the bends of the pipes 32 and 36.

My improved cooler is capable of being incorporated in any of the standard circuits, two of which have been shown in Figs. 4 and'. In the circuit shown in Fig. 4,`which I term a self-contained circuit, this circuit includes, in addition to the cooler In and compressor 53, a low pressure control 54 Vand a high Vside iioat 55,both of which are of a well-known standard construction and their functions well-known in the art.

In the circuit shown in Fig. 5, there is substituted for the high side float included in the circuit shown in Fig. 4, a thermostatic expansion valve 55 having communication through a conduit 5l with the feeler bulb I 6.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided a cooling unit which is capable of accomplishing all the objects hereinbefore recited and one which may be manufactured in a practical manner and at an economical cost, the characteristics of the construction of the cooler resulting in one which requires the minimum degree of attention while'being capable of supplying a constant now of cold water.

The construction of the unit as hereinbefore described, results in a unit having a Vplurality of upright, substantially cylindrical walls arranged one within the other and spaced apart to provide chambers providing two circulating paths, one enveloped within the other. for the circulation of the refrigerant and the water, and in which relation of the circulating paths quick `refrigeration results, with an adequate storage -of `coldwater at all times.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, thisis capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do notWish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claim. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A cooling unit comprising a plurality of upright substantially cylindrical Walls mounted one within the other in substantially concentric relation and spaced apart to provide a plurality of chambers providing two separate circulatory paths, conduit means connecting the chambers of one of said paths in communication with each other for the flow of fluid from the upper portions of the chambers providing said one of said paths to the lower portions thereof, said conduit means comprising conduits each formed substantially U-shaped to provide limb portions one of which being shorter than the other and extending into the upper portion of its respective chamber of said chambers of said one path and the other terminating short of the bottom of its respective chamber of said chambers of said one path, the

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 779,498 Pfeiff Jan. 10, 1905 1,293,017 Broche Feb. 4, 1919 1,340,266 Hildebrand May 18, 1920 1,633,990 Jones June 28, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 877 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1884 408,406 Germany Jan. 17, 1925

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