US1882120A - Mechanical water cooler - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 111, 1932. E. C. CLIFFORD MECHANICAL WATER COOLER Filed Dec. 22, 1931v 3 Sheets-Sheet l 08. 11, 1932. E. c. CLIFFORD ssmm MECHANICAL WATER COOLER Filed Dec. 22. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 15 1f L. '.f

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Oct. 111, 1932. EVC. CLIFFORD MECHANICAL WATER COOLER Filed Dec. 22. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 v UNITED STATES EDWARD c. cziirronn, or NEW max, 11. Y.

MECHANICAL WATER COOLER Application filed December 22, 1931. Serial No. 582,515.

This invention relates to the art of refrigeration and particularly to the art covering mechanical devices for cooling water or other liquid for drinking purposes.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient refrigeratin chamber in which the liquid to be coole comes in contact with a cooling coil. This is accomplished by providing a circular refrigcrating chamber and directing the inflowing liquid around the cooling coil so as to provide efiicient contact of the incoming liquid with the cooling coil. The thermostat controlling the operation of the refrigerating system is located in the bottom of the refrigerating chamber adjacent the outlet, so that it can operate to accurately control the temperature of the water leaving the refrigerating chamber. 1

A further object is to furnish a compact and efiicient refrigerating chamber arranged so that the parts can readily be disassembled for inspection and cleaning.

An additional object is to provide a circular refrigerating chamber adapted to receive a refrigerating coil and to hold a minimum amount of the liquid to be cooled.

These and other-objects of the invention will become apparent as the description pro-- ceeds.

While a preferred form of. the invention is disclosed herein for purposes of illustra tion, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made with out departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the refrigeration system, showing the refrigerating chamber in cross-section;

I Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 1. are sections taken on the line 22 of Figure 1-, showing modified structures but with the cooling coil removed;

Figure .5 is a vertical section through a. modified form of refrigeration chamber;

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

ature.

Figure 7 is a. section on line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the refrigeration system includes a compressor 10 which is driven by a motor 11. A

condensation coil 13 is connected to the compressor 10 and to an expansion valve 14. A pipe 15 connects the expansion valve to the cooling coil 16, and a pipe 17 connects the cooling coil to the compressor.

The refrigerating chamber is composed of two parts; the flat, circular casing 18 and the cover 19. The cover is attached to the circular casing by any suitable fastening means such as the bolts 20, and packing 21 forms a liquid-tight seal between the cover and the casing. v

The cooling coil 16 is attached to the cover member 19 so that when the cover is removed from the casing, the cooling coil is also removed from the casing and the parts are r exposed for ready inspection or cleaning.

The inlet pipe 22'admits the liquid to be cooled into the refrigerating chamber, and

the outlet pipe 23 leads the cooled liquid away from the refrigerating chamber. It should be noted that the cooling coil follows closely the inner wall of the circular casing 18, and suitablemeans-is provided to cause the enter:

ing liquid to be cooled, such as water, to

move around the inner wall of the casing so that it comes into eflicient contact with the cooling coil immediately upon its entry into the refrigerating chamber. In the construction-illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 this result is achieved by a 'baflie 24 which is located on the bottom of the circular casing 18, just opposite the inlet pipe 22.

The operation of the electric motor 11 is v controlled by the switch 25 which, in turn,

is operated by the thermostatic element 26. The thermostatic element 26 is located at the bottom of the refrigerating chamber and as .close to the outlet 23 as possible. In this position the thermostat is influenced by the temperature of the water as it leaves the refrigerating chamber, and it can therefore act efficiently to malntain the water leaving the refrigerating chamber at the desired tempermo Preferably the thermostatic element 26 is I placed in a recess 27 formed in the bottom of the refrigerating chamber, where it will be atall times in contact with the'coldest water. Element 26 is held in place by an inexpensive round joint that permits ready removal. is illustrated in Figure 7,'the element 26 and the casing wall have complementary ground surfaces indicated at 28, held in sealing contact by nut 29 threaded into boss 30.

It is desirable to form the refrigeratlng chamber so that it will hold a relatively small amount of water, as a large body of water would require longer to cool and would absorb heat and cause excessive running of the refrigeration system when the cooler stands idle for long periods of time.

To assist in attaining this end the refrigcrating chamber shown in Figure 1 has its bottom wall deformed upwardly to form a drum-head 31 which extends into the cooling coil 16. This construction also forms a circular channel around the coil 16, and assists in causing the incoming water to flow around the coil.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 3, the inlet is directed tangentially of the wall of the circular casing, so that the incoming liquid starts to flow around the wall of the casing and is then directed inwardly by a baffle 24 which causes the liquid at this point to mingle with the body of liquid in the chamber and prevents its passage directly to the outlet.

Figure 4 illustrates a further modification in which the inlet is in the form of a Y which directs the incoming fluid around the wall of the chamber in opposite directions. This form causes very eflicient contact of the incoming water with the cooling coil.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 the refrigeration chamber is in the form of a hollow ring inclosing the cooling .coil. The main casing body 32 has a U-shaped section closely fittingabout the coil 16, which is attached to the flat ring cover 33. The inlet pipe 15 and outlet pipe 17 lead through the cover 33 and communicate with the cool ing coil 16. Suitable fastening means, such as bolts 34 secure the cover to the body 32, and gaskets 35 form a liquid-tight seal. This form of refrigeration chamber has the smallest practicable liquid capacity, and makes very eflicient use of the cooling medium, as the liquid entering the refrigeration chamber is forced to flow around both sides by the casing. This channel is made as small as is commercially practicable, so that the liquid surrounds the cooling coil in the form of a tube of relatively thin wall-section and hence comes into intimate contact with the cooling coil.

In commercial practice the cooling coil is "a total capacity of 30.5 cubic inchesof the of-water will cool practically instantaneously when it is brought into efiicient contact with the cooling coil, as in the present invention.

I claim:

1. A liquid cooler comprising a flat casing having a circular channel formed therein, a cover, a coollng coil located within the circular channel, a refrigeration system connected to the cooling coil, an inlet and an outlet in communication with the circular channel, and a thermostat in the circular channel and controlling operation of the refrigeration system.

2.: A liquid cooler comprising a flat casing having a circular channel formed therein, a cover, a cooling coil located within the circular channel and attached to the cover, a refrigeration system connected to the cooling coil, an inlet and an outlet in communication with the circular channel, and a thermostat the circular channel and controlling operation of the refrigeration system.

3. A. liquid cooler comprisin a body formed as a ring with a U-shape cross-section, a ring cover fitting over said body, a cooling coil located within the body and attached to the cover, a refrigeration system.

connected to the cooling coil, an inlet and an outlet 1n communication with the interior of the body, and a thermostat in the circular minimum' capaclty, a refrigeration system connected to the cooling coil, an inlet and an outlet communicating with the channel liquid cooler comprising acoolingin the body, and a thermostat in the channel and controlling operation of the refrigeration system.

EDWARD G. CLIFFORD.

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