US1943979A - Refrigerator car - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1934. J' LUNDVALL REFRIGERATOR CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Dec. 31. 1930 fiww z a 54 4 g m M M Jan. 16, 1934. J. LUNDVALL REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Dec. 31, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 REFRIGERATOR CAR John Lundvall, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Equipment Specialties Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 31, 1930 Serial No. 505,677

6 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars, and particularly to refrigerating apparatus therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerant container.

Another object is the provision of an improved galvanized brine tank structure which may be galvanized after complete construction without warping or bulging of the walls of the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chilling tank which can be used with brine for a long time without appreciable corrosion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an iron chilling tank having fittings autogeneously mounted thereon and galvanized in such a manner that it is enduring and corrosion resisting in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and useful manner of assembling such tanks in a refrigerator car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and simple method of connecting a plurality of tanks together.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:--

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a refrigerator car showing a set of four brine tanks at one end of the car; 7

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional detail View showing a side of one of the tanks;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of one of the tanks removed from the car;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan thereof taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational View of one of the tank support beams; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 desigr nates the interior sheathing of the side walls,

11 the interior roof sheathing, 12 the interior end wall sheathing, and 13 the floor. Further description of the car is believed to be unnecessary, the same being constructed in the usual or any suitable manner to prevent, as far as possible, conduction of heat through the walls.

Adjacent the end sheathing 12 is arranged a row of vertical brine tanks 14, shown by way of example as four in number. The tanks are elevated above the floor level and terminate adjacent the roof sheathing 11. In front of the row of tanks 14 is provided a bulkhead or partition 15 which extends across the car and tersheathing 11, and a substantial distance above the floor 13, so as to leave an upper passageway 9 and a lower passageway 17 for the circulation of air around the brine tanks 14 and through the main space of the car. Half of the bulkhead 15 is shown in Fig. 1, the other half being broken away to disclose the tanks on the right hand side. The tanks 14 are mounted in spaced relation with respect to each other and with respect to the side wall sheathing 10, end wall sheathing l2, and the bulkhead 15, so that the circulating air may be thoroughly cooled.

As shown in Fig. 4, the tanks are preferably substantially rectangular in cross-section so that they may utilize the space between the end sheathing 12 and bulkhead 15 to best advantage while ensuring efficient circulation of air around the tanks. Each tank is preferably provided at intervals along its length with outwardly directed beads or corrugations 16. It is found that when brine tanks having large plane surfaces in their sides are subjected to the heat stresses generated during the galvanizing of the completely assembled tank, there is a marked tendency toward the warping of the sheets. One of the most important features of the invention is the provision of the corrugations 18, which prevent such warping of the sheets and which also tend to strengthen the tank so that thinner sheets may be used.

The tanks 14 are supported along their forward and rear edges by cross beams 18 which comprise upwardly directed channels 19 having their outer flanges longer than their inner flanges to receive wooden rails of angular cross section, upon which the tanks rest. The channels 19 are reinforced by metal webs 21 which are welded or otherwise secured at their ends to the ends of the channels. Intermediate their ends the webs 21 are maintained in spaced relation to the channels 19 by means of Z struts 22 which are welded or otherwise secured to the channels and Webs so that their intermediate lengths are longitudinal with respect to the beams. Opposite struts 22 of the beams 18 are secured together by means of tie rods 23 which pass through openings provided in the intermediate lengths of the struts 22 and are provided with nuts or other suitable means so that they prevent the beams from spreading. The ends of the beams 18 are engaged by metal straps 24 which are formed to engage the outer flanges of the channels 19, the undersides of the webs 21, and the inner flanges or" the channels 19. The intermediate portion of each end strap extends horizontally between the two inner flanges of the channels 19 and flush with the top edges thereof, so that it is slightly below the bottom of the tanks 14, which rest upon the rails 20. The end straps 24 are mounted upon timbers 25 which are secured to the side walls of the car and are cut to conform to the shape of said straps. It will be readily understood that the timbers 25 support the weight of the tanks and their contents and position the tanks above the floor level.

It will readily be understood that the engagement of the rails 20 with the bottom of the tanks is adapted to prevent rearward and forward movement thereof. A rail 26 mounted on the car adjacent the rear top edges of the tanks prevents rearward displacement of the upper portions of the tanks While a transverse timber 27 secured to the roof of the car prevents the forward displacement of the upper portions of the tanks.

In order to prevent lateral movement of the tanks, I may secure blocks 23 upon the rails 20 between adjacent tanks and on the outer sides of the end tanks. In order to prevent such movement of the upper ends of the tanks, I may provide timbers 29 and 30 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the car.

The tanks 14 are preferably associated in pairs and each pair of tanks is adapted to be supplied with ice and salt by a common hatchway 31, provided with a suitable closure (not shown). The timber 30 extends across the hatchway between the tanks, and serves to prevent the materials supplied from falling between the tanks. The hatchway 31 and timber 30 are preferably provided with a sheathing 32 of sheet metal which preferably extends downwardly below the upper edges of the tanks as seen in Fig. 1. The sheathing 32 preferably extends over the adjacent portion of the roof as a flashing.

The bulkhead 15 may suitably be supported upon vertical I beams 33 which extend from the timber 27 to the floor of the car. The lower purtion of the partition is preferably in the form of a door 34, connected by hinges 35 to the upper part of the partition so as to render the lower parts of the tanks and particularly the hand holes 36, accessible. Each pair of tanks is preferably connected near their bottoms by means of a hose 3'? and one of each pair, or both if desired, is provided with a valve 38 whereby the brine may be allowed to flow out by pipe 39. The valve 38 may suitably be controlled by the rod 40 which extends upwardly through the timber 30 and terminates in a handle 41 whereby it may be manipulated from the top of the car when servicing the tanks.

The pipes 39 discharge into a pan 42 located below the tanks 14 at a lower level than the floor of the car. The brine may escape from the pan 42 by means of a suitable drain trap 43 and spout 44.

The tanks 14 are subjected to severe treatment both from the vibration applied to them in their normal use and the corrosive action of the ice and salt employed in them. Tanks with soldered seams have proved ineffective to resist the shocks and vibration to which they are exposed. The te fiiks are preferably made of sheet iron in View of economy and durability. Owing to the rapid corrosion of iron when exposed to salt solution, I have used galvanized sheet iron which has proved unsatisfactory for soldering, riveting, and other constructional operations have had the result of weakening the zinc coating which flakes off, exposing the iron and resulting in corrosion and leakage.

I have discovered that in order to produce a satisfactory iron tank suitable for this service, ungalvanized sheet iron should be employed. The tank is fabricated from this material and secured together in assembled condition by welding. The fittings permanently mounted on the tank are also preferably of iron and are preferably welded to the tank so that an autogeneous structure results. Thereafter, the whole structure is galvanized so that an integral, unstrained and complete coating of zinc is applied over its whole surface.

The body of the tank 14 is preferably made from two sheets of iron bent into substantially rectangular section, the edges being brought together and securely welded one to the other. These sheets are preferably formed with the beads or corrugations 16, which, stiffen the structure, enable lighter sheet iron to be employed, and prevent bulging of the sides during galvanizing and when the tank is full of brine.

The upper end of the tank 14 is reinforced by a ring 45 which is secured to the tank by welding. The bottom of the tank is provided by a piece of sheet metal 46 dished to provide vertical walls conforming to the shape of the tank body which is inserted in the bottom and secured thereto by welding. The lower face of the bottom 46 is preferably provided with a plurality of upwardly pressed corrugations 47, and also with a plurality of upstanding studs 48, preferably secured thereon by welding.

Each tank comprises openings in which fittings are mounted. Thus each. tank is provided with a hand hole 36 in which is mounted a fitting 49 which comprises a hexagonal flange 50 which may be suitably tack welded at its corners to the tank Wall, and may be securely welded to the tank around the opening 35 on the inside. The fitting 49 supports a suitable closure for the hand hole 36. Each tank is provided with a hose nipple 51 which comprises an outer tubular portion 52, an outer face flange 53, and an obliquely cut inner tubular portion 54, which projects through an opening into the interior of the tank. The nipple 51 may be suitably secured to the tank by tack welding the flange 53 at intervals to the exterior tank wall and by Welding the tubular portion 54 around its circumference to the tank wall on the inside. The main fitting of the valve 38 may be secured to the tank in the same manner. The fittings referred to may be secured to the tank by tack welding interiorly and circumferential welding exteriorly or they may be welded to the tank by circumferential Welding both 1 inside and outside.

The tank thus constructed is galvanized as a Whole, providing a protective coating of zinc over its whole surface, which is not weakened by soldering, riveting, or other subsequent constructional operation.

In order to reinforce the bottom and protect it from wear and destruction by the ice supplied during use and by workmen removing sediment through the hand holes 36, I provide an internal wood bottom 55, preferably in two pieces. The wood bottom is provided with openings through which the studs 48 pass. The wood bottom is held to the metal bottom by means of washers 56 and cotter pins 57 passing through This air is likewise cooled and a circulation of air is set up which eifectively chills the car and its contents. The ice and salt become converted into brine which is retained in the tanks 14 by the valves 33 for two reasons. This brine is highly corrosive and should not be discharged upon the road bed since it would cause serious deterioration of the rails, switch gear and other metal structures. In the second place the brine acquires a very low temperature and it is a very effective refrigerant for a long period after the contents of the tanks are completely liquefied. Accordingly, the brine is discharged, when the cars are serviced, by opening the valves 38 allowing the brine to escape through the pipes 39, pan 42, drain trap 43, and spout 44 to suitable means provided to receive same. When one tank of each pair is provided with a valve 38, the brine flows from one tank to another through the hose 37.

Dirt and mud derived from the ice and salt are periodically removed through the hand holes 36. When this is necessary, the door 34 is released and turned back on its hinges to render the hand holes 36 accessible.

If desired, suitable openings or perforations 58 may be provided in the upper part of the tanks 14: so as to permit the car to be used as a ventilated car without brine. The openings 58, as shown in Fig. 1, may suitably be provided by slitting one face or" the tank adjacent its upper end, on uniformly spaced vertical lines and bending the metal between adjacent slits into right angles to the face from which they are formed, to provide iouvers 59, which offer minimum resistance to the entrance or egress of air.

In order to reinforce the louvers 59, I prefer to provide a corrugated bar 60 adapted to engage the edges of the louvers at a position intermediate of their length. The end may pass through one of the openings 58 from one side of the face to the other and its ends may be secured in any suitable way to the wall of the tank.

It should be understood that some brine tanks and hatchways are provided at each end of the car so that, if desired, the hatchways may be opened at each end of the car, the coversrbeing so disposed or pitched upward that they act as baffles to direct the air into the hatchway. The air will then pass into the brine tanks through the louvers and into one end of the car and out through the louvers and hatchways through the other end of the car, while the car is traveling. The present structure is thus adapted to effect ventilation of the car, and whenever desired the cars may be utilized with the brine tanks empty, and the objects in the car may be subjected to ventilation or the car may travel under ventilation for the purpose of drying out the interior of the car.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention, except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

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

1. A refrigerating tank adapted for use in refrigerator cars, constructed from sheet iron and assembled by welding and having fittings welded thereon, and having means welded to the iron bottom for securing an internal wood bottom, the

whole metal assembly being galvanized after assembly.

2. An elongated, open ended, refrigerating tank of substantially rectangular cross section, and adapted for use in refrigerator cars, constructed from sheet iron and assembled by welding and having fittings welded thereon, the side walls being provided with spaced horizontal corrugations and the iron bottom being corrugated and having welded thereto a plurality of studs, the whole being galvanized after assembly, an inner wood bottom, and means securing the wood bottom to the studs.

3. In a refrigerant tank, a dish like metal bottom, circular corrugations therein projecting upwardly, studs carried by the metal bottom projecting upwardly, and an internal wood bottom having openings through which the studs pass, and pins passing through the studs securing the wood bottom to the metal bottom.

4. A brine tank for refrigerator cars or the like, comprising an elongated sheet metal tank having substantially rectangular sides, the body of the tank being formed of iron, having its ends brought into juxtaposition and secured together, a bottom for said tank comprising a sheet metal member of iron having a border flange embracing the body portions of the tank and secured thereto, said body portion having peripherally extending corrugations located at spaced intervals from each other and extending about said tank for the purpose of preventing the bulging of the sides of said tank under heat, and the whole of said tank being galvanized over all without substantial deformation of the sides of said tank due to said corrugations, said bottom having upwardly extending securing members and a wooden false bottom carried by said securing members for supporting ice in said tank.

5. In a brine tank for refrigerator cars or the like, the combination of an elongated metal tank having substantially rectan ular sides and a substantially rectangular bottom with a false bottom for supporting ice in said tank, comprising a wooden member, said wooden member having bores, inwardly projecting studs carried by the bottom of said tank passing through said bores in said false bottom, and means carried by said studs for securing said false bottom to the bottom of said tank.

6. A brine tank for refrigerator cars or the like, comprising an elongated sheet metal tank having substantially rectangular sides, the body of the tank being formed of iron, having its ends brought into juxtaposition and secured together, a bottom for said tank comprising a sheet metal member of iron having a border flange embracing the body portions of the tank and secured thereto, said body portion having peripherally extending corrugations located at spaced intervals from each other and extending about said tank for the purpose of preventing the bulging of the sides of said tank under heat, and the whole of said tank being galvanized over all without substantial deformation of the sides of said tank due to said corrugations, said bottom having upwardly extending securing members and a wooden false bottom carried by said securing members for supporting ice in said tank, said tank being provided with a hand hole adjacent its lower end on one side and a removable covering for said hand hole.

JOHN LUNDVALL.

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