US1452271A - Refrigerator construction - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 17, 1923.

H. J. GWYER REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION 4 meets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22 Apr. E?, 1923.

H. J. GWYER REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22, 1920 jpk. 17, 1923.v

, ,452,27 H. J. GWYER REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 22, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

2X //7 l h 4@ `Patented pr. 1 7, 1923.

FFICE.

HERBERT J. GWYER, or YoNKERs', NEW YORK.

REFRIGERATOR Application filed May 22,

To all whom it may ooncm:

Be it known that I, HERBERT J. Gwynn, a

i citizen of.the 'United States of America, re-

siding at Ypnkers New York, have invented l a new and useful lefrigerator Construction,

'of which the following is a'specification.

My invention relates to a refrigerator cabinet construction.

lt is an object of my invention to provide a cabinet which can be vmade in knockdown parts, which may be easily aembled.

It is a further. object-of my invention to provide va knock-down Vrefrigerator having but few parts which may be compactly and conveniently stored or shipped.

Other objects and advantages will appear I as the specification proceeds.l

My invention in -its preferred form comprises front and back panel units and a top and a bottom panel unit, and two side panel units for spacing the front and backpanel units apart. The top unit and bottom unit are preferably duplicates of each other. The top unit and bottom unit each have a groove therein into which fit corner posts and ends of the side panels. Suitable means such as rods or bolts are provided for securing the top and bottom panel units together to form a rigid cabinet. The cabinet is suitably lined, the lining preferably conforming in shape and size to the various panel units.

In the drawings, which show merely a preferred form of my invention- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end sectionall view of my refri erator.

ig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one i of the top or bottom units.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary plan view of the refrigerator with the top removed and one of the side panels being partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one of the front corner posts.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tie member for securing the front posts together. v

' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one of the back corner posts.

Fig.' 8 is a fragmentary sectional view throughthe top and one side panel.

\ Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of one corl ner of aside panel, part ofthe lining being broken away.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the top CONSTRUCTION.

1920. Serial No. 383,346.

4portion of one corner showing the means for securing the top and bottom together.

Fig. 1l is a similar view of the bottom corner, and also showing one leg and a roller.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a top or bottom panel unit.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the front panel unit.

Fig. let is a similar view of the back panel unit.

Fig. 15is a similar view of one of the side panel-units.

In" said drawings, which show merely my preferred form, 5` designates the top panel unit as a whole. This top panel unit comprises a frame 6 which may be made of bars mitred at the corners and secured together in any suitable manner. The members comprising the frame 6 may be made of the Same cross section as the corner posts. The grooves 22 in the frame 6 may be lled with felt to effectively' seal the joints between the top and bottom and the co-operating panels. If desired the edge of the frame 6 may be chamfered adjacent the panels to provide a finished appearance. The frame 6 which is similar for both the top and the bottom, may be provided upon the inner side with grooves 7 8 and upon another side with a groove. Y9. In the grooves 7 and 8 are fitted panel boards 10-11 and between these panel boards there is providedlan insulating panel 12.- The panel 12 may be made of any suitable insulating material, such as felt, and is preferably spaced from the panel boards 10-11 in order to provide air spaces for insulating purposes. One of the side panel units, to be afterwards described, is. fitted in the groove 9 when the cabinet is assembled. It should be noted that the groove 9 is of the same shape all around the top unit and the parts fitting into said groove are therefore preferably of the same thickness.

The bottom panel unit is preferably made as a duplicate of the top unit, except perhaps that the top may have the edges rounded and inishedif desired. f

The reference character 13 designates the front panel unit as a whole. This unit preferably comprises two corner posts 1.4-15 which may be secured together by means of the tie beam 16 suitably secured to the tops of the posts. A similar tie beam, 16

ma;v likewise be provided to secure the lower the post 17.

asp

the cabinet is assembled. In one of the other edges are provided two spaced grooves 19-20, leaving a tongue .'21 therebetween. A suitable deep rooveor aperture 22 may be provided longitudinally of the posts. A.

l'projection 23 projects above the endA of the `post proper for a reason to be later described.

All of the posts are of the same cross section,.and the ,foregoing description of one,

willftherefore, sufiice tor all. 0n the back 2 postQhowever, the projection 23 projecting above the endofA the post proper, "-is wider ,than the projections 23 on nthe front post.

ln assembling the front panel unit, the beam 16 is placed on the top ends of the 2 5 front posts and is secured thereto as by means ot screws passing through holes such as 24, .and into holes such as 25 in the posts. The beam 16 is preferably cut out on one side, as shown lat 26, and the thickness of the remaining portion 27 is substantially equal to the height of the projection 23. ft similar tie beam 16 secures the bottoms of the 'front posts together. :The supporting post lis valso secured to the ties in any suitable manner, as `by means of screws.

A U-shaped or channeled abutment member 28 fits in the grooves 19-20 and over the tongue 21. This abutment projects out a short distancebeyond the posts and may act as an abutment for aldoor. With doors as shown in the drawings, an abutment member such as. described will be provided upon each of the frontcorner posts. The support-` ing post 17 may also belprovidedwith abutments such as' 29 forming abut-ments for the opposite sides of the doors. rlhese abut` ments 29 may be formed in any suitable manner, as by means of rabbeting the edge of The back panel unit vmay be made up of the two corner posts and cross-beams as 29 lfitting therebetween. The'cross-beams 29 are grooved on the ends to fit over the tongues 21 on the corner posts as shown in a unit with the front and the two back posts are likewise rigidly connected together and form with the anel unit. j

Each side panel unit comprises a frame panel boaldds a complete back a nut is secure lsuch as 30, and each side panel may be provided with panel boards and insulation similar to that hereinbefore describedv for the top. As shown in Fig.. 8, the .frame for the side panel unit is rabbeted at both edges 31,

and upon one of these rabbeted edges isV formed a tongue 32 over which fitsa groove in one of the panel boards 33. v.llhe other panel board may simply rest against the Vother'rabbeted edge of the frame. securing device such as 3ft' shown inhig. 9 may be provided for securing the mitered ends ot' the fra-me together and also holding the panel board in the trame. This securing device is preferably in the form ot a disc with1 downwardly projecting prongs or teeth which may be driven into theframe. 'lt-he i Aprovided beneath the bottom panel unit.

Each leg will preferably have an aperture therethrough, and each top and bottomv anel unit will likewise have apertures t erethrough in alinement with the deepslot or aperture 22 in each 'corner post and the aperture in the leg.

Suitable rollers such as 37 may be provided beneath each leg. The roller shown is mounted-upon a plate 38 secured to the bottom of the leg. A tie bolt or rod 39 passes down the le to the bottom end and thereon. rlhe plate 38 coming, as it does,in close proximity to the nut, will prevent the latter rombacking od j from the rod.

When the front unit, back unit, side units and top and bottom units have each been individually assembled, the cabinet may `then be assembled. The bottom unit, whichis preferably a duplicate of the top unit, is first placed on the floor with the groove, such as 9, on top. The back panel unit may then be wplaced in one of the grooves in the bottom, the back panel unit and the projections on the fend posts all tting within the groove.

The front panel unit may then be placed in the opposite groove, theprojections on the front posts and lower tie member all fitting ywithin the groove. rlhe side panel units may' then be slid into the grooves-such as 18 in the front and back posts and forced downwardly until the lower ends engage in the groove in the bottom unit. The top unit 'may then be placed upon the top of the thus far assembled parts. The groove in the'underside of the top will then fit over the projections on each of the corner' posts as well as over the side panels, back panel beam and f front tie member. rlhe rods 39 may then .be passed through the apertures in the top member, corner posts, bottom unit and legs (if 'legs' arek provided). -f'llheg-upper end of the rod 39 may be provided with a head 41 which may `conveniently rest upon a corner fastening device such as 42. The nut 40 is next screwed on the lower end of the rod and the top and bottom members drawn toward each other to secure the parts together and form a rigid cabinet.

The inside of the cabinet may, of course, be lined lwith any suitable material. The lining may be 'made in sections which conform in shape to the variousunits. A separate lining strip is preferably provided over the triangular projection on each corner post and each top and bottom frame, in order to give a smooth interior.`fi'ii`i"sh'."""

Between the post'l' and the back panel, I prefer to provide' a. partition 43 which is preferably spaced from the top and bottom. The supporting shelf for the ice is indicated in Fig. 2 by the reference character 44. The

lcirculation of ai'rin the refrigerator will be downward from the ice shelf, around beneath the partition, and then up and over the topof the partition back to the ice chest.

Any suitable pipe such as may be provided for draining the melted ice from the refrigerator.

It will thus be seen that I have provided `afknock-down refrigerator which may be very readily assembled by unskilled labor. In the preferred form there are only six separate parts of the cabinet to vbe stored for shipment.

i p made all falling said top and bottom units said sides and the ends of said posts, Aone of for enclosing the side spaces lbetween the said units having a groove for receiving said tie' beam, and rods passing longitudinally "of said corner posts .and engaging said top and bottom units foi-'drawing the latter togetherM and securing .all of saidl parts togetherin cabinet formation.

QIIn a refrigerator construction, four corner posts, side-members between said posts posts, a top unit and a bottom unit each fitting over the endsof said posts and side a relatively .and engaging said top and members. each of said posts having a relatively wide groove in one side for receivingl one of said sides,

narrow groove in the. bottom of said relatively wide groove, 'and rods passing through said relatively narrow grooves va top unit and a bottom unit for eng on another side and a bottom unit, four cornerv each'of-said posts having bottom units for drawing the lattertogether and securing all the parts together in cabinet formation.

3. In a cabinet construction, a back panel unit including corner posts, said posts being of duplicate cross section and each having in one side aA relatively shallow wide groove and a relatively deep narrow groove, said posts each having at another side two spaced apart grooves leaving a tongue between them', Vtop and bottom -cross beams having projections fixed in said grooves and panels proper fitting in the space between said posts and cross beams, a front panel unit including two posts `.which are of the same cross abutment member fitting over the tongue on one of said front posts and substantially filling that part of the grooves adjacent thereto and forming a jamb for a door, side vpanel units fitting in the grooves in said front and back posts for spacing the front and back units apa-rt. and

gin said'posts, and panel un' ,g or -securinilg th latter together to forma cabinet structurel A4. In a cabinet construction, four corner posts, each post having av relatively shallow groove onone side, two spaced apart grooves a relatively narrow deep a pair of section as the back posts, a channeled shallow groove extending into each post lfrom one if' of said sides, panels engaged in some 0f Said grooves for closing the spaces between some of said posts to form a cabinet, a door extending from one of said posts landclosing a part of the space between two of said posts, a top member and a bottom member each including a frame fittingover the ends of said posts and a rod extending from the top through said relatively narrow deep groove in each post to the bottom member for securing the parts togethef to form a cabinet.

5. A structure such as claimed in claim 4, 'said corner posts and the frame members of said top and bottom members being of substantially duplicate cross section.

6.1m a device of the character described.

a panel member comprising a frame, a panel in sald frame, fastenlng devices for securlng sald frame prising a flat metal plate having prongs at an angle ythereto extending into the frame,

said flat plate overlapping .the inside of said frame and engaging the side of said panel for holding said panel in place against Vlateral dislodgment.

together at the corners com-.

7. In a. cabinet construction, a back panel V unit comprising corner member secured to said unit; side panel units and backpanel units, said front panel unit includinar corner posts and an intermediate post, tie beams securingsaid corner posts and intermediate post rtogether at the top and bottom. a-top having a groove in the under side fitting over said corner posts and posts and a panel posts, a front panel engaging dsaid; front u I Maasai ;l one et said tie beams and over said back and side panels tor securing the topsy of said parts together, 'a bottom member having a groove therein fitting over said corner posts, said vother tie member and back and Side lpanels, for securing the bottoms of said partsto ;ether and arod passing through said posts and securing members together. Y

8. In a cabinet construction, front, back and side panels, corner posts engaging said panels, top and bottom members having said tOp and bottom grooves therein into which fit the corner posts and panels, for securing'the posts and panels together, rods passing through said top `and bottom members and said posts, a nut on each of said rods for dranzvingl the top and bottom members toward each other and plates adapted to support a roller and prevent said nutsA1 from backing od.

9. ln a cabinet construction, front, back and side panels, corner posts engaging said panels, top and bottom members having grooves therein into which lit the' corner posts and panels, for securing the posts and Y panels together, rods passing through said top and bottom members and said posts'ior securing the members together to forni a cabinet, eachk of said panels andtop and bottom-members including two spaced apart panel boards and a panel of insulat ing material between said panel boards and spaced therefrom.

l0. ln a cabinet construction, including folr side units, two opposite side units each including two corner posts, cross beams at .of said side .units having a door opening and a door for closingl said opening, and rods at the corners extending longitudinally of the corner posts and engaging the top and bottom members for holding-.the latter to the side units whereby the top, bottom and side units form a rigid cabinet.

11, ln a cabinet construction, a back panel unit comprising corner posts and a panel member secured to said posts, a front panel unit, side` panel units engagi said front and back panel units, said front vpanel unit including corner posts and an intermediate post, tie lbeams securing said front corner posts together at the top and bottom, a, top unit anda bottom unit ttlng over the ends of said panel units, said top and bottom units having interitting tongue and groove connections with said tie beams, back and side panel units, and a rod-passing through each of said corner posts and engaging said topand bottom unitsy for se curing said top and bottom units together in cabinet formation. HERBERT J. GWYER.

wherebv all the units will be held together

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