US2618127A - Milk cooler - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1952 R. c. SHIPMAN 2,618,127

MILKCOOLER Filed June 29, 1949 3'Sheets-Shae't 1 /6 5' g INVENTOR- 5 fan-ta f Xi'an/m ATTORNEY Nov. 18, 1952 (1, s m 2,618,127

MILK COOLER Filed June 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 flax A la 21 T1 .5.

47 4a fill i i 4 INVENTO R fkvsea 6. fl 0 ATTORNEY Nov. 18, 1952 R. c. SHIRMAN MILK COOLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 1949 INVENTOR 54:14-14 Jim- 414M ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1952 MILK COOLER Russell 0. Shipman, Ithaca, N. Y., minor to United (lo-Operatives, Inc.,

corporation of Indiana Application June 29, 1949, Serial No. 102.031

4 Claims.

, 1 This invention relates to the cooling of liquids in containers, as for example cooling milk at the dairy in milk cans, where good practice requires chilling the warm milk to below 50 F. as soon as possible after it is drawn. This calls for the extraction of a large amount of heat in a short period of time, and would normally require a large motor and compressor installation. To avoid this, various systems have been developed in which a moderate sized refrigerator mechanism builds up a reserve of ice during the hours between milkings which can be rapidly melted by circulating water to cool the warm milk cans when needed. The present invention is of that general typ and is intended to overcome certain defects and difllculties that have developed in such devices.

It has been found that cooling tanks loaded from the top are hard to use, since they require the lifting in and out of the heavy cans; and side loaders either required collars to be placed on the cans-an extra operation-or used spray heads from which water might splash in under the lid of the can. Their orifices tended to become plugged with bits of straw common in barns, and were diflicult to clean. On the refrigeration side it has been known that air bubbles mixed with the circulating water would help speed up the action on the ice, but they required a special air pump, adding to the expense. Other side loaders used a two-compartment cabinet separated by a partition, permitting heat loss directly from the water tank thru the cabinet wall to the outside.

The present invention seeks to overcome these difliculties by providing a single cabinet sideloader, in which the cold water tank is separated from the cabinet walls, and in which the cans can be easily rolled in and out without lifting or fitting of collars; and it also insures thatthe cooling streams will flow over the cans without spraying or splashing, so that there is no danger of water reaching the milk. The water distribution system is non-plugging and readily removable for cleaning; and the refrigerating effect of the ice is accelerated by means of air bubbles without requiring the use of an air pump. All the basic units are readily removable for servicing and cleaning. The purpose of these improvements is to make a more practical and serviceable apparatus adapted to use on the farm. Various other detail objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is an external front elevation of the ma- Alliance, Ohio, a

2 chine, showing the unitary cabinet, the loading door, and the pump moto the compressor, compressor motor, radiator, and various external controls and connections.

Fig. 2 is an internal view of the apparatus as though the front wall of Fig. 1 were removed, showing the unitary cabinet, the milk cans, water distribution system, pump, air intake, and the refrigerating and ice melting system.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal view with the top of the cabinet removed, showing in plan the water distribution system, the cans, and the ice system with the water tank spaced from the cabinet walls.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the antisiphon air intake, by which bubbles are introduced into the water before it strikes the ice.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the removable channels, troughs, weirs and laterals of the water distribution system by which the flow of water over the cans is eflectively controlled.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing the rails supporting the cans.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of the freezing coil and ice cake.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts thruout the various views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the cooler is of the side-loading type, with a unitary insulated cablnet i having a loading door 2 hinged at 3. It is provided with a removable top a on which is mounted the usual artificial refrigeration mechanism including the compressor 5, its driving motor 6, radiator I, time control switch 8, and

other accessories common to mechanical refrigeration. Of course a gas or 011 type refrigerating mechanism might also be used instead of electric, since its function in either case is merely to accumulate a block of ice in the cooling water tank 30 as will be described. Also mounted on the top 4 is a pump motor l0 driving the vertical shaft I I which extends down into the cabinet I to drive the water circulating pump l2 as shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 6. Adjacent to the top 4 is another top sect-ion 4' covering that portion of the cooler which contains the milk cans. Each top section 4 and 4' is separately removablethe top 4 carrying the refrigerating mechanism and the top 4 giving access to the coolingwater troughs and adjacent parts for cleaning. This permits the device to be serviced with a minimum of effort.

'Referring now more especially to Fig. 2 and Fig. 7, the milk cans I4 are easily rolled up to the door opening and slid on to the rails i5, which like other parts oi the apparatus can be removed for cleaning. The rails II are about level with the bottom 01' the door 2 shown in Fig. l so that there is a space below them in which some water may stand, suflicient to form a sump ii to prime the circulating system and permit its operation, but not enough water for cans to stand therein. This sump water extends thruout the lower parts of the cabinet, there being no partition. The circulating pump I2 is immersed in this water with its intake below, and when running it forces the water up the pipe I] to the anti-siphon air mixer l8 which is shown more in detail in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 4 the pipe II from the water circulating pump I2 is shown turned into a venturi by reducing its diameter to form a nozzle to produce a high-velocity jet 2|. Surrounding the nozzle and jet 2| is the pipe 22 having an airinlet hole 23. The partial vacuum induced by the high-velocity jet 2i draws air into the pipe 22, where it becomes mixed with the water and.

is carried on in the form of bubbles down the pipe 25. When the pump motor i0 is not running the air inlet hole 23 also serves to admit air to break any tendency to form a siphon. Otherwise the water in the tank 30 might siphon back into the sump l6, filling it to overflowing and pouring out of the loading door.

The pipe extends down into the water tank Ill to a return bend or bai'fle 3| so that the ultimate discharge is upward-the bubbles thus assisting the rising force of the water. The refrigerating mechanism on the top of the cabinet previously mentioned, when operated over a period of time, produces a thick wall of ice over the freezing coils 32, as is customary in such devicesthe coils 32 being connected to the refrigerating machine on the top of the case in the usual manner. This mass of ice which forms on the coils 32 is utilized to quickly chill the milk by rapidly circulating water between the ice and the cans. To melt the ice more rapidly, various forms of agitation or scrubbing have been used, including water pumps and air pumps. The present invention obtains the beneficial effect of air bubbles without requiring a rotary air pump. The water rubs upward over the inside of the ice cylinder and down over the outside of the ice cylinder, maintaining a vigorous circulation.

The net eflect of Operating the pump I2 is to draw water from the sump l6 and discharge it into the tank 30, together with bubbles-all of which raises the water level in the tank so' practicable to regulate the pump directly without complexity and expense; and so under the pres ent invention there is devised a self-regulating system of weirs and channels that operate to produce a steady flow of smooth and solid water jets having such a velocity and body that they will cool efliciently without splashing into the milk. Thissystem remains steady regardless of any surges or accelerations in the tank or pump.

The water distribution system above referred to is shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and in detail in Fig. 5. It consists of a distributing main or trough 40 having a flat bottom 4|, side walls 42 and a terminal wall 43 at the far end. The end 44near where the incoming water falls from the spout on the tank 30-is open so that excess water may spill back and down into the sump it. This spill-back is a counter-flow which is opposed to the main tall from the tank 30 thru the spout and the result is that there is maintained a fair depth oi water-about an inch-in the main trough 40 when the pump I2 is running.

Branching from both sides of this main trough 40 are lateral troughs 41, preferably rather narrow and rectangular, which are open at the top. These laterals 4'! are provided with openings ll serving as weirs to control the fiow of water from the main trough 40 to the lateral troughs 41. The long sides of the laterals 41 near the bottom are pierced by several rather large holes 49- about a quarter or an inch in diameter--these holes serving as orifices for the cooling Jets 50 which fall upon the milk cans N as shown in Fig. 2. The holes 49 are sufliclently large and smooth so that solid, clear and gentle streams flow from them without the velocity or agitation normally associated with jets or sprays. This is important to avoid splashing which might work into the can under the cover. If any hole 49 should become plugged it can readily be cleaned, since the laterals 41 are open at the top; and the whole distribution system of the main 40 and the laterals 4'! is supported on rails 52 and can be slid out of the door 2 for servicing. Due to the weirs and overflows, the total hydraulic head cannot vary more than about an inch; and the volume of the laterals is so great in comparison to the orifices that a very steady flow results.

The water tank 30 does not touch the side walls of the cabinet I, so that there is an air space all around the tank between it and the cabinet walls.

:- This prevents a direct loss of cold from the water thru the cabinet walls, with the chilled air and the sump water remaining to keep the milk cans at a suitable temperature after the pump has stopped running. This gives an improved efllciency over the two-compartment side-loaders, since there is less loss from the water to the outside than is the case with the two-compartment types where the cabinet wall is also the water tank wall. The tank 30 may either rest on the floor of the cabinet or on small blocks or feet 55. so that there will be some water under it. In either event the principal loss, which is thru the side walls of the cabinet, will be reduced.

A cooler for milk or other cans constructed in accordance with the principles above described overcomes some of the difliculties in previous coolers of the water transfer type, and is characterized by improved efliciencydue to the unitary cabinet and the separation of the water tank from the walls-a reduced construction. cost, principally due to the elimination ofa special pump for introducing air bubblesan'd a reduced expense for upkeep due to the reduction in clogging in the water distribution system and the fact that the mechanical and electrical portions of the device are removable forservicing without disturbing the water distribution system, and vice versa. The Venturi system also effectively prevents accidental siphoning of the water out of the tank onto the floor.

While I have in the foregoing described certain specific forms by way of example, it will be understood that they are merely for purposes of illustration to make clear the principles of the invention, which is not limited to the particular forms shown but is susceptible to various modifications and adaptations in difierent installations as will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as stated in the following claims.

WhatIclaim is:

1. In a can cooler, the combination of a cabinet, side loading doors for said cabinet thru which cans may be placed to be cooled, a cold water tank in one side of the interior of said cabinet, said tank having an overflow, a system of troughs fed by said overflow for leading water to cool the cans, said system comprising a main trough extending from below the overflow toward the other side of the interior of the cabinet, cross troughs on said main trough extending between the cans, said cross-troughs having box-like sections of suflicient volume to induce quiet flow and provide a steady head, said cross-troughs having final orifices located below the top of the cans to deliver solid streams of cold water to the neck and body of the cans, said troughs being open at the top to assist in cleaning, whereby plugging by bits of foreign matter may be reduced.

2. In a can cooler, the combination of a cabinet, a cold water tank within said cabinet, said tank having an overflow spout, a main trough under said spout, said trough being open at its end under said spout to provide a reverse spillway of the counter-flow type, laterals on said main trough, said laterals having orifices by which water may be discharged on the cans in the cooler.

3. In a can cooler, the combination of a water tank, a block of ice within said tank, a pump for circulating water rapidly over said ice to chill the water by melting the ice, a discharge pipe from said pump carrying water, a Venturi air inlet admitting air bubbles to said water from the discharge pipe above the water level in the tank, a downflow pipe carrying the mixture of water and air bubbles down to near the lower part of the block of ice, a reverse discharge element to direct the flow of water and air bubbles in an upward direction across the ice block, whereby the air bubbles assist the water flow to melt the block of ice.

4. In a can cooler, the combination of a cabinet, side loading doors for said cabinet thru which cans can be placed to be cooled, a cold water tank within said cabinet, said tank having an overflow, a system of troughs fed by said overflow for leading water to cool the cans, said troughs being open at the top to assist cleaning whereby plugging by bits of foreign matter may be reduced, a block of ice within said tank, a water pump and piping for circulating water over the ice to chill the water before it leaves the overflow, and a suction air intake of the Venturi type connected to said water pump piping above the level of the water in the tank to introduce air bubbles to the water before it reaches the ice, whereby the ice may be more vigorously scrubbed, said air intake above the water level of the tank serving to admit atmospheric air to the water pump piping to break a reverse syphon action when the pump is not in operation.

RUSSELL C. SHIPMAN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,917 Chamberlain Sept. 23, 1947 2,049,155 Coleman July 28, 1936 2,200,442 Crawford May 14, 1940 2,256,971 Chamberlain Sept. 23, 1941 2,315,603 Duncan Apr. 6, 1943 2,337,323 Gates Dec. 21, 1943 2,394,648 Haas Feb. 12, 1946 2,411,833 McMahon Nov. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 272,411 Italy Mar. 10, 1930

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