2.01-12: Norge 1942 Household Refrigerator Cooling Unit

HHCC Accession No. 2003.019	HHCC Classification Code: 2.01-12

Description:

A precursor of the high style, amenity driven, frozen food, household refrigerator cooling unit of the middle years of the 20 th century, this one is equipped for capillary refrigerant flow control. It employs high conductivity, smoothly articulated surfaces, here executed in stainless steel, employing sophisticated engineering and manufacturing methods, here-to not available to the industry, Norge, 1942.

Image Gallery (2 Images)

Group:

2.01 Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Evaporators - Household

Make:

Norge

Manufacturer:

Borg Warner Corp. Michigan

Model:

unknown

Serial No.:

unknown

Size:

11x 12x 11’h

Weight:

15 lbs

Circa:

1942

Rating:

Exhibit, education, demonstration and research quality

Patent Date/Number:

Provenance:

From York County (York Region) Ontario, once a rich agricultural hinterlands, attracting early settlement in the last years of the 18th century. Located on the north slopes of the Oak Ridges Moraine, within 20 miles of Toronto, the County would also attract early ex-urban development, to be come a wealthy market place for the emerging household and consumer technologies of the early and mid 20th century.

This artifact was discovered in the 1950’s in the used stock of T. H. Oliver, Refrigeration and Electric Sales and Service, Aurora, Ontario, an early worker in the field of agricultural, commercial and consumer technology.

Type and Design:

Demonstrated here, as in the case of Item 018, are the means by which the industry was moving beyond the troublesome fabrication of refrigerant evaporators in formed and rolled steel sheet, in order to form refrigerant passages. New grades of stainless steel, engineering and manufacturing methods are evident here, continuing the trend to more efficient heat transfer designs, in order to meet new performance standards and consumer interests in packaged frozen foods..

The major breakthrough by the industry, shown here, is in the use of capillary line flow control. A remarkably simple refrigerant flow control methodology, with out moving parts, it none-the-less requires very precise engineering and manufacturing control to ensure correct refrigerant charge and reliable operation .

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Special Features:

High style evaporator door in white porcelain, with gold monograph

Natural rubber door gasket in pigmented grey.

Rear mounted refrigerator light

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Technological Significance:

The significance of this specimen rests in its evolutionary context. It is part of the dynamic, rapidly changing pattern of developmental events that saw the Canadian refrigeration industry move beyond its crude, early offerings to the households of the nation and do so in a period of much less than two decades. Markers of the changing times evident here include: large, fast freezing surfaces for frozen foods, modern amenities and styling, along with technologically elegant refrigerant flow control methods.

Taking advantage of war time research and development in the aluminium industry, the industry would shortly move to its use, as the material of choice in the fabrication of household evaporators - but not with out considerable growing pains.