The question of when did freezers get invented is often asked by people who don’t know much about the science behind them. There were several key milestones in the development and use of freezers. The first freezers were marketed to housewives and people who had homegrown crops. They were advertised as a way to beat the season, allowing users to freeze summer fruits and eat them in the winter. These devices quickly became associated with overproduction.
Jacob Perkins
Jacob Perkins, an American mechanical engineer and physicist, invented the first refrigerator. He was the holder of several patents, including one on the refrigerator. Many consider Perkins to be the father in modern refrigeration. Despite his lack of formal education, Perkins was able to understand mechanical concepts and apply them to the refrigerator.
Perkins was 12 years old when he began his career as a goldsmith in Newburyport, MA in 1766. He later developed a machine for cutting and heading nails, the bathometer, and a high-pressure steam boiler. Despite his lack of formal education, he displayed remarkable talent and an insatiable curiosity.
Perkins was also an inventor. In 1819, Perkins patented the first steel plates for banknote engraving. This made counterfeiting money virtually impossible. Perkins and Gideon Fairman, his business partner, were able to create a successful business in London. In 1840, they produced the first penny postage stamps, and the company went on to print millions of them.
Evans’ idea to compress a gas into an ice-like substance was first published in 1805 but it took many years before it became a reality. Evans in 1805 described a closed vapor compression refrigeration system that used ether in a vacuum for the production of ice. Evans died in 1919, but Perkins went on to build the first refrigeration system that used a vapor-compression system.
A refrigerator can also be used as a freezer. Inventors of ice-making technology include John Gorrie, Samuel Johnson, and Samuel Adams. They all patented their ideas, and some of them have become household staples.
Thomas Moore
American inventor Thomas Moore made refrigerators possible. His refrigerator was first patented in 1802. The same year, Thomas Jefferson visited Moore’s home, sketching a picture of the refrigerator on his invitation. Jefferson inspected the refrigerator and paid Isaac Briggs for one. It was used by Jefferson until 1819.
Moore’s freezers were a hit with farmers and consumers. They could avoid the hassle of having to travel at night to keep their goods cool with this new invention. Besides selling freezers to people, Moore also helped farmers by introducing improved methods for crop rotation. He also became president of the Farmer’s Society of Sandy Spring, an organization dedicated to improving agricultural practices and disseminating developments to its constituent farmers.
The first refrigerators were made of barrels and were used in ancient times. Barrels were also used by the Celts and Romans to store food. In 1802, the refrigerator was first invented. A rectangular tin box filled with crushed ice or snow became known as the refrigerator. This invention revolutionized the way food was stored and transported.
Although Thomas Moore wasn’t the first to invent freezers, his inventions have been regarded as some of the most important advances in refrigeration. Thomas Moore invited President Thomas Jefferson for a tour of his invention. The Maryland engineer created a small, insulated box to chill butter. He called it a “refrigeratory” up until 1803.
Marshall Brain
When freezers got invented, Thomas Moore patented a device to keep food cold. The original device was a cedar tub that was filled with ice. It was used for transporting butter from rural Maryland to Washington, DC. In fact, the device was the first of its kind. This invention was a game-changer and paved the way to the frozen food industry.
Diethylether
When did freezers get invented? William Cullen is often credited with inventing the modern refrigerator. Cullen’s refrigerator was created by placing a partial vacuum on top of a container of diethylether. The heat from the container’s surroundings was absorbed by the ether, which then cooled it down to make ice. Cullen’s method, however, was not practical and was never mass-produced.
Before the invention of modern refrigerators, people had to rely on ice houses or ice chests. These were used to store goods inside a cool cellar. Many people also built ice boxes from wood, cork, sawdust, or seaweed. It wasn’t until the 1720s that mechanical refrigeration was first demonstrated. William Cullen demonstrated that partial vacuums could cool objects using diethylether in 1756.
Freon-based gas
Today’s freezers contain freon-based gas. This is a man-made chemical. The gas is found in large quantities in refrigerators. It cools them by being circulated through a coil system. The coils cool the refrigerant and maintain the right temperature for freezing food. However, freon can cause serious health problems if it is ingested.
In the 1930s, freon became commercially available. The chemical is composed of hydrogen and halogens. It is nonflammable and noncorrosive. It was created by Thomas Midgley, Jr., who was a chemist and worked for Kettering. The car industry was already testing prototypes for air conditioning by the mid-1930s. General Motors installed the first automatic air conditioner unit. Buses were also equipped with air conditioning systems during that time.
There have been several environmental concerns linked to the development of freon-based gases. CFCs deplete the ozone layer, which protects our planet from ultraviolet radiation. They also contribute to global warming. And the Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, banned the use of freon.
Freon, also known as CFCs, is a major pollutant and is well-known for depleting ozone shield. Leaded gasoline has been linked to lead poisoning. Midgley suffered from lead poisoning because of his invention.
