This type of refrigeration has fascinated me ever since a neighbor had explained it to me when I was about 12 years old. I have always thought remote areas are missing the boat by not using this simple device. It reminds me of the Harrison Ford movie,"Mosquito Coast".
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In the early part of the 20th century, it was thought that inexpensive refrigeration would be a great boon for mankind. IcyBall was a name given to two early refrigerators, one made by Australian Sir Edward Hallstrom in 1923, and the other design patented by David Forbes Kieth of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (filed 1927, granted 1929), and manufactured by American Powel Crosley Jr., who bought the rights to the device. Both devices were unusual in design in that they did not require the use of electricity for cooling. As supplied, they ran on for a day on about a cup of kerosene and this allowed rural areas without the luxury of electricity to utilise the benefits of refrigeration.
Read more at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball