US1118351A - Ice-chute. - Google Patents

Description

R. E. JONES.

ICE OHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED we. a, 1912.

1,1 18,351.. Y Patented Nov. 24, 19M

HIE NORRIS PErzvo Cv.PHOTO-LI1'MO WASNINL VON. D L

RICHARD E. JONES, OF HAGERS'IOWN, MARYLAND.

ICE-GHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24:,19214L;

Application filed August 6, 1912. Serial No. 713,612.

citizen of the United States, residing at Hagerstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ice-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a novel construction of ice chute, the object being to provide a strong and durable chute by means of which blocks or cakes of ice can be lntroduced one at a time into theqstorage compartment and a complete and accurate register or record maintained of the number of cakes or blocks passed through the chute into the storage compartment. y j a Another object of the invention isto provide a chute of such construction that it is to be practically air-tight when not in operation, and also of such construction as to permit the smallest possible amount of air to enter with the cake of ice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chute of such construction that the cake of ice will not be damaged or injured in passing through the chute and operating the register, and astill further object is to provide means to prevent more than one cake passing through at one time thereby enabling an accurate record to be kept inasmuch as each individual cake in passing througl'i the chute effects its own recording.

WVith these. various object in view my invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement, all of which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the chute, the door being slightly lifted by the cake of ice, shown in dotted lines as entering the chute. Fig. 2 is a front view of the chute showing the registering device diagrammatically. Figs. 3, 4. and 5 show details of construction.

In carrying out my invention I employ a sheet metal chute A, which is constructed to fit into an opening produced in the wall, the bottom A of this chute being inclined as shown, and in advance of this inclined bottom A and in line therewith is the trackway A, which serves to guide the cake or block of ice into the chute, this track-way comprising preferably two side bars A and two intermediate bars A spaced apart by means of sleeves B, arranged upon bolts B" connecting the said bars and passing through the bars and sleeves. Brace bars B" extend from the outer ends of the side bars A to the front of the case for the purpose of supporting the forward end of the track-way.

A door G is arranged within the chute for the purpose of closing the same against the entrance of air, said door being pivoted at its upper end by means of a rod 1), pivoted in the side walls of the casing so that the door can swing upwardly to permit the passage of a cake of ice through the chute into the storage chamber or compartment. This door is constructed of metal, made hollow 1 and packed with any suitable heat 1nsulating material as shown at C. It willalso be noted that the door is in the form of a compound curve and whenclosed rests upon supporting brackets E formed of angle iron and curved to correspond exactly with the curve of the door, and these brackets extend from the upper front portion of the chute to the lower rear portion as indicated and upon the sides adapted to contact with the edges of the door are rovided with packing strips E, so that when the door is closed a per- 't'ectly tight joint is provided between the door and the supporting brackets.

At the rear end of the door is a packing strip F the free end of which is weighted by placing a rod therein, said packing strip being adapted to contact with the solid bottom of the chute and prevent the entrance of air at this point. By having the door curved as shown the cake of ice contacting therewith as it enters the chute will quickly and easily raise said door and in order to assist in this operationIprovide said door with an extension C to which is attached a counterweight C*, so that the ice has very little work to do in lifting the door, and conse quently no damage will be done to the cake or block of ice in lifting the same.

A rocker arm G is pivoted at Gr beneath the bottom of the chute, said rocker arm having an upwardly extending foot piece G at its rear end which normally extends upwardly through the opening in the bottom of the casing, said opening being a short distance in advance of the lower end of the door when closed, and inasmuch as the forward or outwardly projecting arm of the rocker is longer than the inner or rear one the normal position of the rocker arm will be such that the rear foot piece will project upwardly through the bottom of the chute and will be in the path of travel of the cake.

first one has cleared the rear foot piece.

H, indicates a mechanical register or recorder operated by a vertically movable rod H actuated by a lever H connected to the rocker arm so that each movement of the rocker arm will cause the register or recorder to register or record one more number, and in addition to the mechanical register or recorder I prefer to have an electrical register or recorder I, which is preferably located in the office and connected with the circuit 1 in which is arranged a connector 1 which is actuated by an arm 1 connecting the switch with the rod H so that on each reciprocation of the rod caused by the passage of a cake of ice through the chute the circuit will be opened and closed and the register in the office operated.

The finger K which actuates the mechanical register is held between two springs K so as to equalize the forces to prevent any sudden upward or downward movement being communicated to the register.

It will thus be seen that I provide a chute which will normally prevent the entrance of air to the ice chamber or compartments and it will also be noted that this chute is of Copies of this patent may be obtained for such construction that the ice in passing therethrough will not be damaged or in-- jured, and furthermore each cake of ice as it passes through the chute will be registered or recorded both mechanically and electrically and provision is made for preventing more than one cake of ice passing through the chute at one and the same time and without being registered.

What I claim is 1. In an ice chute, the combination with a casing of a door pivoted therein, said door having a concave surface, the curve of said concave surface commencing at the point of pivoting of the door, the horizontal component of the curve exceeding the vertical component thereof from adjacent the pivot for substantially the upper half of the concave, but this proportion gradually diminishing to a point beyond the middle of the door.

2. In an ice chute, the combination with a casing of a door pivoted therein, said door having a concave surface, the curve of said concave surface commencing atthe point of pivoting of the door, the horizontal component of the curve exceeding the vertical component thereof from adjacent the pivot for substantially theupper half of the concave, but this proportion gradually dimin ishing to a point beyond the middle of the door, and at this point merging into a re verse or convex curve toward the lower end of the door.

RICHARD E. JONES. Witnesses SAMUEL K. LowuAN, CALVIN A. LUM.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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