US1828811A - Coupler for ice manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Get. 27, 1931. gQ E 1,828,811

courwn FOR ICE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS F iled July 12, 1950 Patented Oct. 27, 1931 "UNITED S ATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE LANGE', on NEW YORK, 1v. Y.,'AssIe1 Ion"ro xnIcxnn ocKEnZsTAMrin'e .eoiu

rANY, or PARKERSBURG, wn's'r VIRGINIA cournnn non ICE MANUFACTURINGILI'PARATUS Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to a coupler designed more especially for use in connection with a header or air lateral such as used for example in the apparatus disclosed in myl co-pending application filed August 10, 1928,

Serial No. 298,784.

In ice manufacturing apparatus of the type mentioned, it is desirable that a quickdetachable connection be provided between aligning headers or air laterals, so that one of them can be separated from theother for the purpose of withdrawing its drop tubes from their cans.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a coupler having interfitting members upon the respective headers or laterals forming a tight but readily separable connection in which is included a check valve which is held unseated as long as the parts are assembled, but will automatically seat when the parts are disconnected, thereby to prevent escape of air under pressure from the coupler.

Another object is to provide a coupler which is simple and compact, can be manu factured readily at low cost, and constitutes i an eflicient valved connection for the purposes intended. With the foregoing and other objects in 39 view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described a and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown. In said drawings: l I Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the tank, grid, and cans of an ice manufacturing apparatus equipped with the present improvement.

Figure '2 is a vertical section through the complete coupler assembled.

Figure 3 is a section through the casing of the coupler from which the coupling stem in mentioned.

1930. Serial Nor-467,559.

has been withdrawn, the shown on its sea-t.

check; valve being Referring to the figureslbychjaracters of reference, A designates a-portion ofthe tank water contained in the-respective'cans. Any

suitable means can be provided for rotating the laterals back and forth so that the drop tubes will swing like pendulums.

The structure-thus far described constitutes no-part-of the present invention, but has already been disclosed It has been the practice heretofore to utilize aligning headers or laterals which areseparate anddo not communicate, separate means being provided for 'directingair under-pres.- sure intothe separate groups of laterals from opposite sides, respectively, of the tank.

The present invention provides a means whereby the aligning laterals or headers can be connected detachably. and suppliedwith I air fromone air pipe at one side only/of the tank. For this purpose, the particular coupler constituting this inventionhas been employed. This includes a casing 1 having a tapered bore 2 extending-thereinto from: one'end and -opening into a chamberi3,,the bottom of which is closed bya screw plug 4 or the like. A valve seat i5. i'sfprovided about the inner end of the bore 2 and is adapt ed to be engaged tightlylby a valve 6 in-the form of a disc which isslidablein thechamher 3 and is supported by a spring 7 resting on the p1ug4. An extension 8 is formed in the casing 1 and projects beyond that end. in which the bore 2 is provided. This extension 8 has a passage 9, one end of which opens into the chamber 3 while the other end opens throughthe side of the projecting portion of theextension andis adapted to receive the .OPen, end'ofthe header or lateral in my application here I When it is desired to remove the lateral and the tubes G depending therefrom, the

stem 10 is withdrawn from the bore 2 and" means released by said Withdrawal for closing the other coupling member, said coupling members constituting a positive driving connection between the headers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

' ,GEVORGE LARGE.

the valve 6 is promptly seated by 'ts spring to prevent loss of air under pressure;

What is claimed 1s:

1. In an ice manufacturing machine, the

combination with coaxial alining headers detachably 'mounted for rotation, and drop tubes carried thereby for suspension in the cores of ice blocks, of a casing opening into and supported by one headerand extending radially therefrom, said casing having a tapered bore the axis of which intersects the axis of the headers, a valve in the casing normally closing communication between the bore and the header on which the casing is mounted. and a tubular stem opening into and supported by the other header, said stem extending radially from its head and adapted to seat in the bore and hold the valve unseated, there beinga port in the stem for opening into the casing adjacent to the unseated valve, the header being shiftable bodily out of coaxial relation to the other header and in the direction of the length of its depending tubes to withdraw the stem from the bore.

2. In an ice manufacturing machine the combination with separate coaxial alining headers detachably mounted for rotation, and drop tubes on the headers for suspension within ice blocks, of a tapered tubular stem carried by one header and having an open ing adjacent to its small end, the longitudinal axis of the stem being substantially at a right angle to the axis of the headers, a casing carried by the other header havinga tapered bore to receive the stem when the headers are moved into alinement, a springpressed valve normally seated in the casing to close the bore, said stem, when inserted into the bore, constituting vmeans for holding the valve unseated andthe stem opening in communication with the interior of the casing.

3, In ice manufacturing apparatus coaxial alining headers, drop tubes carried thereby for suspension in separate ice blocks, interfitting coupling members carried by the respective headers and having a commonlongitudinal axis intersecting the axis of the headers at right angles thereto, one of the headers being bodily liftable in the direction of the lengthof the tubes to withdraw one of the coupling members from the, other, and

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