US2061381A

US2061381A - Holding down device for ice cans

Info

Publication number: US2061381A
Application number: US663991A
Authority: US
Inventors: George M Kleucker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-04-01
Filing date: 1933-04-01
Publication date: 1936-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1953-11-17

Description

NOV. 17, 1936. Q M KLEUCKER 2,061,381

HOLDING DOWN DEVICE FOR ICE CANS Filed April l, 1933 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATE- sie F Si

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to ice-making equipment and more particularly to improved means for holding down ice cans yin a brine tank of usual commercial ice-making systems.

It is well known that ice cans float in the brine of usual commercial ice-making systems on account of the specific gravity of the brine being different from that of the water in the ice-making can. Hence it is necessary to hold the can down in the brine during the freezing operation, and it is one object of my invention to provide an improved can holding down device whereby the can may be placed in the brine and readily and conveniently be held effectively below its iioating level while at the same time maintaining the can in substantially vertical position so that the top of the ice cake will be substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cake.

To accomplish the above object my improvedv can holding down device includes one or more flanged, grooved, hooked or equivalent member having an undersurface whereby the can may be pushed down into the brineby hand until the top edge of the can may be slipped beneath the flanged or grooved element whereupon by releasing the downward pressure on the can the brine will buoy the can and hold it against the flange or within the groove, it being understood that such flanged or grooved elements are supported on any suitable stationary members, preferably the can supporting and spacing framework over -the brine tank. It will of course be understood that the term device refers broadly to any or all elements which may be used with any one can to properly hold, guide or otherwise support the same to obtain the desired results.

Another object is to provide improved means for insuring proper guidance of the lower end of the ice can when being pushed down into the brine preparatory to having the edge of the can pushed beneath my improved holding undersurface.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the fol, lowing description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a brine tank showing my improved means for holding the ice cans in position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 3 is a perspective looking down on the framework disposed over the brine tank and (Cl. (i2-157) having my improved holding down means built into the framework.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention which is shown herein merely for purposes of illustrating the principle of the invention and of showing one specific form among possible others that the invention might take, I have pro.

vided abrine tank whose bottom, generally indicated at l, has usual sides and ends and contains a suitable brine solution for freezing water in ice cans generally indicated at t. These ice cans may be of any standard construction preferably of sheet metal with their upper end open to provide a top edge 3.

To maintain the cans in proper spaced relation in the brine tank and also to form a necessary support for my improved holding down means, I have provided framework as shown in Fig. 3 comprising a series of parallel preferably wooden members il connected by a series of parallel cross members 5. 'Vertical cleats 6 are cut to conform to an offset shoulder in one side of cross member 5 while a cleat 'd fits the straight surface of the other side thereof, the cleats being secured thereto. Thus two cans can be received within each space 8 as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

The cross members 5 are provided with a suitable can engaging undersurface which may be in the form of an abutting surface formed by a shoulder of a recessed portion 9 but is preferably in the form of a hook, or grooved member I0 any of which constitutes broadly a ange for engaging the top edge 3 of an ice can. It is preferable that such a flange is disposed within and removably held by screws in the recess 9 to make a more compact arrangement and also protect the flange against injury during insertion of the can in the framework. There is preferably only one clip to each can although if desired such a single clip may be extended for substantially the full width of the can such as between the dividing cleats and frame members fi or a plurality of such clips may be used at spaced points therebetween but in any of these cases such a plurality of clips for a single can, constitute a single holding down device therefor.

To properly guide and center the cans as they are pushed down into the brine, there is provided a series of inverted preferably V-shape braces I l bolted or otherwise secured to the floor or bottom I of the brine tank. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these braces engage the short sides of the cans preferably at an intermediate point thereof.

Operation-The ice cans 2 are inserted between cross members 5 and cleats 6 and member 4, the lower end of the can being guided by members Il as the can is pushed down into the brine. I take advantage of the buoyant effect of the brine on the cans, even when filled with water, to hold the can at a given floating level. The holding down force is .provided by flanged elements I0 which have a slightly anged or grooved portion I2 under which one edge of the can may be placed. The buoyant effect of the brine causes the can to be snugly held against the undersurface of the groove or flange I2 thereby possibly allowing the can to pivot about this surface although the tilted can is controlled or restricted by the lower end of the can engaging the right hand guide Il. Due to the element it] being set within recess 8, there is no danger of. injuring the ange or holding groove when the can is being inserted through the framework. Thus my improved construction affords minimum maintenance and at the same time provides a simple, economical, effective and Convenient means for holding down the ice cans.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holding down device for ice cans placed in a brine tank comprising, in Combination, a frame member disposed over the brine and having a recess which is formed by removing a lower corner of. said frame member and is of a size so as to be adapted to receive spaced portions of the edge of a can, and means disposed within said recess for engaging said edge of a can placed beneath the shoulder of said recess and buoyed by brine in the tank, said means and frame having sumcient clearance with a can that it may be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and then shifted laterally to effect its engagement with said means.

2. A holding down device for ice cans disposed in a brine tank comprising, in combination, a frame member disposed over the brine and having a recess in its lower portion, and an immovable and permanent flanged member disposed in said recess to be engaged by a can when buoyed by brine, said frame and flanged means having suflicient clearance with a can that it may be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and then shifted laterally to effect its engagement with said hanged means.

3. A holding down device for ice cans disposed in a brine tank comprising, in combination, a framework having pairs of parallel frame members disposed at right angles to each other to form a compartment suitable for a plurality of cans, a dividing element carried by at least one of said frame members thereby forming individual ice can spaces, and means providing an immovable and permanent undersurface engageable with a top edge of an ice can for holding the same at a given level when the can is buoyed by brine in the tank, said under surface and framework having suflicient clearance with a can that it may be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and then shifted laterally to effect its engagement with said under surface.

4. A holding down device for ice cans placed in a brine tank comprising, in combination, a xed support disposed over the brine tank, flanged means immovably and permanently carried by said support to provide a holding surface for engaging the can When buoyed by the brine, and means disposed in the bottom of the brine tank for guiding the lower end of an ice can and controlling tilting thereof about said flanged means, said support and flanged means having suflicient clearance with a can that it may be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and then shifted laterally to effect its engagement with Said flanged means.

GEO. M. KLEUCKER.