US2216592A

US2216592A - Refrigerating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2216592A
Application number: US269147A
Authority: US
Inventors: James W Jacobs
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1939-04-21
Filing date: 1939-04-21
Publication date: 1940-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1957-10-01

Description

0d L 1940- J. w. JACOBS `REFRIG-ERATING APPARATUS Filed April 21', 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l TTM' l 3Q,... haz

S B o C A J w 1 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 21,1939 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. JMfs hf, 'J4-caes. BY

0d l. 194@ J. w. JAcoBs REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 2l, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. l, l. J. w. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Y INVENTOR; f1/vis W. rfcaas.

Patented Oct. 1, `1940 UNITED STATES 2,216,592 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS James W.

General Motors Corporation,

Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Application April 21,

14 Claims.

t construction and divides the interior of the tray into a plurality of ice block compartments. The grid is removable from the tray and has certain of its walls movable relative to other walls thereof for breaking the bond between ice blocks and their compartment walls to release the ice blocks from the grid structure. While these devices have been commercially successful, they have not been entirely satisfactory for the reason that they have been limited to a grid structure wherein all the ice block compartments are disposed in the same horizontal plane with one an-V other. Such limitation in the construction of prior freezing devices reduces the number of ice blocks obtainable from a single tray, thus necessitating the provisionof a greaty number of trays in a household refrigerator cabinet, and consequently the cost of the refrigerator has been high. I, therefore, contemplatev the provision of an ice tray grid for such freezing devices which is of a unitary substantially rigid metal wall construction with the walls thereof cooperating with one another tp divide the interior of a tray into a superimposed row or superimposed rows of ice block compartments and wherein certain Walls of the grid are movable relative to other walls thereof to `break the bond between the grid walls and ice blocks bonded thereto for releasingv ice blocks from the grid structure. t

An object of my invention is to provide an improved rigid movable grid wall structure adapted to be'disposed in anicetray for dividing the interior of the tray into superimposed rows of ice block compartments and a novel method of removing the grid from the tray and ice blocks from the grid structure without applying heat thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ice tray with a removable single thickness rigid metal walled unitary grid structure which has a plurality of intersecting upright walls and an intersecting wall or walls disposed intermediate the top and bottom of the upright walls and interlocked therewith dividing the tray into superimposed rows of ice blockv compartments and wherein certain walls of the grid structure are movable relative to certain other walls thereof for releasing ice blocks therefrom.

A further object f my invention is to provide 1939, Serial No. 269,147

an ice tray grid structure having a plurality of intersecting upright walls and a wall disposed intermediate the top and bottom of the upright Walls to form superimposed rows of ice block compartments and wherein certain of the inter- 5 secting upright walls are' inclined or are normallyfdisposed at an acute angle relative to other walls of the grid structure to provide the superimposed ice block compartments with a parallelogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough and in which structure the inclined walls are movable out of their normal position of inclination to enlarge the `ice block compartments and liberate ice blocks from walls thereof.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a removable unitaryxgrid structure with a two-part longitudinal upright wall,y a horizontally disposed wall located between the two parts of the two-part longitudinal upright wall and a plurality of upright walls extending transversely of said two-part longitudinal wall wherein movement of one part lrelative to the other part of said two-part longitudinal lwallcauses movement of the transverse walls to break ice blocks loose from walls of 'superimposedice block com- 25 partments. y

A more specific object o'fmy invention is to provide a single thickness rigid metal wall ygrid structure of the type described in the preceding objects wherein the construction is such that the ice block Icompartment forming walls are progressively moved to release iceblocks therefrom sequentially along the length of the structure to thereby reduce to a minimum the force required to move the grid walls in the ice block releasing operation. f

Further objects and advantagesof the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of 4 0 the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1 is a top' plan view of a freezing device showing an ice tray having aunitary grid structure constructed according to my invention disposed therein;

Fig. 2 is a side `view of the freezing device with the tray thereof shown in section and is taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 50 of Fig. 2 showing certain interlocking connections of walls of the grid; V

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing other interlocking connections of walls of the grid;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the grid of the device together with ice blocks bonded thereto elevated relative to the tray;

Fig. 6 is a view disclosing the unitary grid structure and ice blocks bonded thereto removed from the tray and showing certain walls of the grid moved relative to other walls thereof for breaking ice blocks loose therefrom;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the position of the grid walls after they have been moved to break all ice blocks loose therefrom:

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step in the method of assembling walls together to form the unitary grid structure of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a side plan view of another step in the methodof assembling the grid walls together;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an end portion of the grid structure with parts thereof in a position during assembly; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an end portion of the grid structure showing walls ofthe grid in their assembled position.

Referring to the-drawings for illustrating my invention, I have disclosed a freezing device adapted to be placed in or on a support associated with the cooling element or evaporator of a refrigerating system. The freezing device includes a metal tray I5 having side walls I6,` a bottom wall I1 and opposed end walls I8 and I9. The tray side walls I6 and the front end wall VI8 thereof are diverged outwardly toward the top of the tray. The back wall I9 of tray I5 is diverged outwardly toward the top of the tray a greater distance than other walls thereof for facilitating removal of a unitary grid structure 20, disposed in tray I5, from the tray as will be more fully described hereinafter. The walls I6, I8 and I9 of tray I5 have their upper edge rolled over'to form a rim 2l which extends continuously around the top of the tray. A portion of the metal tray I5 is extended downwardly from rim 2|, as at 22, at the front end thereof and provides a mounting for a metal piece 23 which has a handle 24 pivotally secured thereto. The handle 24 facilitates placing of the freezing device on its support in the evaporator of the refrigerating system and a cam surface 26 formed thereon functions, upon actuating handle 24 to break an ice bond between the tray and its support to permit removal of the freezing device and its frozen content from the evaporator as is vwell known in the art.

The unitary grid structure, generally represented by the reference character 29, is removably disposed within tray l5 and divides the interior thereof into upper longitudinal rows of ice block compartments 3| and 32 and also lower longitudinal rows of ice block compartments 33 and 34 (see Fig. 4). The grid structure 26 includes an upright vertically disposed longitudinal wall 36 comprising two parts or members 31 and 38. The part or member 31 of longitudinal wall 36 is disposed above and in substantially the same ver- .tical plane with the other part 38 thereof to form complementary portions of Wall 36 which wall is common to the rows of ice block compartments. The grid 29 also includes a plurality of upright walls 39 which extend laterally from or transversely to the two-part longitudinal wall 36. The

upright walls

36 and 39 of grid 28 cooperate to divide the interior of tray I5 into or to provide rows of cells.on each side of wall 36. A means or plate 4I extending substantially horizontally across the cells, formed by

walls

36 and 39, and

thereof are movable relative to one another as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The upper part 31 of longitudinal grid wall 36 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart slots or notches 43 extending downwardly a short distance from its topedge. These slots or notches 43 include a bottom wall 44 and have

side walls

45 and 46 that are cut at opposite angles to one another. Lower part or member 38 of longitudinal grid wall 36 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart slots or notches 41 extending upwardly from its bottom edge. The slots or notches 41 include side walls 48 and 49 cut at opposite angles to one another and a top horizontal wall 5I. A web portion 52 at the top of an elongated aperture 53 provided in the upright transverse walls 39 (see Fig. 4) ts into the slots or notches 43 provided in the upper part 31 of longitudinal wall 36. A web portion 54 of walls 39 at the bottom of the elongated aperture 53 ts into the slots or notches 41 of the lower part 38 of wall 36. The parts 31 and 38 of longitudinal wall 36 extend through the aperture 53 in the transverse walls 39 to thus interlock these

walls

36 and 39 together in movable relation to one another to provide the cells that are partitioned into the ice block compartments 3|, 32, 33 and 34. It will be noted by referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings that the upright transverse grid walls 39 are each provided with horizontally aligned slots 56 extending inwardly from the side edges thereof intermediate their top and bottom edges. The partitioning means or plate 4I of grid 26 is interlocked with the transverse walls 39 in the slots 56. The plate 4I extends between the parts 31 and 38 of longitudinal grid wall 36 horizontally through the cells to form the superimposed rows of ice block compartments 3|, 32, 33 and 34 and is provided with a plurality of spaced apart elongated apertures 51 bounded at their ends by

web portions

58 and 59 fitting within the slots 56 of transverse walls 39. A web part of walls 39 between the slots 56 provided therein ts in the apertures 51 formed in plate 4l. The partitioning means or plate 4I is also provided with a slot 6I at its one end (see Fig. 3) to receive an upwardly directed part 62 formed on the lower member 38 of the two-part longitudinal grid wall 36. A portion of the end of lower part 38 of longitudinal wall 36 below the upwardly extending part 62 thereof is bent, as at 64 (see Figs. 2 and 3), out of the vertical plane of the upper part 31 of wall 36. Thus, part 62 of the lower part 38 of two-part longitudinal wall 36 lies adjacent and parallel with an end portion of the upper part 31 of wall 36. A lever 65, having a handle end 66 and a cam end 61, is provided intermediate its ends with a pair of legs 68. The lever 65 is pivotally mounted upon the grid 20 by a pin or stud 1I which passes through an opening in one of its legs 68 and which stud is secured, as at 12, to the upwardly extending portion 62 of the lower part 38 of the two-part longitudinal wall 36. The other leg of lever 65 has a pin or stud 13 secured thereto and which stud 13 has a part thereof fitting within an elongated opening 14 provided in the upper part 31 of the two-part longitudinal wall 36 (see Figs. 1 and 2). By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the slots or

notches

43 and 41 are arranged to normally hold 5 the

portions

52 and 54 of the transverse walls 39 against the wal-1 portions 46 and 49 respectively of the notches. This abutment of transverse walls 39 with wall parts 31 and 38 of the two-part longitudinal grid wall 36 normally maintains the walls 39 in parallel relation with one another and in a predetermined inclined position or a position disposed at an acute angle relative to the bottom of tray I5 or relative to the vertical disposition of longitudinal grid wall 36. This l5 normal inclined or acute angled position of the upright transverse grid walls 39 provides rows of ice block compartments 3|, 32, 33 and V34, located above and below the plate or means 4I and at the sides of longitudinal wall 36, with a parallelogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough. This normal angled disposition of walls 39 facilitates breaking of the bond between ice blocks and walls of the grid and movement of the ice blocks as will be hereinafter more fully explained. It is to be noted that the slots 43 in the upper part 31 of the two-part longitudinal grid wall 36 are of such configuration and of progressively increased width relative to one another from the lever end of the grid structure to the opposite end thereof as to cause the upper longitudinal wall part 31, upon being moved lengthwise of the lower longitudinal wall part 38, to progressively engage the transverse walls 39 and move these walls one after the other from one end to the other end of the grid structure 20 to thereby sequentially move the walls 39.

Having described the construction of the unitary grid structure 20, I will now proceed to describe the method of assembling the partitions or 40 wall members thereof together in movable interlocking connected together relation with one another. Itcwill be noted by referring to Fig. 8 of the drawings that the lower part 38 of the twopart upright longitudinal wall 36 has been passed through the elongated aperture 53 in the desired number of transverse walls 39 and lowered relative thereto so that the slots 41 fit over the web portion 54 of the Walls 39. Prior to assembling the upper part 31 of the longitudinal wall 36 into interlocking engagement with other grid walls, the lever end portion of part 31 is bent outwardly, as at 8| away from the plane of extension thereof (see Fig. 10) for a purpose to presently become apparent. Upper or complementary part 31 55 of the two-part longitudinal wall 36 is then inserted into the elongated aperture 53 of the plurality of transverse walls 39 above and in the same vertical plane with the lower wall part 38 as shown in full lines in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

This insertion of wall part 31 into the apertures 53 of cross walls 39 is permitted by the end portion 62 of wall part 38 being bent as at 64 out of the longitudinal path thereof. After wall part 31 has been moved into position within the as- 65 sembly so that its plurality of-spaced apart slots 43 come into vertical alignment with their cooperating slots 41, provided in wall part 38, it is elevated into the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 8 of the drawings. This elevation of wall part 31 is permitted by the web portion 52 on the plurality of transverse walls 39 being received in the slots 43. By referring to the dot-dash lines showing in Fig. 8, it will be noted that the raising of wall part 31 relative to the wall part 38 as described provides a space between the bottom edge of wall part 31 and the top edge of wall part 38 in which space the plate means 4I is adapted to'be positioned. Before describing the method of assembling the plate 4| to the grid structure it is desired to point out that the web 5 portions 59 adjacent the one end of the plurality of openings 51 in the plate 4| are slit as at 82 (see Fig. 3) and these web portions 59, by virtueA of the slit 82, are normally bent upwardly as shown at 83 -in Fig. 9 of the drawings. It is also 10 to be noted by reference to Fig. 9 that plate 4I has its end portion on one side of the slot 6I therein normally bent upwardly as at' 84. The

bent portions

83 and 84 of plate 4| are for the purpose of permitting assembly of the plate to 15 the other grid walls in the space provided between` the wall parts 31 and 38 of the longitudinal grid wall 36. Plate 4l is raised into position at the side of the grid assembly and is moved horizontally toward same through the space between the 20 wall parts 31 and 38 of the'longitudinal wall 36. This movement of plate 4I is permitted by the space between the slit 82 and the bent-up web part 83 permitting the plate 4| to clear and pass over the cross walls 31 and by the bent-up end 25 part 84 clearing the outwardly bent end 8| of `wall part 38 and also clearing and passing beyond -Vthe upstanding end part 62` on the lower wall 38 of the two-part longitudinal wall 36. The position of plate 4| after being moved into assembled 30 relation with respect to other of the grid walls is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings. In order to lock the walls together the upwardly bent part 83 of `webs 59 and the upwardly bent end part 84 on plate 4| are then bent down (see 35 Fig. 10) to prevent horizontal movement or disassembly of the plate from other of the grid walls.

Thereafter, the outwardly bent end portion 8| of the top longitudinal wall part 31 is bent from its position shown in Fig. 10 to the position thereof 40 shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings to thus movaly interlock the various grid walls together. In order to provide means for moving certain of the grid walls relative to certain others thereof and means for holding the walls in a predetermined 45 ice' block compartment forming position, the lever 65 is now secured by the studs 1| and 13 in straddling relation to the wall parts 31 and 38 of the ltwo--part longitudinal grid wall 36. Thus,

a substantially non-flexible movable walled uni- 50 tary grid structure, which can be bodily removed from a freezing tray and which forms a plurality of superimposed rows of ice block molds or compartments, is provided.

Assume that water has been frozen in the 55 freezing device in the form of blocks 85 in the compartments 3|, 32, 33 and 34, by the cooling elect produced by an evaporator of a refrigerating system, and the tray handle 24 has been manipulated to remove the device from its sup- 60 port on the evaporator and it is now desirable to liberate the ice blocks from the tray I5 and from the unitary grid structure 28. The handle end 66 of lever 65 on the grid is therefore elevated to move the lever about its pivotal mounting pin65. or stud 1| and to cause the cam end 61 thereof to engage the rim 2| of tray I5 and exert a force against the tray. This initial movement of lever 65 and the force caused to be applied thereby to tray I5 elevates the unitary grid structure 20, 70 together with the ice blocks 85 adhering thereto. relative to the tray (see Fig. 5). The elongated opening 14 in wall part 31 of longitudinal wall 36 permits pin or stud 13 to rise therein, during rotation of pin 13 about the axis of pin 1|, with. 75

out engaging and moving the wall part 3l of longitudinal wall 36 during this initial movement of lever S5 to elevate the grid 20 and ice blocks relative to the tray as explained. After the bond between the ice blocks 85 and tray I5 has been broken by elevation of the grid 20 relative to the tray the grid may be removed from the tray or raised above same. Thereafter, further movement of lever 65 in its single direction of motion about its pivotal mounting pin 'Il causes the pin 73 to engage and exert a force to the wall of opening 'm to move the upper part 31 of the vertical two-part longitudinal grid wall 36 lengthwise 0f the lower part 38 thereof. The initial movement of wall part or member 3l lengthwise of wall part or member 38 and toward the lever end of the grid structure 2li causes the side wall 45 of slot 43, nearest the lever end of the structure, to engage the web portion 52 of the end transverse wall 39 to move or tilt this end transverse Wall. 'I'his tilting of the end transverse wall 39 causes same to pivot about the bottom edges of

walls

48 and 59 oi slot 41 and moves the end transverse Wall 39 out of its normal inclined or predetermined angled position (see Fig. 6) to break the bond between the end ice blocks 85 and walls of the grid 28. The ice blocks 85 in the two

lower compartments

33 and 34 will be released from the grid and will freely fall therefrom while the ice blocks 85 in the two upper or superimposed compartments 3| and 32 will be loosened and can be liberated from the grid by turning the grid structure sideways. The increased width of the slots 43 and their different contour relative to one another from the lever end to the opposite end of the grid structure prevents movement of other of the transverse walls 39 during movement of the rst or end transverse wall. However, continued rotation of lever 55 about its pivotal mounting 1|, to move upper member or wall part 31 of the two-part longitudinal wall 36 lengthwise of the lower member or wall part 38 thereof, causes progressive engagement of walls 45 of the other slots 43 with the remaining transverse walls 39 to sequentially move these remaining walls 39 in succession from the lever end tc the opposite end of the grid structure 2U as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings to break the bond between all the ice blocks in the superimposed rows thereof and walls of the grid. In Fig. '7 of the drawings, all ice blocks are shown broken loose from their compartment walls and while the lower ice blocks of the superimposed rows thereof freely fall from the grid structure 20 the upper or superimposed ice blocks will slide horizontally out of their compartments upon tilting or turning the structure 20 sideways.

It will be noted that the slots 58 in transverse walls 39 of the grid 20 are slightly wider than the thickness of plate 4| and thereby permit the tilting of the transverse walls relative to plate 4l without binding against the

web portions

58 and 59 thereof. It is also to be noted that the elongated openings 5l in plate M intermediate the

webs

58 and 59 thereof are of such width to permit the tilting movement of the transverse walls 39 therein. By virtue`of positioning the transverse grid walls 39 in a. normal inclined relation and substantially parallel to one another, the distance between adjacent transverse walls 39 will be increased upon movement of these walls out of their normal angled or inclined position. The size of the parallelogram-shaped

compartments

3l, 32, 33 and 34 is thereby momentarily and progressively increased beyond the size of the ice blocks 85 and when the ice blocks are tilted by movement of the transverse walls 39 these ice blocks will be broken loose from all the grid walls and can be readily removed from their compartments. It will also be noted by referring to Fig. '7 of the drawings that after the various parts of the grid structure have been interlockingly assembled or connected together movement of certain parts thereof relative to certain other parts to eiect the ice bond breaking function does not alter the unitary character of the removable grid structure. Walls of the grid structure 20 may, if desired, be treated or coated with a waxy substance to minimize adherence of water and ice thereto and to facilitate the breaking of ice bonds.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved freezing device and particularly an improved removable unitary grid structure for disposition in an ice tray which structure is of low cost, strong and durable, capable of being operated with a minimum of force and eiiective to remove ice blocks therefrom. My improved grid structure by forming or providing superimposed rows of ice blocks and by having progressive movement of the ice block compartment walls incorporated therein prevents undue shattering of the ice blocks of the superimposed rows thereof. By providing a unitary removable grid structure that divides the interior of a tray into a plurality of rows of superimposed ice block compartments, I reduce the number of trays to be provided in a household refrigerating apparatus, and the tray compartments within an evaporator of a refrigerating system are permitted to be of greater height which is more suitable for the reception and storage of large frozen food products. In the grid structure disclosed, all or less than all of the ice blocks can be removed from( the gri and ice blocks not removed therefrom can b replaced along with the grid in the tray and -the tray repositioned in the evaporator to preserve the remaining ice blocks until such time as their removal or harvesting is desired.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a longitudinal wall and a plurality of transverse walls extending continuously through the plane of said longitudinal wall and disposed in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form a row of cells on each side of said longitudinal Wall, substantially horizontally extending means disposed intermediate the top and bottom of said walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, certain of the walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to certain other walls thereof, and means for moving said vmovable grid walls to break the ice bond between walls of said compartments and ice blocks therein.

2. A structure in accordance with claim l wherein the connection of the walls is `constructed and arranged in such manner that the means for moving the movable grid walls is caused to act progressively thereon tov break ice bonds sequentially from one portion to another portion of the grid.

3. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising a longitudinal wall and a plurality of walls extending laterally therefrom in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form a longitudinal row of cells, substantially horizontally extending means disposed intermediate the top and bottom of said walls and forming Walls dividing the row of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, said plurality of laterally extending walls being normally inclined with respect to the vertical to provide said superimposed rows of ice block compartments with a parallelogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough, said plurality of laterally extending walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to other walls thereof, and means for moving said laterally extending walls toward the vertical to' enlarge said ice block compartments and break the ice bond between walls thereof and ice blocks therein. v

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the connection of the walls is constructed and arranged in such manner that the means for moving the laterally extending grid walls is caused to act progressively thereon to enlarge the ice block compartments and break ice bonds sequentially from one portion to another portion of the grid.

5. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a vertically disposed longtudnal wall and a pluralty of transverse walls extending continuously through the plane of said longitudinal wall and disposed in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form a row of cells on each side of said longitudinal wall, substantially horizontally extending means disposed intermediate the top and bottom of said longitudinal and said transverse walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, said plurality of transverse walls being normally inclined with respect to the vertical to provide said superimposed rows of ice block compartments with a parallelogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough, said plurality of transverse walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to other walls thereof, and means for moving said transverse walls toward the vertical to enlarge said ice block compartments and break the ice bond between walls thereof and ice blocks therein.

6. A structure in accordance with claim 5 wherein the connection of the walls is constructed and arranged in such manner that the means for moving the transverse grid walls is caused to act progressively thereon to enlarge the ice block compartments and break ice bonds sequentiallyA from one portion to another portion of the grid.

'7. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a two-part longitudinal wall havng its one part disposed above and in substantially the same plane with its other part and a plurality of walls extending transversely to said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form rows of cells, a horizontally extending plate disposed between the parts of said two-part longitudinal wall and intermediate the tops and bottoms of said transverse walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, certain of the walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to certain other walls thereof, and means for moving said movable grid walls to break the ice bond between walls of said compartments and ice blocks therein.

8. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a4 two-part longitudinal wall having its one part disposed above and in substantially the same plane with its other part and aplurality of walls extending transversely to said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form rows of cells, a horizontally extending plate disposed between the parts of said two-part longitudinal wall and intermediate the tops and bottoms of said transverse walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block comwherein the connection of the walls is constructi ed and arranged in such manner that force applied to said means acts progressively on said transverse walls to break ice bonds sequentially from one portion to another portion of the grid.

10. A grid for disposition in a freezing ltray comprising, a two-part longitudinal wall having its one part disposed above and in substantially the same plane with its other part and a plurality of walls extending transversely to said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form rows of cells, a horizontally extending plate disposed between the parts of said two-part longitudinal wall and intermediate the tops and bottoms of said transverse walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, said plurality of transverse walls being normally inclined with respect to the vertical to provide said superimposed rows of ice block compartments with a parallelogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough, said plurality of transverse walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to other walls thereof, and means for moving said transverse walls toward the vertical to enlarge said ice block compartments and break the ice bond between walls thereof and ice blocks therein.

11. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a two-part longitudinal wall having its one part disposed above and in substantially the same plane with its other part and a plurality of walls extending transversely to said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof to form rows of cells, a horizontally extending plate disposed between the parts of said two-part longitudinal wall and intermediate the tops and bottoms of said transverse walls and forming walls dividing the rows of cells into superimposed rows of ice block compartments, said Walls being interlockingly connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, said plurality of transverse walls being normally inclined with respect to the vertical to provide said superimposed rows of ice block compartments with a paralleogram form in one direction of cross section therethrough, said plurality of transverse walls of said unitary grid structure being movable relative to other walls thereof, one part of said two-part longitudinal grid wall being movable relative to the other part thereof, means for moving said one part of the two-part longitudinal wall relative to said other part thereof, and the connection between said grid walls being constructed and arranged in such manner that movement of said one part of said two-part longitudinal grid wall by said means causes movement of said plurality of transverse walls toward the vertical to enlarge said ice block compartments and break the ice bond between Walls thereof and ice blocks therein.

12. A structure in accordance with claim 11 wherein the connection between said grid walls is also constructed and arranged in such manner that force applied to the movable part of said two-part longitudinal Wall acts progressively on said transverse walls to move same toward the vertical to enlarge said ice block compartments and break ice bonds sequentially from one portion to another portion of the grid.

13. A grid for disposition in an ice tray comprising, a plurality of walls forming a row of cells and means extending across the cells of said row thereof intermediate the top and bottom of said cell forming walls and providing other Walls dividing the row of cells into a rowof superimposed ice block compartments, said walls being movably connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, and means for moving certain of the Walls of said grid structure relative to others thereof to break an ice bond between walls of the compartments and ice blocks therein.

14. A grid for disposition in an ice tray comprising, a plurality of walls forming a row of cells and means extending across the cells of said row thereof intermediate the top and bottom of said cell forming walls and providing other walls dividing the row of cells into a row of superimposed ice block compartments, said walls being movably connected together to provide a unitary removable grid structure, and means for moving certain of the walls of said grid structure relative lto others thereof to break an ice bond between walls of less than the entire number of said compartments or all of the compartments and ice blocks therein.

JAMES W JACOBS.