US2233975A

US2233975A - Electric refrigerator

Info

Publication number: US2233975A
Application number: US311688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl E Epperson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-12-09
Filing date: 1939-12-09
Publication date: 1941-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1958-03-04

Description

I 0 t n 6 v I Attorneys March 4, 19 1. c. E. EPPERSON ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nunnn'unnn" March 4, 1941. Q E. EPPERSON 2,233,975

ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1939 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J72}. 2 /5 /Z .9 I

A ttomeys Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

while agitating the same under operation of the usual motor of the refrigerator.

Another object is to provide for such refrigerator a simply constructed ice-cream freezing assembly which may be readily incorporated in and detached from the usual upper coil unit, together with a drive between the motor of the refrigerator and said assembly readily controlled from the exterior of the refrigerator.

To the accomplishment of the above and subordinate objects presentlyappearing, a prefered embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In'said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical central section of a refrigerator equipped with the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the freezing unit having my improved ice-cream freezing assembly therein,

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and with the freezing assembly detached from, the coil frame,

Figure 4 is a view in rear end elevation of the bearing frame, partly broken away and shown in section,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the rear end of the cylindrical container,

Figure 6 is a view in front elevation of the driving chuck, and

Figure 7 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 1'I of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, I have illustrated therein the preferred embodiment of my invention as forming part of the equipment of a well-known type of electrical refrigerator including the cabinet I, storage compartment 2 adapted to be closed by the door 3, a bottom compartment 4 for the operating mechanism which, in this instance, includes a motor 5 having a vertically disposed armature shaft 6, and the usual coil unit I in the upper part of the compartment 2 forming a rectangular freezing chamber therein open. at its front and rear ends and usually utilized for freezing trays of ice cubes and the like, the unit I in this instance, having an inner lining 8.

The freezing unit comprises a bearing frame 9 of rectangular open form and of substantially the same length and width as the interior of the 5 coil unit I, said frame including a front end III,

a rear end II, and sides I2 having longitudinally extending guide-ways I3 therein for receiving guide ribs It provided on the inner face of the lining a and whereby said frame may be slid 10 into said unit 'I for suspension therein by the guides I4. The front end In of the frame 9 is provided with a circular opening I0 centrally thereof for the insertion into said frame of a cylindrical container for ice-cream and presently described in detail. In the rear end of the frame 9 is a driving chuck for the container comprising a spindle I5 journalled in said rear end centrally thereof, and a dished disk-like head I5 on the front end of the spindle provided with a diametrical key I6 on the front face thereof. A lock nut I6 threaded onto the spindle I5 in therear of the end II provides for retaining the chuck in position against endwise movement. A hexagonal nut II threaded onto the rear extremity of said spindle I5 provides the driven element of a clutch for driving the chuck and presently further described.

The container I8 is of cylindrical form and of proper diameter to fit endwise into the frame 9 by way of the opening Ill. The front end of the container I8 is open and the rear end closed and provided with a diametrical groove I9 therein, said rear end'fitting in the head I5 and the groove I9 receiving the key It whereby the chuck and container are connected in driving and "driven relation. The front end of the container I8 is closed by a cap 20 having a central outwardly tapering, external trunnion 2| thereon, said cap being detachably threaded onto said container. The trunnion 2I is adapted to fit in a bearing socket 22 provided in a bar 23 hinged at one end, as at 24, to the front end In adjacent one side of the frame'9 and having its other end longitudinally slotted, as at 25, to re 45 ceive a thumb screw 26 threaded into said end I0 adjacent the other side of the container 9. The socket 22 is provided internally with suitable -bearings ,21 for rotatably supporting the trunnion 2|. l 1

The container I8 is provided therein with a removable agitator assembly comprising longitudinally extending radial blades 28 having their ends suitably secured to a pair of front and

rear rings

29, 30, of the proper diameter to fit within 55 the container l8, said blades extending in paral- -lel relation and being equi-distantly spaced around the inner wall of said container l8. The ring 30 is provided with an edge slot 3| therein for engaging a suitable key lug 32 on the inner wall of the container l8 whereby said agitator assembly is anchored to the container for rotation therewith.

Coming now to the drive, in the rear of the unit I, and motor 5, is a vertically disposed driven shaft ,33 having its upper end journalled in the lower portion of a suitable bearing bracket 34 secured, as at 35, to the inner wall of the freezing compartment 3. Fast on the upper end of the shaft 33 is a bevel gear 38 meshing with a bevel gear 31 faston there'ar end of a clutch spindle 38 journalled in said bracket 34 in axial alignment with the spindle l5 and having a front end hexagonal socket 38 for fitting over the beforementioned nut l1 and forming the driving member of a clutch of which the nut I'I forms the "driven element.

The lower end of the shaft 33 is journalled in a bearing frame 40 suitably secured to and upstanding from the motor 5, said end of the shaft having fast thereon a bevel gear 41 meshing with a bevel gear 42 journalled in one side of the frame 48 and adapted to be driven by a clutch element 43 of any suitable form 'endwise slidable to engage and disengage a driving clutch element 44 fast on a shaft 45 journalled in the other side of the frame 40 and adapted to be driven by a pair of bevel gears 46, 41, fast thereon and on the armature shaft 8, respectively. A suitable clutch shifter arm 48 is pivoted, as at 49 in the frame 40 and operatively connected to the clutch element 43 to move the same endwise. A clutch shifting rod 50 is operatively connected to the arm 48, as at 5|, said rod extending to the front wall of the compartment 4 and being connected to a hand-grip 52 slidably mounted in said wall for manipulation from outside the refrigerator.

The operation ofmy invention will be readily understood. With the motor 5 energized, and the described clutch elements 43, 44, engaged under manipulation of the hand-grip 52 and clutch rod 58, the motor is operatively connected to the chuck shank I5 through the described driving connection to rotate the container l8 7 in the coil unit I and thereby eifect freezing of the contents of the container while such contents are being agitated by the blades 28. By removing the thumb screw 26 and swinging the bar 23 on its hinge 24 outwardly, the socket 22 may be removed from the trunnion 21 of the container l8 and said container removed from the [bearing frame 9 for access to the contents thereof. By merely pulling outwardly on the bearing frame 9, the entire freezing assembly may be removed from the coil unit I so that the latter may be utilized for other purposes. In this connection, when the freezing assembly is removed, as described, the described drive may container.

be disconnected from the motor by disengagin the clutch elements 48, 44, so that the motor may be used for operating the refrigerator without any extra load thereon.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to chamber of a refrigerator having an open front end and longitudinal guides along the side walls thereof, of a frame slidably mounted on said guides for movement into and out of said chamber and having an open top, bottom and front ends, a rotatable chuck in the rear end of said frame including a driven spindle extending outwardly of said rear end for coupling to a drive and a dished head on said spindle provided with a diametrical key therein, a cylindrical container in said frame having open and closed front and rear ends, respectively, the latter fitting in said head and having a diametrical keyway therein for receiving said key, a closure cap for the open end of the container having an axial trunnion, and a keeper bar on the front end of the frame to be swung into and from crosswise position relative to said front end of the frame and having a bearing therein for accommodating the trunnion,v when swung into crosswise position. v

-2. The combination with an ice-tray receiving chamber of a refrigerator having an open front end and longitudinal guides along the side walls thereof, of a frame slidably mounted on said guides for movement into and out of said chamber and having an open top, bottom and front ends, a rotatable chuck in the rear end of said frame including a driven spindle extending outwardly of said rear end for coupling to a drive and a dished head on said spindle provided with a diametrical key therein, a cylin-.

drical container in said frame having open and closed front and rear ends, respectively, the latter fitting in said head and having a diametrical keyway therein for receiving said key, a closure cap for the open end of the container having an axial trunnion, and a keeper bar on the front end of the frame to be swung into and from crosswise position relative to said front end of the frame and having a bearing therein for accommodating the trunnion when swung into crosswise position, and an agitating unit in said a container comprising a pair of rings and blades fixed to said rings, one of said rings being slidably keyed to said container for rotation of said unit thereby and removal of the unit from the CARL E. EPPERSON.