US2246941A - Refrigeration apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1941.

O. HZYER REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR OLUF HYER BY A ATTORNEYS June 24,1941. 0. HZYER A REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR OLUF HYER BY Wt AZ AT TORNEYS June 24, 1941. Q HQYER 2,246,941

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 15, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR OLUF HYER ATTORNEYS June 24, 1941. o. HZYER 2,246,941

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 15, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR OLUF HYER Y- b ATTORNEYS .June 24, 1-941.

- 0. HraYER 2,246,941

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 13, 19 38 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 0L UF HYER ATTORNEYS Patented June. 24, 19.41

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlCE,

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Oluf Hyer, Voiens, Denmark Applicathlilrli January 13, 1938, Serial No. 184,732 v Denmark January 15, 1937 19 Claims.

For a continuous manufacturing of solid articles from cream, the so-called ice-cream sticks, it has formerly been proposed to use machines in which the freezing'pockets serving to freeze the cream are moved in a rotary motion about a stationary shaft, the said pockets being directed during this motion alternately through a freezing bath and a thawing bath. In these known machines the freezing pockets have alternately to be lifted up from the freezing bath and lowered intothe thawing bath, and vice versa, which is a drawback because during the transfer a portion of these liquids may easily be spilled on parts of the machine, which is undesirable, and further the transfer of the freezing pockets from one vessel to another requires a complicated construction of the machine. I

The present invention relates to a machine for the continuous manufacture of ice-cream sticks, which machine is devoid of the said drawbacks which takes place when freezing pockets are used that are moved in a circle about a stationary shaft. One of the manners in which this object is attained according to the invention is that the freezing bath and the thawing bath are journalled on the said shaft, and partake in the rotary motion of the freezing pockets about the shaft.

The said two baths are disposed, in a manner known per se, in an annular vessel in which the freezing pockets are arranged in circles about the axis of the vessel, in such a manner that they form one or more annular rows, and are held in position in a cover disposed on the annular vessel which cover, together with the freezing pockets, partakes in the'rotary motion of the vessel. By means of radial transverse walls, the

vessel is divided into segments each of which of the vessel, after the said segments, which previously have been moved through the first-mentioned angular region, have been emptied during the transition between the two angular regions. After the surface of the solid bodies formed in the freezing pockets has been thawed in the thawing bath, the said bodies are removed; and the thawing liquid is emptied automatically from the vessel segments concerned, during the motion the freezing pockets at a third point of the,

of the latter from the angular region in which the thawing is effected to the angular region in which a cooling medium is supplied to the same vessel segments.

Preferably a supply pipe for the cooling liquid is'provided for each vessel segment inside of the angular region in which the cooling is to be effected, and a supply pipe for the thawing medium is provided for each vessel segment inside of the angular region in which the thawing is effected, but the scope of the invention will not be exceeded bythe provision of fewer or, maybe, more supply pipes for the said two media.

The annular vessel, with the freezing pockets disposed therein, is preferably rotated about its own axis, in such a manner that each of the consecutive angular motions of the vessel corresponds to the angular distance between the two consecutive freezing pockets in one and the same annular row.

This step-wise motion may be effected by any suitable means of known nature, for instance a ratchet mechanism driven by a continuously rotating motor serving to drive the machine. The intermittent motion is preferably adjusted in such a manner that the time interval between two consecutive angular motions of the vessel is considerably larger than-for instance two or three times as large asthe time consumed for each individual angular motion in such a manner that in the time interval between two consecutive angular motions the vessel and, consequently, the freezing pockets will be stationary for a period suificient to allow the freezing pockets at a point of the periphery of the vessel to be filled with cream, and to allow the supporting sticks to be inserted in the cream in the freezing pockets at some other point of the periphery of the vessel, at which point the freezing has caused the cream to assume a consistency that is suited for the insertion of the said sticks and, finally, to allow the finished articles to be removed from periphery of the vessel, at which point the surface of the articles has previously been thawed sufilciently. The last three manipulations are performed simultaneously, during the stop between any two consecutive step-wise rotations of the vessel.

The filling of cream, the insertion of holding sticks and the removal of frozen articles from the freezing pockets may be effected by hand, but is preferably'according to the invention, ef-. fected automatically, by means driven by the driving motor of the machine.

any suitable kind, and may for instance consist,

ating with the latter and governing the passage of the cream into and out of the pump;

when the latter are to be removed from the freezing pockets. of a piston pump and a two-way valve co-oper- The apparatus for the insertion of holding sticks should preferably be provided with an electromagnet for pushing the sticks out. The electromagnet is controlled automatically by a contact in the magnetizing circuit of the magnet.

The device serving to remove the frozen articles consists mainly of one or more arms which support tongs by means of which the holding sticks frozen in the articles are gripped, and of a rod which serves to move the arms up and down and, during a part of these motions, to turn the arms in such a manner that the bodies, when taken out, are removed from the machine. The further details of this apparatus appear from a subsequent part of the specification.

In a preferred construction of the invention, the annular vessel is journalled on a post which further supports two arms adapted to swing about the said post and to carry the apparatus for the insertion of the holding sticks into the articles and, also, the apparatus for removing the articles from the mold holes. By rotation of these arms, inside of certain limits, about the post, the angular distance between these two apparatuses and between the latter and the device supplying the cream can be adjusted as dejoints.

sired, in such a manner that the insertion of the sticks is performed at a point at which the cream has attained a suitable consistency, while the removal of the molded bodies is effected at a suitable distance from the filling device.

All the parts driving the vessel as well as the cream-supplying device, th stick-inserting device and the removing apparatus for the frozen articles are driven by the same motor, which 'may be mounted, for instance on the base supporting the above-mentioned post.

The further details of the invention appear from the following description of the construction shown on the drawings for a machine for continuous manufacture of frozen articles of cream.

Fig. 1 shows the machine in side elevation,

Fig. 2 a diagrammatical illustration of the same, in plan view, in which the parts of the freezing vessel are supposed to be removed to allow the machine parts situated below to be seen,

Fig. 3 is diagrammatically, a vertical section through the annular vessel and the adjacent circulation system for the cooling liquid and the thawing liquid in a slightly modified construction of the machine,

Fig. 4 is a detail of this last mentioned con struction, on a larger scale,

Fig. 5 shows the annular vessel with the freezing pockets disposed therein and the liquid-supplying pipes belonging thereto, in plan view,

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a construction of the annular vessel,

Fig. '7 shows on a larger scale, an apparatus for removing the frozen bodies from the freezing pockets, and the adjoining part of the annular vessel, partly in section,

Fig. 8 shows a development of a guide groove for guiding the apparatus according to Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 shows a pair of tongs adapted to be applied to the apparatus according to Fig. 7, for gripping the holding sticks in the frozen articles,

I is an annular double-walled vessel containing, between its walls 6 and I, a suitable heatinsulating material 8, see Figs. 3 and 4.

2 is an annular plate fitted, in the construc tion according to Figs. 1 and 2, with three and,

in the construction according to Figs. 3, 4 and 7, with two mutually concentric annular rows of freezing pockets 3, which pockets may have a circular, oval, polygonal or otherwise shaped cross-section and extend from the plat 2 down into the vessel. l

The freezing pockets in the various rows are radially disposed, one row encircling the other, in such a manner that all the annular rows will contain the same number of freezing pockets.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cover 2 has an inner and an outer flange 4 and 5, respectively, which prevent the cream from dripping from the top side of the cover 2 into the vessel I.

The plate 2 may be constructed as an annular unit, but may preferably be comp d of segments. At the places at which these segments meet, the flanges 4 and 5 are interconnected by means of radial connecting ribs, in order that the cream may not penetrate into the vessel I at the Th said sectors may be removed singly from the machine, when they are to be cleaned or exchanged for others having, for instance,

differently shaped freezing pockets.

The cover 2 with the freezing pockets 3 forms the freezing mould which by means of the flange 5 rests on the top of the vessel I, and also rests on the top edge of the radial transverse walls 9 in the vessel 1. In the construction shown, the number of said partition walls 9, see Figs. 4 and 5, corresponds to the number of radial rows of freezing pockets 3, a partition wall 9 being inserted in the vessel l between such rows. Along the larger part of the periphery of the annular vessel, viz. on the part indicated by the angular distance a on Fig. 5, cooled brine is directed continuously to each of the vessel segments situated between the walls 9, while the vessel segments located within the angular distance b of the periphery of the vessel, Fig. 5, are supplied with a thawing medium by means of which the surface layer of the frozen articles is thawed.

The cooling liquid is supplied by way of a pipe 50 passing through a vertical post, on which the vessel I is journalled, and being connected at the top to a distributing pipe 44 situated on the upper side of the machine, and bent so as to form a portion of a circular ring, which covers the angular region a, and from which a row of radially disposed pipes l6, see Figs. 3, 5 and 7, extend, and by way of which pipes the cooling medium supplied by the pip 50 is caused to flow continuously into the vessel segments situated within the angular region 11.

5|, see Figs. 3 and 5, is a supply pipe for a thawing medium for instance heated brine, which is directed to a distributing pipe l5 bent as a part of a circular are, from which narrow radially disposed pipes I! extend, and by way 4 8 pockets, but the distance between these pipes may, nevertheless, if desired, be either smaller or larger.

It should be noted that the number of radial transverse walls 9 may be smaller than the number of radial rows of freezing pockets, in such a manner that each vessel segment will contain two or more of such rows of freezing pockets.

The vessel is rotated step-wise about the post l2 by means of a ratchet wheel 13, co-axial with reference to the post and attached to the vessel, and a pawl H which co-operates with the wheel and is operated by means of an eccentric 53, see Fig. 2, mounted on a shaft 54, in such a manner that the vessel is moved step-wise, always in the same direction, the vessel being moved in the course of each rotary motion over an angle corresponding to the angular distance between two consecutive radial rows of freezing pockets 3.

The eccentric is adjusted in such a manner that the duration of each rotary motion is, for instance only one half or one third of the time during which the vessel will be stationary between two consecutive angular motions. During the time while the vessel is stationary, the filling of cream into some of the freezing pockets is effected and also the insertion of holding sticks for the frozen bodies into" other freezing pockets, and the removal of the frozen articles from still other freezing pockets, all in the manner further described in this specification.

The shaft 54 is rotated by an electromotor 25, see Figs. 1 and 2, which drives the shaft 54 by means of a gear mechanism 26 with variable gear and a chain drive 21. To the shaft there is attached a commutator 55 with one single segment 56 which serves as a current-closing contact between two conductors 51 and 58 in a magnetizing circuit for an electromagnet 59 in an apparatus 23 used for insertion of holding sticks in the cream in the freezing pockets 3. The device used for pushing the sticks into the cream consists of a piston moved by an electromaginet 59 which is supplied with current periodically and, consequently pressing a holding stick-for the articles down into each of the freezing pockets situated in one and the same radial row below the apparatusviz. during each stop between two consecutive angular motions of the vessel I.

The commutator 55 is adjusted in such a manner that the closure and the subsequent breaking of the magnetizing circuit for the electromagnet 59 is always effected duringa stop of the vessel I, between two consecutive angular motions.

The commutator 55 may be replaced by any other circuit-closing device acting in a corresponding manner.

The apparatus. 23 is attached to an arm 29, which is journalled on a post l2, in such a manner that the apparatus 23, by a rotation of this arm, can be adjusted within certain limits at any desired distance from the filling apparatus 22 for the cream; the device is so operated'that the holding pins can be inserted in the freezingpockets at a point of the periphery at which the cream during the freezing has assumed a consistency suitable for the insertion.

As mentioned above, the cooling liquid, for instance cooled brine, is directed continuously down through the pipes l6 into the segments situated between the partitions 9. Each of the segments contains an overflow pipe Ill, see Figs.

3 and 4, which determines the liquid level in thevessel, and by way of which the surplus of cooling water flows down into a collecting trough H disposed below the vessel I, from which trough the cooling liquid escapes by way of a pipe 50 to a cooler, which is not shown in the drawings, in order to return by way of the pipe 50. In an exactly corresponding manner the thawing medium is supplied by way of the pipes l1, and escapes by way ofthe overflow It in the respective vessel segments to a limited section of the trough ll; thence the thawing medium flows through a pipe I0 to a heating apparatus (not shown), which may be supported on the post l2, or the footing plate IQ of the same, whereby the thawing medium isheated in a container disposed on the machine itself, through which container it circulates from the vessel I back to the vessel 'I within the angular region 1 22, see Fig. 5.

The pumps serving to effect the circulation of the two media are not shown.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, both of the supply pipes 50 and 5| extend up through the post l2, while the discharge pipes 60 and I0 are located entirely outside thereof, but there is nothing to prevent all the pipes from passing through the post.

The manner of operation of the apparatus will now be described by following an individual vessel segment during the rotary motion of the same, once around the axis of the post l2. Such a segment is first moved into position below a number of filling pipes 24a, see Figs. 1 and 2, in a filling apparatus 22 of known kind, which by means of a chain drive 28 is driven from the motor 25 by means of the gear device 26, in such a manner that the freezing pockets concerned are filled periodically with a suitable quantity of cream from a container, which for the sake of simplicity is indicated with the same reference numeral 22v as the entire filling apparatus.

The filling apparatus is of known constructionand may for instance consist of a piston pump which by way of a valve sucks in a certain quantity of cream from the container 22 and, during a subsequent piston stroke, after an automatic adjustment of the said valve, which is actuated from the driving mechanism of the pump, removes the sucked cream through the filling pipes 24a. Simultaneously, and in the manner mentioned above, an insertion of holding sticks into other freezing pockets is effected by means of the apparatus 23 and, at the same time, a lifting apparatus 3| to 38 (which is further described in the specification) removes the frozen articles from a radial row of freezing pockets at a third point of the vessel. This removing apparatus is supported on an arm 46 adapted to swing about the post l2.

Simultaneously with or, preferably just before the filling of cream into the freezing pockets in a vessel segment, the cooling medium flows into the latter by way of the first pipe l6. During the subsequent rotation of the vessel I, the vessel segment concerned moves gradually past all the filling pipes I6 for the cooling medium, and

thereby the cooling medium in the vessel segment will constantly be renewed, while the cooling medium previously supplied escapes by way of the overflow pipe I0.

When the segment has moved past the last of sel segment. The cooling medium previously introduced into this segment escapes either by way of an opening 20, see Fig. 4, at the bottom of the vessel segment or, more suitably, by way of a siphon 2|, see Fig. 6, which is inserted into each vessel segment, in such a manner that the longer branch of the siphon extends down into the overflow pipe III, while the shorter branch of the siphon extends down to the bottom of the vessel segment. The topmost part of the siphon is located at the same level as the top edge of the overflow pipe l0.

When this emptying of the vessel segment is finished, the segment moves into the angular region 1) during the continued rotation of the vessel I, and thawing medium flows then into the vessel segment by way of the pipes H. The frozen moulded articles are thereby loosened from the walls of the freezing pockets, and can then be withdrawn from the freezing pockets by means of the removing apparatus 3| to 38. When the vessel segment has passed the last one of the pipes l1, Fig. 5, the vessel moves into another angular region d situated between the angular regions a and b, and during the motion through the region d neither thawing medium nor cooling medium is supplied. The vessel segment is then again emptied by way of the bottom opening 29 or the siphon, and thereafter the vessel segment moves again into the angular region a, and the abovementioned operation repeats itself.

As a thawing medium it is preferable to use a liquid of the same nature and the same composition as the cooling mediums, not because this It should be noted that a vessel segment moving from thethawing stage to the cooling stage should preferably be filled with the cooling liquid, before the cream is poured into the freezing pockets in this vessel segment; in order that the cream may not come into contact with the hot metal parts, and may not thereby fuse on the surface. For this reason it is preferable to carry out the pouring of the cream not opposite the first supply pipe H but, for instance, opposite the second one.

The apparatus serving to remove the articles formed by the frozen cream consists of a vertically reciprocating rod 3|, Fig. 7, which at the top supports a transverse bar or arm 38 to the free ends of which the tongs 39, see Figs. 2, 7 and 9, are attached, by means of which tongs the holding sticks 6| inserted in the cream in the freezing pockets can be gripped. The rod 3| is slldably mounted in a casing 24, which is supported by the arm 46, and is guided in a guide member 35, to which a pin or screw 31 is at-.

tached which co-operates with a guide groove milled into the surface of the rod. This groove is shown unfolded in Fig. 8, and it has such a shape that during the vertically reciprocating motion of the rod 3| the said groove will force the rod to rotate through 90 about its axis, dur- 2,246,941 motion no cooling medium is directed to the vesing a portion of each ascending and descending motion. The rod is moved up and down by means of a crank 32 and a connecting rod 33, see Fig. 7, which rod must be connected in such a manner to the rod II that the latter can rotate about its axis, relatively to the connecting rod.

The crank is driven continuously from the shaft 54, see Fig. 2, to which it is connected by means of a telescopic, shaft 41, see Fig. 2, which by means of two universal joints 34 is coupled respectively to the shaft 54 and, to the crank 32.

The reason why the shaft 41 is made telescopic is to allow an annular motion of the arm 48, in

such a manner that the same, within certain limits, can'rotate about the column l2, independently of its connection to the shaft 54 which cannot be adjusted relatively to the post l2, so that the removing apparatus can be adjusted to a suitable point at which the frozen molded articles have been sufliciently thawed so that they can be removed.

The tongs 39, see Figs. 7 and 9, are of the known kind closing automatically, 1. e. closing by means of a spring 49, if their jaws are not actuated by pressure directed towards the suspension arm 38 of the tongs. If such pressure is exerted, the tongs will open themselves.

When a pair of tongs of the kind shown in Fig. 9 is moved down towards a holding stick 6|, see

Fig. '7, fixed in one of the frozen articles, thetongs will open themselves when during the last part of the downward motion of the rod 3| they strike the supporting stick, and the jaws will thereby slide down ,along the stick. When the rod 3| moves upward, the spring 40 will cause the jaws of the tongs to close together about the holding stick, and to withdraw the same, together with the article from the freezing pocket.

Until this has taken place, the upwards motion of the rod II is effected without any rotation of the same, as the:part of the guide groove 36 that is marked will then move past the pin, but during the continued upward motion of the rod 3|, the part ofthe guide groove 38 that is marked 99 will be moved past the pin 31, and thereby the rod 3| will be subjected to a rotation amounting to 90. Thereby the article removed from the freezing pockets will be swung in a direction away from the machine.

During the subsequent downward stroke of the rod 3|, the latter and, thereby, the arm 38 will be swung through a further 90, so that the parts 63 of the guide groove 36 are moved past the pin 31. Thereby the end of the arm 39, to which the tongs serving to hold the article removed from the freezing pockets are attached, will be moved into the position shown to the right in Fig. 7,

while the tongs 39 attached to the opposite end' "of the arm 33 will be moved over the vessel to a position above the axial row of freezing pockets with the molded articles contained therein which in the meanwhile have been moved into a position below the arm 39.

Towards the end of the downward motion of the rod 3|, a bent bar 43 which passes through an eyelet G4 on an arm 42 disposed on each of the tongs 39 will strike a stationary stopping block on the guide member 35, the consequence being that the bent bar 43, while compressing a spring, will maintain the arm 42 in position during the further downward motion of the tongs 39, for which reason thelatter will open and release the sticks Sl, so that the molded articles 61 will be deposited, for instance on a table or a conveyor band 68. At the same time, the tongs 39 that have been swung over the vessel will take hold of the holding sticks 6| in the mold holes located below the tongs, so that when the rod 3| again moves upward, the above described operation of the removing apparatus will be repeated.

I claim:

1. The method of freezing ice-cream sticks, which comprises forming a plurality of separate masses of cream, causing saidmasses to carry out a circulatory motion, freezing each of said masses by subjecting it to a freezing bath while causing said freezing bath and said means to participate Jointly in a part of said circulatory motion, and then slightly thawing each, of said masses by subjecting it to a thawing bath while causing said thawing bath and said masses to participate jointly in another part of said circulatory motion.

2. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising means vessel into segments, each of which contains at least one pocket of each annular row, a plurality of stationary pipes having ends located over various parts of said vessel, and means connected to said pipes for supplying continuously a cooling medium or a thawing medium through said pipes to said vessel segments at predetermined positions of said segments in the course of their rotation.

3. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel for an ice-cream mass which is separated into a plurality of segments, a row of stationary liquid-supplying pipes disposed in a circle about the axis of rotationof said vessel and .having ends located close to said vessel, said pipes constituting two groups, means connected with one of said groups for supplying continuously a cooling medium through that group to the vessel segments at predetermined positions of said segments in the course of their rotation, means removing said cooling medium from said segments, and means connected with the other one of said groups for supplying continuously a thawing medium through that group to the same segments at different predetermined positions of said segments in the course of their rotation.

4. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel for an ice-cream mass which is separated into a plurality of segments, a row of pipes having ends located close to said vessel and constituting two groups, means connected with one of said groups for supplying continuously a cooling medium through that group to the vessel,

and means connected with the other one of said groups for supplying continuously a thawing medium through that group to the vessel, each of said groups including at least one supply pipe for each of the vessel segments located within the sphere of action of that group at a predetermined position of that segment in the course of its rotation.

5. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel for an ice-cream mass which is separated into a plurality of segments, a separate overflow pipe located within each segment of the vessel, and means supplying a cooling medium and a thawing medium to said segments at different predetermined positions of said segments in the course of their rotation.

6. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has pockets formed therein and is separated into a plurality of segments, and means supplying a cooling liquid and a thawing liquid tm said segments at different predetermined positions of saidsegments, whereby each of said liquids is supplied during a predetermined part of the circular path of the segments, each of said segments having a discharge aperture formed therein of a size enabling the continuous discharge of each liquid to be carried out more slowly than the intermittent supply thereof.

7. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel for an ice-cream mass which is separated into a plurality of segments, pipes 'disposed along a circle and having ends located close to said vessel, said pipes constituting two groups located at an angular distance from each other, means connected with one of said groups for supplying continuously a coolingmedium through that group to the vessel, and means connected with the other-one of said groups for supplying continuously a thawing medium through that group to the vessel, each of said segments having a discharge aperture formed therein, the size of said apertures, the extent of said angular distance and the speed of rotation of said vessel being such that each segment is completely emptied of the medium supplied thereto before the other medium is supplied to that segment.

8. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a vessel which is separated into a plurality of segments, means in each of said segments constituting freezing pockets, said pockets being disposed in at least one circular row within the vessel, a continuously driven motor, a ratchet mechanism driven by said motor and connected with said vessel for rotating it stepwise about its axis to cause each of the consecutive angular move-' ments of the vessel to correspond to the angular distance between two adjacent pockets of a circular row, means supplying a cooling medium and a thawing medium to said segments at nected with the inserting means for intermittently and automatically operating the same to insert the holding sticks into the cream when it has been cooled to a suitable consistency by said cool ng medium, and means supplying a thawing medium into said segments alternatively and independently thereto.

10. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constitutingfreezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of hollow segments, each of said freezing pockets being adapted to be filled with cream, means supplying a cooling medium into said segments electromagnetic means for pushing holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, a magnetizmg circuit having means energizing said electromagnetic means and an electric contact; a motor, means driven by said motor for rotating said vessel stepwise, said motor-driven means including a shaft; and means connecting said 11. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a. ro-

tary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of hollow segments, a post, said vessel being jourvnalled on said post, an arm supported by said post and rotatable about said post, means supported by said arm above said vessel for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means supplying a cooling medium into said segments, means connected with the inserting means for intermittently and automatically operating the same to insert the holding sticks into the cream when it has been cooled to a suitable consistency by said cooling medium, and means supplying a thawing medium to said segments alternately and independently thereto.

12. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of segments, each of said freezing pockets being adapted to be filled with cream, means supplying a cooling medium to said segments, means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means supplying a thawing medium to said segments alternately and independently thereto for separating the frozen cream from the walls of said pockets, 9. vertical reciprocating rod, at least .one transverse arm carried by said rod and extending over said vessel, said arm being moved over said vessel by said rod, at least one pair of tongs carried by said arm, and means actuating said tongs to cause them' to grasp a holding stick located within the cream filling a freezing pocket and frozen therein, during a movement of said re-' ciprocating rod, said tongs raising the holding stick and the cream frozen thereto. during a return movement of's'aid reciprocating arm.

13. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which hasmeans constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of segments, a post support ng said vessel, an arm swlngable about said post, means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means supplying a-cooling medium and a thawing medium to said segments alternately and independently thereto, and means supported by said arm'for the removal of frozen bodies from said freezing pockets, whereby the removing means may-be adjusted to any desired angular distance from the place at which cream is supplied to the freezing pockets.

14. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of segments, a post supporting said vessel, an arm swingable about said post, a motor, means connecting said motor with said post for rotating said vessel, a piston pump driven by said motor for supplying cream to said freezing pockets, a valve driven by said motor and co-operating with said piston pump to control the discharge of cream by said pump, means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means supplying alternately and independently a cooling medium and a thawing medium to said segments, and means supported by said arm for-the removal of frozen bodies from said freezing pockets, wherebythe removing means may be adiusted'toany desired angular distance from the place "ofdischarge of said cream to the freezingpockets bysaid pump.

15. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of hollow segments, each of said freezing pockets being adapted to be filled with, cream, means supplying a cooling medium into said segments,

. means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing-pockets, means independently and alternately supplying a thawing medium to said segments for separating the frozen cream from the walls of said pockets, at least one transverse arm extending above said vessel, vertically reciprocating means having a guide groove formed therein,'at'least one pair of tongs carried by said arm, means actuating said tongs to cause them to grasp a holding stick located within the cream filling a freezing pocket and frozen therein, and means connected with said arm and engaging said guide groove to cause said arm to participate in the vertical reciprocatory movement of the reciprocating groove and toturn said arm toward and away from said vessel during itsupward. and downward movement, respectively.

16. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of hollow segments, each of said freezing pockets being adapted to be filled: with cream, means supplying a cooling medium to said segments, means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means independently and alternately supplying a thawing medium to said segments for separating the frozen cream from thewalls of said pockets, at least one transverse farm' extending over said vessel, at least one pair of tongs carried by said arm, vertically reciprocating means connected with said arm to cause' said arm to participate in said vertical reciprocatory movement and comprising means for swinging the arm toward and away from said vessel, means actuating said tongs to cause them to grasp a holding stick located within the cream filling a freezing pocket and frozen therein, during a downward movement of said arm andafter it is swung toward said vessel, means'receiving said holding stick with cream frozen thereto carried by said. tongs during a downward movement of said arm and after it is swung away from said vessel, tongreleasing means supported by said tongs, and

a stopping block located adjacent the holdingstick receiving means and engaged by the tongreleasing means to actuate the tong-releasing means and cause the tongs to release said holding stick and deposit it with the cream frozen thereto upon the holding-stick receiving means.

17. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a-plurality of hollow segments, each of said freezing pockets being adapted to be filled with cream, means supplying a cooling medium to said segments, means for the insertion of holding sticks into cream filling the freezing pockets, means independently and alternately supplying a thawing medium to said segments for separating the frozen cream from the walls of said pockets, at .least two transverse arms extending above said vessel, vertically reciprocating means connected with said arms to cause said arms to participate in said vertical reciprocatory movement and comprising means for simultaneously swinging one arm toward said vessel and the other arm away from said vessel and vice versa, at least one separate pair of tongs carried by each arm, means actuating the pair of tongs carried by the arm which has been swung toward said vessel during a downward movement of the arm to cause the tongs to grasp a holding stick located within the cream filling a freezing pocket and frozen therein, means adjacent the vessel for receiving a holding stick with cream frozen thereto carried by a pair of tongs which is carried by the arm which has been swung away from said vessel during a down ward movement of the arm, and tong-releasing means operable to release the last-mentioned pair of tongs and cause it to deposit the holding stick with cream frozen thereto upon the holding-stick receiving means.

18. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a retary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of segments, said pockets being located in heat exchange relationship with the interior of said segments, a post carrying said vessel and coaxial therewith, two. distributing pipes, means connected with said distributing pipes and said post for supplying a cooling medium to one of said distributing pipes and a thawing medium to the other one of said distributing pipes, and pipes connected with said distributing pipes and extending substantially. radially for supplying the cooling medium and the thawing medium to said vessel segments at predetermined different positions of said segments in the course of their rotation.

19. Refrigeration apparatus, comprising a rotary vessel which has means constituting freezing pockets and is separated into a plurality of segments, said pockets being located in heat exchange relationship with the interior of said se ments, a post carrying said vessel, means supplying a cooling medium to said segments at predetermined positions of said segments in the course of their rotation, a heating tank resting upon said post, means connected with said tank for supplying a thawing medium to said segments at predetermined different positions of said segments in the course of their rotation, and means causing a return flow of said thawing meditun from said segments to said heating tank.

OLUF HQYER.

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