US2721452A

US2721452A - Ice making machine

Info

Publication number: US2721452A
Application number: US287404A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brandin Johan Axel Ivar; Larsson Nils Erik Birger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-05-12
Filing date: 1952-05-12
Publication date: 1955-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1972-10-25

Description

Oct. 25, 1955 Filed May 12, 1952 J. A. l. BRANDIN ET AL ICE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 25, 1955 Filed May 12, 1952 J. A. l. BRANDIN ET AL ICE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ICE MAKING MACHINE Johan Axel Ivar Brandin and Nils Erik Birger Larsson, Finspong, Sweden Application May 12, 1952, Serial No. 287,404

Claims priority, application Sweden May 12, 1951 1 Claim. (Cl. 62107) The present invention relates to ice making machines of the type having vertically extending tubes for conducting downwardly flowing water to be frozen to ice under the influence of a refrigerant surrounding the tubes so as to form solid or hollow ice rods inside the tubes. As said ice rods stick to the inside surfaces of the tubes they must be loosened therefrom. It is common practice for this purpose to replace at intervals the said refrigerant against a hot gas taken from the high pressure portion of the respective refrigerating machinery. It is also known in connection with ice making machines of the said type to cut the loosened ice rods into pieces by means of a rotary knife mechanism, while the rods rest by their bottom ends on a stop member.

According to the present invention a machine of this type is provided with means for ejecting the pieces cut off from the ice rods. According to a feature of the invention said ejecting means are provided below the knife mechanism and constructed so as to eject the ice pieces in a substantially radial direction. A further feature of the invention involves that the ejecting device is carried by the same rotary shaft as the knife mechanism. Said shaft extends from the knife mechanism upwardly through the central portion of the set of tubes and is connected, above the set of tubes, with a driving mechanism.

Due to the substantially radial ejection of the ice pieces and to the fact that the connection between the supporting shaft of the knife mechanism and the ice ejecting device is located above the set of tubes, the space between the tubes and the water tank will be free from constructional elements that might obstruct the flow and, as a further result of this arrangement, said space may be considerably reduced as far as its vertical extension is concerned.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an ice making machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the knife mechanism on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, and, v

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of part of a modified ice ejector.

Water to be frozen to ice is supplied to a tank 1 through a conduit 2. The supply is controlled by means of a float operated valve 3. A pump 4 passes water from the tank 1 through a conduit 5 up to the top of the ice making machine, from where it flows down through a set of tubes 6 along the inner surfaces thereof back to the tank 1. The tubes are normally surrounded by a refrigerant within a container 7 in which the set of tubes is located. Said refrigerant is supplied from a magazine, not shown, through a conduit 8, while the gas produced is returned through a conduit 9 to said magazine and thence back to the refrigerating machinery. Under the influence of said refrigerant solid or hollow ice rods are formed inside the tubes, said rods will, when ready, stick to the tube walls. In order to loosen the ice rods States PatentO "ice and allow them to drop out of the tubes, the pump 4 is stopped, a magnet valve 10 is opened and another magnet valve 11 is closed. By these operations a hot gas is led from the high pressure portion of the refrigerating machinery through the conduit 12 and a conduit 13 and delivered to the container 7 at the top thereof. Said hot gas expels the refrigerant through conduit 8. After the refrigerant contained in 7 is completely removed, a float valve 14 located in a receiver-like portion of the conduit 8 sinks with the sinking refrigerant and breaks the connection between the conduit 8 and the container 7. The hot gas now condensates on the outer surfaces of the tubes while delivering heat thereto, thereby thawing the ice rods so that they are released from thewalls of the tubes and allowed to drop. Approximately at the same time that the ice making machine is thus coupled for thawing operation, or shortly thereafter, a motor 15 provided at the top of container 7 is started which rotates through the intermedium of a suitable transmission a vertical shaft 16 extending downwards through the center of the set of tubes. All of the said motions may be controlled, for instance, by means of a time clock.

For cutting the ice rods dropping from inside the tubes to pieces a knife mechanism 17 is provided on the shaft 16 below the set of tubes. As will appear from Fig. 3, the knife 17 may be detachably mounted on a supporting bar 18. There is no means provided for upholding the dropping ice rods, before they are cut, but the cutting takes place while the'ice rods are moving downwards. As a result, the pieces obtained will be the smaller, the higher is the speed of the knife mechanism. It is thus possible by variation of the speed of shaft 16 to get ice pieces of the size best suited to the purpose for which the ice pieces should be used. In case of fish cooling purpose, for instance, small ice pieces are preferred.

Below the knife mechanism 17 the shaft 16 carries an ice ejector in the shape of a bar 20 comprising, in the example shown, two oppositely directed radial arms. The pieces cut off from the ice rods by the knife 17 drop onto a perforated bottom plate 21 which allows the accompanying water to drop into the tank 1. Said ice ejector throws the ice pieces substantially radially outwards through a port 22 from where they pass through an outlet chute 23 down into a collecting vessel or the like. As an alternative, the knife mechanism may be formed with an ejecting portion located immediately below the cutting element.

Due to the radial ejection and the fact that the power motor and associated transmission are positioned above the tubes the space between the tubes and the water tank becomes free from any elements that may obstruct the flow and, as an added advantage, the vertical extension of said space may be a minimum.

After all ice rods have left the tubes, the ice making machine is coupled for producing another set of ice rods.

In Fig. 4 a modified form of ice ejector is illustrated. The ice making machine may in other respects be similar to that shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4, however, only such elements are shown which are necessary for the purpose of the description. The form shown in Fig. 4 has for its special object to produce ice pieces with a minimum of adhering water. For certain purpose, as for fish cooling, it is desirable to distribute the ice pieces as uniformly as possible amongst the fish. With a view to permit such a distribution as well as a storing of ice pieces as delivered by the machine, the ice pieces should be as dry as possible in order to prevent them from freezing together.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the said object is obtained by using as an ice ejector a centrifugal basket rotating with the knife mechanism and its supporting shaft, said basket having a perforated circumferential wall through the perforations of which the water accompanying the ice pieces is thrown out by the action of the centrifugal force, while the ice pieces themselves are caused by the same force to slide up along the circumferential wall of the basket which to this end widens upwardly, and are ejected from the basket at the top of said wall. By this action the ice pieces are relieved from the water resulting from the thawing operation as well as the water not yet frozen inside hollow ice rods at the expiration of refrigerating period.

With reference in detail to Fig. 4, the water tank is indicated by 1, the tube in which the ice rods are produced by 6, and the surrounding container by 7, similarly as in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4 only the lower portion of the set of tubes and the corresponding portion of the surrounding container are shown. The central power shaft for supporting the knife 17 and the ice ejector is indicated by 16 as in Fig. 1, and the knife by .17. The ice outlet chute is indicated by 23.

Secured to the bottom end of shaft 16 below the knife 17 is the centrifugal basket. Said basket in the example shown is made from comparatively strong wires 30 arranged in spaced relation to each other and secured by welding to a bottom 31 at their lower ends and to any annular bond 32 adjacent their upper ends. The basket may, of course, be of other shape and/or material, as for instance, sheet metal having apertures punched therein, without departing from the principle of the invention.

In Fig. 4 some ice pieces cut off from the rods by the knife 17 are shown and designated by the reference numeral 33. When dropping into the basket the ice pieces are accompanied by water resulting from the thawing operation as well as water not yet frozen inside the hollow rods. Upon the rotation of the basket the water is ejected between the wires 30 and collects in the water tank 1, while the ice pieces slide up along the circumferential wall of the basket which to this end widens upwardly and, when reaching the upper edge of the wall, they are thrown out into the outlet chute 23 from where the practically dry ice pieces drop into a collecting receptacle or the like. In the example shown the basket is shaped as a truncate cone, the large end up, but it may, of course, have any other suitable shape, as for instance, that of a semisphere.

We claim:

An ice ejecting mechanism for ice making machines, having a set of vertical tubes for conducting downwardly flowing water to be frozen into ice, a container surrounding said set of tubes for alternately receiving a refrigerant for freezing said water into ice rods inside the tubes and a hot gas for thawing the outer surfaces of said rods so as to disengage them from the walls of the tubes and allow them to drop out of the tubes, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said container centrally with respect to the set of tubes, at power motor provided at the top of the container externally thereof, power transmission means connected between said motor and the top end of said shaft, a knife mounted on said shaft below said set of tubes and container for cutting the ice into pieces as they drop out of said tubes, said ice ejecting mechanism being mounted on said shaft below said knife mechanism, said ice ejecting mechanism comprising an open-mesh wire basket secured to the bottom end of said power shaft, said basket having a circumferential wall of inverted frusto-conical shape to cause the ice pieces to pass up along said side wall and be ejected at the top edge thereof under the influence of centrifugal force, while allowing water accompanying the ice pieces to be thrown out the open spaces of said wall also under the influence of centrifugal force, and a water tank surrounding said knife mechanism and said ice piece ejector and exatending below same, said tank having an ice piece outlet at the level of said ice piece ejector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,546 Gleason May 29, 1923 2,239,234 Kubaugh Apr. 22, 1941 2,453,140 Kubaugh Nov. 9, 1948 2,648,203 Heuser Aug. 11, 1953