US2726446A

US2726446A - Ice cube cracker

Info

Publication number: US2726446A
Application number: US298821A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas Z Grasso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-07-14
Filing date: 1952-07-14
Publication date: 1955-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1972-12-13

Description

Dec. 13, 1955 N. z. GRASSO ICE CUBE CRACKER Filed July 14, 1952 INVENTOR Na chozas Z.Grcz .sso

f'wwflgz ATTORNEYS United States Patent -2,726,446 ICE CUBE CRACKER 7 Nicholas Z. Grasso, Hollis, N. Y.

Application July 14, 1952, Serial No. 298,821

4 Claims. c1. 30--164.8)

This invention relates to an ice cube cracker.

An object of this invention is to provide an ice cracker designed particularly for cracking ice cubes which includes a housing having a spring-pressed plunger with a plurality of prongs adapted to be projected from the housing when the plunger is moved so as to crack ice cubes into small pieces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ice cube cracker which is simple in construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ice cube cracker wherein the prongs are normally housed in a cylindrical housing so that the prongs will be protected when the device is not in use.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of an ice cube cracker constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates generally a cylindrical housing which is formed of a cylindrical side wall 11, a lower head 12 having a plurality of openings 13, and an upper head 14. While the side wall 11 is herein shown as being cylindrical, this side wall may be square, octagon or any other shape. The

heads

12 and 14 are secured to the ends of the side wall 11 by means of a pair of elongated bolts 15. It will be understood that the

heads

12 and 14 may be secured to the side wall 11 by either the bolts 15, or by soldering, welding, press fit or the like.

A plunger generally designated as 16 is slidable within the housing 10 and is formed of a lower disc-shaped plate 17 having a plurality of elongated prongs 18 secured thereto. The prongs 18 are disposed in alignment with the openings 13 so that downward movement of the plunger 16 will provide for projection of the prongs 18 below the lower head 12. The prongs 18 are fixed in the lower plate, 17, and an upper plate 19 is secured by fastening means 20 to the upper or inner side of the plate 17. The two

plates

17 and 19 are formed with diametrically opposed channels 21 through which the bolts loosely engage.

A plunger rod 22 is fixed to the center of the

heads

17 and 19 and slidably engages through an opening 23 formed in the upper head 14. A knob 24 is fixed to the outer end of the rod 22 so that the plunger 16 may be forcibly moved downward against the tension of a spring 25. The spring 25 is interposed between the lower head 12, engaging about the center one of the prongs 18 and engaging at its upper end against the lower head'or plate 17 of the plunger 16. The plunger 16 is limited in its upward movement by means of an inner shell 26 which is disposed within the side wall 11 and bears at its upper end against the upper head 14.

An annular rib 27 is carried by the side wall 11 adjacent the upper end thereof for providing a grip to hold the side wall 11 against slipping in at least one direction When gripped in the hand.

In the use and operation of this device, the lower head 12 is disposed against the ice cubes which are to be broken and the housing 10 may be grasped in one hand and the knob 24 pushed downwardly or struck with one hand so as to forcibly eject the prongs 18 through the openings 13 and into the ice cube or cubes. There may be as many of these prongs 18 as may be desired so that the ice cubes may be broken into relatively small pieces with one movement of the plunger 16.

The device herein disclosed can be used for ice, or any other crystallized or brittle object. The object article will be broken by a simple stroke of the plunger, and the latter will automatically return to the interior of the housing.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An ice cube cracker comprising an elongated cylindrical housing having opposed open ends, a closure member for each of said ends, means extending between and connected with each of said closure members to clamp said housing therebetween, one of said closure members having a centrally positioned aperture extending transversely thereof and the other of said closure members having an aperture extending transversely therethrough aligned with said first aperture and having a lesser diameter, said other closure member having a plurality of apertures extending transversely thereof and radially spaced from said central aperture formed therein, a substantially circular plunger mounted for reciprocation with in said housing and having a centrally disposed threaded aperture formed therein aligned with said first and second centrally positioned apertures, an elongated plunger rod having. a threaded connection with said threaded aperture and having its ends extending on opposite sides of said plunger, one of said ends extending through said central aperture formed in said one closure member, and the other of said ends being reduced in diameter to form a prong aligned with said aperture formed in said second closure member, said'plunger having a plurality of circumferentially spaced prongs secured thereto and depending therefrom, each of said last named prongs being aligned with one of said radially spaced apertures formed in said other closure member, a helicoidal spring disposed intermediate said plunger and said other closure member, said spring surrounding said centrally positioned prong and constantly tending to urge said plunger away from said other closure member and to retract said prongs into said housing, means on said housing for limiting the movement of said plunger away from said other closure member, and handle means secured to said one end of said handle member.

2. An ice cube cracker comprising an elongated cylindrical housing having opposed open ends, a closure member for each of said ends, means extending between and coacting with said closure members to clamp said housing therebetween, one of said closure members having a centrally positioned aperture, the other of said closure members having a plurality of spaced apertures, a plunger mounted for reciprocation in said housing, a plunger rod having an end thereof secured to said plunger and its other endextending through said central aperture,

. a handle mounted on said other end of said piston rod, a

3 plurality of prongs depending from said plunger and aligned with said apertures formed in said other closure member, and resilient means interposed between said plunger and said other closure member constantly tending to urge the former away from the latter and to retract said prongs into said housing.

3. An ice cube cracker as defined in claim 1, and said first means including a pair of elongated bolts extending longitudinally of said housing, and said plunger having a pair of diametrically opposed openings extending therethrough to loosely receive said bolts whereby said bolts and said apertures formed in said plunger coact to maintain said tines aligned with their respective apertures formed in said other closure member.

4. An ice cube cracker as defined in claim 2, and said first means including a pair of elongated bolts extending longitudinally of said housing, and said plunger having a pair of diametrically opposed openings extending therethrough to loosely receive said bolts whereby said bolts and said apertures formed in said plunger coact to maintain said tines aligned with their respective apertures formed in said other closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,132 Deininger July 14, 1914 1,701,771 Di Stefano Feb. 12, 1929 2,310,224 Edwards Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 325,533 France Jan. 22, 1903 600,192 France Nov. 3, 1925