US2767557A - Semi-automatic ice maker - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1956 HUBACKER 2,767,557

SEMI-AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER Filed Oct. 29, 1953 Pj-f 5 Sheets-Sheet l lN VENTOR EARL F. HU BAC KER I BY HIS ATTORNEY SEMI-AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER Filed Oct. 29, 1953' 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EARLVF. HUBACKER HIS ATTORN EY 2,767,557 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 2,7s7,ss7 I SEMI-AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER Earl F. Hubacker, Erie, Pa., Company,

Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 390,695 11 Claims. (Cl. 62-1065 a corporation of New York housewife having to remove a clumsy freezing tray from V I the refrigerator. Numerous attempts have been made to provide automatic or semi-automatic ice makers capable of accomplishing such a result, but none of these attempts has proved fully successful. Either the ice makers have been unsatisfactory from an operational point of view due to half-formed cubes, overly slow freezing rates, or numerous failures in service; or else if operationally successful they have proved very expensive to construct and operate. In particular, it is the high cost of the various electrical control and operating devices needed therein which has made many of these devices commercially unfeasible.

Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved semi-automatic ice maker adapted for incorporation in a household refrigerator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a semiautomatic ice maker in which no electrical actuating or control devices are needed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved semi-automatic ice maker in which both the water filling and ice dispensing actions are accomplished through the movement of a single mechanical operator.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a semiautomatic ice maker in which the door to the freezing chamber serves as the only operating means.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an endless conveyor type ice maker in which substantially the entire travel of the conveyor is utilized for the freezing operation.

Another object is to provide a new and improved end-' less conveyer arrangement for automatic and semi-automatic ice makers.

Another object is to provide a new and improved pumping means for filling with water the containers of automatic and semi-automatic endless conveyor type ice makers.

My invention also has as its object the provision of an endless conveyor type ice maker in which means are included to lock the conveyer in position at all times except during the ejection of an ice cube.

In carrying my invention into effect I mount a new and improved endless conveyer 'in the freezing chamber of a household refrigerator. This conveyer carries a plurality of ice forming containers and is operated by movement of the door of the freezing chamber. At a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyer, dispensing means contact the containers and remove the frozen ice cubes therefrom. The empty containers are then. refilled by a novel water supply means at a point closely adjacent to the dispensing means, the water supply assignor to Generai Electric means also being operated by movement of the door. The operating linkages for the water supply means and the conveyer are so connected to the door that a moveone container but also refills another conwater for freezing. In this manner movement of the door provides the only mechanical force necessary for the operation of the whole semi-automatic ice maker.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary frontal view, partially broken away, of a household refrigerator incorporating my new and improved semi-automatic ice maker;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ice maker as incorporated in the refrigerator, partially broken away and sectioned to show details of the operating means;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the ice maker with the freezing chamber door removed;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the means employed to eject ice cubes from the ice forming containers of the ice maker;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view showing the conveyer carrying pulleys of the ice maker and the means used to operate them; and

Fig. 6 .is a fragmentary view of the inner side of one of the rear pulleys showing means which may be used to positively insure that the ice forming containers do not tilt as they pass around the rear pulleys.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have shown therein a household refrigerator 1 having an upper or freezing compartment 2 and a lower or fresh food compartment 3. The frozen food compartment is further divided into two separate chambers 4 and 5 and in the smaller of these chambers 5, is mounted a preferred embodiment of my new and improved ice maker. As may best be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, this ice maker is of the endless conveyer type and is here shown as having :a conveyer formed of two endless chains 6 and 7. The chains 6 and 7 are mounted on front and rear pulleys so as to move in a continuous path through chamber 5, the chain 6 being mounted on front and rear pulleys 8 and 9 and the chain 7 being mounted on front and rear pulleys 10 and 11 (pulley 11 not shown). Preferably both front pulleys 8 and 10 and both rear pulleys 9 and 11 are respectively identical. The preferred method of mounting these pulleys will be described below.

In moving around the pulleys the conveyer chains 6 and 7 carry with them a plurality of ice forming containers or buckets 12 which are pivotally mounted thereon. Specifically, each third link of both chains includes outwardly extending hook portions 13 into which fit pins 14 projecting sidewardly from buckets 12. These pin and hook connections firmly secure each bucket to both chains, but the connection is loose enough to allow pivoting of the buckets for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

Now in accordance with my invention the conveyer and thus the buckets 12 are caused to move through the freezing chamber 5 by means of a manual force applied by the person desiring to obtain ice cubes, and preferably this force is supplied by movement of the door 15 of the freezing chamber. For that purpose, in my preferred embodiment the door 15 is pivotally mounted on a rigid supporting member as by means of a pin 15a so that it opens by pivoting outwardly and downwardly. And mechanical linkages are provided which transmit the door opening movement to the front pulleys 8 and 10 to cause them to be turned thereby. The linkages by which the door turns pulleys 8 and 10 are identical so that for convenience only the left hand linkage, between the door and pulley 8 will be described. This left hand linkage comprises a normally transverse link 16 pivoted at its one end to the door by a pin 16a and at its other end to a normally vertical link 17 by a pin 17a. is in turn pivoted near its lower end to a supporting member 18 by a means hereinafter described. The final member of the linkage, i. e., the member which actually engages pulley 8 is a spring ratchet member 19 connected to the lower extremity of link 17.

There are, of course, several ways in which the pulleys and the operating mechanism may be mounted on the supporting structure but my preferred method is shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In this preferred structure the link 17 and the pulley 8 are both rotatably mounted on a supporting pin 20 which is secured to the supporting member 18 by a nut 21 and lock washer 22. The spring ratchet member 19 connected to the link 17 is also rotatably mounted on this stationary pin 20, a vertically extending portion 23 being provided on member 19 for that purpose. In order to provide clearance for the movement of the operating link or arm 17 and the spring ratchet 19, washers 24 and 25 are positioned respectively between supporting member 18 and ratchet 19 and between operating arm 17 and pulley 8. The operating arm, the pulley and the washers are all held on the pin 20 by means of an outwardly extending flange 26 formed on the pin. This flange 26 contacts the inner side of pulley 8 to prevent any movement of the aforesaid members along the pin.

It should also be obvious that there are various ways in which the ratcheting member 19 could be connected to the operating arm 17. However, in the preferred method which I have shown, the ratchet 19 is provided with an aperture 27 which fits over a boss 28 formed on the lower extremity of the operating arm. Since the operating arm and the ratcheting member are mounted on pin 20, no separating forces are applied to the two members, and thereby this simple arrangement serves adequately, no bolts, rivets, etc., being needed.

As shown in Fig. 3 the pin 20 and the similar member mounting pulley 10 may be used to support a member provided to eject the frozen ice cubes from buckets 12. Various shaped ejecting members may be used but my preferred member comprises the ejecting pin 29 which has a central shankportion 30 offset from its end portions 31. These end portions 31 are mounted on pin 20 and the similar pin associated with pulley 10 so that the shank 30 is offsetfrom the axis of rotation of the pulleys. The positioning. of the ejecting member on these pins is such that the shank 30 contacts the buckets 12 as they pass over pulleys 8 and 10. the manner and purpose of this contact to be explained hereinafter.

But to move the buckets 12 unidirectionally over the ejecting member it is, of course, necessary to provide a mechanism which upon movement of the door will turn pulleys 8 and 10 in only the forward direction. Such a mechanism is provided by the ratcheting spring 19 and a cooperating cam surface 32 formed on the outer surface of an annular recess .33 positioned in the side of pulley 8 adjacent the operating member 17. As may be most clearly seen in Fig. 5, this cam surface 32 includes three identical indentations 34 otfset 120 from each other. These indentations are formed with a steep leading edge or wall 35 and a rounded trailing edge or wall 36. The steep wall 35 in effect acts as a ledge or tooth preventing any forward movement thereby of a horizontally projecting portion 37 of the ratchet member 19. The end portion 37 contacts the steep wall 35 and is stopped thereby so that if forward rotation of ratchet 19 is continued, pulley 8 must also be turned.

The link 17 The operating mechanism for the ratchet 19 is so constructed that when the door is opened from its closed position to its fully open position as shown in Fig. 2, the ratchet member and thereby pulley 8 are rotated In other words, each time that the door is opened, the end of projection 37 contacts a wall 35 so as to turn the pulley 120. Then as the door is closed, the operating link 17 is returned to its upright position and the spring ratchet is also returned to its original position. As the rear walls 36 of indentations 34 are rounded, projection 37 does not catch on them and thus may return to its original position sliding along the cam surface 32 of the pulley. But since indentations 34 are spaced 120 apart, projection 37 then drops into the following indentation when it is returned to its original position. Therefore, the next time that the door is opened the ratchet will again move the pulley through an angle of 120".

For proper operation with this actuating mechanism the buckets 12 are preferably spaced along the conveyer chains a distance equal to /s of the circumference of the pulleys. Thus as indicated in Fig. 3 each movement of the door from the closed to the open position not only moves one bucket from the top of pulleys 8 and 10 to a position spaced 120 therefrom, but also simultaneously moves the following bucket into position at the top of the pulleys. However, it should be understood that other actuating arrangements could be used in which the rotation of the pulleys for each or less than 120. In such a case a different spacing of the buckets along the conveyer would, of course, be desirable.

In order to prevent any reverse movement of the conveyer during closing of the door, I have found it preferable to provide a mechanism which will lock the conveyer in place at all times except during the opening of the door. Such a mechanism could, of course, be applied to either the front or the rear pulleys or to the conveyer chains themselves, but the simplest manner of accomplishing the desired result is to apply the mechanism to the rear pulleys. Therefore, in Fig. 5 I have shown rear pulley 9 as provided With a preferred example of such a locking or anti-rotation device. It will be understood that an identical device can be used with the opposite rear pulley 11 (not shown) if desired, and in fact better results are secured if such an anti-rotation device is used with both rear pulleys.

In Fig. 5 the rear pulley 9 is shown rotatably mounted on a supporting member 38 by means of a pin 39. This pin 39 also serves as a means for mounting an anti rotation device such as the spring ratchet 40. This spring ratchet 40 includes a horizontal support portion 41 which is aflixed to the pin 39 and a vertical extending locking portion 42 which cooperates with a cam surface or track 43 provided along the edge of a recess 44 in pulley 9. The cam surface 43 includes three indentations 45 spaced 120 apart, each of these indentations being provided with a steep leading wall 46 and a rounded trailing wall 47. Therefore, as pulley 9 is turned in the forward direction, the projection portion 42 of spring ratchet 40 rides along cam surface 43 offering no positive stop aginst movement. Since the trailing walls 47 of the indentations are rounded, they will merely bow spring portion 42 in wardly so that no great resistance is offered to forward motion. However, if it is attempted to move the rear pulleys in a backward direction, the projecting spring portion 42 will contact the steep walls 47 and effectively prevent such backward rotation.

Since the rear pulleys are of the same size as the forward pulleys and since the conveyer provides a positive connection therebetween, the rear pulleys are also moved forwardly, 120 each time the door is opened. Thus, by properly adjusting the rear pulleys relative to the forward pulleys the spring arm 42 can be made to enter an indendoor opening might be more tation 45 at the end of each downward movement of the door. As soon as arm 42 enters an indentation. 45 the relationship between the arm and the associated wall 47 locks the rear pulleys against rearward rotation and thereby prevents reverse movement of the entire conveyer system. Thus although the entire conveyer is moved forwardly during opening of the door it is effectively locked against rearward rotation at all other times.

As the conveyor moves through freezing chamber as a result of the opening and closing of door 15, the buckets 12 pass in sequence around the front pulleys 8 and 10. And as above mentioned, each time the door is closed a new bucket 12 is positioned at the top of pulleys 8 and 10. As the door is again opened, this bucket moves 120 around the front pulleys while the following bucket takes its place at the top of the pulleys. As the bucket moves downwardly along the pulleys its bottom is contacted by the shank 30 of the ejecting pin. In fact the bottom of the bucket is pushed against shank 30 with such force that the shank not only tilts the bucket downwardly but also deforms the bottom of the bucket. This action may be best seen in Fig. 4. It will be understood that buckets 12 will be formed of a suitable resilient material, or at least the bottom parts thereof will be, in order to provide for this deforming action, and that the bottoms will spring back to their normal positions when the force of shank 30 is removed.

The deforming of the bucket frees the ice cube formed therein and allows it to fall downwardly onto the now completely open door 15. The door may be formed cuplike so as to hold the ice cube awaiting removal by the user or it may be provided with a wide groove or guide to allow the ice cube to slide into a pan held by the user. But in any case, in accordance with my invention each time that the door of chamber 5 is opened an ice cube is automatically deposited on the door for immediate use. Incidentally, it should be noted that the cubes so deposited are completely dry so that no refreezing s required, as is necessary in those automatic ice makers in which the ice forming containers are briefly heated in order to free the cubes therefrom.

As the door is closed, the pulleys and thus the buckets remain in the same position. But the closing of the door, of course, places the pulley operating linkages in position to move the following bucket downwardly onto the ejecting member 29 upon the next opening of the door. As the following bucket is moved downwardly onto the ejecting member, the already empty bucket is also moved downwardly until it clears the ejecting member. Once it has cleared the ejecting member, it is of course free to return to its upright position, i. e., the position in which the opening into the bucket is uppermost. Ordinarily, the free bucket will by its own weight return to the upright position; but for complete safety I have provided a positive means for returning the bucket to the upright position.

My preferred means for accomplishing this result may be best seen in Fig. 4. The means there shown comprise a gear rack 43 which is firmly secured to the supporting structure of the ice maker and the spur gears 49 which are mounted on the left hand supporting pins 14 of the buckets 12. As each bucket clears the ejecting member, s gear 49 engages the gear rack 48 and is turned thereby.

This turning rotates the entire bucket downwardly until it reaches a level upright position. At that point the gear 49 clears the gear rack 48 so that no further turning is accomplished, the gear rack 48 being made of the correct length to cause such clearance at the proper moment.

This feature of pivotally mounted buckets which are almost immediately returned to the upright position after ice removal is a very important feature of my invention, for it allows the buckets to be used for ice freezing during almost the entire travel of the conveyer. This is very advantageous because it offers a freezing time of almost twice that of other conveyer type ice makers in which the ice forming containers are firmly secured to the conveyer and thus are down-turned and useless for roughly half the travel of the conveyer. As may be seen in Fig. 2, I position a refrigerating coil 50 within the space surrounded by the conveyer so that the greatest refrigerating effect is obtained throughout the travel of the conveyer.

To obtain the longest freezing time the empty bucket should be filled as soon as it is returned to the upright position, and in accordance with my invention I have provided new and improved means for so doing. These means comprise a novel water supply or pumping system which is operated by the closing movement of the door. Turning to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown therein my preferred pumping means which comprises a bellows 51 positioned in a water reservoir 52. As shown in the diagram the reservoir 52 is removable for filling; however, it should be understood that I also contemplate using a stationary reservoir with an easily accessible fill tube. The inlet to the bellows leads directly from the reservoir and may be controlled by any of the various type valves which will allow water to enter the bellows during the expansion thereof but which will prevent water from leaving during bellows contraction. For example, a simple flap valve could be used for that purpose.

The outlet of the bellows is through a long tube 53 connected to the bellows roof. This tube 53 not only serves as the outlet for the bellows but also, in my preferred embodiment, serves as the bellows actuating means. It extends upwardly through the insulating wall 54 dividing compartment 3 from compartment 2 and thence along the side of freezing chamber 5. Sincetube 53 is of rather great length it has positioned therearound a stiffening tube 55 for the greater portion of its length, this stiffening tube being secured to the bellows outlet tube 53in a suitable manner. At its upper end which lies slightly above pulley 8 tube 53 is provided with a crooked portion 56 through which it exhausts downwardly into a chute 57 (Figs. 2 and 3). The chute 57 passes through the side of chamber 5 and in turn empties into a second chute 58 (Figs. 2 and 3) which carries the water directly to the bucket to be filled. In other words the fill tube 53 empties above the ice forming container or bucket to be filled, the water being carried into the container by chutes 57 and 58. It is, of course, obvious that a single chute could be used if desired, two chutes being here used only for ease of construction. It should be noted though that the crooked tube portion 56 emptying into the chutes is provided with an inclined rather than a horizontal end surface. This inclined or angled end surface is desirable in order to prevent water from freezing over the tube outlet. When the end surface is horizontal, water tends to hang thereon; and this water then freezes and blocks up the tube. But when an inclined end surface is employed, not enough water remains thereon to freeze up the tube.

According to my invention, the water from the reservoir is forced upwardly through tube 53 in response to the opening and closing of door 15, and for that purpose I provide an operating linkage joining the door and the pumping means. For example, in my preferred embodiment the door is provided at its lower end with an arm 59 which is joined to one end of a bellows-operating link 60 by means of a pin and slot connection 61. This link 60 is secured to the stiffening tube 55 at its other end and rides upwardly and downwardly in a slot 62 provided in a supporting member 63. The link 60 is also provided with a flange which rides in a slot 64 to prevent sideways movement of the arm.

When the door is closed, the arm 60 and thus the tubes 53 and 55 are in their lowermost positions causing the bellows to be fully contracted. Then as the door is opened, the pin and slot connection 61 carries arm 60 upwardly, arm 60 in turn pulls tubes 53 and 55 upwardly and thereby expands bellows 51. As bellows 51 expands,

-rear pulleys 9 and 11 so it pulls in water through its inlet and is filled thereby. In other words the opening of the door which causes the ejection of an ice cube also results in a filling of the bellows 51.:

Then as the door is closed, the link 60 and the tubes 53 and 55 are moved downwardly. This forces bellows 51 to contract and thereby pushes most of the water contained within the expanded bellows upwardly through tube 53. ln other words the closing of the door causes a predetermined amount of water to be pumped upwardly through tube 53 by the bellows 51. This water is then emptied through the crooked tube portion 56 into the chute 57 and from there flows through chute 58 into the newly righted bucket 12. It is, of course, obvious that by making the bellows 51 of the proper size, the exact amount of water needed to fill bucket 12 will be pumped therein during the closing of the door. Thus the opening and closing of the door not only ejects an ice cube from one bucket but also fills the previously emptied bucket with water for forming a new cube.

The water, pumped into the newly righted bucket, of course, begins to freeze immediately and continues to freeze as the bucket is moved rearwardly along the lower level of the conveyer. The water, however, may not be completely frozen by the time the bucket reaches that it is necessary that the bucket remain upright as it passes therearound. Properly weighted buckets will normally remain upright of their own account while moving around the pulleys, but there is some tendency for improperly weighted buckets to tilt slightly during the process. Therefore, I have shown in Fig. 6 means which may be used, if desired, to insure that the buckets will remain upright while passing around the rear pulleys, no matter whether they are properly weighted or not. However, it should be understood that with properly weighted pulleys, this structure is unnecessary.

As shown in Fig. 6, my preferred means of preventing any tilting of the bucket comprises a planetary gear arrangement. This gear arrangement includes a stationary center gear 65 which is fixedly mounted on the pin 39 inwardly of the pulley 9, and three sun gears 66, 67, and 68 which are rotatably mounted on pulley 9 by means of the headed pins or screws 69, 70, 71 respectively. The sun gears engage the center gear and rotate on their mounting pins as they move in a circular path around it. The sun gears also engage the gears 49 mounted on the buckets. As the sun gears rotate relative to the center gear, their relative motion with respect to gears 49 keeps the buckets in a horizontal position at all times. In other words the sun gears although rotaing themselves lock the gears 49 against rotation. Thus by this gear arrangement or other equivalent mean positive insurance may be provided that the buckets will not tilt while moving around the rear pulleys. This anti-tilting device, of course, requires no actuation other than that supplied to the conveyer itself.

Therefore, in accordance with my invention I have provided a semi-automatic ice maker in which the only operating force needed is supplied by the opening and closing of the door to the freezing chamber. This re sults in a very simple and inexpensive device since the costly .motors and control devices heretofore used in automatic ice makers are not required. Moreover, by using the door as the operating means, I have provided a relatively foolproof device insuring proper operation. It is impossible for the user to secure an ice cube without refilling another container. Further, through my pivoted buckets which are automatically returned to the upright position after ice ejection I have provided a conveyer type ice maker in which freezing may occur for practically the entire travel of the conveyer. This, of course, allows more cubes to be frozen in shorter time than is possible with other ice makers. And through my new and improved water supply means I have provided a construction in which the'ice forming containers are filled with exactly the correct amount of water each and every time an ice cube is ejected.

But it should be understood that my invention can be carried into effect by structures other than the preferred one described above. For example, different but equivalent means could be employed to connect the door both to the conveyer moving means and to the water supply means. Also a positive displacement pump rather than a bellows could he used, and guides rather than gear structure could be used to right the ice buckets after the cube ejection. Moreover, it is obvious that a chain type con veyer is not necessary to my invention. A rubber belt conveyer or the like could also be used. It should also he noted that although I have shown a conventional freezing tray 72 positioned below my new and improved semi-automatic ice maker for use when a great number of cubes are needed in a very short time, such tray is not necessary to my invention nor does it constitute any part thereof.

Further several of the features of my invention may easily be adapted for use in a completely automatic motor actuator ice maker and it should be understood that l contemplate their use therein. For example, my new and improved conveyer structure utilizing pivotally mounted buckets could obviously be used to obtain increased freezing time in fully automatic ice makers as well as in semi-automatic devices. Also my novel water supply means could readily be adapted for use in motor actuated ice makers. And the combination of the conveyer struc ture and the water supply means including their sequential operation is, of course, well suited for utilization in automatic devices.

Thus while what has been described is at present con sidered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination a freezing chamber having at least one opening thereinto, chamber and adapted to close said opening, an endless element adapted to pass through said chamber, a pin rality of ice forming containers. carried by said element, and means for filling said containers at one position along the travel of said element comprising a water reservoir, a pumping means including a bellows having an inlet connected to said reservoir and an outlet emptying above said one position, and mechanical linkage means connected to and operated by movement of said door for mechanically actuating said pumping means to fill the bellows when said door is opened and to fill said con tainers at said one position when said door is closed.

2. In combination a freezing chamber having at least one opening thereinto, a door pivotally mounted on said chamber and adapted to close said opening, an endless element adapted to pas through said chamber, a plurality of ice forming containers carried by said element, and means for filling said containers at one position along the travel of said element comprising a water reservoir,

a bellows having an inlet connected to said reservoir and an outlet emptying above said one position, and a mechanical actuating linkage connecting said bellows to said door whereby movement of said door operate said bellows to pump water to said containers upon closing of said door.

3. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, an endless con veyer adapted to move intermittently through said freez ing chamber, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member adapted to engage said buckets at one position along the a door pivotally mounted on said travel of said conveyer to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject the ice cubes therefrom, and means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along the travel of said conveyer.

4. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, an endless conveyer adapted to move intermittently through said freezing chamber, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member adapted to engage said buckets at one position along the travel of said conveyer to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject the ice cubes therefrom, a gear rack positioned adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along said travel of said conveyer, and a gear mounted on each of said buckets adapted to be engaged and turned by said rack thereby to return said buckets to the upright position.

5. In an ice maker a freezing chamber, an endless con veyer adapted to move intermittently through said freezing chamber, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member adapted to engage said buckets at one position along the travel of said conveyer to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject the ice cubes therefrom, means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along the travel of said conveyer, and a water supply means adapted to fill said buckets upon their being returned to said upright position.

6. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, an endless conveyer adapted to move intermittently through said freezing chamber, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member adapted to engage said bucket-s at one position along the'travel of said conveyer to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject the ice cubes therefrom, means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along the travel of said conveyer, a water supply means for filling said buckets upon their being returned to the upright position, and manually operable means for intermittently moving said conveyer a suflicient amount to eject an ice cube from one container while simultaneously returning another container to the upright position, and I8. second manually operable means interlocked with said first manually operable means for operating said water supply means to fill the newly righted container before said conveyer is again moved through said chamber.

7. In combination, a freezing chamber, an endless element adapted to pass through said chamber, a plurality of ice forming containers carried by said element, means for filling said containers at one position along the travel of said element comprising a water reservoir, a bellows having an inlet connected to said reservoir and a movable outlet tube emptying above said one position, and means correlated with the movement of said endless element for operating said bellows to pump water through said outlet as a container is passed through said one position, said means including said movable outlet tube and said tube being connected to the roof of said bellows to operate said bellows upon the movement thereof.

8. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, I311 endless conveyer adapted to move through said freezing chamber, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member adapted to engage said buckets at one position along the travel of said conveyer to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject the ice cubes therefrom, means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along the travel of said conveyer, a water supply means for filling said buckets upon their being returned to the upright position, a first means for intermittently moving said .conveyer a sufiicient amount to eject an ice cube from one container while simultaneously returning another container to the upright position, and a second means correlated with said first means for operating said water supply means to fill the newly righted container.

9. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, a pair of pulleys mounted in a spaced relationship in said chamber, an endless conveyer belted on said pulleys, a plurality of ice forming containers pivotally mounted on said conveyer, ejecting means associated with one of said pulleys and adapted to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to eject the ice cubes therefrom, means engaging said buckets after said cubes .are ejected for positively returning said buckets to the upright position, said means being mounted iadjacent to said ejecting means and subsequent thereto along the travel of said conveyer, and means associated with the other of said pulley-s for positively retaining said containers in an upright position as they pass therearound on said conveyer.

10. In an ice maker, a freezing chamber, a pair of pulleys mounted in said freezing chamber, an endless conveyer belted on said pulleys, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyer, an ejecting member associated with one of said pulleys and adapted to engage said buckets to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject ice cubes therefrom, means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent travel of said conveyer, a water supply means for filling said buckets upon their being returned to the upright position, means associated with the other of said pulleys for positively retaining said buckets in an upright position as they pass therearound and means for intermittently moving said conveyer a suificient amount to eject an ice cube from one bucket while simultaneously returning another bucket to the upright position and a lated with said first means for operating said water supply means to fill the newly righted bucket.

11. In an icemaker, a freezing chamber, a door providing access to said chamber, a pair of pulleys mounted in said freezing chamber, an endless conveyor belted on said pulleys, a plurality of ice forming resilient buckets pivotally mounted on said conveyor, an ejecting member associated with one of said pulleys and adapted to engage said buckets to tilt said buckets downwardly and simultaneously to deform said buckets to eject ice cubes therefrom, gear means for positively returning said buckets to the upright position mounted adjacent to said ejecting member and subsequent thereto along the travel of said for filling said buckets upright position, and means including said door for intermittently moving said conveyor a sufiicient amount to eject an ice cube from one bucket which simultaneously returning another bucket to the upright position, and a second means including said door for operating said water pumping means to fill the newly righted bucket before said conveyor is again moved, said door being mounted :adjacent to the point where said cubes are removed from said buckets and being adapted in its open position to catch said cubes as they are removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Brach Nov. 13, 1934 Bemis 2. Dec. 31, 1935 Foraker Dec. 31, 1935 Greenwald Oct. 20, 1936 Rose Aug. 20, 1940 Caesar Oct. 1, 1940 Baer Aug. 19, 1941 Gaston Oct. 14, 1941 Hart Mar. 10, 1942 10 Siedle Sept. 29, 1942 Sforer Dec. 5, 1944 "12 Andersen I an. 30, 1945 Toulrnin Dec. 16, 1947 Page June 22, 1948 Van V1eck Apr. 12, 1949 Askin Nov. 8, 1949 Hurley June 6, 1950 Comstock Dec. 28, 1954 McCullough Apr. 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 20, 1898 Germany Apr. 8, 1936

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