US2874552A

US2874552A - Freezing device

Info

Publication number: US2874552A
Application number: US695758A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur J Frei
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1957-11-12
Filing date: 1957-11-12
Publication date: 1959-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1976-02-24

Description

Feb. 24, 1959 A.-J. FREI' ,8 5

' FREEZING DEVICE Filed Npv. 12. 1957' v ZSheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1959 A. J. FREI 2,874,552

FREEZING DEVICE Filed Nov. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0279/11) 1/. fi ei BY HIS ATTORNEY Unit States WWO? 2,874,552 FREEZING DEVICE Arthur J. Frei, DaytonQOhio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., incorporation of Delaware Application November 12, 195 7, Serial No. 695,758 I 17 Claims. (Cl, 62-4 4 supported upon a support of a portable ice storage and serving bucket; usedfl-in :conjunction with a household refrigerator cabinet when'ice blocks are to be ejected from the device have, prior ,tothe present disclosure, been of a character which include ,anjelongated grid structure locked in a rectangularly shaped tray. Such devices have necessitated the use therewith ofajspecialor rectangular ice block storage and serving bucket and as far as I am aware no, one has made a circular unitaryfreezing device of this type for association withconventional portable 2,874,552 Patented Feb. 24,1955;

ice

showing ice blocks removed from the device into the bucket;

Figure 5 is a top view of the unitary freezing device similar to Figure 1 with walls in the device moved to an ice block releasing position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3 showing notches in a leverage means of the freezing device;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 3 showing notches in a wall retaining disk of the device;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 2 showing a stud on the freezing device for locating same on a portable round ice bucket; and i Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionallview taken on the line 99 of Figure 2 showing a spring return means for the lever of the freezing device. A

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating the invention, I show in Figure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including an insulated household refrigerator cabinet 10 of the multiple chamber typein conjunction with which a round portable ice bucket is used and is adapted to invertedly receive and support my improved freezing devices located in the refrigerator. Cabinet 10 is provided with a lower unfrozen food storage chamber 11 which is cooled to a temperature of from, for'example, 37 to 43 F. by

round ice storage bucketsi I therefore contemplate, for

sundry reasons, the provisiorifof a circular unitary ice block freezing device forplacemerit in the freezing chamber of a household refrigerator cabinet andjforinverted association with a circular su'pporton a roundice bucket when removed from the refrigerator whereby ice blocks can be released from the circular device into the round icebucket, v ,7 L, I. l An obj ectpf my invention is to provide a unique circular unitary freezing device wherein ice blocks are frozen in compartments thereof .andnovelrneans for mechanically loosening or releasing the ice blocksfrorn such a shaped device. I H In carrying out the foregoing object it is another object of my invention to construct ajunitary circular ice block freezing device, with a leverage. mechanism for loosening orreleasing ice blocks from compartments thereof which extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the device to also ser as a ca yi g a sth e orwhe e ya s t: like structure, that is il'yheldinanl'upright position while filling the device with water and is readilyhaiidl ed during the act of removing the devicefrorn a refrigerator and invertedly placing sarne onfa round ice bucket, is provided. W j 1 I Further-objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference i being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred term \of the present invention i l l hgwnh In thedrawings; I M. a

Figure 1 is a. front .view ofja household refrigerator cabinet showing a round? p rtable ice block fjstoragefl and transfer bucketandfreezin'g devicesof the present inven{ mm located in .thefreezing cornpartment. thereof; 1 v

Figure-2 isa top plan view of .a lunitary circular freezing device constructed in accordance with the present inven-, in '5: L 1

Figure 3 ,is an enlarged sectional .view of, the freezing devicedisclosed in Figure 2::andistakenon-thelline 33 thereof; 1: t Sw m '9 'I J v. ,Figure 4 is a sec'tiona'l view of the unitary" freezing a plate-like sheet metal evaporator 12 of a closed refrig' crating system associated with the cabinet. Evaporator 12 is secured to and spaced from the rear wall of chamber 11 in any suitable manner behind a concealing cover or baflle 13. Cabinet 10 is also provided with an upper or frozen food storage chamber 14 which is cooled to a temperature well below 30 F. for freezing foods and/or for freezing water in freezing device structures removably disposed in chamber 14 into ice blocks for table use in chillingsalads or the like and drinks in glasses. Chamber- 14 is cooled to the below freezing temperature by another evaporator 15 of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10. Evaporator 15 is in the form'of a conduit coiled or wrapped around the outside of and secured to a metal can-like member 16 forming the liner of chamber 14. An auxiliary or inner door 17, shown broken away in Figure 1, is hingedly mounted at the front of chamber 14 to provide aclosure for the access opening thereofas is now conventional inthe art. Another or larger insulated main door structure 18, hingedly mounted on cabinet 10 for horizontal swinging movement relative thereto, normally extends across the front of both chain: bers 11 and 14 and is provided with a resilient gasket 19 v for sealingly engaging the front face of the refrigerator device supported 6n a" support of a round :iee': bucket cabinet. A plurality of vertically spaced apart shelves 21 are secured, in any suitable or desirable manner, to an upright side wall of liner 16 within chamber 14 so as to be in metal-to-metal contact therewith and consequently with evaporator 15. Each shelf 21 is adapted to receive and support, in an upright position, a unitary circular freezing device generally represented by thereference numeral 23 in Figure land shown more clearlyin other figures of the drawings. .A substantially round portable ice storage, transferring or serving bucket .generally indicated at 25 in Figure 1 may be contained in chamber 14 oriif desired in chamber 11 for use in receiving ice blocks ejected from any of the freezing devices 23 while invertedly supported on the bucketwhen the bucket is Within the refrigerator cabinet or outside same. ,p

' Each of the unitary freezing devices 23 includes or comprises a stamped sheet metalcircular pan or tray: 26' having a raisedcentral portion 27, inwardly of a downturned rim 28 therearound, providing inclined side walls 29 of an open-topped chamber'of arcuate shape in con figuration and having a curved bottom wall (see Figures 2 and 3). The open-topped chamber may extend entirely around the axial center of tray 26 but as herein disclosed, preferably for better release of ice blocks, terminates in inclined end walls'30 so as to be substantially C-shaped in planular appearance (see Figures 2 and 5). A plurality of substantially inflexible walls 31 are directed laterally at different angles from the axis or axial center of circular tray 26 across the open top 'arcuate' shaped chamber in spaced apart upright relationship and divide the interior thereof into'a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks. In order to provide a unitary freezing device the Walls 31 are locked to a device 23 against detachment therefrom and are so anchored in the tray 26 thereof as. to be movable relative thereto angularly within the chamber. A flat ring 32', beneath a substantially C-shaped retainer 33, is provided along its inner edge withspaced apart wall receiving notches 34. A plurality of studs or rivets 36 are employed to secure the ring 32 and retainer 33 to tray 26. A disk 37, secured to tray 26 at the axis or' axial center thereof by a plurality of smaller rivets 38, is provided witha series of spaced apart wall receiving notches 39 about its periphery (see Figure 7.) A manually operable leverage means or force multiplying mechanism in the form of a lever 41 is pivotally mounted to the raised portion 27 of tray 26 at the axis or axial center thereof by a large pin or rivet 42 which also secures a cuplike retainer 43 over the lever 41. A circular edge portion of lever 41 about rivet 42 is also provided with a series of spaced apart wall engaging notches 44 therein (see Figure 6). The opposed notches 3'4 and 39-44 receive upper ear portions 46 provided on thewalls 31 and the

retainers

33 and 43 overlap the top of ears 46 to lock the plurality of walls 31 to a freezing device 23 against detachment therefrom in spaced apart upright relationship within the arcuate chamber in tray 26. This method of locking the walls 31 within tray 26 loosely anchors them therein for movement relative thereto as will be hereinafter described. It is to be noted that at least two of the rivets 36 are provided with upstanding pin-like or peg-like portions or projections 47 (see Figure 8) for a purpose to be presently described. The lever 41 of the manually operable means or mechanism is provided with an end portion 48 extending outwardly from its mounted portion, pivoted at 42, beyond the peripheral rim 28 of tray 26 and has handle means 49 secured thereto by rivets 51. The handle end of lever 4I'serve's as a carrying means for a unitary freezing device 23, in skillet-like fashion, during the act of filling tray 26 with water and while placing a Water filled deviceon'a freezing shelf 21 and also upon removing the device therefrom and from the refrigerator cabinet. A Stud 52 riveted to lever 41, intermediate its handle ,end 48 and its portion mounted at 42, projects through aligned elongated openings 53 provided in tray 26 and ring 32 adjacent the rim 28 of the tray. Another stud 54 is riveted to tray 26 in spaced relationship to an end of opening or slot 53 and a lever return spring 56 has its ends secured to the

studs

52 and 54 respectively (see Figure 9). The walls 31 are maintained in a normal ice block forming position as disclosed in Figure 2 of the drawings and are adapted to be moved or shifted therefrom angularly into the position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings by the manually actuated lever 41. For example lever 41is rotated about its. pivotal mounting 42' relative to tray 26 so that anedge of notches 44 thereon'engage the inner cars 46 of walls 31 to move or angularly shift the plurality of walls within the arcuate shaped chamber of tray 26 of a unitary device 23 for loosening ice blocks from their compartments. It being understood that, the, opposed

notches

34 and 39 provided in ring 32 and disk .37 respectively are so shaped as to. permit such angular movement of the walls 31. It is also to be understood that the notches v44 in lever 41 are cut to be progressively wider than one another around the edge thereof bounding its pivotal mounting 42 so as to engage the ears 46 on walls 31 one after another in succession during a rotary movement of the lever. This breaks up the force required to move the walls 31 into increments and renders the ice block releasing operation easily performable.

While my circular unitary freezing devices 23 may be used along in a more or less conventional manner in conjunction with a refrigerator to freeze water therein into ice blocks and to release ice blocks therefrom they are particularly adapted to be used in combination with a portable round ice bucket to be stored in the refrigerator or to be employed at a point remote from the refrigerator. Thus the round ice bucket 25 is provided with a circular shouldered recess 55 at the top thereof (see Figure 4) which together with the top of the bucket forms a support for receiving and supporting a unitary freezing device 23. This support 55 is provided with a pair of spaced bores or apertures 57 which receive the projections 47 on the two rivets 36 for holding a device 23 in a stationary inverted supported position on the round bucket 25 against movement relative thereto during operation or rotation of lever 41. It is to be understood that a unitary freezing device 23 may be invertedly supported on the round bucket 25 for the release of ice blocks therefrom into the bucket while the bucket 25 is located in the freezing chamber 14 of cabinet 10 and/or when the bucket'is removed from the refrigerator cabinet and located at an ice block serving point remote thereto.

Assumethat the portable round bucket 25 is disposed in the chamber 14 of refrigerator cabinet 10, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, that water in an upright supported unitary freezing device 23 on a shelf or ledge 21 in this chamber is hard-frozen into separated ice blocks and that it is' now desired to harvest some ice blocks. Door 18 of cabinet 10 and inner door 17 are opened to afford access to chamber 14. A unitary freezing device 23 is removed from its freezing support in skillet-like fashion by the handle end of lever 41 of the device. The removed device 23, together with ice blocks therein, is rotated into an inverted position and placed on top of bucket 25 with stud projection 47 on the two rivets 36 inserted into the bores or apertures 57 in the shoulder or recess 55 (see Figure '4) to prevent rotation of the invertedly supported freezing device 23 relative to the bucket 25. This invertedly placing of a freezing device structure 23 on bucket 25 may be done While the bucket is disposed in chamber 14 of the refrigerator and/ or when the bucket is supported on a dinner table or on a cocktail serving table located remote from the refrigerator cabinet. The handle end 48 of lever 41 of the leverage means or force multiplying mechanism is now grasped by the operators hand, while holding bucket 25 stationary against rotation preferably by grasping a handle projection provided on the bucket, and rotated about its pivotal mounting 42 at the axis of tray 26. One side edge of notches 44 on the round pivoted portion of lever 41-is rotated into engagement with the ice compartment walls 31 onev after another in succession to rotate these walls in circular fashion whereby the walls are moved angularly within the arcuate shaped chamber of tray 26 (see Figure 5) to slide the walls 31 from ice blocks whereby a camming force is applied to the blocks for progressively loosening and mechanically releasing ice blocks from their compartments in the unitary freezing device invertedly supported on bucket 25 and the loosened ice blocks freely fall into the storage bucket (see Figure 4). The first wall 31, adjacent an inclined end 30 of the chamber in tray 26, moved cams end ice blocks along chamber wall 30 and ejects same from the tray and the movement of the remainder of the walls one after another ejects other of the ice blocks from the inverted tray. Circular rotation of lever 41 about the axis or center of tray 26' is limited .by stud 52 carried thereon stopping against one end of elongated opening 53 inthe tray and in the ring 32 (see Figure 5). Thus when the operator releases the handle end of lever 41, after 'ice blocks have been removed, return spring 56 moves the lever back to its original position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and'consequently side edges of notches 44 on the lever shifts the Walls 31 back to their normal ice block compartment forming position.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided a novel unitary ice block freezingjdevic'e and a unique arrangement for releasing ice'bloclcsi'froni a ci'ran appearance unlike arrangements of other competitors.

While I have provided a new"fr'eezin'gdeviceelement I have also provideda novel' combination thereof with a round portable ice bucketeitherwhen the bucketis within a refrigerator cabinet and/or when it is located exteriorly thereof.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having an arcuate shaped open top chamber about the axial center thereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from said tray center across the chamber in spaced apart upright relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relative thereto, and a manually operable mechanism on said device having portions thereof engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamber about their anchorage to loosen ice blocks from said compartments.

2. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein a stop means on the tray thereof is engageable by a part of the mechanism and limits movement of the walls.

3. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein the portions of the mechanism are engageable with the walls one after another to move them in succession around the arcuate shaped chamber for progressively loosening ice blocks from their compartments.

4. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having an arcuate shaped open top chamber about the axial center thereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from said tray center across the chamber in spaced apart upright relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relative thereto, leverage means pivotally mounted upon said device for rotation with respect thereto in a horizontal plane paralleling said tray, and said leverage means having portions thereof directly engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamber about their anchorage'to loosen ice blocks from said compartments.

5. A device as defined by claim 4 wherein a stop on the tray is engageable by the leverage means and limits rotation thereof and consequently movement of the walls.

6. A device as defined by claim 4 wherein the portions of the leverage means engage and move the walls one arcuate shaped open top chamber about the axial center movement of the walls.

tray having an arcuateshaped open top chamber about the axial centerthereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible'walls directed laterally from said tray center across the chamber in-spacedapart upright relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relative thereto, a lever pivotally mounted upon the device at said tray center and having a handle end extending outwardly therefrom beyond the periphery of the tray serving as a carrying means for said unitary device, said lever being rotatable about its mounting with respect to said tray by swinging its handle end in ahorizontaLplane paralleling the tray, and said lever having portions thereon directly engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamber about their anchorage to loosen ;ic e blocksfrom said compartments.

g 8. ,A device as defined by claim? wherein a stop on the tr a y is engageable by. a part of the handle end of the. lever and limits rotation. thereof and consequently 9. .A device as defined by claim 7 wherein the portions on the lever engage and move the walls one after another in succession.

10. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having its axial center portion raised and providing an arcuate shaped open top chamber therearound, a plurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from the center of said tray across said chamber in spaced apart relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relative thereto, leverage means pivotally mounted upon the device at said raised axial center portion of the tray for rotation with respect thereto, said leverage means having a handle end extending beyond the periphery of said tray serving as a carrying means for the unitary device, said leverage means being rotatable about its mounting with respect to said tray by swinging its handle end in a horizontal plane. paralleling the top of said device, and said leverage means having portions thereof directly engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamber about their anchorage to loosen ice blocks from said compartments.

11. A device as defined by claim 10 wherein a stop on the tray is engageable by a part of the handle end of the leverage means and limits rotation thereof and consequently movement of the walls.

12. In combination, a round portable ice bucket provided with a circular freezing device support thereon adapted to selectively store ice blocks in a refrigerator or for transferring ice blocks therefrom to a serving point remote thereto, a unitary freezing device normally located in the refrigerator including a circular tray having an thereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally fromsaid tray center across said chamber in spaced apart upright relationship and dividing the interior thereof into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray thereof for movement relative thereto, said unitary freezing device also including a leverage means pivotally mounted upon its tray at said axial center thereof and engageable with said walls, said unitary freezing device together with ice blocks therein being removable from the refrigerator and receivable in an inverted position on said circular support of the round portable ice bucket when same is within and/ or without the refrigerator, said leverage means being rotatable relative to the tray of said invertedly supported unitary freezing device for moving said walls within said chamber with respect'thereto whereby to mechanically release 7 ice blocks from their compartments into said bucket, and means for holding the tray of said invertedly supported unitary freezing device stationary on the circular support of said round bucket against movement relative thereto during rotation of the leverage means.

13. The combination defined by claim 12 wherein the leverage means engages the walls one after another in succession to progressively release ice blocks from thei compartments. 7

14. The combination defined by claim 12 wherein the leverage means has a handle portion extending beyond the periphery of the circular tray of the freezing device serving as a carrying means therefor.

15. A freezing device comprising, a circular tray having an arcuate shaped chamber about the axis thereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from said tray axis across the chamber in spaced apart upright relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row of ice block compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, and means pivotally mounted on said device for rotation about the axis of said tray engageable with-said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,067,356 Ljungstrom July 15, 1913 2,065,318 Lawrence Dec. 22, 1936 2,241,313 Miner May 6, 1941 2,275,522 Geyer Mar. 10, 1942 2,629,987 Chase Mar. 3, 1953 2,677,968 Hubner May 11, 1954 2,808,708 Sharpe Oct. 8, 1957