US3065611A

US3065611A - Freezer

Info

Publication number: US3065611A
Application number: US89834A
Authority: US
Inventors: Armando F Conto
Original assignee: FREEZ KING CORP
Current assignee: FREEZ KING CORP
Priority date: 1961-02-16
Filing date: 1961-02-16
Publication date: 1962-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-27

Description

Nov. 27, 1962 A. F. CONTO 3,065,611

FREEZER Filed Feb. 16. 1961 l 8 R. f

2, i a aw INVENTOR MA -oo restart Patented Nov. 27, 1962 A he 3,065,611 FREEZER Armando F. Conto, Chicago, 111., assignor to Freez-King Corporation, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 89,834 7 Claims. (Cl. 62298) This invention relates to improvements in freezers and, more particularly, to freezers of the type used to make ice cream, frozen custard, and similar frozen desserts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a freezer having a rotatable beater in a freezing chamber, and wherein the beater may be readily removed from the freezing chamber to permit cleaning, sterilization and/ or repair thereof as well as the interior of the freezing chamber, and at the same time reduce the possibility of contaminants entering the freezing chamber when the beater is removed therefrom.

It is a further and more specific object of the present invention to provide a freezer of the type stated in which the beater is driven by a drive shaft projecting into the freezing chamber through a wall thereof, the drive shaft being supported by bearings adjacent to and exteriorly of the said freezing chamber. A bellows-type seal is provided to reduce the possibility of seepage of the refrigerated mix outwardly onto bearings or of bearing lubricant and foreign matter into the freezing chamber. The seal is independent of the beater and is, therefore, maintained when the beater is removed from the freezing chamber, permitting more thorough cleaning and sterilization of the freezing chamber.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a freezer of the type stated in which the bean ings are mounted in a housing adjacent to the freezing chamber wall through which the drive shaft projects. A lubricant seal is interposed between the bearings and wall in spaced relation to the wall, leaving a space or buffer zone within the housing between the wall and lubricant seal. The housing has a drain opening in communication with said zone so that any seepage of lubricant past the lubricant seal or of mix past the sealing means therefor will pass into the buffer zone and drain therefrom.

In the drawing:

FlG. 1 is a longitudinal fragmentary sectional view of a freezer constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the freezer as seen from line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3, 4 and are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 33, 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of FIG. 1.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a freezer comprising a housing 1 having a horizontally extending tubular shell 2 therein which forms an enclosing wall of a freezing chamber 3. The front end of the shell 2 is turned radially outwardly to form a flange 4, which projects through an opening 6 in the housing front wall 7, and at its radially outermost part 8 the flange 4 is secured to the inside of the front wall 7. Surrounding the shell 2 are refrigeration coils 9 for freezing ice cream or similar frozen dessert mix within the chamber 3. Mounted over the rear end of the shell 2 is a casting 11 having an upwardly opening feed tube 12. through which mix may be admitted at the rear upper end of the shell 2 to the freezing chamber 3. The casting '11 also includes a plate 13 which constitute a rear wall for the freezing chamber 3.

Disposed over the front end of the shell 2 is a door 14 which provides a closure for the opening 16 at the front of the shell 2. The door 14 has laterally projecting ear-s 17, 18, which receive knurl-

headed screws

19, 20 by which the door 14 may be secured to a shell-support member 22 or other suitable part of the housing 1. A gasket 23 is interposed between the door 14 and flange 4. At its lower end the door 14 is formed with a longitudinal bore 24 which communicates with a rotatable shutoff valve 26 having a valve orifice 27 and discharge tube 28 through which frozen material may be discharged from the freezing chamber 3. A handle 29 is provided for opening and closing the valve 26.

Rotatably mounted within the freezing chamber 3 is a beater 31 having scraper blades 32, 33 suitably secured thereto. One end of the beater 31 has a hub 34 which is journaled on an axially extending spindle 36 integrally formed on the inside of the door 14.

The other end of the beater 31 also has a hub 37 provided with an axial bore 38 which is square in cross section and receives the cross-sectionally square end 39 of a drive shaft 41. The drive shaft 41 projects horizontally outwardly of the freezing chamber 3 through a large opening 42 in the wall 13, below the feed tube 12. The drive shaft 41 extends coaxially through a housing 43 secured by bolts 44 (one being shown) to the outside of the wall 13. A gasket 46 is interposed between the housing 43 and wall 13. Adjacent to the wall 13, the housing 43 has a downwardly opening drain tube 45. Mounted on the drive shaft 41 is a bearing sleeve 46 which terminates at its inner end in axially spaced relation to the wall 13. The bearing sleeve 46 has a transverse slot 47 radially therethrough and in axial alignment with an annular slot 43 on the drive shaft 41. A key 49 fits into the slots 47, 48 to key the bearing sleeve 46 and drive shaft 41 against relative axial movement. The outer end of the drive shaft 41 is cut down to form

opposed flats

51, 52, which fit against correspondingly spaced flats 53-, 54 on the outer end of the bearing sleeve 46. The bearing sleeve 46 has at its outer end an axial keyway 56 for receiving a key 57 by which the hub 58 of a pulley 5? may be secured to the bearing sleeve 46. A set screw 61 may be threaded into the hub 58 for engagement with the key 57.

Surrounding the outside of the housing 43 is a U-bolt 62, which may be held by nuts 63 (one being shown) to a bracket 64. The bracket 64 is joined to a suitable supporting frame (not shown) for the housing 1.

Mounted on the bearing sleeve 46 are spaced

ball bearings

63, 64, the bearing 63 fitting against a shoulder 66 on the bearing sleeve 46. The bore of the housing 43 is annularly grooved for receiving snap rings 67, 68, and the bearing sleeve 46 is similarly grooved for receiving the snap rings 79, 71, 72, thereby to retain the

bearings

63, 64 against axial displacement. Adjacent to the snap ring 67, the diametrically enlarged end of the bearing sleeve 46 has a grease seal 73 mounted thereon. It will be seen that the

bearings

63, 64 and grease seal 73 are contained in a part 43a housing 43, which is remote from the wall 13. The part 43b of the housing between the seal 73 and wall 13 forms a buffer zone or space 69 between the wall 13 and bearing-grease seal assembly, the buffer zone 69 being in communication with the drain tube 45.

Within the freezing chamber 3 the drive shaft 41 has a diametrically enlarged collar 74 having a shoulder 75 for receiving a plastic thrust washer 76, which is preferably formed of a fluorocarbon resin of the type sold under the trademark Teflon. Mounted on the drive shaft 41 adjacent to the thrust washer 76 is an annular, bellowstype sealing member 77 which surrounds the opening 42. The sealing member 77 may be fabricated of flexible, white polychloroprene rubber of the type ordinarily used in dairy equipment. The sealing member includes an axial fiange 78 against; the washer 76, substantially radial portions 79, 81 joined by a bellows section 80, and an axial flange 82 against the Wall 13. Sufficient thrust on the sealing member 77 is applied through the washer 76 to provide a good seal across the opening 4-2.

When the pulley 59 rotates during operating of the freezer, the drive shaft 41 will rotate the beater 31 to agitate the mix within the freezing chamber 3. The mix may rise to a level above the opening 42. However, the sealing member "77 remains fixed and prevent mix from entering the buffer zone 69. Furthermore, the sealing member 77 prevents lubricant or other foreign matter from Within the buffer zone 69 from entering the freezing chamber 3 through the opening 42. However, if there should be seepage of mix past the sealing member 77 into the buffer zone 69' or seepage of lubricant past the grease seal 73 into the buffer zone 69, the seepage will drain outwardly through the drain tube 45.

When it is desired to remove the beater 31 from the freezing chamber 3, the

screws

19, 29 are removed, whereupon the door 14 may then be removed from the front end of the frezer housing 1. The beater 31 is then axially withdrawn from the freezing chamber 3 through the opening 16 without removal of the drive shaft 41. This is possible because of the separable telescoping connection between the shaft end 39 and hub 37. The axial position of the drive shaft 41 remains such as to maintain the sealing member 77 sealing-wise over the opening 42 due to the fact that the shaft a1 is keyed to the bearing sleeve 46, which is, in turn, prevented from axial movement. Consequently, the seal across the opening 42 is maintained independently of whether or not the beater 31 is in or out of the freezing chamber 3. This is important because bearing lubricant and other foreign matter are thus prevented from entering the freezing chamber when the beater 31 is removed from the freezing chamber 3, with the result that thorough cleaning and sterilization is permitted of the parts within the chamber 3.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction herein shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What is considered new and desired to be secured by Letter Patent is:

1. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamber, a heater rotatable in the freezing chamber, a drive shaft outwardly of the chamber-forming means and projecting through an opening in a wall thereof axially of the heater for driving the beater, means forming an axially separable connection between the drive shaft and one end of the beater, the chamber-forming means having another opening adjacent to the other end of the heater and through which the beater is axially removable, a closure for said last-mentioned opening, and means independent of the heater for sealing the first-mentioned opening, said last-named means including a sealing member mounted on the part of the shaft within the chamber and surrounding the first-mentioned opening, and means on the shaft for applying axial thrust on the sealing member in the direction toward said wall for urging the sealing member axially against the Wall 2. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamber, a beater rotatable in the freezing chamber, a drive shaft in axially separable telescoping connection with one end of the'beater and projecting from within the chamber outwardlly through an opening in a wall of the chamberforming means, said chamber-forming means having another opening adjacent to the other end of the heater and through which the beater is axially removable, a closure for said opening, said first-mentioned opening being below the level at which mix may be present in the freezing chamber, a housing adjacent to said wall exteriorly of the chamber, said drive shaft extending into the housing, a sleeve over the drive shaft and being within the housing, the sleeve and drive shaft being rotatable together and being keyed against relative axial movement, bearing means in the housing and mounted on the sleeve, shoulder-forming means on the part of the drive shaft within the chamber and presented axially toward said opening, a sealing member surrounding the first-mentioned opening and including spaced radial portions joined by a bellows section, said sealing member being on said drive shaft and supported at one end by the shoulder-forming means for axial thrust-wise engagement against the inside of said chamber wall to form a seal over said firstmentioned opening independently of the beater.

3. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamber, a beater rotatable in the freezing chamber about a substantially horizontal axis, a drive shaft for the beater exteriorly of the chamber and projecting into the chamber through a wall of the chamber-forming means, means forming a coaxial separable connection between the drive shaft and the beater, a housing exteriorly of the chamber and adjacent to said wall and into which the drive shaft extends, a sleeve over the drive shaft and being within the housing, the sleeve and drive shaft being rotatable together and being keyed against relative axial movement, bearing means in the housing and mounted on the sleeve for journaling the sleeve and drive shaft, means fixing the axial position of the bearing means relative to the housing, a shoulder on the part of the drive shaft within the chamber and presented axially toward said opening, a bearing-forming washer mounted on the shaft against the shoulder, and a resilient sealing member mounted on the shaft against the washer, said sealing member being urged by the washer thrust-Wise over the opening to form a seal thereacross independently of the v beater.

4. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamher, said means including a chamber wall, a housing adjacent to the exterior of said wall and extendingaway therefrom, a heater rotatable in said freezing chamber, a drive shaft in said housing and projecting into the chamber through an opening in said wall for driving the beater, said opening being below the level at which mix may be present in the freezing chamber, bearing means in the housing for journaling the drive shaft, first sealing means in said housing for sealing the bearing means, said first sealing means being adjacent to the bearing means and being between the bearing means and the wall and spaced from the wall, the part of the housing between the wall and first sealing means having a drain opening, and second sealing means within the chamber for sealing said opening in the wall, the drain opening being in substantially unobstructed communication with the opening in the wall and the first sealing means whereby seepage of material past either of said sealing means will pass out of the housing through said drain opening.

5. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamber, a beater rotatable in the freezing chamber about a substantially horizontal axis, a drive shaft for the beater exteriorly of the chamber and projecting through an opening in a wall of the chamber-forming means and terminating within the chamber, means forming a coaxial separable connection between the drive shaft and the beater, a housing exteriorly of the chamber and adjacent to said wall and surrounding the opening, said drive shaft being within said housing, a sleeve over the drive shaft and being within the housing, the sleeve and drive shaft being rotatable together and being keyed against relative axial movement, bearing means in the housing and mounted on the sleeve in axially spaced relation to the wall, means for fixing the axial position of the hearing means relative to the housing, first sealing means mounted on the sleeve adjacent to the bearing means and axially spaced from said wall, said housing having a drain opening intermediate to the first sealing means and Wall, and second sealing means within the chamber and independent of the beater for sealing said opening in said chamber wall, said second sealing means being in unobstructed communication with the opening in the wall and the first sealing means whereby seepage of material past either of said sealing means will pass out of the housing through said drain opening.

6. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamber, a beater rotatable in the freezing chamber about a substantially horizontal axis, a drive shaft for the beater exteriorly of the chamber and projecting through an opening in a wall of the chamber-forming means and terminating within the chamber, means forming a coaxial separable connection between the drive shaft and the beater, a housing exteriorly of the chamber and adjacent to said wall and surrounding the opening, said drive shaft being within said housing, a sleeve over the drive shaft and being within the housing, the sleeve and drive shaft being rotatable together and being keyed against relative axial movement, bearing means in the housing and mounted on the sleeve in axially spaced relation to the wall, means for fixing the axial position of the bearing means relative to the housing, first sealing means mounted on the sleeve adjacent to the bearing means and axially spaced from said wall, said housing having a drain opening intermediate to the first sealing means and wall, and second sealing means within the chamber and mounted on the shaft and being urged by means on the shaft independently of the beater into sealing engagement across said opening in said chamber wall, the drain opening being in substantially unobstructed communication with the opening in the wall and the first sealing means whereby seepage of material past either of said sealing means will pass out of the housing through said drain opening.

7. In a freezer having means forming a freezing chamher, a beater rotatable in the freezing chamber, a drive shaft outwardly of the chamber-forming means and projecting through an opening in a wall thereof axially of the beater for driving the beater, means forming an axially separable connection between the drive shaft and one end of the beater, the chamber-forming means having another opening adjacent to the other end of the beater and through which the beater is axially removable from the chamber, a closure for said last-mentioned opening, and means for sealing the first-mentioned opening when the heater is in operative position in the chamber and when the heater is removed from the chamber, said last-named means including a sealing member mounted on the part of the shaft within the chamber and surrounding the first-mentioned opening, and means on the shaft and independent of the beater for applying axial thrust on the sealing member in the direction toward said wall for urging the sealing member into axially directed pressure against the wall to seal said opening, thereby to inhibit leakage of contaminants through the opening and into the chamber when the heater is removed from the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,559,032 Ta-cchella July 3, 1951 2,560,664 Sammy July 17, 1951 2,604,307 Swenson July 22, 1952 2,913,169 Wilsmann Nov. 17, 1959 2,916,106 Duckett Dec. 8, 1959 2,961,853 Cohrt Nov. 29, 1960 2,962,879 Patty Dec. 6, 1960 2,971,800 Ruthner Feb. 14, 1961