US3498081A

US3498081A - Auger ice maker

Info

Publication number: US3498081A
Application number: US713437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edgar O Benesh
Original assignee: McQuay Inc
Current assignee: Daikin Applied Americas Inc
Priority date: 1968-03-15
Filing date: 1968-03-15
Publication date: 1970-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-03-03

Description

March 3, 1970 E. o. BENESH 3,493,031

AUGE R ICE MAKER Filed March 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 34 35 EDGAR 0. BENESH Arromvcvs,

E. O. BENESH March 3, 1970 AUGER ICE MAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1968 A TTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 62-320 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An icemaking machine having a central evaporator casing surrounded by an outer casing to form a liquid receiving chamber therebetween. Chilling of the inner evaporator casing causes a quantity of the liquid to freeze to the evaporator outer surface. An icebreaking device is mounted for rotation in the chamber between the inner and outer casings, the icebreaker breaking the frozen liquid from the outer surface of the evaporator; and

the icebreaker, in conjunction with a helical land project- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to icemaking machines in general, and more specifically to a flake icemaking machine having improved ice-ejecting structure.

Flake icemaking machines are known in the prior art, for example, United States Patents Holden 490,475; Larson et a1. 3,049,896; Ross 3,101,598; and Schwertfeger 3,217,512, all disclosing various forms of flake icemaking machines. All of these prior art patents disclose a'flake icemaking machine utilizing a central evaporator casing which is surrounded by an outer casing to form a liquid chamber. The liquid chamber is filled with the desired liquid to be frozen, for example, water, and the chilling of the evaporator casing causes a quantity of the water to freeze on the outer surface thereof. Some form of ice-removing or icebreaking structure is mounted for rotation in the chamber adjacent the outer surface of the inner evaporator casing, and the rotation of the icebreaking member causes removal of the frozen ice from the outer surface of the evaporator. In the prior art patents Larson et al., Ross, and Schwertfeger, an ice outlet is provided at the upper end of the outer casing, and the icebreaker is arranged so that in addition to removing the ice from the outer surface of the evaporator casing it also lifts or transports this ice toward the ice outlet.

One particular problem with these prior art flake ice machines is that there is a decided tendency for the ice to jam or cake up at the upper part of the outer casing, in some instances this ice jam blocking off the ice outlet and continuing to build until further rotation of the ice breaker was prevented causing the ice machine to freeze up.

Some of the prior art structures, for example, Schwertfeger et al. 3,217,512 and Pichler 3,220,215 have attempted to solve this ice-ejection and freeze-up problem by the utilization of an ice-removing member having an inverted cone-shaped head portion mounted in overlying relationship to the central evaporator casing to engage the ice as it is transported in the chamber and deflecting it outwardly through the ice opening. However, since this Patented Mar. 3, 1970 "ice cone-shaped head portion of the ice remover also rotates with the icebreaker, this conical head portion has a tendency to carry the ice around the inside of the chamber as it rotates. In many instances, this causes freeze up because of ice jams at the upper portion of the inner casing opposite the ice outlet opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention a stationary frusto-conical element is mounted in fixed relationship with respect to the rotating icebreaking and transporting member such that as the ice is transported toward the ice outlet end of the outer container it will engage the inclined surface of the stationary frusto-conical element and be deflected through the ice outlet. The frusto-conical element has a central aperture axially therethrough and is mounted to a top cover or end wall of the outer casing, the icebreaking and transporting member having a shaft which extends through the aperture of the inverted frusto-conical element and also through th end wall of the outer casing to be connected to a suitable drive mechanism. Since the inverted frusto-conical element in the present invention is mounted in stationary relationship to the rotating ice breaking and transporting member the frusto-conical ele ment has no tendency to carry the ice around the upper inside of the outer casing but rather tends to deflect it directly outward through the ice outlet.

Furthermore, the ice-removing and transporting member has a head portion having circumferentially equally spaced radially projecting lugs with a rigid icebreaker extending from each of the lugs axially along the outer surface of the inner evaporator casing and in close proximity thereto. A portion of each of the outwardly projecting lugs extends in close proximity to the annular surface of the frusto-conical elements, so that as the ice remover is rotated the portions of the lugs in close prox imity to the frusto-conical element will clean the element and also cause any lodged ice to be moved into the outward ice path travel through the ice outlet.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved icemaking machine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved icemaking machine which utilizes a stationary inclined surface mounted so as to engage ice being transported by an ice removing element and deflect this ice transversely to its path of travel through an ice outlet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved icemaking machine wherein the ice ejector is in the form of an inverted frusto-conical element.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view partially in elevation and partially in vertical section, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a portion of the present invention, portions thereof being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the icemaker of the present invention, parts thereof being shown in elevation and parts in vertical section; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the outer casing utilized in the icemaking machine of the present invention.

Referring to the FIGS. l-S, there is shown an icemaking machine 10 having a base portion designated generally as 11. Mounted on base 11 and extending vertically upwardly is an ice-freezing mechanism designated generally as 12.

Ice-freezing mechanism 12 includes an upright inner evaporator casing 13 secured in a base member 14. Base member 14 extends radially outwardly from the lower end of the inner casing 13.

An outer casing 15 is coaxially disposed relative to the inner evaporator casing 13 and telescopes over the outer peripheral wall of base 14, base 14 forming an end wall for the outer casing 15. A liquid tight seal is provided between base 14 and outer casing 15 by means of an O-ring mounted in the groove 16 in the peripheral wall of base 14.

The liquid refrigerant input line 17 and a refrigerant return conduit 18 extend upwardly through the bottom of evaporator casing 13 to the interior thereof. Liquid refrigerant is supplied to the interior of evaporator casing 13 to chill the casing walls. The inner surface of outer casing 15 and the outer surface of inner evaporator casing 13 define an annular chamber 21. An input supply conduit 22 is provided in the outer casing 15 to supply a liquid to be frozen, for example, water, to the annular chamber 21. A detachable end wall 23 encloses the upper end of the outer casing 15. End wall 23 has a central aperture 24 therein, aperture 24 being coaxial with outer casing 15.

An ice-removing device 29 comprises a head portion 25 mounted in the outer casing 15 in overlying relationship to the inner casing 13. Head member 25 includes a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced radially projecting lugs 26, and a downwardly opening annular recess 27. An annular bearing 28 is received in the recess 27. The bearing 28 is rotatably mounted on an upstanding spindle 30 which projects upwardly from the top of the inner evaporator casing 13. One end of a vertically extending bar 31 is rigidly secured to each of the projecting lugs 26 of the head member 25, each of the bars 31 extending into the annular chamber 21 along the outer surface of the inner casing 13. The other end of each of the vertically extending bars 31 are rigidly secured in an annular bearing 32 which revolves on the outer lower surface of the inner evaporator casing 13. Longitudinally spaced sections of the bars 31 are undercut or otherwise suitably reduced radially to provide at least one cylindrical boss 33 on each bar 31. These bosses 33 constitute icebreaking members, which revolve around the outer surface of the inner evaporator casing 13 in close proximity thereto.

The outer casing 15 includes a radially inwardly projecting axially extending helical land 34 which extends upwardly and terminates adjacent an ice-outlet passage 35 at the top of the outer casing 15.

A power unit 36 includes a drive motor 37 having an output shaft 38 connected through a gear reduction unit 40 to a power output shaft 41. The power unit 36 is mounted by means of a power unit mounting bracket 42 to the top of the ice-freezing mechanism 12, such that the power shaft 41 is generally coaxial with the outer casing 15.

A coupling means 43 having a central aperture 44 therethrough is mounted on power shaft 41 and is secured against rotation thereon by means of a set screw 45. Coupling means 43 has a pair of opposed downwardly extending jaws 46.

Head member 25 of ice remover 29 has a pair of opposed upwardly extending jaws 47, the opposed upwardly extending jaws of head 25 being 90 displaced from the downwardly projecting jaws of the coupling means 43. A block of suitably strong material, such as a metal or nylon block 50 is mounted within the confines of the upwardly projecting jaws of head member 25 and the downwardly projecting jaws of coupling means 43 to secure a power drive from the power output shaft 41 of power unit 36 to the ice remover 29.

An annular inverted frusto-conical element 51 is rigidly mounted in the outer casing 15 on end wall 23. Head member 25 extends upwardly through the annular frusto-conical element 51 and through the aperture 24 in end wall 23 to make detachable connection with the coupling means 43 on the power output shaft 41 of power unit 36.

Frusto-conical element 51 defines an annular surface 52 which diverges axially outwardly toward end wall 23 and toward the ice outlet passage 35.

Each of the outwardly projecting lugs 26 of head member 25 includes a portion 53 which extends upwardly and lies in close proximity to the annular surface 52 of the frusto-conical element 51 and an adjacent surface portion ,of the outer casing 15.

Ice-outlet passage 35 extends horizontally into engagement with a vertically extending chamber, or shaft, 55 which extends through the base member 11 into an icegathering bin, or other suitable container (not shown).

An arm member 56 is mounted for pivotal movement around a shaft 57, arm 56 extending into close proximity to the output passage 35. Arm 56 is further connected to a suitable shutoff mechanism, which may take the form of a photoelectric device, a mercury switch, or any other suitable shutoff means, which when energized will stop the operation of the icemaking machine.

OPERATION The operation of the icemaking machine of the present invention is as follows:

Water is introduced into annular chamber 21 by means of the liquid supply conduit 22, and the chilling of the inner evaporator casing 13 by the liquid refrigerant through supply line 17 causes a quantity of the water to freeze to the outer surface of casing 13.

Motor 37 of power unit 36 causes power shaft 41 to rotate which in turn is connected through the coupling means 43 to the head member 25 of ice-remover 29 cansing the ice remover to rotate within the annular chamber 21 around the outer surface of evaporator casing 13 as the ice builds up on the outer surface of casing 13 it will contact the bosses 33 on the ice-remover 29. The bosses 33 will break flakes of ice off casing 13 and the separated ice flakes will engage the helical land 34 in the outer casing 15 and will rise to the top of casing 15 toward the ice outlet passage 35.

As the ice is raised in the annular chamber 21 toward ice outlet passage 35 it engages the annular surface 52 of the frusto-conical element 51. As explained previously, surface 52 of element 51 diverges axially outwardly toward the ice-outlet passage 35 and therefore exerts a transverse force on the separated ice particles toward the ice-outlet passage 35. The separated ice particles pass through the passage 35 and drop through vertical chamber 55 into an ice bin (not shown).

Since the frusto-conical element 51 is stationary relative to the rotation of the ice remover 29, element 51 tends to stop the rotation of the iCe around the inside of annular chamber 21 and in turn directs the transverse movement to the separated ice particles. In addition, any ice particles which are not directed through the ice-outlet passage 35 are contacted by the upwardly projecting portions 53 of the lugs 26 of head member 25 and are carried around the upper portion of the annular chamber 21 until they are again carried into the ice fiow pattern through ice-outlet 35. Thus, the divergent annular surface 52 of element 51 in conjunction with the projecting portions 53 of the lugs 26 prevent the caking or jamming of separated ice particles in the upper portion of annular chamber 21.

When the ice bin or other suitable ice container (not shown) is full, the ice machine will continue to operate until the ice builds up in vertical chamber 55 such that pivotally mounted arm 56 is raised sufficiently to operate the ice-machine cutoff mechanism.

When a sufiicient quantity of ice has been used from the storage bin, the ice level in shaft 55 will drop thereby causing pivotally mounted arm 56 to again activate the ice machine.

While I have shown a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and that my invention is to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An icemaking machine comprising:

(a) an outer casing having opposite end walls having an ice-outlet opening adjacent one end thereof;

(b) an inner casing within said outer casing, said inner and outer casings defining a chamber therebetween;

(c) means for supplying liquid to said chamber to be frozen;

((1) means for chilling the inner casing sufficiently to affect the freezing on its outer surface of a quantity of the liquid within said chamber;

(e) an inverted frusto-conical element rigidly mounted in said outer casing on one end wall, said frustoconical element defining an annular surface which diverges axially outwardly toward said ice outlet, said annular surface extending axially of said chamber for a distance substantially equal to the distance between the upper and lower limits of said ice-outlet Opening; and

(f) an ice-removing means mounted in said chamber for removing frozen liquid from the outer surface of said inner casing and transporting frozen liquid axially through said chamber toward said ice outlet, said ice-removing means comprising:

(1) a head rotatably mounted in said outer casing adjacent said one end wall in overlying relationship to said inner casing;

(2) a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced radially projecting lugs formed on said head adjacent said inner casing;

(3) a plurality of rigid icebreakers one each rigidly aflixed to said lugs, said icebreakers extending axially along the outer surface of said 6 inner casing and in close proximity thereto and at least one of said lugs including a portion which lies in close proximity to the annular surface of said frusto-conical element between the upper and lower limits of said ice-outlet openmg.

2. An icemaking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(a) a power means is mounted on said one end wall, said power means including a power output shaft generally coaxially disposed with respect to said inner and outer casings;

(b) a coupling means detachably connects said head to said power output shaft for common rotation therewith;

(c) said frusto-conical element has an aperture extendmg axially therethrough; and

(d) a portion of said head extends through said aperture of the frusto-conical element into engagement with said coupling means.

3. An icemaking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said lugs includes a portion which lies in close proximity to the annular surface of said frusto-conical element.

4. An icemaking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said lugs includes portions which lie in close proximity to an adjacent portion of the annular surface of said frusto-conical element and said outer casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,895 8/1962 Larson et a1. 62-354 3,217,512 11/1965 Schwertfeger et a1. 62-354 3,220,215 11/ 1965 Pichler 62-354 3,290,896 12/1966 Stiller 62-320 3,162,022 12/1964 Relph et al. 62-354 WILLIAM E. WAYNER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 62-354