US3929256A

US3929256A - Dispenser for ice cubes and the like

Info

Publication number: US3929256A
Application number: US451004A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arieh Solomon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-03-13
Filing date: 1974-03-13
Publication date: 1975-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-30
Also published as: IL41765A; IL41765A0

Abstract

A dispenser for ice cubes or other discrete articles includes a rotatable wheel on whose periphery is a detachable, normally flat but resiliently deformable magazine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compartments adapted to hold the articles to be dispensed. The magazine is designed so that, upon its flexure into conformity with the curved periphery of the wheel, it ejects the articles in the compartments. A cover, operatively associated with the wheel, retains the contents of the magazine therein until rotation of the wheel places a compartment in alignment with an outlet opening in the cover at which time, an article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through the outlet opening.

Description

[ Dec. 30, 1975 6B .2 6 r m e k an M we B K 56 66 99 H oo oo DISPENSER FOR ICE CUBES AND THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Arieh Solomon, Tel Aviv, Israel Primary Examiner stanley H- Touberg Avraham Deshe, Tel Aviv, Israel Mar. 13, 1974 [73] Assignee: Attorney, Agent, or FirmBrowdy and Neimark Filed:

57 ABSTRACT A dispenser for ice cubes or other discrete articles in- Appl. No: 451,004

cludes a rotatable wheel on whose periphery is a de- [30] Foreign Application Priority Data tachable, normally flat but resiliently deformable mag- Mar. 13, 1973 lsraelmw...

41765 azine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compartments adapted to hold the articles to be dis- 7 HM 21 61 km 8 8 G 2 .0 2 m 9 7 .1 m2 M h NC a r. 3 Ne Us L C d S t d ne UIF l: 2 oo 555 III the contents of the magazine therein until rotation of the wheel places a compartment in alignment with an [56] References Cited outlet opening in the cover at which time, an article in UNITED STATES PATENTS the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through the outlet opening.

2,487,408 11/1949 Askm............... 62/345 X 3,021 978 2/1962 Cunliffe............... 221/64 11 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures USO Patent Dec.30, 1975 Sheet10f7 3,929,256

Fig.1

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 2 of7 3,929,256

Sheet 4 of 7 3,929,256

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 USO Pamnt Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 5 of7 3,929,256

Fig. 8

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 6 of7 3,929,256

US, Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet7of7 3,929,256

lzo

Fig. l|2

ilili Fig. i3

DISPENSER FOR ICE CUBES AND THE LIKE This invention relates to a dispenser for ice cubes or other discrete articles.

Bowls or small insulated buckets are the usual containers for temporarily storing icecubes after their removal from a refrigerator and before they are placed in glasses for cooling drinks. The cubes are usually dumped from freezer trays into such containers from which they can be extracted by means of a pair of tongs to avoid manually touching the cubes. Frequently, the cubes in the container stick together, the problem arising because localized pressure between the cubes at their contact points soon causes a local rise in freezing point which produces a liquid interface that eventually freezes producing a solid interconnection between a mass of cubes. Without first physically breaking these frozen bonds, individual cubes cannot be placed in a glass. Breaking the mass of cubes apart cannot usually be accomplished with tongs, and resort is usually made to manually gripping the cubes and twisting them apart. This is unsatisfactory because it is unsanitary and is usually quite messy.

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide a new and improved article dispenser for ice cubes which keeps the cubes separate from each other but is arranged to conveniently dispense the cubes one-at-a-time on demand.

According to the present invention, there is provided a dispenser for ice cubes or other discrete articles comprising a rotatable wheel on whose periphery is a magazine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compartments adapted to hold the articles to be dispensed, and a cover operatively associated with the wheel for retaining the contents of the magazine therein until rotation of the wheel places a compartment in alignment with an outlet opening in the cover at which time an article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through the outlet opening.

In the preferred construction of the magazine, a plurality of laterally spaced angularly staggered compartments are provided so that only a small angular rotation of the wheel is sufficient to sequentially dispense individual articles.

Because the compartments of the magazine are separate, the articles therein do not directly engage one another with the result that if the articles are ice cubes, they do not stick together and are easily and quickly dispensed one-at-a-time by simply rotating the wheel. The magazine can be either integrally formed with the wheel or made separately therefrom. The latter arrangement is to be preferred when ice cubes are to be dispensed because the cubes can be frozen directly in the magazine which may function as part of an ice cube tray that can be placed in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator. In such case, the magazine must be flexible to permit it to be flat while the cubes are being frozen and to be curved in order to fit on and be attached to the curved periphery of the wheel.

In order to effect a positive connection between the separate magazine and the wheel, cooperating ridges and grooves may be provided in the periphery of the wheel and the base of the magazine. By providing a curved ridge on the inner surface of the cover and a mating linear groove on a side edge of the magazine, rotation of the wheel will pull the magazine into engagement with the ridge, such engagement serving to '2 conform the magazine to the curved periphery of the wheel. Alternatively, the ridge could be on the magazine and the groove in the cover.

The invention also consists in a flexible, resilient magazine for the dispenser. In the preferred construction of the magazine, the separate compartments are defined by an upright longitudinally extending rib integral with and perpendicular to a longitudinally extending base carrying the groove into which the ridge in the cover fits, and a plurality of spaced dividers perpendicular'to and integral with both the rib and the base, the rib having a plurality of slots therethrough. The slots serve two purposes: they provide liquid communication between the compartments facilitating filling the compartments with water to a uniform level when the magazine functions as a freezer tray; and they effect bending of the base into conformity with the curved periphery of the wheel thus easily breaking the bond between adjacent cubes, and detaching the cubes from the rib, base and dividers of the magazine. The cubes are thus freed from each other and from the magazine by reason of the transition of the magazine from its flat state to its curved state as the wheel is rotated.

The invention also consists in a tray by which the magazine can be used as a freezer tray. Such tray comprises a shell open at the top for receiving the magazine and dimensioned so that the opposite longitudinal edges of the base and the free ends of both the rib and the dividers fit snugly with the sides of the shell. After water contained in the magazine has been frozen, the shell can be removed to permit the magazine to be attached to the wheel of the dispenser. In the preferred embodiment of the tray the shell comprises two halves releasably clamped together. Subsequent to freezing, the two halves of the shell are easily separated freeing the magazine for insertion into the dispenser. At no time, from freezing to dispensing, need the cubes be touched. Thus, an efficient and sanitary dispensing of cubes is assured- Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section; taken through the dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the dispenser according to the present invention with a portion of the cover removed for the purpose of illustrating its construction;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the preferred form of the magazine;

FIG. 5 is a side view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 45 and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through a tray containing the magazine shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view in section of a second embodiment of the invention taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 8;

FIG. 8 is a front view in section of the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the manually operable means by which dispensing is achieved, and is a view in the direction of arrows IX-IX of FIG. 83

FIG. 10 is a view taken along the line X--X of FIG. and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the magazine associated with the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a top view of a portion of an improved ice cube tray suitable for a dispenser according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a sectional side view taken along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 125 and FIG. 14 is a sectional side view showing the tray conformed to the curved periphery of the wheel of the dispenser.

Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral designates the first embodiment of an ice cube dispenser in accordance with the present invention. Dispenser 10 comprises a rotatable wheel 11 on whose periphery is a magazine 20, (see FIG. 2), and a cover 12. Cover 12 comprises a flat base 13 (see FIG. 2), a pair of spaced

side walls

14 and 15 connected to the base and a back wall 16 interconnecting the two

walls

14 and 15. The top and front of the cover are defined by cylindrically shaped segment 17 which merges into a straight section 18 terminating short of base 13 to establish receptacle opening 19. The cover may be either metal or plastic material and is preferably formed by casting a pair of mirror image cavities whose plane of reflection is indicated by line AA in FIG. 3. After assembly into one half of the cover of the wheel described in detail below, the other half of the cover may be attached thereto completing the assembly.

Cover 12 is provided with a pair of

access openings

21 and 22, the opening 21 being referred to hereinafter as the outlet opening and being selectively closed by a closure member 23 pivotally connected at 24 to the curved top portion 17 of the cover which extends downwardly into an overhanging lip 25. A leaf spring 26 is interposed between lip 25 and the free end of closure member 23 for the purpose of biasing the closure member into the closed position shown in FIG. 2. As a consequence, the closure member 2; may be manually grasped and pivoted to the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The opening 22 is referred to hereinafter as the inlet opening and is closed by a closure member 27 pivotally mounted at hinge connection 28 to the top cover portion 17 as shown in FIG. 2. The free end of closure member 27 is provided with a lip 29 which may be manually grasped to permit the closure member to be opened. The top edge of opening 22 is tangent to the circular portion 17 of the cover as shown in FIG. 2 and the bottom edge is tangent to the wheel 11.

The inside of each of the

side walls

14 and 15 is provided with a circular ridge or flange 30 concentrically located with respect to a central bearing support 31 on each of the walls 14 and 1S. Ridge 30 is interrupted near opening 22 as indicated by reference numeral 40.

To complete the cover, cylindrical segment 32 may be provided, which segment has a lower aperture 33 interconnecting the region of the housing in the vicinity of hub 31 with the lower portion of the housing in which opening 19 is located. Drip tray 67 is positioned below aperture 33 and may be removed through opening 19.

Turning now to wheel 11, it has a central hub 34 (see FIG. 2) and a plurality of spokes 35 that interconnect the hub to a generally cylindrically shaped periphery 36. Hub 34 of wheel 11 is rotatably mounted on opposed bearing supports 31 that are a part of

side walls

14 and 15 such that the wheel is rotatably carried within the cover by means of the cooperation between

elements

31 and 34. Integrally formed with the hub 34,

or attached securely thereto, is a shaft 38 that is located on one side of the wheel and projects through a suitable opening in the side wall 14 of the cover. Manually operable knob 39 is rigidly connected to shaft 38 to permit the wheel 11 to be manually rotated inside the cover upon the grasping and rotation of the knob 39 from outside the cover. The cylindrical peripheral surface 36 of the wheel 11 is provided with a plurality of transversely extending regularly spaced indentations 42 which form grooves that cooperate with complementary shaped ridges on the bottom of magazine 20 described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 4 6, magazine 20 has a longitudinally extending upright rib 46 integral with and perpendicular to a longitudinally extending base 45, and a plurality of spaced dividers 47 perpendicular to and integral with both the rib and the base. The opposite longitudinal edges of base 45 are enlarged as shown in FIG. 6 and each is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 48 that slidably receives a ridge 30 when the magazine is inserted into the dispenser.

Alternatively, the grooves can be in the sides of the cover and the ridges can be on the base.

On the bottom surface of the base 45, opposite the surface to which rib 46 is attached, are a plurality of transversally extending spaced ridges 49. The spacing between these ridges matches the spacing between grooves 42 in the periphery of wheel 11. To facilitate the moulding of the grooves and ridges, both maybe tapered as shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 5.

Rib 46 is discontinuous along its length being provided with a plurality of slots 50 which interconnect the compartments 51 defined by the rib 46 and the dividers 47. As seen in FIG. 4, the dividers that extend laterally from the rib 46 on opposite sides are misaligned so that the compartments 51 on one side of rib 46 are staggered longitudinally relative to the compartments 51 on the other side of rib 46. The reasons for providing slots 50 and longitudinally staggering the compartments as described below.

Magazine 20 is ideally suited for incorporation into a freezer tray by which ice cubes can be formed. Referring now to FIG. 6, freezer tray comprises, in addition to magazine 20, a shell open at the top into the magazine is received. The dimensions of the shell relative to the dimensions of the magazine are such that the opposite longitudinal edges of the base and the free ends of both the rib 46 and the dividers 47 slidably and snugly fit within the side walls 61 and the opposite end walls 62 of the tray.

When sufficient water is placed in theshell to fill the tray, the slots 50 insure the uniform filling of each of the compartments 51. To enhance this result, suitable apertures (not shown) may be provided in ribs 47.

The shell of tray 60 is preferably formed in two longitudinal halves which are releasably clamped together. Thus, the two halves of the shell are mirror images of each other, and each comprises a longitudinal wall 61 and half of an end wall 62 at each longitudinal end of the shell. In addition, each half of the shell has a bottom 63, terminating in a down-turned flange 64 having an enlarged free end. When the halves of the shell are butted together as shown in FIG. 6, a resilient clamp 65 may be snapped over the flange 64 thus releasably clamping the two halves of the shell together.

Preferably, the halves of the shell are moulded from a somewhat rigid plastic material although they may also be made from metal. Alternatively the shell may be integral and in such case it is preferred to form the shell from a moulded resilient plastic material which will permit the shell to be removed easily from the magazine after the water in compartments 51 has been frozen.

In using the present invention, the magazine 20 would be placed within the shell of the freezer tray 60 and water would be frozen in compartments 51 as in a conventional freezer tray. When it is desired to dispense the cubes formed within the compartment 51, the tray 60 would be removed from a freezing compartment of a refrigerator and the shell stripped away leaving the ice cubes still contained in and attached to the magazine 20. Closure 27 may be lifted and the maga zine inserted into the opening 28 in a direction tangential to the periphery of wheel 11 as slots 48 in the base of the magazine pass freely in the region 40 into engagement with ridges 30 on the cover. By rotating knob 39, wheel 11 may be positioned such that the leading projection 49 on the bottom of the magazine mates with a groove 42 in the periphery of wheel 11. Further rotation of knob 49 in the proper direction will draw the magazine into the cover 12 of the dispenser to the position shown in FIG. 2, the interaction of slots 48 and ridges 30 serving to conform the base of the magazine to the curvature of the wheel.

The provision of slots 50 in rib 46 permits the base 45 of the magazine to bend into conformity with the curved periphery of the wheel as the latter rotates in response to rotation of knob 39. As a consequence of the banding of the base and the provision of slots 50,

the compartments 51 increase in size as shown in FIG.

2, stripping the ice cubes within the compartments from the walls defining the compartments. The ice cubes as thus freed as indicated at 100 in FIG. 2. In addition, the relatively small interconnection between adjacent cubes formed by slot 50, and by any connection between ribs 47, are easily broken by the flexing of the rib 40 and dividers 47.

With the ice cubes thus freed from the magazine 20, individual ones may be dispensed into a tumbler 66 placed below the opening 21 in the cover by rotating knob 39 until a compartment 51 is aligned with the outward opening 21. The closure 23 may be opened to permit an ice cube to drop through the opening into the tumbler by manually grasping and pivoting the closure. Another cube may be dispensed into the tumbler by rotating the knob 39 through a small angular displacement until the next compartment on the opposite side of rib 46 is aligned with the opening 21.

Water produced by the melting of the cubes in the magazine will run down the curved wall 32 and through the opening 33 into a receptacle 67 which may be removed through opening 19 in wall 18. In an alternative arrangement, the cover of the dispenser may be provided with insulation for the purpose of inhibiting melting of the ice cubes that remain in the magazine prior to being dispensed.

While a separate magazine has been shown, it is obvious that the magazine could be made integral with the wheel. In such case the ice cubes could be manually inserted into the magazine and dispensed from the outlet opening 21 in the same manner as previously described.

The present invention is also applicable to articles other than ice cubes, and in particular to any discrete article. For example, the dispenser could be utilized for the purpose of dispensing individual pieces of fruit commonly used in the preparation of drinks. To positively hold the wheel in a selected angular position, a spring loaded detent can be provided on the cover to cooperate with detent recesses in the wheel, or the reverse relationship could be used. Alternatively, a ratchet-wheel/pawl drive can be interposed between the operating knob and the wheel.

In summary, the present invention provides a magazine that can be used as part of a freezer tray to form ice cubes which are automatically freed from connection with themselves and with the magazine when it is flexed to place a cube in position to be dispensed. Furthermore, the cubes will not stick together. In addition, the cubes need not be touched either to remove them from the magazine or to dispense them into a tumbler. Thus, the present invention provides a neat and sanitary way to dispense ice cubes.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 11, reference numeral designates a second embodiment of an ice-cube dispenser in accordance with the: present invention. Dispenser 70 comprises a rotatable main wheel 71 on whose periphery is a magazine 72 and a cover 73. Cover 73 is similar in shape to cover 12 of the first embodiment and may be fashioned from two non-symmetrical parts as illustrated in FIG. 8. Centrally located within the recessed sides 74 of the cover are a pair of centrally located bosses or hubs 75 which non-rotatably receive the reduced end portions of a central shaft 76 upon which the wheel 71 is rotatably mounted. Extending radially from the wheel-hub 78 that rotatably receives shaft 76 is a central web terminating in a peripheral cylindrical flange 79, the opposite edges of which are provided with a plurality of spaced axially extending teeth 80. The teeth 80 in one side edge of the flange 79 are located midway between the teeth in the opposite edge.

Non-rotatably mounted on shaft 76 on opposite sides of hub 78 are two arms 81 which project form the axis of rotation of the shaft 76 toward the front of the dispenser in a direction toward the opening 82 in the cover 73 (see FIG. 7). Rotatably mounted on the free ends of each of these arms 81 is a star-wheel 83, the teeth of each of which project into the respective toothed edges of the flange 79'. Each star-wheel has a central hub 84 that passes through the side wall 74 of the cover in rotatable engagement with a boss 85 on the sides forming a second bearing for the starwheel. Rigidly attached to one of the hubs 84 is a hand wheel 86 which permits the user to manually rotate the starwheel and to impart rotation to the wheel 71 by reason of the engagement of the teeth of the starwheel with the teeth in the flange 79 of the wheel.

The hub 84 of the other starwheel is rigidly attached to a disc 87 and a ratchet wheel 88 stacked one on the other as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Disc 87 is circular but is eccentrically attached to hub 84 as shown in FIG. 9. An operating lever 89, rigidly attached to disc 87, permits the disc and the ratchet wheel 88 to be manually moved as a unit through a predetermined angle established by the interaction of pin 90 with a slot 91 in the disc 87. The center of curvature of slot 91 is on the axis of hub 845 and the pin 90 is rigidly secured to the side wall 74 as shown in FIG. 10.

Pivotally mounted on disc 87 is a pawl 92 which is spring urged into engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 88 upon movement of the operating lever 89 in the direction of arrow 93. The engagement of pawl 92 with the teeth of the ratchet wheel serves to transfer the pivotal movement of the operating lever 89 to the ratchet wheel which in turn rotates the star wheel attached to hub 84 thus imparting limited angular movement to the wheel 71 sufficient to index the magazine on main wheel 71. A spring (not shown) provides for the return of the operating arm to its position shown in solid lines in FIG. 9 where the engagement of pin 90 with pawl 92 removes the pawl from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Thus, wheel 71 may be moved continuously by continuously rotating knob 86, or may be moved intermittently by intermittently depressing operating arm 89. Opening 82 is provided with a pivotally mounted door 94 which is spring loaded into its closed position shown in solid lines in FIG. 9. Rigidly attached to and movable with the door 94 is an operating arm 95 having an extension pin 96 positioned in the path of movement of the operating lever 89. Thus, when the operating arm is moved in the direction of arrow 93 from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 9 to the position shown in phantom lines, the arm 95 pivots as indicated and opens the door. For this reason, lever 89 constitutes manually operable means for simultaneously indexin the main wheel 71 and opening the door 94.

The magazines 72 for dispenser 70 are somewhat different from the magazines for dispenser as indicated in FIG. 11. Specifically, magazine 72 is moulded of resilient material such as rubber or polyethylene to provide an elongated, flat body containing two rows of compartments 100, the spacing of the compartments of a row matching the pitch of the teeth 80 in main wheel 71, and the displacement of the compartments from row-to-row matching the staggering of the teeth 80 from one side of wheel 71 to the other. Each opposite end of magazine 72 is provided with a transversely extending moulded-in-place metal rod 101 that is insertable into bayonet slots 102 in a pair of cars 103 provided at diametrically opposed locations on the main wheel 71 as shown in FIG. 7.

In operation, access door 104 of cover 73 is opened to gain entrance to the interior of the cover, and knob 86 is manually rotated to cause the starwheel associated with the knob to drive main wheel 71 until a pair of the ears 103 reaches top-center of the wheel. A magazine, containing frozen water in each compartment, is inserted through door 104, and rod 101 of the magazine is hooked into slots 102 of the ears. Rotation of knob 86 is then continued in a direction that draws the magazine into the dispenser until the other pair of cars on wheel 71 becomes accessible through door 104. The resilient nature of the magazine allows it to conform to the curvature of wheel 71. The free rod 101 on the other end of the magazine can then be guided down cam surface 105 of the ears and into the bayonet slot as the resilient nature of the magazine permits the necessary small extension of the magazine to take place. Once seated in slots 102, the rods 101 at opposite ends of the magazine retain it in place on the wheel.

As can be seen in the drawing, the circumference of the wheel 71 is just large enough to accommodate two magazines. This number is selected for convenience, and it is possible to design either the wheel or the magazine so that more or less than two magazines can be accommodated simultaneously.

With the magazines in place on the periphery of the main wheel 71, dispensing of individual cubes is achieved by selective depression of the operating lever 89. Such depression, through the operation of the starwheel associated with the lever, rotates the main wheel until a compartment in a magazine in one row or the other is aligned with the outlet opening 82. If a compartment of the magazine in the row adjacent the starwheel associated with the lever 89 is aligned with the opening, a tooth of such starwheel will be positioned to engage the bottom of the aligned compartment deforming the same as shown in FIG. 7 and forcing the ice cube therein outwardly toward the opening 82. Simultaneously with depression of levers 89, pin 96 of arm wil be contacted thus opening door 94 as shown in FIG. 9. Thus, the ice cube forced out of the compartment by the tooth of the star wheel will be dispensed through the open door 94 and into a glass or container placed on perforated surface 106 that is part of the base 107 supporting the cover. As shown in FIG. 7, base 107 defines a compartment below the cover for the reception of a removable tray within which melted water from the cubes can collect.

Upon release of lever 89, the latter returns to its normal position allowing door 94 to close. When next depressed, lever 89 causes main wheel 71 to rotate through an angle sufficient to align a compartment in the next row with the opening 82. In this case, the other starwheel is effective to deform the bottom of the aligned compartment forcing the ice cube therein outwardly through the open door. Thus, each depression of lever 89 is followed by dispensing a cube from alternate rows of compartments in the magazine.

It is not necessary for a star wheel to engage the bottom of the ice cube tray (FIG. 7) in order to eject an ice cube from a compartment when the tray has the configuration seen in FIGS. 12l3. Tray is provided with means responsive to its flexure into conformity with the circular periphery of wheel 71 for ejecting cubes therefrom. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, tray 120 comprises a unitary body, blow-molded from a resilient sheet of plastic material material such as polyethelyne. In its normally unflexed position, tray 120 is flat and comprises a planar upper surface 121 containing two rows of tapered compartments 122 in staggered arrangement, each compartment being defined by a pair of inclined

transverse side walls

123, 124 and a pair of inclined

longitudinal side walls

125, 126. The term longitudinal refers to the direction of the two rows of compartments while the term transverse refers to the narrower width of the tray.

The edges of walls 123-126 remote from surface 121 are interconnected to a bottom wall 127; and a plurality of channels 128 in the side walls interconnect the various compartments in order to facilitate the flow of water between the compartments when the tray is being filled with water. Finally, longitudinal ribs 129 are provided on the bottom of the tray on the side opposite the side receiving water, such ribs extending longitudinally between the transverse walls of adjacent compartments. Ribs 129 function as illustrated in FIG. 14 which indicates flexure of the tray to conform to the curvature of the wheel of the dispenser. That is to say, ribs 129 inwardly deform the transverse walls of the compartment thus displacing the cubes therein.

I claim:

1. Dispensing apparatus for ice cubes or other discrete articles comprising:

a circular rotatable wheel;

a longitudinally extending flexible magazine insertable into engagement with the periphery of said rotatable wheel, said magazine being normally flat and having a bottom that fits and conforms to the curved periphery of said wheel when in engagement therewith and having a plurality of spaced compartments arranged longitudinally in parallel rows, such that the compartments in adjacent rows are in relatively staggered disposition to one another, said compartments being adapted to hold discrete articles, wherein adjacent compartments of said magazine are defined by spaced transverse walls interconnected by a longitudinal wall, whereby the discrete articles are ejected from the compartments in response to the flexure of said magazine in conformity with the periphery of said wheel;

cover having an outlet opening operatively associated with said wheel for retaining the contents of said magazine therein until rotation of said wheel places a single compartment in alignment with said outlet opening in said cover at which time as article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through said outpet opening; and

wherein the sides of said magazine and the sides of said cover have cooperating ridges and grooves for retaining the bottom of said magazine engaged with the wheel periphery during rotation of said wheel.

2. Dispensing apparatus for ice cubes or other discrete articles according to claim 1 wherein the sides of said magazine and the sides of said cover project radially from the axis of rotation of said wheel.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 including cooperating ridges and grooves in the wheel periphery and bottom of the magazine so as to couple the magazine to the wheel for simultaneous rotation.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the magazine has dividers which, when the magazine is fitted on the wheel, extend axially and radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the wheel to thereby increase the size of the compartment due to the curvature of the magazine on the wheel as compared to the size when the magazine is flat.

5. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the cover has an inlet opening that is tangent to the periphery of the wheel to effect the attachment to and removal from the wheel of a magazine.

6. A dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the magazine is adapted to contain frozen water which, by reason of the dividers and the curvature of the magazine on the wheel, is divided into pieces of ice separate from each other and from the magazine.

7. A dispenser according to claim 1 provided with opposed hearings on opposite sides of the cover to rotatably support a wheel, and also including a manually operable knob projecting through the cover for rotating the wheel, the cover overlying the outlet opening to permit a container to be placed under the outlet opening to collect an article dispensed from a compartment in the magazine by rotation of the wheel until the compartment is opposite the outlet opening.

8. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for locally deforming the bottom of a compartment in the magazine at a position opposite the outlet opening for physically displacing the contents of the compartment therethrough.

9. An ice cube tray for use with the dispenser of claim 1 comprising a unitary body having a plurality of tapered compartments defined by interconnected inclined transverse and longitudinal walls of substantially uniform thickness, the bottom edges of transverse walls of adjacent compartments being spaced to allow longitudinal flexure of the magazine, and a longitudinal rib interconnecting the transverse walls of adjacent compartments.

10. Dispensing apparatus for ice cubes or other discrete articles comprising:

a circular rotatable wheel;

a longitudinally extending flexible magazine removably attached to the periphery of said wheel and having a plurality of circuimferentially spaced compartments adapted to hold the discrete articles, said magazine being normally flat and having a bottom that fits and conforms to the curved periphery of said wheel; cover having an outlet opening operatively associated with said wheel for retaining the contents of said magazine therein until rotation of said wheel places a compartment in alignment with said outlet opening at which time an article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through said outlet opening;

a star-shaped wheel operatively engaged with the rim of said rotatable wheel;

a ratchet wheel;

a shaft rigidly connecting said star-shaped wheel to said ratchet wheel through said cover; and manually operable means for indexing said ratchet wheel, thereby indexing said rotatable wheel.

11. A dispenser according to claim 10 wherein the outlet opening has a cover normally closing the same but movable to an uncovering position in response to operation of the manually operable means that indexes the ratchet wheel.

Claims

1. Dispensing apparatus for ice cubes or other discrete articles comprising: a circular rotatable wheel; a longitudinally extending flexible magazine insertable into engagement with the periphery of said rotatable wheel, said magazine being normally flat and having a bottom that fits and conforms to the curved periphery of said wheel when in engagement therewith and having a plurality of spaced compartments arranged longitudinally in parallel rows, such that the compartments in adjacent rows are in relatively staggered disposition to one another, said compartments being adapted to hold discrete articles, wherein adjacent compartments of said magazine are defined by spaced transverse walls interconnected by a longitudinal wall, whereby the discrete articles are ejected from the compartments in response to the flexure of said magazine in conformity with the periphery of said wheel; a cover having an outlet opening operatively associated with said wheel for retaining the contents of said magazine therein until rotation of said wheel places a single compartment in alignment with said outlet opening in said cover at which time as article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through said outpet opening; and wherein the sides of said magazine and the sides of said cover have cooperating ridges and grooves for retaining the bottom of said magazine engaged with the wheel periphery during rotation of said wheel.

7. A dispenser according to claim 1 provided with opposed bearings on opposite sides of the cover to rotatably support a wheel, and also including a manually operable knob projecting through the cover for rotating the wheel, the cover overlying the outlet opening to permit a container to be placed under the outlet opening to collect an article dispensed from a compartment in the magazine by rotation of the wheel until the compartment is opposite the outlet opening.

10. Dispensing apparatus for ice cubes or other discrete articles comprising: a circular rotatable wheel; a longitudinally extending flexible magazine removably attached to the periphery of said wheel and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compartments adapted to hold the discrete articles, said magazine being normally flat and having a bottom that fits and conforms to the curved periphery of said wheel; a cover having an outlet opening operatively associated with said wheel for retaining the contents of said magazine therein until rotation of said wheel places a compartment in alignment with said outlet opening at which time an article in the last mentioned compartment is gravity dispensed through said outlet opening; a star-shaped wheel operatively engaged with the rim of said rotatable wheel; a ratchet wheel; a shaft rigidly connecting said star-shaped wheel to said ratchet wheel through said cover; and manually operable means for indexing said ratchet wheel, thereby indexing said rotatable wheel.