US553158A - Ice-cream freezer - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. J. HARTON. ICE CREAM FREEZER.

Patented'JamlA AN DREW B56 RAHAM. FHOTQUTHO WASH! N 670" DE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JEFFERSON HARTON, OF \VACO, TEXAS.

ICE-CREAM FREEZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,158, dated January 14, 1896. Application filed April 22, 1395. Serial No. 546,748. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS JEFFERSON HARTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of aco, in the countyof McLennan and State of Texas, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Ice-Cream Freezers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a top view or plan of my improved ice-cream freezer as it appears when ready for use. Fig. 2 is a sectionallview of the same on the longitudinal and vertical plane indicated by the broken line marked a; m. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of one of the interior removable cream-cans, with its hermetic cap or cover. Fig. 4 is a trans verse sectional view of the box and rotary drum on the horizontal plane indicated by the broken line marked 11 1 and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of the interior apertured diaphragm and rotary freezer-drum, illustrating a modified construction and arrangement of the aforesaid diaphragm or partition.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to that class of utensils which are adapted to be used either as ice-cream freezers or churns, at the option of the user, (sometimes callec combined icecream freezers and churns;) and it consists in certain improvements in the construction and combination of parts of that particular type of devices of that class which employ a drum or cream-receptacle revolving upon a horizontal axis, with its lower-half part dipping into a stationary receptacle containing ice or water, (cold or hot, according to the purposes for which the machine is employed for the time being,) substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

On the accompanying drawings the reference-letter A designates a box made of woodor metal of any desired size, preferably of square or rectangular shape, and provided on opposite sides with journal boxes or bearings a a for the shaft (9 of the rotary drum or receptacle B, said shaft 1) being provided with a crank-handle I) for turning it. The rotary drum B is of the shape illustrated more clearly in Figs. 2 and 5-21 8., having a hat rectangular top, 0, a corresponding flat and rectangular bottom, 0, and curved sides (Z and (Z forming parts of a circle, with the shaft or axle b as the center, so that the top and bottom 0 0' really form sectors of what would otherwise be a cylindrical drum B. It will furthermore be seen that the top and bottom are interchangeable terms, as whether 0 is the top and c the bottom, or vice versa, will depend upon which side is uppermost at a given time. The flattened parts 0 and 0 have large openings C and 0, closed with tightly-fitting screw-caps D D, or any other desired form of hermetic closures which can be easily removed, and the axis of the drum B is intersected by a fiat diaphragm or partition E half-way between and parallel to the flattened sides 0 and c. This interior diaphragm E is provided at opposite ends with slots or apertures e e, impinging upon the straight heads or ends B B of the drum, so that when the drum is revolved upon its axis Z) the fluid contents may pass freely through these apertures e c from one compartment, X, into the other, X, or vice versa, in the manner and for the purpose which will be described more fully later on.

If this apparatus is to be used as a churn for making butter, the cream is placed into the uppermost compartment by removing the appropriate stopper D or D, from where it will by gravity, when the drum is at rest, find its way through the apertures c 6 down into the lowermost chamber or compartment; but when the drum is being rapidly revolved by turning the handle b (either by hand or by machinery) the centrifugal force will throw the cream with considerable force against the opposite sides of this inner partition E, which operates in this way as the dasher of an ordinary churn, causing the butter to come rapidly and easily, and this process may be still further expedited and facilitated by filling box A, in which the drum has its bearings and revolves, with. water of the proper temperature. \Vhen the butter has been formed it is all collected in a single batch in one of the compartments, resting upon the central partition E, which is adjusted in a slightlyslanting position, so that all the buttermilk packed in either one of the compartments X or X, resting upon the central flat partition, as indicated in Fig. 2, and any space above, as well as the entire space in the adjacent vacant compartment, is filled with crushed ice mixed with coarse salt or any other convenient and inexpensive freezing-mixture. By now revolving the drum the same as when churning, the freezing-mixture will be violently agitated and forced from one compartment through the apertures e c on opposite sides of shaft 1) into the other, permeating thoroughly all spaces or interstices between the individual closelypacked cans F F, the contents of which are thus subjected to the direct action of the freezing-mixture, which is constantly changing relative to the cans with which it comes into contact by the rapid revolutions of the drum. After the contents of the cans have been frozen the drum is stopped and adjusted, as represented in Fig. 2, so that all the ice-water (or whatever other freezing-mixture may have been employed) will drain through the apertures e e in the floor or partition E back into the bottom compartment X, after which the cans are withdrawn, one by one, through the opening C. By then dipping each of these cans for a few moments into hot water, removing the screw-cap, and placing them in an inverted position, the frozen contents may readily be shaken out in one solid piece or body, the tapering shape of the can-bodies greatly facilitating the removal of the contents in a solid piece.

If desired, the central apertured diaphragm or partition E may be .con structed with clips or spring-clamps ff, as illustrated in Fig. 5, adapted to be sprung over the cans F and thus hold them firmly in position during the revolutions of the drum. This construction will be found advantageous if only a small number of cream-cans are to be used for freezing, as it prevents these, after they have been filled with cream or custard and placed within the proper compartment, from being shaken and tumbled around when the drum is rotated, whereby they would be liable to become indented or otherwise damaged, more or less, as well as knocking against and indenting the interior of the drum. The spring-clamps or clips ff are, when used, of such a size and so shaped that the cans can be inserted and again removed in a few moments. lVhen, however, a sufficient number of cans are used at one time to fill either one of the compartments these clamps are, of course, not necessary, as the proper packing of the cans end to end and side by side, as shown in Fig. 2 on the drawings, operates to keep them in place during the process of freezing without displacement to any considerable extent.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination with the stationary box A having bearings aa, of the rotary drum B having central shaft 19, fiat diaphragm E intersecting said shaft and provided with apertures e e impinging against the flat heads of the drum, and flat sides or sectors 0 c parallel to the inside diaphragm and having large and registering apertures provided with hermetic closures; substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination with the rotary drum B, provided with the interior axial diaphragm E having end-apertures e e, and with the parallel flat top and bottom 0 0 having registerin g apertures fitted with hermetic closures, of the removable freezing-cans, F, F, of a length corresponding approximately to the width of the drum between heads and adapted to be packed tightly, end to end and side by side, upon the central apertured diaphragm, within either one of the two compartments formed by said diaphragm; substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. The combination with the rotary drum B provided with the interior axial apertured diaphragm E, having clips or spring-clamps ff, of the individual cream-cans F adapted to be placed upon the diaphragm and held in place removably thereon during the revolution of the drum by the clips; substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and'described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOllIAS JEFFERSON IIARTON.

Witnesses:

E. E. EASTERLING, CHAS. WooTTEN GRIFFIN.

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