U.S. patent number 3,662,564 [Application Number 04/867,222] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-16 for ice maker construction.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to Jack F. Clearman, Michael H. Mackin, Leonard W. Ohlsson.
United States Patent |
3,662,564 |
Clearman , et al. |
May 16, 1972 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
ICE MAKER CONSTRUCTION
Abstract
An ice maker of the type employing a refrigerated chamber and a
harvesting auger positioned with its flights in scraping relation
to inner walls of the refrigerated chamber for continuously
scraping ice particles from the walls. A screw shaft co-rotatable
with the harvesting auger drives the ice product harvested by the
auger in the form of a confined columnar path through a discharge
conduit and forces the ice product through a compression means
similar to an extrusion member which may be of any one of a number
of configurations to produce variously configured ice products,
such as "ice cubes", ice chips, ice flakes or cracked ice,
depending upon the particular requirements of the user. The machine
is further characterized by releasable attachment means removably
securing one of the extrusion members at an outermost end of the
screw shaft, thereby to facilitate interchanging one extrusion
member for another of a different configuration to adapt the
machine for producing differently configured ice products.
Inventors: |
Clearman; Jack F.
(Stevensville, MI), Ohlsson; Leonard W. (St. Paul, MN),
Mackin; Michael H. (Kankakee, IL) |
Assignee: |
Whirlpool Corporation (Benton
Harbor, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
25349368 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/867,222 |
Filed: |
October 17, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/320;
100/149 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C
1/147 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F25C
1/12 (20060101); F25C 1/14 (20060101); F25c
001/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;62/354,320
;100/149 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wayner; William E.
Claims
The embodiments of the present invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An ice maker comprising:
multiple chamber means including means forming
a lower freezing chamber having a refrigerated cylindrical
wall,
an upper discharge chamber having walls converging axially to form
a compression zone with a top outlet,
and an intermediate collecting chamber therebetween,
said collecting chamber comprising channel means shaped to direct
ice products harvested in said freezing chamber radially inwardly
into said discharge chamber,
a rotatable shaft disposed on a vertical axis,
bearing means below said refrigerated cylindrical wall supporting
said shaft,
whereby said ice products may freely flow axially at the upper end
of said auger from said freezing chamber to said discharge chamber
without interference,
auger means on said shaft including
a harvesting auger having flights positioned in operative proximity
to said refrigerated cylindrical wall to harvest ice product
therefrom,
and ice compression screw blade means forming a compression
auger,
said harvesting auger extending upwardly from above said bearing
means into said freezing chamber and said compression auger
extending substantially through said collecting chamber and into
said discharge chamber,
said means forming said upper discharge chamber further
comprising
an upright discharge conduit in which said compression auger
rotates to axially upwardly advance the harvested ice product in
columnar form,
extrusion means forming a part of said discharge conduit and having
walls converging axially at a rate selected to compress the ice
product into a hard, compacted, dehydrated column of ice and being
formed with a cross sectional configuration selected to form the
hard ice column with a desired cross sectional shape determined by
said shaping means, and
interchangeable, stationary breaking means having a fixed portion
intersecting the path of movement of the hard ice column extruded
through said converging walls by said compression auger and
operating on the hard ice column to break the same into an ice
product having a desired utilitarian size and shape determined by
the configuration of said breaking means.
2. An ice maker as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by
said extrusion means having a symmetrical configuration in
transverse cross section and including a first section
characterized by gradually upwardly and inwardly tapering inner
walls and having a second section with substantially parallel inner
walls formed as a continuation of said first section,
said second section being operable to hold the compacted column of
ice together to prevent the formation of stress cracks in the
compacted dehydrated ice column extruded from said discharge
chamber.
3. An ice maker comprising:
multiple chamber means including means forming a lower freezing
chamber having a refrigerated cylindrical wall,
an upper discharge chamber having walls converging axially to form
a compression zone with a top outlet,
and an intermediate collecting chamber therebetween,
said collecting chamber comprising channel means shaped to direct
ice products harvested in said freezing chamber radially inwardly
into said discharge chamber,
a rotatable shaft disposed on a vertical axis,
bearing means below said refrigerated cylindrical wall supporting
said shaft,
auger means on said shaft including a harvesting auger having
flights positioned in operative proximity to said refrigerated
cylindrical wall to harvest ice product therefrom,
and ice compression screw blade means forming a compression
auger,
said harvesting auger extending upwardly from said bearing means
into said freezing chamber and said compression auger extending
through said collecting chamber and into said discharge
chamber,
whereby said shaft and each of said chambers and said auger means
are disposed in a common vertical axis so that ice harvested by
said flights is compressed by said compression auger in said
discharge chamber and is discharged as a compacted dehydrated ice
column from said top outlet,
said means forming said upper discharge chamber more particularly
comprising a first part in which said compression auger rotates to
axially advance the ice product in columnar form and further
comprising a detachably secured second part,
at least one of said parts having said walls converging axially at
a rate selected to compress the ice product into a hard, compacted
dehydrated column thereby to form said compression zone ahead of
said top outlet,
said detachably secured second part including stationary breaker
means having a fixed action surface intercepting the path of
movement of the emerging column of hard ice to break the column of
hard ice into discrete pieces of selected utilitarian size and
shape.
4. An ice maker as defined in claim 20 and further characterized by
said breaker means comprising a breaker member projecting upwardly
from said top outlet and having a bent portion gradually curving
toward a longitudinal axis of said extrusion means for engagement
with an uppermost edge of the emerging ice column, thereby applying
a shearing force along a line parallel with the top outlet and
operable to break the ice column into cubes.
5. An ice maker as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by
said breaker means comprising a delivery conduit having an angled
bend forming said action surface as an inner wall of said conduit
said inner wall overlying and being spaced from said top outlet to
apply a shearing force to the ice column along a line parallel with
said top outlet and operable to break the ice column into
cubes.
6. An ice maker as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by
said breaking means comprising an arm characterized by an obliquely
formed portion carrying a wedge means forming a knife edge for
crosswise spreading of the layers formed by the oblique
section.
7. An ice maker as defined in claim 6 wherein said arm is axially
adjustable,
and means for fastening said arm in selected position on said upper
discharge chamber,
thereby to permit adjustment of the thickness of the layers of ice
formed by the oblique section.
8. An ice maker as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by
said breaking means having a cracking section characterized by a
sharply angled wall member engaging the emerging column of ice to
produce stress cracks, thereby promoting thin layers of ice to
split from the advancing ice column.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application discloses structural features which are also in
part disclosed in the copending applications Jack F. Clearman,
filed on Oct. 17, 1969 as U.S. Ser. No. 867,149, the application of
James G. Darby and Jack F. Clearman, filed on Oct. 17, 1969 as U.S.
Ser. No. 13,912, and the application of Jack F. Clearman, Leonard
W. Ohlsson and Robert H. Sitko, filed on Oct. 17, 1969 as U.S. Ser.
No. 867,223.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ice maker constructions, and
more particularly refers to interchangeable extrusion means for
producing variously configured ice products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ice makers have been provided heretofore which produce an ice flake
product by scraping ice from the side walls the the cylindrical
freezing cylinder. Such ice makers are frequently provided with an
integrally formed compression chamber for removing excess water
from the ice flake product and forming an ice product having only
one configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an ice maker wherein in ice product
is produced by scraping inner walls of a cylindrical freezing
compartment with peripheral edges of helical flights formed on a
substantially vertically disposed harvesting auger. A wet mass of
ice particles, including slush and chunks, is axially advanced out
of the freezing chamber and into a collecting chamber forming an
outlet for the freezing chamber.
A screw shaft extends through a discharge opening of the collecting
chamber and is corotatable with the harvesting auger. The screw
shaft advances the flake ice product harvested by the auger in a
columnar form through a discharge chamber and forces the mass of
ice particles through a compression means such as an extrusion
member or die, thereby to form an ice product of a desired
configuration depending upon the form of the extrusion member.
The present invention provides several interchangeable extrusion
members or dies arranged and formed to produce variously configured
ice products such as "ice cubes", cracked ice of either irregular
or substantially uniform size, or ice flakes. In one form of the
present invention, the extrusion member has a gradually tapered
compression section for removing excess water from the ice flake
product and a throat or outlet section formed as a continuation of
the exit shape of the compression section for holding the
compressed ice product together to prevent stress cracks from
forming. With that configuration, the extrusion member forms an
emerging column of hard and crack-free ice.
Several different means may be provided outwardly of the extrusion
member for working the column of hard ice to form "ice cubes" of
uniform length or substantially uniform flakes of cracked ice.
In another form of the invention an extrusion member has a
gradually tapered compression section and a cracking section having
sharply tapered inner walls formed at an exit of the compression
section. As the hard ice in the compression section hits the
sharply tapered inner walls of the cracking section, the compressed
mass of ice splits or cracks along planes substantially
perpendicular to the flow of the ice to form thin layers of cracked
ice.
Still another form of the present invention provides an extrusion
member having a cracking section characterized by sharply tapered
inner walls defining a reduced diameter outlet opening and disposed
adjacent an outlet of the discharge column. That form of the
extrusion member produces irregularly shaped chips or flakes of
ice.
The ice maker of the present invention is further characterized by
releasable attachment means removably clamping one of the extrusion
members to the discharge chamber at an outlet end thereof, thereby
enabling one of the extrusion members to be removed and replaced by
an extrusion member of a different configuration to adapt the ice
maker for selectively producing differently configured ice
products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification
and in which like reference characters are employed to designate
like parts throughout the same:
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an ice maker construction
utilizing an improved extrusion means and attachment means therefor
of one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of an uppermost
portion of the ice maker shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating an
extrusion means constructed in accordance with a second embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating an extrusion
means constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating an extrusion
means constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V--V of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating an extrusion
means constructed in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the
present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating an extrusion
means constructed in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the
present invention .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, an improved ice maker 10, embodying the
features of the present invention, desirably includes a generally
upright cylindrical freezing cylinder 11 having disposed in
circumjacent relation thereto coils 12 of an evaporator forming
part of a refrigeration system.
Water is introduced into the cylinder 11 through an inlet conduit
13 disposed near the base of the cylinder. The cylinder 11 is
mounted in a generally upright position on a drive housing 14 by
suitable fastening means, such as bolts 16. Within the drive
housing 14 and cylinder 11, there is a centrally disposed shaft 17
having a lower end portion thereof supported within bearing means
and driven through a gear reduction means by a suitable motor. As
illustrated in FIG. 1, the bearing means are disposed below the
refrigerated cylinder 11, thereby to enable the formation of an
axial flow passageway in which ice products may freely flow axially
at the upper end of the freezing chamber without interference from
additional supporting structure for the shaft.
An auger 18 is connected to the shaft 17 and projects upwardly into
the freezing cylinder 11. The auger 18 has a cylindrical portion 19
spaced inwardly of a cylindrical, refrigerated wall 21 of the
cylinder 11. The cylindrical portion 19 has an outer diameter
relatively larger than the diameter of the shaft 17 and carries
helically disposed blades as at 22 having scraping edges 23 which
scrape the inner wall 21, thereby to harvest a thin film of ice
which forms on the refrigerated surface whenever water is
circulated in the freezing cylinder 11. Also, rotation of the
harvesting auger 18 progressively advances a mixture of ice
particles, including slush and chunks, upwardly toward an upper end
portion of the cylinder 11 and into a collecting chamber 24.
The collecting chamber 24 may comprise a generally circular or
cup-shaped cap member provided with channels as at 26 which define
generally spiral paths of increasing cross-section for the flake
ice product discharged from the freezing chamber by the flights 22,
and therefore, the flake ice product is given a generally spiral,
radially inwardly and upwardly ascending motion through channels of
constantly increasing cross sectional area. The collecting chamber
24 conducts the mass of ice particles through a discharge opening
27 and into a conduit 28 forming a discharge passage 29 extending
upwardly of the top of the collecting chamber.
One or more helically disposed blades 31 having a diameter
considerably less than the diameter of the harvesting auger 18
containing the flights 22 are secured onto a shaft 32 corotatably
supported by the harvesting auger 18 and extending upwardly from
the auger through the collecting chamber 24 and into the discharge
passage 29. The screw shaft 32 in the illustrated embodiment has an
uppermost end disposed substantially co-extensive with an uppermost
end of the discharge conduit.
The discharge conduit 29 is characterized by a plurality of axially
extending ribs 33 formed in a circumferentially spaced arrangement
around an inner wall 34. The helically disposed blades 31 carried
by the screw shaft 32 are sized to extend through the outlet or
discharge opening 27 formed in the collecting chamber 24 and have
peripheral edges as at 36 rotating closely adjacent inner edges of
the ribs 33. Thus, the helically formed screw blades 31 axially
drive a mass of flake ice product in the form of a confined
columnar path defined by the discharge passage 29.
Immediately subjacent the collecting chamber 24 and connected in
corotatable assembly with the shaft 32 is a disc baffle 36. An
annular space 37 is provided between an outer edge of the disc
baffle 36 and the cylindrical wall 19 of the harvesting auger 18,
thereby permitting excess water removed from the advancing mass of
ice particles to drain downwardly for recirculation through the
freezing compartment.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an
extrusion means 38 is detachably secured at an exit end of the
discharge conduit 28 and enclosed within a conduit 39 arranged to
deliver an ice product formed by the extrusion means to a point of
utilization. The extrusion means 38 includes a member composed of a
hard material such as steel or a hard plastic. The illustrated
extrusion member 38 has a symmetrical configuration in transverse
cross section and is arranged coaxially of the screw shaft 32
carrying the helical flights 31, and thus the ice mass advanced by
the screw shaft is forced through and worked by the extrusion
member.
The discharge conduit 28 is further characterized by a generally
outwardly projecting support flange 41, and the extrusion means 38
has a base flange 42 resting on the supporting flange and formed
substantially co-extensive therewith. Also, the delivery conduit 39
has an attachment flange 43 formed to overlie the base flange 42 of
the extrusion means 38. Releasable attachment means, such as screws
44, pass through aligned apertures formed in the support flange 41,
the base flange 42 and the attachment flange 43, thereby to clamp
the delivery conduit 39 and the extrusion means 38 unto the support
flange of the discharge conduit 28. Thus, the extrusion means 38
may be easily removed by withdrawing the fastening means 44, and
therefore, the present invention provides means enabling one form
of the extrusion means to be removed and replaced by an extrusion
means of another form or configuration.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the
extrusion means 38 is formed to produce an emerging column of hard
ice which is substantially free of stress cracks. As illustrated in
FIG. 1 the extrusion means 38 has a compression section 46
characterized by gradually upwardly and inwardly tapering inner
walls 47 and an outlet or throat section 48 having substantially
parallel inner walls 49 formed as a continuation of an exit shape
of the compression section 46. As the helical flights 31 carried on
the shaft 32 force the wet ice particles through the extrusion
means 38, the cross sectional areas of the column of advancing ice
are gradually reduced, thereby to squeeze excess water from the ice
product and form a compacted column or mass of advancing ice. The
parallel throat or outlet section 48 holds the compacted column or
shaft of ice together to prevent stress cracks from forming in the
column, thereby producing a crack-free column of hard ice emerging
from the extrusion means 38.
The extrusion means 38 may have any suitable cross-sectional
configuration such as a round shape or a rectangular shape,
depending upon the desired configuration of the emerging ice
column. The emerging ice column is directed to a point of
utilization by the delivery conduit 39, and the column may be
passed through an ice crusher to form chips of crushed ice or the
column may be broken into discrete lengths to form "ice cubes".
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, one means for shearing the
emerging column of hard ice into discrete lengths for producing
"ice cubes" may include an action surface intercepting the path of
movement of the ice column for laterally directing the column,
thereby to cause the column to shear near an exit mouth 50 of the
extrusion means. In describing this alternate embodiment and other
alternate embodiments, like elements will be designated by like
reference characters to which a small a, b, etc. has been added,
depending upon the particular embodiment.
A second embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
FIG. 2, contemplates forming the action surface intercepting the
path of movement of the emerging column of ice on a breaking member
51 secured to an outside wall of the parallel section 48a of the
extrusion means 38a and projecting upwardly from the exit mouth 50a
of the extrusion means. The breaking member 51 has a width sized to
extend around a relatively small segment of a periphery of the
extrusion member 38a. Also, the breaking member 51 is characterized
by a bent portion 53 gradually curving toward a longitudinal axis
of the extrusion member 38a and forming an arcuate action surface
54 intercepting the path of upward movement of the emerging ice
column as indicated at 56, so that an uppermost edge of the
emerging column of hard ice engages against the action surface and
is laterally directed or urged to create a shearing force
substantially along a line parallel with the exit mouth 50a. In
this manner the emerging column of hard ice 56 is broken into short
lengths to form "ice cubes" which are pushed past a terminal edge
as at 57 of the breaking member 51 by the continuously advancing
column of ice and directed along the delivery conduit 39a to a
point of utilization.
If desired, the action surface for laterally urging the advancing
column of hard ice to produce "ice cubes" may be formed on the
delivery conduit 39b, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In that form of the
present invention, the delivery conduit 39b is characterized by a
substantially right angle bend as at 59 forming an arcuate inner
wall 61 overlying and spaced from the exit mouth 50b of the
extrusion member 38b. As the continuously advancing column of hard
ice engages against the arcuate surface 61, the uppermost edge of
the ice column tends to follow the contour of the action surface,
thereby creating a transverse shear force through the column along
a plane approximately parallel with the exit mouth 50b of the
extrusion member 38b when the column first engages the action
surface.
When the initial crack has been widened sufficiently to completely
sever an "ice cube" as at 56b from the solid column, the thus
formed "ice cube" falls against an inner surface as at 62 of the
bend 59 and pivots unto the substantially horizontal surface 63 of
the delivery conduit 39b to be pushed by subsequently formed and
advanced "ice cubes" to a point of utilization.
Some users may desire to adapt the ice maker 10 to produce
relatively thin layers of ice or smaller "ice cubes" of
substantially uniform size. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5,
smaller "ice cubes" may be produced by providing an extrusion means
shearing the column into thin layers and splitting the layers into
smaller chunks. This means may include a breaking arm 66 secured to
an outer surface of the parallel section 48c of the extrusion
member 38c and characterized by an obliquely formed portion 67
carrying a wedge member 68 forming a knife edge 69 for crosswise
splitting of the layers formed by the oblique section. In this
embodiment of the present invention, the extrusion member 38c
desirably has a square or rectangular cross section and the
breaking arm 66 has a width sized to be substantially co-extensive
with spacing between opposed parallel walls 49c of the parallel
section 48c of the extrusion member 38c. Thus, the oblique portion
67 of the breaking arm 66 engages across an entire width of the
emerging column of hard ice.
The oblique portion 67 has a distinct bend as at 71 rather than the
smooth arcuate configuration as described hereinabove for the forms
of the present invention utilized for producing "ice cubes" and the
bend 71 is located relative to the exit mouth 50c to form layers of
ice having a desired thickness. The thickness of the layers sheared
from the ice column varies in proportion to the distance between
the bend 71 and the mouth 50c of the extrusion member 38c, and the
breaking arm 66 may be secured to the extrusion member in a manner
to be adjustable in directions axially of the extrusion member,
thereby to permit adjustment of the thickness of the layers.
The wedge 68 is welded or otherwise secured to the oblique portion
67 and positioned intermediate end edges of the oblique portion,
and thus, the knife edge 69 formed by the wedge member 68 splits
the sheared layers substantially into two equal, rectangular ice
chunks which are particularly desirable for use with chilled
beverages.
Irregular flakes or chips of hard ice may be desirable for some
applications, and it is contemplated by the present invention to
provide extrusion means which, due to their configuration,
inherently produce irregular chips or flakes of hard ice and which
are interchangeable with the extrusion member 38 configured to form
a column of hard ice. Thus, the basic ice maker may be conveniently
adapted for producing irregular flakes or chips of hard ice by
withdrawing the fastening means 44 and replacing the extrusion
member 38 with an extrusion member configured to form flakes or
chips.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, an extrusion member 75 for forming
irregular flakes of hard ice may comprise a substantially tubular
member having a symmetrical cross section and characterized by a
base flange 42d resting upon the supporting flange 41d formed at
the uppermost end portion of the discharge conduit 28d and clamped
into an assembled arrangement by the fastening means 44d. The
extrusion member 75 of this embodiment of the present invention has
a compression section 76 presenting gradually upwardly and inwardly
tapered inner walls 77 and a short cracking section 78
characterized by sharply tapered or converging inner walls 79
defining a reduced diameter exit or outlet opening 81. The mass of
ice particles advanced from the harvesting auger and the collecting
chamber by the helical blades or flights 31d is compressed in the
compression section 76, thereby removing excess water from the mass
of ice particles, including slush and chunks, and forming a
relatively hard ice product. The hard ice formed in the compression
section engages the sharply tapered inner walls 79 of the cracking
section 78 causing stress cracks to form perpendicular to the flow
of the ice mass. The transverse stress cracks cause thin layers or
chunks of ice to split from the advancing column and pivot around
the exit mouth or outlet opening 81 for delivery through the
conduit 39d to a point of utilization.
Chips or flakes of ice of varying sizes may be produced by varying
the sharpness of the taper of the inner walls 79 of the chip
forming section 78 or by changing either the cross sectional
configuration or the number of tapered sides of the extrusion
member 75. For example, with the extrusion member 75 formed with a
square cross section and one pair of opposed sides tapered inwardly
to form a pair of converging inner walls as at 79, the extrusion
member will produce layers of flakes splitting into two pieces
approximately along a crosswise plane intermediate confronting
edges of the tapered sections forming the exit 81. Also, the layers
may be broken into substantially four equal pieces or flakes by
forming the extrusion member with a square cross sectional
configuration and tapering both sets of opposed sides inwardly to
form four chip forming surfaces. The thickness of the sheared
layers may be increased by decreasing the sharpness of the taper of
the inner walls 79 of the chip forming section 79, and conversely
the thickness of the layers may be decreased by increasing the
sharpness of the taper.
If it is desired to produce small irregular chips of ice, as
illustrated in FIG. 7, the ice maker 10 is provided with an
extrusion member 83 configured to produce small irregular chips.
The extrusion member 83 has a base flange 42e supported by the
supporting flange 41e formed at the uppermost end portion of the
discharge conduit 28e, and the fastening means 44e passes through a
base flange 43e formed on the delivery conduit 39e and the base
flange 42e and the support flange 41e, thereby clamping the
delivery conduit, the extrusion member and the discharge conduit in
an assembled relationship. Thus, the extrusion member 83 is
interchangeable with either the extrusion means 38 or 75.
In that embodiment of the present invention, the extrusion member
83 has a symmetrical transverse cross section and is characterized
by a short chip forming section 84 having sharply tapered inner
walls 86. As the mass of ice particles, including slush and chunks,
advanced axially upwardly by the helical blades 313, passes through
the reduced cross sectional area formed by the tapered walls 86
inwardly directed forces are applied to the columnar mass of ice
flake product, thereby to squeeze excess liquid from the product
which is recirculated through the ice maker 10. The tapered section
84 should be sufficiently short to prevent the mass of ice
particles from agglomerating into a hard shaft or column of ice
such as that produced by the extrusion member 38, but the tapered
section 84 should be sufficiently long to remove a portion of the
excess water and cause the smallest particles to agglomerate into
somewhat larger chunks.
If desired, a disintegrator 87 may be utilized with the extrusion
member 83. The disintegrator 87 has a first arm 88 extending
axially from the screw shaft 32e and coaxially and co-rotatably
connected thereto. A second arm 89 is offset from the arm 88. Upon
rotation of the disintegrator 87, the arm 88 breaks up the ice
product which is forced through a reduced diameter opening 91
formed by the tapered side walls 86, thereby to prevent the mass of
ice particles from agglomerating in the delivery conduit 39e.
From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the present
invention provides variously configured extrusion means
specifically designed to produce an ice product of certain
configurations. Furthermore the ice maker is characterized by
support and attachment means permitting an extrusion means
producing one configuration of ice products to be replaced by
another extrusion means, thereby adapting the ice maker to produce
a differently configured ice product. Thus, the present invention
provides a basic ice maker construction and various interchangeable
extrusion means which are individually attachable to a discharge of
the ice maker.
Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those
versed in the art it should be understood that we wish to embody
within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such
modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of
our contribution to the art.
* * * * *