U.S. patent number 3,610,482 [Application Number 04/809,068] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-05 for ice-dispensing bin.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Manitowoc Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Leon R. Van Steenburgh, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,610,482 |
Van Steenburgh, Jr. |
October 5, 1971 |
ICE-DISPENSING BIN
Abstract
In the ice-cube-dispensing bin, a film of water is permitted to
be formed between adjacent stored ice cubes. The stored ice cubes,
thus prevented from sticking together, may be dispensed from the
reservoir by mechanical means preferably comprising an auger. The
stored ice cubes remain generally clear and generally uniformly
sized and shaped.
Inventors: |
Van Steenburgh, Jr.; Leon R.
(Manitowoc, WI) |
Assignee: |
The Manitowoc Co., Inc.
(Manitowoc, WI)
|
Family
ID: |
25200469 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/809,068 |
Filed: |
March 21, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/403;
222/413 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C
5/20 (20180101); B65G 65/463 (20130101); F25C
2500/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65G
65/00 (20060101); B65G 65/46 (20060101); F25C
5/00 (20060101); B65g 033/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/413,408,414,238,227,242 ;198/209 ;62/73 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Claims
I claim:
1. An ice-cube-dispensing bin comprising, in combination, bin
structure defining a substantially enclosed space having a closed
lower end and within which ice cubes may be stored, said bin
structure being composed of wall means permitting the stored ice
cubes to melt slowly and cause a film of water to be formed between
adjacent stored ice cubes, dispensing means for mechanically
dispensing the stored ice cubes from said bin structure in a
direction upwardly from the closed lower end of said bin structure,
and wherein said bin structure includes a reservoir fabricated in
one piece of a plastic sheet.
2. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 1 wherein said reservoir is
supported on polystyrene foam.
3. An ice-cube-dispensing bin comprising, in combination, a bin
structure defining a substantially enclosed space having a closed
lower end and within which ice cubes may be stored, said bin
structure being composed of wall means permitting the stored ice
cubes to melt slowly and cause a film of water to be formed between
adjacent stored ice cubes, dispensing means for mechanically
dispensing the stored ice cubes from said bin structure in a
direction upwardly from the closed lower end of said bin structure,
wherein said dispensing means comprises an upwardly and outwardly
inclined rotatable auger, which includes an elongated spindle and a
series of continuous helical flights, and an elongated trough,
which is closely spaced from said flights in parallel relation to
said spindle, supporting means for supporting said trough in fixed
relation to said bin structure and said auger for rotation relative
to said trough, and rotating means for rotating said auger relative
to said trough.
4. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 3 wherein said trough has a
flat base wall and generally perpendicular sidewalls, said walls of
said trough being closely spaced from said flights of said auger,
whereupon substantially melted ice cubes and ice fragments are
permitted to drop through the open spaces between the said flights
of said auger and the corners formed by said walls of said
trough.
5. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 3 wherein said supporting
means comprises upper and lower journal bearing means, a rotatable
mandrel journaled in said lower journal bearing means and coaxial
with said spindle, and a socket member integral with the lower end
of said spindle as an axial extension of said spindle, the upper
end of said spindle being journaled in said upper journal bearing
means, said socket member being slidably fitted over and keyed to
said mandrel for conjoint rotation of said auger and said
mandrel.
6. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 5 wherein said trough has
upper and lower end walls, said lower end wall having an opening
through which said mandrel is extended, said upper end wall being
removably supported in fixed relation to said bin structure and
supporting said upper journal bearing means.
7. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 3 wherein said rotating
means comprises a prime mover and means for rotating said mandrel
from said prime mover.
8. An ice-cube-dispensing bin comprising, in combination, bin
structure defining a substantially enclosed space having a closed
lower end in which ice cubes may be stored, said bin structure
being composed of wall means permitting the stored ice cubes to
melt slowly and cause a film of water to be formed between adjacent
stored ice cubes, dispensing means for mechanically dispensing the
stored ice cubes from said bin structure in a direction upwardly
from the closed lower end of said bin structure, and wherein said
bin structure includes upwardly and inwardly inclined lateral wall
structure.
9. The ice-cube-dispensing means of claim 8 wherein said lateral
wall structure comprises an upwardly and inwardly inclined backwall
and upwardly and inwardly inclined sidewalls.
10. An ice-cube-dispensing bin comprising, in combination, bin
structure defining a substantially enclosed space having a closed
lower end and within which ice cubes may be stored, said bin
structure being composed of wall means permitting the stored ice
cubes to melt slowly and cause a film of water to be formed between
adjacent stored ice cubes, dispensing means for mechanically
dispensing the stored ice cubes from said bin structure in a
direction upwardly from the closed lower end of the bin structure,
and wherein said bin structure includes a reservoir and upwardly
and inwardly inclined lateral wall structure above said
reservoir.
11. The ice-cube-dispensing means of claim 10 wherein said
reservoir is fabricated in one piece of a plastic sheet.
12. The ice-cube-dispensing means of claim 10 wherein said lateral
wall structure comprises an upwardly and inwardly inclined backwall
and upwardly and inwardly inclined sidewalls.
13. The ice-cube-dispensing means of claim 10 wherein said
reservoir is fabricated in one piece of a plastic sheet and said
lateral wall structure comprises an upwardly and inwardly inclined
backwall and upwardly and inwardly inclined sidewalls.
14. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 10 wherein said dispensing
means comprises an upwardly and outwardly inclined rotatable auger,
which includes an elongated spindle and a series of continuous
helical flights, and an elongated trough, which is closely spaced
from said flights in parallel relation to said spindle, supporting
means for supporting said trough in fixed relation to said
reservoir and said auger for rotation relative to said trough, and
rotating means for rotating said auger relative to said trough.
15. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 14 wherein said trough has
a flat base wall and generally perpendicular sidewalls, said walls
of said trough being closely spaced from said flights of said
auger, whereupon substantially melted ice cubes and ice fragments
are permitted to drop through the open spaces between the flights
of said auger and the corners formed by said walls of said
trough.
16. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 14 wherein said supporting
means comprises upper and lower journal bearing means, a rotatable
mandrel journaled in said lower journal bearing means and extended
into said reservoir so as to be coaxial with said spindle, and a
socket member integral with the lower end of said spindle as an
axial extension of said spindle, the upper end of said spindle
being journaled in said upper journal bearing means, said socket
member being slidably fitted over and keyed to said mandrel for
conjoint rotation of said auger and said mandrel.
17. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 16 wherein said trough has
upper and lower end walls, said lower end wall having an opening
through which said mandrel is extended, said upper end wall being
removably supported in fixed relation to said reservoir and
supporting said upper journal bearing means.
18. The ice-cube-dispensing bin of claim 14 wherein said rotating
means comprises a prime mover and means for rotating said mandrel
from said prime mover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to an ice-cube-dispensing bin which is
designed to be built into a cabinet in association with
ice-cube-forming apparatus of the type having an outlet from which
ice cubes are discharged.
Throughout the present disclosure, and in the appended claims, the
term "ice cubes" is used as in common parlance to refer to
generally uniformly sized compact solid pieces of ice, which may be
of cylindrical, spherical, or other form as well as of cubical
form.
Ice-cube-forming apparatus, in a number of forms, are widely used
in hospitals, restaurants, taverns, and other establishments where
substantially constant supplies of ice cubes must be maintained to
satisfy steady or fluctuating demands. Since these apparatus
usually are capable of forming ice cubes at an intermittent rate,
it is common to provide means for storing a generally constant
quantity of ice cubes which have been discharged by an ice-forming
apparatus and to employ suitable level-sensing means to regulate
the output of the ice-forming apparatus. Conventionally, the ice
cubes are stored in an insulated bin, in order to retard melting of
the stored ice cubes.
In an insulated bin, the stored ice cubes have a tendency to adhere
to each other and to form large undifferentiated masses of ice. It
often is necessary to use an ice pick or other tool to break up
such masses of ice to permit separated ice cubes to be removed from
the bin. It is difficult to remove the ice cubes from the bin by
means of an auger or other mechanical means, because the moving
parts of the auger or other mechanical means have a tendency to
freeze to adjacent stationary structure of the bin and to the
stored ice cubes. Operation of the auger or other mechanical means
thus is impaired.
Usually, the ice cubes formed by an ice-cube-forming apparatus are
generally clear and are generally uniformly sized and shaped.
However, when ice cubes are stored in an insulated bin, they may
have a tendency to whiten and to roughen. If they have been
separated by means of an ice pick or other tool, they are likely to
have fragmented edges and other irregularities. Whitened or
roughened ice cubes and irregularly sized and shaped ice cubes are
unsatisfactory for use in beverages and for many other
purposes.
This invention is addressed to fulfilling the need for an
ice-cube-dispensing bin, in which ice cubes may be stored in such a
manner as to be capable of being dispensed readily by means of an
auger or other mechanical means, and in which stored ice cubes
remain generally clear and generally uniformly sized and shaped.
Such an ice-cube-dispensing bin should be designed to be built into
a cabinet in association with ice-cube-forming apparatus having an
outlet from which ice cubes are discharged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide an ice-cube-dispensing
bin in which ice cubes may be stored in such a manner as to be
capable of being dispensed readily by means of an auger or other
mechanical means.
It is another object of this invention to provide an
ice-cube-dispensing bin in which stored ice cubes remain generally
clear and generally uniformly sized and shaped.
In accordance with the principles of this invention, the foregoing
objects may be attained in an ice-cube-dispensing bin in which the
stored ice cubes are permitted to melt slowly and a film of water
is permitted to be formed between adjacent stored ice cubes. The
film of water prevents the separate ice cubes from sticking
together and forming large undifferentiated masses of ice. The film
of water also substantially eliminates whitening and roughening of
the ice cubes and forms a barrier to minimize the penetration of
odors. It has been found that even without insulation ice cubes may
be stored for several hours without appreciable melting. There is
no significant disadvantage in permitting the stored ice cubes to
melt slowly. Known ice-cube-forming apparatus are capable of
replenishing the supply of ice cubes and permit a generally
constant supply to be maintained without difficulty.
It is another object of this invention to provide an
ice-cube-dispensing bin, as described, in which the stored ice
cubes are dispensed mechanically, preferably by means of an auger,
whereby the ice-cube-dispensing bin may be built into a cabinet, as
mentioned, and may be arranged for pushbutton operation for the
convenience of users.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention
will be evident from the following description, with the aid of the
attached drawings, of a preferred embodiment of this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice-cube-dispensing bin
embodying the principles of this invention, showing the
ice-cube-dispensing bin in association with suitable
ice-cube-forming apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, on a reduced scale;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken
substantially along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the
arrows;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4--4 of
FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on a further enlarged scale, taken
substantially along line 5--5 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the
arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawings, there is shown an ice-cube-dispensing bin,
indicated generally at 10, constituting a preferred embodiment of
this invention. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the
ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 should be understood as being used in
association with conventional ice-cube-forming apparatus 12. The
ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 is built into a cabinet 14, and the
ice-cube-forming apparatus 12 is suitable mounted on the cabinet 14
above the ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 for purposes to be set forth
hereinafter.
In the ice-cube-forming apparatus 12, ice cubes are formed and
discharged through an outlet at an intermittent rate. A suitable
outlet is indicated generally at 18 in FIG. 3. Specific details of
the ice-cube-forming apparatus 12 are not needed for an
understanding of this invention and are not included in the present
disclosure. Suitable ice-cube-forming apparatus are known in the
art, in a number of forms, and specific details of any of these may
be furnished readily by those skilled in the art.
The cabinet 14, into which the ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 is built,
is constructed, in conventional manner, of rugged sheet metal
panels, preferably of stainless steel and is not insulated. The
sheet metal panels are reinforced with suitable angle and channel
members. The various parts of the cabinet 14 are rigidly assembled
together, in part by welds and in part by conventional sheet metal
screws or other suitable fasteners, so as to be capable of being at
least partly disassembled to give access to the ice-cube-dispensing
bin 10. Specific details of the cabinet 14, in addition to those
set forth herein, may be readily furnished by those skilled in the
art.
The cabinet 14 comprises a horizontal rectangular bottom wall 24,
an upright rectangular backwall 26, upright suitably fabricated
sidewalls 28 and 30, and an upwardly and outwardly inclined front
apron 32. The bottom wall 24 is elevated by means of suitably
attached legs 36.
The cabinet 14 further comprises a drainboard indicated generally
at 38. The drainboard 38 includes a rectangular frame 40 suitably
attached at its front edge to the top edge of the apron 32 and at
its side edges to edge portions of the sidewalls 28 and 30, a
removable open grill 42 suitably supported by the frame 40, a
downwardly and inwardly inclined deflecting plate 44 suitably
supported by the frame 40 beneath the grill 42, and a basin 46
suitably supported by the frame 40 around and beneath the grill 42
and the deflecting plate 44. Ice fragments and water spilled onto
the drainboard 38 pass through the grill 42 and are deflected by
the deflecting plate 44 into the basin 46. The basin 46 opens into
a suitable drain (not shown). The cabinet 14 further comprises an
upwardly and outwardly inclined splash panel 48 fabricated in one
piece with the frame 40 and suitably attached at its side edges to
edge portions of the sidewalls 28 and 30.
The cabinet 14 further comprises a hood 50 which overhangs the
drainboard 38. The hood includes a horizontal rectangular fixture
plate 52, which is suitably attached at its back edge to the upper
edge of the splash panel 48 and at its side edges to edge portions
of the sidewalls 28 and 30, a generally upright rectangular control
panel 54, which is fabricated in one piece with the fixture plate
52 and is suitably attached at its side edges to edge portions of
the sidewalls 28 and 30, and a sloping rectangular roof panel 56,
which is suitably attached at its front edge to the upper edge of
the control panel 54 and at its side edges to edge portions of the
sidewalls 28 and 30. The roof panel 56 should be readily removable
to give access to the ice-cube-dispensing bin 10.
A rectangular opening 70 is provided in the fixture plate 52. A
dispensing spout 72, to be described hereinafter, is associated
with the opening 70. The dispensing spout 72 defines an outlet 74
for ice cubes being dispensed.
Among the aforementioned reinforcing angle and channel members of
the cabinet 14 are horizontal front and back channel members 76 and
78, at the top of the cabinet 14, and plural angle members 80 at
the corners of the cabinet 14. A reinforced framework 84,
comprising the channel members 76 and 78, supports the
ice-cube-forming apparatus 12 at the top of the cabinet 14 and
above the ice-cube-dispensing bin 10. The ice-cube-forming
apparatus 12 is mounted on and suitably supported by the framework
84.
In accordance with the principles of this invention, the
ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 is characterized by bin structure 86,
which includes a reservoir 90, defining a substantially enclosed
space 88 within which a large quantity of ice cubes may be stored,
and by dispensing means 92 for mechanically dispensing the stored
ice cubes.
Preferably, the reservoir 90 is vacuum molded or otherwise
fabricated in one piece of a rugged high-impact plastic sheet, as
shown. The reservoir 90 has an open top and includes a generally
flat downwardly and frontwardly sloped bottom wall 94, a steep
upwardly and outwardly inclined front wall 96, and a backwall 98
and sidewalls 100 and 102 each curved downwardly and inwardly to
the bottom wall 94. The reservoir 90 opens into a suitable drain
104. The walls 94-102 of the reservoir 90 are enclosed by a
suitably fabricated sheet metal casing 106. The space between the
walls 94-102 of the reservoir 90 and the casing 106 is packed with
a suitable cushioning material 108, such as polystyrene foam. The
cushioning material 108 should be capable of lending structural
support to the walls 94-102 of the reservoir 90. It has been found
that the use of polystyrene foam, or an equivalent material, with
an average thickness of from 1 to 1 inches, provides adequate
structural support for the reservoir 90 to be made of an
inexpensive vacuum-molded plastic sheet, as mentioned. Furthermore,
the plastic sheet and the underlying cushioning material 108 deaden
the sound of ice cubes dropping into the reservoir 90 when the
ice-cube-dispensing bin 10 is empty or nearly empty.
The aforementioned bin structure 86 further includes lateral wall
structure 120 between the open top of the reservoir 90 and the
outlet 18 of the ice-cube-forming apparatus 12. The lateral wall
structure 120 supports the reservoir 90 and the casing 106 from the
aforementioned framework 84 at the top of the cabinet 14. The
lateral wall structure 120 includes a generally trapezoidal
backwall 122 and suitably fabricated sidewalls 124 and 126. The
walls 122, 124 and 126 inclined upwardly and inwardly from the open
top of the reservoir 90 toward the outlet 18 of the
ice-cube-forming apparatus 12. The bin structure 86 further
comprises a suitably fabricated front wall 128, to be described
hereinafter. A large quantity of ice cubes may be stored in the bin
structure 86, within the space enclosed by the walls 122-126 of the
wall structure 120 and the front wall 128, and between the
framework 84 at the top of the cabinet 14 and the reservoir 90. The
stored ice cubes may be withdrawn from the reservoir 90 by means of
the dispensing means 92.
Significantly, the walls 122-126 of the wall structure 120 and the
front wall 128 are not insulated. These walls are made of sheet
metal, preferably of stainless steel, and thus are heat conductive.
Inasmuch as the cabinet 14 also is not insulated, heat from the
surroundings is conducted to the stored ice cubes through the walls
122-126 of the wall structure 120 and through the front wall 128.
Consequently, the stored ice cubes are permitted to melt slowly and
a film of water is permitted to be formed between adjacent stored
ice cubes. As mentioned hereinbefore, the film of water prevents
the separate ice cubes from sticking together and forming large
undifferentiated masses of ice, and the film of water also
substantially eliminates whitening and roughening of the ice cubes
and forms a barrier to minimize the penetration of odors.
Owing to the inclination, or reverse draft, of the backwall 122 and
the sidewalls 124 and 126, the stored ice cubes are prevented from
becoming wedged between the backwall 122 and the front wall 128, or
between the sidewall 124 and the sidewall 126. As a result, the
stored ice cubes are permitted to drop freely within the
ice-cube-dispensing bin 10, from the outlet 18 of the
ice-cube-forming apparatus 12 to the reservoir 90, as ice cubes are
withdrawn from the reservoir 90 by the dispensing means 92, and
there is little tendency for the stored ice cubes to adhere
together.
The dispensing means 92 for dispensing ice cubes from the reservoir
90 comprises an upwardly and outwardly inclined auger 130 and an
elongated trough 132 closely spaced from the auger 130 in parallel
relation to the auger 130.
The auger 130 comprises an elongated spindle 134, which is
perpendicular to the bottom wall 94 of the reservoir 90, and an
integrally mounted blade 138, which defines a series of continuous
helical flights 140 along the spindle 134. The lower end 142 of the
spindle 134 is disposed within the reservoir 90 adjacent to the
bottom wall 94 of the reservoir 90, and the upper end 144 of the
spindle 134 is disposed above the reservoir 90 and within the hood
50.
While the trough 132 may be fabricated to a rounded cross section,
as in a conventional screw conveyor, preferably, the trough 132 is
fabricated to a channelled cross section. As shown, the trough 132
includes a flat base wall 146 and generally perpendicular sidewalls
148 and 150. The walls 146-150 of the trough 132 are closely spaced
from the flights 140 of the auger 130 to permit the auger 130 to
convey ice cubes from the reservoir 90 along the walls 146-150.
Owing to the inclination of the auger 130 and the trough 132, ice
cubes being conveyed by the auger 130 tend to remain in the corners
formed by the walls 146-150. The open spaces between the flights
140 of the auger 130 and the corners formed by the walls 146-150 of
the trough 132 effectively screen the ice cubes such that only ice
cubes that are larger than these open spaces are conveyed by the
auger 130. Substantially melted ice cubes and ice fragments
resulting from breakage drop through these open spaces back to the
reservoir 90 where they will eventually melt and be drained
away.
The lower end 152 of the trough 132 is disposed within the
reservoir 90, adjacent to the lower end 142 of the spindle 134 of
the auger 130, and is formed by a lower end wall 154, which is
perpendicular to the base wall 146 of the trough 132 and thus is
parallel to the bottom wall 94 of the reservoir 90. The lower end
wall 154 of the trough 132 is spaced from the bottom wall 94 of the
reservoir 90 by an annular member 156. A conventional seal 158,
integral with the annular member 156, is dropped through a suitable
opening 160 in the bottom wall 94 of the reservoir 90 and into a
suitable pocket 162 in the insulative material 108. The end wall
152 has an opening 164 aligned with the annular member 156 and the
seal 158.
The upper end 166 of the trough 132 is disposed above the reservoir
90 and within the hood 50, adjacent to the upper end 144 of the
spindle 134 of the auger 130, and comprises an upper end wall 168,
which is perpendicular to the base wall 146 of the trough 132 and
thus is parallel both to the lower end wall 154 and to the bottom
wall 94 of the reservoir 90. As is best shown in FIG. 3, a portion
174 of the backwall 146, adjacent to the upper end 166 but spaced
therefrom, is bent inwardly between the sidewalls 148 and 150, in
part parallel to the upper end wall 168 and in part arched away
from the upper end wall 168. An inverted generally L-shaped member
176 is welded or otherwise suitably attached to the base wall 146
of the trough 132 in the opening formed in the base wall 146 by the
inwardly bent portion 174. The member 176 defines a downwardly
sloping shelf onto which the ice cubes are lifted by the auger 130.
The inwardly bent portion 174 of the backwall 146 has an opening
178 through which the upper end 144 of the spindle 134 is freely
passed.
The upper end wall 168 of the trough 132 has an opening 180 aligned
with the opening 164 in the lower end wall 154 of the trough 132.
An annular member 182, similar to the annular member 156, is
disposed upon the upper end wall 168. A conventional journal
bearing 184, integral with the annular member 182, is dropped
through the opening 180 in the end wall 168.
The aforementioned dispensing spout 72 is removably mounted to the
trough 132 and comprises a wall member 186 and a flanged cover
member 188. The wall member 186 is suitably fabricated to include a
front wall 190 and perpendicular sidewalls 192 and 194. Preferably,
the sidewalls 192 and 194 are bolted to portions of the sidewalls
148 and 150 of the trough 132 adjacent the opening formed in the
base wall 146 by the inwardly bent portion 174. As is best shown in
FIG. 3, a portion 196 of the wall member 186 extends downwardly
through the opening 70 in the fixture plate 52. An inwardly
inclined deflecting lip member 198 is integrally attached to the
lower margin of the front wall 190. The flanged cover member is
fitted over the walls 190-194 of the wall member 186 between the
upper end 166 of the trough 132 and the fixture plate 52. The
aforementioned inverted generally L-shaped member 176 is fitted
between the sidewalls 192 and 194 of the wall member 186 and
completes the structure of the dispensing spout 72.
The aforementioned front wall 128 of the ice-cube-dispensing bin 10
is fabricated to include a sloped upper portion 198 and an upwardly
and outwardly inclined lower portion 200. The upper portion 198 has
an enlarged rectangular opening 202 through which the auger 130 and
the trough 132 are passed. The lower portion 200 has a section 204,
the outer surface of which may be covered with a suitable
insulative material to prevent condensation from forming.
The upper end wall 168 has a pair of spaced generally upwardly
directed studs 208 welded or otherwise suitably attached to an
integral flange 210 on the front channel member 76 through suitable
openings 212 in the flange 210. The upper end wall 168 is supported
by the flange 210 with the openings 206 engaged by the studs
208.
An enclosed bearing assembly 214 is suitably attached to the
underside of the sheet metal casing 106 containing the reservoir
90. A rotatable mandrel 216 is supported by and journaled in a
suitable bearing (not shown) in the bearing assembly 214. The lower
end 218 of the mandrel 216 is extended beneath the bearing assembly
214. The upper end 220 of the mandrel 216 is extended above the
bearing assembly 214, through a suitable opening 222 in the sheet
metal casing 106 and through the cushioning material 108, and is
further extended through the seal 158 and the annular member 156
and through the opening 164 in the lower end wall 154 of the trough
132. As a result, the mandrel 216 is coaxial with the spindle 134
of the auger 130.
A socket member 226 is integrally attached to the lower end 142 of
the spindle 134 as an axial extension of the spindle 134. The
socket member 226 is slidably fitted over the upper end 220 of the
mandrel 216. A radially extending pin 228, integral with the
mandrel 216 adjacent to the upper end 220 of the mandrel 216, is
seated in a suitably formed axial slot 230 in the socket member
226. As a result, the socket member 226 is keyed to the mandrel 216
for conjoint rotation of the auger 130 and the mandrel 216. The
upper end 144 of the spindle 134 is passed through the opening 178
in the inwardly bent portion 174 of the base wall 146 of the trough
132 and is journaled in the journal bearing 184. In this manner,
the auger 130 is supported for rotation relative to the trough
132.
The manner in which the upper end wall 168 of the trough 132 is
supported by the flange 210 and the manner in which the lower end
142 of the spindle 134 of the auger 130 is associated with the
upper end 220 of the mandrel 216, permit the auger 130 and the
trough 132 to be lifted from the ice-dispensing bin 10, together
with the dispensing spout 72, after the roof panel 56 of the hood
50 has been removed, as aforementioned, for cleaning and descaling
the auger 130 and the trough 132 and for other purposes.
A motor mount 234 is rigidly mounted to the bottom wall 24 of the
cabinet 14. A prime mover in the form of a conventional electrical
motor 236 is suitably supported by the motor mount 234. A
conventional speed reducer 238 is suitably supported by a suitable
framework (not shown), adjacent to the underside of the sheet metal
casing 106 containing the reservoir 90. A belt and pulley
combination 240 is used to drive the input shaft 242 of the speed
reducer 238 from the motor 236. A chain and sprocket combination
244 is used to drive the mandrel 216, at the lower end 218 thereof,
from the output shaft 246 of the speed reducer 238.
Preferably, alternative controls are provided for actuating and
deactuating the motor 236. As shown, one alternative control
comprises a spring-mounted lever 250 installed in the fixture plate
52 and biased to a reset position whereat the motor 236 is
deactuated. This control may be arranged in a known manner such
that the motor 236 is actuated and the auger 130 rotated when a
bucket or the like is pressed against the lever 250. As shown, the
other alternative control comprises a pushbutton 252 installed in
the control panel 54 and biased outwardly to a reset position
whereat the motor 236 is deactuated. This control may be arranged
such that the motor 236 is actuated and the auger 130 rotated when
the pushbutton 252 is pressed. Each control may be arranged, in
known manner, to override the other. Suitable circuits for the
foregoing controls may be supplied readily by those skilled in the
art.
As an added feature, a conventional faucet 270 for running water is
shown installed in the fixture plate 52. Flow from the faucet 270
may be controlled by a conventional spring load valve (not shown)
which may be actuated by a push button 272 installed in the control
panel 54. The pushbutton 272 should be biased outwardly to a reset
position whereat flow from the faucet 270 is cut off.
It should be understood that the preferred embodiment of this
invention is described solely by way of example and that
modifications and improvements within the scope of this invention
may be suggested by the present disclosure to those skilled in the
art. Accordingly, the scope of this invention should be determined
from the following claims.
* * * * *