Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~
The present invention relates generally to the form
of commercial ice making machines which produce and harvest a
flake ice product formed, for example, around the interior of
a refrigerated cylindrical wall that is sized to cooperate with
a rotatable harvesting auger which is operative to transfer the
flake ice product to an associa-ted ice extruding chamber.
Disposed within the chamber is a longitudinally extending rota- -
table compression auger that is operable to compress the flake
ice product into a hard column of ice which moves axially out-
wardly from the chamber into engagement with a breaker head thatcauses the column of ice to be broken into discrete ice chunks
or "cubes". Generally speaking, the aforesaid type of ice
producing apparatus is shown in U.S. Patents No. 3,662,564;
3,702,543 and 3,654,773.
The present invention relates in an apparatus for
producing discrete ice cubes, and it includes a flaked ice making
machine having an outlet portion through which flaked ice is
supplied with an extruder device having an extruder body defining
a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. Ice conduit means
communicates flaked ice from the flaked ice outlet portion to the
inlet portion of the extruder body. Means defines an outlet
through which extruded ice may pass out of the chamber. An ice
extruding auger is disposed interiorly of the chamber and is
operable to cause ice passing thereinto to be compressed into a
relatively solid ice mass which is forced outwardly through the
outlet. Drive means is provided for effecting rotational move-
ment of the auger.
The present invention may include an ice making
apparatus of the type wherein a flake ice product is produced
by scrapping the inner walls OI a cylindrical freezing
compartment with the peripheral edge of a helical harvesting
auger. The mass of ice particles thus produced is transferred
out of the freezing compartment and through suitable conduit
means into an ice extruding or compression chamber having an
ice extruding auger disposed therewithin~ The auger may be
cantilever supported within the extruding chamber and is rotated
1~ by an associated drive motor. In a specific embodiment of the
invention, the compression auger is provided with a helical
flight or auger blade which is defined in part by an imayinary
cylindrical surface and in part by an imaginary frusto-conical
surface. The auger blade may be formed with a plurality of
circumferentially and axi-,lly spaced,teeth or notches which
facilitate drawing or pullin~ the flaked ice into the interior
of the exterior chamber. The offset of the flaked ice inlet
from the longitudinal or rotational axis o~ the auger
facilitates the 10w of the flaked ice into the chamber. The
interior of the chamber may be formed with a plurality of
longitudinally or axially extending, circumferentially spaced
grooves or recesses which act to guide the ice being compacted
within the extruder cha~lber as it moves toward the extruding
aperture. Disposed outwardly of this aperture is a deflecting
surface,that is molded directly onto the breaker head which causes
the rod or cylinder of extruded ice to be broken into discrete
ice chunks or "cubes" of selected length and uniforn cross-
sectional shape. These ice cubes may be transferred by means of
a suitable conduit to a remotely located ice storage bin or
- 2 -
dispenser which provides for consumer access to and u~ilization
thereof.
It is accordingly a general object of the present
- invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for producing
ice in cube or similar form.
It is a more particular object of the present invention
to provide a new and improved apparatus of the above type which
compresses or compacts a flaked ice product compression chamber
to produce high quality ice in cube or chunk form.
1~ It is a related object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved ice producing apparatus of the
above described type which utilizes a significantly lower or
lesser amount of electrical energy as compared to comparable
types of ice cube making e~uipment.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved extruder~type ice producing device
which includes an extruder chamber having an ice compressing auger
disposed therewithin, said auger being of a design which
facilitates the production of ice at a somewhat lesser pressure
than is necessary in analogous prior art ice extruding devices.
It is still a further object of the present invention
to provide an ice producing device of the above character which
is of a relatively simple design, will be economical to
manufacture and will have a long and effective operational
life.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent ~rom the following detailed description,
taXen in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION UF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the ice
making machine of the present invention, with portions of the
flaked ice producing mechanism and ice storage bin being broken
away for illustrative purposes;
. Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, par-
tially broken away, of the ice extruding mechanism embodied
in the system shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional
view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse cross-s~ctional
view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the ice com-
pacting or compressing auger embodied in the ice extruding
mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 6 lS an end elevational view of the auger
shown in Figure 5, as seen in the direction of the arrow 6
thereof;
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Figure 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view of
the breaker head incorporated in the extruder mechanism of
the present invention;
Figure 8 is an end view of the breaker head shown
in Figure 7, as viewed in the direction of the arro~7 8
thereof; and - . . - . -
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken substan-
tially along the line 9-9 of Figure 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI~ENT
_
10Referring now in detail to the drawings and in
particular to Figure 1 thereof, an ice making apparatus 10,
in aecordanee with one preferred embodiment of the present
invention, is shown generally as eomprising a flaked iee
making machine 12 to whieh water to be frozen is supplied
via a suitable water inlet line or conduit 14. The machine
12 is operatively associated with a refrigeration system 16
by which the aforesaid water is frozen transmitted via a
suitable flaked ice transport line or conduit 18 to an ice
extruder mechanism which is constructed in accordance with
the principles of the present invention and whieh causes the
flaked ice to be compacted or compressed and formed into
discrete ice bodies or "cubes" that are communicated via a
eonduit 22 to a suitable ice storage bin, reservoir, or
dispensing chamber, ete,. generally designated by the numeral
24, as will hereinafter be described in detail.
By way of example, the flaked ice making apparatus
12 ineludes a cylindrical free~er housing 26 within which
a rotatable auger 28 is disposed, the auger bein~ selectively
rotated by means of a drive motor 30 which is connected via
eb:r/~S
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~3~33~
a gear mechanism 32 to the auger 28. Refrigerant is supplied
via a refrigerant line 34 to an annular evaporator chamber
36 which partially surrounds the freezer housing 26 and
causes water supplied through the conduit 14 to freeze around
the inner periphery of the housing 26. Refrigerant is
returned.to the system 16 via a suitable refrigerant line 38
which~is-connected-to a conventi-onal refrigera-tor compressor
40 that is in turn connected via refrigerant line 41 with an
associated refrigeration condenser 42. As is well known in
the art, actuation of the auger 28 will cause ice to be
sheared off the interior wall of the housing 26 in flaked form
and be transmitted upwardly into the conduit 18, from where
. such flaked ice will travel to the ice extruder mechanism 20
hereinafter to be described.
As illustrated in Figure 1, the extruder mechanism
20 includes, by way of example, a support struc-ture 44 including
a base section 46 and an upright section 48, the latter of
which operatively (and preferably adjustably) supports a
suitable drive motor 50 operatively connected via a drive
belt 52 with a reduction gear assembly 54 mounted upon the
base section 46. The assembly 54 includes a suitable housing
56 within which reduction gearing (not shown) is operatively
disposed for effecting rotation of an output shaft 58 in
response to driving movement of the belt 52.
The ice extruder mechanism 20, as illustrated in
Figure 3, comprises an elongated extruder housing 60 that is
arranged generally coaxially of the rotational axis of the
shaft 58 and includes a central body section 62 having
outwardly projecting flange sections 64 and 66 formed inte-
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grally of the opposite ends thereof. The housing 60 alsoincludes an integral ice inlet section 68 projecting upwaraly
from the central body section 62 thereof, the inlet section
68 defining an inlet bore or passage 70 which is communi-
cable with the conduit 18 when the latter is operatively
-: - secured ln any suitable manner to the in-let-seetion 68, whereby
flaked ice will be transferred from the conduit 1~ via the
bore 70 to the interior of an elongated extruding chamber
72 defined within the housing 60. In accordance with one
feature of the present invention, the axis of the bore or
passage 70 is laterall~7 offset a distance D (see Figure 9)
from the longitudinal axis of the ice extruding chamber 72,
- ~ for purposes to be hereinafter described~
As best seen in Figure 3, the housing 60 ~ncludes
a cylindrical or uniform diameter section 74 at the end
thereof adjacent the assembly 54, and also includes a frusto-
conical or tapered section 76 at the end thereof adjacent
the flange section 66. Means in the form of a plurality of
longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced reinforcing
ribs or webs 78 are preferably formed around the section 76
to enhance the structural integrity of the housing 60. The
housing 60 also ineludes an outlet section 80 which is disposed
on the opposite side of the flange 66 from the section 76
and whieh defines an iee extruding outle-t opening 82 that is
preferably square in eross section and includes spaced parallel
sides 84,86 and spaced parallel upper and lower surfaces 88
and 90. The outlet opening 82 is eommunicable with the interior
of the extruding chamber 72 which eonsists of a cylindrieal
portion 92 and a frusto-conical portion 94 that are respec-
cl~r/~jS
,
tively located within the section 74 and 76 of the housing60. A plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentiall~
spaced and radially outwardly projecting grooves 96 are
formed within the inner periphery of the chamber 72 which
function as guide means for guiding the flaked ice as it is
'',''' - "'béing compact'ed'and'compressed as it-move's toward and-through
the outlet opening 82. Disposed within the lower side of the
housing 60 is a suitable outlet port 98 which may be communi-
cable via a suitable conduit or the like with the system
drain, or elsewhere, by which water which is compressed out
of the flaked ice product during the extruding process may be
disposed of. The housing 60 is adapted to be fixedly secured
.: - - - . - . - . .
by means of a plurality of suitable fastening elements, i.e.
screws, bolts, or the like 100, which extend through suitable
openings in the flange 64 and through aligned openings in
a mounting pad 102 and are suitable secured to the forward
face of the housing 56, whereby the housing 60 is fixedly
mounted upon and projects outwardly from the housing 56 in
the manner best shown in Figure 2. In a preferred construction
of the present invention, the housing 60 is fabricated by
an investment casting process which has been found to be -~:
preferable insofar as providing a relatively economical, high
quality structure. It will be appreciated, however, that
various alternative fabricati.ng techniques may be used without
departing from the scope of the present invention. The auger
10~ comprises a generally frusto-conical or tapered body
having major and minor diameter end porti.ons and is arranged
coa~ially within the chamber 72.
~s best illustra-ted in Figures 2-5, di.sposed in-teriorlv
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of the chamber 72 and rotatable therewithin is an ice
extruding auger, generally designated by the numeral 104
that is constructed in accordance with the principles of
the present invention. Integrally formed with the body 106
is a generally cylindrically-shaped shaft or support section
108 that is formed with an internally threaded blind bore
110 adapted to be threadably connected to the outer end of
the output shaft 58 so as to be rotatable concomitantly
therewith. As will be seen in Figure 3, the shaft 58
cooperates with the shaft section 108 in cantilever supporting
the auger 104 within the chamber 72. The auger body 106 is
also formed with a helical flight or auger blade, generally
-~designated by the numeral ll~, which extends helically along
the entire length of the conical portion of the body 104.
As illustrated in Figure 5, the profile shape of the auger
blade 112 is defined in part by an imaginary cylindrical
surface 114 whose axis is colinear with the rotational axis
of the auger 104, and also by an imaginary frusto-conical
surface 116 whose axis is also coaxial wi-th the axis of the
auger 104. As will be appreciated by comparing the structures
shown in Figures 3 and 4, the imaginary surfaces 114 and 116
correspond generally to the interior shape of the sections
74 and 76, respectively, of the housing 60. In a preferred
construction, the taper of the imaginary frusto-conical
surface 116 is greater than the root taper of the auger body
106, i.e. greater than the taper of the conical surface of
the body 106. One preferred construction is indicated in
Figure 5 wherein the taper of the surface 116 is approximately
25 , whereas the root kaper of the auger body 106 is appro~i-
cbr/~S
335
mately 16 .
In accordance with one of the features of thepresent invention, the outer peripheral edge o~ the por~ion
of the auger blade 112 defined by the imaginary cylindrical
surface 114 is formed with a plurality of notches, generally
designated by the numeral 118. Each o~ the notches is
.: ,. ., .. . , .. - .. . ' ' . -, , - - - . ' ^ . . . . , - - - - - ,.
' defïnecl by major and'minor'surfaces'120 and 12'2, respectively,
that are arranged at approximately 90 from one another and
in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blade
112 is formed with eight of such notches which are e'qually
circwmferentially and axially spaced along the blade 112
approximately 60 from one another. The notches 118-~re
intended to ~unction in efficiently drawing flaked ice
inwardly through the inlet bore 70 whereupon said ice will
be conpacted and compressed into a high quality ice.
Disposed on the outlet end of the housing 60, i.e.
the right end of the housing 60 as viewed in Figures 2 and ~:
3, is a breaker head, generally deslgnated by the numeral
124. The breaker head 124 includes a body 126 which is
formed with a generall~ radially outwardly extending flange
section 12g adapted to be secured by means of suitable screws,
bolts or the li~e 130 to the flange section 66 of the housing
60. The interior of the breaker head body 126 is formed with
a longidutinally extending outlet passage, generally designated
132, the inlet end of which 134 is enlarged somewhat and
adapted to nestingly receive the outwardly projecting section
30 of the housing 60, as best seen in Figures 3 and 7. The
outlet end of the passage 132 provides an outle-t opening 136
which is deFined by vertically extending, spaced parallel
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8~5
side walls 138, 140 and by horizontally e~tending spaced
upper and lower walls 142 and 144. ~s best seen in Figure
3 the inner ends of the side ~7alls 138 and 140 are tapered,
as seen at 146 and 148, respectively, while the upper wall
142 is formed with an inclined surface defining a breaker
ramp 150 that func-tions in a manner to be hereinafter des-
'-:'':. ''.'cribed-in'.causing the-solid rod-or column of ice, which'is -' -.
produced as the flaked ice is forced through the outlet
opening 82, to break off into discrete ice chunks or "cubes"
of predetermined length, as will be discribed in connection
with the overa~l operation of the present invention.
As previously mentioned, the ice chunks or cubes
...... produced by.the ice extruder mechanism 20.are communicated .
via a suitable conduit 22 to some remote location, such as
the aforementioned storage bin or dispensing device, repre-
sentatively designated by the numeral 24. The inlet end of
conduit 22 is adapted to be fixedly secured to the outlet
end of the breaker head 124 by means of a pair of securing
brackets illustrated in Figure 3 and generally designated
by the numeral 152. Each of the brackets 152 includes a
supp~rt arm 154 having an end section 156 at one end thereof
that is secured by means of the aforementioned screws, bolts
or the like 130 to the breaker head 124. The opposite or
outer ends of the brackets 152 include arcuate-shaped clamping
sections 158 adapted to clampingly secure the end of the
conduit 22 to the outlet end of the breaker head 124 in a
manner such that inadvertent separation or disassembly of
the conduit 22 rom the breaker head 124 is prevented, even
under the pressure conditions which are produced during an
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ice extruding operation.
In operation of the system 10, assuming that the
housing 26 of the ice making apparatus 12 is being supplied
with a suitable source of water via the conduit 14, and that
the refrigeration system 16 is operable to cause the freezing
.~.. .. of such water around-the.inner periphery of the freezer
housing 26, energization of the drive motor 30 will effect
rotation of the auger 28 so as to cause a flaked ice product
to be transferred from the upper end of the housing 26 into
lQ the conduit 18. This flaked ice product will be comrnunicated
via the conduit 18 into the bore 70 of the extruding housing
60, from where the ice product will enter the interior of -_.
- : . the extruding chamber 72-. Assuming that the drive motor 50
is energized to effect driving movement of the belt 52 and
rotation of the drive shaft 58, the extruder auger io4 Wi~
be caused to rotate within the chamber 72. Such rotation
of the auger 104 will cause the flaked ice product to be
compressed or compacted as it is moved longitudinally along
the interior of the chamber 72 and forced axially outwardly
- 20 through the outlet opening 82. By virtue of the square cross-
sectional shape of the opening 82, the ice passing outwardly
therethrough will be in the form of a solid ice rod or column
of corresponding square cross-sectional shape. As this rod or
column of ice progresses outwardly through the opening 82, it
will engage the breaker .rarnp 150 within the breaker head
124, resulting in the column of ice fracturing into substan-
tially uniform length discrete ice chunks or cubes, and as
a result of the uniform, predetermined cross section of this
ice, it is possible to comrnunicate the same through the conduit
-12-
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83~i
22 to some remote location, such as the ice storage ~in of
the dispensing device 24, without such ice becoming jar~med
within the conduit 22. In a preferred construction of ~he
present invention, the shape and cross-sectional area of
the conduit 22 is selected so that the diameter thereof is
only sligh~ly larger than-the~diagonal-distance across the-
generally-squaré cross-sectional area -of the ice cubes,
which results in facilitating the transport of the ice
through the conduit 22 solely under the force of additional
ice being extruded through the opening 82. The conduit 22
may be made of any suitable flexible tubing, such as a
suitable rubber or plastic having the requisite sanitary
characteristics, and it will be noted that the cross-sectional
configuration of the conduit 22 is not critical provided
the dimensions thereof conform closely to those of the ice
being transported therethrough. It is to be appreciated
that one of the important advantages and features of the
present invention resides in the fact that the so-called ice
cubes produced thereby are of substantially the same form at
both the entrance end and the exit end of the conduit 22,
which is accomplished due to the fact that the flaked ice
product is compacted and "pre-shaped" into discrete particles
having uniorm, transverse cross-sectional dimensions before
it is introduced into the conduit so that it will not dis-
integrate under the influence of the compressive force applied
during its passage from the extruder mechanism 20 to the
storage bin or the like 24.
Another important feature of the presen~ invention
resides in the act that an extremely high quality ice cube
cbr/~.3f~
s
is produced, the term "high quality" meaniny that the ice
is substantially free of trapped bubbles, impurities and
minerals, as well as excess water, all of which are forced
ou-t of the ice as it is being compacted and compressed
while moving toward and through the outlet opening 82. As
previously mentioned, such excess water, as well as any
minerals or impurities therein, will be removed from the
chamber 72 via the outlet port 98.
Another important feature of the present invention
resides in the fact that the laterally offset inle* opening
82 and the plurality of notches 118 cooperate to facilitate
the ingress of the flaked ice product into the interior of
: - the extruding chamber 72, as compared to prior art ice
extruding devices. This feature, together with the provision
of the plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally
extending grooves and the smooth blending shape of the extrud-
ing chamber 72 as the periphery thereof terminates at the
outlet opening 82, results in the production of the afore-
mentioned high quality ice product at a somewhat reduced
pressure as compared to prior art designs~ ~ related feature
of the present invention resides in the fact that a comparable
volume of a cube-like ice product can be produced by means
o~ the present invention with a significantly less amount of
energy, as compared to conven-tional ice cube making equipment.
Accordingly, the present invention not only provides a means
by which an extremely high quality ice cube product can be
made, but one in which the i.ce product can be produced with
significant savings in the operational cost of the ice making
apparatus,
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~0~35
While it will be apparent that the preferred
embodiment of the invention disclosed is well calculated
to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated
that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation
and change without departing from the proper scope of fair
meaning oE the subjoined claims.
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