US2931194A - Ice block harvesting device - Google Patents

Description

April 1960 v. G. SHARPE 2,931,194

ICE BLOCK HARVESTING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F 'g 6 INVENTOR. Var/0s 6. Sharpe F/'g./ g 5 His Attorney April 5, 1960 v. G. SHARPE 2,931,194

ICE BLOCK HARVESTING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 an 22 4e 3| I I4 37 33 INVENTOR.

BY I/er/os 6. Sharpe 34 2g 24 6 F 1g. 7

His Al/omey April 1960 v. G. SHARPE 2,931,194

ICE BLOCK HARVESTING DEVICE Filed May 14. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Var/0s G. Sharpe BYwg H/s Aftorn e y rcE BLOCK HARVESTING DEVICE Verlos G. Sharpe, Xenia, Ohio, assignor to General Motors CorporatiomDetroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware 1 This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to an arrangement for harvesting ice blocks from freez ng devices employed in household refrigerators.

The present invention pertains to an improvement in ice block ejector devices and, is specifically an advancement in the art over such a device as disclosed in my"Pat-' ent #2829506 dated April 8, 1958. e

In prior ice block harvesting arrangements of the type including a support upon which a unitary freezing device is invertedly and stationarily supported while moving a leverage mechanism to shift grid walls, in a tray for ejecting ice blocks therefrom the initial movement of the lever has immediately acted on the grid walls and this necessitates a great force to be initially applied to the lever to move same. Housewives have objected to such arrangements because his difficult for them. to start the lever in motion and such difficulty has resulted in broken or torn fingernails. I have found a way to ease the operation of a leverage mechanism of ice block ejectors which overcomes objections thereto. I discovered that a substantially free initial movement of a lever of'an ice block ejector together with the utilization of the impetus or momentum 'of a moving freezing device as a mass just prior to application of force by the lever to a grid Wall in the freezing device, for breaking ice bonds, is ad-' vantageous in reducing or minimizing effort manually exerted upon the lever.

It is an object of my invention to provide a low cost improved arrangement for releasing ice blocks from a freezing device of the tray and: grid type employed in household refrigerator cabinets.

'Another object of my invention is to providein an ice block ejector arrangement a force multiplying leverage mechanism the lever of which can be'operated, both initially and throughout continued movement thereof, with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a further and more specific object of my invention to provide in an ice block ejecting arrangement or combinationa leverage mechanism the initial'movement of which is substantially devoid of resistance and sets 'a freezing device in motion whereby the impetus or momentum of the moving freezing device is utilized to aid in til-ting grid walls in a tray of the device for breaking ice bonds and thereby eases continued operation of the lever of the mechanism during the act of harvesting ice blocks from the freezing device. 7

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred ,form of the present invention is clearly shown. s

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a multiple chambered household refrigerator cabinet with its doors open showing a freezing device receiving and support element of the present invention in the freezing chamber thereof;

Patented Apr. 5, 1960 Figure 2'is an enlarged brokeri fragmentary sectional 7 view takenon the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a freezing device invertedly supported on the support of, the freezing device receiving element;

Figure 3 is a broken fragmentary top sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 with the freezing device omitted therefrom;

Figure 4- is a broken fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a grid wall of the freezing device in. engagement with a rigid stationary means, on the freezing device receiving and support element.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 and shows grid walls of-the freezing device tilted and-ice blocks released from the device;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view takenon the line 6-6 of Figure 2 showing the mounting of a leverage mechanism on one side of the freezing device receiving and supponting element; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view'taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 2 showing the association of the freezing device witha rigid cross member stationarily secured to the freezing device receiving and supporting element.

Referring to the drawings, in which the invention is illustrated, I show in Figure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including an insulated household refrigerator cabinet 10 of the multiple chamber type in which the present invention is embodied. Cabinet 10 is provided with an upper unfrozen food storage chamber 11 which is cooled to a temperature of from, for example, 37 to' 43 F., by a plate-like sheet metal evaporator 12. of a refrigerating system associated with the cabinet and which evaporator is located behind a protective cover or baffle 13 at the back of chamber 11. Cabinet 10' is also pro vided with a lower' or frozen food storage chamber 14 which is cooledto a temperature well below 30 F. for the storage of frozen foods, for freezing foods and/or for freezing water in freezing devices removably' disposed in chamber 14 into ice blocks for tableuse in chilling salads and the like and drinks in glasses. Chamber 14 is refrigerated by an evaporator 15, of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10, which evaporacan-like member 16 forming the liner of chamber 14 (see Figures land 2). Doors 17 and 18 are hingedly mounted on cabinet or desirable construction such as shown in my patent here- 10 and provide individual closures for the access openings of chambers 11 and 14 respectively. A plurality of unitary freezing devices, shown more clearly in other figures of the drawings, are supported on the bottom of liner 16 within freezing chamber 14 and water contained in compartments of these freezing separated ice blocks. r

Each unitary freezing device may be of any suitable inbefore referred to but is preferably of a type constructed as shown and fully described in my joint copending application S.N. 634,020 filed January 14, 1957, now Patent No. 2,874,553 issued February 24, 1959, entitled Freezing Device and assignedto the assignee of this application. The freezing device herein disclosed is, however, slightly modified in that the hook-like end on the longitudinal actuating member of the grid in the tray of the device in said copending application is omitted since it is of no use in the presently disclosed arrangement. Briefly each freezing device comprises or includes an elongated sheet metal rigid pan or tray 21 provided with inclined sides and ends and having a bent or rolled over rim 22 at the top thereof (seeFigures 2 and'7) which extends aroundthe tray. Rim 22 is enlarged at the front devices is frozen into 3 attached thereto. A grid structure is locked in tray 21 against detachment therefrom and this grid structure includes a two-part metal longitudinal partition comprising a lower wall 26 and an upper movable wall or actuating member 27. The grid structure also includes a plurality of spaced apart substantially inflexible transverse or cross walls 28 loosely interlocked with the parts of the longitudinal partition by being mounted in notches provided in wall 26 and in member 27. The notches in movable member 27 are of varying widths relative to one another and receive a continuous web portion of walls 28 so that member 27 will engage and move or tilt the cross walls one after another in succession from the front end to the rear end of the freezing device for progressively releasing ice blocks. The transverse grid walls 28 are normally disposed or lie in an acute inclined angular plane with respectto thevertical and are anchored in tray 21 in such a manner that they may be swung or tilted relative thereto and to the partitioning wall 26 into a substantially vertical plane while the grid is locked in'the tray. Cross.

or transverse walls 28 have a raised central portion which projects outwardly of tray 21 at-the open top thereof. By virtue of the normal inclined freezing position of the transverse walls 2 8 ice block compartments in tray 21 formed by the grid walls are, in' at least one vertical cross sectional contour or area therethrough, of a parallelogram shape and when the walls 28 are tilted toward the vertical, to break bonds between walls of the compartments and ice blocks therein, these compartments are enlarged in a direction between the walls 28.

According to this invention I provide an ice block releasing and ejectingmeans for the freezing devices in chambe 14 of the refrigerator cabinet 10 wherein the impetusor momentum of moving a device along a support is utilized in an advantageous manner to ease the initial breaking of a bond between portions of the device and ,ice therein whereby to facilitate continued ice bond breaking acts by a leverage mechanism the lever of which is thereby rendered more freely operable. The force multiplying leverage mechanism is movably mounted on a freezing device receiving and support element located in chamber 14 of the refrigerator cabinet 19. This element comprises a pair of metal brackets 31 eachrigidly: bolted or riveted to the top wall of liner 16 of chamber 14 in spaced apart relation to one another. Each bracket 31 has a ledge or flange 32 stamped therefrom and bent horizontally relative thereto and these ledges provide an elongated freezing device support on; the element which, for convenience in the present disclosure, is slightly. in-

clined from the horizontal. The lower edge 'po'rtionof. each bracket31 is also bent horizontally, as at 33, to prov vide the freezingdevice receiving element with a second support for slidably receiving a removable ice block storage receptacle or bucket 34 below the freezing device support 32 thereon. Each bracket 31 is provided with an inturned flange 36 at the front thereofand these flanges over the lugs 41 (see-Figure 6). Lever 38 is assembled onto the freezing device support element after brackets 31 have been mounted in chamber 14 by springing its legs apart, inserting lugs 41 into the proper holes in the brackets and the ends 39 into slots 42. Aleaf spring 46 is bolted or riveted to the top inturned flange of one of the brackets 31 and depends therefrom for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

After water has been hard-frozen into separated ice blocks in compartments of the tray of upright freezing devices within chamber 14 of the refrigerator any selected one of the unitary freezing devices together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein is removed from chamber 14, rotated into an inverted position,- slid into the receiving element and placed upside down with the top of rim 22 on tray 21 thereof resting or supported upon the elongated support 32. As the freezing device is being pushed into the receiving and support element over the guards 36 and cups or caps 43 at the front thereof spring 46 en- ;gages the-bottom of tray 21 and biases the freezing device, downwardly onto the support-32. Handle 24 on tray 21 of the freezing'device is cut away at its sides so as to clear the ends 39 of-lever38 and as the inverted freezing-device comes to rest on the slightly inclined support 32 enlargement 23 of the tray rim 22 abuts against ends 39 ofthe lever of the force multiplying leverage mechanism (see Figure 2). It is to be noted that the central projection on the first grid cross wall 28 at the front, or handle end 24 of the unitary freezing device is spaced a substantial distance from and positioned forwardly of the rigid stationary. bar or means 37 so that this part of theone. transverse grid wall is disposed in the same plane of'the meansorbar 37 and is adapted to register therewith which is important to the. present invention; In order to eject or release-ice blocks from their compartments in tray 21 of the invertedly supported freezing device on elongated support. 32 the handle end of lever 58 is grasped by a hand of the housewife or operator and pulled forwardly and upwardly in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 of the drawings. The fork ends. 39 oflever 38 rotate'about pivot lugs 41, within slots 42, and the ends of lever 38 apply a longitudinal force to the front end of tray 21 to slide the unitary freezing device lengthwise or 'rearwardly along its support. This permits a substantially free initial swinging movement of lever 38 and sets the freezing device in motion. The initial sliding movement of tray 21 of the invertedly supported freezing device shifts the projection on the one or forward grid wall 28 into engagement with means or bar 37 (see Figure 4) whereby this stationary ,-.means is rendered effective, automatically in response to the sliding movement of the freezing device,'to tilt all form a guard on the element to insure insertion of. a

freezing device thereinto at the proper place. A rigid means or bar 37 stationarily associated with the freezing device receiving and support element is secured at its ends, in any suitable or desirable manner, to each. of the brackets 31 and extends therebetween for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The force multiplying mechanism associated with the freezing device receiving and support element comprises a bail-like metal rod type lever 38 formed into a U-shape with its ends 39 bent inwardly and having lugs 41 welded thereto adjacent and spaced from the ends thereof, Lugs 41 on lever 38 are pivotally mounted in a flanged hole provided in each bracket 31 and the inturned ends 39' of the lever are. adapted to travel or swing about the pivoted lugs 41in arcuate shaped slots 42 cut in the opposed brackets. A flanged cup orcap 43 of molded plastic material of any suitable or desirable composition is-fitted over the bent ends 39' of U lever 38 and a similarly formed cup or cap 44 is fitted the grid walls 23'for releasing ice blocks fromtheir compartments. As athe forward grid wall 28 strikes stationary means-37, with lever 38 already in motion, the attempted stoppage of sliding movement of the freezing device, afforded-by means or bar 37, is only negligibly noticed at 'lever 38 bythe operator. Thus the housewife or operator continues to swing lever 38 upwardly whereupon the inclined front cross grid wall 28 will be tilted by stationary bar 37 inresponse to the continued sliding of the freezing device in a direction opposite the sliding movement of tray 21.relative thereto toward the vertical. This tilting of the one or forward grid wall 28 breaks an ice bond between all of the ice blocks in the freezing device andwalls of tray 21 thereof. Continued sliding of the freezing device rearwardly along support 32 and further tilting of the front grid wall thereby shifts grid member 27 in a direction toward the front of the freezing device receiving and support element and causes a wall of notches provided therein to engage all other of the grid, walls 280116 after another in succession from the bonds between grid walls 26 and 28 and ice blocks in the freezing device and also enlarges the ice block compartments to release the ice blocks from their compartments whereupon the separated ice blocks fall freely into the removable ice bucket or receptacle 34. Upon thereafter releasing lever 38 its weight moves same about the pivot points, lugs 41, back to its normal position and in so moving the freezing device also slides forwardly along the support 32. The ends of arcuate shaped slots 42 in brackets 31 form stops for the lever 38 and limit its swinging movement to prevent tray 21 from striking the rear wall of chamber 14. ice blocks can be harvested from chamber 14 of the refrigeraed cabinet 1%) by sliding receptacle 34 forwardly on its support 33 and/ or receptacle 34 may be removed from chamber 14 for dispensing ice blocks therefrom at a serving table remote from the refrigerator.

it should, from the foregoing, be apparent that I have provided an improved low cost ice block ejector or releasing arrangement wherein the lever of the ejecting mechanism is initially freely movable and wherein the impetus of a moving freezing device eases operation of the lever to eject ice blocks. The feature of a selfweighted bent rod type operating lever which is raised as described and which automatically returns to its normal position when released avoids the necessity of machining several parts to form a lever and eliminates the employment of a spring or springs for returning it to thus contribute to the simplicity of the arrangement. With the use of a unitary freezing device of the type disclosed in the copending application hereinbefore referred to walls of the grid in the device are automatically returned to an ice block forming position when the freezing device is removed from the freezing device receiving and supporting element and is therefore readied to be refilled with water to be frozen. By virtue of utilizing the momentum of a sliding freezing device in the present arrangement to force a grid wall thereof into engagement with a rigid stationary for tilting this one wall together with the subsequent tilting of other of the grid walls one after another in succession enables an ice bond breaking force to be divided or separated into a plurality of progressively applied smaller forces and objections to former ice block ejectors are overcome. In this respect the free initial movement of a lever of a leverage mechanism, to set a freezing device in motion, is to be distinguished from prior arrangements wherein a great force is required to be initially applied to a lever.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a freezing device receiving and support element, a freezing device adapted to be supported on the support of said element while removing ice from the device, said freezing device co'mprisinglan elongated tray having spaced apart substantially inflexible grid walls extending transversely thereacross and anchored therein for tilting movement relative thereto dividing the interior thereof into compartments in which water is frozen into separated ice blocks, said freezing device also comprising a shiftable member extending across said grid walls and adapted to engage and tilt them, said freezing device together with its grid walls, said member and ice blocks therein being rotatable and placeable in an inverted position on said element with said tray supported on the support thereof for sliding movement relative thereto, rigid means on said element immovable with respect thereto normally spaced from but engageable by a part of one of said grid Walls in the tray of said freezing device invertedly supported upon the support of said element, a manually actuated mechanism including a lever pivotally mounted on said element engageable withan end of the tray of said freezing device supported on said support for sliding same lengthwise therealong, said part of said one grid wall being directly contacted by said rigid means upon sliding said freezing device along said support by said lever whereby to tilt said one wall in a direction opposite the sliding movement of said device, said member being shifted relative to said tray solely in response to the tilting of said one grid wall for engaging and so tilting all other of the grid walls to mechanically release ice blocks from their compartments, and the impetus of sliding movement of said freezing device prior to said one grid wall contacting said rigid means serving to minimize force manually exertable upon said lever to operate said mechanism during the release of ice blocks from the freezing device.

2. An apparatus for harvesting ice blocks from a freezing device element comprising, an element adapted to receive and support the freezing devicev element in an inverted position thereon, said fr ezing device element including a tray and a grid having walls tiltably anchored in the tray forming compartments therein adapted to contain ice blocks, a stationary abutment associated with said receiving and support element for engagement by one of the walls of the grid in said tray, said stationary abutment normally being spaced from said one grid wall when said freezing device element is invertedly placed on the support of said receiving element, a leverage mechanism pivotally mounted on one of said elements for rotation relative thereto, the lever of said mechanism having a rotatable handle portion and another portion movable thereby engageable with an end of said tray to effect sliding of said freezing device element lengthwise along the support on said receiving element, said one grid Wall contacting said abutment as the freezing device element is slid along said support by said mechanism to tilt the onewall within said tray for operating the grid and releasing ice blocks from their compartments in said freezing device element, and the impetus of sliding movement of said tray and ice blocks therein serving to minimize force exertable upon said handle portion of the leverage mechanism to rotate same during an ice block releasing act.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,542 Gaugler et a1. Dec. 4, 1956 2,809,499 Frei Oct. 15, 1957 2,829,506 Sharpe Apr. 8 1958 2,867,995 Weinrich et a1. Jan. 13, 1959

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