US2846855A - Ice block maker - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 12, 1958 A. J. FREI icE BLOCK MAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1957 mvENToR.y RTHUR J.l FRU Aug. 12, 1958 A, 1 FREI 2,846,855

ICE BLOCK MAKER Filed March 6, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f fa 20 FN '2 f/ f3 f/ g a ,l 4,

L "El EN l A. J. FREI ICE BLOCK MAKER Aug. 12,-195s 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 6, 1957 w M A m Aug. 12, 1958 A, J. FREI 2,845,855

ICE BLOCK MAKER Filed March 6, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1NVENTOR.

ARTHUR J. fBf/ United States Patent() firice ICE BLOCK MAKER Arthur J. Frei, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 6, 1957, Serial'No. 644,310

7 Claims. (Cl. 62-301)` This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to an ice block making and harvesting apparatus for use in household refrigerator cabinets.

There are now on the market several arrangements whereby ice blocks are ejected from unitary freezing devices of the type including a distortable tray and grid walls locked therein which walls are rocked or shifted relative thereto by twisting the tray in one or more directions while the freezing device is inverted. The ice block compartments of the freezing device in such arrangements 'are not enlarged since walls thereof are shifted merely to break ice blocks. Thus additional means has been incorporated in these ice block ejecting apparatuses such as a means which utilizes the torsional force built up in a twisted tray for quickly returning or flipping same to a non-twisted state with a snap action which bangs the tray against a stop to toss the loosened ice blocks out of the freezing device. The public has accepted these arrangements but some users of refrigerators having an ejecting means or arrangement of this type incorporated in their refrigerator have expressed objections thereto. A directed field survey indicates that the public is objecting to such ice block making and harvesting arrangements for two reasons one of which is that of the great force necessary to be applied to a tray of a unitary freezing device containing or filled with ice blocks to twist the same and the other or most critical objection is that of the violent noise inherently accompanying the ice block ejecting operation by the return flipping or banging of the twisted tray. In some instances the noise created by the return ipping of a tray of a freezing device of the character described is so intense as to actually frighten the operator because of her or his anxiety to find out whether or not something broke during the ejecting operation. In View of the foregoing I contemplate the provision of an ice block making and ejecting apparatus for a household refrigerator cabinet whereby ice blocks can be formed in and mechanically ejected from a metal tray of a unitary tray and grid type freezing device with ease and Without the objections aforesaid.

An object of my invention is to provide an ice block making apparatus which may be and preferably is incorporated in a household refrigerator employing an improved unitary freezing device of a type that overcomes the objections pointed out above.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ice y block maker with a unitary freezing device which retains the feature of rapidly freezing water into ice blocks and insures mechanical release or ejection of ice blocks therefrom by tilting rigid walls of a grid locked in a metal tray of the device whereby to eliminate the necessity of twisting the tray.

A further object of my invention is to rotate a unitary tray and grid type freezing device portion of an ice making apparatus relative to a stationary refrigerated support therefor into an. inverted position at one side of the support and to eject separated ice blocks froml the in- Patented Aug. 12, 1958 verted device without twisting the tray thereof directly into a storage receptacle in dry form from which the ice blocks may be harvested.

A still further object of my invention is to rotate a unitary freezing device portion of an ice block maker hingedly associated with a stationary refrigerated support for the device into a substantially inverted position at one side thereof and to tilt rigid walls in a metal tray of the device one after the other in succession relative to the tray for progressively enlarging ice block compartments in the device and ejecting ice blocks therefrom whereby to permit a housewife to perform an ice block harvesting operation quietly and with ease.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a more specie object of my invention to provide an ice making apparatus with a hingedly mounted nvertable unitary freezing device portion including a tray and a grid locked therein against detachment therefrom having inclined grid walls which are manually tilted toward the vertical after the freezing device is'inverted and/ or in which the inclined grid walls are tilted toward the vertical automatically in response to swinging the freezing device toward or into an inverted position for enlarging ice block compartments in the device and ejecting ice blocks therefrom.

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

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator with its doors open and having an ice block making apparatus of the present invention incorporated in the freezing chamber thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View through the refrigerator cabinet showing the front of the ice block making apparatus and illustrating in dot-dash lines various positions of rotation of the freezing device portion of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front View of a part of Figure 2 showing a handle on the freezing device portion of the ice block making apparatus rotated and camming the device off its refrigerated support;

Figure 4 is a broken vertical sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and is partly in elevation to v.show the hinged mounting of the freezing device;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 and shows ice blocks released from the inverted freezing device portion of the ice maker;

Figure 6 is a broken sectional view similar to Figure 4 partly in elevation and showing a modied form of an ice making apparatus having principles of my invention incorporated therein;

Figure 7 is a broken horizontal section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 showing a top plan view of the modified ice maker; and

Figure 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7 showing a rear view of the modified ice maker.

Before proceeding with the description of the present apparatus it is desired to point out that the invention herein divulged relates to mechanically harvesting ice blocks in an ice maker as distinguished from such apparatuses wherein articial `heat is employed. In this respect my invention constitutes an improvement over the apparatus disclosed in the United States patent to Robert Galin #2,782,609 dated February 26, 1957 entitled Ice Block Making Apparatus and assigned to the assignee of the present application. My invention particularly relates to an ice` making apparatus whereinthe function of breaking a bond between a substantially nondistortable tray of the freezing device portion ofthe apparatus and a stationary freezing support therefor and also the functions of inverting the device and ejecting ice blocks from the tray thereof are manually carried out with ease, as distinguished from complicated and expensive power operated ice makers, so that a housewife can operate the apparatus in a household refrigerator without strenuous effort on her part whereby the utility of the apparatus is increased or made practical for low cost presentation to the public. It is furthermore desired to point out that the use of the term nondistortable tray in describing and accomplishing the objects of my invention means a metal tray which is not readily iexed and which is specifically not intended to be twisted -or deformed, particularly after a rigid grid wall structure is locked therein, during the act of releasing ice -blocks from the freezing device portion of the ice block making apparatus.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein one embodiment of this invention is shown, generally represents a conventional household refrigerator cabinet of the type including an insulated upper freezing or frozen food storage chamber 11, normally closed by a door 12, and a lower insulated unfrozen food storage chamber 13 separate and insulated from chamber 11, normally closed by a door 14, which are adapted to be cooled by means of a conventional closed refrigerating system. The refrigerating system includes in addition to a metal plate-like evaporator 15 within chamber 13 and a refrigerant evaporating conduit 16, which may be` coiled or wrapped around the liner `of chamber 11, another refrigerant evaporator conduit or coil 17 (see Figures 2 and 4) formed in or secured to the underside of a stationary metal refrigerated shelf or support 18 rigidly secured withinl the frozen food chamber 11 normally supporting a freezing device portion of the present ice block maker. The refrigerating system also includes a refrigerant translating device, which may be a motor-compressor-condenser unit 19 mounted in a lower machine compartment of cabinet 10, having suitable pipe or conduit connections with the evaporators for circulating refrigerant in succession first through coil 17, thence through evaporator conduit 16 and thereafter through the plate evaporator 15. Usual or conventional controls (not shown) may be provided for controlling cyclic operations of the motor-compressor unit 19 as is well-known to those familiar with the art.

The ice block making apparatus associated with refrigerator cabinet 10 includes a unitary freezing device portion, generally represented by the reference numeral 20, comprising a substantially non-distortable metal tray and a grid structure locking in the tray against detachment therefrom. Tray of device 20 is provided with a bottom 21, sides 22 and front and rear end walls 23 and 24 respectively (see Figures 2 and 4) diverging outwardly from its bottom. Rear end 24 of the tray is provided with an opening 25 adjacent a top rim thereon and the other or front end of the tray is notched out as at 26 and this notch extends downwardly through the top rim to a short distance therebelow for a purpose to be presently described. Two opposed brackets 27 are welded to the front end of the tray one on each side of notch 26. These brackets 27 serve a two-fold purpose as will become apparent hereinafter. A mov able walled grid structure is locked in the substantially non-distortable metal tray against removal therefrom and includes a two-part longitudinal partition and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart walls extending transversely across the partition for dividing the interior of the tray into rows of compartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks. The longitudinal partition of the grid comprises a lower rigid metal wall 31 (see Figure 4) and an upper rigid actuating wall or member 32 arranged to be shifted back and forth along wall 31 lengthwise -of the tray. A plurality of spaced apart substantially inflexible or rigid walls 33 .are mov-` ably interlocked with the longitudinal wall 31 and with actuating wall or member 32 and are thusly Iunattached to but loosely anchored in the tray. The transverse or cross walls 33 are mounted on walls 31 at their lower edges and upon wall or member 32 adjacent their upper edges in such a manner that they normally lie in an acute angular plane with respect to the vertical and are adapted to be swung or tilted upwardly and forwardly into a vertical plane relative to wall 31 and to the tray when member 32 is shifted or moved along the longitudinal partition. By virtue of the normal inclined freezing position of cross walls 33 the ice block compartments are, in one vertical sectional contour or area therethrough, of a parallelogram shape and when the walls 33 are tilted toward the vertical, to break bonds between walls of the compartments and ice blocks therein, these compartments are simultaneously enlarged in a direction intermediate walls 33. This feature while being old in the art, as fully described in the Donald H. Reeves Patent #2,219,077 dated October 22, 1940, is highly important t-o the operation of the present apparatus and contributes immeasureably to the successful ejection of ice blocks from a freezing device having a grid structure locked in a non-distortable metal tray which is not capable of nor intended to be flexed ror twisted.

The rigid cross or transverse walls 33 each have a vertically elongated key-hole shaped opening therein centrally thereof through which the walls 31 and 32 of the longitudinal partition extend as is conventional in this art. The key-hole shaped opening permits insertion thereinto of lower wall 31 and upper wall or member 32 one after the other during assembly of parts of the grid. The method of assembling parts of a grid of the type disclosed may vary considerably, and is now well-known to those skilled in the art and for this reason a description thereof is not necessary herein. Lower longitudinal wall 31 has a series of substantially equally spaced apart notches 36 cut in its bottom edge and receives a small web portion at the bottom of cross walls 33. Upper wall or actuating member 32 has notches 38 cut therein for receiving a continuous or web portion at the top of cross walls 33. The notches 38 are of increased width from the front to the rear of member 32 for the purpose of providing tilting of walls 33 one after the other in succession progressively from the front to the rear of the tray of the device which is also now well-known to those skilled in the art. It will be noted that the one cross or transverse wall 33 at the rear of the freezing device is provided with lips or tabs 39 at its lower edge which facilitate ejection of the pairs of ice blocks at the back of the device. Lower wall 31 of the longitudinal partition of the grid structure is provided at the rear end of device 20 with a projection 41 fitting in opening 25 of tray end wall 24. The other or forward end of wall 31 of the partition is provided with an ear 42 tting in notch 26 at the front of device 20 and is secured to the two opposed brackets 27 on the tray end 23 by a pin or rivet 43. Projection 41 and ear 42 are both secured to the tray to thereby lock the grid structure therein against removal or detachment therefrom. Thus grid walls 33 are unattached to but loosely anchored in the tray for tilting movement relative thereto so as to enlarge the ice block forming compartments. Longitudinal grid wall 31 is further provided at its forward end with an upwardly raised part 46 which terminates in a hook-like end portion 47. A lever 51 of a force multiplying leverage mechanism on the device 20 swivelingly carries a handle 52 at its lower end and has two integral spaced apart arms 53. The swivel shaft 54 of handle 52, fitting in a round bore in lever 51, has a cam 56 pinned or keyed thereto and which is for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Ends of arms 53 on lever 51, spaced from handle 52, are pivotally mounted to the longitudinal grid wall 31 Iby a pin 57 disposed in a hole provided therefor in the hook-like end portion 47 of Athis wall. The ends of arms S3 of lever 51 are connected bya stud or rivet or the like 58, spaced from pin 57, to one end of a pair of links 59 which have their other ends pivotally attached, yas by a pin or stud 61, tothe forward end of wall or member 32. Stud 58 is adapted to be rotated about pin 57 in a curved cut away part of the raised portion 46 of wall 31. An offset portion 60 on links 59 at all times overlies the pin 57 to hold it in place (see Figures 4 and 5). Lower end of lever 51 has a projection 62 thereon directed toward the tray `and which fits between the brackets 27 thus serving to center the lever 51 and hold same stationary when handle 52 is rotated for operating cam 56.

One side of the tray of the unitary freezing device 20 has a bracket 66 secured thereto by spot welding or the like vand this bracket is provided with integral laterally projecting spaced apart aligned ears 67 each having a hole therein. Another stationary bracket 68 riveted or suitably secured to a downwardly directed side portion of shelf or support 18 withi-n chamber 11 of cabinet is also provided with integral spaced apart aligned ears 69 each having a hole therein. The holes in the pairs of ears 67 and 69 receive a rod or shaft 71 and these ears thus form parts of hinges for hingedly mounting device to support 18 for swinging movement relative thereto. An ice block storage receptacle or container 72 is removably disposed in freezing chamber 11 of cabinet 10 beneath shelf or support 18 and is of a sufficient width to receive ice blocks from the device 20 when the same is swung from support 18 into a substantially inverted position at a side thereof. The front wall of receptacle 72 has a cut out portion 70 providing clearance for the raised part 46 of grid wall 31 when device 20 is inverted. A water pipe 73 (see Figure 2), preferably of non-metallic material, extends in an inclined manner through a wall of cabinet 10 into chamber 11 and has its outlet end so positioned as to discharge a predetermined or measured amount of water, from any suitable source of supply, into the tray of the freezing device portion 20 of the ice making apparatus while it is supported in an upright position or substantially horizontal plane on support or shelf 18. A ybutton or valve actuating means (not shown) may be provided on the front of cabinet for Icausing a measured amount of water to be discharged from pipe 73 into the device 20 for substantially filling the tray thereof.

Assuming that water in the unitary freezing device 20, supported on the refrigerated support 18, has been hard frozen into separated ice blocks by virtue of the grid walls locked in the tray thereof and it is now desirable to harvest the ice blocks. The operator or housewife, after opening door 12, grasps the swivelly mounted handle 52 on the ice making apparatus and turns same to cause the cam means 56 to act or apply a force betwixt support 18 and the tray of freezing device 20 whereby an ice bond therebetween is broken (see Figure 3). In other words the tray of unitary freezing device 20 is readily and easily pried loose from the refrigerated stationary support'18 by this first means or cam 56. Projection 62 on lever 51 by fitting between the brackets 27 maintains this lever stationary while handle 52 is being turned. The housewife then, without releasing handle 52, swings the tray of device 20 together with the grid and ice blocks therein as a unit upwardly relative to support 18, about the hinges, brackets 66 and 68 and rod 71, into a substantially inverted position at one side of this support above a portion of receptacle 72 as shown by the dot-dash lines in Figure 2. One side of the tray of the unitary freez1ng device engages a stop part of the stationary brackets 68 and device 20 comes to rest in an inverted position. The swivel mounting of handle S2 on lever 51 permlts the housewife to rotate device 20 throughout substantially 180 without twisting her wrist. Handle 52 is then pushed downwardly (see Figure 5) whereby to simultaneously rotate lever 51 about its pivotal pm 57 to shlft stud 58 therearound and move the links 59 forward. The forward movement of links 59 shifts actuating member 32 lengthwise of device 20 along grid wall 31 and a wall of the varied width notches 38 in member 32 progressively engages the plurality of inclined cross or transverse walls 33 of the grid, while the grid remains locked in the tray of device 20, to tilt these walls one after the other in succession toward the vertical from front to rear of the device 20. Tilting of walls 33 while they are unattached to but locked in the tray of inverted device 20 causes a sliding movement thereof relative to adjacent ice blocks and shifts the ice blocks for breaking ice bonds therebetween and between the tray and wall 31 and moreover enlarges the ice block compartments, in a direction intermediate walls 33, whereby the free or loosened ice blocks are ejected from the enlarged compartments simultaneously with the tilting of walls 33 (see Figure 5). This is a distinguishing feature of the present apparatus over an apparatus of the type disclosed in the Robert Galin patent hereinbefore referred to and wherein the ice block compartments are not enlarged thereby necessitating the provision of a means that will snap a twisted tray into an untwisted state for vibrating same to toss ice blocks out of their compartments as is shown and described in the United States Patent #2,772,542 dated December 4, 1956 to Richard S. Gaugler and Robert Galin. The separated i-ee blocks fall into the receptacle 72 where they are stored in a dry fashion until used. The now emptied unitary freezing device 20 is swung back into an upright supported position on the refrigerated support 18 whereafter handle 52 and lever 51 are manipulated to return the cam means 56 to its normal operative position and to return the plurality of grid walls 33 to their inclined position. The tray of the returned freezing device may again be substantially lled with water so that the ice making apparatus will continue to produce ice blocks.

Referring now to Figure 6 to 8 of the drawings I show a modified Version of my invention wherein the grid wall actuating member is shifted to tilt the inclined transverse walls one after the other in succession automatically in response to a swinging movement of a unitary freezing device for enlarging the ice block compartments and ejecting ice blocks therefrom. By this modified construction I am enabled to dispense with the lever hereinbefore described and some of the elements associated therewith to simplify same and reduce manufacturing costs. It is to be noted that a double welded together sheet metal bracket 76 secured to the front end of the tray of this modified unitary freezing device, to which longitudinal grid wall 31A is pinned or locked, is provided with an extension 77 having a rounded portion 78 forming a bearing receiving the shaft 54A of handle 52A for mounting cam 56A on the device (see Figures 6 and 7). It is also to be noted that the lever and other connecting parts between handle 52A and grid wall actuating member 32A in this modified construction are omitted and another arrangement for shifting the actuating member 32A is provided. I have in the unitary freezing device 20A of this modification extended the back end of actuating wall or member 32A over and outwardly from the rear end 24A of the tray thereof as at 80 (see Figure 6). The back end 81 of member 32A has a downwardly directed portion provided with a slot 82 cut therein which registers with and receives an edge or track camming portion 83 of a rigid stationary bracket element 84. Element 84 is provided withlegs which may ,be secured in any suitable or conventional manner either to spaced portions of shelf support 18A or to walls of chamber 11 of cabinet 10. The edge or camming portion 83 of bracket 84 is arcuate in shape (see Figure 8) and slants or angles in a direction from its top and to its lower end toward the front of chamber 11 (see Figure 7). By virtue of the sloping arcuate shaped edge portion 83 of element 84 and the tting of slot 82 at the end 81 of member 32A thereovera second cam means is provided in the modified version of my invention for a purpose to be presently described.

Assuming that water in the unitary freezing device 20A, on the refrigerated support 18A of the modified ice making apparatus disclosed in Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings, has been frozen into separated ice blocks and it is desired to harvest the ice blocks. The operator or housewife, after opening the freezing chamber door, grasps the swivelly mounted handle 52A on the ice making apparatus and rotates same to cause the cam means 56A to act or apply a force betwixt shelf or support 18A and the tray of freezing device 20A. Camming action of cam 56A at the front of the freezing device 20A pries the tray upwardly with respect to support 18A and breaks an ice bond therebetween. The housewife then swings the tray of device 20A together with the grid and ice blocks therein as a unit upwardly relative to support 18A and around or over one side thereof into a substantially inverted position above receptacle 72A as shown by the dot-dash lines in Figure 8 of the drawings. During swinging of unitary freezing device 20A in this manner one side wall of slot S2 in member 32A engages the arcuate track or edge portion 83 of element 84 and, due to the slope or angled disposition of edge 83 thereof, member 32A is shifted forwardly lengthwise along device 20A. This shifting of actuating member 32A occurs gradually while the freezing `device 20A is lbeing swung about its hinged mounting and member 32A engages and tilts the inclined grid walls 33A one after the other from the front to the rear of device 20A in succession to progressively enlarge the ice block compartments therein and to simultaneously eject ice blocks therefrom into storage receptacle 72A. Therefore the arcuate shaped angled edge portion 83 of element 84 serves as a second camming means, over the cam means 56A, associated with the apparatus which is rendered effective automatically in response to the swinging movement of a unitary freezing device 20A into an inverted position for shifting member 32A lengthwise along the device, While the grid remains locked in the tray thereof, whereby this actuating member tilts the inclined grid walls toward the vertical. The shifted position of member 32A and the vertical tilted position of walls 33A are not illustrated in the drawings of my modified apparatus for the reason that such position thereof is substantially the same as shown in Figure 5. After ejection of ice blocks from the freezing device of this modified apparatus the device is rotated back into an upright supported position on shelf or support 18A and such rotation thereof causes the camming means 83 to return member 32A and move the grid walls 33A into their normal inclined position.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided a novel apparatus for freezing water into separated ice blocks, for mechanically ejecting ice blocks from a unitary freezing device portion of the apparatus and for storing the ice blocks in dry form in a freezing or frozen food chamber of a household refrigerator cabinet. To accomplish this it will be appreciated that the breaking of an ice bond between the tray of a freezing device and its refrigerated support by a housewife is a prerequisite operation to that of a housewife swinging the device into an inverted position to thereafter release ice blocks irrespective of the manner in which ice blocks are ejected. In my improved apparatus the grid walls are unattached to the tray of a freezing device and yet are tiltable relative thereto while the grid is locked in the tray and tilting thereof is accomplished without twisting or distorting the tray. Thus I eliminate objections to prior apparatuses wherein the tray of the freezing device portion thereof is twisted or distorted and then springs back into a non-twisted state with a loud bang. By breaking up, dividing or separating forces essential to the complete operation of releasing a freezing device from its refrigerated support and tilting grid walls in a tray of the device I am enabled to provide an apparatus that is practical, inexpensive and can be readily manipulated with ease by a housewife. In my improved apparatus a single handle movable in dierent directions serves, without releasing same, the dual purposes of breaking the freezing device loose from its refrigerated support and of rotating the unitary device into an inverted position within a freezing chamber of a refrigerator cabinet.

While the forms of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, 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:

l. ln an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising a substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality of spaced apart rigid walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said walls, said inclined grid Walls dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezing device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, a first means on said freezing device movable relative thereto and acting betwiXt said stationary support and the tray of said device for breaking an ice b-ond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and ice blocks therein being swingable as a unit about said hinged mounting upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, and a second means associated with said apparatus for shifting said actuating member lengthwise along said elongated inverted unitary freezing device, while said grid remains locked in the tray thereof, whereby said member engages and tilts said inclined grid walls toward the vertical to enlarge said compartments and eject ice blocks therefrom.

2. In an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising a substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality `of spaced apart rigid walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said walls, said inclined grid Walls .dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezind device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, a manually operated cam on said freezing device movable relative thereto and acting betwixt said stationary support and the tray of said device for breaking an ice bond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and vice blocks therein being swingable as a unit about said hinged mounting upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, and means associated with said apparatus for shifting said actuating member lengthwise along said elongated inverted unitary freezing device, without twisting the tray thereof and while said grid remains locked therein, whereby said member engages and tilts said inclined grid walls toward the vertical to enlarge said compartments and eject ice blocks therefrom.

3. In an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising a substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality of spaced apart rigid walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said walls, said inclined grid Walls dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezing device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, a first means on said freezing device movable relative thereto and acting betwixt said stationary support and the tray of said device for breaking an ice bond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and ice blocks therein being swingable as a unit about said hinged mounting upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, and a second means associated with said apparatus rendered effective automatically in response to the swinging movement of said unitary freezing device for shifting said actuating member lengthwise therealong, while said grid remains locked in the tray thereof, whereby said member engages and tilts said inclined grid Walls toward the vertical to enlarge said compartments and eject ice blocks therefrom.

4. In an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising Ia substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality of spaced apart rigid Walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said walls, said inclined grid walls dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezing device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, a first means on said freezing device movable relative thereto and lacting betwixt said stationary support and the tray of said device for breaking an ice bond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and ice blocks therein being swingable as a unit vabout said hinged mounting upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, said actuating member having an end portion projecting outwardly from and beyond an end of the tray of said unitary freezing device, said end portion of said member registering with a stationary cam means on said apparatus, vand said cam means being rendered effective automatically in response to the swinging movement of said freezing device for shifting said member lengthwise therealong, while said grid remains locked in the tray thereof, whereby said member engages and tilts said inclined grid walls one after the other in succession to progressively tilt them toward the vertical from end to end of said elongated freezing device for enlarging said compartments and ejecting ice blocks therefrom.

5. In an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising a substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality of spaced apart rigid walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said Walls, said inclined grid walls dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in Which wat-er is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezing device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, a manually operated cam on said freezing device movable relative thereto and acting betwixt said stationary support and the tray of said device for breaking an ice bond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and ice blocks therein being swingable as a unit about said hinged mounting upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, and means associated with said apparatus rendered effective automatically in response to the swinging movement of s-aid unitary freezing device into its inverted position for shifting said actuating member lengthwise therealong, while said grid remains locked in the tray thereof, whereby said member engages the inclined grid walls one after the other in succession to progressively tilt them from end to end of said device for enlarging said compartments and ejecting ice blocks therefrom.

6. In an ice block making apparatus, the combination of a unitary freezing device comprising a substantially non-distortable elongated metal tray, a grid locked in said tray against detachment therefrom including a plurality of spaced apart rigid walls inclined with respect to the vertical and unattached to but loosely anchored in said tray for tilting movement relative thereto and a shiftable actuating member for said Walls, said inclined grid walls dividing the interior of said tray into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, a stationary refrigerated support upon which said unitary freezing device is supported in an upright substantially horizontal plane during freezing of water therein, a side of the tray of said freezing device being hingedly mounted at one side of said support, means on said freezing device including a leverage mechanism associated with said actuating member, a cam and a handle connected to said mechanism and said cam, said handle being movable in one direction relative to said device to cause said cam to act betwixt said stationary support and the tray of said freezing device for breaking an ice bond therebetween, said tray of said freezing device together with said grid and ice blocks therein being swingable as a unit about said hinged mounting by said handle upwardly of said stationary refrigerated support into `a substantially inverted position at said one side thereof, and said handle thereafter being movable in another direction different from said one direction of movement thereof for operating said leverage mechanism to shift said actuating member lengthwise along said elongated inverted unitary freezing device whereby said member engages and tilts said inclined grid walls toward the vertical to enlarge said compartments and eject ice blocks therefrom.

7. The combination defined by claim 6 wherein the connection of the handle with the leverage mechanism is a swivel joint providing for rotation of the handle relative to the unitary freezing device when same is swung with respect to the support.

Jacobs May 28, 1940 Galin Feb. 26, 1957

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