US2744390A - Ice maker - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1956 E. w. PARTSCH 2,744,390

ICE MAKER Filed Oct. 26, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 8, 1956 E. w. PARTSCH 2,744,390

ICE MAKER Filed Oct. 26, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent ICE MAKER Earnest W. Partsch, Galesburg, Ill., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1954, Serial No. 464,830

13 Claims. '(Cl. 62-7) This invention relates to automatic making, harvesting, drying and storing of ice pieces, generally called ice cubes.

This invention relates particularly to an automatic ice maker that is adapted for installation in a household refrigerator.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel ice mold wherein water to be frozen supplies the necessary heat for thawing previously frozen ice pieces free of the mold.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel mechanism for supplying water to a freezing mold to be frozen therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel power mechanism for ejecting ice pieces from a freezing mold.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel control mechanism for the mold filling, thawing and ejecting mechanims of an automatic ice maker.

The invention, together with the above and other objects and advantages, is set forth in more technical detail in the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective showing basic parts of the automatic ice maker in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a composite view showing a multi-ported water Fig. 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the controls for the ice maker;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of the ice maker with the refrigerator in horizontalsection;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of an electric motor and a spring motor, taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5 and showing the ejector shaft in transverse vertical section;

Fig. 8 is a schematic transverse vertical section through the water measuring vessel, the inlet and outlet water valves and a cam for operating the inlet valve;

Fig. 9. is a transverse vertical section taken on line 9-9 portions of of Fig. 5, with parts broken away and other parts in w front elevation;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation and transverse vertical seo tion, taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 5, and showing a stop and release mechanism for the ejector mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section, taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 5, and showing a gear train for operating the outlet water valve.

General description hold refrigerator 11; The freezing compartment 12 is i cooled by a refrigerating coil 13 attached to the bottom Patented May 8, 1956 of the refrigerator as is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention is shown in the drawings.

' Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, in accordance with this invention, the ice maker includes generally a freezing mold 20 divided by a plurality of transverse partitions into a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical ice-forming compartments. Mounted above the mold, on front and rear mounting plates 33 and 34, respectively, is a forward portion of an ejector mechanism indicated generally by reference numeral 30 and including a front ejector shaft 31. A rearward portion of the ejector mechanism includes a rear shaft 36, upon which is mounted a spring motor 40 that is wound by an electric motor 45. Also mounted on the shaft 36 is a firstcam wheel 49 for operating a push-push? switch 48 that energizes the electric motor 45, a brake 50 for governing rotation of the shaft 36, a second cam wheel 61 operatingin conjunction with a stop and release mechanism 60, a gear wheel 91 for operating a multi-ported outlet water valve for controlling flow of Water from a measuring vessel 80 to the ice mold, and a third cam wheel 71 for operating an inlet water valve 70, which inlet valve delivers water from a suitable source, such as a house line, to the measuring vessel 80. The cam wheel 71 also operates a micro-switch 15 to deenergize and reenergize the compressor motor 14 (Fig. 4) at the beginning and end, respectively, of an ice ejecting cycle. A thermostat (Fig. 4), having a sensing bulb 101 in thermal contact with the ice mold, deenergizes the stop and release mechanism 60 to initiate an ice ejecting cycle- A safety cutout switch mechanism (Fig. 4) for deenergizing theice maker in case of electric power failure is included in the electric circuits. A stop switch mechanism (Figs. 3, 5 and 6), for deenergizing the ice maker responsive to the accumulation "of a given amount of ice in the ice storage receptacle 16, is mounted on the rear mounting plate 34. For clarity of illustration, the stop switch mechanism is omitted in Fig. 1.

Ice mold The ice mold 20 comprises an aluminum die casting divided into a plurality of ice-forming compartments 21a and 21b by transverse partitions 22. The ice-forming compartments are substantially semi-circular in transverse vertical section (Figs. 3 and 6), the partitions 22 are tapered horizontally from the right to the left side thereof, and the inside surface of the front and rear walls of the mold slant outward from the right to the left side, as viewed from the front of Figs. 1 and 5. The partitions 22 are each provided with an upstanding projection 23 on the right side thereof and the mold is formed With upstanding projections 24a and 24b-along the right and I left sides, respectively, thereof. An open water channel 25a is formed along the top right side of the mold and discharges through notches 26a into the ice-forming compartment Zia. A second open channel 25b is formed along-the top left side of the mold and this channel discharges water through notches 26b into the ice-forming compartments 21b.

The arrangement of the channels and notches is such, as pointed out hereinafter, that first one set of ice-forming compartments is filled with water and the water frozen therein, then the second set of ice-forming compartments 7 is filled with water which melts the ice free of the first set of compartments. Then the water is frozen in the 3 second set of compartments, after which the first set is again filled with. water and this watermeltsthe ice free of the second set of compartments. The water channels 25a and 2512 are of such depth that the relatively warm water flowing therethrough into the ice mold compartments melts any small amount of ice or frost that may have formed in the channels during freezing cycles of the ice maker. A pair of clamping elements 27 (Fig. 3), one at each end of the ice mold, clamps the mold to a freezing shelf 28 and the shelf to a refrigerating coil 29. The coil 29 is connected to a suitable refrigerating system, not shown.

Ejector mechanism The forward portion of the ejector mechanism includes the forward shaft 31, mounted for clockwise rotation at its front and rear ends in the front and rear mounting plates 33 and 34, respectively, which plates are formed of thermal insulating material and are attached to the mold casting by suitable screws, not shown. tangentially (Figs. 3 and 6) from one side of the front ejector shaft 31, and formed integral therewith, is a plurality of ejector blades 32; there being one such ejector blade for each ice-forming compartment of the mold. At the rear, this ejector shaft is connected by an insulating coupling 35 (Fig. l) to the rear ejector shaft 36, which rear ejector shaft is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings, not shown.

Mounted on the rear ejector shaft 36, for rotary movement relative thereto, is the spring motor 40. The spring motor (Figs. 1 and 7) includes a spring housing 41, a clock spring 42, a gear 43 and a cam wheel 44. The spring housing 41, gear 43 and cam wheel 44 are fixed together for freewheeling on the shaft 36, and the spring 42 is fixed at its outer end to the spring housing and at its inner end to the shaft 36. Mounted alongside the spring motor (Figs. 1 and 7) is the electric motor 45, including a shaft 46 to which is keyed a worm gear 47. The worm gear is non-reversible, self-braking and, as

shown in Fig. 7, is in mesh with the gear 43- of the spring,

motor. The electric motor 45 when energized, as pointed out hereinafter, rotates the gear 43,. the spring housing 41 and the cam wheel 44 through 360", whereupon the clock spring 42 is wound. The electric motor is energized by a push-push switch 48 (Figs. 1 and 4) that is actuated first by a cam 49a on the cam wheel 49 and then by a cam 4411 on the cam wheel 44, which latter actuation of the switch deenergizes the motor at the end of 360 of rotation.

Mounted on the rear ejector shaft 36, rearward of the cam wheel 49 (Figs. 1 and is the brake 50, which includes a brake drum 51 fixed to the shaft36 and a springpressed brake shoe 52 mounted alongside the drum. As will appear hereinafter, the purpose of the brake 50 is to cause slow and steady rotation of the ejector mechanism, including the front ejector shaft 31, so as to bring the ice pieces to rest thereon for drying (Fig. 3), rather than being thrown free thereof by the spring motor.

Stop and release mechanism Mounted on the ejector shaft 36 to the rear of the brake mechanism (Figs. 1 and 5) is the cam wheel 61, which includes a raised portion 61a that forms a stop, and mounted alongside the cam wheel is the stop and release mechanism 60. This mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, includes a fixed support 62 upon which is mounted a solenoid 63 having a plunger 64 extending therethrough and projecting from each end thereof. The front end of the plunger is adapted, when in the projected position shown in Figs. 1 and 10, to contact the stop 61a formed on the cam wheel 61 to thereby prevent rotation of the ejector shaft 36. Mounted on the rear of the plunger 64 is a compression spring 65 having the front end thereof in contact with the fixed support 62- and the rear end in contact with a collar 66 fixed to the plunger.

Extending A link 67, pivotally mounted midway its length on a fixed support 68, has one end thereof pivotally attached to the rear of the plunger 64 and the opposite end pivotally attached to a second or parallel plunger 69, which second plunger is guided at its front end in an opening formed in an upper portion of the fixed support 62. The purpose of the second plunger, as described hereinafter, is to limited rotation of the ejector mechanism in case the solenoid be accidentally deenergized and the first plunger retracted due to electric power failure. In normal operation, as pointed out hereinafter, the solenoid 63 is deenergized momentarily responsive to the complete freezing of water in one of the ice-forming compartments of the mold, whereupon the compression spring 65 withdraws the plunger 64 from contact with the stop 61a which permits the spring motor to rotate the ejector shaft 36.

Mold filling device Referring to Figs. 1' and 8, the structure for alternately filling the ice mold compartments 21a and 21b with measured quantities of water includes the measuring vessel that is connected to a suitable supply of water by a conduit 73 having the inlet valve 70 located therein. The conduit 73 has a T-connection and a conduit 74 leading to the outlet valve 90. The inlet valve 70 includes a valve stem 72 adapted to be reciprocated to open position by a cam surface 71a formed on the cam wheel 71. This valveis held in open position with the measuring vessel 89 filled with water (Fig. 8) during freezing cycles of operation of the ice maker. This valve may be closed by a suitable spring, not shown.

The measuring vessel 80 is attached to the rear of the refrigerator in any suitable manner, not shown, and is formed of an aluminum casting having an upper portion 81 of generally hemispherical shape with an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end thereof and a lower portion 82 of cylindrical shape having a sleeve or guide member 83 projecting upwardly from the lower portion thereof. A cover plate 84, made of copper or other suitable material, is attached to the open end of the measuring chamber by a; plurality of screws 84s. A flexible rubber diaphragm 85 is fitted within the hemispherical portion of the measuring vessel and is secured therein by a peripheral flange portion located between the flange of the measuring vessel and the marginal edge of the cover plate 84. A piston, having a stem 86:! slidably mounted in the sleeve 83 and a head 86]), which contacts the undersurface of the flexible diaphragm 85, is located in the lower portion of the measuring vessel. A compression spring 87 is located between the undersurface of the piston head and the lower inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the measuring vessel. The measuring vessel, per se, is substantially the same as that disclosed in the copending patent application of Harry C. Shagalofl, Serial No. 325,097, filed December 10, 1952, now Patent No. 2,717,498. An electric heater 88, for heating the water in the measuring vessel under certain conditions of operation, is wound around and placed in thermal contact withthe copper cover plate 84 of the measuring vessel.

The outlet valve 90 includes a valve casing 92, having the conduit74- opening into an arcuate channel 93 therein, and the two outlet connections 94a and 94b, having conduits 95a and 9517, leading therefrom to the channels 25a and 2512, respectively, in the upper edges of the ice mold. Mounted for rotary movement within the valve casing is a cylindrical plug 96-forrned with a channel 97 across a diameter thereof. A valve stem 98 (Fig. l) projects from one end of the valve plug 96 and is provided with a gear wheel 99 on the outer end thereof. As shown in Figs. 1 and 11, the gear wheel 99, which is provided with teeth 99a on the whole of its circumference, is positioned to mesh with the teeth 91a on 90 of the-circumference of the gear wheel 91, which latter gear is mounted on the rear ejector shaft 36 for clockwise rotary movement therewith. The position of the channel 97 in valve plug 96 shown in Figs. 1 and 8, is an off position during an ice freezing cycles of operation with the channel 97 out of register with the inlet and both outlet connections.

Controls The controls (Fig. 4) for energizing'and deenergizing the ice maker include the mold thermostat 100 for deener'gizing the solenoid 63 of the stop and releasemechanism 60, the microswitch for deenergizingand reenergizing the compressor motor 14, the safety cutout switch mechanism 110 for deenergizing the ice maker in case of electric power failure, and the stop switch mechanisin 120 for deenergizing the ice maker responsive to the accumulation of a given amount of ice in the storage receptacle 16.

The mold thermostat (Fig. 4) includes a temperature sensing bulb 101, a capillary tube 102, an expansiblecontractible bellows 103, a plunger 104, a lever 105 and a switch blade 106. The lever 105 is pivotally connected at one end to the end of the plunger 104, and intermediate its ends it is pivoted to a fixed housing 107 that 7 contains the bellows 103. A compressor spring 108, located on the plunger 104, tends to collapse the bellows and rotate the lever 105 clockwise. Thefree end of lever 105 is formed of two sections pivotally connected in a manner that clockwise movement of the lever due to contraction of the bellows causesthe free end of the lever to contact a raised portion 106a of the switch blade to momentarily open the switch. Whereas, when the bellows later expands, the free end of the lever rides over the raised portion of the switch blade without opening the switch. I

The thermostat is charged with a fluidthat contracts with falling temperature, and the sensing bulb 101 is located in a bore in the bottom of the mold casting directly beneath one of the mold partitions 22, preferably the rearmost partition, in a manner to be influenced by the temperature of the water and/ or ice in one of each of the sets of ice-forming compartments 21a and 21b. The switch blade 106 is biased to closed position by a springpressed plunger 109, and the lever 105 is arranged to open the switch when the bellows 103 contracts, due to the complete freezing of water in one or the other of the two rear ice-forming compartments 21a or 21b, which switch.v

is immediately closed as the free end of the lever 105 clears the raised portion 106a of the switch. Then, as the bellows expands, due to relativelywarm water being discharged into one or the other of the above two corn- 112. The coil of the solenoid 111 is connected in a per-,

manently closed electric circuit. The solenoid 111 includes a spring-pressed plunger 113 that is held in retracted position (Fig. 4) so long as the coil is energized. The toggle switch112 includes a pair of arms 114 and 115 pivotally mounted at the inner ends on a fixed support 116 and connected near their outer ends by a tension spring 117. The free end of switch arm114 is adapted to be contacted and moved by the plunger 113 of the solenoid, and the free end of switch arm 115 carries a contact member 118 adapted to close an electric circuit through a stationary contact 119. The arrangement is such. that so long as the coil of the solenoid 111 is energized the toggle switch 112 is held by the spring 117 in the-full line or closed position shown inFig. 4. Whereas, when the solenoid 111 is deenergized, by power failure, the plunger 113 snaps theswitch 112 to broken line or open position. Once the toggle switch 112 is snapped to the open position-it is held in that position by the spring 117, even though the ,coil of the solenoid 111 be reenergized, until it'is snapped f back to closed position by the spring-pressed plunger 109 of the thermostat switch,

as pointed out hereinafter.

' The stop switch mechanism 20 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) comprises a channel member 121 that is generally L-shaped in plan and is connected by a pivot pin 122 to the upper right side of the rear mounting plate 34. An insulating spacer 123 is provided on the pivot pin between the rear of the mounting plate and the rear inner portion of the channel member. A vane 124, made of a thermal and electrical insulating material, is attached to the longitudinal portion 125 of the channel member and projects downwardly therefrom. The channel member is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 126 that is adapted to be contacted by a cam member 127 (Figs. 5 and 6) fixed to the front ejector shaft 31. The cam 127 is so shaped that upon rotation of the ejector shaft the cam Then the cam leaves the arm which permits the channel member to fall by gravity to its normal position shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 6. A mercury switch 128 is mounted on the transverse portion of the channel member by an adjustable bracket 130 in a manner that when the channel member is in the full line position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 the circuit through the mercury switch 128 is closed, whereas when the channel member is raised the circuit is open. For reasons pointed out hereinafter, the chanel member is raised and lowered, and the mercury switch opened and closed, within the initial 40 of rotation of the ejector shaft, or before the stop61a' (Fig. 4) on cam wheel 61 reaches the plunger 69, at each ice ejecting cycle of operation. 8

Wiring diagram Referring now to Fig. 4, T1 and T2 are the two sides of a 115 volt A. C. supply circuit, between which are connected by several circuits, the compressor motor 14 mechanism, the coil of the solenoid 111 and toggle switch 112 of the safety cutout mechanism, the mold thermostat switch 106, the coil of the solenoid 63 of the stop and release mechanism, the electric motor 45 for winding the spring motor, the push-push switch 48 for energizing and deenergizing the motor 45, and the electric heating element 88 with high temperature cutout 88a for heating thewater in measuring vessel 80.

A first circuit, the circuit for the compressor motor, includes the conductor T1, a conductor 140, the compressor motor 14, a conductor 141, the microswitch 15, a conductor 142 and T2.

A second circuit, the permanently closed circuit for the solenoid 111, includes the conductor T1, a conductor 143,11 conductor 144, the coil of the solenoid 111, a conductor 145 including the stationary contact 119, a conductor 146 and T2.

A third circuit, the circuit for the solenoid 63 of the stop and release mechanism, includes the conductor T1, the conductor 143, a conductor 147, the mercury switch 123, a conductor 148, a conductor 149, the switch blade 106 of the mold thermostat, a conductor 150, the solenoid 63, a conductor 151, a conductor 152, the stationary support 116, lower arm 115 and movable contact 118 of the toggle switch 112 in closed position, the stationary contact 119, conductor 146 and T2. i

A fourth circuit, the circuit for the electric motor 45 that winds the spring motor 40, includes the conductor T1, conductor 143, conductor 147, mercury switch 128, conductor 148, a conductor 153, a conductor 154, the electric motor 45, a conductor 155, the push-push switch 48, a conductor 156, a conductor 157, conductor 152, the stationary support 116, lower arm 115 and movable contact 118 of the toggle switch 112 in closed position, the stationary contact 119, conductor 146 and T2. j v

A fifth circuit, the circuit for the electric heater 88, includes the conductor T1, conductor 143, conductor 147, mercury switch 128, conductor 148, conductor 153, a conductor 158, the heating element 88, bimetal high temperature switch 881:, a conductor 159, conductor 157, conductor 152, the stationary support 116, lower arm 115 and movable contact 118 of the toggle switch 112 in closed position, the stationary contact 119, conductor 146 and T2.

It is to be noted that the circuits for the solenoid 63, the electric motor 45 and the electric heater $8 each include the mercury switch 128 and the toggle switch 112, so that when either of these switches is open, the former by the accumulation of an optimum amount of ice in the storage receptacle 16 and the latter by a power failure, each of these elements is deenergized.

Operation In operation, assuming that the ice maker is in operation on a freezing cycle, that the ice-forming compartments 21b, for example, are filled with water to be frozen, that each of the ice-forming compartments 21a is empty, that ice pieces are resting on the ejector blades 32 above the compartments 21a and and that the ice storage receptacle 16 (Fig. 3) is not yet filled with the desired quantity of ice pieces. As the water freezes in the ice-forming compartments 2111, the thermostat bulb 101 follows the temperature of the water in the rearmost of this set of compartments and, when the water is completely frozen, the thermostat bellows 103 (Fig. 4) contracts and the plunger 104 is drawn inward of the housing 107, thereby rotating the lever 105 clockwise with the result that the free end of the lever contacts the raised portion 106a of the switch blade 106 and opens the switch in the circuit to the solenoid 63 which deenergizes the solenoid.

With the solenoid 63 deenergized, the coil spring 65 withdraws the plunger 64 from contact with the stop member 61:: formed on cam wheel 61, whereupon the clock spring 42 (Fig. l) of the spring motor beings to unwind and in doing so it rotates the rear ejector shaft 36, the several cam and gear wheels that are fixedly attached thereto and the front ejector shaft 31. Rotation of the rear ejector shaft 36 causes the cam 71a on cam wheel 71 to withdraw from the valve stem 72 of the inlet water valve and from the plunger of the micro-switch (Fig. 4), wheret upon the inlet water valve is closed and the compressor motor 14 of the refrigerating system is deenergized.

Immediately after the lever 105 of the thermostat clears the high portion of switch 106, the switch closes and reenergizes the solenoid 63. With the solenoid energized, the parallel plunger 69 is withdrawn from the path of the stop member 61a before the stop member reaches this plunger, and the plunger 64 is again placed in the path of the stop member, so that, except as pointed out hereinafter, once the spring motor begins to rotate the rear ejector shaft 36 it completes 360 of rotation before the stop member 61a again contacts the plunger 64.

During the first few degrees of rotation of the front ejector shaft 31 and attached ejector blades 32, the dried ice pieces that have been resting on the ejector blades above the ice-forming compartments 2111 are discharged over the right side of the freezing mold into the storage receptacle 16 (Fig. 3). During this period of rotation of the ejector mechanism, the cam 127 (Fig. 6) on the rear of the front ejector shaft will have contacted the arm 126 on the stop switch mechanism 129, whereupon this mechanism is lifted to the broken line position (Fig. 6) and the circuit through the mercury switch 123 is momentarily opened. Continued rotation of the ejector mechanism causes the cam 127 to be withdrawn from contact with the arm 126, whereupon, assuming that the ice receptacle 16 is not yet filled with ice pieces, the stop switch mechanism falls by gravity to the full line position shown in Fig. 3, thereby closing the circuit through the mercury switch 128.

The opening and closing of the mercury switch must be completed in less than the initial 45 of rotation of the ejector shaft, or before the stop member 61a on cam wheel 61 rotates to the position to be contacted by the parallel plunger 69, which plunger is in its advanced position when the circuit through the mercury switch 128 is open. Should the ice receptacle 16 be filled with the desired quantity of ice, the vane 124 contacts the ice and holds the mercury switch open, thereby deenergizing the ice maker until such time as some ice pieces have been removed from the storage receptacle and the vane returned to its lower position.

Assuming still that the ice storage receptacle is not yet filled with ice pieces and that the spring motor 40 continues to rotate the rear ejector shaft 36, the ejector mechanism continues to rotate through approximately 180 of rotation from the starting point until the ejector blades 32 contact the ice frozen solidly in the ice-forming compartments 21b, whereupon the ejector blades stall against the ice. However, shortly before the ejector blades contact the ice frozen in the mold, the teeth 91a (Fig. l) on the gear wheel 91 will have rotated the gear wheel 99 counterclockwise through approximately 45, whereupon the valve plug 96 of the outlet valve will have rotated from position A (Fig. 2) to position B with the channel 97 in register with channel 93 at the bottom of the valve casing and with the outlet connection 94a at the top of the casing. With the outlet valve in position B and the inlet valve 7!) closed, water is forced by the compression spring 87 (Fig. 8) and flexible diaphragm 86 from the measuring vessel through conduit 74, channel 93, channel 97, outlet 94a, and conduit 95:! into the channel 251! along the top right side of the freezing mold, from whence the water flows through the notches 260 into the ice-forming compartments 21a. Thus, with the exception of the rearmost compartment 21b, each of the iceforming compartments 21b which contain ice is sandwiched between two ice-forming compartments 21a which contain relatively warm water.

The relatively warm water in the ice-forming compartments 21a gives up heat to the mold casting and to the transverse partitions 22 to thereby thaw the ice free of the adjacent mold compartments 21b. It is to be noted that the measuring vessel 80 stands full of water with the inlet valve open and the outlet valve closed during icefreezing cycles of operation. With this arrangement, the electric heater 88 that is in thermal contact with the copper closure member 84 of the measuring vessel has ample time to heat the water in the measuring vessel during icefreezing cycles of operation. To prevent overheating of the water, the heater 88 is equipped with high temperature cutout 88a (Fig. 4).

In some installations, as when the ice maker is used with an absorption refrigerating system, the water measuring vessel may be placed in the flue at the rear of the refrigerator to be heated by hot products of combustion from the gas burner of such a refrigerator or the measuring vessel may be placed in thermal contact with a heat dissipating part of the refrigerating system. For a more complete description of various means for heating water in a measuring vessel of an automatic ice maker by waste heat from a refrigerating system reference may be had to the copending patent application of Victor G. Drieier, Serial No. 340,447, filed March 5, 1953.

During the time that the relatively warm water in the ice-forming compartments 21a is thawing the ice pieces free of the adjacent compartments 21b, the spring motor continues to urge the ejector blades 32 into contact with the ice, so that, the instant the ice is thawed free from the compartments 211) the spring motor resumes rotation of ejector mechanism, whereupon the ejector blades complete the second of rotation and sweep the ice pieces from the mold compartments 21b, bringing such ice pieces to rest on the ejector blades for drying wetted surfaces thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, during the next freezing cycle of operation. Thus the filling of one of one set ..of alternate ice-forming compartments (compartments 21a) causes the thawing and ejecting of ice pieces from a second set of alternate ice-forming compartments (compartments 21b). The brake mechanism 50 governs the speed of rotation of the ejector mechanism, and the stop member 6lavon cam wheel 61 is brought into contact with the plunger 64 to thereby limit this rotation to 360.

During the first portion of the second 180 of rotation of the ejector mechanism, the plug 96 of the water outlet valve is rotated from position B to position C (Fig. 2) which shows the channel 97 in vertical position in register with the inlet channel 93 and out of register with both of the outlet connections 94a and 94b. At this point in the rotation of the ejector mechanism the teeth 91a on gear wheel 91 (Fig. 1) no longer mesh withthe teeth 99a on gear wheel 99, so that the valve plug 96 stands in position C during the next freezing cycle of operation.

Near the end of the second 180 of rotation of the ejector mechanism, the cam surface 49a on cam wheel 49 (Fig. 4) contacts and actuates the push-push switch 48 to thereby energize the electric motor 45. Then the ejector mechanism is stopped by contact of the stop member 61a with the plunger 64, with the cam surface 49a clear of the push-push switch 48, the cam surface 71a on cam wheel 71 in contact with the valve stem 72 and the actuator of the mercury switch 15. With the electric motor 45 energized, the worm gear 47 (Fig. 7) rotates the gear 42 and attached spring housing 41 and cam wheel 44 through approximately 360 until the cam surface 44a on cam wheel 44 (Fig. 4) contacts and actuates the pushpush switch 48 and deenergizes the motor 45. Rotation of the spring housing 41 rewinds the clock spring 42, during which rotation, the stop member 61a in contact with plunger 64 prevents rotation of the ejector shaft 36.

Thus the ice maker completes an ice ejecting cycle and initiates a freezing cycle with the electric motor 45 deenergized, the clock spring of the spring motor wound, the stop member 61a in contact with the plunger 64, the

outlet water valve closed in position C, the cam surface 71a (Fig. 4) in contactwith the stem 72 of the inlet valve and with the actuator of micro switch 15, the inlet water 72 open, the compressor motor 14 energized, a batch of ice pieces resting on the ejector blades (Fig. 3) above the ice-forming compartments 21b, the compartments 21b empty and the compartments 21a filled with water to be frozen.

The next ejecting cycle of operation is substantially the same as that just described, except that the thermostat sensing bulb is influenced by the freezing of the water in the rearmost of .the mold compartments 21a, the plug of the outlet valve is first shifted to position D (Fig. 2) to fill the compartments 21b with water, then the valve is shifted to a closed position E. Thus it is seen that with each 360 of rotation of the ejector mechanism the plug of the outlet Water valve is rotated 90 from a closed to an open to a closed position, thereby alternately filling first one set and then the other set of alternate ice-forming compartments, and alternately ejecting ice from the other and then the first set of compartments.

In case of the electric power failure and in order to prevent a batch of ice pieces resting on the ejector blades above a set of empty ice-forming compartments from melting and filling such compartments with water, the stop and release mechanism 60 is arranged in a manner that with failure of electric power the solenoid 63 is deenergized, whereupon the plunger 64 is removed from contact with the stop 61a, the parallel plunger 69 is placed in the path of the stop 61a, the ejector mechanism is rotated through a sufiicient arc to discharge the ice pieces over the side of the mold into the storage receptacle before it comes to rest with the stop 61a in contact with the plunger 69.

The safety cutout switch mechanism 110 (Fig. 4) operates in a manner that with power failure, not only is the solenoid 63 of. the stop and release mechanism'dee'nergized and the ejector mechanism rotated through a sufficientarc to discharge ice pieces from the ejector blades before the stop 61a contacts the plunger 69, the coil of the solenoid 111 also is deenergized whereupon the spring pressed plunger 113 snaps the toggle switch 112- to the open or broken line position (Fig. 4) thereby opening all electric circuits, except the circuit to the compressor motor 14 and the circuit to the solenoid 111. The toggle switch 112 is reset to the closed or full line position only by the sprin'g-pressedplunger 109, which plunger is actuated by the opening of the switch 106 of the mold thermostat responsive to the complete freezing of ice in one of the other of the two rear ice-forming compartments of the mold.

With this arrangement of the safety cutout mechanism,

should there be a resumption of electric power at a time that there is unfrozen water in one or the other of the sets of ice-forming compartments 21a or 21b, the toggle switch 112 remains in the open position until such time as this water is frozen and the mold thermostat operates to momentarily open the switch 106 and simultaneously reciprocate the spring-pressed plunger 109 to thereby actuate and close the toggle switch 112. Otherwise, should electric power he resumed at a time that one of the sets of ice-forming compartments contain water the ejector mechanism would be energized, the plug 96 of the outlet water rotated through an open position and the synchronism of this water valve and the ejector mechanism disrupted.

It is to be noted that neither the toggle switch 112 of the safety cutout mechanism or the mercury switch 128 of the stop switch mechanism has any effect on the operation of the compressor motor 114 of the refrigerating system. This is so because the cam surface 71a on cam wheel 71 is arranged to open the micro switch 15 in the compressor motor circuit only after the stop 61a on cam wheel 61 has rotated past the position that it may be contacted by the plunger 69 of the stop andrelease mechanism 60. The mercury switch 128 is opened only at a time that ice is frozen and ready to be ejected from one of the sets of ice-forming compartments. So that, the holding of this switch 123, open by the accumulation of an optimum amount of ice pieces in the ice storage receptacle 16, merely delays the removal of ice from the mold until such time that the mercury switch is closed by removal of ice pieces from the storage reapparent to those skilled in the art to' which this invention appertains, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic ice maker, a stationary freezing mold including exterior side and end walls and a plurality of interior partition walls dividing the mold into a plurality of aligned open-topped ice-forming compartments, means for filling with water a first set of said ice-forming compartments to the exclusion of a second set of said ice-forming compartments, means for filling with water the second set of compartments to the exclusion of the first set, means for alternately freezing water first in one and then in the other set of ice-forming compartments, and said plurality of ice-forming compartments being arranged in said freezing mold in a manner that ice-forming compartments of each set are sandwiched with ice-forming compartments of another set, whereby the filling with water of one set of compartments thaws ice free of another set of compartments.

2. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filling means includes means forming a channel along each of the exterior side walls of the mold with the channel along one'side wall arranged to deliver water to one set of ice-forming compartments-and the channel along an opposite side wall arranged to deliver water to another set ofice-forming compartments.

3. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 1 wherein the filling means for one set of ice-forming compartrnents is operable responsive to the freezing of ice in another set of ice-forming compartments.

4. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 1 which includes means for removing ice alternately first from one end then from another set of ice-forming compartments.

5. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 4 wherein the ice removing means for one set of ice-forming compartments is operable responsive to the filling with Water of another set of ice-forming compartments.

6. In an automatic ice maker, a stationary freezing mold, means dividing the mold into a row of separate open-topped ice-forming compartments, means for filling with water first one set of alternate ice-forming compartments and then a second set of alternate ice-forming compartments, refrigerating means for freezing the water first in the one set of alternate ice-forming compartments and then in the second set of alternate ice-forming compartments, at least certain of the separate ice-forming compartments of one set being sandwiched with certain of the separate ice-forming compartments of the other set, the construction and arrangement of the ice-forming compartments being such that the filling with water of one set of compartments thaws the ice free of the other et of compartments, and ejector mechanism for removing ice first from one and then from the other set of iceforming compartments.

7. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 6 that includes means for heating the Water prior to its delivery to the ice-forming compartments of the freezing mold.

8. In an automatic ice maker, a freezing mold, means dividing the mold into a plurality of ice-forming compartments, means for filling the compartments with Water to be frozen, refrigeration means for freezing the Water in the compartments, ejector mechanism for removing the ice from the compartments, said ejector mechanism including a spring motor, means for Winding said spring motor, means for locking said spring motor in Wound condition, means operable responsive to the freezing of ice in'saidmoldfor unlocking saidmotor, an ice storage receptacle for receiving ice from said ejector mechanism,

and control mechanism for said filling, and ejecting mechanism.

9. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 8 Wherein'the means for winding the spring motor includes an electric motor connected in an electric circuit, and means operable responsive to the removal of ice from said freezing mold for closing said electric circuit and energizin said electric motor to thereby wind said spring motor.

10. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 9 wherein said ejector mechanism includes means for holding ice thereon for drying wetted surfaces thereof before discharge into said storage receptacle.

11. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 10 wherein said locking mechanism includes electrically-op erated means connected in said electric circuit in a manner to hold said spring motor locked when energized, and wherein said control mechanism includes means in said electric circuit operable responsive to the opening of said circuit for deenergizing said electrically operated means.

12. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 11 which includes means for holding said electric circuit open responsive to the accumulation of an optimum amount of ice in said storage receptacle.

13. An automatic ice maker as set forth in claim 11 which includes means for opening said electric circuit responsive to electric power failure in said circuit and to thereafter close said circuit responsive to the freezing of ice in said mold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,145,773 Muffly Jan. 31, 1939 2,145,775 Mufliy Jan. 31, 1939 2,221,694 Potter Nov. 12, 1940 2,250,960 Kitto July 29, 1941 2,407,058 Clum Sept. 3, 1946 2,542,892 Bayston Feb. 20, 1951 2,672,016 Muffly Mar. 16, 1954

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