Bearing construction for snow cone machine

• US 4,575,012 A
• Filed: 04/18/1984
• Issued: 03/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leon F. Williams
• Original Assignee: Leon F. Williams
• Inventors: Uphoff, Irvin A., Williams, Leon F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US06/601,706
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 308/190, 308/191, 308/187, 308/187.1, 308/245, 241/101.2, 241/92, 241/DIG. 17
• US Class Current: 241/92
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/12 Ice-shaving machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/17 Ice crushers

Abstract

An ice shaving apparatus (10) includes a housing (12) having a surface (20) for supporting an ice billet. A cutting head (59) is rotatably supported in one end of the housing and functions to discharge ice shaved from the billet through an aperture (50). The cutting head is rotatably supported in a drum (70) having a boss (90, 120) projecting rearwardly therefrom. The boss has a bearing receiving aperture (92, 122) formed therethrough. Sealed ball bearings (100, 130) are positioned in the aperture and rotatably support a shaft (48, 48'"'"') which in turn supports the cutting head. A slinger (110, 160) is mounted on the shaft between the cutting head and the bearings and serves to prevent water from engaging the bearings.

Claims

1. An ice shaving apparatus comprising:

a stationary drum comprising a generally planar rear plate wall and an annular rim having a predetermined inside diameter and having a discharge aperture formed therein;

a cutting head comprising a circular plate having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the rim of the drum and adapted for rotation therein;

the circular plate of the cutting plate having a plurality of radially extending slots formed therethrough;

a plurality of blades each mounted on the circular plate for shaving ice from a billet so that the shaved ice passes through one of the slots in the plate and into the drum;

a plurality of vanes secured to the circular plate of the cutting head for rotation therewith for directing shaved ice received through the slots through the discharge aperture in the drum;

the rear plate of the drum including a boss having an aperture extending therethrough which is coaxial with the rim of the drum and with the circular plate of the cutting head;

the cutting head further including a shaft extending rearwardly from the circular plate through the aperture of the boss of the rear plate of the drum;

a plurality of spaced apart, sealed, antifriction bearing means mounted in the aperture of the boss of the drum and receiving the shaft of the cutting head therethrough and thereby rotatably supporting the cutting head; and

slinger means comprising a relatively large diameter portion mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith and positioned within the drum between the cutting head and the antifriction bearing means for centrifugally discharging water from the shaft and thereby preventing water resulting from operation of the cutting head from engaging the antifriction bearing means.

2. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the antifriction bearing means comprises spaced apart, sealed ball bearings for rotatably supporting the shaft and the cutting head, said ball bearings being mounted in the aperture formed through the boss of the rear plate of the drum.

3. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the aperture in the boss is further characterized by spaced apart shoulders for positioning the ball bearings therein.

4. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the shaft includes at least one threaded portion, and further including at least one nut threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the shaft for fixing the positioning of at least one of the ball bearings with respect thereto.

5. An ice shaving apparatus comprising:

means defining a surface for supporting an ice billet;

means for advancing the ice billet toward one end of the supporting surface;

a cutting head positioned at said one end of the ice billet supporting surface and comprising a circular plate, a plurality of blades mounted on the circular plate for shaving ice from the ice billet, a plurality of apertures each positioned adjacent one of the blades for receiving shaved ice therethrough, and a plurality of vanes for projecting the shaved ice outwardly;

a drum positioned at said one end of the ice billet supporting surface and surrounding the cutting head, said drum comprising a circular rear plate and an annular wall extending forwardly from the rear plate and surrounding the cutting head, said annular wall having a discharge aperture formed therein for receiving shaved ice from the vanes of the cutting head;

the circular rear plate of the drum including a rearwardly projecting boss having a bearing supporting aperture formed therein;

said cutting head further including a shaft secured to the circular plate and extending through the aperture of the boss of the drum;

spaced apart, sealed, antifriction bearing means mounted in the aperture of the boss of the drum and having the shaft extending therethrough for rotatably supporting the shaft and the cutting head;

a slinger comprising a relatively large diameter portion mounted in the shaft for rotation therewith and positioned within the drum between the cutting head and the antifriction bearing means for centrifugally discharging water from the shaft and thereby preventing the water resulting from operation of the cutting head from engaging the antifriction bearing means; and

drive means for rotating the shaft and the cutting head mounted thereon relative to the drum and thereby shaving ice from the ice billet supported on the ice billet supporting surface.

6. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the aperture formed through the boss is further characterized by opposed surfaces for positioning the spaced apart, sealed, antifriction bearing means.

7. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the spaced apart, sealed, antifriction bearing means comprise ball bearings.

8. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 5 further characterized by spacer means for maintaining separation between the spaced apart, sealed, antifriction bearing means.

9. The ice shaving apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the shaft includes at least one threaded portion and further including at least one nut threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the shaft for positioning at least one of the sealed, antifriction bearing means with respect thereto.