Device for making fragmented ice

• US 4,569,209 A
• Filed: 05/02/1983
• Issued: 02/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intercontinentale Ziegra-Eismaschinen GmbH
• Original Assignee: Intercontinentale Ziegra-Eismaschinen GmbH
• Inventors: Strauss, Friedhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/490,727
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 62/354, 62/320, 241/DIG. 17
• US Class Current: 62/320
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/147 by using augers

Abstract

A device for making fragmented ice. It has a more or less vertical and externally chilled cylinder (1), a water intake at the bottom of the cylinder, an ice outlet (15) at the top of the cylinder, a powered conveyer worm (5) that is mounted in the cylinder and that continuously scrapes off the thin coating of ice that forms on the inside (2) of the wall of the cylinder with at least one thread (6 or 7) and conveys it in the form of a spiral (12) toward the ice outlet (15). It also has several cutters (16) distributed at regular intervals over the space (9) between the threads and a deflector (17) in the space between the threads and at the top of the threads to compact the ice and to produce grains or fragments of ice of desired dimensions and with a relatively narrow tolerance.

Claims

1. Apparatus for producing fragmented ice comprising:

a substantially vertical and externally chilled cylinder;

an ice outlet at the top of the cylinder;

a powered conveyor worm mounted in said cylinder and continuously scraping off a thin coating of ice forming on the inside of a wall of said cylinder, said conveyor worm having at least one thread for conveying scraped off ice in a helix toward said ice outlet;

obstruction means at the top of said conveyor worm to break the helix of ice up into fragments;

said obstruction means having a plurality of cutters distributed at regular intervals, and deflector means engaging a conveying side of a thread;

each of said cutters having an edge on a side facing a conveying side of the thread;

each cutter having a deflecting surface adjoining the cutter edge;

all deflecting surfaces being parallel and positioned at an angle of substantially 50°

to 60°

to a direction in which the helix of ice is conveyed;

said cutters having a guide surface adjoining said edge and being substantially parallel to the direction in which the helix of ice is conveyed;

said cutters being substantially narrow elongated members for fragmenting ice free from compression and ramming effects, said ice being only deflected and broken apart.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cutters are mounted next to each other as a unit;

said deflector means being shaped and positioned so that said cross-section of penetration for strips or chips of ice formed out of the helix remains substantially constant over the deflection surfaces.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cutters are positioned in a cascade, an open space downstream of said cutters merging into said ice outlet free from compacting.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein two ice outlets adjoin said open space when said conveyor worm has two threads.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cutters are positioned mutually displaced axially along direction of conveyance of the helix of ice.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said cutters are substantially triangular;

a guide surface and a deflection surface extending out from said edge.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said cutters are positioned displaced relative to each other so that an end of said guide surface of each of two adjacent cutters facing away from said edge and farther away from said conveying side of the thread will be outside a projection of the other cutter beginning with said edge and perpendicular to a direction in which said helix of ice is being conveyed.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said deflector means is mounted at the end of the conveyor thread.

9. Apparatus for producing fragmented ice comprising:

a substantially vertical and externally chilled cylinder;

an ice outlet at the top of the cylinder;

a powered conveyor worm mounted in said cylinder and continuously scraping off a thin coating of ice forming on the inside of a wall of said cylinder, said conveyor worm having at least one thread for conveying scraped off ice in a helix toward said ice outlet;

obstruction means at the top of threads on said conveyor worm to break the helix of ice up into fragments;

said obstruction means having a plurality of cutters distributed at regular intervals, and deflector means engaging a conveying side of a thread;

each of said cutters having an edge on a side facing a conveying side of the thread;

each cutter having a deflecting surface adjoining the cutter edge;

all deflecting surfaces being parallel and positioned at an angle of substantially 50°

to 60°

to a direction in which the helix of ice is conveyed;

said cutters having a guide surface adjoining said edge and being substantially parallel to the direction in which the helix of ice is conveyed, said cutters being substantially narrow elongated members for fragmenting ice free from compression and ramming effects, said ice being only deflected and broken apart;

said cutters being mounted next to each other as a unit;

said deflector means being shaped and positioned so that said cross-section of penetration for strips or chips of ice formed out of the helix remains substantially constant over the deflection surfaces, said cutters being positioned mutually displaced axially along direction of conveyance of the helix of ice, said cutters being substantially triangular;

a guide surface and a deflection surface extending out from said edge, said deflector means being mounted at the end of the conveyor thread.