Patent GB-944898-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to ice making machines
IPC: F25C1/14
Filed: 1962-10-02
Abstract: 944,898. Ice making. A. J. ROSS. Oct. 2, 1962, No. 37338/62. Heading F4H. In a machine for making and storing flaked ice, ice formed on a refrigerated wall in a freezing head is removed from the wall by a rotary device which also forces the ice upward into a storage bin mounted above the freezing head. As shown, Fig. 2, the freezing head comprises an inner, cylindrical, evaporator 23, forming a freezing wall, supported in an outer casing 22 by an annular end wall 31 which is sealed to the casing by an O-ring 32, the other end of the casing being closed by a wall 35. The evaporator 23 contains an accumulator 69 formed by a tubular shell 71, a sealing disc 74, and a thermal insulating disc 72 which seats on the evaporator end wall 23a. Liquid refrigerant from a compressor type refrigeration unit, not shown, enters the evaporator through a capillary tube 67 and passes successively through a helical tube 78, openings 79, and the helical passage 75 bounded by the tube 78 and the walls 23 and 71. It then passes through a tube 82 into the accumulator 69, and leaves the latter through a return line 68 having openings 83 in the upper part of the accumulator. An aspirator tube 84 draws up any oil collecting in the accumulator for return to the compressor. A helical spring-type ice remover 24 is driven by a motor 49 through reduction gears 51, a belt 54 and pulley 43, a shaft 38, and an arm 39. The shaft 39 is axially slidable relative to the pulley 43 and the body of the freezing head, to accommodate end load variations on the ice remover 24. The ice removed from the freezing wall is forced through an opening 25 in the casing 22, and up a duct 26 into the insulated storage bin, not shown, which has a sloping floor with a sump at the lower end for melt water from the stored ice. The ice inlet from the freezing head may be above this sump if melt water is not to be refrozen. A float valve in a supply system for liquid to be frozen, maintains a liquid level somewhat above the top of the evaporator 23. A horizontal plate at the top of the storage bin is connected to a control switch so that when the ice level in the bin reaches the plate, and pushes against it, the refrigeration unit is switch off, to halt the production of ice. The storage bin may have a lid to allow the manual removal of ice as required, or it may be used as an air cooler and humidifier, e.g. for railway wagons used for carrying fresh vegetables, in which case air is drawn through the flaked ice by fans 142, Fig. 3, in apertures at the top of the bin 102, having entered the bin through openings 144. In this case the casing 107 of the freezing head is open at the top along its whole length and is integral with the walls 103 of the bin. In a third embodiment, Fig. 6, the pressing of a control button 233 on a drinkvending machine energizes a solenoid 207 which moves a ram 205 across the upper part of the bin, forcing a plug of flaked ice through an opening 201, on to a shoot 202, from which the plug drops into a cup 172. At the same time a timer controlled solenoid valve 169 opens to allow a measured quantity of drink to flow into the cup.