The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 1991
Filed:
Jan. 04, 1991
Kenneth H Patrick, Rainbow City, AL (US);
Mid-South Industries, Inc., Rainbow City, AL (US);
Abstract
A half crescent shaped ice piece maker comprising a freezing tray (100) having an inner surface arcuately shaped about a longitudinal radial axis and divided into crescent shaped water fillable cavities (112) in which the ice pieces are formed, and an ejector assembly (102) for rotatively moving the ice pieces out of the cavities (122) comprising a rotatable shaft (106) supported in bearings with its axis coincident with the radial axis, and with ejector assembly (102) further comprising a row of primary flexible, spring-like ejector elements (114) lying in a common plane and each secured at a first end to the shaft (106) and having its second end extend into one of the crescent shaped cavities (122) to divide the cavity (122) into rotatively leading and lagging partial crescent shaped cavities while water is injected and frozen therein and before the ejector assembly (102) is rotated to form leading and lagging rows of partial crescent ice pieces with ice bridges (152) around the edges of the ejector elements (114) between the leading and lagging partial crescent ice pieces (130) and (132) of each full crescent shaped ice piece, and a prime mover for rotating the ejector assembly. A fixed position ice stripper assembly (104) is positioned in the path of the ice pieces being rotated by the ejector assembly (102) to stop the rotation of the ice pieces and bend back the row of flexible spring-like ejector elements to create a potential force therein and to break the ice bridge between the leading and lagging half crescent ice pieces and enable the flexible, spring-like ejector elements to spring forward to eject the leading row of half crescent ice pieces from the freezing tray. A second row of ejector elements functions to eject the lagging row of partial crescent ice pieces from the tray.