Ice body delivery apparatus
US4228934A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 26, 1978 |
| Grant date | Oct 21, 1980 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 26, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25C5/20
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An ice body delivery apparatus having a hopper for storing a plurality of discrete ice bodies and a wall portion defining an outlet opening for passing the ice bodies seriatim outwardly therethrough for dispensing the ice bodies as desired. A rotatable auger is provided in a lower frustoconical portion of the hopper and includes spaced spiral vanes arranged to sweep across the opening so as to dislodge ice bodies which may have become lodged thereacross. The auger is arranged so as to define an effectively open axial portion permitting the dislodged ice bodies to be returned to the outlet opening therethrough and under or behind the rotating vanes back to the outlet opening. The vanes extend arcuately a total of approximately 360 degrees or more. The auger may be driven by a subjacent drive motor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.