Ice making refrigeration apparatus and the like

Claim 1

IN ICE-MAKING APPARATUS, A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM INCLUDING AN EVAPORATOR IN THE FORM OF A VERTICALLY ELONGATED BODY OF TUBULAR CONFIGURATION ARRANGED ALONG A VERTICAL AXIS HAVING A CENTRAL BORE OPEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BODY EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE HEIGHT THEREOF AND A REFRIGERANT CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID BORE, SAID BODY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL INNER WALL BOUNDING SAID BORE AND AN OUTER CYLINDRICAL WALL SPACED OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID INNER AND OUTER CYLINDRICAL WALLS FORMING A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC ICE-FORMING SURFACES IN INTIMATE THERMAL COMMUNICATION WITH SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE HEIGHT OF SAID EVAPORATOR BODY, INNER AND OUTER WATER SPRAY MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID WALLS FOR DISCHARGING WATER ON SAID CYLINDRICAL WALLS, SAID REFRIGERATION SYSTEM HAVING CONTROL MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY CYCLING THE SAME THROUGH A FREEZING PHASE AND AN ICE HARVESTING PHASE, MEANS FOR INJECTING LIQUID REFRIGERANT INTO SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF TO TRAVEL DOWNWARDLY OVER THE MAJOR AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CHAMBER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL WALLS DURING THE FREEZING PHASE FOR FREEZING THE WATER SPRAYED ON SAID INNER AND OUTER CYLINDRICAL SURFACES INTO A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC ANNULAR BODIES OF ICE, A HOT GASEOUS REFRIGERANT INJECTOR TUBE EXTENDING FROM EXTERNALLY OF SAID EVAPORATOR BODY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY THE HEIGHT OF SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID INJECTOR TUBE DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING HOT GASEOUS REFRIGERANT UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID INJECTOR TUBE DURING SAID ICE HARVESTING PHASE TO INJECT THE HOT GASEOUS REFRIGERANT INTO SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF WHEREBY THE HOT GASEOUS REFRIGERANT PROGRESSES UPWARDLY THROUGHOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE REFRIGERANT CHAMBER TO THAW ANY FROST BOND BETWEEN SAID ICE BODIES AND SAID WALLS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL TRANSFER OF LIQUID PHASE REFRIGERANT FROM SAID REFRIGERANT CHAMBER AND RELEASE THE ICE BODIES FOR GRAVITATIONAL DISCHARGE THEREFROM.