Combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser

Claim 2

An ice dispenser comprising: a storage section for ice cubes and a crusher section having an outlet and being separated from said storage section by a vertically extending wall having a discharge opening therein above said outlet; a horizontally extending rotatable member passing through said wall above said outlet and adjacent said opening and including a dispensing portion in said storage section for discharging ice cubes through said opening to said crusher section, said crusher section including crusher arm means mounted on said rotatable member for movement into and out of the path of ice cubes passing from said opening to said outlet; said crusher section including means for intercepting the ice cubes passing therethrough for contact by said crusher arm means to effect crushing of the intercepted ice pieces; said intercepting means being movable to an inoperative position and said crusher arm means being arranged to be out of the path of said ice cubes during the passage thereof from said opening to said outlet when said intercepting means is in its inoperative position.

Claim 3

The dispenser of claim 1 in which dispensing portion includes a double blade auger for discharging ice pieces through said opening and said crusher arm means is mounted on said rotatable member at an angle of about 90* relative to the discharge edges of the auger blades.

Claim 4

A combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser comprising: a storage section for ice cubes and a crusher section having an outlet at the bottom thereof and being separated from said storage section by a vertical wall having a discharge opening therein above said outlet; a rotatable member extending through said wall above said outlet and adjacent said opening and including a dispensing portion in said storage section for periodically discharging ice cubes through said opening to said crusher section and crusher arm means in said crusher section rotatable iNto and out of the path of ice cubes passing from said opening to said outlet; said crusher arm means being arranged to be out of the path of said ice cubes during the periodic discharge thereof for free travel of the cubes from said opening to said outlet; and said crusher section including means for selectively effecting engagement of the ice cubes discharged through said opening by said crusher arm means to effect crushing of the ice pieces.

Claim 5

A combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser comprising: a storage section for ice cubes and a crusher section having an outlet at the bottom thereof and being separated from said storage section by a vertical wall having a discharge opening therein above said outlet; a rotatable member extending through said wall above said outlet and adjacent said opening and including a dispensing portion in said storage section for periodically discharging ice cubes through said opening to said crusher section and crusher arm means in said crusher section rotatable iNto and out of the path of ice cubes passing from said opening to said outlet; said crusher arm means being arranged to be out of the path of said ice cubes during the periodic discharge thereof for free travel of the cubes from said opening to said outlet; and said crusher section including means for selectively effecting engagement of the ice cubes discharged through said opening by said crusher arm means to effect crushing of the ice pieces.

Claim 6

The dispenser of claim 3 in which said dispensing portion includes a double-blade auger and said crusher arm means is arranged at an angle of about 90* relative to the forward edges of the blades of said auger.

Claim 7

The dispenser of claim 3 in which said crusher arm means comprises a plurality of spaced crusher arms.

Claim 8

The dispenser of claim 4 in which said arms are staggered with the arm closest to said opening in the lead and each of the remaining arms trailing the arms closer to said opening.

Claim 9

The ice dispenser of claim 5 in which said means for effecting engagement of said ice cubes by said crusher arms comprises fingers adapted to extend between said spaced crusher arms.

Claim 10

A combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser comprising: a storage section for storing ice cubes and a crusher section separated from said storage section by a vertical wall and having an outlet at the bottom thereof; a rotatable member extending through said wall and including a dispensing means in said storage section and crusher arms in said crusher section; said wall including a discharge opening therein adjacent and generally above and to one side of the axis of said rotatable member through which said dispensing means discharges ice cubes into the rotational path of said crusher arms; said crusher section including walls adjacent and opposite said opening for confining the ice cubes passing downwardly through said crusher section to said outlet to a discharge path intersecting the rotational path of said crusher arms; means for rotating said rotatable member in a direction such that said arms move upwardly along said discharge path; said crusher section including means movable between a first position permitting said ice cubes to pass directly to said outlet and a second position for intercepting the passage of said ice cubes downwardly through said passage whereby said ice cubes are picked up by said crusher arms; said crusher section including anvil means on the opposite side of said axis from said discharge opening for cooperating with said crusher arms to crush ice pieces conveyed to said anvil means by said crusher arms.

Claim 11

A combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser comprising: a storage section for storing ice cubes and a crusher section separated from said storage section by a vertical wall and having an outlet at the bottom thereof; a rotatable member extending through said wall and including a dispensing means in said storage section and crusher arms in said crusher section; said wall including a discharge opening therein adjacent and generally above and to one side of the axis of said rotatable member through which said dispensing means discharges ice cubes into the rotational path of said crusher arms; said crusher section including walls adjacent and opposite said opening for confining the ice cubes passing downwardly through said crusher section to said outlet to a discharge path intersecting the rotational path of said crusher arms; means for rotating said rotatable member in a direction such that said arms move upwardly along said discharge path; said crusher section including means movable between a first position permitting said ice cubes to pass directly to said outlet and a second position for intercepting the passage of said ice cubes downwardly through said passage whereby said ice cubes are picked up by said crusher arms; said crusher section including anvil means on the opposite side of said axis from said discharge opening for cooperating with said crusher arms to crush ice pieces conveyed to said anvil means by said crusher arms.

Claim 12

The dispenser of claim 8 in which said dispensing means comprises a double blade auger having forward blade edges for periodically discharging ice cubes through said opening during each 180* rotation of said member and said crusher arms are offset about 90* from said edges.

Claim 13

An ice dispenser comprising: a storage section of ice cubes and a crusher section having an outlet and being separated from said storage section by a vertically extending wall having a discharge opening therein above said outlet; a horizontally extending rotatable member passing through said wall above said outlet and adjacent said opening and including a discharge portion in said storage section for discharging ice cubes through said opening to said crusher section, said crusher section including crusher arm means mounted on said rotatable member and rotatable therewith for movement into and out of the path of ice cubes passing from said opening to said outlet; said crusher section including a member movable between a first position for dispensing ice cubes from said outlet and a second position for effecting engagement of ice pieces discharged from said opening by said crusher arm means for dispensing crushed ice from said outlet.

Claim 14

An ice dispenser comprising: a storage section of ice cubes and a crusher section having an outlet and being separated from said storage section by a vertically extending wall having a discharge opening therein above said outlet; a horizontally extending rotatable member passing through said wall above said outlet and adjacent said opening and including a discharge portion in said storage section for discharging ice cubes through said opening to said crusher section, said crusher section including crusher arm means mounted on said rotatable member and rotatable therewith for movement into and out of the path of ice cubes passing from said opening to said outlet; said crusher section including a member movable between a first position for dispensing ice cubes from said outlet and a second position for effecting engagement of ice pieces discharged from said opening by said crusher arm means for dispensing crushed ice from said outlet.

Claim 15

The dispenser of claim 10 in which said crusher arm means comprises a plurality of spaced arms and said mOvable member included fingers arranged to extend between said spaced arms when said member is in its second position.

Claim 16

The dispenser of claim 10 in which said member is of arcuate shape and in its second position is adjacent said crusher arm means and deflects ice pieces from said outlet into the path of said crusher arm means.