Combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser

Claim 1

A combination ice cube and crushed ice dispenser comprising: walls defining a crusher housing having an outlet at the bottom thereof; a horizontally rotatable member carrying crusher blades in said crusher housing; said housing including an ice inlet opening generally above and to one side of the axis of said rotatable member through which ice cubes are introduced into the rotational path of said crusher blades; said crusher walls adjacent and opposite said opening confining the ice cubes passing downwardly through said crusher housing to said outlet to a discharge path intersecting the rotational path of said crusher blades; means for rotating said rotatable member in a direction such that said arms move upwardly along said discharge path; said crusher including anvil means on the opposite side of said axis from said opening for cooperating with said crusher blades to crush ice pieces conveyed to said anvil means; said anvil means comprising a set of stationary arms spaced to provide coarse crushed ice and a set of movable arms movable to an operative position below said stationary arms and in the path of said blades for providing finely crushed ice; and said crusher including a pivotally mounted member movable between a first position permitting said ice cubes to pass directly to said outlet and a second position in which the lower end thereof overlaps said stationary arms for intercepting the passage of said ice cubes downwardly through said passage whereby said ice cubes are picked up by said crusher arms and conveyed to said anvil means; said movable arms engaging and supporting the lower end of said interceptor means when said movable arms are in their operative position.