Harvesting apparatus for automatic ice maker

Claim 2

An automatic ice maker comprising a warpable grid in a tray adapted to contain water, refrigerating means for the freezing of ice in said grid, drive means for periodically pivoting the grid about one end corner thereof and the adjacent corner of said tray for removing the grid and ice cubes from said tray, a rapper assembly including rapper support means extending from said tray pivoted end, a rapper arm having one end pivotally supported on said rapper support means, resilient means biasing said rapper arm to a first position contacting stop means, said rapper arm having a plurality of longitudinally extending members thereon arranged along an arcuate path centered on said grid pivotal axis, a striker bar pivotally mounted on said grid extending radially outwardly from the free end of the grid front wall and resiliently biased for pivotal movement in one direction only, whereby upon said grid being rotated from a horizontal position in said tray to an overcenter position said bar engages the first one of the arm members momentarily halting the pivoting of said grid, said drive means continuing to power said grid imparting a warping force thereto prior to said bar overcoming said arm resilient biasing means pivoting said arm away from said stop means and permitting said bar to snap past the first arm member and impact on the next succeeding arm member to release ice cubes from said grid, and so forth insuring the release of all the ice cubes therefrom, said drive means being operative to cause reverse rotation of said harvested grid whereby said resiliently biased bar engages said arm members resulting in the bar pivoting in said one direction allowing said grid to be freely returned to said tray.

Claim 3

An automatic ice maker comprising a warpable grid in a tray adapted to contain water, refrigerating means for the freezing of ice in said grid, drive means for periodically pivoting the grid about one side thereof and the adjacent side of said tray for removing the grid and ice cubes from said tray, a rapper assembly including rapper support means extending from said tray pivoted end, said rapper assembly having a rapper arm with one end pivotally supported on said rapper support means for movement about an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of said grid, resilient means biasing said rapper arm to a first position contacting stop means, said rapper arm having a plurality of rearwardly extending flanges thereon with the leading edges thereof arranged along an arcuate path centered on said grid pivotal axis, the flanges being oriented with their faces inclined at progressively decreasing angles to the vertical as they approach the rapper pivotal axis, a resiliently biased striker bar pivotally mounted on said grid extending Radially outwardly from the free end of the grid front wall for pivotal movement in one direction only, whereby upon said grid being pivoted from its horizontal position in said tray to an overcenter angled position said bar engages the leading edge of the first flange which momentarily halts the pivoting motion of said grid, said drive means continuing to power the grid imparting a warping force thereto prior to overcoming said rapper arm resilient means and thereby pivoting said rapper arm away from said stop means to permit said bar to snap past the first flange leading edge and contact the leading edge of the next succeeding flange to release ice cubes from said grid, and so forth whereby said grid striker bar engages each succeeding flange upper edge causing a plurality of impacts to said grid and thereby insuring the release of all the ice cubes therefrom, the progressively decreasing angles of the flanges being operative to maintain a substantially uniform angle of incidence between each flange leading edge and said striker bar whereby approximately the same amount of warp is applied to said grid as it contacts each successive flange, said drive means being operative to cause reverse rotation of said grid whereby said striker bar engages the lower edges of the flanges resulting in the resiliently biased bar pivoting in said one direction allowing said grid to be freely returned to its upright position in said tray for another ice cube making cycle of said ice maker.

Claim 4

An automatic ice maker comprising a warpable grid in a tray adapted to contain water, refrigerating means for the freezing of ice in said grid, drive means for periodically pivoting the grid about one side thereof and the adjacent side of said tray for removing the grid and ice cubes from said tray, a rapper assembly including rapper support means extending from said tray pivoted end, said rapper assembly having a rapper arm with one end pivotally supported on said rapper support means for movement about an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of said grid, resilient means biasing said rapper arm to a first position contacting stop means, said rapper arm having a plurality of rearwardly extending flanges thereon with the leading edges thereof arranged along an arcuate path centered on said grid pivotal axis, the flanges being oriented with their faces inclined at progressively decreasing angles to the vertical as they approach the rapper pivotal axis, a resiliently biased striker bar pivotally mounted on said grid extending Radially outwardly from the free end of the grid front wall for pivotal movement in one direction only, whereby upon said grid being pivoted from its horizontal position in said tray to an overcenter angled position said bar engages the leading edge of the first flange which momentarily halts the pivoting motion of said grid, said drive means continuing to power the grid imparting a warping force thereto prior to overcoming said rapper arm resilient means and thereby pivoting said rapper arm away from said stop means to permit said bar to snap past the first flange leading edge and contact the leading edge of the next succeeding flange to release ice cubes from said grid, and so forth whereby said grid striker bar engages each succeeding flange upper edge causing a plurality of impacts to said grid and thereby insuring the release of all the ice cubes therefrom, the progressively decreasing angles of the flanges being operative to maintain a substantially uniform angle of incidence between each flange leading edge and said striker bar whereby approximately the same amount of warp is applied to said grid as it contacts each successive flange, said drive means being operative to cause reverse rotation of said grid whereby said striker bar engages the lower edges of the flanges resulting in the resiliently biased bar pivoting in said one direction allowing said grid to be freely returned to its upright position in said tray for another ice cube making cycle of said ice maker.