Ice machine

An ice bagger comprising:

• a generally funnel-shaped ice hopper adapted to receive ice from an ice manufacturer, the ice hopper defining an ice hopper aperture thereunder;
• an ice trough operably positioned beneath the ice hopper aperture and being adapted to receive ice from the ice hopper, the ice hopper aperture and the ice trough being substantially co-extensive, the ice trough defining a bottom surface that is inclined towards a trough aperture such that water that has accumulated in the ice trough drains away from the trough aperture;
• a channel extending from an end of the ice trough opposite the trough aperture to an outside surface of the ice bagger, the channel configured to channel accumulated water away from the ice trough;
• an ice auger housed inside the ice trough, the ice hopper aperture, the ice trough, and the ice auger being substantially co-extensive, the ice auger in driving connection with a motor, the ice auger adapted to transport ice along the ice trough towards the trough aperture at an incline sufficient to cause water resulting from melted ice to drain away from the trough aperture;
• an ice agitator comprising a bar extending along the length of the hopper, the bar adapted to rotate around an axis along the length of the hopper, the bar having a plurality of fingers positioned perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bar to provide horizontal agitation to stir and churn ice in the ice hopper to prevent ice from bridging;
• an ice delivery chute positioned beneath the trough aperture;
• a hatch positioned beneath the ice delivery chute, the hatch adapted to release a filled bag for storage, the ice delivery chute and the hatch defining a bag filling area such that, when bags are present in the bag filling area, the bags are positioned to be filled;
• a scale positioned on the hatch, the scale positioned to weigh the ice being deposited in the bag to determine when a designated amount of ice has been deposited into the bag;
• at least one sensor that detects the level of ice in the ice hopper;
• a bag deliverer to deliver bags to the bag filling area, the bag deliverer comprising a bag tension bar adapted to provide tension to the supply of bags to help prevent the stream of bags from displacing off the bag track;
• and
• a microprocessor adapted to control at least one component of the ice bagger,
• wherein the bag deliverer further comprises a bag holder, and the bag holder is mounted on two rails to allow the bag holder to slide out of the ice bagger for easy replacement of a roll of bags.