Ice maker

In an ice maker having means for forming ice, means defining a constricting nozzle, and means for urging the ice through the nozzle to form a solid column of hard ice, the improvement comprising:

• a breaker tube defining a delivery passage disposed to receive the ice column for longitudinal movement therethrough along a preselected path, said delivery passage having a cross section larger than that of the ice column permitting the ice column moving from the nozzle to be space inwardly of a first sidewall portion of the tube;
• a second, inwardly projecting sidewall portion of the breaker tube disposed generally oppositely of said first sidewall portion and projecting into said path of movement of the ice column to define deflecting means arranged to cause a sufficient deflection of the hard ice in said column to shear the column at spaced intervals thereby forming the hard ice into a series of discrete ice bodies;
• and
• selectively removable means intermediate said nozzle and said inwardly projecting portion defining a blade extending transversely across said delivery passage with the flat dimension of said blade parallel to the longitudinal extent of the passage for shattering the ice column moving therepast to form cracked ice, said selectively removable means including an adapter plate and means for removably securing said blade to said adapter plate, said adapter plate further having a flange projecting in said path of movement adjacent one end of said blade, and shoulder means opposite said flange adjacent the other end of said blade.

In an ice maker having means for forming ice, means defining a constricting nozzle, and means for urging the ice through the nozzle to form a solid column of hard ice, the improvement comprising:

• a breaker tube defining a delivery passage disposed to receive the ice column for longitudinal movement therethrough along a preselected path, said delivery passage having a cross section larger than that of the ice column permitting the ice column moving from the nozzle to be spaced inwardly of a first sidewall portion of the tube;
• a second, inwardly projecting sidewall portion of the breaker tube disposed generally oppositely of said first sidewall portion and projecting into said path of movement of the ice column to define deflecting means arranged to cause a sufficient deflection of the hard ice in said column to shear the column at first spaced intervals thereby forming the hard ice into a series of discrete ice bodies;
• and
• selectively removable means intermediate said nozzle and said inwardly projecting wall portion for causing shearing of the ice column in said delivery passage at second spaced intervals less than said first spaced intervals and precluding shearing of the ice column by said inwardly projecting sidewall portion, said selectively removable means comprising an adapter plate having a flange projecting into said path of movement of the ice column to define a second deflecting means in said delivery passage for deflecting said ice column toward said first sidewall portion, and shoulder means on said adapter plate opposite said flange for engagement by said ice column transversely of said flange to provide improved shearing of the ice column.

In an ice maker having means for forming ice, means defining a constricting nozzle, and means for urging the ice through the nozzle to form a solid column of hard ice, the improvement comprising:

• a breaker tube defining a delivery passage disposed to receive the ice column for longitudinal movement therethrough along a preselected path, said delivery passage having a cross section larger than that of the ice column permitting the ice column moving from the nozzle to be spaced inwardly of a first sidewall portion of the tube;
• a second, inwardly projecting sidewall portion of the breaker tube disposed generally oppositely of said first sidewall portion and projecting into said path of movement of the ice column to define deflecting means arranged to cause a sufficient deflection of the hard ice in said column to shear the column at spaced intervals thereby forming the hard ice into a series of discrete ice bodies;
• and
• selectively removable means intermediate said nozzle and said inwardly projecting portion defining a blade extending transversely across said delivery passage with the flat dimension of said blade parallel to the longitudinal extent of the passage for shattering the ice column moving therepast to form cracked ice, said selectively removable means including an adapter plate and means for removably securing said blade to said adapter plate, said adapter plate further having a flange projecting in said path of movement adjacent said blade.