Abstract: An ice cooled beverage dispenser with a cold plate and a tubular ice bin liner has an upstanding rim around a periphery of the cold plate. The bottom edge of the liner is pressed into and seated to the rim, and an L-shaped bracket is fastened to the outside of the liner and to the rim for positive securement of the liner to the cold plate in a sanitary and leak proof manner; a method of making the beverage cooler is also provided.

Abstract: An ice cube makes has a generally upright gridded evaporator, a hot gas defrost for harvest of cubes, a storage bin below the evaporator, a hinged cube and water curtain between the evaporator and the bin, a new and improved control for the freeze cycle, and a new and improved control for the harvest cycle.

Abstract: A rigid thermoplastic manifold for the distribution of pressurized carbonated water has an elongate tubular thermoplastic body with a plurality of apertures spaced along its length, a plurality of identical thermoplastic outlet fittings which each have at inlet spud with a sonic energy director and a pair of arcuate sonic energy directors spaced one on each side from the spud, each outlet fitting being fastened and sealed to the tube with three discrete sonic welds. A method of making the manifold is also provided.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for dispensing both particulate ice and cold beverage wherein a common supply of ice is used firstly for dispensing and then secondly for cooling of the beverage. A pair of co-axial rotors are co-rotated about a common vertical axis by a single motor, the upper rotor dispenses particulate ice off of an annular upper bottom. All ice that falls through the open center of the upper bottom irreversibly falls down upon a cold plate and the lower rotor moves the fallen cooling ice on the cold plate for enhanced cooling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making ice wherein an ice cube maker has a generally upright gridded evaporator, a hot gas defrost for harvest of cubes, a storage bin below the evaporator, a hinged cube and water curtain between the evaporator and the bin, a new and improved control for the freeze cycle, and a new and improved control for the harvest cycle.

Abstract: An ice cube and cold beverage dispenser has a cabinet with a single inside bin chamber for ice cubes. A cold plate beverage chiller is located in the bottom of the chamber. A ice cube agitator and outlet is spaced above the cold plate. A false bottom is located under the agitator and outlet with the false bottom being spaced above the cold plate and having cube ports for passing cubes downward upon the plate and for precluding dispensing of cubes dropped on the plate, with front and rear walls and the agitator and the cold plate and the false bottom all being canted forward. The agitator is of lesser diameter than the width of the cube bin and is located on one side of the bin and a feeder driven by the agitator in an opposite direction of rotation feeds ice cubes upwards and towards the center.

Abstract: A beverage cooler has a cold plate and a plastic ice cube bin secured to the cold plate by an adaptor which is permanently adjoined to plastic walls of the hopper. The adaptor has a tongue, a plate arm which fits into a rabbet on the cold plate, a foam flange which extends out into foam insulation and a plate flange fastened to the cold plate; the plastic hopper walls have a foot molded into the plate flange and rivets molded into the tongue. A method of manufacturing the plastic ice bin has the plastic walls being molded onto the adaptor, preferably by rotomolding using polyethylene as the material. A beverage cooler construction has a rotomolded exterior shell fastened to the plastic ice hopper by a spacer and top molding and has insulated beverage outlet lines which exit the shell through an offset under the molding rim.