Abstract: The present invention features a hard ice cream dispenser comprising a housing support structure. Supported by the housing is a drive assembly that comprises a plunger drive means for displacing a plunger through a retaining assembly that is also supportable within the housing. The retaining assembly consists of a sleeve and a container of hard ice cream having its ends removed that is supported within the sleeve, preferably in an inverted manner. The sleeve functions to provide lateral and longitudinal support to the container as the plunger travels through the container to dispense the ice cream contained therein. A nozzle is removably coupled to an end of the support sleeve so as to be in fluid communication with the container of ice cream. The nozzle comprises a conical member having varied inner surface segments for controlling the flow pattern of the ice cream through the nozzle and with respect to a spout.

Abstract: A frozen dessert mixing machine of the type including an auger and mixing cone which has an open top, wherein the mixing cone moves toward the auger and the auger mixes a frozen desert from material contained in the mixing cone. The mixing machine further comprises means for effectively closing the open top of the mixing cone during the mixing of the desert material so that a liquid material can be included in the mixing cone to be mixed with a frozen material in the mixing cone without the liquid material or resulting mixture being ejected from or otherwise escaping from the mixing cone. A valve mechanism is associated with an opening in the bottom of the mixing cone so that the resulting mixture in the mixing cone can be dispensed from the bottom of the mixing cone when the valve mechanism is opened.