52 and the evaporator 48 or other adjacent structure when the ice barrier 52 is in the first orientation a gap g is defined between the ice barrier 52 and the shield 44 specifically the gap g is a width of unoccupied space between the convoluted portion 52 d and a bottom edge 88 of the flexible curtain 46 along the entire first portion 52 c of the ice barrier 52 the gap g is at least as large as one of the ice pieces 38 larger than its largest dimension if not a true cube therefore even when an ice piece 38 is in a position to potentially jam the ice making machine 20 e g on the ice barrier 52 when the ice barrier 52 is moving from the second orientation to the first orientation the ice piece 38 cannot become lodged between the ice barrier 52 and the adjacent structure the ice piece 38 falls off into the ice chute 36 before the counterweight portion 52 e moves the ice barrier 52 into the first orientation the ice piece 38 does not interrupt the normal operation of the ice making machine 20 as a lodged ice piece 38 could by inciting a false u201c bin full u201d signal from the switch 80 in an alternate embodiment the ice making machine 20 includes a full length pivotable water curtain in place of the shield 44 and flexible curtain 46 the water curtain can be similar to that shown and described in u s pat no 6.