US2003003A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1935- R. E. MARBURY DISHWASHER s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Nov 11. 1951 WITNESSES: W

May 28, 1935. R. E. MARBURY' DISHWASHER Filed Nov. 11, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 I I Infill lllilHHl IN V EN TOR F450}; 5. Marz/ry.

WITNESSESZ ATTORNE Patented May 28, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DISHWASHER Ralph E. llarbury, Wilkinaburg Electric &

Westinghouse Pa., assigns to Manufacturing Oompany. a corporation of Penmylvania Application November 11, 1931, Serial No. 574,353

My invention relates to household appliances and more particularly to dish washers.

An object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and highly efiicient dish washer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dish washer that shall have a minimum number I of operating parts. 1

Another object of my invention is to provide a dish washer that shall be self cleansing and be easy to maintain in sanitary condition at alL times.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dish washer that shall embody means for preventing water from the tub entering a motor depending therefrom.

In practicing my invention I provide a container or tub having a motor depending therefrom and supported thereby, and a motor shaft extending into the tub and engageable by a removable impeller unit. A water inlet pipe enters the container near its upper edge and a rotatable spray pipe, supported on the inside of a hinged cover, engages the inlet pipe when the cover is closed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a sink with which is associated a dish washer embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section therethrough taken on the line II-H of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of a part of a dish washer embodying my invention and showing more particularly a rotatable spray pipe,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of a water inlet pipe,

Fig. 5 is a partial view, in front elevation, of a rotatable spray pipe,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fluid-guide and tray-supporting member, and

Fig. 7 is a view, mainly in vertical section, through the motor and impeller unit.

I have illustrated my improved dish washer as constituting an integral part of a sink structure shown generally at H in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This sink structure is of the usual construction now provided in many homes and includes a back wall l2 and the mual depressed sink l3 with a front apron ll, all of the usual or standard kind. A tub or container It may constitute an integral part of the structure I I, and, while I have elected to illustrate and describe the parts or elements more particularly constituting my invention as applied to a stationary structure, my invention is not limited thereto, but the container l3 and the other parts associated therewith may be made in the form of a movable device, and is well known to those skilled in this particular art.

A drain pipe I1 is provided for the sink portion l3 and water inlet pipes controlled by a usual 5 fixture I 3 may also be provided. The drain i1 is connected to an outlet pipe I! and the tub or container I3 is provided with a suitable outlet pipe II which is opened or closed by an actuating handle 22 or by any suitable similar means effective 10 for the desired purpose. The outlet 2! is connected to pipe I! by suitable means designated generally by the numeral 23 in Fig. l of the drawings.

I The tub I! has a water inlet pipe 28 entering the same near the upper rear edge thereof immediately below a hinged cover 21, which is pivotally supported by' a plurality of suitable hinges 23 secured to the back wall II.

A rotatable spray pipe assembly is illustrated more particularly in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive of the drawings and includes a fixed tubular socket 3| which may be located substantially centrally of the cover 21 and which has one end of a radiallyextending spray inlet pipe 32 connected thereto, 25 the other end of the pipe 32 fitting tightly into a block 33 held against the under surface of the cover 21 by any suitable means not shown in the drawings. The block 33 has an opening therethrough, indicated by the broken lines to provide a conduit 34 of substantially S-shape, one end of which registers with one end of the spray inlet pipe 32 and the other end of which is adapted to fit tightly over the inwardly projecting end 36 of inlet pipe 23 when the cover is closed so that water flowing through pipe 26 may flow also through conduit 34 and into pipe 32. The opening in pipe 26 extends downwardly at the inner end of portion 33', as is indicated at 3'! in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that if it is desired to admit water into the tub II at a time when the cover 21 is in its open position, the water will flow downwardly, thereby preventing splashing thereof on an operator who may be standing in front of the tub I.

A rotatable spray structure mounted on the socket 3i includes a top hub 38 having a central opening 39 therein of such size as to fit over the socket 3|. A pair of radially-extending tubular wings or conduits 4i and 42 have their inner ends 60 fitting into the hub 33 which is provided with radially-extending openings 43 therein to permit water to flow into the radial wings 4| and 42. These tubular members are closed at their outer ends and are severally provided with a number of relatively small openings 44 which are located at opposite sides of the two members so that water flowing out of these openings and, therefore, substantially tangentially to the axis of the tub, will cause this hub to rotate.

Means for holding the hub in its proper operative position on the socket 8| may include a holding nut or stop 48 which is also of tubular shape and provided with an enlarged flange interfitting with the hub 88, and an upper extension 41 having screw-threads thereon, which engage interrial screw-threads in the lower part of the tubular socket 8 I A bottom spray pipe 48 has its upper end in tight engagement with a bottom piece 48 which is of conical tubular shape, the upper enlarged end portion having inner screwthreads fitting onto the lower portion SI of hub 88. The intermediate part of member 48 is provided with a plurality of radially-extending relatively small openings 52 through which water may flow. Spray pipe 48 is provided with a plurality of circumierentially distributed small water outlet openings 83 and more particularly with two slots 54 and 5! at its bottom end, which slots may be of substantially in arcuate extent and which are made wide enough so that a substantial quantity of water may be admitted therethrough. It may be here pointed out that I consider the provision of these arcuate slots in the end of the spray pipe 48, which end is of semi-spherical shape, as an important element in my improved dish washer, as the water emitted therefrom is in the shape of a fiat spray of fan shape. The width of the slots 84 and 55 is such that, as hereinbefore stated, a considerable quantity of water may fiow therethrough, which operation together with the rotating motion of the pipe will be particularly effective in rinsing dishes after they have been cleansed of adhering matter.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, I have illustrated a wire basket 8| of open construction in which dishes, such as plates 82, may be stood on edge with their soiled inner surfaces facing the axis of the tub I8. I have found it preferable to place the flat tableware, such as plates, in the bottom of the wire basket BI and cups 88 and tumblers 64 in an upper portion of container 8|, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. tumblers should also point inwardly in order that water from the openings 52 and 58 in the rotatable sprayer may be forced into the inside of these dishes.

Referring now to Fig. '7 of the drawings, it may be noted that the tub I8 is provided with an opening II in the bottom wall thereof, in which opening there is located an outer bush! ing I2 which has an integral enlarged flange I3 at its .upper end resting upon a writable gasket I4 in order to cooperate with other elements to provide a watertight closure for we bottom of the tub. A driving-motor structure includes a motor housing 18 having a bearing bracket I1 either integral therewith or secured thereto in a manner ,well known in the art. The housing I8 has located therein the usual stator structure of a motor (not shown in the drawings) and a rotor structure (not specifically shown in the drawings) is indicated more particularly by a rotor shaft I8, the upper end of which is maintained in proper operative position within the bearing bracket 11 by a ball bearing 18 located in a bearing flange 8| of usual construction. I have illustrated certain details of the shaft of the upper bearing structure for illustrative pur- The inside of the cups and poses, but my invention tive for the same purpose may be utilized.

The upper end 82 of bearing bracket I1 is made of lesser diameter and is provided with internal screw threads so that'the motor and the bearing bracket may be suspended from the bushing 12 by being screwed thereon, this screwthreaded engagement being made tight enough to compress the upper annular gasket I4 and a lower outer gasket 88 to ensure a fluid-tight joint and closure of the opening II. I may here state that while the upper portion 82 directly engaging the bushing I2 is illustrated as being integral with the bearing bracket I1, my invention is not limited to this particular construction and I may utilize an upper member directly engaging the bushing I2, which is made separate from the part of the bearing bracket directly engaging the housing I8 as may be found necessary or desirable for construction or assembly purposes. The lower portion of the tubular bushing 12 has an annular recess 84 therein by the provision of an inner annular flange 88.

An inner bearing sleeve 8| surrounds the upper portion 82 of rotor shaft 18, the lower end portion 88 thereof fitting within the annulus 80, hereinbefore described, and being adapted to compress a fluid tight packing 84 inside of the annulus 88, which, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, is provided with a lower annular portion 88 to retain the packing 84 in its proper operative position. The upper end portion of member 8| is provided with external screw threads fitting and screwing into internal threads in bushing 12, whereby the packing 84 may be tightly compressed.

The upper end of member 8| is provided with an annular recess 81 in which is located an upper packing 88 which is held in place and compressed by an upper sleeve 88 which is, in tur held within the opening 81 by a nut IIII, the lower end of which has screw-threaded engagement with the upper end portion of member 8|.

It is very desirable, if not necessary, that fluid which may be located in-the tub I6, be prevented from entering the motor structure depending therefrom, which fluid might find its way along the external periphery of shaft 82. In order to prevent this, I provide two annular recesses I02 and I03 in member 8| intermediate its ends and, therefore, intermediate the two packings 84 and 88. A plurality of openings I04 in member 8| extend downwardly and slightly outwardly from the annular recesses I02 and I03. Extended operation of the device has shown that any water flowing downwardly along the shaft 82 past the sleeve 88 and through the packing 88 will be thrown radially outwardly when it reaches the annular recesses I02 and I03, and, as the openings I04 communicate with the outer portions of these recesses, and particularly the lower portions thereof, any fluid thus trapped will flow shamanism. specific details, as any other elements operadownwardly into therecess 84 from which it may stub shaft ill provided with a groove H1 at its lower end into which a tongue Illa on the upper end of shaft 92 may flt to effect a driving connection therebetween.

An impeller structure III has screw-threaded engagement with the upper end of shaft H6 which projects .beyond the thrust sleeve bearing H4 and any suitable or desired number of vanes or blades H9 may be provided. It may be noted that the impeller structure including more particularly the impeller Ill and the supporting sleeve Ill, may be easily and quickly removed from operative engagement with the upwardly projecting end portion of shaft 82 and its surrounding bearing structure and that so long as it is in operative engagement therewith and the impeller is being driven by the motor, the reac tive thrust on the vanes Ill will maintain such operative driving engagement.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings, III indicates a fluid-guiding and tray supporting member, including a tubular shroud I22 surrounding the impeller blades I", a substantially flat annular portion III at the bottom of shroud I22 and a plurality of flat radially-extending guide and supporting portions I24 whose upper edges are secured to the lower surface of annulus I23 and whose lower edges conform to the surface of the sleeve III. This provides not only a support for the basket I, but also ensures that the water actuated by the impeller will move in a proper path from the outside of the tub and between the conical surface of member Ill and the annulus I23, the thin vertical members I24 preventing swirling of the water circumferentially of the axis of /the impeller.

If it is desired to operate the dish washer, the larger plates and similar tableware will be placed in positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, standing on edge and preferably having the upper edges thereof located farther radially out wardly than the lower edges thereof,-the tumblers and silverware being located at the top of the basket 6|. Upon closure of the cover 21, hot water may be turned on to enter the pipe 26 from which it will flow through conduit 34 into the fixed pipe 32 and outwardly through the spray structure shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to inclusive of the drawings, and, I prefer to permit such a quantity of water to enter the tub as to bring the fluid level thereof to substantially the broken lines indicated by l3i in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The motor may be energized coincident with the admission of water to the tub, and, by actual observation, I have determined that the water thrown upwardly by the impeller Ill when there is but a small quantity of water in the tub barely suflicient to be agitated or moved by the blades, will be thrown substantially verticaliy upwardly inside of the tubular member III, the general shape of the path of the water drops or particles being that of a spiral whose initial travel is vertically upwardly and then spirally outwardly.

As the quantity-of water in the tub increases, the spiral path changes, as does also the vertically-upward path, the former becoming more and more radial and the latter becoming more and more angularly radially outwardly. This will be especially the case when the level of the water is substantially that indicated by the broken line Ill, at which time there will be an eflicient surging action, as well as a highly eflicient circulation of the water, the surging action being suiiicicnt to remove soil adhering to the plates by a scouring action while the circulation of the water presents fresh water, so to speak, to assist in softening the adhering soil which may then be more easily removed by the surging action of the water.

If an excessive quantity of water be located in the tub, as for instance if the water level is at the broken line I32 of Fig. 2, the surging action will be greatly decreased and the water will be merely circulated, but with relatively little dynamic force therein. Because of the path of the circulating water being radially upwardly and outwardly, an eilicient cleansing action on the entire surfaces of plates 02 and other dishes is effected and it is not essential that a minimum number only of such dishes be placed in the basket as the circulation of the water will effect a cleansing of all of the dishes within a relatively short time, it being understood, of course, that suitable soap or soap powders may be provided to assist in cutting and removing any greasy soil.

After the dishes located within the tub I hafi been thoroughly cleansed, the drain may be opened and the water permitted to flow out of the tub. Then the dishes are rinsed by admitting water to the inlet pipe 26 which will then flow out of the spray structure hereinbefore described,

the reactive effect. of the water flowing through tion of the .spray structure. Alrelatively large volume of water will flow out of the spray pipe ,48 through the openings 84 and BI, this spray being of fan shape and rotating .so that an eflicient rinsing action of the hot water on the dishes will be obtained, while at the same time water flowing outwardly through the openings 52 will effect a rinsing action of tableware located in the upper part of the wire container I. It is not necessary that the drain from the tub be closed during the rinsing action, thereby permitting an efiective flushing action of the entire interior of the machine. I

Extended experiments with a bearing structure of the kind shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings has indicated that there is little or no leakage of water flowing downwardly along shaft 92 into the motor structure, but that there is an appreciable drainage out through pipe I, thus showing that the device particularly embodying my bearing structure is highly emcient in precluding entrance of water into the motor structure.

The device embodying my invention thus provides a relatively simple and highly efllcient structure for, flrst, washing and then rinsing dishes which may be placed in a container, the structure embodying relatively few and simple parts highly efllicient for the desired purpose.

Various modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a washer including a container having an opening in the bottom wall thereof, a bushing structure in the opening and a motor-driven shaft extending upwardly through the bushing structure, and an impeller structure supported on the bottom wall of the container and including a supporting conical sleeve interfltting with bushing structure, an impeller and a driving shaft therefor supported by said sleeve, said shaft having a loose driving engagement with the motor-driven shaft.

2. In a washer including a container having an opening in a bottom wall and a motor driven shaft projecting upwardly through said opening, a bearing structure for the shaft supported by and secured to said bottom wall, a conical sleeve resting on the bottom wall, surrounding the bearing structure and having a bearing sleeve in its upper end, an impeller resting on the bearing sleeve and an impeller shaft extending through the bearing sleeve in the upper end of the conical sleeve, said impeller shaft having a tongue and slot connection with the motor driven shaft.

3. A washer including a tub, an impeller in the tub adapted to circulate fluid therein, driving means for the impeller, an annular sleeve of conical shape resting on the bottom wall of the tub and supporting the impeller, a materialreceiving basket around and above the impeller, anda fluid-guiding and basket-supporting member extending around and below the impeller, said member comprising a tubular fluideguidlng shroud surrounding the impeller and a plurality of vertical radially-extending fluid-guiding blades resting on the annular sleeve.

' 4. A washer including a tub having a bottom wall having an opening therein, a bushing in said opening, a bearing sleeve assembly interiltting with and supported by said bushing, a rotatable shaft extending upwardly through said bearing sleeve assembly, a sleeve element resting on the bottom wall of the tub extending above the bearing sleeve assembly and operatively centered thereby relatively to the shaft, an impeller structure supported by the sleeve element and including an impeller shaft extending into the sleeve element and having a tongue and slot connection with the rotatable shaft.

' RALPH E. MARBURY.

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