GB1005836A - Improvements in or relating to washing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,005,836. Washing machines. ROBERT BOSCH G.m.b.H. July 10, 1962 [July 11, 1961], No. 26372/62. Heading D1A. [Also in Division H2] A washing machine, in which at least a soaking and a washing stage are controlled automatically, has an adjustable time switch by which the length of the soaking stage during which the laundry is not agitated may be adjusted independently of the rest of the programme, the soaking water being discharged prior to the washing stage. In Fig. 3, a gear 84, and a cam 88 which operates contacts 90, are mounted on a shaft 86, the rotation of which is terminated when a stop 104 on the gear 84 meets a stop 106 at which position the contacts 90 are closed. To set the duration of the soaking stage, the shaft 86 is rotated from this position manually with a handle, thereby opening the contacts 90. The gear 84 is driven to rotate it back, through gearing and a friction drive 98, 100, 102 from a shaft 52 itself driven through gearing 50 by a synchronous motor 12 when the latter is energized by (adjustable) cams of the main cam-shaft (not shown in Fig. 3) of the programme controller. The shaft 52 also mounts cams 54, 56 to control reversing contacts for the motor driving the washing container. The energization of a motor driving the main cam-shaft is ensured by the latter at the beginning of the cycle when soaking liquid (water plus a soaking agent) is being admitted and when the container is being rotated to thoroughly wet the laundry, but after these operations the camshaft motor and the washing motor are stopped, neither to be re-energized until near the end of the soaking stage when the cam-shaft motor is reenergized through the contacts 90. The container is rotated for two minutes before emptying. The heating is off during soaking which may last up to twelve hours. In a modification, processes during the soaking stage may be controlled by the unit shown (modified) thereby simplifying the main cam-shaft. In addition, the driving connections between the motor 12 and the reversing switches and the time switch (cam 88 &c.) may be made disconnectable by clutches controlled by the time switch so that the reversing switches and time switch are not operated when the washing motor is stationary during soaking, and thereafter, respectively.