GB1045166A - An arrangement for programme selector switches in electric washing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,045,166. Time switches. W. HOLZER. June 12, 1963 [June 23, 1962 (2)], No. 23430/63. Heading H2B. A programme controller for washing machines comprises a timer motor 30 which drives a disc 13 on a hollow shaft 32 via reduction gearing and a friction coupling 31. A bridging wiper 12 on disc 13 engages a printed-circuit conductor 3 and sweeps over conducting segments such as 29, 9, 10, 11. When wiper 12 bridges conductor 3 to a segment whose associated selector switch contacts 18 ... 24 are closed, for example, contacts 19 and segment 10 in Fig. 1 (not shown), a motor 17 is connected between supply terminals 15 and 16. Thus motor 17 is energized after a time interval predetermined by which of the contacts 18 ... 24 are closed. Motor 17 then drives a disc 6 on a shaft 7 coaxial with the shaft 32, and a wiper 5 moves from its rest position 25 on an insulating gap 4 to bridge conductor 3 to annular conductor 1 and thus maintains motor 17 energized until the wiper 5 returns to gap 4. Disc 6 is driven at a much faster speed than disc 13 and a pawl 26 on the latter (see also Fig. 3, not shown) is entrained by a notch 41 in disc 6 such that the revolution of wiper 5 also moves wiper 12 rapidly back to its starting position 27. During this revolution of wiper 5 the motor 17 also drives the selector switch, via gear 33, so that the contacts 18 ... 24 are set to determine the time of the next operation in the programme. When a part of the programme is to be omitted (i.e. passed over rapidly) the motor 17 is energized immediately wiper 12 commences its travel and thus wiper 5 starts at once, sweeps wiper 12 quickly through a revolution and moves the selector switch contacts 18 . . . 24 to their next setting. The selector switch is shown diagrammatically, and in practice comprises cams which operate the contacts 18 to 24 for selecting time intervals and also operate contacts (not shown) for selecting programme operations. In order to prevent even momentary energization of unwanted functions in a passing- over step a switch 71 (Fig. 4, not shown) is arranged to interrupt the supply to the programme operation contacts (not shown) whenever the wiper 5 follows rapidly after wiper 12. To this end two discs 57 and 58 are driven by the shafts 7 and 32 respectively. A projection 60 on disc 58 thus moves in unison with the wiper 12 and at the commencement of travel engages a lever 61 which rotates an actuating arm 68 but not sufficiently to open the switch 71; the wider end 75 of arm 61 has, however, moved into the path of a projection 59 which is on disc 57 at a greater radius than projection 60. Thus if wiper 5 quickly follows wiper 12 the projection 59 urges arm 61 further and actuates switch 71. The arm 68 rides over and latches behind a pin 76, thereby maintaining switch 71 open while wipers 5 and 12 are returned to their starting positions. If a normal timed operation is to be performed wiper 5 does not start until wiper 12 has reached the preselected time interval; projection 60 has then moved clear of arm 61 and the wide end 75 has been moved (by spring 73) out of the path of projection 59, which thus does not actuate switch 71 during the resetting revolution. If arm 68 has been latched behind pin 76 for a passing-over step it is unlatched at the commencement of the next step by a lever 80 (Fig. 6, not shown) which lifts the arm 68 clear of pin 76 so that spring 73 can return arms 68 and 61 to the position shown. Motor 17 may be provided with a sliding armature such that in one axial position it replaces the timer motor 30 and drives shaft 32 while in the other axial position it drives shaft 7. The unlatching lever 80 may then be operated by the axial displacement of the armature. The two arms 61, 68 may be formed as an integral member (Figs. 9 to 15, not shown) and latching may be by a leaf spring 101 which engages a slot 100 (Figs. 12 and 13, not shown).