GB1226306A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,226,306. Washing machines. GENERAL MOTORS CORP. 23 Jan., 1970 [11 Feb., 1969], No. 3517/70. Heading D1A. A clothes washer drive mechanism comprises a shaft 22 (Figure 5) adapted at one end for oscillating or rotating an integral wash tub and agitator, a reversible motor 82, a three part clutch at the other end of the shaft 22, the first clutch part 136 being secured to the shaft 22 and having a cam surface with ramps 166 and vertical surfaces 164 engageable with complementary parts 162 and 160 of an axially movable second clutch part 156 to condition the clutch for rotation or oscillation and a third clutch part 100 between the first and second parts and engageable with the second part to oscillate the shaft 22, the third clutch part being oscillated by a pulley 92 which is driven by the motor 82 through drive belts 84, 90 and has a crank pin 94 on which pivots an arm 96 having between its ends a flexible band 102/104 which is wrapped round and hence oscillates the third clutch part 100 as the pulley 92 is rotated. When the motor 82 rotates anti-clockwise in Figure 3 the movable pulley 34 is pressed into engagement with and rotates a pulley 36 which rotates the second clutch part 156, through a multi-plate plate limited-torque clutch comprising a flange 202 of the clutch part 156 and spring-loaded friction discs 204,206 rotatably connected to the pulley 36, and thence the clutch part 100 and the shaft 22 through interengagement of the ramps 162 and 166. The interengaging ramps move the clutch part 156 upwards permitting the clutch part 100 to rise so that the conical surfaces 140, 146 do not abut and although the part 100 is oscillating the shaft 22 is not oscillated. When the motor 82 rotates clockwise the light engagement of the pulley 30 rotates the clutch member 156 until the vertical cam surfaces 160 and 164 abut permitting the spring 150 to depress the oscillating clutch part 100 into engagement with the part 136 to oscillate the shaft 22. Braking. When the motor 82 is stopped at the end of the spin cycle the tub overruns until the vertical surfaces 160 and 164 abut when the spring 150 pushes the stationary part 100 into engagement with the surface 146 of the part 136, the part 100 remaining stationary when it has moved the arm 96 into the position 96" of Figure 3.