GB579182A - Improvements in or relating to combined washing and centrifugal drying machines - Google Patents

Abstract

579,182. Washing and drying machines. ELECTRIC HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES CORPORATION. Dec. 16, 1943, No. 21124. Convention date, Aug. 6. [Class 138 (ii)] A washing-machine of the kind having an oscillating agitator in a tub which after washing, is spun for centrifugal drying, is fitted with a reversible motor and gearing such that the washing agitator is operated for one direction of drive and drying is effected on the other. An agitator 31 and tub 25, Fig. 1, flexibly supported, for example, as described in Specification 549,629, [Group II], are operated by a motor 35 coupled to a shaft 38, 38b having a worm 66 engaging a worm wheel 67 integral with an eccentric 70 working in a block 72 sliding in a slotted arm 73 which is thus rocked to cause a segmental rack 79 to oscillate a pinion 80. This has a hub slotted at 82 so as to be movable into or out of driving mesh with a pin 83 on the agitator drive spindle 29. The pinion is grooved for engagement by a yoke 86 on a sliding rod 87 pivoted to a control lever 90, a spring 94 urging the pinion to idle position. On the reduced part 38 of the power shaft is journalled a worm 53 between a thrust bearing 54 and a shoulder 38a on the shaft, the worm at this end having a ratchet 55 forming part of a one-way clutch the other part 57 of which is secured to the shaft by a set screw 58 and carries the outer jaws 60, which provide pockets 61 for the balls 62 in the over-running position shown in Fig. 7. The hollow shaft 22 carrying the tub is journalled at 20 and 21 in the hollow standard 18 carried in a resilient mount 17 on a flanged neck 16 on the bottom of the tub casing and press-fitted in a neck 41 in the cover of the gear casing 44. In the shaft 22 is secured the hub of a pinion 64 which engages the worm 53 and is supported on a roller bearing 102 on a fixed bracket 88 carried by the gear case cover 40, which also supports all the gearing. The pump 117 may be driven by a pinion meshing with the worm 66 and being of the rotatable impeller type functions only during high speed centrifugal operation. The leads to the motor are through a three-way switch 106, Fig. 1, for " off," "wash" and "dry." When the switch is in the last position the lever 90 is moved to declutch the agitator drive. In a modification the lever 90 may be linked to the plunger of a solenoid in the circuit for the "dry" position so that the agitator drive is automatically cut out on drying. In a further modification both worms for wash and dry driving are loose on the shaft 38 which carries a double one-way pair of clutches so that the motor shaft drives the part appropriate to the setting of the switch.