GB775705A - Improvements in and relating to drive mechanisms for clothes washing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

775,705. Washing machines. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. Jan. 18, 1955 [Jan. 18, 1954], No. 1544/55. Class 138 (2). [Also in Group XXIV] Gearing 15 for driving either the oscillatory agitator 38 or the spin basket 1 of a clothes washing machine from a motor 20 in accordance with the direction of rotation of the motor comprises a driving shaft 27 coupled by a belt 24 and a centrifugal clutch 26 to the motor, a worm and wheel drive 70, 82, connecting link 88, oscillatory quadrant 94 and pinion 97 to the shaft 51 of the agitator 38, and a helical gear drive 69, 103 to the hollow shaft 14 of the spin basket. The worm 70 has a certain amount of both rotary and axial lost-motion on shaft 27 as allowed by a pin 75 co-operating with a cam slope 74 and faces 72, 73 and the pinion 97 is free both axially and rotatably on the shaft 51 but has dogs 99 adapted to be engaged by spring 100 with a pin 98 on the shaft. The helical gear 69 is coupled to shaft 27 by a unidirectional coil clutch 66 and the gear 103 has a certain amount of axial movement along helical splines 104 on its shaft 14. In operation, when shaft 27 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, the clutch 66 does not drive helical gear 69 and the basket 1 is not spun, being in fact held by a band brake 115. The worm 70 is driven by pin 75 engaging face 72 and drives the agitator shaft 51, through wheel 82, link 88, quadrant 94, pinion 97 and clutch 99, 98. If the direction of rotation of shaft 27 is now reversed the clutch 66 drives the helical gear 69 and meshing gear 103 to effect the drive of shaft 14. In its initial rotation gear 103 moves downwardly along the splines 104 to move the pinion 97 of the agitator drive out of engagement with the clutch pin 98 by means of an annular flange 105 engaging therewith. The oscillatory drive to the agitator is thus disengaged and the agitator may rotate freely with the spin basket. A cam surface 121 on the flange 105 also actuates an arm 120 which in turn rotates a latch 118 to release the brake 115. After the spinning operation the motor is shut off and consequent reversal of torque on gear 103 allows the latter to rise to re-apply the brake 115 to stop the basket. Re-engagement of clutch 99, 98 of the agitator drive is prevented however by a latch lever 106 which is engaged in a groove 107 of the pinion 97. This latch was operated on the reversal of the drive by a lever 78 being operated by axial movement of the worm 70 on such reversal. A spring 80 maintains the latch 106 engaged and the clutch 98, 99 disengaged until the motor is restarted in the original direction for the agitator drive.