IE20806L - Clothes washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

728,544. Washing-machines. WALTON WASHING MACHINE CORPORATION. March 6, 1953 [Sept. 13, 1952], No. 6291/53. Class 138 (2). A clothes washer unit, for mounting in a container holding liquid and articles to be washed, comprises a hollow clothes engaging member 36 which is perforated over substantially the whole of its immersed surface, and is throughout of cross-sectional area at least as great as that of its lower end, driving mechanism for reciprocating the member 36 vertically, and a pump for withdrawing liquid from the interior of the member 36 and expelling it into the container over the periphery of the lower end of the member 36, thereby causing liquid from the container to cascade through the perforations to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards the member 36 which has external gripping surfaces adapted on each down stroke to push articles downwardly towards the output stream of the pump. Fig. 1 shows a portable unit in which the clothes engaging member 36 is reciprocated vertically by means of a shaft 16 provided with a reverse slotted spiral cam 30 in which rides a cam follower 32 connected to the member 36 by means of a spider 34. The pump comprises an impeller 18 fixed to the shaft 16 which is rotated by an electric motor 14. The unit is supported by three suction cups 26 mounted on a hollow cylinder 24 to which are secured vertical rods 20 supporting the motor 14. Annular ribs 42 on the member 36 form the clothes engaging surfaces. Fig. 3 shows a modification in which the clothes engaging member comprises a wire mesh basket 36a, and the impeller 18 is replaced by a single acting force pump moving with the basket 36a and comprising a rubber or like disc 44 which yields (as shown in broken lines) on the up-stroke but is pressed against a perforated annular support 48 on the down-stroke. In another modification (Fig. 4), the clothes engaging member 36b is generally cylindrical but has cylindrical portions of progressively smaller diameter at its lower end. The suction cups 26 are replaced by an annular rubber ring 56 and the supporting cylinder 24b has liquid outlet openings in its side walls and liquid admitting openings 58 in its bottom wall. The impeller draws liquid not only from within the member 24b but also through the openings 58, the suction produced thereby holding the unit against overturning. In a further modification (Figs. 5, 6, not shown), the clothes engaging member is rotationally oscillated as well as vertically reciprocated. The supporting rods (corresponding to rods 20 in Fig. 1) are arranged spirally, and the arms of the spider supporting the clothes engaging member are provided with openings to accommodate these rods and be guided thereby. In still further modifications (not shown), the motor may be made waterproof and mounted at the bottom of the unit, or the unit may be permanently mounted in its own tub. Specification 555,294 is referred to. [GB728544A]