US1181329A - Operating mechanism for washing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

0.1. MARTH.

OPERATING NECHANISNI FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.25. 1915. 1,181,329. Patented 1113121916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0.1.1. MARTH. OPERATING MECHANISIVI FOR WASHING MACHINES.,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. I9I5.

v Patented May 2,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ull IIII- Illlagitator shaft project.

iinrrnn srafins PATENT @FFIEQ CHARLES J'. MARTH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO I/VAYNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

lmeines.

Application filed February 25, 1915.

To all wwm t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MARTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis and State oi' Missouri, have invented a new and useful Operating Mechanism for lashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to washing machines and consists in the novel design, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully disclosed.

An object of the invention is to provide a washing machine comprising a tub orreceptacle wherein an agitator of novel design is operatively mounted in combination with means for reciprocating the agitator.

Speciiic objects and advantages to be obtained from the use of the construction of the present invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art without specific mention, from the following detailed description thereof in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings and in which- V Figure 1 is a to-p plan view of a washing machine embodying my invention the cover of the tub being removed. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the washing machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the washing machine a portion of the tub being broken away to more fully disclose the interior arrangement of the agitator and associated parts. Fig. 4 is a Cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line --hof Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side view of the washing machine substantially rom a point at a rightangle from the view illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan of the upper end of the agitator connected to the agitator shaft, with a portion of the cover and Closure surrounding the agitator head. Fig. 8 is a. vertical section through the same connection as is illustrated in Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a plan view, the head of the agitator with certain parts removed. j

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings I have showna tub 1 supported by standards or legs 2, the tub being suliiciently elevated above the floor to accommodate the driving mechanism which is supported below the tub. The tub is provided with a removable cover or lid 3, said cover or lid being provided with an opening 4 through which the upper end of the agitator and Supported upon the Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented May 2, 1916.

Serial No. 10,629.

upper face of the cover or lid encircling the opening 4 is a ring 5. A closure comprising matching segmental plates 5a are pivoted on said ring and are adapted to be latched about the extending eiid of the agitator, to close the space between the same and the walls for the opening l when the parts are adjusted.

A tubular standard 6 is supported within the tub 1 in an upright position substantially at the center of the tub; said standard beingbolted to or otherwise engaged with the bottom of the tub in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. An agitator shaft 7 is slidably mounted within the standard 6 and is of a sufficient length so that it extends above the upper and below the lower end of the standard through an opening in the bottom wall of the tub. The lower end of the shaft 7 which projects through the bottom of the tub is guided and supported by a bracket 8 which is provided with passage-ways or openings 9 and l0, respectively, for the shaft 7. The upper end of the shaft 7 is threaded to receive the connecting element of the agitator, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The agitator element which is releasably mounted upon the agitator shaft 7 is ot novel construction and design and comprises a hub element l1 in the form of a hollow cylinder from the lower end of which cxtend spaced obliquely extending legs 12, which support at the lower ends an annular plate 14. rlhe interior diameter of the hub member 1l is such that when in position it will lit over the upper end of the standard so that when the agitator shaft is i'ccijvirocated the agitator will be held in proper adjustment and guided in its reciprocating action so that it may move up and down in a. path true to its axis. A hood or cup l5 is conical in form and is bolted to the plate la in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, by retorence to which it will be seen that the small end ot said hood or cup is secured to the lower face of the annular plate 14;, the bolts passing through an inturned flange formed at the upper end of said hood and through said plate. A circular plate 'i6 is mounted in a horizontal position at the top ot the hood or cup l5 and is held in position between the inturned flange and the plato it it being clamped therebetween, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. rThe plate 1G extends beyond the upperI edge of the hood or cup for some distance and serves the function of preventing the clothes in the tub from packing against the outer slopA ing walls of the hood and also prevents the streams of water ejected from the perforati ons in the walls of the hood, when the hood is depressed, from splashing againstithe upper part of the tub.

The agitator is adapted to be releasably connected to the agitator shaft. 1n the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing the releasable connection comprises a nut 17 interiorly threaded and adapted to be screwed upon the threaded end of the agitator shaft. rl`he nut 17 is provided with an enlarged lower portion 17 which is adapted to seat in a recess formed in the upper face of the hub element 11 and tobe retained in position by segmental lplates 1S, which are held in position by screws passing therethrough and into the upper face of the hub member as illustrated in Fig. 9 in which one of the plates 18is shown in position and the other removed. In order to facilitate the adjustment of the nut over the end of the agitator shaft an engageable portion or hand hold 17h is provided.

The hub element 11 a slight distance below the headv thereof, is provided with offset portions 13 which are cut through to the inner part of the hub, as clearly -illustrated in Fig. S. This construction admits air to the inner portion of the hub element and prevents a vacuum being created in the hub which would draw the water over the edge of the standard 6 causing leakage through the bottom of the tub. It will be noted also that there are spaces or passage ways between the legs A12 for the eXit of the water that is forced around the standard 6 between it and the walls of the opening through the plate 14, the plate 1G and the opening in the hood 15. ln practice it has been found that the inrush of the water at this point is considerable on the depression of the agitator and unless exit means therefor be provided it will. form a cushion in the interior of the hub and also force wate downwardly in the standard and out through the bottom of the tub, and it is to overcome this disadvantage that the space between the legs 12 and the openings 13 have been provided.

In operation the tub, as will be understood, is first supplied with water and the clothes to be washed placed therein and the agitator then placed in position upon the agitator shaft and the releasable connection adjusted to cooperatively connect the shaft with the agitator, and the cover then placed in position and the closure 5a locked about the hub 11 of the agitator. As the agitator shaft 7 is reciprocated in an up and down path of movement, the agitator upon its downward movement into the water and against the clothes compresses a volume of air within the hood or cup, forcing the same through `the clothes and at the ksame time agitating the clothes in the water. Upon the upward movement of the agitator a partial vacuum or suction is created beneath the hood or cup of the agitator, drawing the water upwardly through the clothes disposed therebeneath. This forced passage of the water and air through the clothes effectively removes therefrom all foreign substances without in the least damaging the fabric. Moreover, the larrangement of the plate 16 above the sloping walls of the hood or cup 15, provides means for causing the movement of volumes of water in lateral and oblique directions. Upon the downward movement of the agitator the water and clothes disposed in the space between the outer edge of the hood and the sides of the tub are drawn toward the agitator and away from the corrugated walls of the tub, the clothes coming in frictional contact with said corrugations thereby effecting a rubbing action thereon. When the agitator is moved upwardly the volume of water and clothes about the hood are impelled outwardly against the sides of the tub again coming in frictional contact with the corrugations on the tub. Thus the entire contents of the tub comes under the iniiuence ofthe action of th'e agitator, so that by the joint action of frictional rubbing against the bottom and side walls of the tub and the rapid passage of volumes of water through the clothes in both directions as thorough cleansing of all of the clothes contained in the tub will be readily eected and the degree of cleansing will `be substantially uniform throughout the entire mass of clothes.

The mechanism for reciprocating the agitator shaft comprises a hand lever made in two sections, the upper section 2O being detachably connected to the lower section 21 by bolting it to an angle portion 22 of the lower section by a bolt 23; the lower section of said hand operating lever is pivotedl above its end at 2li@ on a bracket 24; supported by the side of the tub. rlChe lower end of the operating lever is connected to a swinging lever 25 pivotally supported at its upper end at 26 to a bracket 27 mounted on the side of the tub near the upper edge thereof, by a link 28 which has pivot connection 29 with Lthe lower end of the operating lever at one end and pivot connection 30 at the other end with the swinging lever 25. The pivot connection 30 may be made adjustable .so that it may be adjusted longitudinally of the swinging lever 25 thereby effecting an adjustment of the leverage. A link 31 is pivotally connected at 32 to the free end of the lever 25; said link at the opposite end being pivotally and eccentrically connected at 33 to a largegear wl1eel. g? 4.4 The gear vwheel is mounted, 'on a lshaft B5 whicf'h ijf supported in a bracket 3 6. The braket 36 is attached to the bottom ofthe tub adjacent to the edge thereof, and ispro'- yided with an eXtendin-gportion A3'? in tvhiil'll 1s secured an ,outwardly 4extending stud or shaftflll. A balance wheel 39 is mounted bin the stud 38 and has formed integral therewith a hub element 40 which carries asmall pinion 4l which meshes with the large gear wheel 34` The bracket is also provided with a bearing block in wliich is journaled the inner end of Athe shaft 35. The shaft 35 'carries near its inner end a pinion ad'. ri. l c "ounter-'sh 'a ft 44 is r'evblubl-y mounted below the lsll ft and is 'supported at each end in 45 and 46, respectively. The bearing 45 is formed in a downwardly extended portion of the bracket 36 and the bearing.

4G is formed in a yoke portion47 of a ribbed plate'48 which extends inwardly to the center of the bottom of the tub. 1t will be understood that the preferable constructioni's that shown in the drawings in which the bracket 36, the extending portion 37, the bearing 4Q, the plate 48, the yoke 47 and the bracket 8 ing, although it will of course be apparent that these parts may be made in separate 'castings if desire/de The counter-shaft 44 hasrigidly mounted thereon a pinion 49 which is adapted to' mesh with the gear 43 whereby the shaft 44 is driven. The inner end of the shaft 44 has attached thereto a crank arm 50 the free end of which is adapted to engage in an oblong slot or race-way 51 formed in a plate 5 2. rlhe plate 52 carries on its rearward face a boss 53 which is provided with an opening through which the agitator shaft extends. A set screw 54 threaded into the boss 53 provides means for detachably and adjustably connecting the plate 52 to the agitator shaft 7. By reference to Fig. 4 of the. drawings it will be noted that the rearward face of the plate 52 engages against and slides upon the arms of the bracket 8 at points adjacent to each of the respective ends of said plate. This arrangement provides means for preventing the turning of the agitating shaft and keeping the parts in proper operative adjustment. Y

l It will be observed that by mounting the driving mechanism below the tub the entire upper part of the machine is free from any permanently fixed obstructions so that the entire cover may be raised from the tub,

permitting a hood of a relatively large diameter being adjusted upon the agitator shaft. Moreover, the fact that the driving mechanism is placed in a position below the tub adds to the safety of the machine forl the reason that the exposed gearing and associated parts is in a position to prevent the.

'are all made in one integral cast-` injury to unskilled operatives.. In washing maehiiesf ,the overhead drive type the liability ofthe hands df the.. operator coifl= ing in ,contact with the drive mechanism hat-.Lessen dto' abound-embleem@ their nenne-stia. .n "disability aaa aniayi o, irais disadvahtagehais beenovercome, at greatly minimized, by the present con'- struction.

From the foregoing description of ,the mechanism for e erating the agitator shaft it will bennclers and that by the reciproca; tion of the operating lever, the spinning levei25 is op rated and that the force from lit lower.. end4 6r, eine lever-j', is inninaarl to the link 3l which rotates the lgear' 344 the gear 34 being entrained with the balance wheel provides for balancing the operation of the actuating mechanism. The balance wheel after the operation of the mechanism has been initiated assists in carrying the gear over dead centen and minimizing to a considerable extent, the amount of Apower applied to the operating lever requisitefor the operation of thodriving mechanism. The rotation imparted to `the shaft 35 by the actuation of the gfear' is transmitted to the shaft 44 by the spee'd-inereasingl gear ing, comprising'the gear43 and thepinion' It is obvious that the rotation -of the shaft 44 operating the lcrank arm 50 imparts to the agitator shaft a vertical recipro# catoiy in'ovement as the' free end of the crank arm travels in its race-way 51, thus imparting to the agitator a rapid recipro-l eating motion in an up and down path of movement.

lVhile I have illustrated and described my' invention as embodied in a. washing machine it is obvious that other uses may be made of the mechanism where the end to be attained is the rapid agitation of liquid in a container'. It will also be obvious that details of construction may be changed within equivalent limits and I do not restrict myself, therefore, either to the embodiment of my invention in a washing machine or to specific features of construction that I have illustrated and described for the purposes ofthe present disclosure, but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

l. The combination with a support, and a shaft mounted therein, of mechanism for limparting to said shaft a vertical reciprocating motion comprising a lever fulcrumed to said support, a second lever connected with said first-named lever', a large gear wheel linked to the lower end of said secondnamed lever, a balance wheel entrained with said gear wheel, a shaft driven by said gear wheel, a second shaft entrained with said first-named shaft by a speed increasing gearing, a crank arm driven by said seco-ndnained shaft, and a connection between said crank arm and said shaft, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a support, of a lever pivoted thereto, an Operating lever connected to said first-named lever, a large gear wheel linked to one end of said firstnamed lever, a balance wheel carried by said support, a speed increasing connection between said gear wheel and said balance wheel, a shaft driven by said large gear wheel, a second shaft entrained with said first-named shaft, and a vertically disposed shaft operatively connected to said lastnamed shaft for imparting an alternating vertical movement thereto from the continuous rotary motion of said second-named shaft, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a support, of a horizontally disposed driven shaft, a lever pivoted to said support, power connections between said lever and said shaft whereby said shaft is rotated continuously in one direction by oscillation of said lever, a second horizontal shaft entrained with said first-named shaft by speed increasing gearing, a balance wheel, gearing entraining said balance wheel with one of said shafts, a crank arm operated by said second shaft, a vertical shaft, and a connection between said crank arm and saidA vertical shaft whereby said -vertical shaft is caused to reciprocate in an up and down path of movement.

4. The combination with a support, a lever of the first class pivoted to said support, a lever of the third class pivoted to said support, a link operatively connecting said levers, a gear wheel, a link operatively connecting said second-named lever with said gear wheel, a balance wheel entrained with said gear wheel, a shaft driven by said gear wheel, a vertically disposed shaft, and connections between said driven shaft and said vertically disposed shaft whereby an alternating motion in a vertical path is imparted to the latter by a continuous rotary motion of the former, substantially as specified.

5. In a machine of the character described, a support, a hollow standard attached to one side of said support, a shaft extending through said support and through said hollow standard, a mechanism mounted on said shaft on the same side of said support with said standard, a drive shaft mounted below said support, means for rotating said last-named shaft, speed increasing transmission devices driven by said drive shaft, andy means driven by said transmission devices for reciprocating` said first-named shaft longitudinally effectively to actuate said mechanism, by the continuous rotation of said second-named shaft in one direction.

6, In a machine of the character described, the combination with a support, a shaft extending above and below said support, a mechanism carried by said shaft above said support, means above and below said support for guiding said shaft in its movements, a revoluble shaft carried below said support, a connection between said revoluble shaft and said first-named shaft for imparting a vertical reciprocating movement to said first-named shaft by the continuous rotation of said revoluble shaft in one direction, a gear wheel, a lever, link connections whereby oscillation of said lever will rotate said gear wheel in either direction as desired, and means for driving said revoluble shaft from said gear wheel.

7. In a machine of the character described, a support, a lever pivoted to said support, a second lever pivoted to said support, a link connecting one end of said firstnamed lever with said second-named lever,V

a gear wheel, a link connecting said second lever with said gear wheel, a shaft, means driven by said gear wheel for revolving said shaft, a vertical shaft, guides in which said vertical shaft is movable, a mechanism controlled by said vertical shaft, and crank connections between said vertical shaft and said first-named shaft whereby said vertical shaft will be reciprocated longitudinally by the continuous rotation of said first-named shaft in either direction.

8. The combination with a support, a lever of the first class pivoted to said support, a large gear wheel, means for revolving said gear wheel by said lever, a balance wheel entrained with said gear wheel, a shaft driven by said gear wheel, a crank device, speed-increasing gearing for driving said crank device from said shaft and at relatively greater speed than said shaft, a hollow standard, a vertical shaft operatively mounted in said standard, and means for imparting an alternating vertical motion to said vertical shaft from said crank device by the continuous rotation of said firstnamed shaft in one direction.

9. The combination with a support of a horizontal shaft, a vertical lever of the first class pivoted to said support, mechanism for imparting a continuous rotary motion to said shaft by operation of said lever, a balance wheel entrained with said shaft, a second shaft entrained with said first-named shaft by speed-increasing gearing, a crank arm operated by said second shaft, a hollow vertical standard and a connection between said crank arm and said vertical shaft, whereby said vertical shaft is reciprocated vertically by the continuous rotation of said first-named shaft in one direction.

10. The combination of a support, a lever pivoted to said support, an additional lever pivoted to said support, a link connecting said two levers, a gear wheel, a link connecting one of said levers With said gear Wheel, a balance Wheel, a horizontal shaft driven by said gear Wheel, an additional shaft driven by said horizontal shaft, a Vertical shaft and connections driven by said additional shaft for reciprocating said vertical shaft vertically by operation of said additional shaft.

In Witness whereof, I have signed this specleation in the presence of tWo subserlb- 1o ing Witnesses.

CHARLES J. MARTI-I.

Witnesses:

R. M. LAWRENCE, JOHN D. RrrriiY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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