US1303294A - Washing-machine - Google Patents

Description

J. F. GUBBINS.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED AUG. 6. 1915 1,303,294, I Patented May13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. F. GUBBINS.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLlC-ATION FILED AUG.6. 1915.

1,303,294. I Patented May13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. F. GUBBINS. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-6. 1915.

1,303,294. Patented May 13, 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I JiZVefiZEr JOWYYFGa 661725 ED ATEs PATENT ,oFFIcE.

Jenn swarms, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. GUBBINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines and in particular to the construction and mounting of that part of the machine which is adapted to contain the clothes to be washed. My invention is particularly ap plicable to the cylinder type of washing machines, although many features of the invention maybe employed with equal advantage in other forms of washing machines.

It has been the common practice prior to thistime to mount a rotating cylinder in a tank adapted to contain washingfluid, and the cylindrical Walls of the cylinder have been perforated so that the washing fluid can pass freely to and from the clothes-containing cylinder during the rotation thereof. In this way a constant circulation and agitation of the washing fluid is effected, together with a continuous agitation of the clothes therein. The cylindrical walls of the rotating cylinder have preferably been formed of sheet metal which has been treated with a protective coating adapted to prevent rusting and other deterioration. For instance, galvanized and plated sheet metal have been employed for this purpose, and the perforations have been stamped through the metal after the coating thereof, leaving'uncoated metal around the edges of the perforations which soils and otherwise damages the clothes in the. cylinder, particularly after the machine has been in use for a considerable period of time; Various means have hitherto been employed for preventing these evil effects but none of them have been found to be successful. For instance, eyelets of brass or the like have been inserted through the apertures and clamped in positiontherein, but it has been impos sible to secure a tight fit of these eyelets and when the machine is in use there is a constant vibration or movement of these eyelets in their seats, which'introduces a constant wear on the rough edges of the sheet metal around the apertures, thereby increasing the evil effects above referred to and contaminating the washingfluid with particles of metal andother discoloring matter.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lylay 13, 1919. Application filed August 6, 1915. Serial No. 43,986. h

An important object of the present invention is to overcome the difiiculties above described by providing an improved construction for the walls of the clothes-containing niember,whereby the walls will be strengthened and the clothes therein will be protected at all times from discoloration or other injury from the walls of the member. Another important feature of the invention is to provide improved means within the cylinder for effecting a continuous movement and agitation of the clothes therein. Still another feature of the invention relates to the provision of an improved detachable cover for the rotating cylinder, together with means for locking the same in closed position. A further object of the in vention is to provide an improved construction for mounting the rotating clothes cylinder in the fiuidcontainingtank, so that the cylinder may be readily withdrawn from the tank when desired without the necessity of disassembling the bearings in which the cylinder rotatesl These and other objects of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following specification,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 shows a partial side elevation of a washing machine embodying the features of my invention, certain parts being broken away to show the details in section;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the inner wall of the fluid-containing tank, showing the bracket or hearing member which supports one end of the rotating cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the bracket or bearing member at the other end of thetank;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the driving shaft through which the cylinder is driven;

'Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame member secured to one end of the rotating cylinder, showing the part which coiiperates with the driving shaft shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the rotatable cylinder taken transversely of the axis thereof;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing one method of protecting the perforations in the cylinder wall which has been employed in the prior art;

with the lower semi cylindrical Y of, 1s the clothes-contammg Fig. 9 shows a partial plan view of the rotatable cylinder, illustratingthe construction and mounting of the detachable cover;

the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, my improved washing machine is shown as comprising a fluid-containing tank having side and bottom walls 16 formed of a single sheet of metal and end walls 17 and 18 secured thereto by any means suitable for that purpose.

This tank, may be supported; upon legs 19.

Mounted in the tank 15, concentrically portion therecylinder 20,

having the cylindrical wall 21 and the end walls 22 and 23, all of which are formed of sheet metal which has been galvanized, plated or treated with other protective means. The end walls, are. secured to the cylindrical wall by any means suitable for that purpose and each end wall has secured thereto a bracket or frame member 25, -comprising a circular ring 25 and radially extending armsor spokes 25 The frame member 25 at the right end of the cylinder, as viewed= in Fig. 1, has formed integrally therewith, at the junction of the arms 25", a stub shaft 26; which is journaled in the U- shaped bearingmember27secured to the end 7, wall 18 of the-fluid-containing tank. This hearing member comprises a flange 27 which is secured to. the end wall 18v and a ri htangularly disposed flange 2'? which receives and forms a bearing for the-stub shaft .26. This bearing member is. given a U shapeto form, a slot 28, which. extends vertically upward and permits the withdrawal of the stub shaft 26 from its seat when desired, the ends of the flange2'7 beingoutwardly flared to guidethe stub shaft in its. downward movement. At the. points 27the flange 27 is-providedwith outwardly inclined surfaces which are adaptedyto, coact with the centralportion ofthe adjacent frame member 25- and thereby move the cylinder longitudinally of its axis and toward the left, as viewed inFig. 1, at the instant that the stub shaft 26 passes into its seat in the bearing.

At the left-hand end of the cylinder, as viewed inFig. 1, the bearing member 25 is providedatthe junction of the arms 25 with an enlarged stub shaft29 having formed on the facethereof a substantially V-shaped lug 30 which. is adapted to closely fit the corresponding V-shaped slot 31 formed in the cylindrical block 32 carried at the end of the driving shaft 33. The V-shaped lug 30 has an arcuate surface 30, which is adapted to form a continuation of the cylindrical surface of the block 32 when said lug-is in'engagement with said block.

The cylindrical block 32 carried at the end of the driving shaft 33 is journaled in a bear- 35 of suflicient width to member 35 is provided with a lug 35" which extends across the slot 36 at the lower end thereof but some distance back from the face of the bearing member adjacent the cylinder. In practice the left-hand end of the cylinder, as viewed in Fig. 1, is lowered. into its seat before the other end of the cylinder, so, that the V-shaped lug 30 will engage the slot 31 before the stub shaft 26 falls into its seat in the bearing member 27, and thereafter the continued downward movement of the righthand end of the cylinder will cause the corresponding frame member 25' to coact with the inclined surfaces 27 and thereby mogvc the cylinder toward the left until the V- shaped lug'30 passes beneath the lug 35" on the bearing member. In this manner the accidental removal of the lug 80 from its seat during the operation of the machine is prevented, while the intentional withdrawal of the cylinder from the tank is permitted after theoperation thereof has been. discontinued. The driving shaft 33 is mountedin a suitable bearingi-37carried by the end wall 17 of the tank and said bearingisprovided with a suitable packingchamber 37;, packing follower 37 and locking. s )ring;3'i',, which form a fluid-tight closure. The shaft 33 may be connected to, a source of power by any suitable mechanism.

r The cylindrical wall 21 of the clothes.- containing cylinder is formed of sheet metal as previously described, and is provided with a plurality of equally spaced apertures which permit the passage of the washing fluid to and from, the cylinder. 'Ilheseapertures 40 are centrally located, in outwardly convex projections 41, which are. formed in the cylinder wall, by punch and. die! mechanism or other suitable means. In thisway the edges 40 of the apertures are spaced outwardly from the inner wall, of the cylinr der, so that the uncoated; metal around the edges of the apertures is removedfrom contact with the clothes in the cylinder and. the consequent soiling of the clothes is prevented, The convex projections serve also to greatly strengthen the walls of the cylinder and'prevent warpingor bending thereof. The possible contamination of the washing fluid by these exposed. metallic surfaces at the edges of the apertures is also overcome, owing to the fact that there is no accumulation of dirt: or other materialaround these apertures as was the case in the usual prior art structure, where eyelets 42 were employed such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In

this prior art structure the apertures were stamped through the Walls and the eyelets clamped in place, so that the eyelet formed a smooth exposed surface around the aperture, but it has beenfound that the exposed unprotected metal at points 43 gradually wore oif, owing to the Vibration of the eyelets, and dirt and rust accumulated in the crevices of the eyelets at these points which was setfree during the operation of the machine, thereby contaminating the washing fluid therein. It will be seen that my invention very effectually overcomes this difliculty. a.

A portion of the cylindrical wall of the cylinder is formed into a cover 45, which extends throughout the length of the cylinder. The edges of the metal are rolled in wardly, as shown at 46. For the purpose of supporting the tank in position, I provide the frame member 25 at one end of the tank, with outwardly extending arms 25 which carry the arcuate plate 25 extending around a portion of the periphery of the end wall. The plate 25 is provided with two inwardly extending arcuate flanges 47 and 48, the former of which is of greater width than the latter, so that the end of the cover '45 may be seated on the projecting part of the flange 47 and then moved longitudinally of the tank into the slot between said flanges. At the other end of the tank the bearing member 25 is provided with similar arms 25 carrying a similar arcuate plate 25. The plate 25 at the last named end of the tank is provided with a single arcuate flange 50, which is directed longitudinally of the tank and which carries three upwardly extending hook lugs 51. The adjacent end of the cover 45 1s provided with three similarly formed apertures 52 which engage the hook lugs 51 when the cover is resting on the flange 50. A locking plate 53 is mounted upon the cover 45 and may be moved in position beneath the hook lugs 51 to lock the cover securely in closed position. The cover 45 has riveted thereto the blocks 54, which form a sliding engagement with the slot 55 formed in the plate 53, and the blocks 54 carry a leaf spring 56 which overlaps the edges of the slot and which is adapted to extend through the aperture 57 formed in the upwardly extending flange 58 of the locking plate 53. The leaf spring 56 is provided at this point with anupwardly extending shoulder 56*, which engages the flange 58 and holds the locking plate in looking position. The leaf spring 56 is provided with a curved extremity 56 which is' adapted to coact with the upper wall of the aperture 57 when the locking plateis being moved to locking position.

My invention also comprises improved means for agitating the clothes within the cylinder, and for this purpose I have provided brackets 60 which are arranged in oppositely disposed pairs and secured to the inner-sides of the end walls of the cylinder adjaoentthe outer periphery thereof. The securing means also preferably engages the framemembers 25. These brackets 60 have lugs 60 projecting inwardly therefrom to engage the rolled edges 61 of the blades 61, constructed of sheet metal or other material, which blades extend throughout the length of the cylinder, being directed radially inward toward the axis thereof. As the cylinder rotates these blades engage the clothes inthe lowermost portion of the tank and carry the same around through a partial revolution, when they fall off of one blade and return to the lowermost portion of the tank to be engaged bythe next succeeding blade. I r r 1 From the foregoing description it is thought that the operation and advantages of the invention are sufficiently clear, and that no further discussion of the operation will be necessary" The bearing construction for detachably supporting the cylinderof the washing machine, described herein, is claimed in my Patent, No. 1,294,448, dated Feb. 18, 1919, granted on my copending application, Serial No. 22,083, filed April 17,

Although I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it

will. be understood that I contemplate changes in form and arrangement of parts and the embodiment of the features of this invention in various other forms of washing machines, without departing from the spirit thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a cylindrical clothes containing member, a bodily movable cover forming a part of the cylindrical wall of said cylinder, a supporting member secured to one end of said cylinder and having spaced apart arcuate flanges adapted to receive one end of said cover, a supporting member secured to the other end of said cylinder opposite said first-named supporting member and having a plurality of upwardly projecting lugs carried thereby, said cover having a plurality of apertures through one end thereof each adapted to be engaged by one of said lugs, said lugs each having a flange directed toward the other end of said cylinder, and a slidable locking plate mounted on said cover and adapted to i for.- the: other end" of fiangegsecured to said cylinderand adapted tolsupport the other end of saidicover, and a. locking means for detachably securing'said last. named end of said coverin closed positi'onl 3'. In awashingmachine, a member havinga chamber to receive clothes, said chamber liaving an opening in the Wall thereof, a separable cover for said opening, holding means tor one end of said cover, a support for the ether-end of said cover, a lug projecting fromsaidsupport, said cover having an apertureto, beengaged? by said lug, and" a locking. memberxmounted on said cover and adapted to. v engage the projecting; part of said lug. r

r 4. In avtashingmachine, a member having a: chamber to: receive Y clothes, said chamber having an opening in the Wall thereof, a: separable cover for said: opening, holding meansforone end of: said cover, a support said cover, a lug projecting from! said support, said cover having an aperture to. be engaged by said lug, a lock in'gimember mounted on said coverand adapted; to: engage the projecting part of (zogle srqt thiqsipatent mait'he obtained'for five cents each;yby addressing the saidlug, and automatic means for securing said locking member in locking position.

5. In a Washing machine, a cylindrical clothes retaining vessel formed of sheet metal, frame members attached to each end of said vessel, a pair of arcuate flanges formed on oneof said frame, members and directed inwardly longitudinally of said vessel",- a single arcuate flange formed on the frame member at the other end of said vessel and directed inwardlytoward said firstn-amed flanges, a bodily removable cover forming a continuation of the cylindrical Wall of said vessel arranged to passbetween and be supported by saidfirst-named flanges and to rest at its other end upon said lastnamed flange, a lug extending upwardly from: said last-named flange, said cover being provided With an aperture adapted to be engaged by said lug, and locking means engaging saidlug tosecure said: cover in position.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

JOHN F. GUBBINS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 03

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