US1640773A - Clothes wringer for washing machines - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30,1927.

w. K. HOWE CLOTHES WRINGER FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 18, 1 21' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 om ow IF nl mm mm mm ow Jifil: 7

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1,640,773 1927' w. K. HOWE CLOTHES WRINGER FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Feb, 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 GHQ m4 2 13 l Aug. 30, 1927.

W. K. HOWE CLOTHES WRINGER FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Febl8. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.7

21 1s 20, 1e 19 14 1a 1 1 12 12 1 55 5 511 11:3H 24 I M S- 19 11 {3} 15 i 351 7 B FIG. 10.

Patented Aug. 30, 1927, '1

UNITED STATES 'PATENTIIOFFICE.

WIN'IflIBOP z. nown or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- .MENTS, 'ro GENERAL. RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK,

CLOTHES WRINGER FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed February 18, 1921. Serial No. 445,884.

This invention relates to power operated wringers for. domestic clothes washing machines.

With the introduction of power washing machines, the construction of the wringer In accordance with'the present invention,

used with such machines has ordinarily followed along the conventional lines of the old hand operated wringer, employing'similar spring arrangements for maintaining pressure on the rolls, and rolls of much the samesizeand hardness. Such a wringer is dangerous to use, because it is so much easier to feed the wringer by pushing the material directly between the rolls with the fingers, that the operator sometimes carelessly or accidentally gets the fingers so close as to be gripped by the rapidly moving surfaces of the rolls, with the result that the fingers, hand, and sometimes the arm, are drawn in between the rolls. With the ordinary type of power operated wringer, with which I am familiar, such an accident is almost certain to cause serious injury, because of the heavy pressure between the rolls which rapidly increases as the rolls separate and is particularly injurious since the rolls are relatively hard and unyielding.

With the idea of reventing such accidents, or at leastre ucing the injury resulting, auxiliary safety pressure re ease de vices have been proposed; but even with such devices, serious accidents often occur. For one thing, such safety device can not ordinarily be operated quickly enough to prevent serious damage. Also, such devices arevery rarely used, and consequently are not always maintained in the proper operating condition, so that when needed, they will bind or jam. Further, since the safety device is never used under ordinary conditions, the operator in the emergency often forgets all about the safety pressure release, and tries to'stop the wringer in the accustomed way, that is, by orienting the handle controlling the reversi le gearing, with the result that the rolls are sometimes actually reversed while the fingers are caught, thereby doing s'tilljgmore damage.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a wringer in which the possible injury to the operator is greatly reduced, without sacrificing eflicient wringing of the clothes, and which is also so constructed that the operator may quickly .are accessible for replacement of rolls,

release the pressure and stop the rolls by manipulat ng the same handle or lever regularly used for starting, stopping and reversmg the rolls.

it is proposed to use a lighter pressure between the rolls than ordinarily employed, provide a sprmg construction which will maintaln substantially the same pressure as the rolls separate, and make the rolls softer and more yielding, so that serious injury is not likely to result when the fingers or hand are drawn .intothe wringer, while at the same time the clothes are satisfactorily iwrung out under ordinary working condiions.

In addition to minimizing the injury that the wringer will cause, my improved wringer is arranged so that one operating handle or bar, preferably extendin across the top of the wringer where it can %e most convement- 1y operated, is used for starting, stopping and reversing the rolls, and also forappl ng and releasingpressure to the rolls. it is believed that, since the operator uses this handle regularly for stopping the rolls, this same handle will be instinctively operated in case the fingers are caught, thereby automatically releasing the pressure and stop-. ping the rolls. Sometimes the hair or clothmg of the operator may get caught between the rolls, and since these will wind up on the viding swinging guide boards arranged tominimize the tendency of clothes to wrap around the rolls and capable of yielding if this occurs without tearing or injuring clothes; supporting and housing the gears and bearings to keep water away and to obviate exposed moving parts to. catch the clothes of the operator; and providing a construction in which both the upper and lower rolls may be readily removed for inspection or cleaning, and in which the arts arings, or other arts. 1

Other speci 0 objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanylng drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of the wringer, with certain parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the reversing gearing;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. i and Fig.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the wringer;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the bearings and spring devices at one end of the wringer, said section being taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. l, the o crating handle being in the neutral or mi dle position;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, with through one end of the wringer, illustrating a modified construction arranged to permit reversal of the rolls without releasing the pressure;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and shows a further modified construction; and

Fig. 12 is a .detail section on the line 12 12 in Fig. 11.

The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawin s is designed so as to be applicable to omestio clothes washing machines, but since this washing machine may be of any well known or suitable type, its construction has not been illustrated. Wringers for washing machines are commonly supported b a swinging arm or bracket, 1n order that t e wringe-r may be used to advantage in wringing clothes between different stationary tubs or receptacles, without' moving the machine. y

In the particular construction illustrated, this wringer supporting bracket B is preferably made of one casting, comprising in general a hollow head forming a casing or housing G for the reversing gearing, and a horizontally extending arm. While this bracket B may be supported on the washing machine so as to swing horizontally inany suitable manner, in the particular construction illustrated, the bracket is formed with a flange 1 which fits down over a flange or head 2 on a tubular member 3 supported at one corner of the washing machine (not shown). The bracket B carries a sprmgpressed locking plunger 4, adapted to enter notches 5, formed in the head 2, so as to lock the bracket in its different positions.

In order to prevent sagging of the bracket B, a pipe 6 is attached thereto and extends down in the tubular member 3 where it bears against pads formed on the inside of said tubular member.

The wringer structure shown comprises in general, a reversing gearing and clutch ing, and which also acts to apply an release the pressure between the rolls.

Either one, or both, of the upper and lower rolls R and R of the wringer,are

made soft and yielding, so that, under a comparatively light pressure, the surfaces of the rolls will be deformed and accommodate themselves to irregularities in the thickness of the clothes passing between the rolls, and

will maintain a pressure on all arts of these clothes as they pass through, t ereby pressing out the water from the thinnest parts as well as from the thicker parts or bunches. This desired softness may be obtained by modifying the composition and treatment of the rubber; and to the same'end, I preferably employ rolls of larger diameter than ordinarily used, for example, 2 inches in diameter instead of 1% inches. The rubber of these rolls is molded and firmly attached I to shafts in the usual way and I prefer to make these shafts as small in diameter as consistent with strength and diit'ability, so that they may spring slightly. Y

The'rolls R and R are supported in bearings in the two end castings G and C and since the construction of these end castings, together with the spring arrangement for supgprting and exertlng the desired pressure on t e rolls, is substantially the same, a description of one will sufiice for both in most pects. The shaft for the lower roll R passes through a slot 8 in the end casting'G or C and rests in a half-round groove in a bearing block 9 which is seated 1n a recess in said end casting (see Figs. 1 and 5). The bearing blocks 9 are preferably made of wood, such as lignum vitae, or some other suitable woodimpregnated with tallow or parafiin The shaft of the upper roll R is journaled in a bearing block 10, of similar material,

which is carried by the outer end of a bifurcated rocking lever 11'(see Fig. 5.), said lever having a round reduced portion 11 on which the bearing block 10 is swiveled, be-

ing held in place thereon by' a washer and suitable transverse pin. The bifurcated ends of the lever 11 are pivotally supported The pressure between the rolls is provided by a compression coiled sprmg 14, which 1s carried in a stirrup 15. This stirrup 15 extends down between the bifurcations of the lever 11, and is provided 'wlth side extensions overlying said bifurcations and havlng knife edge contact with a notch therein, as

best shown in Fig. 5. The lower end of the spring 14 rests on the cross piece of the stirrup 15, being retained in place by a boss integral therewith. In the upper end of the spring 14 is a flanged follower 16, and 1n the cap 13 is anadjusting screw 17 engaging said follower. preferably with point contact. The spring 14 is put under the desired initial tension when assembled, and its expansion is limited by an adjustable screw 18 passing through a slot in the cap 13 into a lug 1ntegral with the lever 11. It will be observed that the spring 14 in this construction serves to urge apart the rocking lever 11 and the cap 13, but when the caps 13 are moved down, the tension of the spring is transferred to the upper roll. This is accomplished by shifting the operating handle H from its middle position in one direction or the other.

Fastened to the outer wall of each cap 13 is a headed pin 19 carrying a revoluble roller 20. The handle H, as shown, is made up of two end pieces 21 and 21, and a tubular cross bar 22 fastened in sockets therein. One of the end pieces 21 is clamped to a stud 23 rotating in a hole in the outer wall of the end casting C substantially in line with the axis of the lower roll R The other end piece 21 is pivotally supported about the same axis in a manner to be described later. Each of the end pieces 2121 is formed with an interrupted cross web 24 (see Fig. 9), constituting two cam faces and two concentric portions arranged to engage the corresponding roller 20. These side pieces 21-21 are preferably made channel shape in cross section for strength and lightness, and one of the side webs is partly cut away as shown in Fig. 9, to permit the corresponding roller to be swung out clear of said side;

piece. The side piece 21 is preferably provided with a spring-pressed ball 25, adapted to be projected into recesses in the side wall of the corresponding end casting C, so as to yieldingly hold the handle H in its different positions.

The wringer rolls are connected together in the usual way by cog Wheels 26, and the lower roll is driven. A shaft27, within the tubular member 3 is driven from the washing machine gearing in some suitable manner, as shown, this shaft has a lost motion pin-and-slot connection with a vertical shaft 28 journaled in upper and lower bearings formed in the head of the wringer bracket B. This shaft 28 has a collar 29'pinned thereto at its upper end, said collar being preferably disposed in a recess in the head casting closed by a sheet metal cover, as shown in Fig. 1. The shaft 28 extends through the gear casing or compartment G, which is provided with a detachable cover plate 30 permitting assembly of the parts and giving access to the gearing for inspection or repair. On the shaft 28 are loosely mounted two bevel pinions 31 and 32, meshing with a bevel gear 33. The bevel gear 33 is formed with a hollow stud, having a squared recess in the bottom thereof loosely receiving the squared end of a short coupling shaft 34. This coupling shaft 34 has a socket head to receive the flattened end of the shaft of the lower roller R The hub of the bevel gear 33 is journaled in a sleeve 35, which in turn is supported in a bearing portion of the wringer bracket B. The end piece 21 of the handle H has a split hub at the lower end which is clamped to one end of the sleeve 35 by bolt 36, and is also keyed thereto, as shown in Fig. 9. The other or inner end of" the sleeve 35, which is within the gearing casing G, is formed with an integral mutilated gear 37 (see Fig. 2) which cooperates with a toothed sector 38 to rock a stub shaft 39, as the handle H is swung back and forth. The stub-shaft 39 has its ends journaled in bearing pockets in one wall of.the gear case G and in the cover 30, as shown in Fig. 3; and integral with said stub shaft is a bifurcated clutch shifter 40, which fits in a circumferential groove in a clutch member 41 splined to the shaft 28. The clutch member 41 is formed with suitable teeth, and the hubs of the beveled pinions 3132 are formed with similar teeth, so that as the clutch member 41 is moved up and down from the neutral position shown. into engagement with one or the other of the pinions 3132, the bevel gear 33 is rotated in one direction or the other, and drives the rection.

Instead of a movable drain board. two drain boards 4242 are bolted to the wringer bracket B, and above these is a rocking deflector board 43 pivotally supported by screws or the like at its ends to the end castings C and C. These drain boards, being firmly fastened, cannot slip or tilt out of position with the weight of the clothes. Also, while the drain board on the in-going side of the wringer serves to drain the water back into the machine or tub, the one on the out oingside deflects the clothes outward, so t at they drop directly into the next tub or basket, rather than pile up directly behind the wringer.

The guide boards 45-45 are pivotally supported on fixedpins'st to swing in and turn.

out with respect to therolls, and are kept in their inner position by their own weight. I preferably arrange these guide boards so that their inner edges are close to, and perhaps even rub on the lower roll, so as to catch clothes sticking to the rolls and thereby preventftheni winding up on the rolls. Since these 'ide boards may swing out away from the ro ls, they may be pushed away in case clothes should happen to wrap around the rolls, without injuring the guide boards ortearing the clothes.

When using the wringer, the handle H is moved fromfits middle position shown, in one direction or the other, according to which way it is desired to have the rolls While thegearing connections may be arranged either way, I prefer to fix it so that movement of the handle toward the operator causes the rolls to rotate in a direction to wring clothes away from the operator, this particular arrangement being selected with the idea that a person getting the fingers caught will instinctively push away with the other hand. As the handle H is shifted, the sleeve fastened thereto is partly turned, and this movement in turn through the cooperation of the parts 37-40 shifts the clutch member 41, and starts the rolls turning. shifted, the webs 24 of the end pieces 21 21 thereof engage the rollers 20, and by a cam ming action, force the rollers 20 downward, thus forcing down the caps 13 and putting pressure on the rolls. The wringer may now be used in the regular way. If it is desired to stop the rolls, without removing the pressure, the handle H is restored to an intermediate position between its middle and full extreme (see Fig. 9), where the clutch member 41 is disengaged and yet the pressure is maintained. This permits the operator to stop the wringer, in, order to better adjust the-clothes, if desired.

If the operator should happen to get the fingers caught .between the rolls, a simple movement of. the handle H to its'middle or neutral position automatically releases all the pressure, and also instantly stops the rolls. The operator can not push the handle H too far and reverse the direction of the rolls, because the instant the handle gets ever, can be easily swung from one extreme Also, as the handle H is position to the other to reverse the direction of the wringer rolls when there is'nothing between the rolls.

()ne very important feature of the invention relates to the'provision made for keeping the pressure of the rolls the same, or

causing it to change to any desired extent,

as the rolls separate. Experiments have in dlcated that very little if any, more water is squeezed out by high pressures between the rolls, than with a moderate pressure, of say, 50 pounds, provided the surface of the rolls malntain reasonably close contact with all parts of the material, that is, provided the clothes are not fed through unevenly or in bunches, so that some parts are not squeezed at all. When the thickness of the clothes passing through the rolls is uneven,

' the thinner'part ma not be squeezed at all, because the rolls are eld apart by the thicker part. Increasing the pressure between the rolls, of course, compresses the. thicker part i of the material somewhat more, and tends to bring the rolls to bear .upon the thinner parts. There is evidently a limit, however, to which increasing the pressure does any good in this respect. Also, excessive pressures to obtain this result are injurious to the clothes, crushing buttons, fasteners or the like.

To take care of these conditions, it isproposed according to this invention to employ a roll for either the upperfor lowerroll'or both, which is sufficiently soft to be compressed and deformed by a moderate pressure, in order that the surface of the roll .may shape itself to the uneven thickness'of the clothes passing through, thereby squeezing to some extent the thinnest parts of the clothes. With such soft and yielding rolls, it is possible to obtain the desired wringing action under all ordinary conditions with a moderate pressure, and this pressure may be substantially the same as the rolls separate, or perhaps-increase slightly. With this end in view, I have devised-animproved springarrangement, for use in 1 connection with such soft rolls, which permits the pressure between the rolls to be maintained either'substantially. constant, or increase, or decrease,'as; the rolls are separated. With this arrangement, the injury that may be caused to the fingers or hand by thewringer is much reduced, since the pressuredoes not materially increase as the rolls separate, and since the rolls are not so hard and unyielding, as in the present wringers;

too

Referring to Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the

pressure between the rolls is obtained from the tension of springs 14 which are supported and connectedto the upper roll 1n such a way that the pressurev on the rolls will remain the same, or increase, or decrease, as desired, as the rolls separate. The spring 1 at each end of the wringer is put under a certain tension when the parts are assembled; and this tension may be further adjusted by the hand screw 17, to take care of the varying conditions existm 1n prac- 5 ticc. WVhen the handle His in tie middle position, as shown in Fig. 5, the cap 13 is free to move upward, and there is no pressure between the rolls except that due to the weight of the'upper roll, cap 13, s ring 14 and associated parts. The screw 18 olds the spring 14 tensioned, since it prevents the cap 13 and rocking lever 11 being spread apart by said spring. When the han le H is shifted and the roller 20 is forced downward, as shown in Fig. 6, the head of screw 18 is moved out of contact with the cap 13, and the expanding force of the sriring 14 is then transferred and directly app ied to the upper roll. On account of the small downward movement of the cap 13 to accomplish this result, and the extent of movement 0 the handle H available, the parts may be constructed so that little effort is required to shift the handle.

Wit-l1 the parts of the spring arran in the normal position, as shown in 6, when the upper roll is raised by somet ing passing between the rolls, the rocking lever 11 is swung slight-1y upward, and the spring 14 correspondingly compressed; but at the same time the effective moment or lever arm ement of the spring is changed, so that the pressure now existing between the rolls may be the same, or smaller, or larger, than when the rolls were in contact, depending upon the size and proportioning of the parts. The position of the rocking lever 11, and associated parts, when the upper roll is lifted is shown in Fig. 7 and by a comparison with Fig. 6, it can be seen that the line of action of the spring 14 has been changed at the same time that it has been compressed. Fig. 8 illustrates this diagrammatically. The line shows the line of action of the spring 110 14, and the line 51 the length of the lever arm through which the ex anding force of the spring acts on the roc ing lever 11, in the case where the rolls are in contact; and the line 52 shows the line of action of the 115 spring, and the line 53 the length of the lever arm, in the case where the upper roll has been raised. It will be observed that the distance 53 is shorter than the distance 51; and since the effective action of the 120 spring 14 upon the upper roll depends not only upon the tension of the spring, but also its moment about the axis of the rocking lever 11, it will be evident that, as the upper roll is raised, the moment of the spring may 125 be changed to compensate for the increased tension of the spring, with the result that about the same pressure between the rolls may be maintained regardless of their operation. The parts may be varied or their 130 proportions changed so as to obtain the particular result'desired. Thus, there is provided an improved sprin arrangement, by means of which an variation in the pressure between the ro ls as they separate may be provided,- accordingly as conditions of safety and efiicient wringing may require.

\ It sometimes happens that clothes wind up on the lower rol er. When this hap ens, if the clothes are not wrapped aroun the roller to any reat extent, the handle H may be pushed directly over to the other extreme osition to reverse the rolls and unwrap t e clothes. If the bunch of clothes between the rolls is so thick as to prevent such reverse movement of. the handle H, the handle may be put in the middle position,

whereupon clothes may be easily pulled out,

since t e rolls are disconnected from the operating gear ng and the pressure is released. f des1red,'the construction shown f in Fig. 10 may be used, which permits the rolls to be reversed with a bunch of clothes between them independently of the handle H. In this modified construction, the end piece 21 the sleeve 35, and this sleeve is actuated by an auxiliary arm 54, fastened thereto by a key and clamp arranlgement similar to that already described. he upper end of this auxiliary arm 54 carries a. spring-pressed plunger 55 arranged to enter a hole in the end piece 21, so that said auxiliary arm and handle normally move together. To reverse the rolls without shifting the handle H the plunger 55 is pulled out, and the auxiliary arm 54 is swung over to turn the sleeve 35 and reverse the gearing. If desired, the

auxiliary arm 54 maybe provided with a centering spring device similar to that shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and hereinafter described, so that said auxilia automatically return to the mid le position and stop the gearing as soon as released,

of the handle H turns loosely an arm will.

thereby assuring that the o rator will return said auxiliary arm to t e proper position in the line with the handle H and latch it up with said handle.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a centering spring device is provided for the handle H, so that it must be held in its extreme positions in order to maintain pressure on the rolls and keep them in motion. With this arrangement the rolls are normally stationa that is, when the handle is not being he d over by the operator, and consequently there is no chance for them to do any damage. As soon as a garment or the like has been arranged and is ready to be wrung out, the. handle H is shifted to start the rolls in theright direction and ressure is put on the rolls at the same time, in the same way as previously described. As soon as the wringing is com leted, and the operator lets go of the hand e, the rolls automatically stop and the pressure is released. This construction assures that the wringer will always be left with no pressure .on the rolls, Also, it is certain that the rolls will be stopped when the wringer is not actually in use, thereby obviating the danger of the hair or clothes of the operator being caught as she leans over the machine or tub.

-Furthermore, this regular manipulation of starting and stoppin the rolls will become so habitual that the tivel and subconsciously released, in case the igers should happen to be caught; and the stopping of the rolls and releasmg of the pressure is likely to be done quicker, thus preventin damage, than if an'extra moveandle will be instincment of t e free hand has to be made.

When the handle H is moved in eit er direc-.

While the handle H maybe spring-pressed to its middle position in various wa s to accomplish the purpose just describe the.

particular construction illustrated comprises a tension coil spring 57 surrounding the hub through which the sleeve 35 passes, and two lugs 58-59 against which the ends of said spring engage on opposite sides thereof, one of these lugs being integral or fixed to the handle H, and the other to the ear case.

ion, the lug 58 thereon carries with it one end of the spring 57, while the other end of said spring is held back by the stationary lug 59, thereby tensioning the spring and providing a force to return the handle to the middle position as soon as it is released.

One noteworthy feature of the invention is that the rolls may separate widely when the pressure is released, as distinctive from those constructions in which the rolls, even with the pressure released, can separate only a short distance. will be evident that there is nothing to prevent the cap 13, the upper roll, and associated parts, being raised way. up, when the handle is in the middle position, so that the hand or even the arm may pass through the rolls without injury when the safety device is operated.

Another important feature of the im-.

proved construction is the provision made for ready inspection, adjustment, repair, or replacement of the several parts. ,When the handle H is in the middle position, the caps 13 may be swung all of the way back, carrying with them the springs 14, the rocking levers 11, and the upper roll.. This permits any of these parts to be adjusted or re- Referring to Fig. 5, it

the clutch, andother parts in this case are I part of the wringerexposed. In short, an; I may be very easilyan quickly removed for any purpose, without aid of special tools.

The various parts of thewrin er shown operating handle is preferably enameledfi These details of desi and construction, however, may be modi ed without departing from the invention. The wringer bracket B and wringer may be lifted off as a whole. The gear case G is packed with a grease or other suitable lubricant. While wooden bearing blocks are preferably used to obviate the need of lubrication and to avoid possibility of rusting, ball bearings or the like may be used if desired. In this connection, it should be noted that the bearing blocks for the upper roller are swiveled on the rocking levers 11, so that when the roll is tilted by something passing through one end, She same bearing surface will be maintaine While all of the features hereinbefore de-' scribed are preferably employed together, it should be'understood that the invention is not limited to this organization. For example, the spring arrangement, or the safety in movable bearings, 'a member acting on each of the movable bearings, a second member movable relatively to each of the first members respectively, means carried by said members for limiting their movements in a direction away from each other, a spring for each pair of said members tending to move them away from each other, and means for moving said second named members and thereby transferring the force of the springs to the movable bearings.

2. In a wringer, the combination with a pair of rolls, of means for pressing one roll towards the other comprising a rocking lever engaging each of the bearings of one of the rolls respectively, a movable member associated with. each of said levers respectively,

means associated with each of said levers and members to limit their movement in a direction away from each other, a spring for each of said pair of levers and members tending to separate them,

, erable means for moving said members toward said levers.

3. In a' wringer having the lower roll mounted in fixed bearings and the upper roll in movable bearings, means at each end of the upper roll for pressing it towards the lower roll comprising a rocking lever engaging the bearing of the upper roll, an element movable relatively to said lever on an axis, means limiting the movement of said element relatively to the lever in one direction, a spring tending to move said element in said direction relatively to said lever, and means for moving both of said elements in the opposite direction relatively to their respectlve levers for transferring the pressure of said springs to the bearings of the upper roll, the effective line of action of the springs on said levers being shifted by relative movement of said levers and elements.

4. In a wringer, the combination with a pair of rolls, of a single 0 crating handle for starting, stop ing .an reversing the rolls and for app ying and releasing the pressure between the rolls, and means biasing the handle to a neutral position in which the rolls are stopped and the premure therebetween removed.

5. In a wringer, the combination with a pair of rolls, of means including a single operating handle for starting, stopping and reversing the rolls and for applying and releasing pressure between the rolls, said means acting to release the pressure automatically as the handle is moved to its neutral position to stop the rolls, said handle being held against movement beyond its neutral position when the rolls are separated. I

6. In a wringer, a handle extending along the top of the wringer and movable from a middle position toward or away from an operator standing in front of the wringer, means operated by the handle for starting,

stopping and reversing the rolls, the rolls being stopped when the handle is in the middle position, and a second means also operated by the handle for applying and releasing the pressure between the rolls, the second means being formed to permit such pressure being automatically removed when the handle is in the middle position, the movement of said handle beyond'said middle position being automatically prevented by the second means when the rolls are separated;

7 .v In a wringer, the combination of a pair of side pieces extending upwardly and pivotally mounted, one of said side pieces being at each end of the wringer, a handle connecting said side pieces at the top, aipivot and manually op--" and means controlled by the movement of one of the rolls, a pivoted element respectively engaging each of the movable bearings, a spring r exerting pressure on each of said elements respectively, a single manu'all operated element, and means control ed by movement of said manual element for applyin the force of said springs to said pivoted e ements and movable bearings and for also shifting the line of action of said springs in relation to the axes of said pivoted elements.

9. In a wringer, the combination with the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pivoted element respectively engaging each of the movable bearings, a second element pivotally related respectively to each of said first named elements, a spring related to each pair of said elements respectively tending to separate the elements of each pair, a handle, and means controlled by movement of said handle for forcing said second elements toward said first named elements for applying pressure to the movable bearings of one of the rolls.

10. In a wringer, the combination with the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pair of elements pivoted on the frame, a second pair of elements pivotally related to said first pair of elements and adapted to exert pressure on the movable bearings, a pair of springs, said springs respectively tending to turn the second pair of elements on their pivots in relation to said first named pair of elements, a handle,

and means controlled by movement of said handle for turning said first named elements on-their pivots to cause the pressure of said'springs to be applied to said movable bearings through said second pair of elements.

11. In a wringer, the combination with the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pair of elements pivoted on the frame, a second pair of elements pivotally related to said first pair of elements and adapted to exert pressure on the movable bearings, a pair of springs, said springs respectively tending to turn the second pair of elements on their pivots in relation to said first named pair of elements, a handle, and means controlled by movement of said handle for turning said first named elements on their pivots to cause the pressure of said springs to be applied to said movable bearings through said second pair of elements and for shifting the line of action of said springs in relation to the pivots of said second named pair of elements.

$112. In a -wringer, the combination wi h the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pair of. elements pivoted on the frame, a second pairof elements movable bearings t pivotally related to said -first pair of elements' and adapted to exert ressure on-the movable bearings, a pair. 0 springs, said springs respectively tending to turn thesec- 0nd pair of elements ontheir pivots in relation to said first named pair of'elements, a handle, and means controlled by movement of said handle for turning said first named,

elements on their pivots to cause the presablebearings, a pair 0 springs, said springs respectively tending to turn the second pair of elements on their pivots in relation to said first named pair of elements, a driving shaft, a handle and means controlled by movement of said handle for turning said first named elements on their pivots to cause the pressure of said springs to be applied to said movable bearings through said second pair of elements and for coupling said driving shaft to said rolls.

14. In a wringer, the combination with the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pair of elements pivoted on the frame, a second pair of eleammaf ments pivotally-related -to said first pair of. elements and adapted toexertpressure on the movable bearings, a (pair of sprin s, said springs res ctively ten 0nd pair o elements on their pivots in rela tionto said first named pair of elements, a

driving'shaft, a handle and means controlled byfmovement of saidhandle for turning said first named elements .ontheir pivots to cause the pressure of said springs tobe appliedto said movablebearings through said second pair of elements and for couling said driving shaft to said rolls and or releasing the pressure of said springs on said bearings and for uncoupling said shaft. I

15. In a 'wringer, the combination with the frame and rolls, of movable bearings for one of the rolls, a pair of elements pivoted on the frame, a second pair, of elements pivotally related to said first'pair of elements and adapted to exert pressure on the movable bearings, a pair of springs, said springs respectively tending to turn the second pair of elements on their pivots in relation to said first named pair of elements, a driving shaft, a handle and means controlled by movement of said handle for turning mg to turn t e sec said first named elements on their pivots to 1 cause the pressure of said springs to be applied to said movable bearings through said second pair of elements and for coupling Isaid driving shaft to said rolls and for releasing the bearings an for reversing-the rolls;

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WINTHROP K. HOWE.

pressure of said springs on said for, uncoupling said shaft and

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