US1658274A - Gearing mechanism for washing machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,274

0. 8. WOODROW GEARING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Original Filed April 13. 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I g fafw Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,274

0. B. WOODROW GEARING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Original Filed April 13, 1925 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 30 illustrated in the Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

OLIVER 1B. WOOD'ROW, or NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOZR. rofwoonnow wnsniNG MA- I I "1, 58,274! UNITED s -AT Es-PATENTqQ F CEa] CHINE COMPANY, OF DELLA, Iowan CORPORATION OF IOWA.

Guanine MECHANISM FOR, WASHING m nus;

I Original application filed April 13, 1925, Serial 7 November 2, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines, and particularly to'that type which is driven through a power device such as an electric motor, having a wringer driving shaft and an oscillating agitator mechanism, and is a divisional application of my copending application for" Letters Pat-- ent on a driving mechanism for washing machines, filed April13,1925, Serial Number The object of my invention is to provide ah improved gearing mechanism for throwing either the agitator mechanism or the wri nger driving shaft into and out of operli ation with the washing machine driving power. 1 I

More specifically it is my object to pro vide a mechanism ofithis'class in which the parts most subject to wear are grouped and so assembled in a small space and all contained within a gear case which may be filled with oil so that said working parts run continuously in oil with obviously advantageous results. I I

85 My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various partsof the device, whereby the objects contemplated'are attained, as hereinafter more I fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a stationary base member for a washing machine or the like, and a movable frame mem- 5 her mounted thereon designed to receive a tubto be moved in a vertical oscillating man ner. Said view also shows the electric motor and the ear case enclosing the drive mechanism, the'top of the gear case being re- 40 moved. I

Figure 2 shows an enlarged, detail, vertical, sectional'view taken on a line centered at the vertical driveshaft for the washer and the vertical drive shaft for the wringer.

45 Referring to the accompanying drawings,

I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a stationary supporting frame preferably of the kind having three legs extended outwardly from the central body portion,

50 and supported at the central portion of this stationary frame'is an upright shaft 11. R0- tatively mounted upon the upper portion of the shaft 11 is a hollow frame member 12. This rotatable framemember 12 is designed No, Ilivlded and Serial. No. 66,348.. I

to receive a smallamountof grease and to carry'a washing machine tub or other ar-, ticle to be horizontally oscillated. Carried by the frame 12 are radially extending arms 12, each of'said arms being provided with a spring 13. The lower gear case member is indicated generally by the reference numeral 15fand is stationarily' supported at its lower end by means of the frame member 16which is part 1 of the frame 10. Thetop of thelgear case member, indicated generally by the numeral 17 is secured to the circular angle bar member'14,thus rigidly securing together the various parts of the stationary frame mem ber andthe gear case, and'forming 311121.8

together; I

Mounted upon a part of the stationary frame member is an electric motor for other prime movermdicate'd by the numeral 18 and connected by a belt 19 with a pulley 20 on the shaft 21 which enters the gear case, and has a beveled driving pinion 22 shaft 23 near its lower end is a combined clutch member and bevel gear device which comprlsesia hub portion 25 rigidly connected by a pin 26 to theshaft23. At the top' of the hub ortion is an outwardly extended part 27 ormed with a series of oil pasa sageways 28. At the outer end of the part 27 is'a downwardly projecting conicalclutch flange member 29, and atthe'lowerend of the member 29-is a flange extended outwardly and then upwardly at 30, thus forming a substantially V shaped groove, both adjacent faces of which provide clutching surfaces for the'mating clutch member This flange is formed at its bottom with oil passageways31 and at the outer upper portion of the flange there is formed a bevel gear 32, the latter being arranged in mesh with the bevel pinion 22. 1 I

The coacting clutch membercomprises a body portion '33 'looselymounted upon the shaft 23abovethe clutch member 29. This body portion 33 is formed at its upper end with a gear wheel 34 and atitslower end it is formed with an outwardly extended flange 35 above the oil passageways 28, and

this applicationfileda i i a '70 sembly that maybe readily and easily put" conical clutch member 29 and also to enterclutch member is an annular groove 39 into which is projected an arm 40 fixed to a shaft d1 which is slidingly mounted in the gear case cover 17, and it serves the pur-' pose of elevating the upper clutch member to position out of clutching engagement with the lower clutch member.

The means for raising and lowering the shaft 4E1 preferably comprises astationary bracket 42 mounted on the tubular housing 43 for the shaft 23, This bracket l2 is preferably provided with a stationary cam shaped lug 4A at its upper end, and. also is provided with a coil spring 45 at its lower end engaging the bracket 42 at it's top, and also engaging a washer i6 at its bottom, which washer is secured by a pin a? to the shaft 41, thus tending to yieldingly hold the shaft 41 at its-downward limit of move ment.

Rotatively mounted upon the shaft 41 is a lever a8 having a circular head 49 surrounding the upper end of the shaft 41 and also having a cam shaped flange 50 extending downwardly and designed to engage and coact with the cam shaped lug 44. When the lever 4-8 is in the position shown in Figure 2, then the shaft 41 is in position heldby the spring 45 at its downward limit of movement, but when this lever 48 is moved laterally in either direction, the cam- 50, traveling upon the cam 44, elevates the shaft l1 against pressure of. the spring 45 and holds it in such elevated position.

Rotatively mounted within the gear case I is the upright drive shaft 51 for the Wash ing machine. This drive shaft is mounted with its lower end in a thrust roller bearing 52 at the lower part of the gear case, and with its upper end in a rollerbearing 53 in the gear case cover. Fixed to its central portion within the gear case is a gear wheel 5 in mesh with the gear wheel 8%, and these gear wheels are of such relative size that they ,will always remain in mesh when the gear wheel 3a is either in its elevated or its lowered position. The gear wheel 5st is preferably firmly fixed to the-shaft 51 by pins Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 51 above the gear case is a short crank 57 connected by a pitman 58 to the rotatable frame member 12 on the shaft 11.

In practical use attention is called to the fact that with my improved construction and arrangement of parts, all of the gear devices, and the clutch for transmitting power from the drive shaft 21 to either the wringer' drive shaft 23 or the washing machine drive shaft 51, are contained within a tightly enclosed gear case, which is filled with oil so that all of these parts are constantly lubricated and the oil is prevented from working out of the gear case in such manner as might come in contact with the garments being used in connection with the washing machine. llurthermore, the gear case itself. forms a part of, and is firmly connected with, the stationary frame of the machine, in that the lower end of the gear case is securely fixed to the lower stationary; frame member 10 and the upper end of the gear case is firmly fixed to the frame member 1 Furthermore, if for any reason it should-be necessary to provide access to any of these gear devices, this may be done by simply removing the gear case cover.

The combination of the clutch members with the integral gears on each of them, to gether with the co-operating parts thereof, is highly advantageous in a structure of this character. With my improved construction the main drive shaft 21 constantly rotates the wringer shaft 23 through the gears 22 and This gear 32 is formed as an integral part of the lower clutch member, which in turn is fixed to the shaft 23, thus making an extremely simple, durable and efficient means for driving the shaft 23, but in addition to its function of driving the shaf L3,'the gear 32 is formed with a clutch member, which clutch member is machined in such a manner as to be accurately centered relative to the gear 32. The upper clutch member is formed with a clutch device to coact with the lower clutch member, and is formed with an integral gear wheel 34 to drive the washing machine operating shaft 51, and by this arrangement the driving mechanism for the washing machine is extremely simple, durable and efficient in construction, regardless of the clutch element. In other words, a simple, durable and ellicient clutching mechanism is provided in the combination, without the addition of any separate parts that are liable to get out of alinement, or that need separate bearings and attachments; and furthermore all of said working parts are closely assembled and constantly run in oil in the same gear case.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, my improved clutch element of itself is a very efficient structure. When immersed in oil, and assuming that the upper clutch is running and the shaft 51 is stationary, and

assuming further that it is desired to rotate the shaft 51 which is designed to be connected to, say for. instance, a tub full of water and clothes, and which requires a relatively great initial force in order to start it,

then the operator moves the upper clutch member downwardly. When so doing the oil, that is contained between the part 27 of the lower clutch'member and theadjacent part of the upper clutch member, is slowly forced'out through the openings 28 and in addition to this the oil, that is contained within the cup shaped portion 34 of the lower clutch member, will be slowly driven outthrough the openings 37 in the lower clutch member by the clutchingflange 36 of the upper clutch member.

It is obvious that in the event that there was no oil in the gear case, and the upper clutch member was moved rapidly downwardly, it would quickly assume a clutched condition with relation to the lower clutch member, and a heavy overload would instantly be thrown on the electric motor or other prime mover with obviously disastrous results. However, by means of this retarding action of the oil it is obvious that when the upper clutch member approaches grips ping contact with the lower clutch member, it will reach first a relatively slight driving engagement with therlower clutch member, and this driving engagement will continue in intensity for a considerable period, de-

pending on the size of the oil discharge openings until finally a complete clutch engagement has been attained, and during this time that has elapsed from the time when the clutch is only slightly in engagement until full clutching engagement has been attained, the load of the washing machine will have been gradually started and will slowly reach its maximum load without subjecting the electric motor. to undue strains for startmg purposes. 7

1 claim as my invention: In a'gearing mechanism of the class (1 scribed, the combination of a stationary frame, a body mounted thereon and capable of rotary reciprocating motion, a gear case fixed to the stationary frame, a beveled pmion projected into the interior of the gear case and having its bearing therein, means for operating the beveled pinion, a continuously rotating vertical shaft, a clutch member fixed thereon and designed to be driven by said, beveled pinion, a coactin clutch member slidingly mounted on said aft and within the gear case, a shaft geared to said sliding clutch member, a crank fixed to said shaft, a pitman connected to the crank and also connected tothe said body mounted for the rotary reciprocating motion, two arms fixed centrally to said body and below it and extended in opposite directions, and contractable coil springs fixed to said arms and extended outwardly in opposite directions and fixed at'their outer ends to the stationary frame, substantially as and for the purposes stated. I

DesMoines, Iowa, October 23, 1925.

OLIVER B. WOODROW.

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