US2021785A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1,9, 1935. y."r. HUME WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l E11/emr t fo/U7, T HAL/71,6 l

Nov. 19, 1935. J. T. HUME wAsHmG MACHINE Filed Fb. 8, 1929 4 Sh'leets-Sheet 2 `fO/UL ZT Haan@ l Nov. 19, 1935. '.1. T. HUME WASHING MAGHNE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 4 sheets-sneek:l 3

Nov. l19, 1935.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 anni corporation of Illinois application February s. i929, serial No. 338,456

lill Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines and its purpose is to yprovide a simplified and improved form of washing machine adapted primarily for household use. Theprincipal object of the invention is to provide an improved washing machine of the tub type embodying improved power driven clothes agitating means. A further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine embodying improved driving mechanism for the clothes agitating dev1ce.

I provide a washing machine and a clothes wringer in combination with improved drivingmechanism by which either the clothes wringer or the clothes agitating device of the washing machine may be driven. Another object is to provide an improved form of clothes agitating device. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of they invention will be understood from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which one embodiment is illustrated. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows'a vertical axial section through a washing machine'embodying the features of the present invention, illustrating the associated clothes wringer in elevation;

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section taken on the Iline 2:-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a detail vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, illustrating the mounting of the driving motor;

\ Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating the construction of the drain outlet;

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged vertical section, like that of Fig. 1, illustrating the constructionof the driving mechanism; I

Fig. 6 shows a top plan viewof the driving mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l' is a detail plan view, similar to that of Fig. 6, illustrating the relation of the .parts when the driving mechanism of the clothes agitator is disengaged;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical-section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, illustrating the construcf tion of the driving mechanism 'o'f the'clothes wringer;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 shows a detail vertical section taken on the line lli- I0 of Fig. 8;

Still another object of the invention is to.

(Cil. ilk-'219) Fig. ll shows a horizontal section taken on the line ii-il of Fig.- 9; and

Fig. 12 shows a horizontal section taken on the line -92-l2 of Fig. 8.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the improved washing machine ofthe present invention comprises a sheet metal clothes containing vessel i5 of the tub type which is provided with an outer cylindrical wall l5a open at its upper end and provided around its upper edge with an im inwardly extending bead l". A circular sheet metal cover it is adapted to close the upper open y -end of the tub l5 and'this cover is provided with il; This opening il( is normally closed by a removablel lid la having an outwardly directed annular shoulder it? which overlies the 'upper edge of the cover above the bead lob. The lid i8 is also provided with a downwardlyY extending 25` annular ange it arranged to nt within the annular bead lb, as shown in Fig. 1. The central portion of the lid i8 is depressedas shown at i8 and is'provided with a handle i9 4adapted vto bev engaged by the fingers of the operator. 30

The vessel l5 is mounted on and secured to a circular sheet metal frame 20 having a downwardly extending annular ange 20a which is se-` vcured to a plurality of supporting legs 2l provided Three equally spaced vertically extending ribs or vanesllic unite the'skirt 25b with' the stem 25a 'and also serve as clothes agitating members 45 when the device 25 is oscillated about a vertical axis. The lower portion of the stem 25a of the clothes agitating device is journaled on a bushing 26 which is mounted on the lower .portion of a. hollowsleeve 21 provided at its lower end 5'0 29 adapted to serve as a packing chamber around 55 turned bead' iwhich bounds a circular opening 20 Aclosed by the plug 45.

the vessel I5 at the points where the outwardly' ared portions 21a of the supporting sleeve 21 are attached to the bottom of the vessel and to the supporting frame 20. Adjacent the outer edge of the Vessel I5, at a suitable point', there is located an outlet valve casing 33 having the construction illustrated particularly ln Fig. 4. This ,valve casing is secured beneath the frame member 20 by a hollow threaded plug 34 engaging an aperture in the bottom wall of the vessel I5 and a corresponding aperture in the frame 20. The

casing 33 is provided with a valve seat 33a and the valve member 33b is adapted to engage this seat to control the flow of washing iluid outwardly to the mouth 33c'of the valve casing. The valve member 331 is mounted on a stem 33d which threadedly engages the valve casing and which projects through the depending ange 20a of the frame, terminating in a pair of ears 33e.

The driving shaft 30 ofV the clothes agitating device 25 is driven through suitable `driving mechanism operated by an electric motor 35,

the casing of which is secured by studs 35 on a t sheet metal bracket 31 secured to the under side oi the frame 2i! by bolts 35, as shown in Fig. 3. The condutors for the electric circuit lead to this motor through a exible conduit 39 which enters a connecting block 4@ mounted on the motor casing. The switch for controlling this circuit may be located conveniently to permit the ready starting and stopping of the driving mechanism. The vshaft 4I oi the motor 35 ex'- tends into a gear housing 42 secured to the` under side of the frame 2li by means of bolts engagingv the holes 43 formed in the housing around its outer edge, as shown in Fig. 6. Ihis gear housing is closed on its upper side by a sheet metal plate 44 secured in place by the bolts which secure the housing in positionl and this gear casing is adapted to contain oil or grease for the driving mechanism, which lubricant may be withdrawn through an opening normally The motor shaft 4I is journaled in bearings 46 and it has secured thereon a spiral gear 41 adapted to mesh with the large gear 48. The gear 48 has its hub journaled on the stationary vertical shaft or axle 49 which is secured in a housing 50 carried by the lower part of the gear casing 42, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper portion of the hub of the gear 48 carries an integrally formedeccentric 5I which is adapted to revolve in a circular aperture 52a formed in the eccentric block 52. This block is adapted to slide in guides 53 which' are formed on the sides of an oscillatory arm or frame 54. This frame is provided at one end with a segmental gear 55 arranged to mesh with a pinion 56 secured on the lower end of the shaft 30 of the clothes agitating device so that when the frame 54 is os'cillated by the rotation of the eccentric 5I, an oscillatory motion is lm parted to the clothes agitating device. The

lower end of the shaft 30 is journaled in theV bearing 51 formed in the gear casing 42, as shown in Fig. 5, and the pinion 56 rests on the upper end of this bearing and is secured against vertical displacement by a transverse pin 58,

thus forming a thrust bearing Tor the vertical driving shaft 30. The oscillatory framel 54 is provided at the end thereof opposite the seg- 5 mental gear 55 with a bearing hub 59 adapted to rock about a cylindrical bearing member 5U Which'is carried by a plate 6I. Both the hub 59 and lthe cylindrical bearingfmember 6i) rest on the upper'surface of a gear 62 which is splined 10 on the lower `end of a vertical operating shaft 63and this gear 60 is arranged to be driven through -an intermediate pinion 64 from the large driving .gear 48 previously described. The a pinion 64 meshes directly with vboth the gear 48 15 and the gear 60 and is journaled on a sub-shaft 65 extending upwardly from the lower wall of the casing 42. The gear 62 has a hub 62a extending dwnwardly therefrom and journaled in a bearing 66 carried by the lower part of the 20 gear .casing and the downward thrust of this gear and of the shaft 63 are supported by a roller thrust bearing 61. The shaft 65 is adapt. ed to drivew the clothes wringer through the mechanism hereinafter described. For the pur- 25 pose of permitting the driving mechanism of the clothes agltating device 25 to be connected and disconnected as desired, arrangements are made for disengaging the segmental gear 55 from the driving pinion "55 by shifting the oscillatory 30,

frame 5ft. This operation is effected by moving the cylindrical bearing 6@ carried bythe plate 6l which is pivoted to swing about a stationary pin 6B which extends downwardly from the vertically extending housing 10 in which the ver- 35 tical operating shaft 53 is mounted'. The plate 6I is provided with an elongated slot`6la in which is mounted a block 1I provided with a circular y,mental gear 55 into or out of mesh with the pinion 56. The block 1I is mounted to slide in the guide 69 which'is directed radially outward 150 from the axis of thepin 68 and the block 1I is normally forced in an outward direction by means of a coil'spring 18 which is located'in the slot 69. The axis ofthe rod or shaft 15 is so located with respect to the pin 12 and the block 1I that 55 the spring 18'tends to hold the plate 6I in either w extreme position to which it may be moved by the movement of the crank handle 11 at the upper end of the rod 15. When the rod 15 is rotated to turn the plate 6I to a position wherein 60 the segmental gear 55 and the pinions 56 are disengaged, the oscillatory frame 54 is permitted to rock about the bearing member 60 without effecting movement of the clothes agitating device 25 while at the same time permitting the 65 operation of the wringer mechanism by the upwardly extending operating shaft E3. It will be noted that the shaft l(i3 extends through the apertures 19 formed in the guide member 65 and theplate 6I, this aperture being large enough to 70 permit the necessary shifting of the bearing member 6l) Withput the Wallstof the aperture 19 contacting with the shaft 63.

' As shown in/Y'Fig. 1, the housing 10 extends upwardly at the side of the clothes receiving ves- 75 vsus and it has an operating handle Ila secured sel I5 and, adjacentthe upper edge of the vessel, it is outwardly flared as shown at 18a.) This tapered portion 10F- of the housing is adapted to be rotatably engaged by a similarly tapered sleeve 80 vextending downwardly from and formed integrally with the housing 8l of the clothes -wringer 82. An outwardly and downwardly extending flange l83 is formed on the housing 8I around the upper end of the sleeve 80 and this fiange is adapted to rest on and extend downwardly around the outwardly extendingfla'nge 1lib which isformed on the casing 18. As shown particularly'in Fig. 12, this flange I0b is provided with a plurality of notches 84 `any one of which may be engaged by'a locking pin 85 rhount-V ed to slidevertically iny suitable guides carried by the' housing 8l and the housing cover 86. 'I'he housing is secured in place Aby cap screws 81. A sleeve 88 'is secured on the pin 85 above the trough 89 in which the pins Aslide and a coil spring 92 is mounted on this sleeve between the lower annular shoulder 88a thereof Aand the plate 98 which is secured to the under side of the cover 8B by means of screws 9I. The sleeve 88 is adapted to engage an aperture 90a formed in the plate 98 s o that the pin 85 may be pulled upwardly by means of the handle 85a mounted on the upper end thereof to cause-the sleeve 88 to be raised against the compression of the'spring 92, .thus permitting 'the housing 8l and the wringer 82 to be rotated to any desired angular position with respect to the washing machinel casing I5 after which the wringer may be locked in that position by causing the pins 85 to engage the desired one of the notches 84 'in `the flange 19h. f

The upper, end of the vertical operating shaftk 63 has a driving engagement with the hub 9'3a of a bevel gear 93 which is mounted in' the housing 8l, the hub 93 being journaled in a bearing 9d formed inthe lower part of this housing, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. 'lhe bevel gear 93 i meshes continuously with two other bevel gears is Iengaged by a block 089 having an aperturer lili the bevel gear iid-and the shaft 98 .to cause this shaft to rotate in either direction depending upon the position of the clutch member 99vwhich is splined thereon.

The clothes wringer 82 is provided with a pair" of oppositely rotating rolls i199 each of which is.

provided with shafts Itl engaging bearing members It which arefmounted in the wringer frame i199.. The shaft B89 of the lower roll is connected at one end through fa coupling it@ with theshaft 98 upon which they clutch member 99 and the bevel gears 95 and-99 are mounted. By shifting the clutch member 9,9, the direction of rotation of the rolls 0980i the wringer may be `reversed v and this reversal is effected by shifting theclutch member on the central, enlarged portion of the shaft 98 on which it issplined. The clutch member has two annular flanges '99afforming a central annular groove M8. This annular groove therein which is rotatably engaged bya stud l I@ located in an eccentricposition on the .lower end of a rotatable shaft Ill. This shaft is journaled in a bearing-"H2 carried by the housing cover on the upper end thereof formanipulation by the operator in effecting the shifting of the clutch member 99. It will be apparent that when the crank handle-IIS is rotated about its vertical 5 axis, the corresponding rotation of the shaft III will shift the clutch member '99 in one direction or the other to'effect a driving engagement between the shaft 98 and one of the bevel gears 95 or 96. In order that the clutch member 99 may be held in neutral position shown in Fig'. 9 or in either of its engaging positions, the cover y 86 of the wringer housing is provided withr a recess II4 in which is located a ball II5 pressed downwardly by a coil spring IIB. This ball is adapted to engage any one of the depressions -I IlA which are formed in the spring plate II8 shown particularly in Figs. 8 and 11. This springplate IIS serves as a locking plate and it mounted lclutch member 99 is in either a neutral position or in either of its engaging positions wherein the teeth |00 interlock with one of the sets of teethv IM. By this arrangement, Athe shaft 83, which rotates continuously when the driving motor 35 is inoperation, may be employed when desired to operate the clothes wringer'and may be allowed to rotate during the intervening intervals without effecting any operation of the wringer. The wringer 82 may therefore be opcrateri-simultaneously with'the operation of the clothes agitating device or either the clothes wringer or the" clothes ag'itating device may be'di) separately operated.` The spring plate IIS has a notch l I8a in the edge thereof which is adapted to register with the sleeve 88 when the clutch member i288 is in its neutral position, thus preventingy the upward movement of the pin 85 and 45 'the connected` sleeve 88 when the clutch member vis in engagement with either of the clutch teeth lei.' By this means, the operator is prevented from releasing tlie'pin 85 from engagement with' any one of the notches 89 to permit the rotation 50 ofthe wringer on the supporting casing l@ when a driving connection is established through the rolls i931 of the wringer.

Although one form of the invention has bee shown and described by way of illustration, it 55 `will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. A

l claim:

1."The combination in driving mechanism for '39 a vclothes washing machine,of an operating shaft, a pinion xed onsaid shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of said pinion,

a bearing member on which said frame is journaled, means, for imparting an oscillatory motion 85 to said frame, a block carrying said bearing member, and means for shifting said bloei; and said bearing member bodily for causing said/teeth of said frame to engage and disengage said pinion. 70 p 2. The combination in .driving mechanism for a clothes washing machine, of an operating shaft, a pinion xed on said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, means -for imparting an oscillatory motion to said frame,

. a bearing member on which said frame is pivotally 4 faoa'nzss mounted, a pivotedplate carrying said bearingL member, and manually operated means for turn, ing said plate around its pivot for shifting the position of said bearing member and said frame.

3. The combination in driving mechanismfor a clothes washing machine, of an operating shaft connected to said device,.a pinion fixed on said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, means for imparting an oscillatory motion to said frame, a bearing member on which said frame is pivotally mounted, a pivoted plate carrying said bearing member, manually operated means for turning said plate aroundits pivot for shifting the position of said bearing member and said frame, and means associated rwith said plate for holding said bearing member block and theoscillation of said frame, andmeans L 'for shifting said frame longitudinally to edect the disengagement of its 'teeth Awith those of said 5. The combination in driving mechanism for y a clothes Washing machinaof an operating shaft,

' a pinion fixed on sai-d shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, a bearing member on which. said frame is pivotally mounted, means for imparting yan oscillatory motion to said frame, a pivoted plate carrying said bearing member,` said plate having a groove therein, a block slidably mounted in said' groove, and means comprising an eccentric pin for moving said block in said groove tovmove said plate about its pivotal connection and thereby shift the position of said bearing member and said frame. t

'6. The combination in driving mechanism for a washing machiijie,` of an operating shaft, a pinion `fixed on said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, a Wringer shaft, a second pinion fixed on said vvringer shaft, means including a common driving gear for actuating said frame and said second-named pinion, aloearing member loosely surrounding Isaid Wringer shaft and having saidframe pivotally inounted thereon, and means yfor shifting'the position of said bearing member with respect to said wringer shaft for controlling the engagement of the teeth of said frame with said iirst named pinion.

7. The combination in driving mechanism for a washing machine, of an operating shaft, a pin- A ion xedon said shaft, apivotally mounted frame having teeth adapted to mesh vvith said pinion, a rotatable driving member, a member eccentrically 5 located on said driving member iand having a vsliding engagement with said frame, means for rotating said driving member to effect the oscillation of said frame, and means for shifting said frame longitudinally to effect the disengagement of its teeth with those of said pinion.

8. The combination in driving mechanism for a Washing machine, of an operating shaft, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a pivo'tally mounted frame havingteethadapted to mesh with said pinion, a driving gear mounted adjacent said frame, an eccentric operated by said driving gear, a block slidably mounted in said frame and rotatably engaged by said eccentric, and means for rotating said driving gear. A

9. The combination in driving mechanism for a Washing machine, of an operating shaft, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, a Wringer shaft, a second pinion fixed on said Wringer shaft, an intermediate gear meshing with said last named pinion, a common driving gear meshing with said intermediate gear, and means including an` oscillatory rack pivoted about said Wringer shaft and actuated by said driving gear for operating said rst 39 `named pinionl0. The combination in driving mechanism for a washing' machine, of an operating shaft, a pinion lhired on ,said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to `mesh with said pinion, a wringer shaft, a second pinion fixed on said Wringer shaft, an intermediate gear meshing with lsaid last named pinion, a common driving gear meshing With said intermediate gear, means including a pivotally mounted oscillatory rack bar pivoted about said 40 vlringer shaft and actuated by said driving gear for actuating said rst named pinion, and means .for shifting the pivotal mounting of said rack bar to disengage said rack bar from said rst named pinion. ll. 'The combination in driving mechanism for a washing machine, of an operating shaft, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a frame having teeth adapted to mesh with said pinion, awringer shaft, said frame being pivoted to swing about the axis of said Wringer shaft, a second pinion fixed on said wringen shaft, and meansincluding a common driving gear for 'actuating said frame and said second named pinion.

lioHN T. HUME.

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