US2039439A - Wringer - Google Patents

Description

' H. L. MORIN May s, 1936.

: WRINGER' v Filed July 2e, 195s 4 shets-sheet 1 H. l.. MORIN M`ay 5, 1936.

WRINGER Filed July 26, 1955 .4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR.

v wm/. /VoH//v BY ymq im@ ATTORNEYS.

H.v L. MORIN WRINGER May 5, 1936.

v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. u Jim/RVZ. /Vo//y l/JW *M ATTORNEYS.

Filed July 26, 1953 May 5, 1936.

H. L. MORIN WRINGER Filed July 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTOR. y i? nfm//YM//v v Q 77M ATTORNEYS. I

Patented May 5, 1936y PATENT oFFlcE WRINGER v Henryv L. Morin, Holyoke, Mass.

Application July 26,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wringers for drying washedclothes. One object of the invention is to provide a wringer having improved means for securing the desired. tension between the pressure rolls. Another object is to combine a device for releasing certain parts fora dismantling operation with the tension controlling means, so that a single handle only will be required. Another object is to improve the safety features of the wringer, both with regard to its simplicity and reliability in operation and to the freedom from any possibility of the operator receiving *an accidental electric shock. Another object is to improve the manner of feeding clothes to and from the pressure rolls. Another object is to improve the mechanical construction of wringers of this general type in the matters of simplicity and economy' of manufacture. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wringer constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail section, 'on a scale larger than Figs. 1 and 2, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a top view, of the parts shown in Fig. 3, but with the top roll and its bearings removed;

Fig. 5 is a view, with certain parts broken-away, of the opposite side of the device from that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of one side of the wringer, substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 'i is a perspective view of the main frame;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary central section through the device; l

Fig. 9 is a detail thereof with th'e parts in different positions;

Fig. 10 is an end view thereof with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 11 is a central transversemsection through the device;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary central transverse section showing a modification;

Fig. 13 is a detail of the modification of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a detail of a preferred form of feeding belt; a

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectionl showing a modified form of safety device; and

Fig. 16 is an end view of the mechanism of Fig. 15, showing a modification.

The wringer is carried in a main frame 20 of general U-form, preferably of pressed metal as 1933, Serial No. 682,217

` (Cl. (iS- 32) shown in Fig. 7 This frame has channel shaped sides 2| merging into a bottoml portion 22 that is in general trough shape.' lWings 23 extend outwardly from the channel shaped sides and join the bottom 22. Adjacent the upper inner edges of the channels 2| the metal is bent inwardly as at 24 to form guide ribs the function of which will appear below. One channel 2l has xed to it adjacent its upper edge as by rivets 25 (Fig. 8) a pair of clips 26 having slots 21 exposed beyond the upper edge of thechannel. The other channel has its metal struck up inwardly to form a pair of holes 28.

The two wringer rolls and 3| are provided respectively with end shafts' 32 and 33. In the form rst to be described one end of the shaft 33 is provided with a pin 34 serving for driving engagement with any standard wringer mechanism. The two wringer rolls arecarried at each end in a sub-frame 35-adapted to lie within the flanges 24 as shown in Fig. 4 and having struck up lips 36 passing outside these flanges so as to provide a sliding contact. By this means the sub-frame can be drawn vertically out of the channels 2| and yet when in place will be held firmly in po. sition. The sub-frames are provided with holes 3l and struck up ribs 38 to engage with sliding action bearing blocks 39 and 4D which serve respectively for the upper and lower shafts 32 and 33. The upper shaft has a singlebearing block on its upper surface and the shaft 33 has a single bearing block on its lower surface. This is inv all cases sufficient as the rolls are always pressed towards each other. The lower bearing block 40 on each side is held in place by a bulging portion 4| of the sub-frame. On one side of the wringer the two rolls are geared together by spur gears 42 and 43 (Fig. 5) of the usual type, suitably secured to the roll shafts. On the other side of the lmachine is mounted the safety control mechanism which will be described below.

Before going into the details of the safety control mechanism the devices for carrying the clothes through the wringer and the control actuating devices will be considered. Each of the wing portions 23 of the main frame is provided with a stud 45 having an enlarged head 46. On each of these studs is carried a plate 4l (Fig. 11) having formed in it a keyhole shaped slot 48 having its larger end placed toward the central portion of the wringer. If the plate is moved outwardly so as to bring the enlarged portion of the hole 48 into registration with the stud 45, the plate can be removed easily, otherwise, it is anchored firmly in place. The lower portion of the 55 plate has a downwardly extending lug 49 adapted to rest upon the bottom 22 of the frame as shown in Fig. 1l. Plates 41 are formed with end studs, or with a central shaft 50 upon which is mounted rolls 5| preferably of wood. Around the two rolls 5| and around the lower wringer roll 3| is stretched a belt 52 preferably of rubber having perforations 53 to permit drainage of water. Slippage of the belt as the clothes pass between the wringer rolls is prevented by the positive driving action .of gears 42 and 43, but it will be understood that any suitable means for driving the belt may be employed. The outer surface of the belt is preferably corrugated as at 54. It will be understood that the clothes to be dried are placed upon the belt 52 and are carried by it between the pressure rolls, the water squeezed out of the clothes passing freely through the holes 53 and being received upon the inwardly sloping bottom 22 of the main frame. At the center of this frame bottom is a hole 56 shown in Figs. '1 and 11. The hole is conveniently formed by striking outwardly the metal of the frame bottom so as to form lugs 51. A drain board 59 having upwardly inclined sides 60 is pivotally connected to lugs 51 by bolts 58, and may be tipped in either direction to deliver the water as may be desired. Due to the pivotal mounting of the plates 41 the wooden rollsI 5| may be raised as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l1, permitting the bottom of the wringer frame to be wiped dry. As clearly shown in Fig. 1 plates 41 are pivoted above the center line of the rolls so that when in .normal operating position the plates 41 tilt downwardly and this tilted arrangement serves to lock the rolls in operative position. This tilting is also useful in shortening the effective length of the belt and thereby relieves the wood rolls of tension so that the plates may be slipped clear of the studs 45. Mounted above the belt 52 and pivoted to the frame as at 65 are a pair of oppositely extending guard plates 66. These plates can be raised suiiiciently to permit the passage of clothes underneath them but cannot be raised enough to allow the operators hand to reach the wringer rolls without tripping the safety device which will now be described.

At the upper portion of the guides 38 which cae-ry the upper bearing block 39 a pair of exposed tongues 10 are struck out as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6. These lugs form pivots for a plate 1| having portions 12 turned at right angles and provided with pivot holes 13. The right angled portions 12 are also provided with suitable portions 14 adapted to rest against the wall of the sub-frame 35 and thereby prevent inward movement of the plate 1| beyond the desired point. At one side the plate has an extending portion 15 bearing a hook 16 best shown in Fig. 6. This hook is adapted to engage a lug 11 formed upon a casing 18 pivoted tothe sub-frame at 19 and adapted to contain a mercury switch of the well known commercial type. These switches comprise a sealed glass tube generally evacuated except for a small quantity of mercury. With the tube tipped into the dotted line position of Fig. 3 the mercury bridges a pair of electrical contacts sealed into the glass tube. An electrical current can be maintained in the circuit indicated by the wires 80. If the plate 1| has its lower end swung outwardly so that it releases the lug 11, the weight of the casing 18 assisted if desired by a spring 8| will cause the casing to drop to a lower limit determined by its end portion striking against the wall'of the channel 2| as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. In this position the casing is tilted downwardly in the opposite direction so that the merucury runs away from the electrical contact and breaks the circuit. The driving motor of the wringer is included in this circuit so that releasing the casing 18 will cause immediate stoppage of the motor. i

In order to release the casing 18 by swinging plate 1| outwardly while permitting a limited upward movement of the guards 6b, these guards have fixed to their inner ends arms which as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 are curved in form. For a limited upward movement of the guards 66 these arms do'not contact the plate. If, however the guards are moved upwardly a distance corresponding to that produced by the insertion 0f the operators hand beneath them the arms contact a cam-like flange 86 formed on the adjacent edge of the plate 1| and move the latter outwardly so that the lug 11 will be released.

In order to reset the safety device and thus restart the motor after the cause of its stopping has been corrected, a finger Vpiece 81 is fitted to slide in a slot 88 (Fig. 1) in one side of one of the channels 2|. Attached to this finger piece is a wire link 89 connected to the free end of the casing 18. By raising the finger piece the casing 18 will be raised alsoI being held in raised position as soon as the lug 11 passes the hook 16. 'I'he lower position of casing 18 is also determined by the engagement of piece 81 with the bottom of slot 88. It will be observed that a guard 66 is provided on each side of the machine so that the wringer may be operated in either direction and that these guards operate independently of each other upon the mechanism. This double structure when considered in relation to the perforated belt 52 has an additional advantage that the drying clothes will be conveyed away from the rolls to a place more convenient for their disposition than if the belt terminated at the lower pressure roll on one side. A mechanism for holding the upper pressure roll 30 in contact with the lower roll 3| has also been provided. 'I'his mechanism, being shown best in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, is mounted within a cap having at one side struck up lugs 96 adapted to fit into the holes 28 in the main frame. At the other side the cap is provided with a bracket 91 loosely supporting a hook 98.

Normally the lower end of this hook is forced by l a spring 99 into engagement with the holes 21 in the members 26. The spring is mounted upon a shaft |00 pivoted in the cap at one end and at a U-shaped bridge piece |0| suitably secured in the center of the cap. The spring may be held compressed upon the shaft by a washer |02 and a cotter pin |03. The shaft is provided with a handle |04, the hub portion of which extends inside of the cap and bears a cam piece |05. When the handle is suitably rotated as shown in Fig. 9 the cam portion will engage the hook 98 and push it out of engagement with the holes 21 so that the cap is free to be removed from the frame.

Bridging the upper bearings 39 is bow spring ||0 having at its central portion a pair of clips provided with vertical slots I2 to embrace the shaft |00. On the shaft |00 in the center of the bridge piece |0| is keyed a cam ||3 having a series of substantially flat surfaces |4 to I8 inclusive adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the spring 0. The cam and the spring are so designed that when the surface I8 is brought over the spring the spring is completely released from compression. In this same position the cam |05 moves the hook 98 yout of engagement with the hole 21 so that by a single motion of the handle the rolls can be relieved of compression and the cap freed by removal from the frame. The other surfaces of the cam ||3 serve to give varying degrees of compression to the spring. The ends of the spring engage spacer members ||9 resting on bearings 39. It is preferable although not necessary that ascraper or doctor be provided upon the upper roll. In the drawings a rubber scraper |20 has been shown held by clips |2| to the members H9. This scraper if used will prevent the clothes passing around the upper roll, a condition which is diicult to remedy due to the throughly enclosed condition of the pressure rolls.

This enclosed condition is of course desirable for l wringer rolls, a belt having its upper run passpurposes of safety as it is practically impossible to get the hands or any large object between the rolls.

In Fig. 12 a modification has been shown in which the guard plates 66 have been replaced by rolls |25, preferably knurled to assist in gripping the clothes, mounted upon plates |26 pivoting in the frame as in the case of the original guard plates. These rolls are driven upon the upper roll 30 by a small V-belt |21 passing around the rolls and around small guide pulleys |28. This form of the invention has the advantage that it assists in feeding the clothes to a point between the wringer rolls'. Another modification has been shown in Figs. l and 16 in order to illustrate the adaptability of the wringer to various control mechanism. In this case the casing 18 and its enclosed mercury switch has been replaced by a end |30' to the sub-frame. The driving shaft 33 of the lower roll is cut so that it does not directly engage the driving mechanism but carries one member |3| of a two part dog clutch. The other member |32 of this clutch is secured to a driving shaft |33 andis pressed against the member |3| by a spring |34 acting against a collar |35 upon a shaft |33. like portion |36 positioned to engage the outer portion of the clutch member |32. The arms 35 previously described, are adapted when swung downwardly to engage cam-like portions |31 on the plate |30 so that as the guard plates 66 are raised the plate |30 will be swung outwardly and the' clutch |3I, |32 will be moved into inactive position. It will be obvious that other changes in detail structure may be made to suit individual installations without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wringer mechanism, a frame, a pair of wringer rolls mounted in said frame, the upper roll being removable, a cap member, means for,y releasably locking the cap member to said frame, a spring means urging the upper roll toward the lower roll, a shaft, a cam on said shaft and positioned between the cap member and spring to control the'pressure exerted on the upper roll by said spring means and a second cam on said shaft for releasing the cap member locking means, the relative position of said cams being such that said second cam operates when the spring pressure is substantially relieved by the first cam.

2. In a wringer mechanism a frame including yside members, a pair of wringer rolls mounted between the side members, the bearings of the upper roll being slidably mounted in the side mem- The plate |30 .is provided with a cambers to permit removal of the upper roll from the frame and movement of said upper roll toward the lower roll, a cap member having one endpivotally engaging one side member, the other 'end being provided with a catch releasably engaging the opposite side member, a spring member bridging the upper roll with its ends acting against the bearings of the-f upper roll, a rock shaft mounted in said cap member, a cam member eccentrically mounted on said shaft and engaging said spring to controlthe pressure exerted by thev spring on the bearings of the upper roll, and a second cam on said shaft positioned to release said catch when the first named cam is positioned to relieve the pressure of said spring on the bearings of the upper roll.

3. In a wringer mechanism including a pair of ing between said rolls, an apron positioned beneath vthe belt and projecting sidewise from the wringer rolls, a pulley roll, about which the belt passes, movably mounted on the outer end portion of the apron, to permit upward movement of the pulley and belt with respect to the apron to afford access to the latter.

4. In a wringer mechanism including a pair of wringer rolls, a belt for feeding clothes to and from the wringer rolls, the upper run of said belt passing between said rolls, an apron projecting from each side of the wringer rolls, pulley rolls positioned on opposite sides of said rolls, and spaced therefrom, about which the belt passes, and means normally supporting said pulley rolls releasably locked in xed operative position with respect to the wringer mechanism during operation of the latter, said pulley rolls being mounted for manual upward movement out of operative position to permit access to the apron.

5. In a wringer mechanism including a frame.

va pair of wringer rolls, a belt `for feeding clothes to and from the wringer rolls, the upper run of said belt passing between said rolls, pulley rolls positioned on opposite sides of said wringer rolls. and spaced therefrom, about which said belt passes, arms supporting said pulley rolls and provided at their free ends with keyhole slots, headed studs, secured to the frame intermediate the pulley rolls and the wringer rolls, engageable in said keyhole slots to form a releasable pivotal connection between the arms and the frame, said slots being normally held in locking relation with the studs by the tension of the belt.

6. In a wringer mechanism, a frame including a bottom member and side members, wringer rolls journaledin the side members, said bottom member being inclined .downwardly from its front and rear edges to a point beneath the wringer rolls, a drainage opening formed in the bottom member beneath the wringer rolls and a trough pivotally mounted in a. fixed position relative to and beneath said bottom member to receive the drainage from said opening and discharge it selectively .to the front or rear of the wringer mechanism.

7. In a wringer mechanism a feeding device which includes a perforated belt for feeding clothes to and from the bite of the wringer rolls, at least one pulley roll positioned to one side of the wringer rolls and spaced therefrom, about which the belt passes, a generally trough-shaped member positioned beneath the belt and adapted to receive water passing through the holes in the belt and conduct it to an opening formed in said member beneath the wringer rolls, said pulley roll being pivotally mounted to permit access to said member.

8. In a. power driven wringer mechanism a feeding device which comprises a belt for feeding clothes to and from the bite of the wringer rolls, pivotally mounted guard members respectively overlying the feed and discharge portions of the belt, a plate pvoted to the wringer frame intermediate the inner ends of the guard members. means carried by said plate for transmitting power to the wringer rolls when the plate is in normal position, a cam formed on the edges of said plate adjacent the guard members, and means movable with each guard member and positioned to engage the adjacent cam when its associated guard member is raised to a predetermined height, to thereby swing said plate about its pivot and disrupt the transmission of power to the wringer rolls.

9. In a power driven wringer mechanism a feeding device which comprises a belt for feeding clothes to and from the bite of the wringer rolls, pivotally mounted guard members respectively overlying the feed and discharge portions of the belt, an electric circuit for supplying power to the wringer rolls, including a mercury switch, said switch being normally positioned to close said circuit, and means movable with each guard member to independently effect movement of said switch to circuit opening position when the associated guard member is raised to a predetermined height.

10. In a power driven wringer mechanism a feeding device which comprises a beit for feeding clothes to and from the bite of the wringer rolls. pivotally mounted guard members respectively overlying the feed and discharge portions of the belt, an electric circuit, for supplying power to the wringer rolls, including a mercury switch pivotal- 1y mounted for movement to and from circuit closing position, a latch normally holding said switch in circuit closing position, means movable with each guard member to independently release said latch to permit movement of the switch to circuit opening position when the associated guard member is raised to a predetermined height and separate means for restoring said switch to latched position.

11. In a wringer mechanism including `a pair of wringer rolls, a belt for feeding clothes to and from the wringer rolls, guard members positioned over the end portions of said belt and pivotally mounted for upward movement away from the belt, said guard members including knurled rolls normally engaging the clothes carried by the belt and means to drive said knurled rolls in the direction of the movement of the belt.

12. An attachment for a wringer provided with resilient rolls, comprising an apron projecting from each side of the wringer, rollers, means for hingedly and removably mounting said rollers on the ends of the apron and an endless belt trained over said rollers and traveling between said rolls.

HENRY L. MORIN.

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