US2052667A - Centrifugal drier - Google Patents

Description

Septl; 1936 A. SCHMELZER 2,052,667

CENTRIFUGAL DRIER Filed March 8, 1935 ATTORNEY V40 of its advantages.

Patented Sept. l, 1936 A .UN''E STATES FTENT OFFICE .CNTRIFUGAL DRIER Anton C. Schmelzerfleveland, Ohio Application March 8, 1935, iSerial No. 9,919 14 claims. (ci. 21o-,75)

This invention relates tocentrifugal clothes rinsing andV drying apparatus intended for home or domestic use and has for its principal object the provision cfa machine of rthat type with simple and effectivermeans for preventing water drained or thrown from the clothes basket reaching the bearings for the drive shaft, so as to per- 'mit of the use of ball or vroller Ybearingsfor the shaft.

10. Another object of the invention -is theprovision ofa centrifugal clothes rinsing andl drying apparatus with an extractingelement having its Vbody bulging outwardly `intermediate its ends andembodying Aextracting means in the lprox- 15 imity of the :bulged portion and drainage means in the bottom face ofthe element in combination with means axially extending through the drive shaft ofthe extracting element-,for discharging thewater from the basket through the shaft and zoprohibiting discharged water fromf contacting and interfering with the bearings of the drive shaft.

f A still further object of thejinvention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and geincient in itsy purpose; strong, durable, compact, readilyassembledand :comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

VWiththe foregoing and other objectsinview, the invention consistsv in the features of construction, lcombination Aand arrangements ofV parts, as will be hereinafter `more specicallydescribed in detail `and illustrated in the Vaccompanying drawingawherein` is shown the preferred embodiment of they invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variationsV and modifications can be made as come properly within the scope of theappendedclaimswithout departing from the spirity of the invention or sacrificing any i In the accompanying drawing: i A* Figure 1 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view lthrough afcentrifugal clothes rinsingv and drying apparatusY constructed in accordance with the invention and .Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the, bottom plate of the rotary basket of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 1 showing the drainagev arrangement for draining surplus water from the basket prior to extracting and drying operations.Y V y Referring to the drawing in detail, the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, that is the ,fpreferred form thereof, comprises a' centrifuge'setion -A.and -a drive section B. The centrifuge section A rests with its outer` tank 2 upon the recessed top 3 of the drive section B and isY secured thereto in a manner hereinafter described. vThis tank 2 encircles a double cone-shaped, rotatably mounted clothes 5 basket 4, which basket consists of upper and lower coneportions and S respectively, formed with outwardly extending and downwardly inclined flanges .l and 8, Vsecured together at spaced points .by rivets "9. V'Flange B is also 'recessedbe- 10 tween its A,points of attachment to flange 'l and forms arcuate slots l0 between the flanges l and 8 through which slots water is thrown by centrifugal force, when the basket 4 is rotated by a hollow drive 'shaft Il, arranged below in 15 the. basket d in axial alignment with respect thereto. The "lower'jcone portion E ispreferably 're-enforced by a cone-shaped anged extension l2 of an adapter `HL-securedto the flange by the rivets'S, and islfurthermore enclosed within an 20 inner'itank'or apron l5, which tank conforms to thenQnguration of vandis slightly spaced from the A'basket 4and the reenforcing extension l2 of'the adapter I This apron, Vat its lower end rigidly secured to the top 3 of the Adrive section 25 Bgprevents waterv discharged through the slots i0 fromE entering into the central portion of the tank2-and thus protects thebearing support for the hollow drive shaft Il, which shaft extends upwardly andoutwardly through the toprwall 3 of 30 the drive section B.

The drive-section vB embodies a preferably pressed sheet metalhousing, comprising a cupshaped-loaseplatel 46 and a recessed top memberill, the fidownturned peripheral wall I8 of 35 which-is-secured to the upturned ange `ll of the base -plate 16. The top member I1 issupported onlegs`28fextended into pockets 2| of the top member 'I1-:and secured thereto by rivets 2B. The =base plate I6 rotatably mounts the hol- 40 low' basketvdrive shaft- Il, which `shaft carriesl and`f=is` coupled with the basket .4; Thusthe lower end of this drive shaftprojects through an op'eningin` a .recessed portion22. in the base 1 plate 'l5 and carries a small gear 23 Irigidly se- 45 cured to said shaft by means of fa nut.24. A tube 25, secured to the base. plate I6 and partially enclosingthe shaft H, carries `upper and lower bearings 26-27, which pivotally support the shaft Il. ,The ',upper. end of :this .tube 25 projects 50 throughan opening-285m the top member Vl1 and isV secured to `said top .byaangedbracket 29 sleevedupon saidI tube and welded thereto, and the lower end yof said tube projects through the opening `in the recess 22 ofthe base plate I6 and 55 is secured thereto by means of a bracket 30, welded to the tube 25 and bolted to the base plate E6 bymeans of screw bolts 3|. The lower and upper bearings 21 and 26, at Opposite ends of the tube 25, which bearings are ball bearings, have their inner rings or races 33 and 32 secured to the hollow shaft II and a cone-shaped male adapter 34 respectively, which adapter is in turn fixed to the shaft Il, whereas the outer'rings 36 and 35 of said bearings are rigidly mounted in a cup-shaped bracket 31, welded to the upper end of the tube 25, and in the lower widened end of the tube 25. The adapter 34 and a cup 34 V pressed into the tube 25 form a sealed grease chamber for the upper bearing 26 and a grease cup 31 prevents grease escaping from the lower bearing 21.

The small gear 23 at the lower end of the drive t shaft II meshes with a combined gear andfriction disc ,38 driven from a variable frictional speed mechanism presently described. This gear 39 which extends through a "slot 39 in the wall 49 of the recess 22 for engagement with the gear 23 is mounted for rotation upon a hollow shaft 4- I, x-ed to the/base plate I6 by a nut member42.

The variable jfrictional speed mechanism is adapted to vbe'connected to and driven from a conventional wringer-type washing machine, not shown herein, but clearly illustrated andi de# scribed Vin my co-pending application Ser. No. 688,513, filed September 7, 1933, or may be driven from any desired source of power, such asan electric motor. For such purpose the variable frictional drive mechanism includes a drive shaft 43, which shaft extends through and is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing 44, supported at its opposite endsadjacent one side of the tank 2, by means of a bracket 45'and the top member 11 of the drive section B. The upper end of the shaft 43 V(not shown) may beconnected to and driven from a'washing machine als disclosed in the application previously referred Ato or may be coupled with any other source of rotary power, such asa motor, etc. j y

The lower end of. the drive shaft 43 slidably supports adisc-shaped friction driver 46, splined to said shaft and axially movable with respect thereto, to permit of a coil spring 41, bearing at its upper end against a flanged collar 48, xed to the shaft 43 by means of a pin 49, to yieldingly and resiliently engagey and contact with an intermediate friction wheel 56. This wheel 50 is freely rotatably. and axially shiftably supported yupon a substantiallyk horizontally disposed tubing or rod 52, preferably in the manner'described in the application referred to above, and the rod 52 is vertically slidably mounted on hollow shaft 4I andia post 53, in turn rigidly secured to the base plate I6 by a nuty 54, so as to permit of vertical adjustment of the axis of rotation of said intermediate friction wheel 50 in case of wear of its friction surface. :The intermediate friction wheel, when in its idling position, see Fig. 1, rests upon and frictionally engages an idler disc 55, pivotally mounted upon astud shaft 56. V'I'his shaft 56 is rigidly secured to the base plate I6 by. means ofy a nut Shifting of the friction Wheel 50 from Fig. 1 position toward left by means such as for example described in the above referred to application causes frictional engagementof the friction wheel 59 vwith the upper face 58 of the combined gear and friction disc 38 and therewith rotation of the shaft I I, which shaft mounts and is coupled with the cone-shaped female adapter I4 of the basket 4 by means of the male adapter 34, as will readily be seen from an inspection of the drawing.

The bottom face -of basket 4 is centrally recessedY as at 60 and perforated at 6l to permit of drainage of the basket 4 prior to and during its rotation, so as to dispose of undesired surplus water from wet clothes, dropped into the basket for drying purposes. A false bottom member 62 pressed into the recess 66 covers the opening 6I and the re- Vcess 66, so that the exposed bottom face of the basket is a plain smooth surface and permits sliding of the goods thereon without danger of tearing the goods. The false bottom member is provided with angularly offset finger portions 63,

partly extended into the main body thereof to provide a series of drainage holes 64 adjacent to the edge of the recess 69, which holes permit of drainage water into the recess 69 `and hence through the drainage opening 6I into and through the hollow shaft IVI Yto the inlet of a pump 65. To that end the basket 4 carries at the outside faceof its bottom Wall al short tubular member 66 rigidly connectedethereto in alignment with vthe opening 6I by means of a flange 61, welded to saidbottom Wall. This tubular member 66 eX- tends axially into the hollow shaft II and telescopes into a tubular member 68, extended into the lowerend of the hollow shaft VII inY slightly spaced relation from'lthe inner wall 69 thereof and the outer wall of the tubular member 66. The tubular member 68 is stationary and'supp-ortedby and seated within a tubular extension 16 of a cover plate 1I`,bolted to theplate I6 of the drive section B by means of bolts 12. The

tubular extension 'F9-is secured tothe inlet of the Y The drain pipev 14 fully extends through the cover plate I1 of the drive section B and through a drain opening 16 into the tank 2 and is rigidly securedthereto by means of a collar 11, co-operating with a shoulder 18 on the ldrain pipe in'V tightly sealing the tank 2, the top member I1 and the drainpipe 14 with respect to each other.

VThe pump 65 consists of a two part casing -19 in which a shaft 89, carrying impeller blades 8|, is adapted to be rotated by means of abevel gearv drive,82, which in turnis driven from the' friction driver 4 6 as will be presently described. .Thus theV friction driver 4 6 carries at itsfcircumferential surface gear teeth 83, Vmeshing with a small gear! 84 at the upper end of a freely rotatably mounted vertical shaft 85. This shaft extends through the hollow shaft 4I and'is mounted near its opposite ends in upper and lower ball bearings 86 and 81. A bracket member 88, rigidly attached to the tubing 25, supports Vtheupper ball bearing 86,'while 'the lower ball bearing 81 is carried and supported by a gear casing 89,'secured to the base plate I6 by means of bolts 90. The shaft 89, which extends into the gear casing 89, carries at its lower end a bevel gear 9|, meshing with a second bevel gear 92 within the casing 89. The bevel gear 92 is attached to the end'of a shaft Y93, which shaft carries at its opposite end a bevel gear 94, meshing with a bevel gear 95 lat theV lower Y end of the pump shaft'89.' The bevel gears 94 and 95 are mounted in a gear casing 96 secured to the pumpcasing 19` by means of bolts 91.

Preferably the-two gear casngs 89 and 96 are Y to ride up the outwardly flared sidesoffthe lowerl halfk (i and ri-de down the outwardly ilaredsidesY erated the pumpg is continuously,running,that,V

is the pump` is, actuated, when theV basket 4, is rotated or` at v` rest. Consequently the drainage holes in the basket will effect draining ofthe surplus water, through thehollow shaft I I as soon as some of the goods t-o bev dried are placed into theVv basket. Rotation of the basket causes the water ofthe, upper half 5 and hence out through the slots !Q;,between the flanges 'land 8 into the tank 2. The inclination ofthe flanges l and 8 directs the'water from the basket atan acute` angle to-` ward the verticalV wall of the tank 2, prevents splashingandforming ofsoapy suds, if the water discharged Yis soapy, and `finally `effectively pro-l hibits waterfrom entering the space between the apronandthebasket, so that all danger of water and suds reaching the bearings isavoided; Retardation of the rotation ofthe basket by contact with theV water or sudsV extracted from the clothesi is also avoided.

The water thrown from the basket as -well as the.` water drainedl therefrom passes to and through the pump 65 andrthence either to the washing machine or to a set tub, neither of which is shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: u

1. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through said apertured bottom, a basket having a perforated bottom means for connecting said basket with said driven shaft for rotation therewith and mounting said basket above and opposite the upper end of said shaft, a pump driven by said drive mechanism, and means for guiding liquid drained from said basket through said perforated bottom to said pump, said means vco-operating with said hollow shaft in guiding said liquid therethrough.

2. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow shaft adapted to be driven at will and extending into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, a basket having a perforated bottom means for connecting said basketV with sai-d driven shaft for rotation therewith and mounting same above and opposite the upper end of said shaft, a pump continuously driven by said drive mechanism, means extending centrally from rthe b-ottom of said basket for guiding liquid discharged from said basket into said hollow shaft, and means for guiding the liquid from said hollow shaft to sai-d pump.

3. A centrifugal drier as described in claim 2, wherein said means for guiding liquid from said hollow shaft to said pump include a stationary tubing arranged within said shaft in spaced relation with respect to the inner wall thereof to permit of free rotation of said shaft.

4. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollowl driven shaft extended into and supported within said tank, a basket within said tank, coupling means for connecting said shaft .and basket andv supporting` same opposite4 and above the upper end thereof, said; basket having its body bulging circumferentially inter-v mediate its ends and its middle portion provided with flanged discharge openings, a skirting means,-

encircling said basket and sealed to the bottom of the tank around-its aperture said skirting means having its upper edge arranged slightly below said flanged openings for protecting said shaft and its support from liquiddischarged from said basket, drainage means at the bottom of said basket, and means `on said basket` for4 guidingV liquid drained from saidbasket into said hollow shaft for discharging saidliquid therethrough.

5. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support,

drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow drive shaft extended into saidtank through said apertured bottom, a skirting means` sealed to the bottom of the tank around its aperture, a double cone-shaped basket consisting of upper and lower flanged cone-shaped portions connected with their flanges in spaced relation to provide arcuate discharge slots therebetween, the outer ends of said slots extending laterally at an inclination beyond the upper edge of; said skirting means, drainage means in the bottom face of said basket, and guidingmeans for` guid-r ing the drainage of said basket to and through said shaft.

6. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through said apertured bottom, a coupling member attached to said shaft, a basket, a coupling member on said basket co-operating with said rst coupling member in coupling said basket with said shaft and supporting same above the upper end thereof, drainage means for said basket including means for guiding liquid from the bottom of said basket to and through said second coupling member into the upper end of said hollow shaft, and continuously driven pumping means connected with the lower end of said hollow shaft for withdrawing the liquid drained thereinto. Y

7. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, a basket, means on said shaft and basket for coupling same with each other and supporting the basket on said shaft above the upper end thereof, drainage means at the bottom of said basket, and means on said basket for guiding liquid discharged from said basket into said hollow shaft for dispensing the liquid therethrough. 8. A centrifugal drier as described in claim '7, wherein the drainage means embody a stationary tubular member extended upwardly into said hollow shaft and spaced from the inner wall thereof.

9. A centrifugal drier as described in claim 7, wherein said drainage means include a tubular member in communication with and downwardly extended from said basket into said hollow shaft.

10; A centrifugal drier as described in claim '7, wherein said hollow shaft has upwardly extended thereinto a stationary tubular member, and wherein said drainage means include a tubular member in communication with and downwardly extended into said stationary member in said hollow shaft.

11. A centrifugal drier as described in claim 6,

wherein theV coupling member on said basket is provided with an upwardly extending circum-A ferential cone-shaped Wall seating, contacting with and reenforcing the lower portion of said basket and coupling same with said coupling member. Y

` `12. In a centrifugal.' drier a support, a tank having an apertured botto-m mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, a skirting means sealed to the bottom of the tank around its aperture, a double coneshaped basket within said tank encircled by said skirting means for connecting said -basket with said shaft and supporting said basket above and opposite the upper end of said shaft, said basket having its middle portion circumferentially perforated, ilanges on said basket enclosing said perforations and arranged above the upper edge of said skirting means for discharging liquid Y expelled by centrifugal force fromsaid basket outwardly of said skirting means, means at the bottom Yof said basket for draining liquid from said basket to and through said hollow shaft, and a single pumping means in communication with said tank and said hollow shaft for dispensing the liquid from said drier.

13.V A centrifugal drier as described in claim l2` wherein the coupling member at the upper endof said hollow shaft is a male member and the' coupling member on the basket is a'female member, and wherein said female coupling member includes an upwardly extending circumferential u extension contacting withV the lower portion o1 said basket and encircling same for reenforcing said portion, said extension being attached to one of the iianges of said basket. Y

14. In a, centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow drive shaft extended into said tank through saidrapertured bottom, a skirting means sealed to theV bottom of the tank around its aperture to provide a ring-shaped chamber therein, a rotary basket coupled with and supportedV above the upper end of said vshaft and adaptedV to eXpell liquid by centrifugal force and direct same into said ring-shaped chamber,-

munication with said ring-shaped chamber and said hollow shaft for dispensing the liquid from

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