US2174496A - Wringer - Google Patents

Description

sept. 2s, 1939. L. GREEN 2,174,496

WRINGER Filed Jan. 2, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A T'TORNEYS.

L. GREEN sept. 26, 1939.

WRINGER Filed Jan. 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TT ORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 26, `1939 UNITED STATES WRINGER Leonard Green, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Bennsylvania A, lApplication January `2, 1936, Serial No. 57,077

l claims:

Power-driven wringers commonly used on' washing machinesspresent avery denite problem with relation to the possibility of the operator getting her hands caught and drawn into the 5 wringer rolls. The present invention isdesigned to improve these structures by providing a'mechanism which immediately operates in response to a pull of the operator against the inpulling action of the rolls, disengaging the handfrom the preslO sure bf the rolls, this being specifically accomplished, as exempliiied herein, by reversing the rolls in response to a pull of the operator.l Features and details 'of the invention will appear from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment .of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as iollows: I

Fig. l shows an elevation of a wringer.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 a section on the line'3-3 in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 a view of the gear box with the cover removed. The wringer frame has the usual base I, and side stiles 2. The wringer has'rolls 3 and 4, a top bar 5, and a safety release device having a latch 3 and operating bars 1. These parts are, or 'may be, of usual construction.

The wringer is swingingly supported on a substantially vertical axis so that at least a portion of the wringer frame and both rolls may be moved backwardly and forwardly. This is accomplished `by a post 8 which is secured to the base of the 3;, wringer by a block 8a. The post extends through an opening 3 iii-'an armill. A collar 3b issecured on the lower end of the post and locks it against removal from the opening 9. The arm III is carried by the usual post II which carries the wringer.

The lower roll has the usual drive shaft I2 which is journaled in bearings I3 arranged in the wringer stile. The end 'of the shaft is flattened at lI4 and this operates in a coupling sleeve I5 secured on the end of a shaft I5. The shaft I3 is journaled inv a block I1. The block is secured to the wringer stile at the power end of the wringer by a bracket I3 and bolts I9.

A gear box 20 is mounted on the top of the post II. It has a removable cover 2l at the side -opposite the wringer. The shaft I5 extends through a horizontal slot 22 in the wringer side of the gear box and a gear 23 is fixed on the end` of the shaft I6. 'Ihe gear 23 is adapted to mesh with either a gear 24 or a gear 25 as the end of (C1. sap-269) the wringer is swung forward, or back. The gears 24 and 25 are fixed on a shaft,26 which is journaled in bearings 21 in the walls of the gear box. A gear 28 drives the gear 25 and consevquentlyithe gear 24 through the shaft 26. The

gear 28 is fixed on a drive shaft 29 which extends to the source of power for driving the wringer in the usual manner. The bearing block has a guide 30 which is slidingly mounted between the exten- .sions 20a and 20h on the gear box. Detents 3| are arranged in the surface of the guide extension 30 and these detents are yieldingly engaged by pawls 32 which are urged into the detents by springs 33 backed by screws 34, the detents,

springs and screws being mounted in the extension 20a.

With the wringer set for use the gear 23 meshes with the gear away from the operator and the operator feeds the clothes into the wringer with this setting. Should the operator become caught 5: in the rolls, the instinctive movement ofthe operator is to pull back, or resist the inpulling action of the rolls and this counter-pull of the operator pulls the wringer from the forward driving side to the reverse. This immediately starts the rolls in reverse and thus disengages the caught hands of the operator.

The detents 3| are arranged to hold the gear 23 in engagement withpeither the gear 24, or 25, or permit it to remain in neutral. 'I'he wringer, therefore, may be used from either side, the direction of the gearing driving the wringer forward with the gear 23 in mesh with the gear 24, or 25, away from the operator.

In order that the wringer may be thrown into mesh, for into neutral, in a convenient manner links 35 and 36 are pivotally mounted on a bracket 31 on the arm I0. These links extend upwardly, one at each side of the bearing block I1. They are connected by a link 38 at the top and a handle 39 is provided so that these links may be readily thrown forward, or back, to throw the gear 23 into forward driving'position, reverse, or neutral.

While it is desirable to move the frame suiliciently to reverse the rolls, the purpose of the invention may be accomplished in a measure at least by stopping the forward movement of the rolls by moving the gear 23 to the intermediate, or neutral position.

It will be noted that the reversing of the gears effects a relief action of the wringer-. That is to say the operators hand is automatically relieved of wringer pressure by the reverse movement forcibly removing the hand. While we have shown i. this specific manner of relief, we do not wish to be limited asto this specic manner of relief unless specied in the claims. While the invention is exempliied and described as a wringer, it is applicable in some respects to devices of a similar reversing the rolls in response .to a movement of the frame.'

2. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer frame; -Wringer rolls mounted in the frame; a. mounting for the frame permitting forward and backward movement of at least a portion of the frame, each roll being moved in the direction of its companion roll and in the direction of the frame with each movement of the frame; a driving means for the rolls comprising a drive shaft' for one of the rolls, a reversing gear mechanism driving said shaft having opposing gears, and an intermediate gear rotatively xed with said shaft and movable in response to a movement of the frame into mesh with one or the other oi said gears, reversing the direction of movement of the rolls. l

3. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer frame pivotally mounted atl one end on a substantially vertical axis; wringer rolls mounted in .the frame; drivingmeans for the rolls at an endfJ of the frame comprising a reversingmechanism;

and means controlled by a swinging action of the frame on its axis reversing the mechanism.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; a support for the frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls being provided with roll shafts; an arm extending from the support; a piv- 'otal connection between the ann and the frame;

a gear box on the support; a reversing gear in the gear box having opposing gears and an intermediate gearreversed by a shift in the mesh of the intermediate gear with the opposing gears, the relation of said gears being shifted by amoveinent of the frame; and shaft for one of the rolls of. the wringer connected to said gear mechanism. j

a 5 In a wringer the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the '-frame, said rolls being provided with roll shafts;l a support for the frame; an arm extending from the support; a movable connection between the arm and the frame; a gear box on the support; a gear mechanism having one gear xed as tolocation with relation to the box; and a second gear fixed on 'a shaft of one of the rolls and movable with the wringer frame into and out of mesh with, the companion gear to stop the rolls with a movement of the wringer frame.

LEONARD GREEN.

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