US2261932A

US2261932A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: US2261932A
Application number: US303264A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roman B Bukolt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-11-07
Filing date: 1939-11-07
Publication date: 1941-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1958-11-11

Description

R.. B. BUKOLT WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1959 ,5 sheets-sheet 1V Homan J5. Buffa/f Nov. l l, 1941.

WITNESS Nov.11,1941. I RBBUKgLT 2,261,932-l WASHING MACHINE Filed Nv. '7, 1959 s sheets-Sheena wugndOO v .70000 D WITNESS Nov. 11,1941,

R. B. BUKOLT WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ci.: cuonccftf Filed Nov. 7, 1939 'TNES: 7]. www

Patented Nov. ll, 1341 UNITI-:p STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,261,932 f WASHING MACHINE Roman B. Bukolt, stevens Point, Wis. Application November 7, 1939,'Serial No. 303,264

(c1. css- 151) 9 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in washing machines of the general type in which an agitator is mounted for oscillation on a vertical axis within a tub having a bowl-like bot-- tom, and it aims to provide a new and improved agitator which will centrifugally move the Wash water in such manner as to effectively circulate the same and cause repeated passage thereof through the articles being washed, at the same time, gently pressing the articles against and moving them upon rubbing surfaces of the agitator, thereby effectively loosening all dirt and thoroughly rinsing same from the fabric.

With the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view showing the improved agitator incorporated in a washing machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the agitator, partly broken away and in horizontal section.

Figure 3 is a detail section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively, a partial section and a top plan showing a modification.

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs.v 4 and 5 showing a further variation,

Reference is Virst made to the form of construction shown in Figures l to 3.

The improved agitator A is shown centrally mounted within a tub T having a bowl-like bottom B, the peripheral portion of which curves upwardly at C to the side wall W. The agitator A, however, could be used to good advantage in a tub having a more or less inverted conical bottom. I have shown a tubular post P secured to the bottom B and extending upwardly therefrom, said post having internal bearings P' and B' for a vertical shaft S to be oscillated by any conventional mechanism (not shown), a portio,... of the mechanism, however, being illustrated at M. The upper end of the shaft S has a splined or other detachable connection'D with a sleeve 5 forming part of the agitator A, the upper end of said. sleeve being closed at 6. The lower end of the sleeve 5 has a tight-pressed connection with the hub 8 of the agitator, or said sleeve 5 is otherwise suitably secured to said hub. When a pressed connection is employed, it is preferably splined and it may be additionally rivetedas indicated at l'. The hub. 8 is preferably provided with an internal bearing collar II) which rotatably surrounds the lower portion of the tubular post P.

The hub 8 is preferably of the substantially conical form shown, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced spokes 9 radiate from the lower portion of said hub, said spokes having at vertical sides I0. The lower-edges of these spokes are near the bottom B of the tub T, and the outer end portions of said spokes preferably turn upwardly to some extent as shown at 9. Alternate upper and lower segmental plates II and I2 extend between the spokes 9 and are integrally or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper and lower edge portions of said spokes and to thehub 8. The outer ends of the upper plates I I are turned upwardly to some extent as shown at II and the same is true of the outer ends I2 of the plates I2. The plates II and their upwardly turned ends II are formed with perforations I3, the upper ends of which are countersunk, providing said plates with gentle rubbing surfaces for contact with the articles being washed and at-the same time making provision to allow downward passage of water through the plates. The upturned ends I2' of the plates I2 are provided with perforations I4 which are preferably identical with the perforations I3, but the major portions of said plates I2.are imperforate in the preferred construction. While mentioning the portions I2', that the outer ends 9 of the spokes 9 project `outwardly beyond said portions i2 and form paddles for radially moving the wash water.

The various plates II and I2 and the spokes 9 coact in forming alternate upwardly open pockets I5 and downwardly open pockets I6, all of said pockets having substantially flat vertical sides formed by the sides I0 of said spokes. The outer ends of the pockets I6 are open but the outer ends I2 of the plates I2 constitute perforated end walls for the pockets I5.

When theagitator Ais oscillatedwithin the tub filled with water, the spokes 9 centrifugally move the water, causing it to flow outwardly and upwardly along the wall W of the tub and downwardly over'the central portion of the agitator, as indicated by the arrows. The upward and outward inclinations of the pocket end walls I2 i and in so doing passes through the articles being attention is invited to the fact washed, at the same time, gently rubbing them against the perforated rubbing surfaces of the plates il. As the water in the pockets I is moved centrifugally, some of it passes through the perforations I4 of the end walls l2 and in so doing, passes through some of the fabric and presses it against the rubbing surfaces of said end walls. The articles being washed, of course, move with the water in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. .l and at the same time, lare oscillated with the movement of the agitator A. Thus, in a short while, all surfaces of the articles will come in contact with the rubbing surfaces of the agitator and the, washing liquid will be forced to travel a number of times through the fabric. All dirt is thus effectively loosened and thoroughly rinsed out. As the clothes descend around the sleeve 5, the conical hub 8 overcomes any tendency which vthey may have to collect at the centerof the agitator, insuring that they shall move outwardly with the currents of water centrifugally induced by the agitator oscillation. In the present disclosure, the opposed side walls of the pockets I5 and lb and the outer ends 9 of the spokes 9 are all instrumental in centrifugally moving the water as the agitator is operated. The bowl-like bottom of the tub T is of course responsible to some extent for the directional movements of the water and the clothes, but these movements are also caused to quite an extent by the upward and outward inclinations ii and i2' at the outer ends of the plates il and i2, respectively.

While, in all forms of the invention, the agitator is of bowl-shape, this shape is accentuated in the agitator A shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and in the very similar agitator A2 illustrated in Figs. 6-

and '7. The two agitators A and .A2 are so simas it discharges from the pockets 28 and in fact as it leaves the entire periphery of the agitator, an upwardly-curved rim 30 is provided under the

perforated plates

24 and 25, being secured to the paddles 29 and to the central agitator p0rtion 20.

The improved agitator operates on what I term a lateral ow vacuum and inertia pressure principle, the advantages of which are Athat it provides more room in the tub for a larger amount of clothes; forces the flow of water through the 'fabric by the inertia pressure of water and vacuum; rubs the fabric over a perforated wall or barrier of the rubbing bowl or agitator to loosen the dirt while the water iiows through the-fabric; provides a strong yet-harmless washing action; and will wash clothes cleanerin a relatively short time, without injury. y

When the tub is filled with water and clothes and the agitator or rubbing bowl is set into oscillating motion, the water will be expelled centrifugally or in lateral directions, causing the ,water to flow through the perforatlons in the ilar that one description will apply to both, cou- I pled with an explanation as to the difference. The central portion 20 of the agitator is substantially imperforatefalthough it is provided with a number of small openings 2| to permit draining of water therefrom when draining the tub, said portion 20 being suitably secured toa central hub 22 which may well be of the conical form shown. Suitably secured to and projecting upwardly from the hub 22 is a tube or sleeve 23 which may be mounted and oscillated in the same manner as the tube or sleeve 5, above described.

Alternate steeply inclined plates 24 and less steeply inclined plates 25 are secured to the central portion 20 and incline outwardly and upwardly therefrom, all of these plates being provided with countersunk perforations 26. Vertical triangular walls 21 extend from the subplates 24 in forming radially disposed pockets 28 4whichwill centrifugally move the wash water' and clothes as the agitator l`is oscillated. Centrifugal movement is also imparted to the wash water by radially disposed paddles 29 which project beyond the

plates

24 and 25 in line with the walls or plates 21, f The agitator A' shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is intended for use in a bowl-like tub T', the shape of which cooperates with the shape of the agita.- tor in causing movement of the clothes and wash water as indicated by the arrows.

The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and? may well be used with a flat bottomed -tub T and to assist in directing the water upwardly agitator or bowl, from the inside to the outside, which flow is converted to an upward movement as shown by arrows in a number of the views. The water which returns to the bottom of the tub, at the central portion of theI latter, causes the clothes to flow toward the outer inclined perforated wall or rim portion of the agitator. When the clothes reach this perforatedwall' or rim portion, the free iiow of water through the perforations is stopped by the clothes and thus more or less of a vacuum is created on the other side, which will press the clothes against the inside surface by atmospheric pressure. Due to the buoyancy and the weight of the clothes and water, the clothes are not set into motion irnmediately upon starting of the agitator or rubbing bowl in either direction and thereby will be gently rubbed against the perforated rubbing surfaces of said agitator or rubbing bowl. Asr

the clothes accelerate with the movement of the agitator or bowl, a centrifugal force or pressure is additionally applied to the clothes, pressing them still more firmly against the perforated portions of the agitator or bowl liwhile the water is passing through them. The clothes are forced to move outwardly and upwardly over the perforated inclined wall or rim portion of the agitator or bowl and are circulated with the water which returns to the bottom of the tub, at the center of the latter. l

Further examples of the generic invention herein claimed are found in my copending U. S. ap-

plication Serial No. 303,263, filed November 7,

I claim:

1. A washing machine agitator comprising a central hub to.be mounted on a vertical axis, an even number of substantially horizontal circumferentially spaced spokes radiating from said hub and having substantially vertical sides, alternate upper and lower, substantially horizontal segmental plates extending between and secured to said spokes, the outer ends of said up per and lower plates being upwardly extended, said upper plates being perforated, said upwardly extended ends of said lower plates being perforated and the major portions of said lower. plates being substantially imperforate; said spokes and said upper an lower plates forming Va. disk having alternate upwardly open andv upon said vertical axis, causing downward ow of water through the perforations of said upper plates and outward flow of Water through the perforations of said upwardly extended ends of said lower plates.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said perforated outer ends of said lower plates being inclined upwardly and outwardly to upwardly direct some of the wash water. i

3. A structure as specified in claim l; said spokes having outer ends projecting beyond said perforated upwardly extended outer ends of said lower plates and constituting blades for centrifugally moving the Awash water. e

4. A washing machine agitator comprising substantially horizontal disk-like central portion having means for mounting it on a vertical axis, alternate steeply inclined and less steeplyl inripheral portion for upwardly directing the wash water and clothes when they are moved radially, said inclined peripheral portion having perforations through which some ofthe radially moved clined perforated plates inclined outwardly from said disk-like central portion, and vertical radially disposed walls extending from the edges of the steeply inclined plates to the edges of the less steeply inclined plates. f

5. A structure asspecied in claim, 4; together with radially disposed paddles projecting outwardly beyond said perforated plates Ain line with said vertical walls.

6. A structure as specied in claim 4; together K disk member. having an outwardly inclined pewater may flow,-and horizontally elongated paddles fixedly secured to and projecting downwardly from said inclined perforated peripheral portion and extending radially substantially throughout the width thereof, whereby said paddles will centrifugally displace the wash water under said inclined peripheral portion and thus cause the water within the connes of said inclined peripheral portion to flow` through said perforations Aand press the clothes against said inclined peripheral portion while said portion is directing water and clotheszupwardly. 8. A structure as specied in claim 7; one of said members being provided with an additional and continuous outwardly inclined portion under said paddles and secured to the lower edges thereof for upwardly vdirecting the water which is centrifugally moved by said paddles.

9. A structure as specified in claim 7; said disk member having circumferentially spaced substantially segmental relatively low flat portions, othersubstantially segmental relatively high at portions between said relatively low flat portions, and vertical radially disposed wallsjoining the radial edges of said high portions' with those of said low portions, both said high and low portions extending outwardly to the aforesaid in- I, clined perforated :peripheral portion of said disk member, said relatively high and low portions and' said radially disposed walls providing'said disk memberwith downwardly open pockets open at their outer ends, and with upwardly open pockets having said inclined perforated pe ripheral portion across their outer ends.

ROMAN B. BUKOLT.