US2265516A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

- 9, 1941- 0. J. CHAYIE WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 04/1/59 J CH Y Marn a! low I M ATTORNEYS 9, 1941. o. J. CHAYIE 2,265,516

WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet s &

I IQ. j INVENTOR. Y GL/VER .J CHHY/E B ma 6 A ATt'ORNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1941 I WASHING MACHINE Oliver J. Chayie, South Bend, Ind., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Machine and Metals, Inc., East Moline, 111., a corporation of J Delaware Application February 18, 1939, Serial No. 257,245

4 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines .and more particularly to washing machines having a single container in which the operations of washing and drying are carried out.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved machine in whichthe drying operation is carried out by means of fluid pressure exerted on a diaphragm which presses the clothes against a rigid part of the machine.

Another object is to provide an automatic control for such a machine.

Another object is to provide means insuring ease of operation of the machine including means for stopping the motion of the container in a predetermined position so that the clothes doors are always in alignment and so that the drains are always at the lowermost portion of the machine.

Still another object is to provide an arrangement of such a machine in which the driving means is utilized to provide sufiicient fluid pressure for operating the extracting means.

The above and other desirable objects and particular arrangements of parts will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section through the washing machine taken in a plane perpendicular to the front face of the machine;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 with parts of the drain pan broken away;

Figure 4 is an axial section through the pump;

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the pump on the line 5--5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram of the machine; and

Figure 7 is a diagram of a preferred washing cycle of the machine.

My novel machine comprises a generally boxlike base I 0 having a centrally disposed vertically recessed boss I I in which a vertical shaft i2 is secured by means of a pin l4.

At the upper end of the shaft I2 is a universal joint l6 forming a connection between the shaft l2 and the base casting I8 of a semi-spherical washing container or clothes basket designated generally by the numeral 20.

The container 20 comprises the base casting 18, which is circular, and plane on its upper surface, a semi-spherical perforated sheet metal inner casing member 22 secured to the upper surface of the base casting by means of a flange 24 and an imperforate outer casing member 26 secured to the base casting IS in surrounding but spaced relationship with the inner casing 22.

The casing members 22 and 26 are each formed with a circular opening concentric with their axis and the two members are preferably secured together by a flange forming part of a door frame 28 surrounding this opening.

The opening is closed by a hinged door 30 of dished construction to complete the semispherical' shape of the interior of the clothes basket 20. The edge of the door 30 is preferably sealed against the door frame 28 by means of a rubber gasket 32.

The flange 24 also serves to clamp to the base casting I8, the periphery of a flexible rubber diaphragm 34, which, under the influence of fluid pressure admitted between the diaphragm and the base casting l8 of the basket 20, acts to squeeze the clothes, or other materials being washed, against the perforated casing and thereby. extract the cleaning fluid therefrom. The

space between the perforated casing 22 and the imperforate outer casing 26 provides means for draining away the fluid thus extracted.

Surrounding the shaft I2 is a hollow shaft or sleeve 34 having secured to its lower enda worm wheel 36 adapted to be driven by a worm gear 38 secured to the armature shaft 40 of an'electric motor 42, and having at its upper end adjacent the base casting I8 of the clothes container 20, an inclined plate or flange 44.

Annular thrust bearings 46 and 48 are preferably interposed between the flange 44 and the bottom of the base casting l8 and between the lower face-of the worm wheel 36 and the upper face of the boss II respectively.

The base casting iii of the clothes container preferably-has a depending annular flange 50 surrounding the bearing 46 and adapted to accommodate a grease and water seal 52 between itself and the edge of the inclined plate 44.

It will be easily understood that upon the operation of the motor 42 the container 20 is progressively wobbled by the rotation of the inclined plate 44 but is held against rotation by the shaft l2 and the universal joint I6.

I prefer to dispose a drain pan underneath the container 20 and in the illustrated embodiment this drain pan may form a cover 54 forthe boxlike base I 0 of the machine. The pan is preferably sloped'to a convenient point where an opening is provided leading to a suitable drain hose 56. The drain pan 54 is formed with a boss 58 i which forms a bearing for the hollow shaft 84 to the container and positioned so as to be coincldent with the door .80 of the container when the containeris in a predetermined position.

To insure that the container always stops at this position, I provide a detent 54 slidable in a framework 66 secured to the boss II and urged by a spring 88 into a groove I formed on the lower face of the worm wheel 88. A solenoid "I2 is arranged to act on the detent 84 to withdraw it from the slot, while the motor is operating, and release it when the motnris stopped. Since the momentum of the apparatus is sufficient to carry the shaft 84 around at-least one revolution, the detent will always catch in the groove and halt the container at the proper place. 4

Hot and cold water are'connected to the machine by two pipes 14 and I8 respectively whichpump I02. This pump may be of any desired type and is here shown as a sliding vane eccentric rotor pump. The pump is driven by the motor 42 and its shaft may be an integral extension of the armature shaft 40 of the motor. The chamber 88 of the pump I02 discharges into a conduit I04, which extends intothe clothes container and is formed with a nozzle I08 discharging downwardly into the chamber 20 from a point near the door frame 28. v

The chamber I00 of the pump I02 discharges into a conduit, I08 which carries the water discharged from this chamber into the space between the diaphragm 84 and the base casting I8 of the clothes container.

' Both of the conduits I04 and I08 are formed with flexible portions adapted to permit the motions of the clothes container to take place.

A fluid pressure operated switch I I0 is mounted on the conduit I 08 and is constructed and arranged to open an electric circuit when the pressure in that conduit reaches a value suflicient to carry out the extracting operation on the clothes,-

but insuflicient to stall the motor.

Positioned at the lowermost portion of the clothes container 20 when it is in the position determined by the operation of the detent T84 is a double acting drain valve II2 having a passageI I4 leading from the space between the casings 22 and 26 of theclothes container, and a passage IIO leading from'the space, between the diaphragm 84 and the container base I8. The valve includes a valvemember I I8 urged byf a spring I20 to a position in which the passage "8 is open and the passage H4 is closed, and actu- V ated by a solenoid I22 to a position in which the passage I I4 is openand the passage II8 is closed.

The operation of the various solenoids and the hers 88 and I00 of a dual positive displacement turning. on and'ofl of the motor 42 is controlled in 'a predetermined cycle (such as that'illustrated switch m which may be the type disclosed and claimed in an application of Rex Earl Bassett, Jr., Serial No. 137,661, flied April 19, 1987. w

This switch I28 of a constant speed type such as a synchronous motor, driving a shaft I28 through suitable reduction gears I and a ratchet clutch I82.

The shaft I28 is provided with an indicator .10.

I84 whichruns over a dial (not shown) suitably positioned on the machine and serving to indicate the period of'the cycle in which the machine is operating. This indicator I84 may be formed as a handle or knob which may be grasped by the operator to advance the shaft I28 to start the machine or to shorten one of the periods of the cycle.

0n the shaft I 28 are six cams I88 adapted to move six switch contacts I88 into and out of engagement with a contact bar I40. The contact bar I40 is connected to one line I42 of a volt alternating current supply, and the contacts I38 are connectedto six parallel circuits leading to the other-lin I44 of the, current supply. A circuit I48 passe through'the switch motor I 28. A circuit I48 includes the driving motor 42 and the detent solenoid I2 arranged in parallel. A

circuit I50 passes through the hot water valve. solenoid 82. A circuit I82 passes through the cold' water valve solenoid 84 and the thermostatic switch 84-arranged in series. A circuit I54 passes through the solenoid 88 and the pressureswitch H0 in series. A circuit I58 passes through the drain valve solenoid I22. Y

A manually operable selector switch I58 is a1'-- ranged to connectthe twocircuit I50 and I52 in parallel so that the solenoids are operated simultaneously by the hotwater cam. It will be observed that, if both the'hot and cold washing water solenoids 82 and 84 are energized by their respective cams, hot andxcold .water will be ad- ,mitted simultaneously tothe washing container.

However, the cold water solenoid 84 is controlled by the thermostatic switch .84 to givev a. predetermined temperature of mixed water. As it is desirable, when washing cottons and similar goods, to use. the hottest water available, the cold water solenoid 84 is not energized by its respective cam during the washing period but only I during the rinsing period. However. if warm water is desired when washing woolens, the selector switch is closed so that the cold washing water solenoid 84 is energized for the wash period as well as for the rinse periods.

In operation, referring to the diagram of Figure 'L'the automatic switch I24 is initially in the of! position and consequently none of the contacts I88 are closed and all parts of the 'machine are at rest. The operator opens the doors 30 and 82 and places a quantity of clothes or other materials to be washed into the container 20 together energizes the solenoid I2 to withdraw the detent 84- from the groove 10, starts the motor 42, and energizes the appropriate washing water solenoids to admit water to the pump chamber 88 from whence the pump discharges it into the washing container 20 through the nozzle I08. By forming the cams to maintain the water valves open a predeterminedtime, a pump-of the type here comprises a switch drlvingmotor used will discharge a suitable fixed quantity of water into the tub, thus eliminating the necessity for a float valve or other water level determining device.

After the indicator I34 has passed the fill period, the operator may advance the indicator to reduce the washing time as desired, depending on the character and quantity of the soil in the clothes.

At the end of the washing period the motor 42 stops and the drain valve solenoid I22 is energized to open the passage I I4 and permit the washing water to empty from the container. The

detent 64 is released and holds the container with the drain valve in its lowermost position as shown in Figure 1.

The next operation is a rinse in which the motor 42 is started and container 20 is first filled with a quantity of clean water and then run for an additional period to thoroughly agitate the clothes in the water.

The next operation is a drain and flush in which the motor 42 continues to operate while clean water is sprayed onto the clothes from the nozzle I06 to help remove curds of soap and the like. The drain valve passage H4 is held open and is intended to be-large enough to discharge more water than is sprayed in so that the level in the container is materially reduced and the spray has an opportunity to strike the clothes and thoroughly flush them.

The "motor 42' is then stopped and the drain valve passage H4 remains open to fully complete drainage of the rinse water.

Next the motor 42 is started and run for a few minutes without water in the container. This tends to spread the clothes out more or less evenly'over the bottom of thecontainer 2|] and is called the distribution period on the chart of Fi ure 7.

Now the solenoid 96 is energized to admit water through the conduit 90 to the pump chamber I00, and from there through the conduit II! to the space between the diaphragm 34 and the base casting I8 of the container 20. i

The water inflates the diaphragm and causes it to squeeze the clothes against the perforated inner casing 22 of the container 2|].

.The pump I02 is capable of producing a pressure greatly in excess of normal city water pressure and consequently enables the diaphragm to exert great pressure and dry the clothes to a much greater degree than can be done with an ordinary roll type wringer.

when the diaphragm is so fully inflated that all the space of the container 2. is occupied the pump can discharge very little more water and 1. A cleaning machine comprising a container, 7

a support therefor, driving means for imparting a progressively wobbling non-rotating motion to the container, a diaphragm in the container and.

fluid pressure means for actuating the diaphragm to compress the contents of the container, said container having a drain at one side and its support being provided with means for holding said container stationary with the drain side tilted downwardly and with said diaphragm under pressure.

2. A cleaning machine comprising a rotatable hollow shaft having an inclined plate at its end, a stationary shaft within the hollow shaft, a container having its base engaged and progresm'vely wobbled by said plate and universally centrally jointed to the stationary shaft and held from rotation thereby, a diaphragm in the container peripherally secured to the base of the container, a drain at one side of the container in the bottom thereof, two inlets for liquid under pressure at the opposite side of the container opening to the space on opposite surfaces of the diaphragm, and means for insuring that said container when it stops will have said drain at its lowermost point.

3. A cleaning machine comprising a container, a diaphragm therein, driving means for imparting' progressively wobbling non-rotating motion to said container, a drain at one side of the container in the bottom thereof, two inlets for liquid under pressure at the opposite sideoi' the container opening to opposite surfaces of the diaphragm, and means for insuring that said container when it stops will havesaid drain at its lowermost point.

4. A cleaning machine comprising a container, a diaphragm therein, driving means for imparting a progressively wobbling non-rotating motion to said container, said container being provided with fluid pressure means for actuating the diaphragm to compress the contents of the container, said container having a drain at one side, a support for said container provided with means for holding said container stationary with the drain side tilted downwardly and with said diaphragm under pressure, together with a cabinet housing said container, said container and said cabinet having openings which are in alinement when said container is held stationary but out of alinement when said container is wobbled to any of its other positions.

OLIVER J. 0mm

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