US2267786A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

2 Dec. 30, 1941- Q J. CHM@ 2,267,786

' WASHING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1958 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENT OR. OUI/v? 4/ Cf/Hr/f ATTORNEY 3.

Dec. 30, 1941.

O. J. CHAYIE WASHING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 5- ATTORNEY a5.

De 3o, 1941.

O. J.` CHAYIE u WASHING MACHINE Fiied July 1e, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lINVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 mesne assignments, to American Machine and Metals, Inc., East Moline, Ill., a corporation of Delaware' Application Iuly 16, 1938, Serial No. 219,526

3 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines and is illustrated as embodied in a washing machine of a type wherein the manual labor involved in lifting the Wet clothes around is eliminated.

An object of the invention is to provide a washing machine in which washing, rinsing, and damp-drying or vextracting take place in the same container, under selective manual control, without the necessity of handling the materials being washed. Important features'relate to the design, operation, vand mounting of the control I ation, and the drum is then rotated rst slowly to rinse the clothes and then rapidly to dry them.

An important feature of the invention relates to controlling the washing and rinsing and drying operations by a single control member movable to several positions, and selectively controlling the operations of the container and agitator. This member with a motor starting switch and a water inlet control device, controls the entire machine.

The above and other objects ofthe invention, and desirable particular constructions and arrangements of parts, will be apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my novel washing machine with part of the control panel broken away to show the control mechanism; v

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view with part of the tub and base broken away to show the motor. transmission, and drainmechanism;

Referring to these drawings, the machine is shown as comprising vertically disposed tub I8 provided with a removable cover I2 and mounted on a base i4. The base may conveniently be made in the form of a generally cylindrical skirt enclosing the driving mechanism.

Within the tub is a circular cylindrical drum or clothes container or receptacle I6 preferably made of sheet metal and Which may be perforated on its bottom and sides. The clothes container is open at the top and is provided with a central sleeve or boss I8 Which|is sleeved over another sleeve boss 20 formed on or secured to the bottom of the tub I0 and which provides a rotatable mounting for the basket. A shoulder on the sleeve i8 rests on a ball thrust bearing 2| mounted on the end of the sleeve 20.

A sleeve 22 secured to the boss I8 passes down through the boss 20 into a gear casing 24 provided within vthe enclosure of the base I4 and has secured at its end a gear 26 for rotatably driving the basket.

A shaft 28 coaxially mounted within the sleeve 22, extends above the boss I8 and has secured at its upper end, by means of a nut 3U, an agitator or beater 32, at its lower end, the shaft extends below the gear 26 in the gear casing 24 and has rotatably mounted on it a gear 34. Splined or keyed to the shaft 28 is a dog clutch collar 35 which is slidable into or out of engagement with mating clutch teeth on the gear 34, whereby the gear 34 may be connected to the shaft 28 to Oscillate the agitator 32, or may be disconnected therefrom to permit the agitator to turn freely.

The agitator may comprise a generally conical central portion secured at its apex to the shaft 28 'and extending nearly to the bottom of the basket where it is formed with a plurality of intcgral horizontally extending arms 36, in the present example three in number.

To drive the drum I6 and agitator 32 I prefer to employ a motor gear unit comprising a motor 'Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view of some of control panel broken away; and

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram.

38 and a two-speed transmission llsimilar to the-unit described and illustrated in an application of Rex Earl Bassett, Jr., and John W. Chamberlin, Serial No. 129,429, filed March 6, 1937, P atent No. 2,165,884, granted July 11, 1939, and having a solenoid 42 (see Fig. 6) for shifting the gears.

This unit is provided with a driven pulley 44 which drives,A through a V-belt 46, a pulley 48 mountedA on a shaft 5U extending through the gear casing 24 in parallel spaced relationship with the sleeve 22 and shaft 28.

Within the casing 24 is an element slidably arranged on the shaft 50 on splines or keys so as to be driven thereby. This element is made up of a gear 52 and a jaw clutch member 54 joined by a reduced diameter portion which forms a clutch collar. The clutch collar is engaged by a clutch fork and lever 56 pivoted on the casing 24 and extending out of the casing through a The gear segment 66 is constantly in mesh with the gear 34, previously described, for driving the agitator 32 with an oscillating motion when the clutch members 54 and 60 are engaged by. swingingthe clutch lever 56 in a clockwise direction.'

The gear 52 is adapted to mesh with the gear 26 to drive the container i6 in continuous rotation when the clutch lever vis swung in a counterclockwise direction. Figure 3 shows the clutch lever 56 in a neutral position which it normally occupies, with neither the clutch member 54y nor the gear 52 in engagement.

The clutch collar 35 is engaged'by a clutch fork and shifter rail "l vertically slidable in suitable supports in the gear casing 24. The fork and rail 'I0 extends below the casing and has a pin 'Il slidable in a forked end 'I3 on one end of a lever I2 fulcrumed intermediate its endsv at i4 and having its other end operatively connected with the clutch lever 56 by a link 16 so as to be moved in unison therewith.

When the lever 56 is operated to engage the gears 52 and 26 the clutch collar 35 is raised and remains in an inoperative position similar to the illustrated conditionv which it occupies when the lever 56 is in neutral. Consequently the agitator 32 is free to rotate at such times as the container |6 is being rotated.

When the lever 56 is operated to engage the clutch members 54 and 60 to drive the eccentric 58, the lever 12 is swung in a clockwise direction to lower the clutch collar 35 and connect the Y Ygear 34 to the shaft 28 to oscillate the agitator.

Hot and cold water are brought into themachine through separate conduits I8 and 80 and one means of controlling the water is illustrated comprising solenoid valves 82 and 84 which act to open the conduits 'I8 and 88 respectively when energized. After passing through the solenoid valves 8,2 and 84, the conduits join and enter a mixing chamber 86 from fwhich a, single conduit 8l extends upwardly between the control panel 88 and the wall of the tub I8 and discharges into the tub through a nozzle 80 curved over .the upper edge of basket I6 so as to the materials therein. i

Electric power is supplied to the machine by suitable supply indicated as a wire 82, the retum part o1' the circuit being indicated diagrammatically by appropriate grounds. A switch 341s connected between the wire 82 and the cold water solenoid valve 84 and can be closed to admit cold water by rotating a cam 88' one quarter turn clockwise by means of an indicator and control knob 98.

A double pole single throw switch |00 is connected betweenthe wire 82 and both 'solenoid valves and can be closed to admit both hot and The eccentric is provided.

cold water by rotating the cam 86 one-half turn clockwise. In series with one pole'oi the switch |00 and the cold water solenoid is a thermostatic switch |02 positioned on the common discharge of the two valves to open and close according to the temperature oi' the mixedv water and thereby open and close the cold water valve 84 to regulate the temperature of the mixture.l A

third position of the cam 96 closes va switch |04 which energizes only the valve 82 'to admit all hot water to the tub I 0.

A drain line I 06 from the tub is controlled by a solenoid operated valve |08 and in some instances, where it is desired to discharge into a set-tub or sink, I may provide a pump I |0 driven by the motor 38 to assist 'in discharging water through the drain connection |06. I also prefer to provide an overiiow pipe III from the tub I0 to the drain pipe |06 below the valve |08, to insure that the proper water level in the tub is not-exceeded.

A single pole switch i I2 is arranged to energize the valve |08 and open the drain, while a double pole double throw switch IMI has one pole in par-` allel with the switch M2 to operate the drain and its other pole connected to energize the solenoid 42 to shift the transmission 40 into high speed.

A switch I|6 is arranged on the control panelv for manual tor.

On the control panel 88 is positioned a control handle II'I slidable in a horizontal slot ||8 having six notches or seats |20 forming six control positions. Adjacent each notch is a spring clip |22 engageable with a ball ended projection |24 on the control handle to hold the handle in its operation to start and stop the mooperative position. The handle is provided with a downwardly projecting linger |26 engageablesuccessively in the several control positions with several control members as follows: a plunger |28 operative through a rock lever |30 and a second plunger |32 to rotate the clutch lever 56 in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 3; a plunger |34 engaging the switch ||2 previously described; a forked arm |36 on the plunger |32 to rotate the clutch lever 56 in a counterclockwise drectiton; a forked arm |38 on the plunger |34; and the second forked arm |38 of the plunger |32 operating simultaneously with the arm o1' the switch ||4. Balanced springs |40 compressed between abutments on the tub 0 and on the plungers |28 and |32 serve tolreturn and normally to maintain thtiise plungers in their neutral or inoperative posit ons.

To operate my machine, the cover 2 is rst removed and the clothes,'or other materials to be washed are placedin the tub. 'I'he indicator knob discharge directly into temperature (either cold, mixed or hot, depending upon the type or materials). When the water reaches the proper level in the tub as indicated by the overflow pipe, the knob 88 is turned back to its "ofP position, soap is added in suitable quantity and the cover is replaced. Y

'I'he control handle is now moved from its oli position into its iirst operative position which I prefer to call the wash position. As the handle is pushed down into the notch |20 the linger |26 engages the plunger Y|28, moving it downwardly. The plunger |32 is raised through the rock lever |30 and the clutch lever 56 is swung to engagethe clutch 54, 60 to drive the eccentric 4 58. At the same time the lever 12 isswung to engage the clutch collar 35 with the gearr34./ The motor switch I I6 is now turned on and the motor drives the agitator back and forth in a Well known manner, to wash the clothes.

When the clothes are suciently washed, the motor may be turned off by means of the switch I I6 and the control handle I II is shifted into the next notch which provides a drain operation. The springs |40 return the clutches to neutral, and the finger |26 engages the plunger |34, closing the switch I I2 and thereby opening the drain valve |08. The motor may be turned on again so that the pump I I will act to rapidly discharge the drain water, and then the motor may be turned oi again.

When the drainage is complete, the control handle is moved to the next position for a rinsing operation. In this position, the finger |26 on the handle engages the plunger |32 and forces it down thereby engaging the gears 52 and 26. The water is turned on at an appropriate temperature and the motor is started. In this condition the container I6 rotates slowly and the water sprays down on the clothes providing a thorough rinsing. When the water reaches the proper level, it may be shut off while the rotation of the container is continued for any desirable length of time to insure complete removal of the soap from the materials being washed, after which the motor is stopped.

The next position is a drain position which I claim:

1. In a washing machine comprising a base and a tub mounted thereon and means for operating on work in the tub to perform` different operations thereon without removing it from the tub including mechanism housed Within the base, the combination of a vertical control panel mounted on the front of the tub and base and having. its top portion provided with horizontallyspaced seats arranged in a series, and control means for said mechanism housed between said panel and the tub and base and including control members on the front of the panel for'convenient manual manipulation and one of which is movable manually selectively along from one to another of said seats for actuating certain of said control means.

2. A washing-drying machine comprising washing and drying means oscillated for washing and rotated continuously in one direction for drying, A

a motor, shiftable driving means driven by the motor and connected to said means to oscillate or to rotate it, longitudinally movable control operates similarly to that previously described, I

i. e. lifting the handle from the rinse. notch disengages the gears 52 and 26, and forcing it down in the drain notch closes the switch II2 again through the medium of the forked arm |36v of the plunger |34. The motor may be' again started so as to bring the'pump into operation, and stopped when the tub is empty.

Next the handle II'I is moved to the last position. The plunger |32 is again depressed to engage the gears 52 and 26, and at the same time the switch II4 is closed to shift the transmission rods connected to the driving means to shift it into oscillating or rotating drive, drain means for the lwashing and drying means, a longitudinally movable control rod for the drain means, certain of said control rods having forked ends arranged in alinement in series according to the successive steps of a washing-drying cycle, and a single control member movable laterally along the ends of said rods into register selectively therewith and then shiftable parallel to the rods selectivelyA to engage the vends of and operate the rods.

ferent operations thereon without removing it 40 into its high speed position and to open the drain line- |06. Now, when the motor is started,. the container I6 is rotated at high speed to extract the remaining water from the materials being washed and leave themin a damp dry condition. The extracted water passes out through the drain with the aid of the pump I I0. The agitator 32, it will be noted, is free to turn with the container. After a' sufficient period of extraction the motor switch |'I6 is turned oil and -the control handle II'I is returned to its original o'r o position ready for the next operation, whereupon the cover I2 is lifted and the clothes removed for further drying andironing.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to `limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

from the tub including mechanism housedwithin the basefthe combination of a control panel mounted on the front of the tub and having a portion provided with horizontally spaced seats arranged in a series, and control means for said mechanism housed between said panel and the tub and base and including a control member on the front of the panel for convenient manual manipulation and which is movable manually selectively along from one to another of said seats for actuating certain of said control means, said control member when positioned in at least two of said seats which are non-adjacent serving to effect the same type of control of the washingextracting machine, whereby the said, machine may be manually sequentially controlled by the movement of said control member from one seat to another progressively from one end to the 'other of said panel.

' OLIVER J. CHAYIE.

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