US2270693A - Wringer - Google Patents

Description

I. TURNER WRINGER Jan. 20, 1942.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1939 ,fiw ekzior: M: m Jwmou,

Jan. 20, 1942.

I. TURNER WRINGER Filed Feb. 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE WRINGER Ivan Turner, Richmond, England Application February 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,512 In Great Britain November 29, 1938 9 Claims.

improved means for releasing the pressure quickly from the rollers, for example in case of danger to the operator or to the material passing between the rollers, the releasing means being so arranged as to be actuated by a. very small effort and in an almost automatic manner if the operators hands approach too near to the moving rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved wringer in which the release of the pressure from the rollers stops automatically the feeding of the material between the rollers.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for power operation with a plurality of gears or speeds of movement suitable for different classes of material, and to enable the improved wringer to be applied to domestic washing machines of known construction having a vertical power shaft for driving a wringer by the same motor as the washing tank or the agitator moving within the said tank, the wringer being also adapted for swinging aside around the axis of the shaft and for folding down over the washing tank when not in use.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved tank, the wringer W being adaptedv to swing around the axis of the vertical shaft and also to fold down over the washing tank when not in use.

The wringer frame comprises two end-members IO, N, connected together at top by a beam or channel I2 of pressed sheet metal; as shown in Fig. 2, the end member I forms a gearbox and is rotatably supported upon the washing machine M, by means of a spigot and socket connection |3, |4 through which the vertical power shaft l5 from the driving motor (not shown) passes into the gearbox, the upper end of this shaft being coupled to a bevel gear IS. The gearbox is wringer in a preferred construction, the wringer being mounted upon a washing machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, on a larger scale, showing one end of the wringer.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation of the other end.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation in section, on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a lever fulcrum and latching device in tripped position.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing an alternative construction of lever fulcrum and latching device.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the wringer W is shown mounted upon a washing machine M, which may be of the kind described in my prior Patent No. 2,112,584, dated March 29, 1938, and having a vertical power shaft for driving the wringer by the same motor as the rotary washing hinged at l1 (see Fig. 4) to the outer member l4 of the spigot and socket device, so that the wringer can be turned down over the washing machine after releasing a locking screw It. A horizontal shaft it! within the gearbox carries a sliding pair of bevel gears 20, 2| connected by a sleeve 22 controlled by a striking fork 23 whereby either of the gears 20, 2| can be brought into mesh with the gear l6 upon the vertical shaft;

the fork 23 is mounted upon a pillar 24 having at its upper end another fork 25 controlled by an external handle 26 fastened to a vertical spindle 21 carrying a crank pin 28. The spindle 21 is mounted in a support 29, secured to the beam l2. A second horizontal shaft 30, mounted vertically above the shaft I9, is connected thereto by two spur gears 3|, 32, secured to the respective shafts. The second shaft 30 isalso connected to a third horizontal shaft 33, mounted vertically above the other two, by a plurality of pairs of spur gears of different velocity ratios; the construction illustrated comprises two pairs of gears 34, 35 and 36, 31, the gears 32, 34, 36, upon the second shaft being secured thereto, as by a long key 38, and the gears 35, 31 upon the upper shaft 33 being controlled by a sliding clutch member 39 between them, the member 39 having teeth 40, 4| adapted to engage with the toothed hubs of the respective gears 35, 31. The

sliding member 39 is controlled by an external handle 42, the spindle 43 of which carries a crank pin 44 engaging the member 39. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the handle forms an indicator to show which gear is in operation.

The shaft 33, which can thus be driven in either direction and at either of the two speeds by suitable manipulation of the handles 26, 42, respec-.

tively controlling the sliding bevel gears 20, 2| and the clutch member 39, has its inner end 45 squared to engage positively in a rotatable coupling member 46 mounted in the inner wall 41 of the gearbox; the same member 48 receives the similarly squared end 48 of the spindle 48 carrying the upper roller 58 of the wringer, this spindle 48 being supported at both ends in bearings 5|, 52. The bearings 5|, 52 are mounted in castings 58, 54 having their upper ends secured as by screws 55 to the underside of the beam 2; these castings are formed with ribs 58 on their back and front sides, to afford guide-channels for vertical links 51 arranged in pairs to carry the bearings 58, 58 for the lower roller spindle 88. The bearings 58, 58 are mounted in castings 8|, 52, secured by bolts 83 to the lower ends of the links 51, and to these same castings there are secured by screws 84 the extremities of a metal tray 85, extending beneath the lower roller 88 and carrying at front and back of the wringer curved sheet-metal guides 81 for the materials, the tray 85 and lower roller 88 being movable together in the vertical direction under control of the links 51. In this way the desired pressure can be applied to the rollers 58, 88, by lifting the lower one 85 against the upper roller 58 which runs upon bearings 5|, 52 at fixed centers. The bearings 5|, 52, 58, 58 and the bearings of the gearbox |8 are preferably of the self-lubricating or oilless" type.

The upper ends of each pair of the vertical links 51 are connected together by a pin 88 and by a distance piece 88 of U-shape, between which there is engaged the outer extremity of one of a pair of levers 18, 1| extending longitudinally of the beam i2; these levers may consist of flat spring steel, and the adjacent extremities of the levers are engaged by a collar 12 slidable upon a vertical post 13 at about the middle of the beam |2. A strong spring 14 is fitted around the post 13, above the collar 12, this spring being compressible to any desired extent by means of a nut or hand-wheel 15 secured upon the upper end of the post 13, the latter havin its lower end 18 screw-threaded to engage in a nut 11 projecting from a plate 18 attached to the beam l2.

Each of the levers 18, 1| transmitting the spring pressure to the vertical links 51 is supported upon a pair of collapsible struts 18 carrying a block 88 which normally forms a rigid fulcrum, these struts being mounted within channel-like supports 8| upon the beam l2 and occupying a slightly inclined position as seen in Fig. 2. The struts are normally latched to prevent them from moving to a greater inclination when the pressure acts upon the levers 18, 1|, until the latch is tripped by a releasing device.

As shown in Fig. 2, each displaceable strut 18 is hinged on a pin 82 near the lower edge of the support 8|, with a spring 88 coiled around the hinge pin and pressing against another pin 84 so as to tend to raise the strut for resetting purposes; the upper end 85 of the strut projects above the spring lever 18, 1| and is formed as a pawl normally engaging a notch 88 in the inturned edge of an angle-section latch 81 pivoted on a pin 88 at the inner end of the support 8|. The free ends of the two latches 81 on each side of the wringer are connected together by a stirrup 88 and the two latches are pressed downwards by a wire spring 88 passing over the top of the latches and having its ends coiled around a pin 8|. The inclination of the struts 18 is such that they tend to slip along beneath the levers 18, 1| and to fall flat, as shown in Fig. 5,

under the pressure exerted on the blocks 88 by the' levers 18, 1|, but the upper extremities or pawls 85 are normally retained by the latches 81 until 82 extending longitudinally at back and front of the rollers and approximately level with the upper roller 58, the rails 82 being carried by cranked arms 88 passing up through slots 84 in the beam |2, with their inner ends 85 arranged to trip the latches by lifting the stirrups 88; thus the pressure on the rollers 58, 88 will be released by displacement of the struts 18 if either of the guard-rail 82 is pressed inwards. The bottom roller 88 will then fall away from the upper roller 58, and at the same time the tray 85 will drop to the position indicated in chain lines at 85 in Fig. 2, together with the guide 51, thereby stopping the feed of material between the rollers.

Fig. 2 also shows automatic means for limiting the pressure between the rollers; the two latches 81 serving to retain the struts 18 in normal position are connected together by a bridge member .88 through which there is screwed an adjustable tappet 81 having its lower end at a short distance above the lever 18. In the event of the lower roller 88 being forced down beyond the 7 limit set by the adjustment of the tappet 81, for

example by the operator's fingers being trapped between the rollers or by a hard object being enclosed in the material passing between the rollers, the lever 18 assumes an inclined position by rocking upon the block 88 with its inner end lifting up the collar 12 against the pressure of the spring 14; the upward movement of the inner end of the spring causes it to engage the tappet 81, thereby lifting the bridge 88 and the latches 81 so as to release the struts 18, a similar releasing action taking place at the other lever 1|.

It will be understood that the drive transmitted to the upper roller 58 by means of the gearbox and spindle 48 may be conveyed to the lower roller 88 and to the material engaged between the rollers by frictional operation under the pressure exerted by the levers 18, 1|; if preferred, however, the two rollers may be geared together in the well known manner by gears 88, 88, fixed upon the spindles 48, 88 as shown in Fig. 2, the fall of the lower roller being sufficient to disengage the teeth of these gears.

In another form of the latching and releasing devices, as shown in Fig. 6, the struts comprise pairs of slightly inclined links I88, pivotally connected to the pressure lever |8|, the lower ends of these links being supportedby a roller I82 resting on the bottom of the beam l2; a latch member I83 of inverted channel section, pivoted at I84 and having its flanges formed with hooks normally engaging over the projecting end of this roller, is adapted for lifting by the inner ends 85 of the cranked arms 88 carrying the guard rails, the latter as well as the vertical links 51 and the pressure .spring 14 being arranged as previously described.

In both these arrangements, the latching device 81 or I82 is so located as to operate at a point where it is subject to minimum pressure, so as to facilitate release.

The wringer is preferably providedwith a supporting leg at the end remote from the gearbox l8, so as to reduce strain upon the spigot and socket mounting device l3, l4 and to prevent distortion of the top surface of the washing machine; Figs. 1 and 3 show the leg I 85 in operative position, its extremity being fitted with a rubber shoe I 88. In the inoperative position, the

washing machine having a vertical power shaft, 7

I wish it to be understood. that the improved 'wringer can be constructed in other forms and that it may be arranged independently of the washing machine, the drive being applied to the spindle of the upper roller from any convenient source of power; for example the spindle 49 may be driven directly or through a reducing gear by a motor of any suitable type, engaging the spindle by a coupling device applied to the squared end 48.

What I claim is:

1. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, levers mounted on said frame, displaceable struts, means for holding said struts in position to form fulcra for said levers, spring means engaging corresponding ends of said levers, links engaged by the other ends of said levers, said links acting to lift the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, and means for freeing said struts to obtain release of said pressure.

2. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of co-operating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper'one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, levers mounted on said frame, displaceable struts, means for holding said struts in position to form fulcra for said levers, spring means engagingcorresponding ends of said levers, links engaged by the other ends of said levers, said links acting to lift the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, and means for freeing sa d struts to obtain release of said pressure, said freeing means including a guard, and means operated by said guard for disengaging said holding means.

3. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, levers mounted on said frame, inclined struts normally forming fulcra for said levers, latches holding said struts in their normal inclined position, spring means engaging corresponding ends of said levers, links connected to the other ends of said levers for lifting the lower one of said rollers at both ends thereof for operative pressure against said upper roller, and safety means for tripping said latches to free said struts, for dropping both ends of said lower roller.

4. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of saidrollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, levers mounted on said frame, inclined struts normally forming fulcra for said levers, latches holding said struts in their normal inclined position, spring means engaging corresponding ends of said levers, links connected tothe other ends of said levers for lifting the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, and means for tripping said latches to free said struts, said tripping means including a tappet operated by one of said levers upon undue movement of said lever from normal position.

5. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, links normally supporting both ends of the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, a pair of levers located in said frame and above said rollers, said links being engaged by ends of said levers, spring means for applying pressure to the other ends of said levers, inclined struts mounted on said frame and normally supporting said levers intermediately of their ends, latches holding said struts in their operative inclined position, and means for releasing said latches to withdraw support from said levers.

6. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, links normally supporting both ends of the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, a pair of levers located in said frame and above said rollers, said links being engaged by ends of said levers, spring means for applying pressure to the other ends of said levers, inclined struts mounted on said frame and normally supporting said levers intermediately of their ends, latches holding said struts in their operative inclined position, and means for releasing said latches to withdraw support from said levers, said releasing means being operated by said levers assuming inclined positions due to yield of said spring means in the event of excessive pressure between said rollers.

7. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, links normally supporting both ends of the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, 8, pair of levers located in said frame and above said rollers, said links being engaged by ends of said levers, spring means for applying pressure to the other ends of said levers, inclined struts mounted on said frame and normally supporting said levers intermediately of their ends, latches holding said struts in their operative inclined position, and means for releasing said latches to withdraw support from said levers, said releasing means including tappets controlling said latches, and said tappets being engaged by said levers assuming inclined positions due to yield of said spring means in the event of excessive pressure between said rollers.

8. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of cooperating rollers supported one above the other in said frame, the upper one of said rollers being rotatable at fixed centers in said frame, links normally supporting both ends of the lower one of said rollers for operative pressure against said upper roller, a pair of levers located in said frame and above said rollers, said links being engaged byends of said levers, spring means for applying pressure to the other ends of said levers, box-like members mounted in said frame and traversed by said levers, inclined struts mounted within sad box-like members, pivots at the lower ends of said struts, fulcrum members carried by said struts and normally engaging the under sides of said levers intermediately of their ends, latches pivoted upon said box-like members and normally engaging the upper ends of said struts, and means for lifting said latches of said levers, an adjusting screw for varying the pressure oi! said spring means, a nut fixed to said top beam and engaged by said screw, links connecting the opposite ends of said levers to said vertically displaceable bearings, inclined struts pivoted upon said top beam and forming displaceable fulcra for said levers, latches engaging said struts to hold them in inclined operative position, and means for releasing said latches for IVAN TURNER.

10 collapse of said struts.

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