US2289419A

US2289419A - Washing machine mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2289419A
Application number: US321487A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph T Garubo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-02-29
Filing date: 1940-02-29
Publication date: 1942-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1959-07-14

Description

July 14, 1942. T GARUBQ "2,289,419

WASHING MACHINE I MECHANISM Filed Feb. 29, 1940 INVENTOR. IFIQZ JOSEPH T. GARUBO HIS ATTORNEY.

Patentecl July 14, 1942 UNITED STAT ES Fi i? T FFICE WASHING MACHINE MECHANISM Joseph T. Garubo, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 29, 1940, Serial No. 321,487

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in household ,washing machines whereby a higher water level may be maintained in the tub of the machine and, at the same time, the water is prevented from access to the bearings and like parts.

In United States Letters Patent No. 2,065,686, issued to me on December 29,1936, there is shown and described an improvement for this general purpose, but the structure therein de scribed does not nrake possible th maintenance of as high a water level as does the present invention, and is not as'eiiicient in operation.

'In present types of household washing machines, an increase of an inch to two in the permissible depth of water above the bottom of the agitator very greatly increases the tub capacity. If, at the same time, the agitator is made effective up to the higher water level, a very great increase in-capacity and efficiency of the machine can be obtained. Likewise, it is necessary that the water be constrained from entering the hearings or the agitator shaft.

One of the principal objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a means which can readily be embodied in the present types of machines and by which the bearings of the agitator shaft are so protected that the water level can be raised to substantially the full depth of the tub.

Anoth'er'obiect'i's toprovid'e amore ruggedand durable connection between the agitator and'the drive shaft thereof so that wear of the connection is reduced to "a minimum and vibration and 'slackne'ss substantially are eliminated.

Another object is to provide a structure for the purposes described which can be so incorporated in the agitatorthat the agitator can directly opcrate on materials in the tub substantially to the top wall of the agitator.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification wherein reference is made to the drawing, in which:

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a washing machine illustrating my invention, part thereof being shown in elevation for clearness in illustration;

Fig. '2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken one. plane indicated by line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on a plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the various parts, partly in section, illustrating particularly a preferred ernbodiment of the connection between the agitator and it drive shaft and the manner in which the parts are assembled with respect to each other.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is shown embodied in the usual household washing machine having a tub i, to the bottom wall of which is fixed an upright hollow post or agitator support 2, the post 2 being in sealed relation with the bottom of the tub and its interior being accessible through a suitable aligned hole in the tub. The post or support 2 has an external bearing 3 which cooperates with a complementary internal bearing surface of an agitator 4, in a well known manner. The agitator t is of the oscillatable, radial vane type and preferably comprises a hollow central column 5 having radial vanes 6 extending therefrom. Mounted in the post or support 2 on suitable bearings and supported in fixed axial position therein is an oscillatingdrive shaft 7 which'may be driven by a suitable crank arm or segmental gear 3 from suitable driving mechanism in the customary manner.

As better'illustrated in Fig. 2, the support 2 is provided at its upper end with an internal bearing 9 in the form of a bushing and in which the shaft 1 oscillates, the bearing 9 preferably terminating upwardly at the upper end of the support 2.

Previous to the invention described in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,665,686, the general practice was to maintain the water level in the tub a substantial distance below the top of the support 2 so that, notwithstanding the usual splashing occasioned by operation of the agitator, water could not enter-the bearing 9. In my pat-- out above identified, there is disclosed a structure which makes possible the maintenance of a water level a substantial distance above the bearing 9 and top of the support 2.

In accordance with the present invention, however, it is desired to make possible the raising of the water level substantially to the top wall or upper limit of the agitator and to extend the vanes to this higher level so as to increase both the volumetric capacity of the machine and the effective size of the agitator. In-order to accomplish this result, the structure illustrated in Fig. 2 is provided. Therein the various parts are shown as separable so that the invention can be incorporated as replacements for or revisions of machines, it being understood that in new machines many of the parts may be formed integral with the support 2 and the column 5 of the agitator.

Referring to Fig. 2, a heavy rigid collar id is .fixedly secured on the upper portion of the support 2 by screw threaded engagement therewith or otherwise and terminates at its upper end flush with the upper end of the support. The collar ID has external threads II near its upper end which receive a sleeve I2. The sleeve is internally threaded at its lower end and is provided with an annular internal shoulder I3. A sealing washer or gasket I4, preferably of lead, is interposed between the shoulder I3 and the upper end of the collar I so as to assure an effective seal therebetween.

The upper end of the drive shaft extends above the upper end of the support 2 and carries a torque block I5 which is secured to the shaft for oscillation therewith. This torque block is preferably made detachable in all instances so as to afford ready access to the bearing 9, to permit removal of the shaft 1 from the bottom, and to make possible replacement of the torque block I5 in the event it becomes damaged in any manner. Consequently, the connection between the torque block I5 and shaft I is made by a tapered pin I6.

As better illustrated in Fig. 4, the torque block I5 is provided at its upper end with a plurality of radial lugs H, the lugs preferably being in the form of circular sectors with true radial side faces. Since these lugs are subjected to severe stresses due to the oscillation of the agitator thereby, they are reinforced at the upper end by means of a bridge I8, connected with all the lugs, so as to prevent spreading of the lugs and resultant rattling and vibration.

The upper end of the shaft I abuts the underside of the bridge I8 when the torque block is installed, thus relieving the pin I6 from the stresses occasioned by the weight and impacts of the agitator. The agitator column 5 is closed at its upper end with a cap I9 which is in sealed engagement with the column 5 and forms the top wall thereof, and which, if desired, may be formed integral with the column 5. If formed separately, as in the embodiment illustrated, it is secured against rotation relative to the column by means of suitable pins such as illustrated at 20.

On the underside of the top wall are a plurality of radial lugs 2I which have true radial side faces fitting snugly between adjacent side faces of the lugs I'I. Near their bases, the lugs 2| are thickened radially, so that they form relatively inturned portions 22 which extend radially inwardly from the upper ends of the lugs H to the bridge I8. Thus the lugs I! are reenforced at the bridge which is at the point of greatest stress thereon, and the lugs 2| are reenforced by the portions 22 at the corresponding points thereon.

The under surface of the top wall of the agi tator rests upon the upper end of the torque block I5 and the entire weight of the agitator is supported thereby and therethrough by the shaft I. The top Wall is provided with a relatively deep annular channel 23 which is positioned outwardl from the lugs 2I and which extends to such a depth that its effective bottom is substantially at the top limit of the top wall of the cap I9, or of the agitator generally, and thus above the top of the vanes ofthe agitator. The channel 23 is so positioned and related to the sleeve I2 that the upper end of the sleeve I2 extends substantially to the bottom of the channel with positive, but slight, operating clearance only. The inner circumferential Wall of the cap I9, or agitator, forms a continuation of the outer wall of the channel and provides a surface substantially complementary to the outer surface of the sleeve, with very slight operating clearance. A slight operating clearance in addition to the thickness of the washer or gasket I4 should be provided between the bottom of the torque block I5 and the upper end of the support 2, bearing 9, and collar I0 so as to prevent wear on the Washer or gasket.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the water level may be carried to the top of the sleeve I2 without danger of entry of water into the bearings, and by virtue of the channel 23, the top of the sleeve is brought substan tially to the top of the agitator itself. Thus the capacity of the tub of the washing machine is materially increased, and, if desired, the vanes can be carried substantially to the top of the agitator, thus increasing not only the fluid capacity of the washing machine, but also the effective cleaning or operating range of the agitator.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a washing machine having a tub, an upright hollow support rigidly secured therein, a drive shaft mounted in and extending upwardly beyond the support, an agitator having a hollow column coaxial with the shaft and closed at its upper end, a torque block at the upper end of and rigid with said shaft, connecting means on the upper end of the torque block and on the under side of the upper end portion of the agitator column, respectively, said means drivingly detachably connecting the block and agitator, said column having an internal downwardly open annular circular channel in its upper end, portion with the bottom of the channel disposed in close proximity to the upper surface of the said upper end portion of said columns and above the level of said connecting means, and an imperporate annular sleeve fixed relative to and extending upwardly from the support around said connecting means and into said channel and with its outer circumferential wall closely fitting the outer side wall of the channel and having its upper end slightly spaced from the top wall of the channel.

2. In a washing machine having an upright hollow imperforate rigid support, a drive shaft mounted in and extending upwardly beyond the support, an oscillatable agitator having a central tubular portion with vanes projecting therefrom, connectirg means on the upper end of the shaft, cooperating connecting means in the upper end of the tubular portion and constituting with the first connecting means a readily detachable driving connection between the shaft and the tubular portion of the agitator, an imperforate rigid sleeve constituting an upward extension of the imperforate support and fixed relative thereto and lying within said tubular portion of the agitator, said sleeve extending from a location below the connection to a location above the connection and in surrounding relation to the driving connection, said sleeve having its outer circumferential wall in sliding contact with said tubular portion continuously from one of said locations to the other of said locations and for a distance such that the agitator may be raised sufficiently to disestablish the driving connection without breaking said contact of the sleeve and tubular portion, whereby the tubular portion of the agitator is supported in the region of the detachable connection.

3. In a washing machine having a tub, an upright hollow support rigidly secured therein, a

drive shaft mounted in and upwardly beyond the support, an agitator having a hollow column coaxial with the shaft and closedat its upper end, a torque block on said shaft, circumferentially spaced lugs on the upper end of said block having upright radial faces, complementary depending lugs on the underside of the top wall of the column, said latter lugs having inwardly projecting reinforcements near the upper portion thereof, a bridge connecting the lugs of said torque block at their upper ends and received between said projecting reinforcements while the radial faces of the lugs are in engagement.

4. In a washing machine of the type having 15 tator, said connection comprising a torque block 20 on the shaft having upstanding circumferentially spaced lugs with generally radially disposed driving faces, depending lugs on the agitator with faces complementary to the faces of the aforesaid lugs, and a bridge disposed upwardly 2 beyond the shaft and connecting together the upper ends of all the upstanding lugs.

iii

5. In a washing machine having a tub, an upright hollow support rigidly secured therein, a drive shaft in and coaxial with the support, a bearing in the upper end of the support for the shaft, said shaft protruding above said bearing, an agitator having a hollow column coaxial with the shaft and closed at its upper end, complementary lugs above the bearing and carried by the protruding end of the shaft and by the upper end Wall of the column and in engagement with each other for drivingly connecting the shaft and agitator, a circular sleeve carried on and in fixed relation to the support and extending to a point in close proximity to the upper end wall of the agitator column and in surrounding relation to said connecting lugs for preventing access of water into the support, the inner wall of the agitator column being in closely fitting relation to the outer wall of the sleeve from a location above the level of the lugs to a location below the level of the lugs and for a material distance downwardly from the upper end of the sleeve and affording a bearing for the agitator substantially in the horizontal plane of the driving lugs and for a material distance beyond the lugs both upwardly and downwardly.

JOSEPH T. GARUBO.