US2436343A

US2436343A - Drum support for combined washing and centrifugal drying machines

Info

Publication number: US2436343A
Application number: US569163A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ellsworth M Wilson
Original assignee: Remington Arms Co LLC
Current assignee: Remington Arms Co LLC
Priority date: 1944-12-21
Filing date: 1944-12-21
Publication date: 1948-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 1965-02-17

Description

Feb. 17, 1948. E M, WxLSQN 2,436,343

NTHIFUGAL DRYING MACHINES DRUM SUPPORT FOR COMBINED WASHING AND U.

Filed D'fib 21 1944 4 Shee ts-Sheet l BY W A7ZZL HTTO NEYS E. M. WILSON Feb. 17, 1948.

DRUM SUPPORT FOR COMBINED WASHING AND CENTRIFUGAL DRYING MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 17, 1948. WILSON 2,436,343

DRUM SUPPORT FOR COMBINED WASHING AND CENTRIFUGAL DRYING MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 59 IT I III 46 Q 5 I i I /-43 40/ a 54 5 g 00p 0 o o o o E n00 o o o o 0 500 O O O O O O 000 o o o 0 o one o o o o {o\ ooooooo oid| Z f H, ,n-rrm-r f 44 z :2! a I l i i 40 i *1 W ii i WW I g, l 59 E 1 Q J I I I I II II I I 17 II INVENTOR. [LLJWORTl/M MLJOA Feb. 17, 1948. E. M. WILSON 2,436,343 DRUM SUPPQRT FOR UOHBINED WASHING AND CENTHIFUGAL DRYING MACHINES Filed DeG. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

[LLJwoxfl/ M I V/ZJG V BY ,WM

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1948 DRUM SUPPORT AND mm! Ellsworth M. Wilson. Bontbport. Coma, to Remington Arms Company. Inc..

FOR COMBINED WASHING GAL DRYING MACHINES assigmor Brid port. Conn a corporation of Delaware Application December 21, 19. Serial No. 589,168 10 Claim. (CI. 68-25) This invention relates to washing machines, and particularly, to the type suitable ior home or domestic use.

In the home type of machine, a receptacle for containing washing water and a basket or drum for holding the clothes are usually provided. The

The clothes are usually located in the drum in such a manner as to be 0!! center so that considerable vibration is set up in the machine during the wringing or centrifuging operation, and some of this may be transmitted through the easing into the floor or surrounding building.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mounting for the drum to provide for a gyratory motion during the wringing operation and to support the drum rigidly during the washing operation.

As will be explained hereafter. it also is desirable to lift the clothes out of the wash water tub during the wringing operation. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and description which are merely exemplary of the invention.

Fig. i is a perspective view of one form of the invention, the casing and tub not being shown.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of the apparatus of Fig. l with a casing and tub indicated, the drum in this figure being shown in an upright or wringing position.

Fig. 3 is generally similar to Fig. 2, with the exception that the drum and support are shown in a washing position.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical view partly in section or a modification of the invention, the basket being shown in full lines in the wringing position and in dotted lines in the washing position.

Fig. 5 is a view of the lower guide supp rt taken in the direction 8-! of Figs. 4 and '1.

Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 4 taken along the line 8-6 of P 8. 4.

Fig. is.a fragmentary vertical view of a, modificatlon of the device shown in Fig. 4, there being an adjustable element for the shaft guide support.

Fig. 8 shows a device similar to Fig. 4, wherein the axis of the hinge is at a diilerent angle than to pivot about that shown in Fig. i. the drum in Fig. 8 being shown in its horizontal washing position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a modification of the bracket of Fig. 4. showing adjustable ele ments ior both the bracket and the hinge shaft guide support.

Fig. 10 is a. fragmentary vertical view of a modification of the supporting means for the shiftable shalt guide support the drum being in its wringing position.

Fig. 11 is similar to Fig. 10 with the drum in a washing position.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical view of a modification of the supporting means showing the pivot at a dlflerent angle than Fig. 4.

A frame (Fig. 1) may carry pivot bearings ii for plvotally mounting the shaft guide support or frame ll. Perforated washing drum or basket I: with a closed bottom is mounted on rotatable drum shaft II. The drum ma be supported irorn shaft 22 by spider arm 86, or in any desired manner. c-shaped frame 24, having a top crossbar IO and legs II, it, has a. universal or flexible shaft bearing guide It for carrying the upper end of drum shaft it. Crossbar I! may have a keyhole-shaped aperture 21 or equivalent guide, spaced from the universal shaft bearing 25. Said keyhole-shaped aperture has a restricted portion 2! and an enlarged portion 29. There may be mounted on frame It a suitable motor drive It having a pulley II. drive belt 32, and drum shaft pulley a. The support of Fig. 1 may be placed in a container 84 (Fig. 2) having a suitable tub or water containing portion 35.

u The water may be fed to the tub automatically or by any suitable means, such as is well known in the art.

A hydraulic cylinder ll of any suitable type having a piston rod OI may be provided for moving the support on pivots ll. Another form of hydraulic cylinder is found in Figs. 2 and 3 at 30. A flexible connector 31 may be provided for pivotaliy operating the frame 2|. The cylinder may be located along the vertical wall 38 of the container and the flexible connector carried around a suitable pulley II in any desired manner. It is apparent that other equivalent operating means can be used for pivoting the shaft guide support II.

In order-to wash clothes. they are placed in the drum 22 and the frame 24 rotated to the inclined position shown in Fig. 8 so that clothes in the drum 2! will pass into the water in the tub it. The shaft. when in this position, will the universal bearing It and fall into inlet and outlet the restricted portion 2| oi the keyhole-shaped aperture 21. and thus rigidly be held for the washing operation. Upon completion oi the washing operation, the hydraulic cylinder 38 may be operated in any desired manner to rotate frame I to the vertical position shown in Fig. 2. When in this position, the basket can-be rotated for wringing or centrifuging purposes. The motor 30, as is well understood in the art. may be oi a multiple speed or transmission type so that it may be operated at a sufliciently high speed when in a vertical position to wring the water properly out or the clothes. The control of the various operations of the motor, pivoting or the guide support, and supply and withdrawal of thewater may be accomplished manually or may be done automatically in any conventional manner, as is well known in the art. In washing clothes. it has been found that if the water is withdrawn from the tub while the drum is still rotating therein that some or the dirt may be redeposited in the fabric. If the drum is moved out or the water upon completion of the washing cycle, the water will drain from the clothes and much of the dirt otherwise deposited in the clothes will be eliminated. V

In Fig. 4, a modification of thedrum support is shown wherein a container or casing ll may be provided and mounted on casters II. A water container or tub 42 is carried in the container. pipes 13 and N being provided. A door 3 can be placed in the container for access to the rotatable drum ll. although it is apparent that this door may be located in other parts or the casing. Drum shaft ll is'carried in the universal or flexible shalt bearing ll mounted in bracket ll of the shaft guide support ll. Spaced from the universal guide" is a second or lower guide I. This guide may be a keyhole-shaped aperture 80 orequivalent'gulde having a restricted portion tlon 52 (Fig. 5). The guide support I! is hinged at 58 to a bracket 54 carried by casing ll; The axis of hinge I3 is inclined relative to the shaft it. Mounted on the shaft guide support II is the driving motor 55. which may have a suitable reduction gear box 88. Pulley i1. drive belt II. and shaft pulley 59 serve to drive drum through shaft 8. Motor I55 may have any desirable speed control means for optionally driving the drum at wringing speed or at washing speed. In the position shown in Fig. 4. the drum is in the wringing position and the drum shaft ll is located substantially centrally or the enlarged portion or the keyhole aperture so that the drum may have gyratory rotation about the universal bearing guide ll during the wringing operation.

During the washing cycle, the guide support I" is rotated about the hinge 88 to the position shown in dotted lines at iii. In this position, the drum shaft will fall into the restricted portion of the keyhole aperture and be held during the washing cycle. One method of shifting the shaft guide support 48 is by means of a gear Ii driven by a suitable controlmotor (not shown). This control motor can be connected to an automatic control switch in such a manner as to rotate the drum from one position to the other at an at propriate time. The control motor may also be operated manually, if desired. It is apparent that other means may be employed to move support is about the hinge axis.

Fig. 6 shows a top view or the bf Fig. 4, the gear 6| being omitted therefrom. The

3| and enlarged porshown wherein the O-shaped dotted lines I! in Fig. 6 show the approximate lowered position 01 the drum.

The shaft guide support shown in the modification of Fig. 7 has adjustment means whereby shalt guide support I! is fastened to hinge 64 by means of wing nuts 85, hinge 64 having arouate elongated slots N to provide for adjustment, the other parts being numbered identically to Fig. 4.

In Fig. 81s seen a guide support hinge arrangement wherein hinge ll is placed at a slightly diiierent angle than that or Fig. 4, so that the shaft 4! will be in a substantially horizontal position when the drum is in the washing position. The other details oi Fig. 8 bear identical reference numerals as Fig. 4. It is to be noted that in Fig. 8 the shaft I is in the restricted portion of the keyhole aperture ll so that it is held in the washing position. The belt 58 may be V- shaped so that it will track properly when the shaft is slightly out of line with pulley 51 because of movement of the shaft from the verti- .cal to the restricted portion oi the keyhole slot. In Fig. 8 the drive motor is arranged so that the belt tracks correctly when the drum is in the washing position, and in Figs. 4 and 7 is it shown as tracking correctly when the drum is in the vertical or wringing position.

Fig. 9 shows an arrangement similar to Figs. 4 and B, with the exception that the bracket attachment to casing II is shown adjustable. there being wing nuts II and arcuate slots 88 similar to those on the shaft guide support itself. The remainder of th parts of Fig. 9 are similar to Fig. "I.

In Pills. l9 and ii. a modification or the means for shifting the shaft guide support of Fig. 1 is frame 15 may be provided with suitable rollers 18 and I1, said roll ers being guided in com slots ll and I0 carried by the casing 8!. Boilers and cam slots may be provided on each side of the support. The shiftableguide support ll may have a driving means II and drum ti supported in a manner similar to the device oi Fig. 1. The casing 82 may be provided with a water container 83 to hold the wash water. Any convenient means may be used for moving the shaft guide support is from the wringing position or Fig. 10 to the washing position oi Fig. 11.

In Fig. 12, the pivot I3 is shown arranged at an angle of less than 45 degrees with the vertical, so that when the shiitable support is swung to a washing position, the drum shaft will be at an angle with the horizontal. The other details shown in this iigure are the same as Fig. 4 and are given identical reference numerals.

The control means for the various parts 01 the cycle are not shown or described in detail in this application inasmuch as they do not form part or the invention. It is apparent that any suitable control device or, sequence operator may be used to control the supply and withdrawal or water from the washing tub, movement of the shiftable short guide support. speed of the motor. etc., in the order desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a drum; a rotatable drum shalt; a pivoted shaft guide support, said support being plvotable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position: a flexible Joint shaft guide carried by said guide support tor guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shalt guide carried by said wide support. sa d second guide having formed therein an aperture with a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being. below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

2. In a machine of the character described, a drum; a rotatable drum shaft; a pivoted shaft guide support, said support being pivotable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; a flexible joint shaft guide carried by said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shaft guide carried by said guide support, said second guide having formed therein a keyhole-shaped aperture, the restricted portion of said keyhole aperture supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and the circular portion of the keyhole aperture allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below said circular portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

3. In a machine of the character described, a drum: a rotatable drum shaft; a c-shaped pivoted shaft guide support having two legs and a top crossbar, said support being pivotable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; a flexible Joint shaft bearing carried by the top crossbar of said C-shaped guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shaft guide carried by a second crossbar located between the two legs of said C-shaped shaft guide support and spaced from the flexible joint shaft guide, said second guide having formed therein an aperture comprising a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

4. In a machine of the character described, a container having a water tub in the bottom thereof: a drum; a rotatable drum shaft; 9. pivoted shaft guide support having a top portion, said support being pivotable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; a flexible joint shaft guide carried by the top portion of said pivoted shaft guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; 9. second shaft guide spaced downwardly from said flexible joint shaft guide, said second shaft guide being carried by said guide support, said second guide having formed therein an aperture with a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum. is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position; and pivoted means carried by said container for mounting said shaft guide support, said pivoted means being located so that the drum will pass through the water receptacle when the drum is moved to its inclined washing position.

5. In a machine of the character described, a container having a water tub in the bottom thereof; a drum: is rotatable drum shaft; I. 6 shaped pivoted shaft guide support having two legs, a top crossbar, and a second crossbar spaced from said top crossbar, said support being pivotable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; a. flexible joint shaft bearing carried by the top crossbar of said c-shaped guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft: 9. second shaft guide carried by said second crossbar, said second guide having formed therein an aperture with a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantlally vertical position, said restricted portion being below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position; and pivoted means carried by said container for mounting said shaft guide support. said mvotcd means contacting the ends of the legs of said shaft guide support away from said crossbars and being located so that the drum will pass through the water receptacle when the drum is moved to its inclined washing position.

8, In a machine of the character described. a drum; a rotatable drum shaft; 0. pivoted shaft guide support, said pivot being on an inclined axis relative to said drum shaft. said guide support being shiftable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; a flexible joint shaft guide carried by said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shaft guide carried by said guide support between said flexible joint shaft guide and the drum, said second guide having formed therein an aperture with a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

"I. In a machine of the character described, a casing: a tub; a drum; a rotatable drum shaft: a bracket carried by said casing; a shaft guide support hinged to said bracket, the axis of said hinge being inclined relative to said drum shaft. said guide support being shiftable to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position, the drum in the washing position passing into the tub; a flexible joint shaft guide carried by said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft: and a. second shaft guide spaced from said flexible joint shaft guide and carried by said guide support between said flexible Joint shaft guide and the drum, said second guide having formed therein an aperture with a restricted portion for supporting said shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for allowing gyratory rotation of said shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below said enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

8. In a machine of the character described, a casing: a tub; a drum; a rotatable drum shaft; a bracket carried by said casing; a shaft guide support hinged to said bracket, the axis of said hinge being inclined relative to said drum shaft. said guide support being swingable about said hinge axis to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position, the drum in the washing position passing into said tub: a flexible joint shaft guide carried by said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shaft guide spaced from said flexible ioint shaft guide and carried by said guide support between said flexible joint shaft guide and the drum, said second guide having formed therein a keyhole-shaped aperture, the restricted portion of said keyhole aperture supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and the enlarged portion of the keyhole aperture allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below the enlarged portion when. the drum is in an inclined position.

9. In a machine of the character described, a casing; a drum; a rotatable drum shaft; a shiftable shaft guide support. said support being pivotable about a moving axis to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position; cam track guide means for carrying said guide support: a flexible joint shaft guide mounted on said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a secand shaft guide carried by said guide support. said second suide having formed therein an aperture having a restricted portion for supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and an enlarged portion communicating with said restricted portion for guiding the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below the enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

10. In a machine of the character described, a casing: a tub: a drum; a rotatable drum shaft;

8 a bracket carried by said casing; a shaft guide pport hinged to said bracket, the axis of said hinge being inclined relative to said drum shaft, said guide support being swingable about the axis of said hinge to move said drum from a substantially vertical wringing position to an inclined washing position, the drum in the washing position passing into the tub; adjustable means on said bracket to adjust said shaft axis; a flexible shaft joint guide carried by said guide support for guiding one portion of said shaft; and a second shaft guide spaced from said-flexible joint guide and carried by said guide support between said flexible joint shaft and the drum, said second guide having means defining a keyholeshaped aperture, the restricted portion of said keyhole aperture supporting the shaft when the drum is in an inclined position and the enlarged portion of the keyhole aperture allowing gyratory rotation of the shaft when the drum is in a substantially vertical position, said restricted portion being below the enlarged portion when the drum is in an inclined position.

ELI-SWOR'I'H M. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,127 Gardner Feb. 11, 1902 701,079 Peckham May 27, 1902 745,873 Mancha Dec, 11, 1903 1,477,443 Hart Dec. 11, 1929 1,564,659 Xardeli Dec. 8, 1925 1,709,774 Clarke Apr. 18, 1929 1,747,620 Clarke Feb. 18, 1930 1,842,154 Dunham Jan. 19, 1932