US2487253A

US2487253A - Drive mechanism for washing machines and the like

Info

Publication number: US2487253A
Application number: US789890A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack E Lyle; Walter H Haines
Original assignee: PRATT LYLE CORP
Current assignee: PRATT LYLE CORP; PRATT-LYLE Corp
Priority date: 1947-12-05
Filing date: 1947-12-05
Publication date: 1949-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1966-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1949 J. E. LYLE Em. 2,487,253

' DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Fil ed Dec. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l6 17 h \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\L\ i 20a 16 H 14 'I c r 26 25 /0 20 ,5 II. we .23 A; 24

INVENTORS JACK ELYLE, AND BY WALTEH.9NES

Nov. 8, 1949 J. E. LYLE ETAL 2,487,253

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1,947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l i l C 3/ A f 1 39 o i 20 Z I 45 25 '44 V 1 o m BY r ATTORNE Patented Nov. 8, 1949 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Jack E. Lyle and Walter H. Haines, Akron, Ohio, asslgno'rs to The Pratt-Lyle Corporation, a corporation of Ohio appueauen December 5, 1947, Serial No. 789,890

14 Qlaims. (CI. 74-81) 1 This invention relates to washing machines and driving mechanisms for washing machines and the like.

Its chief objects are to provide an improved mechanism wherein an oscillating member is driven from a rotary member through intermediate means of such character that the amplitude of oscillation can be varied, preferably without stopping or changing the speed of the rotary member, and preferably with provision for reducing the amplitude of oscillation to zero, so that the agitator of a washing machine, for example, can be stopped without disengagement of a clutch or stopping of the motor. i A more specific object is to provide in an improved manner for varying the speed and amplitude of a washing machine agitator so that it can provide either the violent agitation appropriate for the washing of heavy or badly soiled garments or gentler agitation for washing delicate garments or for the use of the washing machine with a dry-cleaning fluid in place of water.

Another specific object is to provide adjusting means having its actuating part extending through and sealed to a wall of the mechanisms housing so that the mechanism can be run in oil. Another specific object is to provide a locking means so interposed between'a driving part and This worm-wheel is provided with a pitmanstud I6 projecting upward from it and here shown as havingsecured upon its upper end portion a crank I1 adapted to be secured upon and to drive a wringer-driving shaft (not shown).

Between the worm-wheel l4 and the crank H the pitman-stud l6 has journaled upon it one end of a pitman rod i8, the other end of which is hinged, by means of a pin l9, upon the outer end of an oscillating arm 20 which, near its other end, is pivoted upon a short stud 2| projecting upward from the floor of the gear-case and upon a generally cylindrical rack-bar 22 which extends rotatably and slidably through a bearing in the gear-case cover and into a guide-way formed in a bearing-sleeve 23 formed integrally with and projecting upwardly from the oscillatory arm 20. the rack-bar 22 and the stud 2! being coaxial.

The oscillatory arm 20 is of U-shape in crosssection, thus being open at one side, and is internally formed as a guide-way for a slide 2%,

to back-lash incident to a large number of joints Fig. 4 is a planview, on a much larger scale, of

a slide and a locking mechanism for it, one of the parts being sectioned on line 4-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, I0 is the gear case and H is the gear-case cover of a washing machine. The agitator shaft I2 is journaled in a step bearing in the floor of the gear case and extends upward through a bearing in the gear case cover. It is adapted to be driven, through our improved mechanism, from a motor-shaft worm l3 meshed with a worm-wheel M which is journaled upon a stud is set in a socket in the floor of the gear-case.

which is retained in the guide-way'by retaining plates 20a,-20b' secured to the respective spaced edges of the U-shaped arm 28 by cap-screws 20c, 20c. Fig. 2. The slide 28 is bifurcated at its outer end and provided with a wrist-pin 25 for the adjacent end of a connecting-rod of which the other end is pivoted, by means of a stud 2'5, to a gear-segment 28 which is pivoted tothe floor of the gear-case at 29, Fig.1, and is meshed witha pinion 30 secured upon the agitator shaft i2.

For moving the slide 24 lengthwise of the oscillatory arm 20 and thus varying the stroke of the connecting-rod 26, the rack-bar 22 is meshed with a gear-segment 3| formed on the hub of an arm 32 which is hinged between ears 33, 83 projecting upward from the oscillatory arm is and extends downwardly therefrom into" the interior of the arm 28.

The slide 26 is formed with a tapered tongue portion 24a,which projects toward the arm 32 and is formed with a horizontally extending slot 34. A pin 35 slidably mounted in said slot extends through a thin am 3611 and a thick arm 36b of a Z-shaped link 36, Figs. 3 and 4, to the 1 other end of which the lower end of the arm 82 is hinged by means of a pin 31. The pin 35 is adapted to move the slide 24 positively in one direction or the other as it reaches one or the in one direction or the other by vertical movement of the rack-bar 22.

ace-mes teethof the rack-bar and the gear-segment, the rack-bar is formed with a vertically extending transverse slot II occupied by a pin 38 having its ends anchored in the walls of the bearingsleeve 28.

For moving the rack-bar 22 up or down while permitting it to oscillate with other parts of the stroke-adjusting mechanism it is swiveled at its upper end, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, to the outer end of warm 40 secured upon a rockershaft 4| having means, not shown, for rocking it.

The mechanism as shown comprises means, actuated as an incident of the lost-motion movement of the pin 35 in the slot 34, for securing toward the right-hand end of the arm 2| in 1'18. 3 that the hinge-pin 25 of the connecting-rod 28 can be brought into and locked in coaxial relafrom the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim: 1. A washing machine comprising a frame and,

mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and,

the slide 24 at differen posi i n lengthwise ,515 for oscillating the same, a rotary member, means the oscillatory arm 20. This mechanism, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, wherein the two retaining plates c are omitted, comprises a pair of arm 42, 43 hinged to the slide respectively at 42a, 43a. The arm 42 near its middle, has pressiitted in it and projecting upward from it, through a hole in the upper wing of the slide, a. locking pin 44 adapted to be engaged selectively in sockets, such as the sockets 45, 45, formed in the upper wing of the oscillatory arm 20. A pin (not shown) corresponding to the pin 44 is mounted in and projects downward from the lower arm, 43, through a lower wing of the slide and'is adapted to be engaged selectively in sockets formed in the lower wing of the oscillatory-arm 20 and corresponding to the sockets 45. Interposed between the arms 42 and 43 is a compression spring 46 which constantly urges the pins, 44, to enter any of the sockets with which the pins are brought into registry.

For disengaging these pins from their sockets as the pin it approaches either end of its slot 34 in the Z-shaped link 3', a pair of toggle links 41, 48 are hinged at 41a and 48a respectively to the swinging ends of the arms 42 and 42 and are hinged to each other in a toggle elbow by having their adjacent ends overlapped and hinged to each other by being mounted'upon a part of the pin 35 which projects from the z-shaped link 38, one of said adjacent ends preferably being bifurcated, as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

In the operation of the device, the worm-wheel l4 being constantly driven in the same direction by the worm IS, the pitman rod l8 oscillates the arm 20 about the common axis of the stud 2i and rack-bar 22. The arm 20, in turn acting through the connecting-rod 28, oscillates the gear-segment 28, and thus, through the pinion 3|, the agitator shaft i2 is oscillated.

To change the length of the stroke the rackbar 22 is moved upward or downward by means -of the rocker-shaft 4|, the first effect of which is to force the toggle links 41, 48 from their middle, vertical positions and thus withdraw the locking pins, such as the pin 44, from the sockets in which they have been engaged. Further movement rack-bar 22, arm 32, link 38 and pin 35, bringing the pin II into contact with an end-wall of its slot 34, then moves the slide 24 to a new position in its guideway in the arm 20, and, the adjusting force on the slide then being released when the locking pins are substantially in registry with another pair of sockets, the locking pins are forced into them by the spring 46. When the adjustment is made while the machine is operating, reversal of the driving force on the slide assists the locking pins in finding their new sockets. and that is assisted also by a slight rounding of the outer end faces of the pins.

for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm 20 for oscillating the latter, and means connecting .the oscillatory arm to the agitator to compel the latter to oscillate as the said arm oscillates, the mechanism including a shiftable member mounted on said arm for movement thereon to 25 change the effective length of the arm, the last said member having pivotal connection to one of the adjacent members in the defined train of mechanism, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relationto the arm and oscillating therewith, but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm, for changing the position of the said shiftable member on the arm.

2. A washing machine comprising a frame and,

mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and,

for oscillating the same, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm for oscillating the latter, and means connecting the oscillatory arm to the agitator to compel the latter to oscillate as the said arm oscillates, the mechanism including a shiftable member slidably mounted on saidarm for movement thereon to change the effective length of the arm, the last said member having pivotal connection to one of the adjacent members in the defined train of mechanism, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and oscillating therewith, but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm, for changing the position of the said shiftable member on the arm.

3. A washing machine comprising a frame and,

mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and, for oscillatingthe same, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed 6 with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm and directly hinged to the arm at an axis permanently fixed thereon, a slide mounted on said arm, means connecting the slide to the agitator 65 to compel the latter to oscillate as the arm oscillates, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and oscillating therewith, but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm, for

changing the position of the slide on the arm.

4. A washing machine comprising a frame and, mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and,

' for oscillating the same, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted The series of sockets preferably extends so far for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed .with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with theoscillatory arm and directly hinged to the arm at an axis permanently fixed thereon, a slide mounted on said arm, means connecting the slide to the saltstor to compel the latter to oscillate as the arm oscillates, and locking means interposed locally between the arm and the slide for holding the slide at selective positions on the arm.

5. A washing machine comprising a frame and. mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and, for oscillating the same, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, anarm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm and directly hinged tothe arm at an axis permanently fixed thereon, a slide mounted on said arm, means connecting the slide. to the agitator to compel the latter to oscillate as the arm oscillates, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and permanently coaxial relation-to the arm and oscillating therewith, butcomprising an adjust ing member axially movable with relation to the arm, for changing the position of the slide on the arm, the assembly including means controlled by movement of said axially movable member for locally locking and releasing the slide with ,relation to the arm. I

6. A washing machine comprising a frame and; mounted thereon, an oscillatory agitator and, for oscillating the same, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm and directly hinged to the arm at an axis permanently fixed thereon, a slide mounted on said arm, means connecting the slide to the agitator to compel the latter to oscillate as the arm oscillates, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and oscillating therewith, but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm, for changing the position of the slide on the arm, the assembly including toggle means means for driving the rotary member, an arm ,mounted for oscillation about an axis permasaid member having pivotal connection to one of the adjacent members in the defined train of mechanism, and adjusting means mounted in oscillating therewith but comprising an adjusting memberaxially movablebwith relation to the arm for changing the position of .the said shiftable member on the arm.

10. The combination of a frame and, mounted on the frame, a to-and-fro member to be actuated and, for actuating it, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis permanently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitmanrod connecting the rotary member with the oscillatory arm, and means connecting the oscillatory arm to the said to-and-iro member for actuating the same as the arm oscillates, the mechanism including a shiftable member slidably mounted on said arm for movement thereon to change the eflective length of the arm, the last said member having pivotal connection to one of the adjacent members in the defined train of mechanism, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and oscillating therewith but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm for changing the position of the said shiftable memher on the arm.

11. The combination of a frame and, mounted on the frame, a to-and-fro member to be actuated and, for actuating it, a rotary member,

controlled by movement of said axially movable member for locally locking and releasing the slide with relation to the arm.

7. The combination of a mounting for a slide, a slide mounted thereon, and requiring to be locked thereto at different positions thereon, a 4 pair of pins mounted on the slide and projectable therefrom to engage them in selective pairs of recesses formed in the mounting, yielding means mounting and having its position on the slide controlled by said pin-shifting arm, and means for turning said arm on its. hinge-axis for engaging and disengaging the pin with relation to the mounting and moving the slide on the mounting.

ble member mounted on said arm for movement thereon to change the effective length of the arm, the last said member having pivotal connection to one of the adjacent members in the defined train of mechanism, and adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the arm and oscillating therewith but comprising an adjusting member axially movable with relation to the arm for changing the position of the said shiitable member on the arm.

12. The combination of a frame and, mounted on the frame, a to-and-fro member to be actuated and, for actuating it, a rotary member, means for driving the rotary member, an arm mounted for oscillation about an axis perma- 9. The combination of a frame and, mounted nently fixed with relation to the frame, a pitman-rod connecting the rotary member with the oscillating arm and hinged to the arm at an axis permanently fixed thereon, a slide mounted on said arm, means connecting the slide to the toand-fro member to actuate the latter as the arm oscillates, and locking means interposed locally between the arm and the slide for holding the slide at selective positions on the arm.

.means interposed locally between the arm and the slide for holding the slide at selective positions on the arm, means for shifting the position of the slide on the arm and means controlled by actuation oi the last said means ioreiiecting unlocking and re-locking oi the slide with relation 14. The combination of a pivotally mounted member formed with a guideway for a slide, a slide associated therewith for movement from and toward the axis of the pivotally mounted member, a journal pin on said slide, adjusting means mounted in permanently coaxial relation to the pivotally mounted member and having pivotal movement therewith but comprising an adjustingmemberaxiallymovableiorchangingtheposition oi'theslideon thepivotally mounted member.andmeansoontrolledbyaetuationotthesaid adiustina means ior locking and unlockinatheslidewith reiationtothepivotally mounted member.

JACK nnm. WALTIR. 1!. names.

ammczs mm The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

um'rm s'ra'rm ram nan Number Name Re. 10,028 Get: Apr. 7, 1031 1,965,183 Gets July 3, 1034 2,048,901 Kirby July 7, 1936 2,202,499 Logue May 28, 1940 2,319,485 Alabrime May 18, 1943