US2497686A - Gear and clutch mechanism for spinner type clothes washing machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1950 J. F. YouNG E'ru.y 2,497,686

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Theil* Attorney.

Feb, 14, 1950 J. F. YOUNG ETAL GEAR AND CLUTCH HECHANTsu FCR sPINNER TYPE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES 2 sneetssheet 2 Filed March 19, 1948 Imventows. James F. Youn Carl S. Dayton,

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 GEAR AND CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR SPIN- NER TYPE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES James F. Young and Carl S. Dayton, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of NewYork Application March 19, 1948, Serial No. 15,884

9 Claims. (Cl. 'i4- 75) The present invention relates to clothes washing machines of the type wherein washing is performed in a basket by an agitator, the basket afterwards being rotated to extract centrifugally the water from the clothes.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in a washing machine of this type which is simple in structure, reliable in operation and capable of being manufactured at low cost. The invention is especially well adapted for small, portable lightweight machines adapted to be readily lifted manually and placed on a drain board, for example, when the machine is being used. However, the invention is not limited thereto necessarily.

More particularly, the invention has to do with an improved gear and clutch mechanism through the intermediary of which the motor is connected to the agitator and spin basket for effecting the washing and the extracting operation.

For a consideration of what we believe to be novel and our invention, attention is directed to the following specification and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of -a washing machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the operating mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detail view of a part of the operating mechanism showing the parts in a position different from that of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clutch levers for the mechanism; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6, Fig. 2; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the connection between the agitator and the spin basket; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on line 8-8, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the tub of the washing machine which may be supported on a base 2 provided with feet or casters 3. In the tub is a unitary structure comprising a basket 4 in which the clothes are washed-an agitator 5 for performing the washing operation, and a sealed casing 6 in which is an electric motor and mechanism operated by it for oscillating the vagitator to perform the washing operation, the

" iar shaft 31.

between a strap 9 fixed to the bottom wall I0 of tub I and the bottom of casing 8. The lower end of casing 6 projects through an opening II in the bottom wall Ill. The space between the edges of opening II and the casing 6 Vis sealed by a suitable flexible diaphragm I2 attached at one edge to the wall surrounding opening II and at the other edge to casing 5. Springs 8 are tension springs and are connected at one end to ears I3 on casing 6, and at their other ends to ears I4 nxed to the inner surface of the side wall of tub I. This arrangement serves to provide a yielding, resilient mounting for the unitary structure comprising casing 6, the mechanism therein, the basket I and the agitator 5. Tub I has an open top closed by a suitable cover I5, and handles I6 on its sides by which it may be lifted.

Casing 6 is shown as being formed in two sections, an upper section I1 and a lower section I8. The sections are provided with meeting flanges I8 which may be clamped together in sealing relation by studs 20. The motor for operating the mechanism is located in lower casing section I8. It comprises a suitable field structure I3a, carried by casing section I8 and an armature 2I fixed on a shaft 22. Shaft 22 is supported in an upper bearing 23 carried by a diaphragm 24 which, at its edge, is supported on a shoulder 25 in casing section I8, and by a lower bearing which may be in the form of a suitable step bearing (not shown). Diaphragm I2 serves to hold casing I and field structure Ila from turning and to allo translation of casing 6 relative to bottom wall I0 On the upper end of motor shaft 22 is a pinior .26 which m-ay be formed integral with the shafi and which meshes with a. gear wheel 21 mountecl to turn on a stationary shaft 28 which is carried by upper and lower walls 29 and 30 of a gear cage or housing 3|. Formed integral with gear Wheel 21 is -an eccentric 32 surrounding which is an eccentric strap 33 provided with an arm 34 which is connected to an arm 35 formed integral with a slee Je 36 fixed on the lower end of a vertical tubu- The lower end of shaft 31 is closed by a plug 38 and rests upon the upper surface of pinion 28, i. e., the top of motor shaft 22, which forms a thrust bearing for shaft 31. Shaft 31 is mounted in spaced bearings 39 and III pressed into the upper and lower ends of a sleeve I-I which, at its lower end, is flxe'i in a flange I2 forming a. part of the upper casing section I1. The upper end of sleeve 4I is above the normal wash water level in tub I.

The upper end of shaft 31 is threaded to receive an agitator nut 43 having a triangular tapered scacco outer surface. Agitator l is o! known construction, it being provided with a base Il, agitator blades Ii, and a vertical post 4! which at its upper end is provided with a tapered opening 41 which fits over agitator nut 43 and is held thereon by a nut 4l threaded onto the upper end of shaft Il. Thus, the agitator is rigidly connected to shaft I1.

On the top wall 2l of the gear cage is a hub 4l having an opening in which is positioned a bearing l for shaft 31, there being a bearing and spacing ring Il between bearing Il and bearing Il.

Fixed to diaphragm 24 is a stationary brake ring Il adapted to be engaged by brake facings Il on the downturned ends il of a pair of sliding brake arms l5. Brake arms 55 are in the form of flat U-shaped plates (see Fig. 6) which at their edges are supported on ledges it (Fig. 8) and slide in grooves l1, the ledges and grooves being provided by plates lil attached to the underside of the bottom wall 30 of gear cage 3| by suitable fastening means |59. Brake facings I! are biased into engagement with the outer surface of brake ring l2 by springs I0 attached at their ends to inturned wings ti at the extremities of depending ears I2 nxed to arms Il. They are moved from engagement with brake ring l2 by short levers Il having ends Il which are pivoted in openings Il in ears l2. The shoulders at the opposite sides of ends Il engage ears l2 at the ends of openings ll to limit movement of ends Il with respect to the ears. Levers i3 are biased to angular positions as shown in Fig. 2 by springs Il. movement of the levers being limited by ends Il engaging the edges of openings Il. Levers I3 are arranged to be turned on their pivots to move brake facings Il out of engagement with brake ring l2 by a sliding clutch collar U1 having a curved outer face adapted to engage similarly curved clutch pads Il ilxed to and carried by the free ends of levers Pads .il may be formed of any suitable clutch material. Clutch collar Il surrounds and slides on motor shaft 22. being positioned beneath pinion Il. It is attached to shaft 22 by a pin 6I which extends through an elongated slot ll in shaft 12, the slot being of a length to permit of the desired movement of clutch collar t1. The clutch collar is biased to a position wherein pin l! engages the upper end of slot 1l by a coiled spring 1i located between the bottom of a socket 12 in shaft 2l and the lower end of a plug 1I located in socket 12 and having an opening through which pin Il passes. Clutch collar t1 is actuated by an operating rod 'Il which extends down through tubular shaft 31 and at its lower end engages the top of plug 13. The upper end of rod 1l projects beyond the upper end of shaft 31 and is provided with suitable means for moving it axially to actuate clutch collar U1. In the present instance, this means is shown as being in the form of a nut 15 attached to the end of rod 14 and engaging threads at the top of the agitator post so that by screwing the nut down or up, the rod may be lowered and raised. However. any suitable means may be used for actuating the rod.

The bottom wall 'It of basket 4 is dlshed inwardly and upwardly at its central portion, as is indicated at 11, and terminates in a sleeve 1I provided on its outer surface with a pressed on bearing 1I for the lower end of the agitator post II. On its inner surface sleeve 1I is provided with upper and lower pressed-in bearings Il which engage stationary sleeve 4I. the basket being thus mounted for turning on sleeve 4l.

Between lower bearing l0 and the top of ilange 42 is a thrust washer Ile.

In the bottom wall 1l of spin basket I is an arcuate slot li (see Fig. 7) in which is located a pin llattached to agitator 5. On the pin is a sleeve Il of suitable resilient material such as rubber, which stands in slot Il and is adapted to engage its ends.

Spin basket l is provided with perforations Il for flow of water to and from the interior of the basket. The tub is provided with two drain hoses. a drain hose l5 connected with the bottom of the tub and a drain hose Il connected with the tub at a point somewhat below the bottom of basket l. The hoses may be supported in vertical positions as shown in Fig. 1 by suitable clips I1 adjacent to the top of the tub. At Il is a pipe through which lubricant may be discharged to lubricate the gearing. it being circulated through the pipe by suitable means (not shown) from a lubricant supply sealed in the casing l. v

For washing, the tub is nlled with washing solution to a level about even with the top ring of holes I4 and the clothes to be washed are placed in the spin basket.

The mechanism for the agitator and the spin basket operates as follows:

Normally the parts stand in the positions shown in Fig. 2, clutch collar l being out of engagement with clutch levers I8 and brake facings I3 being held in engagement with brake ring i2 by springs Il. Spring 1l serves to hold clutch collar I1 in the position shown with pin II in engagement with the upper end of slot 1I. The brake arms It serve to hold gear cage 3i stationary. Now when the motor is operating, agitator i will be osciliated through pinion 2l, gear 21, and eccentric l2. greater than the stroke of the agitator and during the washing period, pin l2 moves back and forth in slot Il, the basket being stationary due to its inertia and to water friction; or if desired, suitable means may be provided for holding it stationary during the washing period.

At the end of the washing period, the motor is stopped and the washing solution is drained from tub I by hose II to lower the level of the water in the tub to the point at which hose connects with the tub. This brings the level below the spin basket to an extent such that a space is provided sunleient to hold the water to be extracted from the clothes without bringing the level up to the bottom of the spin basket. At this level, considerable water is lett in the bottom of the tubtoform ballasttoassistinholdingthetub stationary during the spinning operation. Following this, nut Il is screwed down, forcing rod Il down against plug 1l and lowering the plug and clutch collar 81 against the bias of spring 1I. Clutch collar l1 engages clutch facings Il on levers I8 and turns the levers on their pivotal connections in ears l2. The arrangement forms in substance a toggle lever, and as clutch collar O1 moves down, turning the levers Il, plates Il are moved radially outward against the action of springs Il. moving brake facings I4 from engagement with stationary brake ring l2. At the same time, clutch collar I1 connects motor shaft 22 to gear cage Il through the intermediary of clutch facings li and plates Il. Now, when the motor is operated. shaft 22 rotates shaft 11 through the intermediary of clutch collar l1. levers Il. arms Il and gear cage li, the gear cage and the gearing therein rotating as a unit. The

Slot Il is of a length slightlyA I spin positions of the parts are shown in Fig. 3. As shaft l1 begins to rotate, sleeve I3 engages an end of slot 8i to effect rotation of the spin basket, the agitator and spin basket rotating as a unit.

When the spinning operation is completed, the motor circuit may be opened to permit the spin basket to come to rest, after which nut may be turned to lift rod 1l to effect movement of clutch collar 6l from engagement -with clutch facings 88 and permit brake facings 53 to again engage brake ring 52, thus restoring the parts to their initial positions.

It will be noted that the same springs 80 function to apply both the brake force and the clutch force, and that the clutch force increases as the toggle levers are straightened due to the stretching of springs 60. This enables the clutch sur-- faces to be engaged with a force ample to effect the drive. Application of either the brake or the clutch does not contribute any side thrust to the gear cage in relation to the motor shaft due t0 the fact that the springs actdirectly between the brake shoes. This is a desirable feature, since side thrust may cause gear noise and wear as well as higher friction losses.

The arrangement provides a self contained unit which is relatively simple in structure, compact, and reliable in operation. And the toggle lever arrangement enables the mechanism to be readily shifted from agitate to spin, and vice versa, the shifting being positive and effected with no clashing and no agitating at the start of the spin cycle.

In the present instance, the mechanism is shown as being embodied in a machine utilizing a single shaft 31 through which agitation and spin are effected. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied in machines having other shaft arrangements such as, for example, the known concentric shaft arrangement wherein the agitator and the spin basket have separate shafts.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a shaft and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted in the casing, an electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, means defining brake surfaces on said casing, sliding brake members on said gear cage,

spect to said brake surfaces against the action of said biasing spring means, clutch surfaces on said toggle `lever means, a clutch collar connected with the motor shaft, and means for moving the clutch collar into engagement with said clutch surfaces for moving said toggle lever means.

2. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a shaft, and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted in the casing, an electrie motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, a brake ring on said casing, sliding brake members on said gear cage, spring means biasing said brake members toward engagement with said brake ring, toggle lever means for sliding said brake members with respect to said brake ring against the action of said biasing 6 spring means, clutch surfaces on said toggle lever means, a clutch collar slidable axially on and connected with the motor shaft, and means for sliding the clutch collar into engagement with said clutch surfaces for moving said toggle lever means to move the brake members out of engagement with said brake ring and connect the motor shaft through the clutch to said gear cage. 3. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a tubular shaft, and means for either oscillating or rotating the shaft comprising a casing into which the shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted in the casing, an electric motor, gearing carried by the cage which connects the motor to said shaft for oscillating the shaft, means defining brake surfaces on said casing, radially slidable brake members on said gear cage, spring means biasing said brake members radially inward toward engagement with said brake surfaces, toggle lever means for sliding said brake members radially outward from engagement with said brake surfaces against the action of said biasing spring means, clutch surfaces on said toggle lever means, a clutch collar which surrounds and is slidable axially on the motor shaft and is connected thereto, and a rod which extends down through said tubular shaft for moving the clutch collar axially on the shaft into engagement with said clutch surfaces for moving said toggle lever means to release said brake members and connect the motor shaft through the clutch to said gear cage.

4. For use in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type disclosed, a driven shaft, and means for either oscillating or rotating the driven shaft comprising a casing into which the driven shaft projects, a gear cage rotatably mounted in the casing, a driving shaft, gearing carried by the cage which connects the driving shaft to said driven shaft for oscillating the driven shaft, a brake ring on said casing, radially slidable brake members on said gear cage, spring means biasing said brake members toward engagement with said brake ring, levers pivoted at their outer ends on the brake members for sliding said brake members with respect to said brake ring against the action of said biasing spring means, clutch surfaces on the inner ends of said levers, a clutch collar connected with and axially slidable on the shaft, and means for moving the clutch collar into engagement with said clutch surfaces for moving said levers.

5. For use inv apparatus of the character described, mechanism comprising a rotatably supported gear cage, gearing carried by the cage, a driving shaft connected to the gearing, brake means for holding said gear cage from turning, toggle lever means carried by the gear cage for releasing said brake means, a clutch face on said toggle lever means, a clutch member connected to and slidable axially on said driving shaft, and means for moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch face to move the toggle lever means to effect release of said brake means and connection of the driving shaft to the gear cage.

6. For use in apparatus of the character described, mechanisms comprising a rotatably supported gear cage, gearing carried by the cage, a driving shaft connected to the gearing, a stationary brake ring, radially movable `brake members carried by said gear cage, spring means biasing said brake members into engagement with the brake ring to hold said cage from turning, levers pivoted on said brake members and provided with clutch surfaces, a clutch ring connected to and slidable axially on said driving shaft, and means for moving said clutch ring into engagement with said clutch surfaces to turn the levers to move the brake members from engagement with the brake ring and connect the driving shaft to the gear cage.

7. For use in apparatus of the character described, mechanism comprising a rotatably supported gear cage, gearing carried by the cage, a driving shaft connected to the gearing, brake means for holding said gear cage from turning, pivoted levers carried by the gear cage and movable on their pivots to release said brake means, clutch faces on said levers, a clutch member slidable axially on said driving shaft, means connecting the clutch member to the driving shaft, and means i'or moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch faces to move the levers to effect release of said brake means and connection of the driving shaft to the gear cage.

8. For use in a washing machine or the like for effecting an oscillating and a spinning operation, mechanisms comprising a rotatably supported gear cage, gearing carried by the cage, a driving shaft connected to the gearing, brake means normally holding said gear cage from turning whereby the driving shaft may actuate the gearing, lever means carried by the gear cage for releasing said brake means, a clutch face on said lever a able axially on said driving shaft, and means for moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch face to move the lever means to effect release of said brake means and connection of the driving shaft to the gear cage whereby the driving shaft may rotate the gear cage and gearing as a unit.

9. For use in a washing machine or the like for efi'ecting an oscillatory and a spinning operation, mechanisms comprising a rotatably supportedgear cage, gearing carried by the cage, a driving shaft connected to the gearing, means providing a stationary brake surface, radially movable brake means carried by said gear cage, spring means biasing said brake means into engagement with the brake surface to hold said cage from turning whereby the driving shaft may actuate the gearing, lever means pivoted on said brake means and provided with a clutch surface, a clutch member connected to and slidable axially on said driving shaft, and means for moving said clutch member into engagement with said clutch surface to turn the lever means to move the brake means from engagement with the brake `ring and connect the driving shaft to the gear cage whereby the driving shaft may rotate the gear cage and gearing as a unit.

JAMES F. YOUNG. CARL S. DAYTON.

No references cited.

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