US2580520A - Torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers - Google Patents

Description

o. F. COUCHOT 2,580,520

TORQUE TUBE BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Jan. 1 1952 Filed Aug. 5 1949 ri/ZZZ? fd'ozzcfzat Allorney Patented Jan. 1, 1952 rumour; roan-amour ASSEMBLY Eon oriornrs wamoaas Orville F. 'Gouchot, De Land, Fla.

vApplication August 5, 1949., Serial No. 108. 0

(01. eta-:14)

' This invention relates to a bracket as'sembly for supporting a clotheswringer above'a-laundry tub for swivel movement relatively thereto and,

provides means for tilting a part of the assembly for Positioning the clothes wringer in substan tialiy a horizontal plane to prevent sagging off the clothes wringer at its outer end and for maintaining the drive shaft 01 the clothes wringer in an upright positionr I More particularly; it is a primary the Present invention to provide an adjustable bracket assembly for eliminating a sagging condition of a clothes wringer for thereby maintaining the drive shaft in a proper posit-ion relatively to the gear case and gear head of the wringer object or so that the drive shaft will be correctly disposed to assure proper meshing engagement of the gears by which the shaft is drivenand by which the clothes wringer is driven by the shaft. 7

Still a Iurther objectof the invention is-to provide an adjustable assembly oi-the afore described character of extremely simple construction, which is capable of being readily applied to conventional clothes wringers, which may be quickly andreasily installed and which is extremely emcientand durable for accomplishing its intended purpose.

Variousother objects'and advantages of the I invention will hereinafter become more iully ape parent from the following a description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevationai view or a laundry: tub showing a clothes wringer supported thereby" by means ofthe torque tube bracket assembly;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure; 15 an. enlarged fragmentary side tie-r,

vafional view invention; I v I "Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional vi w partly in s de e e a o of it po tion of the nvcntiQm-and Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken.

substantially along a. plane as indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 3. I

Referring more specifically to me drawing, for

h purposeof illustrating one preferr d application and use f the torque tube bracket assemf bly, designated generally tandoompr sing th invention, a conventional ty e ofalaund y m9 partly in verti a section. at the."

at its top andmay be provided with an agitator,

II). One oi the partitions 8 is provided at its inner end with diverging portions I I which comv bine with portions of the two partitions disposed t. a ri h angle he o to form a passage. 12. of substantiallytriangular shape which extends,

through the tub I from top to bottom thereof.

The tub I is supported in an elevated position by depending supporting legs I3 andihas a gear case It mounted on the underside thereof and supported by a flange I5 on said gear case which is secured by iastenings I6 to the bottom of the tub Ibeneath the passage I2; A drive shaft I], which is driven through gearing within the gear case I4 and from a suitable power source, not shown, extends upwardly from said gear case through the passage IZ andhas its upper end extending into the gear head it, of a clothes wringer I9 which is disposed above the tub I. The gear head I8 is swivelly mounted on the, upper end of the shaft l1 sothat the wring'er I9 can be swung in substantially a horizontal plane through a complete circle in either direction for positioning the wringer over any one of the tub compartments 9 or over any one of the partitions-8. Suitable bevelled gearing, not shown, forms a driving connection between the drive shaft I! and the shaft connected to the rollers of the wringen The gear head I8 is provided with a depending tubular wringer post 20 which surrounds a portion of the drive shaft I1 and which extends downwardly from the gear head and terminates above the top of the tub I. The parts "I to 20, inclusive, constitute no part of the present invention but have been illustrated and briefly described merely to afford a better understandingof the torque tube bracket assem bly 6; compr sing the in ent on nd which will. hereinattcr e doocrlbed-v a The weight of the wrinser 9 normally c us s it to see above. he u I s that t is inclined downwardly from the gear head, I8 toward its outerend which is inconvenient to the userand which additionally causes a tilting of the drive shaft 11 so that the gears by whi h the shaft is driven at its low r end and, by which the haft drives the wringer at its upper end are displaced ut of proper meshing relationship thereby produ ing unnecessary wear and damage to the Accordingly, the present invention is intended I to provide a means for eliminating the sagging 01' the clothes wrinser and the d spl cement oi disposed at a right angle to the partition pro- 7 vided with the portions II. A reducer 23 has its restricted end 24 engaging the upper end of the tubular bracket 2| and is permanently secured thereto by a weld 25. The tubular bracket 2| terminates adjacent the upper end of the restricted lower portion 24 of the reducer 23. The

enlarged, upper portion 26 of the reducer 2'3 is provided with circumferential y spaced threaded openings 21 through each of which threadedly extends an adjusting or set-screw 28, said screws extending inwardly with respect to the reducer 23.

A torque tube 29 is loosely disposed within the tubular bracket 2| and has its lower end extending into a socket 30 of the gear case M, by which said toroue tube 29 is supported in substantially an upright position. As seen in Figure 3, the socket 30 is sufiiciently large to afford a clearance between its annular wall and the torque tube 29 and the bore of the tubular bracket 2| is likewise larger in diameter than the external diameter of the torque tube 29 to afford a clearance therebetween. The torque tube 29 extends up wardly through the bracket tube 2| and the reducer 23 to a point above said reducer but beneath the normal level of the wringer gear head I. A collar 3| is secured by welding, as seen at 32, or otherwise in a stationary manner around the torque tube 29 and at a level tobe disposed within the enlarged reducer portion 26 and in horizontal alignment with the adjusting screws 28, the inner tapered ends of which engage the' periphery of the collar 3| or recesses 33 therein. The lower end of the tubular wringer post 29 is disposed loosely around the upper end of the torque tube 29 and rests upon the upper surface of the collar 3| and is swivelly supported thereon so that the wringer l9 may swing in a circle above the tub I. g

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that by advancing or retracting the individual adjusting screws 28 the torque tube 29 may be displaced radially relatively to the bracket tube 2| and reducer 23 for eliminating any tilt of the torque tube 29 and for maintaining it in an up- 7 right position. As the weight of the wringer H] and its gear head I B are supported b'y'the torque tube 29 through engagement of the tubular gear post with the collar 3|, the drive shaft I! is relieved entirely from the weight of the wringer or gear head so that all tendency to displace the drive shaft out of an upright position is eliminated thereby insuring proper'meshing engagement of the gear for driving said shaft and by which the wringer is driven thereby and additionally insuring that the wringer I9 will be supported with its longitudinal axis in substantially a'horizontal plane and above the tub I and free to revolve in a circle thereover. By proper adjustment of the screws 28 any unusual weight to which the wringer l9 might be subjected .and

ing certain of the screws 28 and loosening other of said screws.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

.-I"claim as my invention --1. A torque tube bracket: assembly for clothes wringers comprising a bracket tube adapted to extend through a passage in the central portion of a laundry tuband secured thereto in an upright position, a reducer having a restricted lower end secured around the upper end of said bracket tube and adapted to be disposed above the level of the top of the tub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced adjusting setscrews extending threadedly through the enlarged upper portion thereto, and means. mounted on said torque tubewhich would 'tend to cause the wringer to sag at of said reducer and disposed radially thereof, a torque tube adapted to be supported at its lower end on a gear case disposed beneath the tub and extending upwardly therefrom through the brack et tube and reducer, said torque tube being adapted to loosely accommodate a clothes wringer drive shaft therein and being radially displaceable relatively to the bracket tube, drive shaft and gear case, and a collar disposed around the torque tube and secured thereto, said collar being disposed to be engaged by the inner end of said adjusting screws whereby theadjusting screws will maintain the torque tube in an upright" position, and said collar being adapted to provide a support for the lower endflof a tubular post which depends from the gear head of a clothes wringer for supporting the clothes wring-.

or on the torque tube. V

2. A torque tube bracket assembly as in claim 1, said gear head post being rotatable on said collar and being swivelly disposed around the portion of the torque tube extending above the collar.

3. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising a tubular bracket member adapted to extend through a laundry tub and rigidly secured thereto in an upright position, a torque tube extending loosely through saidtubular bracket and adapted to be supported at its lower end on a gear case for a clothes wringer and being displaceable radially relatively to the tubular bracket and gear case, said torque tube being adapted to loosely accommodate a clothes wringer drive shaft therein, means disposed adjacent the upper end of the tubular. bracket tor radially displacing. the. torque tube relatively on which the depending end of a tubular gear headpost of a clothes -wringer is adapted to be swivelly supported for swingably mounting the clothes wringer and for maintaining it with its longitudinal axis. in substantially a horizontal position.

4. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising a .tubular bracket adapted tocbe fixedly su'pportedin anupright position, a torque tube' extending longitudinally therethrough adapted to be supported" atits lower end on the gear case of a clothes wringer and providing a housing adapted to loosely accommodate a clothes wringer drive shaft therein, said. torque tube being, radially displaceable relatively.

to the tubular bracketjandgear case, adjustable. means adjacent the upper end of said tubular bracket for displacing the torquetube radially thereof and for maintaining it in adjustedposi tions relativelyto thetubular bracket, and acollar carried bysaid torque tube and adapted to support and swivelly mount a depending tubular post of the gear head of the wringer.

5. A torque tube assembly as in claim 4, said torque tube and gear head post forming a housing through which the wringer drive shaft is adapted to loosely extend.

6. A torque tube bracket assembly as in claim 4, said tubular bracket having an enlargement at its upper end in which said collar is loosely disposed, and said means comprising setscrews threadedly engaging said enlargement and ex tending radially therethrough for engagement with the collar.

7. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising a tubular bracket member adapted to extend through a laundry tub and rigidly secured thereto in an upright position, a torque tube extending loosely through said tubular bracket and adapted to be supported at its lower end on a gear case for a clothes wringer and being mounted for limited rocking movement on the gear case and within the bracket tube, means disposed adjacent the upper end of the tubular bracket for rocking the torque tube relatively thereto, and means mounted on said torque tube on which the depending end of a tubular gear head post of a clothes wringer is adapted to be swivelly supported for swingably mounting the clothes wringer and for maintaining it with its longitudinal axis in substantially a horizontal position.

8. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising a tubular bracket adapted to be fixedly supported in an upright position, a torque tube extending longitudinally therethrough adapted to be supported at its lower end on a gear case for limited rocking movement relatively thereto, said torque tube being swingable within the tubular bracket, adjustable means adjacent the upper end of said tubular bracket for displacing the torque tube radially thereof and for maintaining it in adjusted positions relatively to the tubular bracket, and a collar carried by said torque tube and adapted to support and swivelly mount a depending tubular post of the gear head of the wringer.

ORVILLE F. COUCHO'I'.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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