US2631448A - Antisiphon device for washing machines - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1953 1.. R. GARMAN ANTISIPHON DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Aug. 50. 1947 2 saEETs-sHEE'r 1 [E Z [E March '17, 1953 R. GARMAN ANTISIPHON DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Aug. 30. 1947 fnvenl or Y .Zawrence Garman 2 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 ANTISIPHON DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINES- Lawrence R. Garman, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 30, 1947, Serial No. 771,439

3 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines and the like. More specifically, this invention relates to the provisions of a water inlet with what may be termed an anti-siphon device.

In automatic washing machines, wherein the water is controlled by automatic valving or semiautomatic valving, there is danger that suds in the tub will become excessive and will pile up or overflow. As a result it is necessary to provide a means for preventing such suds from being drawn by vacuum or otherwise into the water system, and the water supply for the house contaminated thereby, As a matter of fact many cities and municipalities have ordinances and regulations which make it necessary to provide an approved means for preventing the movement of such contaminated material into the water system. These ordinances are in many instances rigidly applied, and it has been extremely difiicult to secure the approval for sale in certain municipalities of such items as automatic washing machines which are not provided with an approved anti-siphon device.

There have been on the market anti-siphon devices which have a water inlet placed on a washing machine tub, and in many instances air gaps have been provided between the water inlet and the source of water. However, the tendency of the suds to pile up above the overflow for such water inlet has been such that these inlets have not always received full approval of the governmental unit or health department of all municipalities.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide an inexpensive device and arrangement wherein the danger of siphonage of dirty water and materials from the washer into the water supply system is entirely eliminated.

It is a further object to provide an arrangement in which suds will be broken up, at least.

to an extent which would prevent the piling up thereof to a position near the opening of the water pipe for the water inlet.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of an arrangement whereby suds and. overflow water will be shunted from the vicinity of the inlet pipe and allowed to drain out of the machine, such suds as would normally be forced up into the vicinity of the inlet pipe being mechanically broken up and shunted off before reaching the inlet pipe.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modified construction in which the water inlet is substantially blocked against the movement of suds or dirty water thereto, the

water from the inlet conduit serving to remove or open the blocking means only for the duration of the period when the water is running into the washing machine, said blocking means automatically returning to a blocking position as soon as each charging of the machine with water is ended.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which is relatively inexpensive, and which can be readily manufactured with modern methods and machinery.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the nature of the improvementsv is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig, 1 is a front elevational view showing a washing machine cabinet structure;

Fig. 2 is also a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the tub and other structures having applied thereto the principal form of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view similar to Fig. 3, but showing modified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more in detail to the arrangements shown in the various figures, and referring first to Figs, 1, 2, and 3, there is shown a washing machine cabinet l| having an inlet door 12 through which access may be had to the interior of the machine.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, there is provided a tub I 4 in which is usually located a basket or rotation cylinder IS. The tub I4 is normally charged during the washing action at several different times with water or other fluid from a conduit or pipe l8 as is indicated schematically in Figs. 2 and 3. In some arrangements of others, this pipe i8 is positioned to pour the water directly into a tub such as tub l4, through an opening either on the side or on the top of said tub.

-In the arrangement of iapplicants invention as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a tub I4 is preferably provided with a bulge or outstruck portion 20,

which may be formed in the tub at the time of the drawing or fabricating thereof, and which bulge portion preferably extends forwardly from the tub toward the outer cabinet a shown in Fig. 2. It is understood, of course, that the tub need not be provided with this bulge, but that a plate or other device generally similar in shape can be welded to the front of the tub and accomplish the same general purpose. It is believed, however, that the arrangement shown is the least expensive and most desirable from manufacturing and other standpoints.

The bulge 20 is provided with an opening 22 in the top thereof and with one or more slots 24 on the sides thereof below the opening 22. The purpose of these slots 24 will be explained more in detail later.

In the opening 22 there is placed a device, preferably in the form of a fine mesh screen of copper or the like, which effectually breaks up suds attempting to pass through the mesh at the opening 22. This device will herein be referred to generally as screen 25, and may be of any desired shape but is here shown as generally the shape of an inverted pyramid.

At the back of the bulge 26 and preferably inside of the tub I4, is plate 28 welded or otherwise attached in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the bottom portion between the plate and the tub being spaced from the tub wall or otherwise left open to the passage of water, which opening is preferably such that the inturned flange 30 through which the clothes are inserted into the tub and basket i6 receives the water from the pipe 58 and deflects it into an opening 32 in the basket so that it will be sprayed or distributed over any clothes that may be in the bottom of the basket. In other words, the inturned flange 3i) throws the water in a spray or fan motion through the opening 32 into the basket 16.

For the purposes of description, the bulge 20 and the plate 28 form what may be referred to as pocket or compartment 34 with the bottom opening 3%, side slots 24, top opening 22, and which compartment 34 channels the water or other fluid from the conduit i8 into the tub l4 and basket l6.

The slots 24 provide an overflow for water in the event of mechanical failure in the machine so that water will never reach the end of pipe or hose I8. Slots 25 also provide an outlet for oversudsing which is an abnormal condition occuring only when the operator adds an excess of soap. The suds build up through opening .36 into bulge 20 and overflow through openings .24 and run down the front of the tub l4. Suds in bulge 28 might also push out opening 22 if screen 26 were not provided. This screen is so designed that it will not impede the passage of water into the machine but will break up suds so that any reaching the top opening 22 will dissipate and retain the air gap between the top of bulge 2!] and conduit [8. In other words, in the arrangement shown, there is no danger of impurities from the interior of the washing machine reaching the end of the -conduit [8 whereby they would be drawn up by vacuum action or suction into the house water system.

Referring next to the arrangement shown .in Figs. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a modified form or construction for accomplishing the result of preventing suds and dirty water from returning to the inlet conduit or water sup-ply system. Insofar as the parts are identical in the preferred construction above described and in the modified construction here shown in Figs. 4 and 5, they are numbered the same.

The tub 38 is preferably not bulged at the front as was the case with the tub is, but is provided with an opening W in the tub wall where water coming therethrough will encounter the flange 3B and be fanned out over the clothes as was the case with water coming from the bottom 36 shown in "Fig. 2. On the front of the tub and registering with said opening 48 a pocket or compartment Al is formed by attaching by welding or otherwise, a flanged plate 32. This pocket 4| is open at its top and is preferably generall in the shape disclosed in Fig. 4. The flange plate 32 is cut away at its top in the manner shown whereby one side is very much shorter than the other, for the purpose of allowing suds and water backing up through the opening ii! to escape over the cut-away portion 35 before reaching the upper portion or top 5.6. Thus the flange plate %2 will be welded or otherwise attached to the tub at its sides and bottom, but generally will be entirely open throughout the extent of its upper portion. The upper portion is preferably flared as indicated whereby the portion li ithereof is at least as great in length as opening it so that the capacity to dispose of waste water and suds is as great as the capacity of the opening 48 to feed the water to the pocket formed by plate 42. At its upper end, the plate 22 is provided with a projection il', which is drilled or perforated to receive a bolt or the like 38, on which is pivotally mounted what may be termed flap valve 513. This flap valve se is shown in its open position for allowing liquid to flow into the tub. As indicated by dotted line position, this flap valve .55 is adapted to close upon the termination of water flow into the tub and block the upper open end 16 of the flange plate 52 beneath the water inlet of the conduit M. For this purpose, either a light spring may be provided or the outer end 52 of the flap valve may be made heavier so that gravity action will pull the flap valve back into position. The bolt $8 is preferably threaded at one end into the tub 38 whereby it is supported at one end by the tub 33 and at the other end by the projection 47.

The conduit i8 as shown in this figure may if desired be provided with a bracket 56 attached to the flange plate 42.

As will be obvious from examination of Figs. 4 and 5, suds or water backing up from the opening it and between the flange plate s2 and the tub 38, will normally merely flow over the low portion id of said flange plate. However, should the suds pile up toward the top portion 56 of the flange plate 42, they will be blocked from entering the conduit i8 by the flap valve 50. As additional protection, an air gap 55 between the discharge end of the conduit i8 and the top of the flange plate d6 may be provided. This will prevent any seepage around the edges of the flap valve 50 from reaching the conduit 18 inasmuch as any such seepage would be of a minor nature and the suds would be broken up sufilciently so that they will flow over the top id of the flange plate 42 if they do not escape from the low side 44.

It will thus be seen that by the arrangements shown and described above, suds and water are prevented from backing up into the conduit i8, and in such cases the suds will be eventually broken up and by-passed or discharged outside of the tub where they may flow to the floor without danger to the water supply.

While I have illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth but wish to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In an anti-siphon device for washing machines, means defining a tub, said tub having a hollow bulge extending outwardly of said tub means and having an open inner side, a plate secured to said tub and extending across the major portion of said open side of the bulge and defining: a chamber having a discharge opening beneath the lower edge of said plate, a flange extending inwardly from the lower regions of said bulge and beneath said discharge opening and adapted to deflect fluids and the like entering the tub from said dis-charge opening, means comprising slots in said bulge adapted to discharge fluid and the like from said tub, the upper portion of said bulge having a fluid receiving opening therein, and a meshed screen-like element between said fluid receiving opening and said discharge opening adapted to destroy suds overflowing said tub.

2. In an anti-siphon device for washing machines; a tub means; said tub means having a hollow bulge extending outwardly thereof and having an open inner side; means comprising a plate secured to said tub and extending across the major portion of said open side of the bulge and defining a chamber having a discharge opening beneath the lower edge of said plate; said tub means including flange means extending from the lower regions of said bulge and inwardly of said tub and disposed beneath said discharge opening and adapted to deflect fluids and the like entering the tub from said discharge Opening; the middle portion of said bulge having at least one slot adapted to discharge fluid and the like from said tub; and the upper portion of said bulge having a fluid receiving opening therein.

3. In a device of the class described, a tub means having an aperture for receiving articles into said tub means, wall means defining an enclosure forming a part of said tub means and disposed outwardly of said tub means, said enclosure having an opening discharging into said tub means, a flange extending inwardly of said tub means and formed integral with at least a portion of the periphery of said article receiving aperture and disposed beneath said discharge opening and adapted to deflect fluids and the like entering the tub from said discharge opening, the side of said enclosure defining means having at least one opening adapted to discharge fluid and the like from said tub, the upper portion of said enclosure defining means having a fluid receiving opening, and means disposed within said enclosure between said fluid receiving opening and said discharge opening and adapted to destroy suds overflowing said tub.

LAWRENCE R. GARMAN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 920,171 Parker May 4, 1909 2,154,566 Frantz Apr. 18, 1939 2,201,685 Lorengen May 21, 1940 2,211,459 Dawson Aug. 13, 1940 2,215,604 Cronkhite Sept. 24, 1940 2,282,847 Barifli May 12, 1942 2,417,908 Bowen Mar. 25, 1947 2,481,979 Colley Sept. 13, 1949 2,498,179 Oliver Feb. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 394,589 Great Britain June 29, 1933

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