US2632540A - Positive clutch - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1953 T, R, SMITH 2,632,540

POSITIVE CLUTCH Filed Oct. 11. 1950 1N VEN TOR.

Tho/7205i 577242774 u TED STATES- PM Patented Mar. 24, 1 953 I U 66,229. Divided and this applicationeoctobem 11; 1950I-Siial no. 189,619

Thisinvention' relates to control mechanism? Inthe parent application Se'rial'No. 66,229, filed December 20, 1948, of which this present applica-' tion is adivision, the control mechanism is shown inconnection with a washing machine and more particularly in connection with an automatically controlled washing machine "wherein washing, rinsing and liquid extractionirom the washed and" rinsed clothes takes place in cycles."

Normally the washing machine controls are set for'automaticallygiving'aspecified time for" each of the washing; rinsing and liquid extrac-" tion operations. It is'desirable at times to vary the time or'duration for any one or all of said operations. It is to that feature primarily thatl this application is directed." It takes the form of a manual control.

It will be apparent .from a readingof the parentapplication that electric switches, among other elements -are actuated in-the automatic cycle of operation. It is important that such switches be operated in agiven sequence by ele ments which rotate in a given direction." Otherwise the automaticfi-controlparts including the switches might be damaged.

It is"'th'erefore one of the objects of this" inventionto optionally manually control the duration of the washing; rinsing and liquid extraction operations 'in a manner'to" safe-guard or protect tlie'partswhich normally control the automatic operation and do soby means'that'have simple, durable and efficient cooperating elements.

Another object is to provide a novel manual control device adapted to cooperate with an automatic control device whereby the control switches function as a result of movement of actuating parts always in the same direction whether the automatic or manual control device is made dominant.

These and other objects are accomplished by the mechanism shown by the drawings in which- Figure '1 is a perspective view showing primarily the cabinet of an automatic washing machine fully described in the above mentioned parent application; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a manual control device which cooperates with automatic control mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the details of the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, there is shown the cabinet [0 of an automatic washing machine the various features of which are fully disclosed in the parent application and not specifically claimed herein. The cabinet includes an upper cover I I with an open- 5 'througn'eachof whichfloosely extends a shaft o1. isz ra 2* ingiltlfereinmormally'iclosetl byfa lid I25 front'verticar'wallbnpanel I 3 is provided-wit an opening in which is mounted a member lfof translucent :material'such as'-1iucite' or-the like; having'fo'rmed" therein" certain indi'cia; such as the name of the": 'maker'"or"any desired tradename? 7 Adjacent the front panel l 3 the top cover-f member "1 l ""is formed .with openings 5' andsuch as*annidirectionallycrivenrotatable shat ll, of a control device. Each'shaffl'isadapted to be manually actuatedby'imeans of a 'kfiobor the like I 8 for manipulating "control' mechanism =for'causing the washing machine to periOrm various operations." In thepresentassemblyiion i of such mechanisms controlsthetemperature of the water entering theinner'receptacle"of'the' washing machine and'the otherof such'meclia nismscontrols'thewashing cycle including wash ing, rinsing and drying'operations"asfully Ide scribed in said parent application.

As shown in Figure 2 of"the*drawingsfthe manual control ineans'for thecycle timer com- 1' prises a clutch collar [9 having a conicallyshaped shoulder "*2 0': extending 'foutwardlyj therefrom""at* its upper'portio'n, the collar "beingfn'iedito the shaft I 1 by a 'locking'set'screw" 2 [which engages a flat 22 on the. shaft "'l'! to align it "in. itsproper -position"and"rig'idly hold' it thereon. 'Il'ieilpper portion" 23 of the" collar 1 9 isrfiatandha's a cam'fi' surface 24 extending upwardly orfdrwardly there from provided with an abutment 25 through which the shaft I! may be rotated. The manual control knob I8 is loosely mounted or journaled on the upper end of the shaft H and is provided with a hub portion 26 having a cam surface 21 terminating in an abutment or shoulder 28. The shoulder 28 is adapted to engage the shoulder 25 on the collar I9 so that when the outer periphery 26 of the control knob is gripped by the operator and is rotated in a clockwise direction, the two abutments 25 and 28 engage and the shaft I! is rotated to manually actuate the control mechanism 33. However, if the operator rotates the control knob in a counter-clockwise direction, the control knob will rotate about the shaft H, which moves the normally abutting shoulders 25 and 28 apart so that the shaft Il cannot be rotated during this counter-clockwise rotation. It will be apparent that the complementary cam surfaces 24 and 21 terminating in the abutments 25 and 28, respectively, provide a one-way driving connection between the knob l8 and shaft l1.

In order to hold the cam surface 21 of the control knob in position against the cam surface 24 of the collar l9, there is provided a c-shaped leaf spring member 30 having its central portion secured to the hub 26 by screw means 31. The spring is provided at its free ends with the inwardly extending portions 32 which engage the shoulder of the collar I9 to hold the knob in engagement with the collar at all times, regardless of the location of the control knob. The spring is also formed to prevent removal of the knob by the operator or a loss thereof during transit. A plate is mounted on the control knobs to cover the parts thereunder.

Each of the knobs for the control means has indicia applied thereto which is readily readable by the operator for ascertaining the setting of the particular control means each knob is designed to actuate. The water temperature control knob 34 differs from control knob 18 in that the former is capable of movement in both directions as fully described in the parent application.

In a washing and drying machine of the type herein referred to it is desirable to provide means for automatically operating same. Such contemplates control means including the timer motor 33 adapted to rotate a plurality of cams for actuating switch means in a predetermined sequence to cause the machine to perform its various functions automatically as set forth in said parent application.

The washing and drying machine above referred to is automatically operated through a complete washing cycle Without it being necessary for the operator to do anything other than adjust the control knobs on the upper part of the machine, prior to the time that the machine is set in operation. In accordance with the contemplated operation of the washing and d ying machine, the operator opens the lid l2 and places the clothes or fabrics to be washed in the Washing receptacle. A proper quantity of a detergent is then poured into the receptacle, after which the lid is closed and the water temperature selectedby moving the water selector knob 34 to either its warm or hot position. The timer control knob is then rotated to a position corresponding to the length of time desired for the washing period as shown by the indicia on the knob. These are the only manual operations initially required of the operator.

If at any time during the automatic cycle, it is desired to shorten a period of washing, a period of rinsing or a period of water extraction, it is merely necessary for the operator to turn the control knob I8 the desired amount for advancing the control cams in the same direction in which they were moving. By means of the construction and arrangement of the parts of this manual control mechanism all of the associated control parts including the switch mechanism are protected against damage.

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the control mechanism coming within the spirit and scope of the following claim.

Iclaim:

A control device comprising a unidirectionally driven rotatable shaft, a collar rigidly secured to said shaft and having a radially extending surface with a forwardly projecting single cam surface terminating in an abutment disposed in fixed annular relation with respect to said shaft, said collar being further provided with a shoulder beneath said radial surface, a manually operable control knob having a hub portion loosely journalled on the end of said shaft, said hub having a cam surface complementary to said first named cam surface and terminating in an abutment engageable with said first named abutment to provide a one-Way manual driving connection between said knob and said unidirectional rotatable driven shaft, and a C-shaped leaf spring having its centralportion secured to said hub and its free ends in engagement with said shoulder for normally maintaining said abutments in contact and to rotate in unison with said shaft, but yieldable to permit reverse rotation of said knob Without effecting the unidirectional rotation of said shaft.

THOMAS R. SMITH.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 303,541 Palmer Aug. 12, 1884 575,620 Seymour Jan. 19, 1897 1,953,179 Kingston Apr. 3, 1934 1,960,665 Hudson May 29, 1934 2,288,955 Richardson et al. July 7, 1942

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