US2675010A - Lid lifting mechanism for dishwashers and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1954 C. HOLLERITH LID LIFTING MECHANISM FOR DISHWASHERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 15, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR- CHARLES HaLLE/ww ATTORNEY April 13, 1954 c. HOLLERITH 2,675,010

LID LIFTING MECHANISM FOR DISHWASHERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. (HA RL 5 IIOLLE/E TH A TTa/e/vE r April 13, 1954 c. HOLLERITH LID LIFTING MECHANISM FOR DISHWASHERS AND THE LI KE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. Hou 5/21 TH Filed May 15, 1953 CHARL E5 A T TOE/V5 Y Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LID LIFTING MECHANISM FOR DISH- "WASHERS AND THE LIKE Charles Hollerith,

Jackson, Mich, assignor to Lake State :Products, Inc., conporationof -Michigan Jackson, Mich a AllplicationiMar 15, 1953, Serial .No.355,2'72 i6 Claims. (Cl. 134-:58)

motors and will "operate 'on2 or 3 watts. Since motors for this purpose are ordinarily merely requiredto rotatecams which actuate switches controlling circuits for solenoids, motors and the like, it is apparent that very little power is required. I am familiar with lid lifting mechanism for dishwashers and the like 'wherein a solenoid circuit is energized by a timer to actuatethe'lid lifting mechanism, and "in this instance, considerable power is available to trip a latch or the like against the force of a spring loaded lid. The present invention is concerned with lid lifting mechanism'which is'sprin'g loaded whenthe dishwasher lid is manually closed and which requires relatively little force to release the latch means and this force is within the capacityof a small conventional timer motor.

It 'is a primary object :of the invention'to provide lid lifting mechanism "for raising the lids oi dishwashers and the like and wherein spring means :are loaded :upon :closing the lid and rela- L tively little force is required .to release latch means permitting the lid .to be lifted under the influence of the springmeans.

Another object or" the invention is to provide lid lifting mechanism for dishwashers and the like and wherein the lifting mechanism is rendered inoperable when the lid is manually lifted.

Another object :of the invention fiS to provide lid lifting mechanism for dishwashers and the likewhich is relatively simple and economical of manufacture and assembly.

Other objects or the invention and the invention and the-inventionxitself will becomeincreasingly apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the inside front wall of "a dishwasher cabinet and lid lifting mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the lid in full lines'in the closed position andin dotted lines in the raised position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view looking on the front of the outer front wall of the cabinet, where a removable cover plateis'located, the coverplate 2 being removed to expose the upper end o fit-he l-ifi lifting rod, a push wire for turning a cam onthe timer shaft for closing the heater and timermotor circuit and a safety switch which renders all the dishwasher circuits inoperative when the lid is opened;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the frcnt wallof the cabinet;

Figure 5 is an enlarged View of the latch means illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view 0f the spring coupling between the timer and thelid actuator cam shaft; and

Figure 7 is a view looking on theright-hand end of'Fisure 6.

Referring now to the drawings and particular- 1y Figure 1, I have indicated at 10 the front wall of a cabinet for a dishwasher or the like, viewed from the interior of the cabinet, preferably having an L-shaped reinforcing member Ili at the topthereof. The cabinet isof conventional form being generally square in cross section and comprising walls extending to a height "such .:as 36 inches. The cabinet serves to receive a vat 9 in'which the articles to be washed are placed, this vat having a hinged lid 12 and a depending peripheral :fiang 13 adapted :to have seated engagement with aflange twithin'the vatwhen the lid is closed. To maintain the lid .in fully open position, I provide any suitable means such :asan arm pivoted to the lid and having an L-tshaped slot therein through which a .pin on a side wall of the vat projects. In a conventional manner, when the arm is "moved so that the pin engages the "bottom end portion of the slot the lid will be held in open position and the lid may be closed by bringing the :pin inte alignment with the long pcrtion of the slot. lid is provided with a handle ill-at the front thereof having "a plate 136 adapted to engage .a lift rod 11. Handle [4 is preferably mounted that may have limited movement relative to the lid to insure that plate 16 engages the upper endof rod ii. The handle it is mounted upon the lid flange l3 throughthe medium :of resilient grommets IE or rubbenfor example, which permit the handle to be flexed downwardly relatively to the lid 12. In its depressed condition, withthe lid closed, there will be som clearance between the upper endof the rod H and the-lidhandle l4. Normally, afterthe lid has been raised, "hythe release of the rod I l, as described later, the rod will be manually depressed before the lid-is closed again. It is desired, however, that the lid 'fiange J 3 should close againstthe vat flange 8 and the flexible mounting thereof extends above .pin 41b and located,

of the handle I4 permits the handle to be de-' fiected downwardly to engage the rod I1, after the lid flange has seated against the fllange 8 and thereby insure that the rod I1 is properly set in its trip position; whereupon the flexible handle mounting will restore the handle to its normal position, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, when the handle is released.

Rod I1 which is square in cross section is mounted for vertical slidin movement in an upper square guide slot 20 provided in the horizontal upper flange 2| of a plate 22 secured to the outer upper portion of front wall ID. The cabinet front wall I0 is formed with a generally T-shaped opening 23 beneath member I I for a purpose to be described. Rod I1 also projects through a hole formed in a generally U-shaped strap 24 pivoted laterally of rod I1 as indicated at 26. The upper face of strap 24 forms a seat for the lower end of a compression spring 21, the upper end of the spring abutting a washer 28 telescoped over rod l1 and limited in upward movement by a pin 29. It will be noted that the rod is curved to provide an offset straight portion 3| and spring 21 has sufiicient force when loaded by closing lid I2 to lift the straight portion 3| upwardly until the curved portion of the rod, indicated at 32, is in spaced relation to the top edge 33 of a rectangular slot formed in plate 22.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 4 that the portion of lift rod I1 below curved portion 32 is disposed inside the front wall It of the cabinet and that the curved portion projects through wall opening 23 so the rod straight portion 3| is disposed externally of wall II]. When the lid is closed and spring 21 is loaded, as illustrated in Figure 1, it will be apparent that strap 24 tends to bias or force the lower end of rod I1 to the left. Under these conditions, a generally U- shaped slot 34 formed in rod I1 engages a latch 36 which is of generally L-shape and has a horizontally extending U-shaped slot cut in the top flange thereof.

A plate 38 is secured to front wall It of the cabinet andis formed with an car 39 extending at right angles thereto having a square guide hole for a bar4 I. Bar 4| is preferably square in cross section and plate-38 has a second ear 42 slotted to form a second guide means for bar 4 I. To limit movement to the left (Figure 1) of bar 4| it is provided with a collar 43 adapted to abut ear 42. When the lid is closed, one end of bar 4! abuts or is closely adjacent to rod E1 and the opposite or left-hand end of the bar abuts or is closely adja 'cent to a cam 44. Cam 44 has a lift portion 45 whereby when the lift portion engages bar 4! the bar will be forced to the right and resultantly force the lower end of rod I1 to the right whereby the rod slot 34 will be moved out of engagement with latch 36 and the loaded spring 21 will lift rod I1 upwardly until part of the straight portion 3| upper guide slot 23. It will be noted that it is only necessary for the cam to overcome the relatively light biasing force of strap 24 to force rod |1 out of engagement with latch 36. Cam 44 is mounted on the outer end of a shaft 46 which is coupled to a short shaft 41 extending from a timer generally indicated at 48 by a spring coupling 49. The spring coupling comprises an end bushing 41a secured on the shaft 41 by a cross pin 41b and having an axial slot 410 open to the outer end of the bushing, into which the end portion 460: extends and carries a pin 46b, mounted perpendicularly with respect to the with clearance, in the slot 4 410. A coil spring 48a is anchored at one end to the pin 46b and at the other end to the pin 41?). Normally, the shaft end 460 will lie at one side of the slot 41c, as seen in Figure '7. At the commencement of rotation of the shaft 41 the spring 49a Will be tensioned and the pin 46b will be constrained to travel to the opposite side of the slot as the shaft 46 is rotated. This stores up energy which serves to move the cam 44 rapidly to present its low part to the left-hand end of the bar 4| after the cam has presented its high part to this end of the bar for pushing the rod I1 to the release position. The bar is thus free to be returned to its initial position in which the rod can be re-set for the next lid lifting operation.

The timer is of the conventional type used on dish-washers and the like wherein a relatively small electric motor 5| rotates a cam shaft and through cams controls operation of inlet and drain valves, electrical circuits for motors actuating the impeller, pump and the like. As previously pointed out, a motor of this type has relatively little power but I have found that relatively little efiort is required to overcome the biasing action of strap 24- and release rod I1 from latch 36 and that such effort is within the capacity of the timer motor. To aid in sliding movement of bar 4| I preferably provide a curved spring 52 which abuts plate 38 and has its end portions bent and formed to provide guide slots for the bar.

It will be noted that a. second cam 54 is mounted on shaft 46 and that this cam is formed to provide a notch 56 adapted to engage a short horizontally extending bent portion 51 of a push wire 58. The lower end of Wire 53 is bent to engage the lower end of a spring 59. which tends to move the wire upwardly. The upper end of wire 58 is bent to engage the lower surface of a pin 6| movable vertically in a guide slot 62 formed in plate 22. Pin 6| is an integral part of a push button slidable in a cover plate 50 mounted on the outer side of cabinet front wall IIl. When the push button is forced downwardly manually the cam 54 and resultantly the timer cam shaft will be rotated.

To avoid undue noise when rod I1 is forced upwardly into contact with the top of strap 24 and to limit upward movement of rod I1 I preferably provide a rubber cushioning washer 1| backed by a metal washer 12 and limited in downward movement by a pin 13.

The lid is provided'with a prong 8| whereby whenever the lid is closed a switch controlling element indicated at 82 will be forced downwardly against the tension of a spring 83 and when the lid is opened the element 82 will be lifted by the spring. Downward movement of element 82 completes a circuit to the timer motor through a switch 84 and upward movement thereof opens the circuit whereby the timer will be stopped any time the lid is lifted preventing the lift rod, I1 frombeing moved upwardly unless the lid is closed.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described. Upon manually closing lid I2 rod I1 is forced downwardly loading spring 21 and the biasing action of strap 24 forces the lower end of the rod slightly to the left (Figure 1) forcing slot 34 of the rod over latch 36 to lock the rod in a down or non-lifting position. Closing of lid I2 also closes switch 84 which conditions the timer circuit for operatin the timer motor 5|. At the completion of the previous cycle of operations the timer was stopped in the off position and after switch 84 is closed the push button mounted on cover plate 60 is forced manually downwardly and by means of push wire 58 and cam 54 the timer is moved to the on position and the timer starts operating. After a predetermined period the lift portion 45 of cam 44 forces bar 4! to the right (Figure 1) moving rod I! out of engagement with latch 36 and the rod is forced upwardly under the influence of spring 21 to lift lid 12. It will be noted that manual opening of lid l2 breaks the timer circuit and stops the timer through opening of switch 84 sothat rod I! cannot be raised to lid lifting position unless the lid is closed.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The combination with a dishwashing machine of the type having a cabinet, a hinged lid on the cabinet, and an electrically operable timer including a shaft operable by a low powered motor, of mechanism for automatically lifting the lid at the completion of a cycle of washing and rinsing operations, said mechanism comprising a rod mounted for vertical sliding movement alon a wall of the cabinet and adapted to engage and lift the lid by upward movement of the rod, spring means adapted to be loaded by downward movement of the rod when the lid is manually closed, latch means adapted to hold the rod in a downward position when the lid is closed, and mechanical means operable by the timer shaft adapted to render the latch means ineffective whereby the rod will be forced upwardly by the spring means to lift the lid.

2. The combination as described in claim 1 and wherein the circuit for the timing motor includes a switch operable by opening and closing 6 movement of the lid, and lid opening movement breaking said circuit and stopping the timer whereby the lifting rod cannot be forced upwardly by the spring means when the lid is manually raised.

3. The combination as described in claim 1 and wherein the lower portion of the lift rod is adapted to be moved laterally, the latch means comprises inter-engaging portions on the rod and a fixed member, and means are provided effective upon loading of the spring means to bias the lower portion of the rod laterally into latched position.

4. The combination as described in claim 1 and wherein the means rendering the latch means ineffective comprises a cam on the timer shaft, and movable means extending between the cam and the lower portion of the lift rod effective to move the rod laterally out of latching engagement.

5. The combination described in claim 1 and wherein the lift rod has the major portion thereof disposed inside the cabinet and adjacent the front wall thereof, the upper portion of the rod projects externally of the cabinet to engage the lid, means are provided to bias the lower portion of the rod laterally into latched position, and the biasing means limits upward movement of the rod,

6. The combination as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the said shaft includes a spring coupling connecting the shaft with said mechanical means, said means including a cam on said shaft and a bar movable by said cam to render said 1 latch means inoperative; said spring coupling being effective to move said cam for freeing the said bar to be restored to its initial position when said rod operates to lift the lid.

No references cited.

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