US2712748A

US2712748A - Liquid dispenser for clothes washers and the like

Info

Publication number: US2712748A
Application number: US316274A
Authority: US
Inventors: Keith A Edwards; William R Buechler
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1952-10-22
Filing date: 1952-10-22
Publication date: 1955-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1972-07-12

Description

July 1955 K. A. EDWARDS ET AL LIQUID DISPENSER FOR CLOTHES WASHERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l ITwvent-ors: Keith Aflclwards, William R Buechler, b MM;

5 Their Attorfiey.

y 1955 K. A. EDWARDS ET AL 2,712,748

LIQUID DISPENSER FOR CLOTHES WASHERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U 6 F 5. /4\ W Inventors: Keith A. Edwards, William R Buechle Their Attorney.

LIQUID DISPENSER FUR CLOTHES WASHERS AND TEE LIKE Keith A. Edwards, Schenectady, N. Y., and William R. Buechier, Louisville, Ky assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application Gctoher 22, 1952, Serial No. 316,274 11 Claims. (1. 68-17) The present invention has to do primarily with automatic clothes washing machines and the like and has for its object to provide improved means for supplying to such a machine during one or more of its washing opera tions along with the cleansing liquid a suitable or desired washing agent. is intended to include water or other washing or cleansing liquid and the term washing agent is intended to include any liquid sanitizing or germicidal agent, a liquid detergent or other liquid substance or liquid solution which it is desired to supply to the machine along with the cleansing liquid.

According to the invention cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine through an aspirator, the cleansing liquid serving as a pumping liquid or vacuum for the aspirator, and the washing agent is pumped into the machine by the aspirator; and in with there is provided means for controlling the aspirator whereby when cleansing liquid is flowing through it, a washing agent may or may not be pumped as found desirable. For example, in the case of a clothes washing machine, it may be desirable to supply a sanitizing or germicidal agent to the machine along with the rinse water in which case the aspirator would be made effective to pump such agent to the machine when rinse water is being supplied to it but not at other times.

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

In the drawing, Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of a clothes tion; Fig. 2 is a top plan view with parts broken view taken on line 33, Fig. taken on line 44, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modification; Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 77, Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawing, a clothes washing machine of known type is shown in outline in Fig. 1, it being a machine of the single tub spin basket type. It comprises an outer casing 1, a tub 2, a spin basket 3 and an agitator 4. Mechanism including an electric motor for oscillating the to the machine is indicated at The structure so far described is shown only by way of example. It is to be taken as typical of any suitable clothes washing machine.

According to our invention we supply cleansing liquid from a source of suitable pressure to the machine through an aspirator which serves to pump into the machine along with the cleansing liquid a suitable Washing agent. aspirator comprises a tapered nozzle 10, the discharge The term cleansing liquid as used herein producing liquid 7 washing machine embodying the invenend of which is positioned in the inlet end of spout 7. In the inlet end of nozzle 10 is a cleansing liquid supply pipe H which discharges liquid through nozzle 10 and spout 7 to spin basket 3. The supply pipe 11 may con- Container 12 is provided with a filling and vent opening 14.

For controlling the operation of the aspirator, there is provided in aspirator tube 13, an air bleed opening 15 15, then the aspirator will function to pump washing agent.

In connection with the aspirator, the upstream side of opening 14 as regards the direction of flow of cleansing liquid an inwardly projecting lip 10 which points angularly downstream as shown clearly in there is provided on risk of washing liquid leaking or flowing downwardly through pipe 13 into the container for the cleansing agent.

In connection with the aspirator, it should also be noted that it is an open type, the end of pipe 11 which conducts the cleansing liquid into the aspirator conduit 10 if a vacuum were created in pipe 11, only air would be drawn into pipe 11, not the washing agent, and no contamination of the plumbing by the washing agent could take place.

Valve 15 may be moved manually in the case of a manually controlled clothes washing machine or it may be moved automatically in the case of an automatically controlled machine. However, the invention is especially useful and applicable to an automatic clothes washing machine.

In carrying out our invention in connection with an automatic clothes washing machine, there is provided for operating valve 16 means forms a part of the automatic control system, the arrangeor desired Washing operation, valve 16 will beclcsed so as to supply washing agent along therewith, while when such supply valve or valves are opened to supply cleansing liquid only for other'washing'operations, valve 16' will be open. For example, the arrangement may be such that washing agent is suppliedonly when cleansing liquid is-supplied'rora rinsing. operation.

For automatically closing and opening valve 16, its stem is connected tothe free end of a coiled. bimetal strip 17, the other end of which ismounted on a fixed support 18'. Mounted adiacentto the bimetal strip for heating it is=a heating element here shown in the form of anelectric lamp-l9. The arrangement is'such that normally when the:bimetal strip'is cold, it holds valve 16 open. When heated it flcxes toward the left as shown in. Fig. 4 to-close the-valve. The control is such that during any cleansing liquid supply period when it is desired to supply a'washing'agentto the machine along with the cleansing liquid, the circuit of. lamp 1) is closed to effect the closing of valve 16; Referring to the wiring diagram in Fig. 5, 20 indicates a solenoid operated cleansing liquid supply valve in pipe 11' and 21 indicates a timing motor driven automatic control timer which controls the circuits for operating valve 20 and the washing machine motor indicated at 22. At 23 is a timer operated switch which is closed to efiect the opening of valve 29 and at 24 is a timer operated switch which is closed to effect operation of valvelo by closing a circuit on heater lamp; 1?. Thesource: of electrical supply is indicated at 25, the main control switch at 26 and circuits leading-.;to motor 22 for other machine operations are indicated at 27; if desired a manually operated-switch 28 located on the machine for convenient operation may be connected in the heater: unit circuit so that the heater may be disconnected from the controller if the operator wishes not to supply washing agent when usingthe machine.

This showing isdiagrammatic, only connections sufficient foran understanding of the invention being shown. Whenever timer switch 23 is closed valve 20 will be opened to supply cleansing liquid to the. machine but thewashing agent control valve 16'will be. closed only at such times as timer switch 24 is closed also to close the circuit on'heater lamp 19.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8.-is-shown a modified arrangement for controlling" the. aspirator. In this modification in advance of the. aspirator opening 30 (corresponding. to aspirator opening 14 of Figs. 1 to 4) as regards the flow of cleansing-liquid; there is provided a deflector 31in the form of a wire which is connectedto a bimetal strip 32. and by it adapted to bernoved'downtinto and upoutof the path of fiow of cleansing liquid from the. supply pipe. 33 which-corresponds to-supplypipe ll of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Otherwise, the arrangement may bethe. same aszthat shownin Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and correspondingreierence characters have been applied to correspondingparts. When deflector wire 31- stands in the path of fiowof cleansing liquid from pipe. 33, the flow is. causedtodivide and pass to each side of the aspirator. opening asillustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 8. As a result, no washing .agent'will be fed from tank 14to the infiowing stream. However, when bimetal 32 is heated to move deflector wire 31 upward out of the path or" the flowing stream then the liquid will flow over the aspirator opening, efiecting the feeding of wash ingagent into the stream of cleansing liquid.

Ey'our i vention we eiiect the feeding of a washing agent to a clothes washing machine in an efiicient manner and by the use of mechanism which is simple in structure and reliable in operation; and in addition by mechanism which can be supplied at low cost and readily fitted into an automatic control system.

What we claim and desire to secure by of the United States is:

l1 In: a clothes washing machine or the like having Letters Patent a pipe for supplying cleansing liquid to the machine,

aspirator for feeding a liquid washing agent to the machine along with the cleansing liquid comprising a nozzle into which the discharge end of the cleansing 5' liquid pipe projects and through which it discharges cleansing liquid to the machine, a container for a washing agent, an aspirator tube connecting said container to said nozzle through an aspirator opening in said nozzle located at a point beyond the end of said pipe as regards the direction or r'iow through it, movable means for rendering said aspirator opening efiective and ineffective to draw up washing agent from the container to the nozzle, control means for the clothes washing machine, and means connected with said washing machine control means for actuating said movable means.

1.. in a clothes washing machine or the like of the type having a control means and a pipe for supplying cleansing liquid to the machine, an aspirator for drawa liquid washing agent into' the machine along with 29 the. cleansing liquid comprising a nozzle into'which the discharge end of the liquid supply pipe projects and.

thrc-r h which it discharges cleansing: liquid to the ch s, a container for washing agent, an aspirator sue 'on tube connecting said container to said nozzle point beyond'the end of said ipe as regards the directi 1 of flow through it, said aspirator tube bein proth an air bleed hole, a valve for blocking flow ir through said air bleed hole, means for operating a lve, and means connected with the control means for actuating said valve operating means.

3. in a clothes washing machine of the type having a timer for controlling automatically washingoperations including the supplying of cleansing liquidv to the ma.- chine, means for supplyingia washing agent along with cleansing liquid comp-rising an aspirator nozzle through which cleansing liquid flows to the machine, said aspirator nozzle having an aspirator opening past which cleansing liquid flows for producing a suction, a liquid washing agent container, an aspirator tube which con nects the container to said opening and. through which liquid washing agent may be. drawn up, valveimeans for controlling the suction ofv said aspirator, and means actuated by said timer for operating said valve means.

4. In a clothes washing machine of the type having a timer for controlling automatically washing operations including the supplying oticleansing liquid to the. machine, means for supplying a washingagent along with cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator' nozzle through which cleansing liquid flows to the machine, said' aspirator nozzle having an aspirator. opening past which cleansing liquid flows, a liquid washing: agent container, an aspirator tube which connects the container to said opening, movable means connected with said aspirator for rendering effective and ineftectiveiilow of cleansingiliquid past said aspirator opening to producev suction for the feeding of washing agent from said container, and means controlled by said timer. for operating said movable means.

5. in a clothes washing machine'of the type having'a timer for controllingautomatically washing operations including the supplying of cleansing liquid to the machine, means for supplyingawashing agent along with cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator nozzle through which cleansing liquid flows to the machine, said'aspirator nozzle having an aspirator opening, pastwhich cleansing liquid flows to produce a suction, a washing agentcontainer, an aspirator suction tube whichv connects the con tainer to said opening, said tube being provided with an air bleed opening, a valve controlling said air bleed opening, and means controlled by said timer for operating said valve.

6. In a clothes washing machine of the. type having a timer for controllingv automatically washing operations including the supplying ofcleansingliquid to the machine, means for supplying a-washing agent along with through an aspirator opening in said nozzle located at.

cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator nozzle through which cleansing liquid flows to the machine, said aspirator nozzle having an aspirator opening past which cleansing liquid flows to produce a suction, a washing agent container, an aspirator suction tube which connects the container to said opening, a movable member which stands in the path of flow of cleansing liquid past said aspirator opening for etfecting flow of cleansing liquid over said opening to produce suction or away from it to eliminate the suction, and means controlled by said timer for operating said movable member.

7. in a clothes washing machine, an aspirator comprising a nozzle through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said nozzle having an aspirator opening past which the cleansing liquid flows, a container for a washing agent, an aspirator suction tube which connects said container to said aspirator opening, and movable means for rendering fiow of cleansing liquid through said tube selectively eflective and ineffective for producing suction to draw washing agent through said aspirator pipe.

8. In a clothes washing machine, an aspirator compris ing a nozzle through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said nozzle having an aspirator opening past which the cleansing liquid flows, a container for a washing agent, an aspirator suction tube which connects said container to said aspirator opening, movable means for rendering elfective and ineffective flow of cleansing liquid through said tube to effect the pumping of washing agent through said aspirator pipe, and a projecting lip on the up stream side of said aspirator opening which points angularly down stream for deflecting liquid flow past the opening.

9. In a clothes washing machine, an aspirator comprising a nozzle extending in a generally horizontal direction through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said nozzle having an aspirator opening in a top portion thereof past which the cleansing liquid flows, a container for a washing agent, an aspirator suction tube which connects said container to said aspirator opening, said aspirator tube having an air bleed opening, a valve controlling said opening, and movable means for operating said valve.

10. In a clothes washing machine, an aspirator comprising a nozzle through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said nozzle having an aspirator opening past which the cleansing liquid flows, a container for a washing agent, an aspirator suction tube which connects said container to said aspirator opening, a deflector movable into and out of the path of flow of cleansing liquid past said aspirator opening for rendering ineffective and effective suction of washing agent through said tube, and means for moving said deflector.

11. In a clothes washing machine of the type having a timer for controlling automatically washing operations inciuding the supplying of cleansing liquid to the machine, means for supplying a washing agent along with cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator nozzle through which cleansing liquid flows to the machine, said aspirator nozzle having an aspirator opening past which cleansing liquid flows to produce a suction, a washing agent container, an aspirator suction tube which connects the container to said opening, movable means connected with said aspirator for rendering efiective and inefiective flow of cleansing liquid past said aspirator opening to effect the suction of washing agent from said container, a bimetal strip connected to said movable means for moving it, an electric heater for said bimetal strip, and a heater circuit for said heater which is controlled by said timer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS