US2715413A - Automatic controls for washing, drycleaning, bleaching, dyeing and other machines - Google Patents

Description

Filed Sept. lO

J. BOLD 2,715,413 UTOMATIC CONTROLS FOR WASHING, DRY--CLEANINGl BLEACHING, DYEING AND OTHER MACHINES 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attorney Aug. 16, 1955 J. BOLD 2,715,413

AUTOMATIC CONTROLS FOR WASHING, DRY-CLEANNG, BLEACHING, DYEING AND OTHER MACHINES Filed Sept. l0, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor John .Bo ZJ B Attorney United States Patent O 2,715,413 AUroNATrc coNrRors non WASHING, DRY- CLEANNG, BLEACHING, DYEING AND OTHER lViACHINES This invention relates to controls for washing, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines, said controls being provided for controlling the supply of hot and cold water to the machines.

Previous to the said invention an automatic control for Washing, bleaching, dyeing and like machines was proposed and comprised a master member rotated at a uniform speed in combination with a control member oscillated by means of a oat, normally closed control Valves which control the supply of a luid under pressure which operates through the medium of pistons or the equivalent, main valves through which the liquid or liquids are supplied to the machine and cams provided on the control member and adapted positively to open the normally closed control valves and thereby supply fluid under pressure to the pistons or the equivalent only when the said cams are operated.

An automatic control for washing, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines has also been proposed consisting of a rising and falling member provided with projections which co-operate with pilot valves adapted to produce both opening and closing of liquid supply valves.

The main object of the said invention is to provide a novel construction of automatic control which is simple to produce and operate and is compact and also is neat in appearance. v

According to the said invention an automatic control for a washing, bleaching, dyeing or the like machine has a spindle one part of which is provided with a screw of elongated pitch on which a float having means to engage the said screw is mounted, the float being slidable, but not rotatable in a liquid measuring container and therefore rotating the spindle as it rises and falls with the level of the liquid in the said container.

The spindle is preferably mounted in a ball thrust bearing at its lower end and in a ball or roller journal bearing higher up so as to present as low a resistance as possible to rotation by the float.

The float is preferably held against rotation in the container by engagement of a part on the iloat with a Stop surface provided in the container and extending along the same in a straight line.

The spindle is held against axial movement and serves by its rotation to actuate cam projections provided to operate valves controlling a motivating iluid supplied to devices which serve to open and close valves controlling the liquid to be delivered in measured quantities in the sarne or a different state.

The spindle preferably operates cam projections provided on identical rings having identical external cam projections and assembled on a core and held in the assembled position by securing means.

To retain the rings in their initial relative angular positions, the rings and securing means may be serrated or otherwise roughened at their opposed surfaces so as to render slipping on one another more diflicult or improbable.

The core may be hollow to tit on and rotate with a Mice slide which is mounted on the spindle to slide thereon but rotate therewith.

The position of the said slide on the spindle may be controlled by a series of teeth provided on a rotatable member and forming part of an escapement device which allows displacement of the said slide successive distances each equal to the spacing of the teeth.

The escapement device preferably has teeth which are vertically and peripherally oiset on the rotatable member and co-operate with teeth on the slide to control the descent of the slide, and also has a slide plate acted on by a spring which slides it in one direction, a lluid power driven piston being provided to slide the slide plate and thereby rotate the rotatable member stepwise when the piston is driven.

The Spindle may be provided with a disc or the like which rotates therewith outside the container and has a scale from which the amount of liquid can be read in conjunction with a stationary member such as a pointer provided on the container.

Alternatively a finger may be provided on the spindle and a stationary scale on the container, the finger being arranged to travel over or in front of the scale.

A constructional example of the invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically by the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a fragmentary front view in section of parts of an automatic control for a washing machine.

Figures 2 to 6 are detached plan views in section taken on lines corresponding respectively with lines 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, 5-5 and 6-6 respectively.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front view in section of parts of the said control drawn to a larger scale.

Figure 8 is a plan view in section of a part of Figure 7 taken on a line corresponding with line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detached front elevation illustrating another construction.

Figure 10 is a plan View thereof.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown therein, there is a cylindrical measuring container 1 for connection to a larger container (not shown), such as the washing liquor and clothes container of an industrial washing machine so that by its open communication therewith the level of liquid is the same in both containers and therefore the level of liquid in the measuring container 1 is a measure of the liquid in the larger container. The measuring container 1 has a pipe 2 whereby it is connected to the larger container so as to be in open communication therewith. A cold water inlet valve (not shown) is provided to control the inlet of cold water to the larger container. A hot water inlet valve (not shown) is provided to control inlet of hot water to the larger container. An outlet valve (not shown) is provided to control a liquid outlet from the larger container. Each of the inlet valves is operated by a piston which is contained in a cylinder adapted to be fed at its two ends alternately with a fluid under pressure, such as compressed air. When the iluid is fed to one end, the piston is driven to open the valve and when uid is fed to the other end the piston is driven in the reverse direction to close the valve. The feed of uid to the respective cylinder to open the cold water valve is controlled by a uid control valve 3. The feed of fluid to the same cylinder to close the cold water valve is controlled by a uid control valve 6. The feed of fluid to the respective cylinder to open the hot Water valve is controlled by a uid control valve 5. The feed of iluid to the last named cylinder to close the hot water valve is controlled by a fluid control valve 4.

The floor of the measuring container 1 has a footstep ball or roller bearing 7 provided centrally on its floor 8. The lower extremity of the vertical spindle 9 is mounted in the bearing 7. A ball or roller journal bearing 10 is provided in the container 1 at or aboveV its upper end and the spindle 9 is journalled therein.

Between the bearings 7 and 10, thespindle 9 is of square cross section and twisted to form a screw 11 having one complete turn. The screw 11 is accommodated by a central aperture 12 extending vertically through an annular float 13 adapted to rise and fall in the container 1 as liquid is introduced therento or is allowed to escape therefrom through the pipe 2. VThe oat 13 is provided with four more anti-friction rollers 14 ,which are adapted toV roll on the four faces ofthe sc rew v11. The oat 13 has a projection 15 with rollers 16 which run on parallel guide surfaces provided on a guide rail 17 which extends vertically from near the bottom to near the top of the measuring container 1 and is stationary, whereby the float 13 is prevented from rotating but is free to move up and down in the container 1. When liquid is introduced into the container 1, thefloat 13 is caused thereby to rise. Because the float 13 cannot rotate, and is connected to the screw-like part 11 of the spindle 9, the spindle 9` is rotated by the rising float 13. When liquid escapes from the Vcontainer 1, the oat 13 sinks and rotates the spindle 9 in the reverse direction.

These rotations of the spindle 9 by the liquid entering and leaving the container 1 are utilised to control the cold water inlet valve and the hot water inlet valve through the medium of the valves 3, 4, 5 and 6 Vand thereby determine the amount and sequence of iilling of the container 1 with ycold water and hot water.

The'spindle 9 projects from the upper end of the container 1 for a distance above the said end. The projecting part has an elongated key 18 Yparallel with the axis of the spindle 9. A hollow cylindrical slide 19 slides with its upper end on the spindle 9 and key 18 and carries a removable sleeve 20 having a peg 21 removably engaging a hole in the slide 19. A cylinder 22 is mounted on the spindle 9 and is able to rotate K independently thereof. The cylinder 272 is supported by its lower end riding on a drum 23 which rotates with the spindle 9, and has teeth 24 of ratchet-tooth like form arranged in a helical row on the periphery of the cylinder 22 and forming a series of ledges, for example eight, whereby the control can serve for eight dilerent processes. The cylinder 22 is adapted to be rotated stepwise one-eighth of a rotation each time by means of a row of eight ratchet teeth 25 on it near its lower extremity, and a spring loaded ratchet pawl 26 arranged on a lateral slide 27 carried by the drum 23. A stationary cylinder 28 containing a spring loaded piston 28' having a rod 29 acting on the slide 27 to operate it and therefore the cylinder 22. A tension spring 30 returns theslide to its initial position. The piston inthe cylinder is operated by Huid under pressure controlled by a valve (not shown) similar to the valve 3, the valve being opened by a cam 53 provided on the drum-23 and acting through a lever 54 which is similar to the lever 39 so that the cylinder is rotated progressively one-eighth Vof a rotation between successive processes.

The slide 19 is supported successively by the teeth 24, commencing with the uppermost tooth 24 as shown in Figure l. Its support depends lon teeth 31Y'rof ratchet tooth-like form provided on a ring 32 rotatable inthe slide 19 and held yieldingly in a predetermined angular position by a compression spring 33 disposed in a cavity in the ring and seated on a lug 34 provided on the slide 19 and projecting into the said cavity. The 'support persists so long as one of the teeth 24 has a tooth 31 resting on it. When the cylinder is rotated the said tooth 24 is moved from under the said tooth V31 and leaves the slide 19 free to descend Vb y gravity. The slide 19 however also has teeth 35 which are angularly oifset relative toV 4 the teeth 31 and one of the teethV 35 impinges on the said tooth 24 before the cylinder has completed its full one-eighth revolution, thereby momentarily stopping the descent of the slide 19 until the said tooth 24 has moved clear of the obstructing tooth 35 and the base is then free to descend until arrested by irnpingement of the said tooth 31 with the next lower tooth 24. Descent of the slide 19 in eight stages is therefore obtained. When the slide Vis pulled up after the last stage of descent, with the teeth V24 out of register with the teeth 35, the ring, being free to yield angularly against the action of the spring 33 enables a tooth 31 encountering a tooth 24 in the upward movement, to slide angularly or laterally out of the line of the obstructing tooth 24, and therefore makes it possible to raise the slide without rotating it. One tooth 31 and eight teeth 35 would suffice for the controlled escapement and descent of the slide, but it is preferred to provide a plurality Vof distributed teeth so that, by riding on the spindle 9, they steady Vthe lower end of the slide 19 against lateral displacement.

The valves 3, 4, 5 and 6 are spring closed and are opened through the medium of levers 36, 37, 38 and 39 lpivotally mounted at 40, 41, 42 and 43 respectively and having rollers 44, 45, 46 and 47 respectively.

'Ihe sleeve 24) carried by the slide 19 formssa core on which a plurality of rings 48 can be slid in any order and in any angular position. The lower end of the sleeve 20 has an annular shoulder 49 by which the lowermost ring 48 is supported. The upper end of the sleeve 20 is externally screw-threaded and an internally screw-threaded ring screws on to the same to clamp the pack of rings 48 between it and the shoulder 49 at the lower end of the sleeve 20. The shoulder 49 and both flat facesV of each ring 48 are toothed or otherwise roughened so that when clamped together the said shoulder and faces Ycooperate strongly to resist angular displacement of the lowermost ring 4S on the said shoulder and angular displacement of any of the rings 4'8 relative to one another. The internally screw-threaded ring 50 is not roughened and that ring 48 of the pack which is nearest the same may have that flat face which is opposed to the screw-threaded ring 50 non-roughened so as not to interfere with the easy tightening of the screwthreaded ring 50 on the sleev 20.

Each of the rings 48 of the pack has a peripheral projection 51. Angular setting of the rings 48 as they are threaded on to the sleeve 20 and before the screw-threaded ring 50 is applied or tightened enables the projections 51 to be angularly offset from each other. The superposing of the rings 48 on one another produces a vertical otfsetting of the projections. lTo enable the quantities of hot and cold water for the said eight processes `to be controlled, thirty-two rings 48 are required.

In operation, assuming the slide 19 to be in its uppermost position as shown, the outlet valve of the washing machine and the cold water inlet valve and hot water in'- let valve to be shut, and the iloat 13 to be raised above the shown position by liquid in the container 1, the said outlet valve is opened by hand or by a time-controlled device and the larger container Vand therefore the container 1 emptied thereby. The consequently falling float 13 rotates the spindle 9 to cause one or two ring projections 51 to displace the roller 44 or 46 or both and thereby operate the lever 36 or 38 or both to open the'iiuid control valve 3 or 5 or both and thereby cause the cold water valve or hot water valve or both to be opened. The de# sired liquid thereupon ows into the larger container and some of the liquid ows from thence into and accumulates in the container 1 and thereby raises the oat 13 which rotates the spindle 9 and slide 19 so as to cause the fluid control valve 4 or 6 or both fluid control valves 4 and 6 to be opened by the lever 37 or 39 or both levers 37 and 39 and the roller 45' or 47 or both rollers 45 and 47. The opening of the said uid control valve or valves causes the open cold water valve or open hot water valve or both aada to be closed and the supply of further liquid to the larger container and therefore the container 1 to be shut olf. As many of the lowermost series of four rings 48 as are required are set with their projections 51 in the correct angular position for causing the closing of the water valve or valves when the desired quantity of cold or hot water or both for the first of the eight processes has arrived in the containers. The next higher series of four rings 48 are set to give the desired quantities of cold and hot water for the second process and so forth. If operation of any particular projection S is not required its ring 43 is set in an angular position where rotational movement of the slide 19 will not cause the particular projection to reach the respective roller.

When the liquid is discharged after completion of the first process, by the opening of the outlet valve, the float sinks and again rotates the slide 19 in the reverse direction, but before any of the projections 51 can displace any of the rollers, the piston 29 has been caused to operate the slide 27 and thereby rotate the cylinder 22 suliiciently to release the slide 19 from its support by the uppermost tooth 24 and allow it to fall onto the next lower tooth 2:?, thereby lowering the rings 4S an exact amount which brings the next higher series of four rings 4S level with the rollers and thereby renders the projections 5l. on the said rings capable of displacing the said rollers if and when required and as determined by the angular setting of the said rings, The operations repeat themselves until the dierent liquid supplies for all eight processes have been controlled, by which time the slide 19 will be in its lowermost position in which the uppermost series of rings 4S are level with the rollers. The slide 19 is then pulled upwards back into its uppermost position ready for a repetition of the eight processes. A removable cover 52 is provided above the container 1.

The sleeve 29 can be readily removed for resetting of the angular positions of the rings 4S thereon or for replacement by a similar sleeve on which similar rings are already present and set angularly to give other quantities of liquid charges for eight processes.

The drum 23 may be furnished with a scale calibrated to show the quantities of liquid corresponding with different angular positions of the spindle and therefore the drum. A stationary pointer or mark is provided on the container 1 or cover S2 to facilitate the reading od of the scale. Alternatively the pointer may be provided on the spindle 9 and the scale be provided on the container 1 or cover 52.

In another construction, instead of a pilot valve for controlling the closure of each water valve, each water valve is closed by the action of a spring which is charged on the opening of the valve and operates as soon as the compressed air ceases to keep the water valve open against the action of the spring, only a pilot valve for opening the respective water valve being provided. The pilot valve which controls the opening for example of the cold water valve is actuated through a push rod 55, Figures 9 and l0, and the pilot valve which controls the opening of the hot water valve is actuated through the push rod 56. Each push rod is actuated by a peripheral cam surface 57, 58 respectively provided on a disc 59, 60 respectively. The discs are separately rotatable on stationary studs 61, 62 respectively. Two of the hereinbefore described rings are employed to control each pilot valve. The two rings controlling the cold water pilot valve are marked 63 and 64 respectively. The two rings controlling the hot water pilot valve are marked 65 and 66 respectively. The ring 63 has a projection 67 adapted to act on a projection 68 on the disc 59 so as to rotate the disc in clockwise direction and thereby operate the push Cil by turn on the hot water valve. wnen the water ows into the measuring container 1 and raises the oat 13, the rings are rotated in the reverse direction, and projections 71 and 72 on the rings 64 and 65 respectively, by acting on the projections 68 and 70, rotate the discs 59 and 60 in the reverse direction thereby leaving the push rods 55 and 56 to return to their initial position and allow the pilot valves to close and permit the closure of the cold water valve and hot water valve by the action of the said springs thereon.

To provide for the case where the projections 67 and 69 do not coincide angularly and therefore one of the discs 59 and 60 is rotated to a greater extent than the other thus moving the respective projection of the projections 68 and 70 out of the path of the corresponding projections 71 and 72, the return of that disc is ensured by the provision on each of the discs of a shorter projection 73 against which the projection 67 or 69 impinges when the rings perform their reverse motion and which by the consequent displacement thereof rotates the disc sufficiently to bring the projection 68 or 7d sufficiently into the path of the projection 71 or 72 as to enable the projection 71 or 72 to act on the projection 63 or 70.

This case occurs where the volume of the hot or cold water is required to be greater than the volume of the other water in the same charge, the difference in volume being obtained by opening one valve before the other but closing them at the same time.

I claim:

l. In an automatic control for washing, dry-cleaning, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines, the improvement comprising a treatment receptacle, a liquid measuring container for connection to the treatment receptacle, a vertical spindle rotatable in the container and projecting above the same, means which prevent longitudinal displacement of the spindle, a screw of elongated pitch provided on the spindle in the container, and a float which is slidable vertically but non-rotatable in the container and engages the said screw for rotating the spindle by means of the screw as the oat rises and falls with the level of liquid in the container.

2. In an automatic control for washing, dry-cleaning, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines which have liquid inlet valves opened by a motivating uid, the improvement comprising a treatment receptacle, a liquid measuring container for connection to the treatment receptacle, a ball thrust bearing at the lower end of the container, a ball journal bearing higher up the container, a vertical spindle rotatably mounted in the two bearings for low resistance to rotation and prevention of longitudinal motion, a screw of elongated pitch provided on the spindle between the bearings, a float in the container, guide means which restrain the oat from rotating whilst allowing the said oat to slide, means on the :float engaging the screw of the spindle for causing the oat to rotate the spindle through the screw when the oat rises and falls as liquid is allowed to ow into and out of the container.

3. In an automatic control for washing, dry-cleaning, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines, the improvement comprising a treatment receptacle, a liquid measuring container for connection to the treatment receptacle, a guide surface provided in the container and extending vertically in the same, a oat in the container prevented from rotation by the guide surface but free to slide up and down in the container, a vertical spindle rotatably mounted in the container, an elongated screw thread on the spindle, and means on the oat engaging the screw thread for causing the spindle to be rotated by the iloat through the screw when the oat rises and falls as the level of liquid rises and falls in the container.

4. In an automatic control for Washing, dry-cleaning, bleaching, dyeing and the like machines having a treatment receptacle, the improvement comprising a measuring'container, a spindle rotatably but non-axially-slidably core for transmitting the drive of the slide member t0 the core and translating it into a stepwise rotary motion and thereby bringing one of the oifset teeth successively out of the core holding position and another thereof into a position for holding the core at a lower eleva- 5 tion.

10 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images