US2718775A

US2718775A - Agitator for washing machines

Info

Publication number: US2718775A
Application number: US398482A
Authority: US
Inventors: John L Stephens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-12-16
Filing date: 1953-12-16
Publication date: 1955-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1972-09-27

Description

p 1955 J. L. STEPHENS 2,718,775

AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1955 l INVENTOR.

John L. Stephens VLQWM A TTOR/VEY United States Patent r a AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES John L. Stephens, Miami, Fla.

Application December 16, 1953, Serial No. 398,482

1 Claim. (Cl. 68--134) This invention relates to an agitator for washing machines and has for an object to provide an agitator of improved construction and shape so that it will more efficiently agitate and wash the clothes and other materials placed in the washing machine. A further object of this invention is to provide an improved washing machine agitator cast in one piece with integral fins extending from an integrally formed base and hub, with the fins having a tapered bead along a specially curved edge so that the agitation of the water is more intense and the washing action is more eificient and rapid.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide an improved agitator for washing machines wherein the base, the hub, and the fins, are all integrally cast as one piece and with the edges of the fins being of such shape and coverage that the most efficient agitation is provided to the clothing in the washing water. Still a further object of this invention is to provide a washing machine agitator wherein there is provided an integrally cast base, hollow hub, and readily extending fins from the base and the hub, the base being of shallow, cone-like hollow construction from the center of which emerges the upperly extending hollow hub, and wherein there are a plurality of radially extending fins which extend abruptly from the hub and merge smoothly with the base, the upper and lower ends of the bead edge between the hub and the base being convex in curvature and the intermediate portions between the two convex portions being concave in curvature, the edge of the fins being provided with a tapered bead to more thoroughly agitate the water, there being beveled apertures to each fin one adjacent each curvature, while the hub itself is apertured both at its upper end and adjacent its lower end so as to eliminate any suction and permit ready removal of the agitator for cleaning purposes, the upper end of the hub having a terminal handle knob provided thereon extending down to a water line just above the upper end of the fin.

Briefly, this improved agitator consists of an integrally cast base, hub extending vertically therefrom and partly thereto, a plurality of fins extending from the hub and the base, the fins merging smoothly with the base but entering abruptly into the hub, each fin having a concave center at about the middle of the edge between its upper and lower ends with convex portions connecting the concave portions to the hub and to the base, the base having a down-turned peripheral edge, the edges of the fins being entirely within the upwardly projecting'cylinder from the base peripheral edge, the base being in the form of a shallow hollow cone with its under surface following the contour of its upper surface, thus providing recesses on its under surface below the attachment to the fins, the entire agitator being made in a single integral casting of some light weight material as aluminum or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, claimed and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the washing machine agitator of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a partly elevational and partly sectional view, on a larger scale, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a fin on line 44 of Fig. 3.

There is shown at 10 the washing machine agitator of this invention which may be cast integrally in a single piece, preferably of aluminum or other light weight material. The agitator 10 consists of a shallow cone-like hollow base 11 having a peripheral down-turned edge 12. Extending upwardly through the base 11 at 13 is a central hub 14 which is hollow as at 15 and terminates at its upper end in a handle knob 16 above a water line 17 and provided with a cap 18 centrally apertured as at 20. Adjacent where the hub 14 emerges from the base 11, the hub is centrally apertured as at 21, the apertures 21 in the hub and the center aperture 20 in the terminal cap 18 permitting the hub to be easily placed on or removed from the washing machine rotary-oscillatory shaft so that it may be easily cleaned and replaced by the operator. As here shown, there are two pairs of oppositely disposed radial fins 22 which integrally extend abruptly from the hub 14 as at 23 and merge gradually as at 24 integrally into base 11. A tapered bead 25 is provided along the edge of the fin 22 extending from the hub 14 to the base 11, and this beaded edge 25 adjacent the hub 14 and the base 11 is provided with a convex curvature such as at 26 adjacent the hub, and at 27 adjacent the lower base end, and intermediate these two

convex curvatures

26 and 27 there is provided an intermediate concave curvature 28. It will be further noted that the edge of the fins 22 are entirely within the cylinder projected upwardly from the peripheral down-turned edge 12.

It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the under surface 30 of the base follows the contour of the upper surface thereof, and, as stated above, that the fin 22 merges smoothly at 24 into the upper surface of the base 11, and the under surface 30 thereof merges into a recess 31 below each fin 22.

Each fin 22 is provided with a plurality of apertures 32 therein, apertures 32 being beveled on opposite sides as at 33.

As a result as the particular construction and shape as thus described, there is provided an agitator that is much more efficient in its rotary-oscillatory washing action, and it has been found in actual practice that when this particular agitator is substituted in place of a conventional agitator, the washing time is cut in half or less, thus doubling the efiiciency of the washing machine and enabling more than twice as many loads of clothes to be washed in a given period of time.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

An agitator for washing machines comprising a onepiece member formed with a shallow cone-like hollow base having a down-turned peripheral beaded edge, a central hollow hub extending upwardly through and from below said base and terminating in a handle knob, a centrally apertured cap on said terminal knob, said hub being oppositely apertured adjacent its lower end between each of said fins, a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposed radial fins integrally extending abruptly from said hub and merging smoothly from said base above said down-turned peripheral edge, a tapered head on the edge of each fin extending from said hub to said base, said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Maus Nov. 12, Jackson Dec. 6, Holland Feb. 14, Altorfer Mar. 7, Janda May 23, Bremer Mar. 26, Benson Dec. 10, Blough Sept. 12, Hartmann Jan. 6, Castricone Apr. 28,

FOREIGN PATENTS France May 7,