US2723550A - Washing machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1955 J. F. BELAIEFF WASHING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed DeC. l2, 195?.

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WASHING MACHINES Filed Deo. l2, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @y @jm/magg United States Patent WASHING MACHINES James Frank Belaieff, Cologny, Switzerland, ass'ignor to Societe Anonyme des Usines Jean Gall'ay, Geneva, Switzerland, a corporation of'Switzerland Application December 12, 1952, Serial No. 325,683 Claims priority, application Switzerland November 7, 1952 1 Claim. (Cl. 68-184) The present invention concerns a washing machine with a xed tub having vertical side walls between which extends at least one third wall forming the bottom of the said tub. A water circulating pump which at normal rates gives a head of at least 1.75 kg. per sq. cm. and delivers a volume of water between 1 and 1.5 times the volume of water contained in the tub per minute is arranged with its intake immediately adjacent the bottom wall, and at least one, or preferably two, nozzles discharge the water owing from the pump beneath the normal level of the Water in the tub so as to impart to the water and the wash contained in the tub a general movement of rotation and, on the other hand, to create between the wash and the water a relative movement producing a washing effect. A removable grid is arranged in the bottom wall, upstream from the pump intake, so that it is swept by the stream of water discharged by the said nozzle or nozzles, and the pump intake is readily accessible from inside the tub, once the grid is removed, so as to allow it to be cleaned.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two embodiments of the washing machine according to the invention by way of example.

Fig. l is a sectional elevation of Vone `embodiment of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same machine showing a partial section through 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional elevation, similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of another embodiment.

The washing machine shown in Figs. l and `2 hask a fixed tub 1 arranged inside a casing 2 resting on a base 3, of rectangular shape. This tub 1 has four vertical and parallel walls 4, 5, 7, 8, between which extends la third wall forming the bottom 6 -of the tub. The sides 7, 8 are joined to the bottom 6 by curved part 9. The walls i and 5 are joined to the said bottom by curved parts 10.

A circulating pump 11 is arranged inside the casing 2 below the tub 1, this pump being designed to give, at normal rates, a head of vat least 1.75 kg. per sq. cm. and a delivery between l and 1.5 times fhe volume of water normally contained in the tub per minute. 12 indicates the level of the water in the tub during the washing operation. The intake of the pump is shown at 13 and is, as may be seen in the drawing, immediately adjacent to the bottom 6 of the tub. The central part of the bottom of the tub is provided with a removable grid 14 arranged so that it forms part of the said bottom. Below the grid is situated a small chamber 15 in which there is mounted an electric heating element 16. The bottom of the chamber 15 opens directly into the intake 13 of the pump. This pump is of the centrifugal type and runs at relatively high speed. lt is a well known fact that, when pumps of this type are used to circulate the water in washing machines, textile iibres and other impurities tend to catch in the intake 13 and to gradually obstruct it. With the arrangement shown in the drawing,

the intake 13 is readily accessible for cleaning purposes.

By simply removing the grid 14 momentarily, the intake 13 may easily be cleaned when necessary.

' tion 32"',

Nozzles 17 and 18 are arranged with their discharge` openings beneath the normal level of the water in the tub and with their axes parallel to the walls 4 and 5 and adjacent to the side 7 of the tub. These nozzles discharge the water, which comes from the pump through the tube 19, vertically downwards, so that the stream of water runs first along the side 7, then along the bottom 6 and then along the side 8.

The upper end of the tub hasy an opening 20 which may be'closed by a lid 21 during the washing operation. This lid is articulated at 22.

Pipe 23 serves to lill the tub with water to the level 12. This pipe is connected to a hot water supply, which is not shown, and is removed once the tub has been lilled.

24 indicates a pipe connected to the output of the pump 11 and branches off at 25. One of the branches, 26, is led out of the machine and discharges at 27 into a sink 2,8 situated at a certain height above the level 12. The other branch is constituted by the tube 19.

The machine comprises means which allows the flow of water through the tubes 19 and 26 to be controlled and which thus enables the working of the machine to be regulated. This means comprises two cams 29, 30 keyed to a common shaft 31, which can be actuated by the operator by means of a lever 32. The rst of these cams controls the ow through the tube 19 and the second controls the ow through the tube 26.

When the lever 32 is in the position shown in .the drawing, the cam 29 leaves the passage through the tube 19 entirely free, whereas the tube 26 is completely constricted by the cam 30, so that no water can ow through it. This is the position of the lever corresponding to the washing operation.

When the lever 32 is in the position indicated by 32 in Fig. '2, the cam 29 completely constricts the tube 19 and therefore cuts ot the flow of water to the nozzles. The cam 30 also interrupts the passage through the tube 26. When the lever is moved from 32 to 32', the cam 29 gradually closes ',the'passage through the tube 19, and the consequence of this is an increasing pressure drop in the tube 19 and a corresponding diminution of the speed of the stream of Water issuing from the nozzles, this speed diminishing to zero for the position 32 of the lever. For all the intermediate positions between 32 and 32', the cam 30 closes the evacuating tube.

When the lever 32 is in the position indicated by 32", the cam 29 stops the ow of water to the nozzles, whereas the evacuating tube 26 is opened by the cam 30. In the intermediate positions, between 32' and 32", the cam 29 constantly stops the flow of Water to the nozzles and the cam 30 gradually opens the evacuating tube 26 until it is fully open.

If the lever is moved from the position 32 to the posithe cam 30 gradually opens the evacuating tube 26 until it is fully open, and meanwhile the ow of water to the nozzles through the tube 19 is continued.

The machine described above functions as follows:

Supposing the lever 32 is in the position shown in the drawing and corresponding to the washing operation.

The tub having been filled with Water to the level 12, the pump circulates the water in a closed circuit as follows:`

The water discharged by the pump through the pipe 24 ows through the tube 19 to the nozzles, the position of the cam 29 being such that the water can iiow freely through the said tube 19. The position 32 of the lever corresponds to the maximum discharge through the nozzles and to the maximum speed of the stream issuing from these nozzles. If the lever 32 is gradually moved from the position indicated above towards the position 32', the cam 29 gradually closes the passage through the tube 19, thus producing an increasing pressure drop and a corresponding diminution in the speed of the stream issuing from the nozzles. The lever 32 being set in the desired position, and the tub being filled with water into which the washing has been put, it will be seen that the mass of water and washing will acquire a rotary motion in a vertical plane parallel to the walls 4 and 5 of the tub, that is, in the plane of the figure. This rotary motion is due to the combined actions of the dynamic effect of the stream of water discharged at relatively high speed by the nozzles and of the suction produced in the neighborhood of the latter, which act in the fashion of an ejector on the surrounding mass of water. This ejector action has the effect of drawing the water in the upper part of the tub down towards the nozzles, whereas the stream of water issuing from the nozzles tends to drive the water below the nozzles downwards towards the bottom of the tub. What is remarkable, however, is that the rotary motion of the water and the washing practically does not entangle the Washing. In addition, it can easily be seen that an energetic washing effect is produced by the fact that every time a part of a rotating article of washing comes near the nozzles, it is brusquely drawn down towards the discharge openings of the latter, owing to the suction effect described above. This brusque movement has the effect of producing a relative movement between the remainder of the article and the surrounding mass of water. Now, it is precisely this relative movement which produces an eicient washing action. In this way, a relative movement is produced between the washing and the water without mechanical means such as agitators or rotary blades and this prevents the wash from being harmed. In addition, by regulating the pressure of the water flowing to the nozzles 17 in the manner described, and consequently controlling the force of the jet issuing from the said nozzles, it is possible to control the rotary motion of the water and the suction effect on the wash in the neighborhood of the nozzles, according to the quality of the articles of washing, that is, according to whether delicate articles of linen or bed sheets are being washed.

It may be noted that the various positions which the lever may occupy between 32 and 32 are those which correspond to this possibility of controlling the washing operation.

When the washing operation is over, the wash is rinsed and at the same time the water is evacuated by moving the lever to the position 32"'. This has the effect of allowing part of the water delivered by the pump to ow into the evacuating tube to be discharged at 27. At the same time clean water is caused to oW into the tub through r the hose 23, the quantity of clean water introduced corresponding to the quantity discharged through the tube 26. The nearer the lever 32 approaches the position 32" the greater is the quantity of water owing into the discharge tube 26 compared to the quantity which flows back to the tub through the tube 19 and the nozzles. The various positions of the lever beyond the position 32 towards the position 32 therefore correspond to the control of the rinsing operation, combined with the simultaneous evacuation of the rinsing water.

When the wash has been rinsed, the ow of clean water through the hose 23 is cut off and the lever 32 is brought to the position 32, which corresponds to the complete evacuation of the tub. When the tub is empty, the lever is brought to the complete cut off position, which is position 32.

It may be noted that the stream of water issuing from the nozzles and sweeping across the grid 14 prevents the wash from remaining stuck to this grid owing to the suction of the pump.

During the Washing operation, the lever 32, instead of being set in the position shown in the drawing, may be given a position which is intermediate between the positions 32 and 32"', on condition that the discharge end 27 of the evacuating tube is placed as shown at 27', that is,

so as to bring the Water back to the tub in the form ot' a jet striking the surface of the water rotating in the tub in such a manner as to produce a supplementary washing action, by imparting to the articles of washing a sudden relative motion in relation to the surrounding water, such as that produced by the stream issuing from the nozzles as described. By varying the position of the lever between the positions 32 and 32"', the action of the jet issuing from the tube 26 at 27 can be regulated. Means could be provided to ensure that the discharge of Water at 27', when it is used, is always given the same predetermined direction giving the maximum washing effect.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the tub is provided with an overflow opening 33 situated above the level 12. This opening communicates with an overflow duct 34 leading to the low pressure chamber 35 of an ejector inserted in the evacuating duct 26. When the water coming from the pump flows through the nozzle 36 of the ejector, it produces a certain suction in the chamber 35. The purpose of this arrangement is to produce, by means of the suction in the chamber 35, an energetic evacuating effect whenever the level of the water in the tub reaches the opening 33. In this embodiment it is unnecessary to ensure that, during the rinsing operation, the amount of water flowing into the tub through the hose 23 (see Fig, 1) remains equal to or is less than the amount discharged at 27, as all excess liquid will automatically be sent to the discharge through the opening 33 and the duct 34.

As will be appreciated, the machines described above are extremely solidly built, function in an absolutely reliable manner and give a very effective washing action, without deterioration or undue wear of the goods washed, owing to the total absence of all moving mechanical parts and to the perfectly smooth inner surface of the tub. It is water alone which produces the washing effect, and that in a manner which can be controlled.

What I claim is:

In a washing machine, the combination of a housing including a side Wall, a tube in said housing, a pump provided in the housing and having an inlet in commu nication with the bottom of said tub, a coupling provided on the outlet of said pump, a pair of flexible hoses connected to said coupling, one of said hoses discharging into said tub and the other hose being adapted to discharge selectively into the tub and into a drain, intermediate portions of said hoses being juxtaposed and disposed in contact with the surface of a xed part of the machine, a shaft rotatably mounted in and extending through said side Wall, a control lever provided on said shaft exteriorly of the side wall, and a pair of cams provided on said shaft interiorly of the side wall, said cams being operatively engageable with the juxtaposed portions of the respective hoses for pressing the same against the surface of said fixed part to restrict the flow of liquid therethrough, said cams having hose engaging portions offset circumferentially relative to each other on said shaft, whereby to facilitate flow of liquid through either hose and stoppage of ow in the other.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 111,176 Churchman Jan. 24, 187| 129,961 Johnstone July 30, 1872 408,690 Burton Aug. 13, 1889 446,051 Young Feb. 10, 1891 1,382,992 Lombard June 28, 1921 1,564,760 Culver Dec. 8, 1925 1,775,554 Dehle Sept. 9, 1930 1,909,487 Cowles May 16, 1933 2,005,015 Traudt June 18, 1935 2,551,379 La Raus May 1, 1951 2,633,726 Rand Apr. 7, 1953

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