US2824649A

US2824649A - Lock for laundry extractor covers

Info

Publication number: US2824649A
Application number: US514955A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ermon E Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-06-13
Filing date: 1955-06-13
Publication date: 1958-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1975-02-25

Description

Feb. 25, 1958 E. E. SMITH 2,

LOCK FOR LAUNDRY EXTRACTOR COVERS Filed June 15, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent LOCK FOR LAUNDRY EXTRACT OR COVERS Ermon E. Smith, Pomona, Calif.

Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 514,955

Claims. (Cl. 210-360) My present invention is a safety lock for laundry extractor covers. It is one object of the invention to provide a safety lock for laundry extractor covers which particularly is adapted to prevent one from opening the extractor cover while the reticulate cylinder of the extractor is rotating.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a safety device for laundry extractors which is adapted to lock the cover of the extractor in the closed position during operation of the extractor and includes a fluid transmission means for actuating the lock during operation of the extractor.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a safety device for laundry extractors which comprises a minimum number of parts which may be assembled with facility, are inexpensive and not liable to get out of working condition.

These and other important objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following de scription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts I have shown the preferred embodiment of my present invention for the purpose of illustration, to facilitate understanding of the invention, and they are not for the purpose of limitation as I desire that the invention be construed broadly, limited only by the recitations present in the appended claims and required by the prior art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a laundry extractor including my safety lock mechanism;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing a fragment of the laundry extractor including the safety lock mechanism constituting the subject matter of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical elevation upon an enlarged scale and showing the rotatable reservoir and supporting bracket;

Figure 4 is a view upon a further enlarged scale taken diametrically through the reservoir substantially on the plane indicated at line 4--4 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the fluid reservoir and the bracket.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing I have disclosed a laundry extractor which is of conventional construction well known to those skilled in the art and which includes a reticulate rotatable cylinder (not shown) mounted for rotation within the stationary casing 11 which has an opening 12 at its upper end covered by means of a closure 13 hinged at 14 to the casing 11. A prime mover, power supply or motor 15 is fixed relative to the casing 11 and, as here shown, is an electric motor having an armature 16 disposed in a vertical axis, and energizes the extractor driving mechanism (not shown) associated with the lower end of the armature and extending through a housing 17 associated with the casing 11.

At its upper end the armature 16 is provided with a cylindrical fluid reservoir 18 open at its upper end at 19 and as seen particularly in Figure 4 the reservoirv 18 is provided with an externally threaded stud 20 and a lock nut 20a. The upper end of the armature 16 is provided with an internal bore threaded to receive the stud 20. In actual practice the stud 20 is united to the armature of the motor 15 by means of an internally threaded sleeve at 16.

Secured relative to the casing 11 on the motor 15 I provide a bracket 21 which it will be seen is actually anchored by means of bolts or other fastening means to the motor at 22 and housing at 23.

At its free end the bracket 21 carries a sleeve 24 welded thereto with its axis disposed vertically. It will be seen in Figures 4 and 5 that the upper end 25 of the sleeve 24 has been distorted into an elliptical shape.

Extending longitudinally through the sleeve 24 I provide a vertical arm 26 which has its upper end portion 27 extending upwardly from the sleeve 24 and its lower end portion 28 extending downwardly from the sleeve 24 and into the reservoir 18. Intermediate its length the arm 26 is provided with a horizontally extending journal pin 29 having its ends secured in the sleeve 24 and thereby mounting the vertical arm 27 for tilting movements in a vertical plane parallel to the greatest dimension of the elliptical upper end 25 of the sleeve 24. It will thus be seen that the upper end 27 of the arm 26 may tilt within the limits defined by the upper end 25 of the sleeve 24.

The bracket 21 is provided with a bore at 3 and as seen in Figure 3 the arm 26 is movable from, an operative position indicated at 26a wherein the upper end 27 of the arm is disposed out of registry with the bore 3 and to an inoperative position shown at 26b wherein the upper end 27 of the arm is disposed in registry with the bore 3.

On its lower end the arm 26 is provided with a blade 31 which is welded or otherwise secured thereto and extending substantially radially therefrom. It will be noted that the blade 31 is provided with a right angle lip portion 32 which extends from the axis of the arm 26 a suflicient distance to cause the arm 26 to assume a normal gravitational position as shown at 26a of Figure 3.

A viscous fluid 33, preferably motor oil, is contained within the reservoir 18 at a level sufficient to act upon the blade 31. It will thus be seen that as the reservoir 18 rotates in the direction of the arrow of Figure 5, fluid in the reservoir 33 will create a pressure on the blade 31 and cause the arm 26 to tilt from its inoperative position 26a to its operative position 26b. It will thus be seen that I have provided a fluid transmission adapted to convert the rotary motions of the reservoir 18 to the tilting movements of the arm 26.

The fluid transmission above described is provided to actuate the latch 34 which is supported for rectilinear movement thronugh a bearing 35 carried by the casing 11. As seen in Figures 1 and 2 the latch 34, when in the locking position is disposed in covering relation to the hinge 14, and thus prevents actuation of the hinge to open the cover 13. At its end opposed to the hinge 14 the latch 34 is pivotally connected to a manually operable lever 37.

The lever 37 is provided with a hand knob 38 by means of which an operator may manually shift the latch out of the operative position into the inoperative position shown by broken lines of Figure 1.

The lever 37 is rigidly anchored to the upper end of a vertical rock-shaft 39 journaled at 40-40 on the casing 11, and rock-shaft 39 has secured thereto a rocker arm 41.

At its free end the rocker arm 41 is pivotally connected to the reciprocal rod 42 here shown to have a telescopic portion 43 for permitting adjustment of the length of the rod 42 and the free end of the reciprocal 3 rod 42 is journaled int'he bore 3 of the bracket 21 for reciprocalmovements from the normal full line position of Figure 4 to the broken line position thereof.

A collar 44 is removably secured to the rod 42 and a compression spring '45encircles"th'e rod and is compressible between the bracket 21 and the collar 44 to bias the rod 42 to itsnormalposition and in so doing to bais the rocker arm '41, rock-shaft 39, lever 37 and latch 34to their normal full line positions of Figure 1.

Inspection of Figure '4 will reveal that the arm 26 clears the end of the rod 42 and is therefore tiltable into and out of a position to limit the movement of the rod to prevent the movement of rod 42 from its full line position tothebr'oken line position.

It will thus beseen that "when the power supply is rotating fluid 33 will actuate the arm 26 to the position26b where it is disposed over the end of the rod 32 and manual application of pressure by means of handle 38 to the lever 37 will not remove the latch 34 from the hinge 14 since the rod 42 cannot shift longitudinally through the bore 30 because it strikes against the upper end 27 of the arm 26. When the motor 15 is stopped the arm assumes its normal gravitational position 26a with the upper end 27 disposed in the clear of the rod 42 and it is therefore shiftable to the broken line position thus permitting the latch 34 to be removed so that the cover 13 may be opened.

Inspection of Figures 1 and 2 reveal that I have provided a limit switch 46 which is in the closed position as seen in the drawings but when the rock-shaft 39 is moved to the dotted position the actuating finger 47 releases the switch button 48 and opens the switch. The switch 46 is disposed in the power circuit to the electric motor 15 and it is therefore obvious that when the latch 34 is removed from its locking position the switch 45 is opened and it is not possible to turn on the motor 15.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a safety lock for laundry extractor covers, a fluid reservoir; means for rotating said reservoir on a vertical axis; a viscous fluid in said reservoir; a vertical arm journaled on a horizontal axis for tilting movement in a vertical plane, and disposed coaxially with said reservoir, and extending downwardly therein by gravity into said fluid; and a blade fixed on the lower end of said arm to impart tilting movement to said arm away from its normal gravitational position by means of pressure of said fluid on said blade during rotation of said reservoir.

2. A safety device'for extractors having a stationary casing provided with an upper opening and a cover hinged to the casing for said opening and an electric motor for operating saidextractor, comprising a fluid reservoir fixed on a vertical axis for rotation by the movement of the armature of said motor; a viscous fluid in said reservoir; a bracket fixed to said casing; a vertical arm journaled on a horizontal axis to said bracket for tilting movements in a vertical plane and disposed coaxial with said reservoir and extending downwardly therein into said fiuid; 'a blade on the lower end of said arm to impart tilting movement to said arm away from its normal gravitational position by means of pressure on said blade created by said fluid during rotation of said reservoir; cover locking means carried by said casing and resiliently urgedinto position locking said cover against opening movements, and including a reciprocal rod having its end supported adjacent to the upper end of said arm when in its normal gravitational position by said bracket, and the upper end of said arm being adapted to move into movement restricting position with relation to said-rod when moved away from its normal gravitational position.

.' 3. A safety device for laundry extractors having a stationary upright casing provided with an open upper end and a cover hinged to the casing for closing said opening, and an electric motor for driving said extractor; a reciprocal latch supported on said casing and movable into and out of locking relationship to said cover; a manually operable lever pivotally connected to said latch, a rock-shaft journaled on said casing and fixed to said lever; a rocker arm fixed to said rock-shaft and extending radially therefrom; a reciprocal rod pivotally interconnected to the free end of said rocker arm for receiving reciprocal movement during rocking movement of said rock-shaft; a bracket carried by said casing and supporting the free end of said reciprocal rod; a vertical arm journaled on a horizontal axis on said bracket for tilting movement in a vertical plane from a normal position spaced from the axis of said reciprocal rod to an operative position at the axis of said reciprocal rod, for preventing reciprocal movement thereof; a fluid reservoir fixed on a vertical axis for rotation by the movement of the extractors motor armature and encircling the lower end of said vertical arm; a blade on the lower end of said arm extending substantially radially therefrom; and a viscous fluid in said reservoir contacting said blade for tilting said arm to its operative position during rotation of said reservoir.

4. A safety device for laundry extractors having a stationary upright casing provided with an open upper end and a cover hinged to the casing for closing said opening, and an electric motor for driving said extractor; a reciprocal latch supported on said casing and movable into and out of locking relationship to said cover; a manually operable lever pivotally connected to said latch, a rock-shaft journaled on said casing and fixed tosaid lever; a rocker arm fixed to said rock-shaft and extending radially therefrom; a reciprocal rod pivotally interconnected to the free end of said rocker arm for receiving reciprocal movement during rocking movement of said rock-shaft; a bracket carried by said casing andsupporting the free end of said reciprocal rod; a vertical arm journaled on a horizontal axis on said bracket for tilting movement in a vertical plane from a normal position spoced from the axis of said reciprocal rod to an operative position at the axis of said reciprocal rod, for preventing reciprocal movement thereof; a fluid reservoir fixed on a vertical axis for rotation by the movement of the extractors motor armature and encircling the lower end of said vertical arm; a blade on the lower end of said arm extending substantially radially therefrom; a viscous fluid in said reservoir contacting said blade for tilting said arm to its operative position during rotation of said reservoir; and a compression spring encircling said reciprocal rod and resilient means operably connected to urge said latch into said locking position.

5. A safety device for laundry extractors havinga stationary upright casing provided with an open upper end and a cover hinged to the casing for closing said opening, and a motor for driving said extractor including an electric circuit; a reciprocal latch supported on said casing and movable into and outof locking relationship to said cover; a manually operable lever pivotally connected to said latch, a rock-shaft journaled on said casing and fixed to said lever; a rocker arm fixed to said rock-shaft and extending radially therefrom; a reciprocal rod pivotally interconnected to the free end of said rocker arm for receiving reciprocal movement during rocking movement of said rock-shaft; a bracket carried by said casing and supporting the free end of said reciprocal rod; a vertical arm journaled on a horizontal axis on said bracket for tilting movement in a vertical plane from a normal position spaced from the axis of said reciprocal rod to an operative position at the axis of said reciprocal rod, for preventing reciprocal movement thereof; a fluid reservoir fixed on a vertical axis for rotation by the movement of the extractors motor armature-and encircling the lower end of said vertical arm; a blade on the lower end of said arm extending substantially radially therefrom; and a viscous fluid in said reservoir contacting said blade for tilting said arm to its operative position during rotation of said reservoir; a compression spring encircling said reciprocal rod and resilient means operably connected to urge said latch into said locking position; and a limit switch in the motor circuit operable to open said circuit when said latch is retracted from said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS