US2836047A - Washing machine hose - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1958 CONDlT 2,836,047

WASHING MACHINE HOSE Filed June '7, 1956 INVENTOR.

' ROBERT E. CONDIT MEWQ,

Hi5 ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 2,836,647 WASHING MACHINE HOSE Robert E. Condit, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 7, 1956, Serial No. 589,897

3 Claims. (Ci. 68-484) My invention relates to clothes washing machines and more particularly to such machines provided with a clothes basket mounted on an outer imperforate tub and including a recirculation system for continuously cleaning and filtering the washing liquid during the washing operation.

By providing a recirculation system in a clothes washing machine of this character the clothes basket may be continuously supplied with clean washing liquid during the washing operation. This, of course, results in a particularly effective washing of the clothes. the clothes basket with clean washing liquid the recirculation system creates a flow of the liquid from the basket into the outer tub of the machine and thence from the tub back into the basket again. The liquid flowing from the basket into the tub carries with it the lint and insoluble soil particles which are removed from the clothes by the washing action within the basket, and these soil particles and the lint are then removed from the liquid before it is returned to the basket. The insoluble soil particles tend to settle out of the liquid during its passage To supply a Iii through the outer tub and suitable filtering means are I withdrawing the liquid from the outer tub and a hose for carrying the liquid from the pump outlet to the filtering means and the clothes basket. In order to control the rate of the flow through the system, flow control or restrictor means may be provided within the hose. These flow control or restrictor means limit the flow to a preselected suitable value for effective operation of the filtering means. Restrictors are necessary to control the flow, incidentally, because changing the overall inner diameter of the hose changes only the velocity of the flow and not its rate or quantity. The restrictors provided heretofore have, however, not been entirely satisfactory since they tend to clog with lint after a period of use. This lint clogging is undesirable since it results in the recirculation flow being reduced below that desired and in fact if the clogging becomes severe enough, it may shut off the flow through the system almost entirely.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved recirculation system for washing machines, which includes a new and improved hose having integral restrictor means for controlling the rate of the recirculation flow without causing lint clogging within the hose.

Another object of my invention is to provide washing machine hose, having improved restrictor. means formed integrally therein which are effective to control'the rate of the liquid flow through the hose but which are extremely insusceptible to lint clogging.

In carrying out my invention I provide a clothes Washing machine having a clothes basket'enclosed within an outer imperforate tub. A recirculation system is incorporated within this machine for circulating a flow of liquid through the basket and the tub during the washing within the hose.

operation. The recirculation system includes a pump and a hose for withdrawing the liquid from the tub and carrying it to the basket. By my invention the hose includes a plurality of spaced apart, reduced diameter sec tions for controlling the rate of flow passing therethrough. These reduced diameter sections together provide a restricting effect limiting the recirculation flow to the desired value. The reduced diameter sections are however so formed that they do not ordinarily cause lint clogging Each of the sections, according to my invention, has a smooth curved cross section so that no sharp edges are presented to the flow at any point. As a result lint does not collect at the reduced diameter sections and clogging of the hose is ordinarily avoided.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes washing machine including a recirculation system embodying my invention, the view being partially broken away and partially in section in order to illustrate details; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partially broken away and partially in section, of the novel flow restricting hose included in the recirculation system of the machine of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. l, I have shown therein an agitator type clothes washing machine 1. The machine 1 includes a clothes basket 2 which is disposed within an outer imperforate tub or casing 3. The tub 3 is in turn mounted within an appearance cabinet 4. At the center of the wash basket 2 there is positioned a vertical axis agitator 5 which includes a center post 6 and a plurality of radially extending vanes 7. The agitator is further provided with an outwardly and downwardly flared skirt 8 to which the vanes 7 are adjoined at their lower edges. The skirt 8 extends to a position in proximity to the bottom of the basket 2 and covers a substantial portion thereof.

Both the clothes basket 2 and the agitator 5 are rotatably mounted. The basket is mounted on a flange 9 of a rotatable hub 10, and the agitator 5 is mounted on a shaft (not shown) which extends upwardly through the hub 10 and the center post 6. The agitator is secured to this shaft by means of an internally threaded nut or cap 11 at the top of the center post. During the cycle of operation of the machine 1, the agitator 5 is first oscillated back and forth within the basket to wash the clothes therein. Then, after a predetermined period of this washing action, the basket 2 is rotated at high speed to extract centrifugally the washing liquid and discharge it into the outer tub 3. In a preferred cycle of operation a supply of clean liquid is introduced into the wash basket for rinsing the clothes, and the agitator is again oscillated. Finally, the wash basket is once more rotated at high speed to extract the rinse water and discharge it into the outer tub.

The basket 2 and the agitator 5 may be driven by any suitable means as the drive means form no part of the present invention. However, by way of example, I have shown them as driven from a reversible motor 12. The motor 12 drives the basket and the agitator through a drive including a bi-directional clutch 13 which is mounted on the motor shaft. The clutch 13 is directional responsive, and it is connected by suitable belts to drive selectively the input pulleys 14 and 15 of a transmission assembly 16 depending upon the direction of motor rotation. Specifically; upon one direction of motor rotation the clutch drives pulley 14 and upon the other direction of motor rotation it drives pulley 15.

Patented May 27, 19 58 '2 L3 y The transmission 16 is so arranged that it supports and drives both the agitator drive shaft and the basket mountinthe hose. Ihese reduced diameter sections or poring hub 10. When the pulley 14 is driven by the bi-di- V rectional clutch 13, the transmission causesthe agitator to;oscillate within the basket 2.- Conversely when the pulley 15 is driven, the. transmission drives the wash basket 2 and the agitator 5 together at high speed for centrifugal extraction. Thus, the operation carried out,

' i, eagitation or centrifugal extraction, is controlled by the direction of rotation by the drive motor, agitation occurring when the motor turns in one direction and centrifugalextraction occurring when it turns in the other direction. Although the drive mechanism forms no' part of. the ipresent invention, reference is made to Patents 2,639,618 and 2,639,794 to J. W. McNairy both issued May 2 6,, 195.3and assigned to the assignees of the present invention. These patents disclose in detail the structural characteristics of the drive' mechanism including thebidirectional clutch and 'the tran smission assembly.

-The transmission assembly 16, and thus the basket 2 and the agitator5 which are supported by it, are mounted fiointhe cabinet 4 by means of a resiliently supported frame 17. This is done so that some gyratory motion or vibration of the basket may occurrelative to the tub 3 during the spin or extraction operation, thetub itself'being rigidly secured to the cabinet 4. A flexible boot 18 mounted between the transmission casing and the tub permits. the relative movement While providing a Water tight seal therebetween; Preferably and as shown, the motor 12 and the'clutch 13 are also mounted on the frame 17 so that they move with the basket.

' In order to clean and filter the washing liquid during the washing operation, the machine 1 is provided with a recirculation system whichcirculates washing liquid from the tub 3 into the basket 2 throughout that operation. This recirculation system includes a pump 19 which is secured 'to the bottom wall of the tub 3 and which withdraws the washing liquid from thetub through a suitable bafile assembly 29. The pump 19 is driven by the motor 12 through a flexible coupling 21 between the motor shaftand the pump shaft and during the washing operation it discharges into a hoseor conduit 22 which leads to a spout 23 mounted above the basket 2. The spout 23 discharges the liquid into a perforate filter 24 mounted adjacent the top of the center post 6 of the agitator 5, and from the filter the liquid drains 'back into the basket 2. The filter24 is efiective to remove any lint contained in the liqmid and thereby only clean, filtered liquid'is returned to the basket. i

The liquid fiowing into the basket from the filter 24 causes a continuous overflowing from the basket through. overflow apertures 25 provided near the upper edge of thebasket side wall. The liquid overflowing through these. apertures 25.falls into the tub 3. whereby there is provided a continuous supply of liquid for the pump 19'and thus a continuous flow of liquid through the recirculation system throughout the -washing operation. The liquid. overflowing through the apertures 25 tends to carry with it lint removedfrom the clothes as a result of the washing operation. A portion of this lint then passes through the pump 19 and the hose 22 and is removed from the recirculation flow by means of the filter 24,.

v value with'out the restrictor means themselves being sus-.

ceptible to lint clogging. These restrictor means as best shown iri'Fig. 2 comprise a plurality of necked down or reduced diameterjsec'tionsi26,27fand 28 formed integrally tions 26, 27 and 28 are all formed with a curved cross section so that a smooth curved inner surface is formed from the downstream side to the upstream side of each section. Having this smooth curved inner surface configuration the necked down sections 26, 27 and 28" do not present any sharp edges to the flow passing through the hose and thereby there is little if any tendency for lint to collect on them. As a result they restrict the how through the hose withoutjthere being any appreciable lint clogging occurring at them. Rather the lint is carried freely from the pump 19 to the filter 24.

In order to act as effective flow restrictors, the smooth curved necked down portions 26, 27 and 28 should be spaced apart from each other. In other words they should not be immediately adjacent each other along the hose. It has been found that as the distance between the neckeddown sectionsgincreases, the restriction effect also increases somewhat. By way ofexample it has been found that reduced diameter'portions are best spaced at least three inches apart in a hose which is designed to pass a normal flow ofsix gallons per minute when connected to a pump developing a pressure of from; three to four pounds per square inch. This particular hose has an inside diameter of 3 of an inch and thesmallcst'diameter of the three necked down section is approximately 0.415 inch. The radius of the inner curved surfaceEof the necked down'sections is approximately 0.218: inch,

and thus the distancebetwecn the necked down sections is appreciably greater than the length'vof, the sections themselves. This is clearly shown in Fig.1. I have found incidentally thatthishose allows a'slightly greater" flow when the machine iis filled with hot water than with cold, for example -about one gallon more per minute.

Any suitable pumpmay be used to create the recirculation flow during the washing operation. fHowever in the machine 1 I' have shown a pump which discharges into one or two outlets depending upon the direction ofip'ump rotation. 'A directional pump of this sort is described 7 I that pressure when there is alevel of from two to three inches of water in the tub 3 and in my preferred embodi-. ment such a level is produced 'by approximately six 7 gallons of liquid in the tub. Incidentally in this preferred. embodiment the clothes basket-2 holdsapp'roximately seventeen gallons of liquid, and during the original filling operation the basket is first filled and then thesix gallons are overflowed in the tub. 'A water level responsive switch in the tub then terminates the filling operation.

When the above'mentioned Bochan directional. pump is used, one of the two outlets of the pump is connected to the recirculation hose or conduit 22 for-returning liq -u id to the basketZ during the washing operation. The

other pump outlet is connected to a hose 29 whichis adapted to-belconnected'or disposed for discharge to a stationary tub or drain line. The pump 19 is so'a'rrangcd that upon-one direction of motor rotation corresponding 1 to the driving of the agitator 5, the pump outputis discharged. through conduit 22 for return to the basket 2 through the filter 24.. Conversely'upon rotation of the motor in the reverse direction for spinningjthe'ba sket' 2, theliq'uid is pumped through conduit 29 to the 1 drain;

'It'wijll be'understood however that a conventional'- punip with suitable solenoid operated valve means may beftise'd in place of the directional pump to effectthis-lresult', that my 'invention is notlimited-to a-machine-havinga directional pump; My new and improved'hosewill act to limit the recirculation flow tothe proper amount'without any lint clogging ordinarily occurring therein at-the restrictor means 'no matter what the type of pump used.

Besides flushing lint from the wash basket 2, the-illustrated recirculation system is also elfective to remove insoluble soil particles from the basket. 7 During the operation of the agitator the insoluble soil particles removed from the clothes tend to sink to the bottom of the basket and then move into the quiescent zone existing under the skirt 8 of the agitator. In order to remove these soil particles from that region beneath the agitator skirt there is provided a nozzle 30 in the bottom wall of the basket. i

A controlled flow of liquid is discharged from the basket through this nozzle 30, and this flow carries with it the insoluble soil particles. A boot 31 extending outwardly from the top of the hub 10 to the bottom wall of the basket prevents the soil particles from entering the more or less stagnant area adjacent the hub. These soil particles discharged out through the noule 30 tend to settle out in the tub during the passage of liquid therethrough to the pump 19 and are thereby not returned to the basket through the recirculation system. If however some soil particles are pulled into the pump and passed outward- 1y into the hose 22, there will be no collection of soil in the hose due to the configuration of the new and improved restriction means. Just as the lint does not catch on the smooth curved configuration of the restrictions 26, 27 and 28 so also soil will not collect thereon but rather is swept past them by the flow. The soil particles which collect in the tub and also the lint which is removed by the filter 24 are later discharged from the tub during a centrifugal extraction operation. At that time due to the large quantity of water discharged from the basket into the tub considerable turbulence is created in the tub and this turbulence results in the soil particles and the lint being washed into the pump. The lint and soil particles are then discharged out of the machine through the hose 5-.

scribed and claimed in the copending application of Wil- I liam R. Molnar, S. N. 468,459 filed November 12, 1954, now Patent No. 2,807,949 of October 1, 1957 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

To summarize briefly the operation of the machine 1, the clothes basket 2 is first filled with water by a suitable water supply means (not shown). Preferably the basket is filled completely full to the overflow level defined by the apertures 25 near its upper edge, and then a quantity of water is overflowed into the outer tub through the apertures 25. A suitable soap or detergent is either supplied with the water or added after the filling operation is completed. Then the agitator 5 is oscillated to produce a churning motion of the liquid and a tumbling motion of the articles of clothing contained within the basket.

This action results in removal of dirt or soil from the clothes and also causes a quantity of lint to be separated from the clothes.

Simultaneously with the operation of the agitator the pump 19 creates a flow through the recirculation system comprising the pump itself, the hose 22, the spout 23 and the filter 24. This flow causes a continuous overflowing of the basket through the apertures 25 and also supplies make-up liquid for the liquid discharged from the basket through the soil removal nozzle 30. The hose 22 due to the provision of the restrictors 26, 27 and 28 therein limits the amount of the rate of the recirculation flow to a preselected suitable value, for example six gallons per minute. As the washing liquid overflows from the basket through the apertures 25, lint is flushed from the basket with it. Also, as liquid is discharged through the nozzle 30, insoluble soil particles are carried into the outer tub 3. As mentioned above, the insoluble soil particles tend to settle out of the liquid within the tub, but a portion of the lint is carried into the pump 19 and is passed upward- 1y through the hose 22 in the recirculation flow. This figuration of the restrictors 26, 27 and 28 and their lack of sharp edges the lint is carried easily past them by the flow without collecting thereat and causing clogging of the hose.

In the filter 24 the lint is separated from the flow. As mentioned. above, the lint is then retained by the filter while the cleaned, filtered liquid passes downwardly into the basket. Thus a continuous flow of filtered, soil free liquid is passed into the washing basket during the washing operation to produce a particularly effective washing action.

The soil particles and the lint deposited in the tab by the recirculation system are removed from the tub during the centrifugal extraction or spin stages of the machine. During the centrifugal extraction stage the basket 2 is rotated at high speed and the liquid contents of the *9; basket are very rapidly discharged into the outer tub.

This results in a high degree of turbulence in the tub which washes the soil particles and lint collected during the agitation stage into the pump 19 for discharge through hose 29 to the drain. Thereby any serious or undesirable collection of insoluble soil particles and lint within the tub is prevented. Furthermore, as the centrifugal extraction period continues all the water is pumped from the outer tub carrying with it the soil particles and lint which have not settled out of the water.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a recirculation system including a new and improved flow controlling hose. This hose due to the action of the necked down restrictor sections therein limits the recirculation flow to a predetermined suitable value. The necked down sections do not however collect any lint from the flow due to their smooth curved configuration. Rather the lint passes freely by them and does not clog within the hose; it is carried freely from the pump 19 to the filter 24 where it is removed from the flow.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes basket, an outer imperforate tub enclosing said basket and catching the overflow from said basket, and a recirculation system for circulating a flow of liquid through said basket and said tub during the washing operation, said system including a pump and a hose for withdrawing said liquid from said tub and conducting said liquid to said basket, said hose including a plurality of spaced apart reduced diameter sections for restricting and controlling the rate of the liquid flow through said system, said reduced diameter sections being spaced apart a distance greater than the individual lengths of said sections, and each of said sections having a smooth curved cross section so that no sharp edges are presented to the flow, thereby to minimize lint clogging.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes basket, an outer imperforate tub enclosing said basket and arranged to receive the liquid discharged from said basket, and a recirculation system for circulating a flow of liquid from said tub into said basket during the washing operation, said system including a pump for withdrawing liquid from said tub and a hose for carrying said liquid from said pump to said basket, said hose including a plurality of spaced apart integral necked down sections for restricting and controlling the rate of the liquid flow through said system, said necked down sections being spaced apart a mize lint cloggiug'within i said hosed diisgage :greafrl than thelindividual 'lefigths of said-55cc i 1 tions, and the innenzsurface of eachfiflsaid uecked down sectipn; forming 'a "sniqothf cur-ve fi' dm ith down trarui sideidthe upstrani sidofthe sectidn; thereby to m'imf V V 3'.;Inla ;c1othes washing machifie;aclothsbaskgt; an outer imperforate tub enclosing said basket and-arrangedtQ'lfiCEiV liquid :disCharged. from-=said basketg' -a pump V for withdrawing .liquid z'fro' mv- 'said tub; and a'hos e'r-con- V nectedtoan outlet of said pump for receiving and conm ductingv awayi'the liquid discharged by-said pump, said ho'se; including a plurality, of spaced apart-necked down rqs trictor sections. for :r'esfricting and controllingdhelrate 7 agssago w by-td'mihihiii

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