US2865191A - Wringer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19, 1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER FIG. 5

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR NlCHOLA6 LJETTEN Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19, 1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19, 1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER FIG. 4

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR mcHoLAe l..-e'r'reu ATTO R N EY5 United States Patent WRINGER Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa, assignor to Chamberlain Corporation, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application June 19, 1956, Serial No. 592,390

2 Claims. (Cl. 68-263) This invention relates to a wringer and more particularly to a clothes wringer of the type in which articles of clothing or the like are passed between a pair of rolls to extract water therefrom.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact, readily and economically manufacturable wringer in which pressure between the wringer rolls is easily re leased and in which the rolls are readily accessible for removal of tangled clothes.

A feature of this invention is in the release of pressure between the wringer rolls by depressing push buttons located so as to be conveniently actuatable and so as to not interfere with access to the wringer rolls.

A further feature is in an advantageous construction of the pressure release mechanism.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction Figure 4 is a top plan view of the wringer with portions of the housing structure broken away;

Figure 5 is an elevational sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a detailed view of portions of the latch release mechanism of the wringer.

Reference numeral 10 generally designates a wringer constructed according to the principles of this invention in which articles of clothing or the like are passed between a lower roll 11 and an upper roll 12 on vertically spaced parallel horizontal axes.

The rolls 11 and 12 are normally urged together with considerable pressure which may be released by depressing either one of a pair of push buttons 13 at one end of the wringer or either one of the pair of push buttons 14 at the opposite end of the wringer. To reset the rolls 11 and 12 into pressure engagement, a handle element 15 is swung outwardly in a counter-clockwise direction and is then moved downwardly after which it may be released to allow a spring means to return it to the position illustrated in Figure 1.

The handle element 15 forms a part of the outer housing for the wringer which housing also includes a pair of side plates 16 and 17 and a top plate member 18 arranged to swing upwardly in a clockwise direction when the pressure is released between the wringer rolls.

The wringer is preferably arranged to be mounted the rubber. The left and right hand ends of the lower roll shaft 21 are supported on bearing blocks 23 and 24 which are preferably of hardwood supported on pins 25 and 26. The pin 25 is supported from a bracket 27 through springs in a manner as will be described and the pin 26 is rigidly afiixed to a bracket 28. The brackets 27 and 28 form part of the wringer frame which also includes bars 29 and 30 extending along the sides of the wringer.

The ends of the upper roll shaft 22 are journaled in bearings 31 and 32 and maintained in assembly therewith by pins 33 and 34, washers 35 and 36 being disposed between the pins 33 and 34 and the bearings 31 and 32.

The bearing 31 is pivotally supported on a pin 37 which is carried on the end of an arm 38 pivoted on a shaft 39 fixedly carried from thewringer frame. The bearing 32 is pivotally supported on a pin 40 which is carried on an arm 41 pivoted on a shaft 42, the shaft 42 being supported through springs on the bracket 28 as will be described.

A reset mechanism to be described is provided for holding the arm 38 in the position of Figure 2 to exert pressure between the rolls. When the reset mechanism is released, the arm 38 is free to move in a counter-clockwise direction and the arm 41 can move in a clockwise direction to allow separation of the rolls. To reset pressure between the rolls, the arm 38 is moved in a clockwise direction until the upper roll 12 just engages the lower roll 11. The arm 41 will then be in a position such that a line in a vertical plane through the roll axes and extending from the axis of the pin 42 to the axis of the pin 40 is at an acute angle to a line in such vertical plane extending downwardly from the axis of the pin 42 toward and normal to the axis of the lower roll 11. In the same position of the upper roll, the arm 38 is in a position such that a line in the same vertical plane extending from the axis of the pin 39 to the axis or" the pin 37 will be at an obtuse angle to a line in the same vertical plane extending from the axis of the pin 39 downwardly toward and normal to the axis of the lower roll 11.

With this relationship, rotation of the arm 38 through a comparatively small angle in a clockwise direction to the position of Figure 1 will move the left-hand end of the upper roll 12 downwardly into pressure engagement with the lower roll 11, but the upper roll also moves to some extent to the right and such movement of the upper roll will cause the right-hand end thereof to move downwardly into pressure engagement with the lower roll, due to the position of the arm 41.

The reset mechanism for actuating the arm 38 comprises an arm 43 pivoted on a shaft 44 which is fixedly carried by the wringer frame. The arm 43 is connected to the arm 38 through a link 45 pivotally connected by a pin 46 to an intermediate point of the arm 38 and pivotally connected by a pin 47 to the arm 43. Movement of the arm 43 in a counter-clockwise direction will move the link 45 downwardly to move the arm 38 in a clockwise direction.

The arm 43 is actuated by actuation of the handle element 15. For this purpose, the handle element 1.5 is pivoted on a pin 48 carried by a lever 49 which is pivoted on a pin 50 carried by the wringer frame. When the handle element 15 is rotated to a certain extent in a counter-clockwise direction, the lower edge 51 thereof engages a flange portion 52 of the lever 49 so that with further counterclockwise rotation of the handle element 15, the lever 52 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. One end of a link 53 is pivotally connected to the lever 49 by the pin 48, and the other end thereof is pivotally connected to the lever 43 by a pin 54 so that counter-clockwise rotation of the lever 49 will effect counter-clockwise rotation of the lever arm 43.

A spring 55 is connected between the handle element and the pin 54 to move the handle element 15 to the illustrated position after the pressure reset mechanism is actuated.

The reset mechanism is releasably locked in the illustrated position. In particular, the lever '49 has an upstanding projection 56 engaged by a pin 57' on a latch arm 58 pivoted on a pin 59. The latch arm 58 is urged in a counter-clockwise direction by a coiled compression spring 60 on a guide pin 61, but is movable in a clockwise direction by a cam edge 62 on the projection 56 which engages the pin 57 when the lever 49 is moved into the illustrated position.

To release the reset mechanism, the latch arm 58 is moved in a clockwise direction to move the pin'57 out of the path of the projection 56. For this purpose, a pair of levers 63 and 64 are pivoted on a pin 65 and have out-turned projections 66 and 67 at their lower ends which underlie a transversely extending portion of the latch arm 58, so that the latch arm 58 will be-actuated by a clockwise rotation of the lever 63, or counterclockwise rotation of the lever 64, as viewed in Figure 6. The upper end of the lever 63 is connected through a link 68 to one leg 69 of a generally U-shaped bar 70 having the second leg 71 and a horizontal bight portion 72 journaled by the wringer frame for pivotal movement of the legs 69 and 71 about an axis parallel to the roll axes. The upper end of the lever 64 is similarily connected through a link 73 to one leg 74 of a generally U-shaped bar 75 having a second leg 76 and a bight portion 77 journaled by the wringer frame. The upper ends of the legs 69 and 74 are engaged by inwardly projecting portions of the buttons 13, and the upper ends of the legs 71 and 76 are engaged by a similar projection of the buttons 14 so that upon de pression of any one of the buttons, the reset mechanism will be released to release the pressure between the wringer rolls. It will. be noted that the buttons 13 and 14 are pivotally attached adjacent their upper ends to the wringer frame.

It may also be noted that each of the links 68 and 73 extends from the associated one of the levers or legs 69, 74 beyond the vertical plane through the roll axes to the upper end one of the respective one of the levers 63, 64. With this arrangement, a maximum leverage is obtained between movement of the legs 69, 74 and the levers 63, 64 and at the same time, the vertical extent of the mechanism is minimized so that it does not interfere with the reset mechanism or the support of the upper roll.

As previously indicated, the support pin 25 for the bearing block 23 is resiliently supported from the wringer frame. lower ends of the legs of a pair of inverted U-shaped members 79 and 80 which are supported through bolts 81 and 82 from U-shaped members 83 and 84 carried by the pin 44. Coiled compression springs 85 and 86 are disposed on the shanks of the bolts 83 and 84 to urge the members 79 and 80 upwardly against the members 83 and 84. When the reset mechanism is moved to the illustrated position, the left-hand end of the lower roll is moved downwardly to pull the members 79 and 80 downwardly away from the members 83 and 84, so that the springs 85 and 86 serve to exert pressure between the rolls.

As also indicated above, the support pin 42 for the right-hand end of the upper roll is resiliently supported from the wringer frame. This support is not illustrated in detail because it is, by itself, known in the prior art. One form of support is illustrated in my co-pending application entitled Wringer, U. S. Serial No. 332,841, filed January 23, 1953, now Patent No. 2,770,963, issued November 20, 1956.

In particular, the pin 25 extends through the Means are provided for preventing drive of the wringer when pressure between the rolls is released. As shown in Figure 4, a rod 87 is supported along one side of the wringer for movement about its axis. The right-hand end of the rod 87 is connected to the drive coupling mechanism and the left-hand end of the rod 87 is bent upwardly and inwardly to extend over an in-turned projection 88 of the link 53 (Figure 2). When the pressure is released between the wringer rolls, the link 53 will move upwardly to engage and actuate the rod 87 and the drive coupling mechanism is disengaged to prevent the drive of the wringer rolls.

This invention thus provides a wringer in which pressure between the rolls is readily released by actuation of the conveniently located push buttons 13 and 14. Because of the location of the buttons 13 and 14 at the opposite ends of the wringer, and because of the support arrangement for the upper roll, the upper roll is completely accessible, which is particularly important when it is desired to remove tangled clothes from the wringer. The releasable latch mechanism is such that itcan be readily and economically constructed from a minimum number of component parts and is simple and reliable in operation.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wringer, a frame, a bottom roll journaled for rotation in said frame, a top roll, movable support means journalling said top roll, a reset mechanism inter-connecting said support means and said frame for movement of said top roll into a position in parallel inter-engaged relation with said bottom roll, and latch means comprising a latch member pivotal about a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axes, means urging said latch member to a latching position, a first pair of levers pivotal on a common horizontal axis in vertical alignment with the roll axes, a second pair of levers journaled on horizontal axes parallel to and on opposite sides of the lower roll, a pair of links respectively connecting said second pair of levers with the upper ends of said first pair of levers, and means on the lower ends of said first pair of levers for moving said latch member out of said latching position on actuation of either one of said second pair of levers.

2. In a wringer, a frame, a bottom roll journaled for rotation in said frame, a top roll, movable support means journalling said top roll, a reset mechanism inter-connecting said support means and said frame for movement of said top roll into a position in parallel inter-engaged relation with said bottom roll, and latch means comprising a'latch member pivotal about a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axes, means urging said latch member to a latching position, a first pair of levers pivotal on a common horizontal axis in vertical alignment with the roll axes, a second pair of levers journaled on horizontal axes parallel to and on opposite sides of the lower roll, a pair of links respectively connected to said second pair of levers and connected to the upper ends of said first pair of levers at points beyond the plane of the roll axes, and means on the lower ends of said first pair of levers for moving said latch member out of said latching position on actuation of either one of said second pair of levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,778 Kauffman May 28, 1940 2,326,259 Schroeder Aug. 10, 1943 2,598,773 Etten June 3, 1952 2,726,530 Fairgrieve Dec. 13, 1955

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