US3024638A

US3024638A - Laundry machine having a dooroperated timer

Info

Publication number: US3024638A
Application number: US101148A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gibson J Lowell
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1961-04-06
Filing date: 1961-04-06
Publication date: 1962-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-03-13

Description

LAUNDRY MACHINE HAVING A DOOR-OPERATED TIMER Filed April 6, 1961 1 l9 1 I n Fig. 3 M "mp h INE/ENTOR. M I l I! J Lowe/[Gibson Fig. BY

4 4 7 7 His Arr omey.

United States Patent i 3,024,638 LAUNDRY MACHHNE HAVING A DOOR- OPERATED TIMER J Lowell Gibson, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 101,148 8 Claims. (Cl. 68-12) This invention relates to clothes laundering machines and particularly to a method of and arrangement for instigating timed cycles of operation of a motor-driven element therein.

I am aware of the fact that laundry machines such as domestic clothes washing and drying machines and combinations thereof have been provided with an electrically energizable clock timer or chronometrically operated timing device which is manually settable by the operator of a machine or apparatus to start or activate same for causing one or more timed cycles of operation of an electric motor-driven element or elements incorporated in the machine. These timers or timing devices, in addition to being expensive and complicated, are a frequent source of trouble creating many service calls and which trouble usually occurs at times clothes laundering acts are in progress. Such timers or timing devices are not infallible and consequently they have not been entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of appliance manufacturers and of overcoming provocation of paradoxical ill will on the part of users of domestic appliances equipped with same. I therefore contemplate the provision in or on domestic appliances and particularly clothes washing or rying apparatuses or machines of a simplified, inexpensive and more practical timing means or timer device for both starting and stopping an operative element therein to effect a timed cycle of operation of the element.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved, practical and substantially trouble-free clothes laundering apparatus or machine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clothes laundering machine with a timing means or device which is rendered operative automatically to effect a timed cycle of operation of an element thereof by the act of opening a door of the machine leading to a clothes receiving chamber therein preparatory to placing the clothes in the chamber to be processed.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a clothes laundering machine a combined mechanical or spring wound timer and electric switch device, the timer of which is wound and rendered operative in response to opening a door of the machine for actuating a switch thereof to make and break an electric circuit leading to an electric motor driving an element in the machine so as to effect a timed cycle of operation of the element and energization of other components of the machine to carry out one or more functions of treating clothes placed therein.

It is a still further and more specific object of my invention to provide a laundry machine having a combined spring wound device as set forth in the foregoing object with additional means in the electric circuit thereof actuated in response to opening the door of its clothes receiving tub or chamber for breaking the circuit to the motor and temporarily interrupting actuation of the element operated or driven thereby when it is desired to inspect clothes contained in the chamber without lessening a timed cycle of operation of the element.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

3,024,638 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 "ice In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a clothes washing machine having my invention embodied therein;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the washing machine taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 with certain elements thereof shown in elevation having a schematic arrangement of my combined timer control and switch with the switch connected in an electric circuit diagrammatically illustrated; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing the door of the washing machine locked to its hinge pin mounting.

Before proceeding with a description of the present disclosure, made primarily for the purpose of illustration, it is desired to point out that my invention is applicable to any appliances having an electric driven element which is adapted to complete a timed cycle of operation before being automatically stopped. In this respect my invention is particularly useful in laundry apparatus such as clothes washing and clothes drying machines wherein it is desirable for reasons hereinbefore stated to eliminate an electric clock timer. In these laundry machines the operative element may be a spinnable tub, a clothes agitator which is both rotated and reciprocated and/ or a rotary clothes tumbling drum or the like. In order to simplify illustration of my invention, I prefer to show a washing machine including an operative element or agitator, an electric motor for driving same, a combined timer and electric switch device and a single electric circuit for the motor and device which is not complex. However, it is to be understood that the combined timer and switch device may be of a more complicated construction whereby it is settable in different positions to control a plurality of circuits in a multiple circuit electric system as is present in modern washing machines for effecting various cycles of operation of one or more operative elements therein.

Referring now to the draWings,.I show in FIGURE 1 thereof a clothes washing apparatus or machine including, in general, a cabinet 10 having a casing or housing 11 provided with a plurality of walls forming or defining a chamber in the cabinet. A trough-like partition divides the interior of the chamber in cabinet 10 into an upper compartment 14 and a lower compartment 16. A rotatable or centrifugal basket composed of an inner perforated cup 17 and an outer imperforate cup 18, welded together, is adapted to retain liquid while the basket is stationary and to discharge the liquid over the top rim thereof when the basket is rotated. An operative element or reciprocating clothes agitator 19 is located within the centrifugal basket and is consequently contained in the chamber of cabinet 10 formed by walls of housing 11. :A basket counterbalancing means 21 is provided in cabinet 10 and this means is connected to a mechanism within a casing 22 driven by an electric motor within a casing 23 bolted or otherwise suitably secured to casing 22. The mechanism in casing 22 includes means usually effective to produce rotation of the basket, composed of

cups

18 and 17, when the electric motor in casing 23 is energized and rotated in one direction and to reciprocate element or agitator 19 when the motor is energized and rotated in the other direction. While I have, for the sake of simplification as hereinbefore mentioned, shown an electric circuit which energizes motor in casing 23 to cause operation or reciprocation only of element or agitator 19, it is to be understood that energization of the electric motor in casing 23 may, through the mechanism within casing 23, transmit rotary motion to the clothes basket,

cups

17 and 18, or it may rotate a clothes receiving drum of a clothes drying machine. The general structure, other components such as water fill and Water removal means of the washing machine herein disclosed, together with the operative element thereof, may be of a type shown and more fully described in the patent to Clark #2,366,236 dated January 2, 1945 and assigned to the assignee of this application. This type of washing machine in the patent just referred to is well known to those skilled in the art and hence no further or detailed description thereof is deemed necessary herein.

In accordance with my invention I desire to eliminate the electrically driven clock timer or timing device shown in the Clark patent from the machine herein disclosed. Such timers are well known to those skilled in the art since they are more or less standard equipment in presentday washing machines and are shown and fully described in several patents, for example, Clark 02,823 April 4, 1950; Candor #2,608,252 August 26, 1952; Manecke #2,654,961; and Clark #2,846,766. In my clothes washing machine the chamber within cabinet 10, formed by walls of housing 11, is provided with an opening 26 (see FIGURE 1) centrally within a depressed portion 27 at the top of the cabinet. Opening 26 affords access to the chamber in cabinet 10 and particularly to the clothes basket defined by

cups

17 and 18. A door or lid 29 is hingedly mounted on cabinet 10 for vertical swinging movement relative thereto and normally closes the chamber access opening 26. This door 29 may be hollow and the space between its inner and outer panels, can, if desired, contain any suitable insulating material. The hinge means for door or lid 29 has a round hinge pin, rod or shaft 31, rotatably anchored to housing 11 at the pivot points 32 (see FIGURE 2). A central part of hinge pin or shaft 31 is square as at 34 and a bracket welded or otherwise suitably secured to door 29, or a portion of the door itself, may be bent around the square part 34 of pin 31 and locked thereto so as to rotate this hinge pin or shaft with a swinging movement of door 29. An extension of pin or shaft 31 has secured thereto a gear 36 and a further extension 37 thereof has a cam 38 mounted thereon. Gear 36 and cam 38 are rotatable with the pin or shaft 31 upon a swinging movement of door 29 and cam 38 engages a spring biased plunger 39 forming a part of a timer to now be generally described.

A mechanically or spring wound combined timing means, timer or timing and electric switch device indicated at 40 includes a spring tensioned rotatable shaft 41 having a part thereof protruding outwardly from each of its sides. A gear 42 is mounted on timer shaft 41 and meshes with or is geared to gear 36 on hinge pin or shaft 31. A slip clutch, indicated by the numeral 43, forms a part of timer device 40 and is employed for preventing too tight or overwinding of a spring therein upon successive opening movements of door 29. The opposite end of shaft 41 of combined device 40 projecting out of the other side thereof has a cam 44 mounted thereon for rotation therewith. The cam 44 is of such a shape or configuration as to permit a spring contact cam following arm 46 of electric switch portion 47 of the combined timer and switch device to rest or remain in a recessed or dwell part thereof while door 29 of washing machine cabinet 10 is closed, opened and/or during its swinging movement for normally maintaining the contact arm 46 separated from a stationary contact arm 48 of switch 47. Cam 44 has a lobe or raised portion thereon which is so arranged as to be immediately rotated by shaft 41, upon activation and release of the spring in device 40, for closing contact arm 46 against contact arm 48 to make an electric circuit through switch 47 of the combined device. The slip clutch 43 also permits reverse rotation of shaft 41 of device 40 to rotate cam 44 thereon so as to actuate switch 47 when the cabinet door 29 is closed after being swung open. Switch portion 47 of the combined device 40 is interposed in a circuit for conducting electric current to the motor in casing 23. This electric circuit includes a wire conductor 51 leading from one side of a source of electric current supply to the motor, a wire conductor 52 leading from the motor to contact arm 46 of switch 47 and a wire conductor 53 leading from switch contact arm 48 to the other side of a power main. A second spring biased button switch 56 is interposed in the electric circuit, wire 52, and this switch is adapted to be opened in response to an opening swinging movement of door 29. The second spring biased button switch 56 is mounted on an apron part of the depressed portion 27 (see FIGURE 1) on the top of cabinet 10 for engagement by door 29 when same is closed to make contact with or through the wire 52 leading from motor 23 to switch portion 47 of combined device 40. Spring wound devices such as combined device 40, the slip clutch 43, and electric switch portion 47 thereof are conventional in the art and their functions or operations are well known, hence no de tailed description thereof is necessary herein.

In the present disclosure the lid or door 29 of washing machine cabinet 10 is swung open through an arc of substantially and soiled clothes to be washed therein are placed in cup 17 within the chamber of the cabinet. This opening swinging movement of door 29 rotates hinge pin or shaft 31, gear 36 and cam 38 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3. Gear 36 rotates gear 42 of the combined device 40 and rotation of shaft 41 by gear 42 winds a spring in the device 40 to a predetermined tension for causing a timed operation thereof. Cam 38 is also rotated simultaneously with rotation of gear 36 by the 90 opening movement of door 29 and plunger 39, which previously rested in a dwell or recessed portion of cam 38, is thereby moved, by a raised peripheral portion of cam 38, into the casing of device 40 for momentarily locking the spring in the device against rotating its shaft 41. As before stated, contact arm 46 of switch 47 is separated from its stationary contact arm 48 during opening swinging movement of door 29. Combined device 40 is at this time held or cocked, in a wound condition ready to be uncocked for activating same to close

contact arms

46 and 48 of switch 47 as soon as door 29 of cabinet 10 of the washing machine is swung back through the 90 are into closed position. At this time, the second spring pressed button electric switch 56 is also open by virtue of door 29 being moved out of engagement therewith. The clothes washing apparatus or machine is now idle with the electric circuit thereof broken at two points therein and when door 29 of cabinet 10 is swung shut or closed hinge pin or shaft 31 rotates back through its substantially 90 are. This closing movement of door 29 and consequently return rotation of pin or shaft 31 rotates a raised peripheral portion of cam 38 past spring biased plunger 39 and the plunger moves out of easing of device 40, into engagement with a recessed or dwell portion of cam 38, to unlock the wound spring in device 40. Closing movement of door 29 also closes the button switch 56 to make the circuit therethrough in Wire 52. The slip clutch 43 then permits the wound spring in device 40 to reversely rotate shaft 41 thereof, without rotating gear 42, which shaft 41 in turn rotates the lobe or raised portion of cam 44 to shift the cam following spring arm contact 46 of switch 47 into engagement with stationary contact arm 48 thus, since switch 56 has been closed, making the electric circuit through

wires

51, 52 and 53 to the motor in casing 23. Although a water filling means is not shown in the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the making of the electric circuit also, at least momentarily, energizes suitable means to cause water to enter the clothes basket, cups 17 and 18, for a clothes washing operation. Energization of motor 23 rotates the motor in one direction which reciprocates or causes operation of agitator 19 through the mechanism contained in casing 22. Since device 40 is operating under the influence of the previously wound spring therein the electric circuit is maintained closed to actuate motor 23 for effecting a timed cycle of operation of element or agitator 19. This timed cycle of operation or agitation of agitator 19 to carry out a washing period of clothes in machine is of a duration corresponding to the intensity of winding of the spring in the mechanically wound combined timer and switch device 40. Thus after the spring in device 40 has been uncocked and has completely unwound, the reverse rotation of shaft 41 and cam 44 thereon causes the cam following spring contact arm 46 of switch 47 to be biased into the recessed or dwell portion of cam 44. The

contact arms

46 and 48 then separate from one another to break the electric circuit to motor 23 and terminate the timed cycle of operation or agitation of element or agitator 19. At any period during the timed cycle of operation of agitator 19 door 29 on cabinet 10 can be opened to inspect the clothes washing process and agitation of the agitator will be interrupted without reducing the predetermined duration of its timed operation. For example, after a timed cycle of operation of element 19 is initiated in response to opening and closing door 29 a subsequent opening of the door immediately causes cam 38 to push plunger 39 into the casing of device 40 to lock the spring therein and prevent continued reverse rotation of shaft 41 and cam 44. This subsequent opening swinging movement of door 29 disengages button switch 56 and its spring shifts the switch to break the electric circuit through wire 52 to motor 23. When door 29 is thereafter closed it shifts switch 56 into closed position to again make the momentarily broken electric circuit through wire 52. This closing of door 29 also reversely rotates hinge pin shaft and cam 38 thereon and therefore releases plunger 39 to permit the combined timer-switch device 40 to again resume its timed making and breaking of the electric circuit and consequently the predetermined timed cycle of operation of element 19. Thus device 40 is rendered operative to actuate switch 47 thereof by its connection or connecting means, slip clutch 43, gears 36 and 42 and hinge pin or shaft 31 in response to a swinging movement of door 29 on cabinet or machine 10. The rendering operative of combined device 40 may occur as frequently as various clothes washing, rinsing, spin drying and/or tumble drying cycles are desired by an opening swinging movement of the appliance door.

It should, from the foregoing, be apparent that I have provided an improved substantially infallible arrangement for effecting a timed cycle of operation of an operative element or agitator in laundry machines. The arrangement is such that laundry machines need not be equipped with an expensive and troublesome electrically operated timer device thus their manufacturing costs may be reduced. By employing a combined spring wound timer-switch device as herein disclosed its operation'is positive and automatic in response to movement of a door on a laundry machine when clothes are to be processed therein to provide a timed cycle of operation of an element within the machine.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a clothes washing machine comprising a housing having walls defining a chamber therein containing an agitator driven by an electric motor, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening atfording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being mounted on said housing for movement relative thereto, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door to said device, said means being actuated in response to a movement of said door for winding said timing device, and said switch of the timing device making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said agitator.

2. In combination, a clothes washing machine comprising a housing having walls defining a chamber therein containing an agitator driven by an electric motor, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a Wall of said housing being provided with an opening aifording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being mounted on said housing for movement relative thereto, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door to said device, said means being actuated in response to a movement of said door for Winding said timing device, said switch of the timing device making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for elfecting a timed cycle of operation of said agitator, a second switch associated with said door and interposed in said circuit, and said second switch being actuated in response to an opening movement of said door for breaking the circuit to said motor while same is operating to interrupt a cycle of operation of the agitator.

3. In combination, a clothes washing machine comprising a housing having walls defining a chamber therein containing an agitator driven by an electric motor, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening affording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being hingedly mounted on said housing for swinging movement relative thereto, a spring wound timer device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means forming a connection between said door and said device, said means being actuated in response to a swinging movement of said door for winding the spring of said timer device, and said switch of the timer device making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said agitator.

4. In combination, a clothes washing machine comprising a housing having walls defining a chamber therein containing an agitator driven by an electric motor, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening aifording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, a hinge having a hinge pin mounting said door on said housing for swinging movement relative thereto, said door being secured to said hinge pin for rotating same with swinging of the door, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door hinge pin to said device, said hinge pin actuating said means to wind the timing device in response to a swinging movement of said door, and said switch of the timing device making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for efiecting a timed cycle of operation of said agitator.

5. A laundry machine comprising in combination, a housing having walls defining a chamber in the machine containing an electric motor and an element driven thereby, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening atfording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being mounted on said housing for movement relative thereto, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door to said device, said means being actuated in response to a movement of said door for winding said timing device and rendering it operative to actuate said switch, and said switch making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said element by said device.

6. A laundry machine comprising in combination, a

a housing having walls defining a chamber in the machine containing an electric motor and an element driven thereby,.a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening affording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being mounted on said housing for movement relative thereto, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door to said device, said means being actuated in response to a movement of said door for winding said timing device and rendering it operative to actuate said switch, said switch making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said element by said device, a second switch associated with said door and interposed in said circuit, and said second switch being actuated in response to an opening movement of said door for breaking the circuit to said motor while same is operating to interrupt a cycle of operation of said element.

7. A laundry machine comprising in combination, a housing having walls defining a chamber in the machine containing an electric motor and an element driven thereby, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening afiording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, a hinge having a hinge pin mounting said door on said housing for swinging movement relative thereto, said door being secured to said hinge pin for rotating same with swinging of the door, a mechanically wound timing device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means connecting said door hinge pin to said device, said hinge pin actuating said means in response to a swinging movement of said door for winding said timing device and rendering it operative to actuate snid switch, and said switch making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said element by said device.

8. A laundry machine comprising in combination, a housing having walls defining a chamber in the machine containing an electric motor and an element driven thereby, a circuit for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to said motor, a wall of said housing being provided with an opening affording access to said chamber, a door for the chamber access opening, said door being hingedly mounted on said housing for swinging movement relative thereto, a spring wound timer device on said machine including a switch interposed in said circuit, means forming a connection between said door and said device, said means being actuated in response to a swinging movement of said door for winding the spring of said timer device and rendering it operative to actuate said switch, and said switch making and breaking the electric circuit to said motor for effecting a timed cycle of operation of said element by said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,004 Hull June 1, 1937 2,575,704 Clark Nov. 20, 1951 2,710,615 Lines June 14, 1955