US3301023A - Automatic washing machine having means to cool down the wash water - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1967 I PANTER 3,301,023

AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS TO COOL DOWN THE WASH WATER Filed April 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DEL-BERT I PAINTER H \5 ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1967 D. J. PAINTER 3,301,023 v AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS Filed April 16, 1965 TO COOL DOWN THE WASH WATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAUSE. A PAUSE a PAUSE c RINSE/ SPIN \SPIN OFF WASH INVENTOR.

F G 3 DELBERT 3', AW WW H \S ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,301,023 AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE HAVING MEANS T0 (JUOL DUWN THE WASH WATER Delbert J. Painter, .leifersontown, Iy., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 16, 1965, fier. No. 488,726 4 Claims. (Cl. 68-412) This invention relates to automatic washing machines, and more particularly, to an arrangement, provided in machines which incorporate a centrifuging liquid removal step after the washing operation, for insuring that the clothes are cool when the centrifuging operation takes place.

Virtually all automatic washing machines presently commercially available effect liquid removal from the clothes being washed by centrifuging action wherein the basket or clothes receptacle is rotated at high speed so as to centrifuge the liquid out of the clothes. In many machines, particularly machines wherein the basket rotates on a vertical axis to effect the liquid removal, this centrifuging operation is provided not only at the end of the complete operation, i.e., after rinsing, but also after the washing operation, prior to any rinse. Washing operations are usually conducted with warm or hot water, and it has been discovered that many fabrics, particularly many of the modern synthetic fabrics, are wrinkled by the compressive forces which exist during a centrifuging operation to an extent which increases with the temperature of the fabrics. This wrinkle-producing action is virtually eliminated if the fabrics are relatively cold when subjected to the compression of the centrifuging operation. These various findings are fully disclosed and discussed in an article entitled, The Home Laundering Of Wash And Wear Garments Of Hydrophobic Fibers by G. D. R-awlings, H. E. Stanley, and P. R. Wilkinson which appeared on page 974 of the December 1956 issue of The Textile Research Journal. Among other things, this article suggests the desirability, where clothes are washed in warm or hot water, of replacing at least part of the wash water with cold water prior to subjecting the clothes to the compression forces of the centrifuging operation. As wash and wear fabrics become increasingly used, the existence of this problem and the use of the solution become more and more important. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a system for cooling the wash water prior to the provision of a centrifuging speed which will subject the fabrics to high compression forces, which system makes highly economical use of both time and water.

A more specific object of my invention is to achieve this goal in a machine of the type incorporating a rotatable and perforated clothes container mounted within a liquid container, the goal being achieved primarily by making use of the sequence control assembly of the machine to insure that cold Water will be added to cool the wash water during the slow acceleration of the perforated clothes container.

In one aspect of my invention, I provide a washing machine which, as mentioned above, includes a rotatable perforated clothes receptacle positioned within a liquid receptacle. In the usual manner, the liquid receptacle is provided with washing means and is connected to suitable pumping means so that the liquid may be removed therefrom. A conventional drive system is provided: in one operating condition it operates the washing means, and in the other operating condition it simultaneously rotates the clothes receptacle and operates the pumping means. The drive means is formed so as to accelerate the clothes receptacle relatively slowly up to its full speed, this being a conventional aspect of such structure so that there will Patented Jan. 31, 1967 not be an excessive torque load placed upon the drive means initially when it starts the centrifuging operation.

Either hot or cold water may be selectively provided to the liquid receptacle by suitable supply means, and a control circuit normally provides alternative operation of the drive means and the supply means. In order to effect this, the control circuit includes a switch assembly controlled by a liquid level sensing means; the supply means is energized when the liquid in the receptacle is below a predetermined level, and is tie-energized when the liquid rises above the predetermined level in the receptacle. As the supply means is de-energized the drive means, which is normally connected in series with the supply means, is started in operation.

The machine also includes an automatic sequence control assembly of the conventional type which includes timed switch means connected in the circuit in a controlling relationship. The assembly controls the timed switches so as to provide a first operating condition of the drive means for operating the washing means and then a second operating condition of the drive means for simultaneous rotation of the clothes receptacle and operation of the pumping means. During the first operating ccndition of the drive means the liquid supply means is connected in series with the drive means so that the liquid level sensing means is effective to cause, first, filling of the liquid receptacle to a predetermined level and then operation of the washing means. During the initial portion of the second operating condition of the drive means the automatic sequence control assembly is effective to connect the cold water supply means only in parallel with the drive means so that cold water is provided to the liquid receptacle during at least a portion of the slow acceleration of the clothes receptacle.

As a result of this novel relationship of the circuit com- :ponents, a substantial amount of the initial wash water is replaced by cold water prior to any substantial compressive force being applied to the clothes as a result of high speed rotation of the clothes receptacle.

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, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawmgs.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes washing machine of the type which may suitably include my improvement, the view being partly broken away and partially in section to illustrate details;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic diagram of an electric control circuit incorporating my invention, which circuit is incorporated in the machine of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view of the development of the cam surfaces used in the control of the timer operated switches of FIGURE 2, thereby indicating the operation of the switches by the cams throughout a cycle.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, I have shown therein an agitator type clothes washing machine 1 having a conventional basket or clothes receiving receptacle 2 provided over its side and bottom walls with perforations 3 and disposed within an outer imperforate tub or casing 4 which serves as a liquid receptacle. The basket 2 may be provided with a suitable clothes retaining member 5 for preventing the clothes from being floated over the top of the basket and with a balance ring 6 to help steady the basket when it is rotated at high speed.

T ub 4 is rigidly mounted within an appearance cabinet 7 which includes a cover 8 hingedly mounted at the top portion 9 of the cabinet for providing access through an opening 10 to the basket 2. As shown, a gasket 11 may be provided so as to form a seal between the top of tub 4 and the portion 9 of the cabinet, thereby to prevent the escape of moisture and moist air into the cabinet around the tub. The rigid mounting of tub 4 within cabinet 7 may be effected by any suitable means. As a typical example of one such means I provide strap members 12, each of which is secured at one end to an inturned flange 13 of the cabinet and at its other end to the outside of tub 4. At the center of basket 2 there is positioned a vertical axis agitator 14 which includes a center post 15 and a plurality of curved water circulating vanes 16 joined at their lower ends by an outwardly flared skirt 17.

Both the clothes basket 2 and the agitator 14 are rotatably mounted. The basket is mounted on a flange 18 of a rotatable hub 19 and the agitator 14 is mounted on a shaft (not shown) which extends upwardly through the hub 19, through the center post 15 and is secured to the agitator so as to drive it. During the cycle of operation of machine 1, water is introduced into the tub 4 and hasket 2, and the agitator 14 is then oscillated back and forth on its axis, that is, in a horizontal plane within the basket, to wash the clothes therein. Then, after a predetermined period of this washing action, basket 2 is rotated at high speed to extract centrifugally the washing liquid from the clothes and discharge it to drain. Following this extraction operation, a supply of clean liquid is introduced into the basket for rinsing the clothes and the agitator is again oscillated. Finally, the basket is once more rotated at high speed to extract the rinse water.

Basket 2 and agitator 14 may be driven through any suitable means from a reversing power source. By way of example, I have shown them as driven from a reversible motor 20 through a system including a clutch 21 mounted on the motor shaft. A suitable belt 22 transmits power from clutch 21 to a transmission assembly 23 through a pulley 24. Thus, depending on the direction of motor rotation, pulley member 24 of transmission 23 is driven in opposite directions.

The transmission 23 is so arranged that it supports and drives both the agitator drive shaft and the basket mounting hub 19. When motor 20 is rotated in one direction the transmission causes agitator 14 to oscillate in a substantially horizontal plane within the basket 2. Conversely, when motor 20 is driven in the opposite direction, the transmission rotates the wash basket 2 and the agitator 14 together at high speed for centrifugal liquid extraction. While the specific type of transmission mechanism used does not form a part of the invention, reference is made to Patent 2,844,225 issued to James R. Hubbard et a l. on July 22, 1958 and owned by General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention. That patent discloses in detail the structural characteristics of a transmission suitable for use in the illustrated machine.

Of course, when motor 20 starts rotating in the direction to cause high speed rotation of basket 2 and agitator 14 a very substantial load requirement is placed on the motor in order to accelerate the basket up to full speed. In order to permit the use of .a relatively light motor, which is completely suitable at all other times, without burning it out during basket acceleration, clutch 21 is built to provide slippage between motor 20 and transmission 23 during times when the torque requirements on the motor would otherwise be excessive. As a result, when the motor 20 starts to rotate in the direction to cause spinning of basket 2, the slippage within clutch 21 causes a slow acceleration of basket 2, so that there is an appreciable amount of time (for instance on the order of 12-0 seconds) before the basket is fully up to speed; also, there is a substantial amount of time (for instance 60 seconds) during which the speed of the basket is substantially below that at which any substantial compressive forces are exerted on the clothes. It will be understood that there are many clutches which are well known in the art and may be designed to fulfill this function, and therefore the 4- internal structure of clutch 21 is not further discussed herein.

In addition to operating transmission 23, as described, motor 20 also provides a direct drive through a flexible coupling 29 to a pump structure, generally indicated by the numeral 30, which may include two separate pumping units 31 and 32 both operated simultaneously in the same direction. Pump unit 31 has an inlet which is connected by a conduit 33 to an opening 34 formed at the lowermost point of tub 4. Pump unit 31 also has an outlet which is connected by conduit 35 to a suitable drain (not shown). Pump unit 32 has an inlet connected by a conduit 36 to the interior of tub 4 and an outlet connected by a conduit 37 to a nozzle 38. The pump units are formed so that in the spin direction of motor rotation pump unit 31 will draw in liquid from opening 34 through conduit 33 and then discharge it through conduit 35 and in the other direction of rotation pump unit 32 will draw in liquid through conduit 36 and discharge it through conduit 37 and nozzle 38, each of the pump units being substantially inoperative in the direction of rotation in which it is not used.

Nozzle 38 is positioned to discharge into a filter pan 39 secured on the top portion 4a of agitator 14 so as to be movable therewith. By this structure, when the motor is rotating so as to provide agitation, pump unit 32 draws liquid through the conduit 36 from tub 4 and discharge conduit 37 so that the liquid passes from nozzle 38 into filter pan 39 and then down through a number of small openings 41 provided in the bottom of the filter pan and back into basket 2. In this manner, the filter pan 39 with its small openings 41 and its upstanding side wall 42 causes lint which is separated from the clothes during the washing operation to be filtered out of the water, and thus prevents it from being redeposited on the clothes.

The motor 20, clutch 21, transmission 23, basket 2 and agitator 14 form a suspended washing and centrifuging system which is supported by the stationary structure of the machine so as to permit isolation of vibrations from the stationary structure. It will be understood that such vibrations occur primarily as a result of high speed spinning of basket 2 and a load of clothes therein as mentioned above. While any suitable suspension structure may be used, one suitable structure includes a bracket member 43 with transmission 23 mounted on the top thereof and motor 20 mounted on the underside thereof. The bracket member in turn is secured to upwardly extending rigid members 44 and each of the two upwardly extending members 44 is connected to a cable 45 supported from the top of the machine. While only a portion of the isolating system is shown in the drawings, such a vibration isolating system is fully described and claimed in Patent 2,987,190 issued on June 6, 1961 to John Bochan and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

In order to accommodate the movement which occurs between basket 2 and tub 4 without any danger of leakage between them, the stationary tub 4 is joined to the upper part of transmission 23 by a flexible boot member 46. Boot 46 may be of any suitable configuration, many of which are known in the art, to permit relative motion of the parts to which it is joined without leakage therebetween.

Hot and cold water may be supplied to the machine through conduits 47 and 48 which are adapted to be connected respectively to sources of hot and cold water (not shown). Conduits 47 and 48 extend into a conventional mixing valve structure 49 having solenoids 50 and 51 so that energization of solenoid 50 permits passage of hot water through the valve to a hose 52. Energization of solenoid 51 permits passage of cold water through the valve, and energization of both solenoids permits mixing of hot and cold water in the valve and passage of warm water into hose 52. Hose 52 has an outlet 53 positioned to discharge into basket 2 so that, when one or both of the solenoids 50 and 51 are energized, water passes into basket 2 and tub 4.

The level to which Water rises in the basket and tub may be controlled by any suitable liquid level sensing means. One typical arrangement for doing this is to provide an opening 54 in the side of tub 4 adjacent the bottom thereof, the opening 54 being connected through a conduit 55 and a tube 56 to a conventional pressure sensitive device (shown schematically in FIGURE 2 by the numeral 57) which may be positioned within the backsplasher 58 of machine 1. In the conventional manner, as the water rises in basket 2 and the tub 4 it exerts increasing pressure on the column of air trapped in tube 56 and, at a predetermined pressure level, the column of air then trips switch 57 to shut off whichever of solenoids 50 and 51 may be energized. The backsplasher 58 may have suitable manual controls, such as that shown at 59, extending therefrom so that the particular type of cycle, including for instance washing and spin speeds, water temperatures, water level within tub 4 and basket 2, etc., may be controlled to effect the washing of different types of fabrics.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, an electrical control systern for the machine of FIGURE 1 will be described. In connection with the circuit of FIGURE 2, it will be understood that present-day washers often include various improvements such as two-speed mechanisms, control panel lights, bleach dispenser controls, etc., which do not relate in any way to the present invention, and to some extent these have been omitted for the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding.

In order to control the sequence of operation of the components of machine 1 the circuit includes an automatic sequence control assembly which incorporates a timer motor 60 driving a plurality of cams 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66. These cams, during their rotation by the timer motor, actuate various switches (as will be described) causing the machine to pass through an appropriate cycle of operation; first washing the clothes, next extracting water from them by centrifuging, then rinsing the clothes with clean water, and finally centrifuging the rinse water from the clothes. The operating surfaces of the different cams are shown in developed form in FIG- URE 3 and will be further discussed herebelow in connection with the description of the operation of the machine.

The electric circuit as a whole is energized from a power supply (not shown) through a pair of conductors 67 and 68. Cam 61 controls a switch 69 which includes contacts 70, 71 and 72. When the camhas assumed the position where all three contacts are separated, machine 1 is disconnected from the power source and is inoperative. When the operation of machine 1 is to be initiated,

switch 69 is controlled by cam 61 so that contacts 70 and 71 are engaged so that, when the main switch 73 is closed (by one of the controls 59), power is provided to the control circuit of the machine from conductor 67 through contacts 70 and 71.

From contact 71 the circuit extends through conductor 74, a manually operated switch 75 and switch 76 (controlled by cam 65) to the valve control solenoid 51. In addition, a circuit is completed from conductor 74 through a switch 77 (controlled by cam 62). In the up position shown, switch 77 completes a circuit through switch 76 to solenoid 51 independently of switch 75 and, in the down position, switch 77 completes a circuit for solenoid 50. Thus, when switch 75 is open, energization of solenoids 50 and 51 is under control of switches 76 and 77, but when switch 75 is closed the cold water solenoid 51 may be energized independently of the position of switch 77.

From the hot and cold water solenoids, the energizing circuit extends through a conductor 78, then through a coil 79 of a relay 8d, the main winding 81 of motor 20, a conventional motor protector 82, a switch 83 (controlled by cam 64), switch 73 and the conductor 68. The motor 20 is of the conventional type which is provided with a start winding 84 which assists the main winding 81 during starting of the motor and is energized in parallel therewith. When a relatively high current passes through the relay coil 79 it causes the relay contact 85 to be closed. This permits an energizing circuit for the start winding to be completed in parallel with the main winding through a contact 86 of switch 87 (controlled by cam 63), contact arm 88, the relay contact 8-5, start winding 84, contact arm 89, and contact 90 of switch 87.

A circuit is also completed in parallel with motor 20 from conductor 78 through the timer motor 60. Additionally a circuit may be completed from conductor 78 through solenoid 51, a switch 91 (controlled by cam 66) and a conductor 92 in parallel with motor 20 and timer motor 60.

Relay coil 79 is designed to close contact 85 when a relatively high current, of a level demanded by the motor when the motor is rotating below the predetermined speed, is passing through it. At other times, when there is no current passing through the relay coil 79 or when the current is below the required energizing level as is true in the running speed range of the motor, the contact 85 is opened.

When the main winding 81 of motor 20 is in series with the valve solenoids 5t} and 51, as described, a much lower impedance is presented in the circuit by the motor 20 than is presented by the valve solenoids. As a result, the greater portion of the supply voltage is taken up across the solenoids and relatively little across the motor. This causes whichever of the solenoids is connected in the circuit to be energized sufliciently to open its associated water valve. As a result, water at a selected temperature is admitted to the machine through outlet 53, motors 20 and 60 remaining inactive.

This action continues with the circuitry thus arranged, so that the water pours into the basket =2 and tub 4. Because of the perforations 3, the water rises in both basket and tub at the same rate. As the head of water acting on the column of air in the tube 56 increases, the pressure of this air increases until it actuates the switch 57 provided within the basksplasher 58. When switch 57 closes it provides a short circuit across the solenoids directly from conductor 74 to conductor 78 so that the solenoids are excluded from the effective circuit and become deenergized while a high potential drop is provided across winding 81 of the motor 20. This causes the relay coil 79 to close contact 85 to start the motor 20 while, at the same time, timer motor 60 starts so as to initiate the sequence of operations. It will be observed that, with the valve solenoids 5d and 51 connected in series with the drive motor 20, the energization of the drive motor and the valve solenoids is alternative in nature. In other words, when there is sufficient potential across the valve solenoids to energize them the motor remains deenergized, and it is necessary to short the solenoids out of the circuit so that they are deenergized before the drive motor can be energized. However, with switch 77 in the up position so that valve solenoid 50 is elfectively out of the circuit while switch 76 is opened and switch 91 is closed so that valve solenoid 51 is in parallel with motor 20, the valve solenoid 51 may be energized to admit cold water to the machine at the same time motor 20 is rotating.

Completing the description of the circuit of FIGURE 2, prior to describing the operation of the machine under the control of the circuit, it is to be observed that switch 83 is in series with main motor 20 but is not in series with timer motor 60. Thus, by the opening of this switch, the operation of the motor 20 is stopped. The timer motor will nonetheless continue to operate as a result of the fact that the timer motor 60* is deliberately provided with an impedance much greater than that of the valve solenoids that it will take up most of the supplied voltage and will continue in operation, leaving so little voltage across the solenoids that they do not operate their respective valves when connected in series with the timer motor 60.

A further point of the circuit of FIGURE 2 is that when switch arms 88 and 89 are moved by cam 63 to engage contact 90 and a contact 93 respectively, the polarity of the start winding 84 is reversed with respect to the main winding 81. The circuit from conductor 78 then proceeds through contact 93, contact arm 89, the start winding 84, relay contact 85, contact arm 88, and contact 90 to the protector device 82 and the conductor 68'. Thus, provided motor 20 is stopped or slowed down so that relay contact 85 is closed, the reversal of switch 87 is effective to cause the motor 20 to rotate in the opposite direction when the motor is started up again.

In order to energize motor 20 independently of the water level switch 57, so that a spin operation may be provided without regard to the absence of a predetermined water level, cam 61 is formed so that it may close all three contacts 70, 71 and 72 of switch 69 during centrifugal liquid extraction steps. When this occurs, it causes power to be supplied from conductor 67 directly through contact 72 to conductor 78 and the motors. Thus, the valve solenoids 50 and 51 are effectively bypassed, unless switch 91 is closed, in which case valve 51 is connected in parallel with motors 20 and 60 so that rotation of the basket and supply of cold water may occur concurrently.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 in conjunction with FIG- URES 1 and 2, a sequence of operation of machine 1 will be described to illustrate the manner in which the improved circuitry of my invention provides an effective and economical means of making sure that the spin operation is conducted with the clothes having been cooled by cold water rather than with warm clothes. It will be assumed that .the timer has been set at wash so that cam 61 has closed contacts 70 and 71 of switch 69, cam 62 has caused contact 77 to move to its down position, cam 63 has positioned switch 87 as shown, cam 64 has closed switch 83, cam 65 has closed switch 76 and cam 66 has opened switch 91. At this point, the first step which takes place is the filling of the machine with water by the energization of solenoid 50 cause hot water to be provided. If switch 75 has been manually closed, solenoid 51 will also be energized and cold water will be supplied as well as hot water to provide warm water in the machine. The energization of the solenoids, as previously explained, causes motors 20 and 60 to remain inactive and this stat-us continues until the closure of switch 57 at a predetermined level of liquid in tub 4 and basket 2 at which point the solenoids are deenergized and con-sequent- - ly motors 20 and 60 are energized, the energization of motor 20 being in the direction to cause an agitation operation (because of switch '87). This washing action continues for a pretederrnine-d time until pause A is reached, at which time cam 64 opens switch 83. This stops the operation of motor 20, and consequently there is no further agitation although, as explained, the timer motor 60 continues to operate. During pause A, cam 61 closes all three contacts 70, 71 and 72 of switch 69, cam 62 moves contact 77 to its up position, cam 63 reverses the position of the contact arms of switch 87, cam 65 opens switch 76, and cam 66' closes switch 91.

The reversal of switch 87 reverses the polarity of start winding 84 relative to main winding 81. The opening of switch 76 and closing of switch 91 connects cold water valve solenoid 51 in parallel with motor 20. As a result, when, at the end of pause A, switch 83 is closed by cam 64 the motor 20 is energized once again but in the opposite direction. The energization of motor 20 starts to operate pump 31 to effect rapid removal of water from the tub 4. At the same time, through the slipping cluch 21, the motor starts to slowly accelerate the basket 2 up to high spin speed. Concurrently with this operation the cold water valve solenoid 51 is energized to supply cold water to the basket and tub through outlet 53. This action mixes the cold water with the hot or warm water in the tub and effectively reduces the temperature of water so as to cool the clothes in the basket 2. At the same time operation of pump 31 prevents the introduction of cold water from causing the machine to overflow and flood. This action continues for a predetermined period of time, by way of example it may continue for some 20 seconds, at which time the clothes have been cooled and cam 66 is then effective to open switch 91 and thus disconnect cold water valve solenoid 51 from the circuit. As has been explained above clutch 21 is designed so that motor 20 will operate for a period of time of about 60 seconds before the basket reaches a speed sufficient to cause substantial compressive forces on the clothes and sufficient cold water is introduced into the machine during the first 20 seconds or so of the spin operation to cool the water and clothes sufficiently to prevent undue wrinkling of wash and wear fabrics.

After switch 91 is opened, the rotation of basket 2 and operation of pump 31 continues for a predetermined period of time during which the basket accelerates to full speed rotation, which may for instance be on the order of 600 rpm, so as to extract a very substantial part of the wash liquid from the clothes and have it removed by the pump 31. While this high speed rotation of the basket containing the clothes causes high compressive forces to be exerted on the clothes, there will nonetheless be virtually no wrinkles pressed into the clothes because the clothes will have been immersed in relatively cold liquid. As mentioned above, it is the temperature at which the clothes undergo the compressive force that determines the extent to which wrinkles will be produced.

The spin operation continues until pause B, as shown in FIGURE 3, at which time switch 83 is again opened by cam 64 to deenergize motor 20. At this time cam 61 returns switch 69 to the same position it had for wash, with contact 72 disengaged from the other two contacts. Cam 63 reverses contact arms 88 and 89 of switch 87 and cam 65 closes switch 76. The rinse operation, with cold water, then proceeds when switch 83 recloses in the same manner as the washing operation. Then, at the end of the rinse operation, there is another pause C provided by the opening of switch 83 at which time the switches are returned to the position necessary for a spin operation to be provided. For this second spin operation, cam 61 closes all three contacts 70, 71 and 72, cam 63 again reverses contact arms 88 and 89, thus when switch 83 is again closed a continuous spin operation is provided without the introduction of additional water. However, of course, where a warm water rinse may be selected (as is readily feasible by minor obvious circuit modifications) the same switch setting would be made during pause C as were made during pause A in order to provide for a cold water cool-down during the first portion of the rinse spin operation. At the end of the second spin operation, all three contacts of switch 68 are separated to terminate the operation of the machine.

In this manner, a complete operation is provided. By a novel and ingenious interaction of the components of the control circuit, I effect in the most economical way the cooling of the clothes in cold water before they are exposed to a centrifuging action of the type exerting a wrinkle producing compressive force.

A, It will be understood that, while in accordance with the Patent Statutes, I have described what at present s 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 my invention, and it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

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

1. A washing machine comprising:

(a) a nonrotatable liquid receptacle;

(b) a rotatable perforate clothes receptacle posi tioned within said liquid receptacle;

() Washing means within said liquid receptacle to effect Washing of clothes placed in said clothes receptacle;

(d) pumping means for removing liquid from said receptacle;

(c) drive means having first and second operating conditions, said drive means being arranged to operate said washing means when in said first condition and to simultaneously rotate said clothes receptacle and operate said pumping means when in said second position, said drive means being formed to accelerate said clothes receptacle slowly up to full speed;

(f) supply means energizable to introduce selectively hot and cold water into said liquid receptacle;

(g) and an automatic sequence control assembly effective to provide a sequence of operation including first, energization of said supply means to effect filling of said liquid receptacle to a predetermined level, second, said first operating condition of said drive means to operate said washing means, and third, said second operating condition of said drive means to simultaneously rotate said clothes receptacle and operate said pumping means;

(h) said sequence control assembly being adapted to energize said supply means to introduce cold water into said liquid receptacle during at least a portion of the period of slow acceleration of said clothes receptacle.

2. A washing machine comprising:

(a) a nonrotatable liquid receptacle;

(b) a rotatable perforate clothes receptacle positioned within said liquid receptacle;

(0) washing means within said liquid receptacle to efiect washing of clothes placed in said clothes receptacle;

(d) pumping means for removing liquid from said receptacles;

(e) drive means having first and second operating conditions, said drive means being arranged to operate said washing means when in said first condition and to simultaneously rotate said clothes receptacle and operate said pumping means when in said second position, said drive means being formed to accelerate said clothes receptacle slowly up to full speed;

(f) supply means energizable to introduce selectively hot and cold water into said liquid receptacle;

(g) sensing means arranged to sense the liquid level in said liquid receptacle and adapted to provide energization of said supply means and prevent energization of said drive means below a predetermined level of liquid in said liquid receptacle and to simultaneously cease energization of said supply means and provide energization of said drive means above said predetermined level of liquid;

(h) and an automatic sequence control assembly effective to provide a sequence of operation including first, energization of said supply means to effect filling of said liquid receptacle to a predetermined level, second, said first operating condition of said drive means to operate said washing means, and third, said second operating condition ,of said drive means to simultaneously rotate said clothes receptacle and operate said pumping means;

(i) said sequence control assembly being adapted to energize said supp-1y means to introduce cold water into said liquid receptacle during at least a portion of the period of slow acceleration of said clothes receptacle independent of said sensing means.

3. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein said supply means includes a hot water solenoid energizable to cause introduction of hot water to said liquid receptacle and a cold water solenoid energizable to cause introduction of cold water to said liquid receptacle, said control assembly including timed switch means arrange to enable energization of said hot water solenoid in series with said drive means for introduction of liquid for an initial wash operation and subsequently to enable energization of only said cold water solenoid in parallel with said drive means for introduction of liquid during at least a portion of the period of slow acceleration of said clothes receptacle.

4. A washing machine comprising:

(a) a nonrotatable liquid receptacle;

(b) a rotatable perforate clothes receptacle positioned within said liquid receptacle;

(c) washing means within said liquid receptacle to eifect washing of clothes placed in said clothes receptacle;

(d) pumping means for removing liquid from said receptacles;

(e) drive means having first and second operating conditions, said drive means being arranged to operate said washing means when in said first condition and to simultaneously rotate said clothes receptacle and operate said pumping means when in said second position, said drive means being formed to accelerate said clothes receptacle slowly up to full speed;

(f) supply means including a hot water solenoid energizable to cause introduction of hot water to said liquid receptable and a cold water solenoid energizable to cause introduction of cold water to said liquid receptacle;

(g) liquid level switch means connected in series with said drive means, said liquid level switch means being open below a predetermined level of liquid in said liquid receptacle and closed above said predetermined level of liquid;

(h) and an automatic sequence control assembly to provide a sequence of operation including a period of said first operating condition of said drive means followed by a period of said second operating condition of said drive means;

(i) said control assembly including timed switch means arranged to connect said hot water solenoid in series with said drive means and in parallel with said liquid level switch means during said first operating condition of said drive means to efiect filling of said liquid receptacle to a predetermined level followed by operation of said washing means, said timed switch means also being arranged to connect only said cold water solenoid in parallel with said drive means an initial portion of said second operating condition of said drive means to effect introduction of cold water to said liquid receptacle during at least a portion of the slow acceleration of said clothes receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,976,710 3/1961 Sisson et al. 68-23 X 3,013,421 12/1961 Buss 68207 X 3,055,202 9/1962 Hughes 68207 X 3,078,700 2/1963 Billings et al. 6823 X 3,087,319 4/1963 Low 6812 3,128,615 4/1964 Mahaffay "TEL-42 3,248,909 5/1966 Kner-r 68-42 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A NONROTATABLE LIQUID RECEPTACLE; (B) A ROTATABLE PERFORATE CLOTHES RECEPTACLE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID LIQUID RECEPTACLE; (C) WASHING MEANS WITHIN SAID LIQUID RECEPTACLE POSIEFFECT WASHING OF CLOTHES PLACED IN SAID CLOTHES RECEPTACLE; (D) PUMPING MEANS FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM SAID RECEPTACLE; (E) DRIVE MEANS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPERATING CONDITIONS, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO OPERATE SAID WASHING MEANS WHEN IN SAID FIRST CONDITION AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATE SAID CLOTHES RECEPTACLE AND OPERATE SAID PUMPING MEANS WHEN IN SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING FORMED TO ACCELERATE SAID CLOTHES RECEPTACLE SLOWLY UP TO FULL SPEED; (F) SUPPLY MEANS ENERGIZABLE TO INTRODUCE SELECTIVELY HOT AND COLD WATER INTO SAID LIQUID RECEPTACLE; (G) AND AN AUTOMATIC SEQUENCE CONTROL ASSEMBLY EFFECTIVE TO PROVIDE A SEQUENCE OF OPERATION INCLUDING FIRST, ENERGIZATION OF SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO EFFECT FILLING OF SAID LIQUID RECEPTACLE TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL, SECOND, SAID FIRST OPERATING CONDITION OF SAID DRIVE MEANS TO OPERATE SAID WASHING MEANS, AND

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