US3494155A

US3494155A - Wringer

Info

Publication number: US3494155A
Application number: US640054A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul M Horrobin
Original assignee: Lovell Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Lovell Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1967-05-22
Filing date: 1967-05-22
Publication date: 1970-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-10

Description

P. M. HoRoBlN A y 3,494,155

Feb. l0, 19,70

l wRIuQER Filed May 22. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ INVENTOR. MMM

P. M. HoRRoBlN Feb. l0, 1970 WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22. 196'? United States Patent O 3,494,155 WRINGER Paul M. Horrobin, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 22, 1967, Ser. No. 640,054 Int. Cl. D06f 45/18 U.S. Cl. 68-255 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An instinctive wringer in which articulation of the wringer relative to the head cams the index pin to release the roll drive and stop the rolls.

This invention is an instinctive release wringer having a lever with a cam slot for the index pin which cams the index pin to release the roll drive when the wringer is pivoted relative to the wringer head under the instinctive reaction of the user. In one form, the lever is pivoted on the head and in another form the lever is fixed to the wringer.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an elevation of a wringer partly in section, FIG. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the drive in neutral, FIG. 2a is a similar view in a driving position and with the wringer pivoted relative to the head, FIG. 3 is a view of the index pin in the neutral position of the drive, FIG. 4 is a view of the index pin in one of the drive positions, and FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a modification.

The common parts of the wringer are readily identified, 1 and 2 being the rolls, 3 the bottom frame, 4 one of the side stiles fixed to opposite ends of the bottom frame and 6 the top frame releasably secured to the bottom frame and associated with pressure means (ont shown) for the rolls.

The wringer rolls are driven by reversible gearing having a gear 7 meshing with

gears

8, 9 loose on a drive shaft 10 journaled in the wringer head 11. A clutch 12 keyed to the shaft 10 is shown in the neutral position and is movable up or down into driving engagement with either

gear

8 or 9 by an eccentric pin 13 on a cam 14 fixed to a control shaft journaled in the head and turned by a handle 16.

The head 11 has a depending sleeve extension 17 journaled on the upper end of a wringer post 18. A power shaft 19 drives the shaft 10 continuously through a clutch connection 20. The sleeve 17 rests on an index collar 21 having suitably spaced holes 21a for an index pin 22 vertically slidable in the head. The purpose of the index pin is to positively lock the wringer in the desired position so it will not swing around the wringer post under the driving torque. A button 23 also cooperates with the holes 21a to yieldably index the wringer. The parts so far `described are or may be of common construction and may differ substantially from the specific construction illustrated.

Wringers use heavy pressure between the rolls and injury could result if, for example, the users fingers were caught between the rolls. Under such conditions, there is an instinctive reaction to escape from being drawn into the rolls which is used to stop the roll drive. Once the drive is stopped, the panic condition ceases so the stopping of the drive serves as a safety release.

To accomplish this instinctive safety release, the wringer is pivoted or articulated on the head by means of

vertical pivots

24, 25 fixed to the head and fitting in

ears

26, 27 on a bracket 28 fixed to side stile 4. This supports the wringer on the head for bodily movement toward or away from the bite of the rolls. The lower ear 26 has 3,494,155 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 an extension 28a which projects through a slot 29 in the head presented toward the wringer and has a pin and slot connection 30 with a lever 31 pivoted on bearing 32 for the shaft 10. Whenever the wringer is pivoted about

pivots

24, 25, the lever 31 is compelled to pivot about bearing 32. The end of lever 31 remote from the wringer has an arcuate slot 33 having an enlarged center section 34 fitting an enlarged section 22a of index pin 22. When the wringer drive is in neutral, a spring 36 elevates the index pin above the index collar 21 and moves the enlarged section 22a of the pin into the center section 34 of the slot 33. This blocks the pivotal movement of the wringer and rigidly holds the wringer centered with respect to the head 7. When the drive is in neutral, the 'wringer acts as though rigidly fixed to the head. In the drive position, cam 14 `depresses the index pin (FIG. 4) so its reduced section 35 may fit in the slot 33 and permit substantial articulation or pivoting of the wringer to achieve said instinctive release as shown in FIG. 2a. As the wringer is pivoted from the FIG. 2 position toward the FIG. 2a position a shoulder 36 on the index pin 22 engages the cam surface 37 on the under side of the lever 31 and causes the pin to Ibe cammed downward so its rounded upper end 38` clears the associated detent recess 39 which normally holds the cam 14 in the position selected by the gear control handle 16. As soon as the rounded end of the index pin leaves the detent recess 39, a tension spring 40 between the cam 14 and the head returns t'he cam to the neutral position where the rounded end 38 of the pin enters a similar recess 39a to hold the gearing in neutral. The gearing is of the type which is biased toward the neutral position and which must be latched in the driving position. The index pin in association with detent recess 39 latches the gearing in driving position.

In the modification of FIG. 5, the sole difference is in the structure for transmitting the pivotal movement of the wringer relative to the head to the index pin in order to release the wringer drive. The wringer itself and the wringer head are of the same construction and corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. In this construction, the lever 31 is omitted and replaced by a lever 41 rigid with the extension 28a of ear 26 of bracket 28. The pivotal movement of the lever 41 accordingly corresponds exactly to the pivotal movement of the wringer about its

pivots

24, 25. The lever 41 has a clearance slot 42 surrounding the shaft 10 and its lower bearing 32 and also has the same

arcuate slot

33, 34 provided in the lever 31. In the neutral position shown in FIG. 5, the enlarged section 22a of the index pin has a tight fit in the enlarged section 34 of the slot 33 and holds the wringer in fixed relation to the wringer head. When the wringer drive is moved to one of the driving positions, the index pin 22 is depressed so that the shoulder 36 on the index pin is brought into cooperative relation with the cam surface 37 on the under side of the slot 33. Accordingly, when the wringer is pivoted about its

pivots

24, 25, the index pin 22 is cammed ydownward to release the driving mechanism in the same manner as the previously described construction.

When the wringer is in driving position, it is desirable that the wringer be centered with respect to the wringer head. This is accomplished by compression springs 43 arranged between abutments 44 on the head and 45 on the wringer. The springs 43 yieldably center the wringer and the associated parts in the position shown in FIG. 5. In this position, the instinctive safety release of the roll drive may be accomplished by pivoting the wringer in either direction relative to the wringer hea-d. The centering springs 43 may be usedy with the FIGS. 1-4 wringer.

To move the wringer to an index position, the handle 16 is turned to neutral and the wringer is then rigidly xed to the head by the interengagement of enlargement 22a on the index pin with section 34 of the slot 33 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Upon reaching the drive position, the handle 16 is turned to drivef This depresses the index pin to positively lock the wringer head to the index collar and also latches the gearing in drive Pivoting the wringer relative to the head depresses the index pin, releasing the latch for the gearing which is then returned to neutral by the spring 40.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a clothes wringer, a wringer head having drive mechanism including means for biasing the -drive mechanism from any of its positions to neutral, means for mounting the wringer for pivotal movement relative to the Ihead, the head having a slot presented toward the wringer, latch means vertically slidable in the wringer head and including a pin biased to a position holding the drive mechanism in a drive position, a lever pivoted on the wringer head on a vertical axis and having a cam surface cooperating wit-h said latch means upon pivoting of said lever about said vertical axis to move said pin away from the position holding the drive mechanism in a drive position and thereby release said latch means, and an operative connection between the wringer and said lever extending from the wringer through said slot into the head for etfecting pivoting of the lever about said vertical axis to release the latch means upon pivotal movement of the wringer relative to the head.

2. The wringer of claim 1 in which the latch means comprises an index pin having the additional function of holding the wringer in any selected index position.

3. The wringer of claim 2 in which the lever has a slot through which the index pin extends and the cam surface is at one edge of the slot.

4. The wringer of claim 3 in which the slot has an enlarged section and the index pin has an enlarged section fitting said enlarged section of the slot in the neutral position of the gears to hold the lever xed relative to the head in the neutral position of the drive and in which the index pin has a reduced section loosely received in the slot in the drive position of the drive so the lever may move relative to the head in the drive position of the drive.

5. The wringer of claim 4 in which the came surface on the lever cooperates wit-h the upper e'nd of the enlarged section of the index pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,387,086 10/1945 Moon 68-255 2,937,517 5/1960 Hughes 68-255 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner