US3761153A

US3761153A - Dish-washing machine rack adjustment assembly

Info

Publication number: US3761153A
Application number: US00154141A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Guth
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1971-06-17
Filing date: 1971-06-17
Publication date: 1973-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-25
Also published as: DE2229556A1; IT956610B

Abstract

A rack is supported within the wash chamber of a front-loading dishwashing machine by pivotal support means permitting vertical adjustment of the level of the rack, and a manual control means disposed at the front end of the rack is linked to the pivotal support means whereby the vertical positioning of the rack side can be selectively adjusted.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Guth [ DISH-WASHING MACHINE RACK ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Lauren W. Guth, Louisville, Ky.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky.

Filed: June 17, 1971 Appl. No.: 154,141

[52] [1.8. Cl 312/351, 312/311, 312/312 [51] Int. Cl. A47b 51/00, A47b 51/04 [58] Field of Search 312/351, 311, 350,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,472,573 10/1969 Geiger 312/351 Sept. 25, 1973 2,624,535 1/1963 Bollhoefer 108/145 X 2,872,688 2/1959 Richert et a1. 5/63 3,352,431 11/1967 Smith 211/176 3,614,187 10/1971 Cuthbert 3l2/351 Primary ExaminerJames T. McCall Attorney-George C. Atwel] et a1.

[ ABSTRACT A rack is supported within the wash chamber of a frontloading dishwashing machine by pivotal support means permitting vertical adjustment of the level of the rack, and a manual control means disposed at the front end of the rack is linked to the pivotal support means whereby the vertical positioning of the rack side can be se1ective1y adjusted.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 11- 1| u 111 1 u u PAIENTEU 3.761 1 53 SHEH 1 0F 2 ,W IO 20 50 W 8! LL 1 )7 l9 3g 33 38b 20 (nnnfn/nnnnnnu m 66 J 42 i n n n n n n 1| u u u H 57 G 48 \5 39 33 I Z7 3\ is 78 Z4 25 Z? 32 g4 23 L INVENTOR Z7 LAUREN w.

H \S ATTORNEY PATENTEU 3.751.153

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INVENTOR ATTORN EY LAUREN w GUTH BY M DISH-WASHING MACHINE RACK ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The advantage of having a rack or shelf in an appliance cabinet with means to enable manual adjustment of its vertical position in the cabinet storage area has been variously disclosed in the prior art. The use of piv' otally mounted levers along the side of a rack in an appliance cabinet to enable adjustment of a racks vertical position is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,329 issued to R. F. Smith on Sept. 16, 1958. The use ofa lever arrangement on a rack particularly in a dishwasher cabinet is described in a more recent U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,573 issued to P. B. Geiger on Oct. 14, 1969. While the first mentioned patent discloses a rack which may be repositioned by removing the rack from parallel spaced apart side channels and then readjusting the position of the levers supporting each channel, the latter patent describes a pair of interconnected bell crank levers at the side of a rack with an extended portion on one of the levers for cranking the lever members to adjust the vertical position of the side of the rack. In U. 8. Pat. No. 2,998,290 issued to V. G. Sharpe on Aug. 29, 1961, an adjustable shelf in an appliance cabinet is disclosed having side levers linked to a rotary knob at the rack front permitting manual vertical adjustment of the shelf.

It is believed that certain desirable features are lacking in the prior art means for adjusting the level of a shelf or rack in an appliance cabinet. In particular, certain advantageous characteristics are needed to facilitate the use of adjustment means in combination with an upper rack in the wash chamber of a dishwashing machine. For example, the upper rack in a dishwasher is disposed at a particularly low position as compared to a rack in a refrigerator and thus is a considerable distance below eye level. Therefore, the provision of control means for regulating an adjustable support means located at the side of a dishwasher rack by manipulation from an accessible front end rack location is particularly desirable since it enables the machine operator to easily change the position of the rack within the wash chamber. Also, provision of means enabling gradual adjustment between maximum high and-low positions, instead of between specific set positions, is desirable so that the operator can adjust the level of the rack for exact clearance of any specific large item to be stored for washing in the chamber.

Moreover, provision of the latter arrangement within the rack can be quickly adjusted to any point between predetermined high and low maximum positions points up the need for a means in combination therewith for automatically arresting the motion of the pivotal support means whereby the rack side is held in the last chosen position until it is later manually adjusted to another position. Also, in an arrangement wherein each rack side may be independently vertically adjusted, it is advantageous for the operator to be able to quickly tell at a glance the relative positioning of a rack side and to ascertain if both rack sides are identically positioned whereby the racks bottom portion is substantially horizontal within the wash chamber.

It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a dishwashing machine of the type having a cabinet with a wash chamber therein, with a rack having means along one or both sides thereof for adjusting the rack sides vertical position in order to provide clearance above or below the rack in accordance with abnormally large size items to be washed within the chamber.

It is further objective of the present invention to provide, in combination with a dishwasher rack having means for vertically adjusting the rack side, an easily accessible control means at the front end of the rack for enabling rapid manual vertical repositioning of the rack side.

It is also an objective of the present invention to provide means for vertically repositioning a rack side to any point or level between predetermined high and low positions, and to provide means for automatically arresting the adjustable support means so that the rack side remains at the selected position until subsequently readjusted.

Provision of means whereby the operator of a dishwasher can see from a distance, by cursory examination, the relative position at which one rack side resides relative to the other and whether the entire rack is oriented at a relatively horizontal position within the wash chamber, is also an objective of the present invention.

Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a dishwashing machine rack adjustment assembly, incorporating the objectives heretofore recited, that can be manufactured and made available to the consumer at relatively low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a dishwashing machine is provided having a cabinet with a wash chamber therein and a rack located in the chamber that has a bottom portion and a side portion along each of two opposite edges of the bottom portion. An adjustable support means is preferably provided along each side of the rack. The adjustable support means includes a pivotal means disposed to turn on a horizontal axis on the rack side portion. The pivotal means is adapted to adjust, by its pivotal action, the vertical position of the rack side between predetermined high and low level positions. A rotary control means located adjacent the front of the rack is connected to the pivotal means by a linkage means whereby the aforementioned pivotal action occurs in response to a manual twisting force exerted on a portion of the manual control means.

The preferred form of the present invention includes arresting means operatively associated with the combination described heretofore. The arresting means normally operates to halt and prevent the pivotal action of the pivotal means at the side of the rack. After exertion of a manual forceon the control means to achieve adjustment on the rack side, adjustment of the rack is arrested at any intermediate point between the preselected high and low level positions attainable with the adjustable support means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS the rack extending outwardly from the wash chamber for loading;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front end left-hand corner of the dishwashing machine upper rack first shown in FIG. 1, here shown in larger scale as compared to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the front end right hand corner of the upper rack first shown in FIG. 1 shown on the same scale as FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of certain elements of the preferred form for a control means for manually adjusting the vertical positioning of a side of the rack shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the opposite side of certain elements first shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a view, taken in vertical section, showing the elements of FIG. 5 assembled for operation; and

FIG. 9 is a view of certain elements of the control means shown in FIG. 7 as they would appear taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing wherein FIG. 1 shows a front loading dishwashing machine 10. The machine 10 includes a cabinet 11 having an access door 12 that is hinged at its lower end to pivot on a horizontal axis and open outwardly from the cabinet 11. Within the cabinet 11 is a wash chamber 13 partially defined by the door'l2 and oppositely-disposed internal side walls 14. The door 12 swings downwardly away from an access opening 15, and racks l6 and 17 are disposed in a vertically spaced apart relation within the wash chamber 13 and are adapted to be slidably withdrawn outwardly through the access opening 15 whereby each rack may be loaded or unloaded and thereafter retracted back to the operative position as shown in FIG. 1.

The

racks

16 and 17 each have a basket-like configuration. The upper rack 17 includes a bottom 18 and oppositely disposed generally parallel and upwardly extending side portions 19. The rack 17 has front and back wall portions 20 extending upwardly from the bottom 18 and interconnecting the ends of the side portions 20. Each

rack

16 and 17 is preferably constructed in the typical manner, utilizing spaced apart parallel wire rod members that are welded at their points of intersection. The racks may be plastic-coated for improved appearance and durability.

- An adjustable support means is provided along each side of the rack 17 which permits the rack 17 to be slid horizontally outwardly from the wash chamber 13 to a loading position wherein the rack 17 is cantilevered over the door 12 (see FIG. 2). After loading, the rack 17 may be retracted inwardly to its operative position within the wash chamber 13. The adjustable support means also is adapted to permit the rack side to be variably vertically adjusted within predetermined limits. The structure of the adjustable support means is substantially the same at each side of the rack 17, except for the mirror image reversal of parts, so reference hereinafter will be restricted primarily to the structure shown on one side of the rack 17.

spaced-apart sets of

rollers

24 and 25. The rollers in each set are vertically spaced apart and each roller is journalled to rotate on a stud projecting laterally from the side wall 14 of the wash chamber 13. An elongated rigid channel 27 is disposed substantially horizontally and is parallel to the chamber side wall 14 and carried between the upper and lower rollers of the

sets

24 and 25. The channel 27 has a C.-shape in cross section and each roller in the

sets

24 and 25 has a circumferential groove conforming to the outer configuration of the channel 27. The channel 27 is adapted to slide horizontally in the roller sets 24 and 25 whereby one end of the channel 27 can be drawn to extend outwardly through the access opening 15. The channel 27 is configured to form an internal trackway for a pair of horizontally spaced-apart

rollers

28 and 29. The

rollers

28 and 29 are adapted to roll along the trackway so formed, and each end of the channel 27 is blocked by a plastic clip or other means whereby the

rollers

28 and 29 are held within the channel 27.

The adjustable support means at the side of the rack further comprises pivotal means for raising or lowering the rack side.

The pivotal means is shown as a pair of bell crank levers 30 and 31. Since the bell crank levers 30 and 31 are identical in shape and operation, the description hereafter will be primarily in reference to the lever 30. It will be noted that the lever 30 comprises

arms

32 and 33 disposed at an angle to each other and having a commonfulcrum at a pivot pin 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the pin 34 connects the lever 30 to a rigid bracket portion 35 integral to the rack side 19 in an arrangement whereby the lever 30 can be pivoted through a vertical plane substantially parallel to the rack side. The roller 28 is journalled to the outer end of the lever arm 32 by means of an axle pin 36, and the outer end of the lever arm 33 is pivotally connected to linkage means in the form of a rigid elongated bar or linking member 38 that connects,at spaced-apart

pivot points

38a and 38b, to ends of arms 33 of the spaced-apart levers 30 and 31. The bar 38 is connected across

levers

30 and 31 such that pivotal action of the lever 30 is translated to the lever 31 whereby the two levers 30 and 3lare caused to pivotally move in unison during the operation of the adjustable support means.

At an intermediate point between the lever 30 and the front corner of the rack 17, the bar 38 terminates and is connected at its terminal end to a flexible cord 39. The flexible cord 39 extends from the end of the bar'38 forwardly to the front end of the rack 17 where it is connected to a portion of a manual control means or control assembly 40.

As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the control assembly includes a mounting plate 41 fastened to the upright wire rod members making up the front side or front end 20 of the rack 17. A stationary support shaft 42 mounts to With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the adjustable support means includes two horizontally the plate 41. Carried on the support shaft 42 is a rotatable spool or reel 43 and a control knob or dial 44 for imparting rotative motion to the reel 43. The plate 41 has a rectangular configuration with opposite side portions being turned or shaped backwardly and inwardly whereby they wrap around the spaced-apart upright wire rod members of the rack front wall portion 20. An opening 45 with opposite straight side edges 45a, is provided through the plate 41 and is shaped to conform to an end of the shaft 42 that is cut back to provide a protruding nose portion 46. The nose portion 46 has a central threaded opening 47 therein to accommodate the threaded shaft of a mounting screw 46. The nose portion 46 is configured to have parallel vertically extending oppositely disposed straight edges 43 that insertably align and register with the edges 45a of the opening 45 when the shaft 42 is mounted to the plate 41 whereby the shaft 42 is held stationary and rigid relative to the plate 41 by the mounting bolt 48.

An appearance cover 56 may be provided as part of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 5-7 for the purpose of substantially concealing reel 43 and the plate 41. The cover 50 may be adapted to slide onto the plate 41 by means of edge grooves 50a. An opening 50b in the cover 50 accommodates the shaft 42 and the reel 43.

At a corner of the mounting plate 41, a small hole 52 is provided to accommodate the cord 29 that extends therethrough. The end of the cord 29 is fastened at a point 53 along an annular groove 54 provided circumferentially on the reel 43. During the operation of the adjustable support means the cord 29 is drawn over and gathered on the reel 43 by means of the groove 54.

The outer end of the shaft 42 is a radially outwardly extending shaft head portion 57 that serves to retain the knob 54 and the reel 43 in their operative positions on the shaft 42. The knob 44 is generally circular and has a convex outer surface and an opposite concave inner surface. The concave inner surface of the knob 44 also accommodates a ring-like member 60 carried on the shaft 42.

The member 60 has a horseshoe-like configuration such that it comprises a circular body portion 61 that terminates at each of its respective ends with outwardly protruding

tab portions

62 and 63. The member 60 is preferably formed from spring steel and conforms tightly about the surface of the shaft 42 such that it tends to lock against the shaft surface and resist turning thereagainst, thus serving as an arresting means to prevent inadvertent rotation of the knob 44 and reel '43. Although the member 60 tends to cling tightly and resist turning about the surface of the shaft 42, a force exerted outwardly on either

tab

62 or 63 will deformably enlarge the member 60 so it can turn on shaft 42,, and a force inwardly against either tab will cause the member 60 to clutch or bind against shaft 42.'The ends 62 and 63 of the member 60 has

respective surfaces

64 and 65 which face each other in a spaced-apart relation therebetween. When the member 60 is in its installed position contiguous to the concave inner surface of the knob 44 as shown in FIG. '7, a tooth 66 integral. to the knob 44 projects between the

ends

62 and 63 whereby rotation of the knob 44 either clockwise or counter clockwise will cause the tooth 66 to exert a force against one or the other of inwardly facing

surfaces

64 and 65 of the respective ends 62 and 63. The force thus exerted will tend to slightly temporarily deform the member 60 whereby its diameter is enlarged somewhat so that continued force on the knob 44 will cause the member 60 to rotate, in the direction of applied force, about the shaft 42.. The tooth 66 may be an oblong piece of metal or other rigid material, driven tightly into an accommodating opening in the knob body. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer end should project outwardly only a short distance from the knob surface and between the tab portions or ends 62 and 63 of the member 60.

When the various components of the control assembly 40 are in their installed operational positions on the rack 17, the knob 44, the ring-like member 60, and the reel 43 are all mounted on the shaft 42 and the shaft 42 is fastened to the plate 41 such that it extends outwardly perpendicularly therefrom. The shaft 42 is affixed to the plate 41 whereby it remains stationary at all times relative thereto. This is accomplished by fitting the nose portion 46 into the plate opening 45 whereby the opposite parallel edges 49 register with opposite vertical edges 45a on each side of the opening 45. The mounting bolt 46 may have a substantially wide head, or a washer may be employed therewith on the back side of the plate 44. The bolt 48 is screwed into the tapped opening 47 of the shaft 42 to anchor the shaft firmly to the plate 42, as shown in FIG. 8.

The ring-like member is carried contiguous to the inside surface of the knob 44, as shown in FIGS. 7-9, and the outer end of the tooth 66 projecting from the knobs inside surface is disposed between the

tabs

62 and 63 of the ringlike member 66. The reel 43 has a central circular opening 68 that enables it to be positioned on the shaft 42. In its assembled position, the reel 43 has an outward side or face 71, and an inward side or face 72. Integral to the body of the reel 43 is a rigid post or stud 73 that extends outwardly from the face adjacent the opening 66. The stud 73 is disposed to extend into an arcuate slot 74 provided in the inside surface of the knob 44. The arcuate slot 74 is located laterally adjacent the tooth 66, and a similar arcuate slot 75 is located on the opposite side of the tooth 66. The stud 73 acts to find member 60 on the shaft 42, as hereafter explained.

Provision of the slot 75 enables the same knob construction to be used in a mechanism at either side of the rack 17, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

Therefore, the slot 75 plays no part in the operation of the assembly as shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7 since the assembly shown is particularly adapted for operation at the right hand frontside of a dishwasher rack, however, the slot 75 would function in an assembly designed for use on the left hand side of the rack as shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, the stud 73 on the reel 43 would also be relocated to protrude from a hole 76 in the reel face 71 and the cord 39 would be attached to the reel 43 to be drawn from a direction opposite to that which is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 7 shows that on the rearward face of the reel 43,

j a substantially long arcuate slot 7'7 is provided. A peg 78 is affixed to the plate 41 and extends'outwardly therefrom and into the slot 77 (see FIG. 8). The peg 78 and the slot 77 interact to stop the rotation of the knob 44 and reel 43 as'hereafterdescribed.

For a clear understanding of the operation of the control means adjacent the front corner of the rack in conjunction with the adjustable support means at the side of the rack, it should be assumed that the rack side is in its lower-most position as shown in FIG. 4. To raise the rack side the operator merely grasps the knob 44 and turns it (counter clock-wise as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6). to the extent necessary to raise the rack side the particular distance desired. The knob 44 is provided with oppositely-disposed

projections

81 and 82 to facilitate grasping the knob with the finger and thumb and rotating it. It should be noted that the

projections

81 and 82 on the face of the knob 44 can be utilized as a means of visually ascertaining the relative elevation or position of the rack side. The knob 44 may be adapted such that the

projections

81 and 82 are in the same horizontal plane when the rack side is disposed at half the distance between the uppermost and lowermost levels attainable with the adjusting mechanism disclosed. Projection 81 may then comprise a pointer to indicate that the rack side is at the uppermost position when the projection is pointing upwardly; and at the lowermost position when the projection 81 is pointing downwardly.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, it will be seen that manually turning the knob 44 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from the front side of the rack 17, moves the tooth 66 against the inwardly facing surface 64 of the tab portion 62, thereby urging the ring-like member 61 to deform slightly outwardly such that its frictional hold on the shaft 42 is counteracted and released. Also, as the knob 44 is turned, this action is translated to the stud 73 by means of its engagement in the slot 74 whereby the reel 43follows the knob in rotation. As the reel 43 rotates, the cord 39, is drawn onto the reel. This pulling of the cord 39 draws the bar 38 forwardly toward the front end 20 of the rack 17 and thereby causes the levers 30 and'31 to pivot in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. The cord 39 and member 38 constitute a form of .linkage means between the control means at the front of the rack and the adjustable support means at the rack side. The force translated through the bar 38 to the

levers

30 and 31 is translated through the levers to the

respective rollers

28 and 29 carried on the horizontally-disposed channel track 27. Since the track 27 is prevented from moving downwardly in response to the pivotal force exerted aainst the

levers

30 and 31, the side of the rack 17 reacts by moving upwardly as each

lever

30 and 31 pivots about its central pivot pin 34.

The distance of upward travel of the side of the rack 17 depends upon the degrees of rotation imparted to the knob 44 of the control assembly 40. When the desired height of the rack side has been attained, the operator need merely release the knob 44 which in turn releases the pressure of the tooth 66 against the end tab 62 of the ring-like member 61. This results in the member 60 returning to its noraml disposition where it again clutches against the outer surface of the shaft 42 in a binding relation thereon.

It will be noted that the arrangement of

thelevers

30 and 31 at the side of the rack 17 is such that the weight of the rack is always pushing downwardly against the respective pins 34 attaching each lever tothe side portion of the rack. The force exerted downwardly by the rack weight against the levers is of course translated through the linkage means between the levers and the control assembly 40. Thus, the bar or linking member 38 is urged rearwardly and thereby exerts a pulling force on the cord 39. The reel 43 is normally prevented, by the binding action of the clutching ring 60, from rotating in response to the pull of the cord 39, and thus prevents downward movement of the rack side. This is because the reel 43 can only rotate in unison with the knob 44 due to the projection of the stud 73 into the arcuate slot 74. The knob 44, in which the slot '74 is provided, is prevented from rotation by the clutching action of the member 60 against the shaft 42 and the fact that the projection 66 is disposed between the two ends of the member 60. The weight of the rack exerted to the adjustable support means to the control assembly causes the stud 73 to push against a shoulder or outer face 85 (see FIG. 9) of the tab 63 and this action tends to urge the member 60 to cling even more tightly to the shaft 42. The aforedescribed relationship of parts prevents the rack side from inadvertently moving downwardly until the operator intentionally readjusts the rack side.

It should be noted that means are provided in the control assembly 40 to stop the rotation of the knob 44 and the reel 43 when the rack side has been adjusted to either its uppermost or lowermost position. Such stop means includes the peg 78 extending from the mounting plate 41 and into the arcuate slot 77 6f the reel 43. The length of the slot 77 is such that when the reel 43 has been rotated so that the rack side has been elevated to its uppermost position, the peg 78 contacts against a shoulder 86 formed by the end of the arcuate slot 77 and thereby haltsthe rotary motion of the reel 43 and the knob 44. Since the reel 43 is engaged to the knob 44 by means of the peg 73 extending into the slot 74, the knob is also halted. A shoulder 87 at the other end of the slot 77 serves the same purpose as the shoulder 86 except that shoulder 87 limits the rotary movement of the reel 43 in the opposite direction.

If the side of the rack 17 is disposed at some point above the lowermost level attainable with the rack adjustment assembly disclosed, the knob 44 may be rotated clockwise such that the clutching or arresting action of the member against the shaft 42 is overcome and the weight of the rack side causes it to move downwardly. This occurs when the knob 44 is manually turned clockwise so the tooth 66 pushes against the inwardly facing portion of the tab 63 and thereby causes the member 60 to deform slightly outwardly whereby its diameter is enlarged so that it can slip around the shaft 42. The rack side can be stopped at any point in its downward movement simply by releasing the hand from the knob 44 so that the member 60 will again bias inwardly and bind against the shaft 42 due to the pressure of stud 73 against shoulder of member 60, caused by the weight of the rack side pulling on the reel 43.

FIG. 2 shows that each side of the rack 17 may be provided with a rack adjustment assembly having an independent adjustable support means at the rack side, along with separate manual control means adjacent the rack front corner for separately and independently adjusting the rackside associated therewith. By the rotary control means heretofore described, the operator can tell at a glance the relative positioning of each of the rack sides by quick examination of the orientation of the

projections

81 and 82 of each knob 44. Similar means, such as an arrow or other indicia on the knob in combination with reference marks on the surface of cover 50 at the periphery of the knob, may be used, instead of

projections

81 and 82, to enable visual determination of the relative position of the rack side. The provision of a forward control on the front end of the rack is particularly advantageous as compared to dishwasher rack adjusting assemblies of the prior art. The function of the present invention and its method of operation is immediately apparent to the casual observer, and it is not required that the rack be drawn out of the I wash chamber for its operation nor is it necessary to provide the dishwasher purchaser with a detailed explanation of its operation.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is practical and preferred that the mechanism be designed so that no more than rotation of the knob 44 be required to adjust the vertical position of the associated rack side from the lowermost position to the uppermost position. The mechanical advantage between the knob and the

levers

30 and 31 may be varied by, for example, changing the diameter of the knob 44 and the reel 43. It has been found that adequate mechanical advantage can be obtained in the mechanism wherein the knob is of a size easily grasped by the hand and requiring no more than 180 rotation of the knob 44 to. move the rack side quickly upwardly or downwardly through the full range of adjustment.

It should now be apparent that the present invention provides a new and improved rack adjustment assembly in a dishwasher having certain desirable features and advantages not heretofore available. While the preceding description of the various figures of the drawing sets forth an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is intended that the appended claims define the subject matter of the invention. It is specifically not intended that the invention be limited to the particular details of construction in the examples presented. Therefore, although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the construction and the combinations or arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim;

l. A front-opening dishwashing machine having a cabinet with awash chamber therein and a vertically oriented door mounted to pivot away from an access opening to the chamber, 1

at least two racks located in the chamber and vertically spaced apart from each other,

the upper rack having a front end, a back end and oppositely disposed sides and having means permitting it to be manually temporarily moved from a washing position within the chamber and outwardly through the access opening to a loading position,

manual control means for selectively adjusting thelevel of the rack side including a rotatable portion located on the front end of the upper rack and adjacent the access opening such that level adjustment may be accomplished with the upper rack disposed fully within the chamber,

adjustable support means disposed along a side of the upper rack on the outside thereof and adapted to adjust the rack side to any selected level between predetermined high and low level positions,

linkage means between the control means and the adjustable support means adapted to cause the adjustable support means to adjust in response to a manual twisting force exerted on the rotatable portion,

the control means including arresting means normally operating to prevent the rack side from moving downwardly from a predetermined level, and

the arresting means being adapted to be relatively easily manually counteracted and released as an incident of the manual twisting force being exerted on the rotatable portion.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the linkage means includes a flexible cord-like member extending from the adjustable support means to the control means on the front of the rack.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the control means includes a rotatable reel adapted to gather a portion of the flexible cord-like member thereabout.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the adjustable support means and associated control means is separately provided for each side of the upper rack whereby each side may be independently vertically adjusted.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the control means further includes a shaft on which the rotatable portion is mounted, a member encircling the shaft in a normally binding relation thereto, and the rotatable portion being adapted to temporarily deformably enlarge the member whereby the member will slip on the shaft in response to the rotatable portion being manually rotated in one direction.

6. A dishwashing machine having a cabinet with a wash chamber therein and at leasttwo racks located in the chamber and vertically spaced apart from each other,

the upper rack having a front end, a back end and oppositely-disposed sides, support means disposed along a side of the upper rack and adjustable to any selected level between predetermined high and low level positions,

control means including a rotatable portion located away from the adjustable support means and adjacent the front end of the upper rack, linkage means between the control means and the adjustable support means adapted to cause the adjustable support means to adjust in response to a manual force exerted on the rotatable portion,

linkage means being adapted to move along the rack side in one direction generally toward the control means in response to the rotatable portion being rotated and in another direction generally away from the control means in response to the rotatable portionbeing relatively counter-rotated,

the control means further including a shaft on which the rotatable portion is mounted and a member encircling the shaft in a normally binding relation deformably enlarge the member whereby the mem-' her will slip on the shaft in response to the rotatable portion being manually rotated in one direction.

Claims

1. A front-opening dishwashing machine having a cabinet with a wash chamber therein and a vertically oriented door mounted to pivot away from an access opening to the chamber, at least two racks located in the chamber and vertically spaced apart from each other, the upper rack having a front end, a back end and oppositely disposed sides and having means permitting it to be manually temporarily moved from a washing position within the chamber and outwardly through the access opening to a loading position, manual control means for selectively adjusting the level of the rack side including a rotatable portion located on the front end of the upper rack and adjacent the access opening such that level adjustment may be accomplished with the upper rack disposed fully within the chamber, adjustable support means disposed along a side of the upper rack on the outside thereof and adapted to adjust the rack side to any selected level between predetermined high and low level positions, linkage means between the control means and the adjustable support means adapted to cause the adjustable support means to adjust in response to a manual twisting force exerted on the rotatable portion, the control means including arresting means normally operating to prevent the rack side from moving downwardly from a predetermined level, and the arresting means being adapted to be relatively easily manually counteracted and released as an incident of the manual twisting force being exerted on the rotatable portion.

6. A dishwashing machine having a cabinet with a wash chamber therein and at least two racks located in the chamber and vertically spaced apart from each other, the upper rack having a front end, a back end and oppositely-disposed sides, support means disposed along a side of the upper rack and adjustable to any selected level between predetermined high and low level positions, control means including a rotatable portion located away from the adjustable support means and adjacent the front end of the upper rack, linkage means between the control means and the adjustable support means adapted to cause the adjustable support means to adjust in response to a manual force exerted on the rotatable portion, linkage means being adapted to move along the rack side in one direction generally toward the control means in response to the rotatable portion being rotated and in another direction generally away from the control means in response to the rotatable portion being relatively counter-rotated, the control means further including a shaft on which the rotatable portion is mounted and a member encircling the shaft in a normally binding relation thereto, and the rotatable portion being adapted to temporarily deformably enlarge the member whereby the member will slip on the shaft in response to the rotatable portion being manually rotated in one direction.