US640975A

US640975A - Washing-machine.

Info

Publication number: US640975A
Application number: US70726899A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacob W Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-03-01
Filing date: 1899-03-01
Publication date: 1900-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1917-01-09

Description

No. 640,975, Paented Ian. 9, |900.

J. W. THUMAS.

WASHING MACHINE. ,Application filed Mar, 1, 1899.)

No Model.)

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PATENT WASHING-MACHINE.

SPIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,975, dated January 9, 1906.

Application filed March l, 1899. Serial No. 707,268. (No model.) l

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Morris, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the following is a speciication.

The invention relates to improvements in washing-machines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of washing-machines and to provide a simpleand comparatively inexpensive one capable of uniformly operating on a quantity of clothes and of thereby thoroughly washing the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a washing-machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional View of the same, taken longitudinally of the operating-lever and one of the transverse bars of the plunger-head. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the tapering supports of the pounders.

Like numerals of reference designate correspondingparts in all the gures of the drawings.

l designates a vertically-movable plunger adapted to operate within a tub 2 or other receptacle forming a washing-machine body, and the lower end of the plunger carries a head composed of crossed bars 3, having depending poundersearranged at their ends and at the lower end of the plunger and adapted to operate on the clothes within the receptacle. The plunger passes through a guideopening 5 of a horizontal bar 6 and is secured at its upper end within a sleeve or hub 7 of a horizontal ratchetewheel 8, which is provided at its periphery with upwardly-extending teeth. The sleeve or hub 7, which` is arranged vertically, extends above and below the ratchet-wheel, and it receives in its upper portion a shank v9, which is secured to an operating-lever 10. The upper end of the sleeve Or hub 7 is contracted at ll to form an interior shoulder, and the shank 9 is provided at its lower end with a head 12 to engage the `the upper face of the horizontal bar 6.

said shoulder 1l, and by this construction the ratchet-wheel is swiveled to the operating-lever to permit the plunger to be rotated for causing the pounders to operate on dif*- ferent portions of the clothes within the washing-machine body or receptacle 2. The upper end of the plunger is secured to the depending portion of the sleeve or hub 7 by a transverse bolt, and the shank 9 is pivoted in a slot 13 of the lever l0 by a transverse pivot 14, consisting of a bolt or other suitable fastening device.

The front portion of the operating-lever is' shaped into a handle, and its rear end is bi= furcated and is pivoted to the upper end of a vertical su pporting-bar 15, which is pivoted at its lower end by a bolt 16 or other suitable fastening device to the rear end of the horizontal bar 6. The operating-lever also carries a pivoted pawl or dog 17, which engages the ratchet-teeth of the ratchet-wheel, whereby when the plunger is reciprocated vertically it will be rotated, so that the pounders will engage different portions of the lclothes at each stroke.

The rear end of the horizontal bar 6 is bifurcated and is pivoted to a projecting portion or arm 18 at the rear side of the receptacle 2, and its front end is detachably secured between a pair of perforated ears 19 by a removable pin 20, which passes through the perforations of the ears and extends across The horizontal bar 6 is adapted to be swung backward to remove the washing mechanism from the receptacle 2.

The clothespounders,which are qonicahare constructed of sheet metal, as shown, and in order to enable them to be firmly secured to the head of the plunger each pounder is provided with a strengthening device consisting of an inverted cup-shaped casting 2l of truncated conical shape, and this metal supporting device is soldered or otherwise secured within the pounder and is provided with a central perforation in its horizontal top portion to receive a fastening device. The pounders at the ends of the crossed bars of the head of the plunger are bolted to the lower faces of the said bars, and the central pounder is provided with an opening of sufficient size to receive the plunger rod or stem, which has its IOO lower end enlarged at 23 and provided with a head 24: to support the central pounder, and the enlarged portion is threaded at 25 to receive a nut 2G, which engages the head of the plunger.

It Will be apparent that the Washing-machine is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it is capable of uniformly operating on clothes as the plunger is partially rotated at each stroke of the machine to carry the pounders to different portions of the receptacle or body 2. The swivel-joint formed by the ratchet-Wheel and the shank forms a strong connection between the lever and the plunger, and the parts may be readily separated and assembled. Also the tapering or truncated conical supports of the pounders form a strong top for the same and lenable them to be securely fastened to the head of the plunger.

Changes yin the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- Y l. In a Washing-machine, the combination of avertically-m ovable rotary plunger, a hori- `zon tal ratchet-Wheel having a vertical hub or sleeve extendingabove and below the ratchetwheel and provided at its upper end with an interior shoulder, said hub or sleeve receiving the plunger Within its lower portion, an operating-lever having a pivot, a shank connected to the lever by the pivot, said shank having its lower portion arranged Within the hub or sleeve and provided with a shoulder or head fitting against the interior shoulder of the said hub or sleeve, and a paWl mounted on the lever and engaging the ratchet- Wheel, substantially as described.

2. A Washing-machine comprising a receptacle provided at one side with an arm and having perforated ears at the opposite side, a horizontal bar having one end bifurcated and pivoted to the said arm, its other end being arranged between the said ears, alfastenng device detachably securing the bar between the ears, a vertical bar or support pivoted at its lower end in the bifurcation of the horizontal bar, a vertically-movable plunger guided on the horizontal bar, a lever fulcrumedon the support and connected with the plunger, and means for rotating the plunger, substantiall y as described. In testimonyT that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FRED B. SILsBEE, FRANK B. GALE.