US802056A - Gearing for washing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

-N0- 802,056. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. w. NAHRWOLT.

GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

INVE/VTUI? No. 802,056. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

W NAHRWOLT GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET},

WITNESSES:

o-LmlocRAPuns. wunmamn n c UNITED STAT ES PATENT oEEroE.

WILLIAM NAHRWOLT, E EORTWAYNE. INDIANA. ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FORT WAYNE,

INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM NAHRWOLT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing for Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gearing for washing-machines of that class adapted for an alternate reversal of the agitator-shaft.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved mechanism of simple and economical construction adapted to transform the rotary motion of the power-shaft into an alternating motion in the agitator-shaft in washing-machines by a positive, efficient, and reliable operation.

My invention consists of a horizontal plate 7 or casting loosely mounted upon the upper end of the agitator-shaft and having its outer end provided with a pendent stud carrying a loosely-mounted gear-wheel, a fixed horizontal rack adapted for a meshing engagement with the said gear-wheel, a gear-wheel fixed on the agitatorshaft immediately below the said plate and having a meshing engagement with the said loosely-mounted gear-wheel, a rackbar pivotally mounted on the said plate at inner end, and a horizontally-arranged powershaft mounted in suitable bearings in the said frame and carrying upon its inner end a fixed pinionadapted for a meshing engagement with the said rack-bar, thereby actuating the agitator shaft through the medium of the said gear-wheels.

The principal novel feature of my invention resides in the means for alternately reversing the direction of rotation of the agitator-shaft.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several views of the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved reversing mechanism with the power-shaft broken partly away. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, showing a portion of the supportingframe and of the horizontal plate upon which i the pivoted rack-bar is fulcrumed as partly broken away. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of in its upper and'lower adjustments and also showing the relative arrangement of the actuating-pinion and of the oppositely-arranged limiting-lugs on the supporting-frame. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the forward end of the-pivoted rack-bar with which the powershaft pinion forms an actuating engagement.

The upright supporting-frame on which my improved mechanism is operatively mounted consists 'of a base-plate 1, whose forward upturned end 2'is provided with a bearing 2 for the power-shaft 3 and an overhanging arm 1, having a bearing 5, for the power-shaft 3 and a bearing 6 for the upper end of the agitatorshaft 7, which passes, vertically through the suds-box lid 8 in the usual manner. This supporting-frame'is provided with two vertically-alined lugs 9 and 10, adapted to limitthe vertical play of the free end of the pivoted sector-like rack-bar 11, having a plurality of teeth or pins 12 united at their outer ends by the curved plate 13 and having its inner face provided with the sector extensions 14:, having theinner peripheral tracks 15, which serve as guides for the rigid pinion 16 on the inner end of the powereshaft when the rack-bar is making the turn at each end thereof to effect the desired reversal of the agitator-shaft in the manner hereinafter described.

To the rear face of the rack-bar 11 are arranged the fixed or integral and approximately parallel arms 17, whose free ends are loosely mounted on the extended ends of the pin 18, which is transversely arranged in the central portion of the plate 19. This plate or casting 19 has near its forward end an upright integral sleeve 20, loosely mounted on the upper portion of the agitator-shaft 7, and is provided upon its lower face with the pendent stud 21, on which is rotatably mounted the horizontal gear-wheel 22, which is in mesh with the curved rack 23, rigidly secured to the lid 8 or other suitable support.

On the agitator-shaft 7, directly below the plate 19, is rigidly fixed the gear-wheel 24, normally in mesh with the gear-wheel 22, Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of my invention thus described is obvious and, briefly stated, is as follows: When continuous rotation is imparted the pivoted rack-bar broken away and shown' to the power-shaft by the usual or other proper means, a correspondingly uniform oscillatory movement is imparted to the rack-bar 11 through its engagement with the power-shaft pinion 16, which traverses first one face of the rack-bar 11 and then the other, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, beingguided in rounding the ends of the rack-bar by the curved tracks 15, the disengagement of the said rackbar from its actuating-pinion being at all times prevented by the lugs 9 and 10, which securely limit the vertical play of the rack-bar in use, the oscillatory movements of the rack-bar 11 thus described causing a like movement of the rear end, the plate 19 carrying with it the gear-wheel 22, which is thereby forced to travel back and in its meshing engagement with the fixed rack 23, which movement in turn correspondingly actuates the agitatorshaft 7 through the medium of the rigid gearwheel 24 thereon. My improved reversing mechanism is thus simple, efficient, positive, and reliable in operation and has but small liability of getting out of repair. Obviously the speed of the machine can readily be adjusted by a proper regulation of the relative sizes of the gear- wheels 22 and 24.

In my invention should any part become broken or lost in use it can readily and conveniently be replaced by a merely nominal expense.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of operating the same, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a gearing for wasl1ing-macl1ines,asupport; a curved rack fixed thereto; an upright agitator-shaft in cooperative relation with the said rack; a horizontal plate loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft and provided witha pendent stud; a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon the said stud and having a meshing engagement with the said rack; a gear-wheel fixed upon the agitator-shaft and in mesh with the before-mentioned gear-wheel; a curved rackbar pivotally mounted on the said plate; a horizontal power-shaft; and an actuating-pinion fixed upon the inner end of the powershaft and adapted for a meshing engagement with the upper and lower faces of the said rack-bar alternately.

2. An upright agitator-shaft; a gear-wheel fixed upon the agitator-shaft; a plate loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft above the said an alternate meshing engagement with the upper and lower faces of the said rack-bar; and means for limiting the vertical play of the meshing end of the rack-bar.

3. In a washing-machine gearing, the combination of an upright supporting-frame; a vertical agitator-shaft rotatably mounted in the frame; a gear-wheel fixed on the agitatorshaft; a plate loosely mounted on the agitatorshaft above the gear-wheel and having a pendent stud; a gear-wheel rotatably mounted on the stud in'mesh with the fixed gear-wheel; a curved rack in cooperative relation with the loose gear-wheel; a rack-bar pivotally mounted on the said plate and laterally movable therewith; a power-shaft, afixed pinion thereon adapted for an actuating engagement with the opposite faces of the pivoted rack-bar alternately; means for limiting the vertical play of the said rack-bar; and means for guiding the pinion in its turning movements upon the rack-bar.

4. The combination of a vertical agitatorshaft; agear-wheel fixed upon the shaft; a plate or casting loosely mounted on the agitator-shaft and having a pendent stud near its outer. end; a gear-wheel loosely mounted on the said stud in mesh with the fixed gearwheel; a curved rack in cooperative arrangement with the loose gear-wheel; a rack-bar pivotally mountedon the said plate and provided with curved guides at its opposite ends; means for limiting the vertical play of the rack-bar to prevent its disengagement from the actuating means in use; and a powershaft a rigid pinion, thereon adapted for an actuating engagement with the opposite faces of the rack-bar alternately.

Signed by me at Fort Wayne. Allen county, State of Indiana, this 23d day of January, A. D. 1905. I

WILLIAM NAHRWOLT.

Witnesses:

WATTS P. DENNY, AUGUSTA VIBERG.

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