US939645A - Gearing for washing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

A. VAN WORMER. GEARING POR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1908.

939,645..v .Patented N0v.9,19o9.

l l l UWE/vm@ UNITED STAT-Es *PATENT OFFICE.

ABBA VAN WOB/MER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HORTON MANUFAC- '.'LUlllil'fi-y COMPANY, 0F FORSI.` WAYNE, INDIANA.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may oomzernl Be it known that I, Anna VAN VORMER a cltlzen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Alle n, in the appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in gearing for washing machines, of the type in which acontinuous motion of the flywheel in one direction .will produce an alternating rotary motion of the agitator shaft.

It is well-known thatin'washmg machines of the type where energy is stored up in a fly-wheel, actua-ted by speed increasing gearing, there are three known ways of mountmg the fly-wheel mechanism, one is upon the top of the tub, in which construction it is generally necessary for the operator to lift the weight of such su-rmounted mechanism in opening-.and closing the lid; another'way is to Suspend such mechanism from the bottom of the tub and connect it tothe agitator actuating O'ear by means of a series of levers; still anot 1er way is to mount the flywheel mechanism upon the side of the tub, and provide it vwith a detachable connection with the driving shaft, whereby the tub lid can be raised or lowered at pleasure without disturbing the y-wheel mechanism.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved gearing for washin machines of the type specified adapte to be compactly mounted upon the side of the tub, and having such a geared connection with the driving shaft that the tub lid can be raised and lowered at pleasure to remove or replace the agitator mechanism, without stopping they-wheel mechanlsm, and havin van lmproved means for securing the detac able'connection between 'the power. shaft and the actuating gear arings on the tub lid, andV adapted -to'impart -to a common form of agitator shaft an alternating rotary motion; a fly- `'wheelrotatably mounted on the side ofthe'- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,494.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

tub in right angular relationf to the power shaft, and provided with a'gear hub; a nvel form `-of driving connection between the iy-wheeland the power-shaft, whereby a continuousirotation of the y-wheel will impart an alternate rotary motion to the power shaft; and an ,adjustable hand lever for actuatin the said driving connection.

The principal novel features of my invention reside `in the construction ofthe flywheel and its driving connections with the power-shaft;y and in the means for detachably securing the power shaft in gear with its actuating means, to admit of its being swung rearwardlyvwith the lid.

Similar reference4 numerals indicate like arts in the several views of the drawings 1n whichi I Figure 1 is a. side elevation of a washing machine having my invention mounted thereon, both the tub and mechanism being partly broken away, the operating handle and the pitman being shown in dotted outline, and the lid with its sui-mounted power shaft and pendent agitator being also shown in dotted. outline. Fig. 2 is an' enlarged detail of the means for firmly securing the hinged lid and surmounted power-shaft in their normal position. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofFig. l' partly broken away to show the Ameshingconnection between the power shaft and the agitator shaft, and showing the relation between these shafts and the actuating means. The tub 1 of any proper construction has suitable supporting legs 2 braced by proper cross-pieces 3, an outlet opening 4 in the side thereof, a pair of diametric handles 5, a detachablewringer rack' of any proper construction, -and a hinged lid 7 having a handle 8, and provided with a vertical opening in which the upper en d of the agitator shaft is loosely mounted.

' On the lid 7 is rigidly fxedfa common form of bracket 9 having the bearings 10 and 11 in which the `horizontal power shaft' 12 lis rotatably mounted. This shaft is provided u on its inner end with a Xed bevel gear w eel 13 adapted for a meshing engagement with a Xed pinion 14 on the upper end-of the agitator shaft 15 lwhich has -a bearing in the 'adjacent end of the bracket 9 in the usual manner. These two meshin gears land 14 are provided with is fixed the upright rigidly tachably mounted oliv the lid 7 Fig. 3. The other end of the power shaft hasta; fixed end with a fixed pin orstud22 on which is i rotatably mounted a gear wheel 23`provided with an eccentric 24 to which thelower end of the pitman-25 is pivotally mounted.

On a stud-shaft 26 xed inthe standard 19 at a proper distance above the stud 22is rotatably mounted the balance-wheel 27 having a novel form of bearing hereafter d escribed, and provided with an inward extension ofthe hub whose perimeter has a series of gear teeth'28 adapted for a meshing engagement withthe gear-wheel 23, as

' an extended laterally shown' in Fig. 1.

On a third stud 29 fixed inthe standardv 19 directly above the stud 26 is rotatably mounted the sector wheel or gear 30 having apertured bifurcated lug 31 in Whichthe upper end of the pitlThis leverl 33 has a man 25 is pivotally mounted, and provided uponits other end with lateral slot 32 for the purposeabout to be described.

yOn the'outer end of the stud 29 and immediately adjacent to the gear30 is pivotally mounted the forward curvedv end Aof the.

lever 33 having a properxed handle "34. bolt 35v extending through the slot 32, and adapted to rigidly x the said lever in any desired vertical adjustment by tightenin up such bolt.

On the outer face o the upper end of the standard is pivotally mounted the arm 36 whose upper laterally bent end normally overhangs a lateral lug 37 on the adjacent end of the bracket 9,- and has a vertical screw-threaded,perforation in which is mounted al thumb-screw 38 by which itis rigidly secured in position, as shown in Fig 2, for the purpose hereafter described.

The bearing for the fly-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3, consists of a series of urollers 39 of proper dimensions compactly arranged about the periphery of thestud-shaft 26; a

`sleeve 40 snugly inclosing the shaft and rollers; 'and an annular'plate 41 adapted to fit over the shaft against the outer ends of the rollers of the sleeve to prevent any derangement thereof in use. This annular plate in turn is heldin place by a proper pin, not shown. By this construction the liy-wheel can be removed or replaced at pleasure withbearing. v

-- The operation and manner of employing short 'end independently means for operatively connecting the lever out the least tendency to derange the roller my inventionthus described is obvious and briefly stated is as follows: The tub lid betion by means of fthe pivoted'arm 36 and the 7o 'ing closed and firmly secured ing-such, posithumb-screw 38, which at 'the samey time rigidly secures the lpower-shaft inl its normal position for the meshing engagement of the pinion 17 with the sector-gear 30, theI operator drives the power-shaft first vin one direcand then in another through the meshing connection of the sector-gear with theV pinion 17 by the up and down operation of the handle 34, which thereby in turn correspondingly imparts an alternating rotary motion to the agitator shaft. This rocking movement of the' sectorgear correspondingly rotates, the large 'gear wheel 23 through the medium of the pitman 25,VA which in turn actuates the fly-Wheel by a multiplied speed through the engagement of. the wheel 23 with the .hubvgear 28;' lThe energy of the hand-lever in' thus transferred to and stored up in the iiy-wheel, directly from the handleverindependently of the power-shaft.

' -When access to the interior of the tub is desired' the "oper'ator Without stopping the machine, simply loosens the thumb-screw 38 and swings the arm 36 outward clear of the lug 37 afterwhich he can readily lift the lid v 7 upward by means of the handle 8, and swing itback to the position shown in dotted outlines in terior of the tub entirely clear of allv mechanism. l The operator Pcan as readily replace the lid With its surmounted mechanism withfout stopping the machine, afterwhich it is rigidly secured in normal position by. means of the arm 36 and the thumb-screw 38; To insure one leg thereof should be placed directly below the standard 19, as shownj in Fig. 1, and for convenience the lifting handles 5 should be arranged in diametric relation` on a line at right-.angles to the .power shaft.

' Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the same what I desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a washing reciprocal .vertica shaft; a rotary reciprocal horizontal shaft' at right angles thereto; means for operatively connecting said shafts; anoperating lever fulcrumed at its forward of the horizontal shaft;

Fig. 1, thereby leaving the inv machine gearing a rotary ioo with thehorizontal shaft. consisting-of a' its upper end to the sector gear, and atits lower end tothe balance wheel.

2. The combination with` a rotary reciprocal vertical shaft, a. rotary reciprocal hori- -zontal shaft at right angles thereto, means for operatively connectin said shafts, 'of a lever fulcrumed at its fg pendent of said horizontal shaft, a sector gear adjustably mounted on the forward end of said lever, a fixed pinion. on the horizontal shaft whose undermost segment is engaged by the sector gear, a balance wheel whosey axis is below and parallel to said horizontal shaft, and means including a pitman for imparting motion from said sector to said wheel.

3. rlfhe combination with a rotary recipro- 'cal vertical shaft, a rotary reciprocal horizontal shaft arranged at right angles thereto, 4means for operatively connecting said shafts, of a lever fulcrumed at its forward end independent of said horizontal shaft, a

sector gear adjustably mounted on the forward end of said lever. a balance wheel' whose axis is below and parallel to said horizontal shaft, a pitnian whose upper end is pivotally connected `to said sector and whose` lower end is pivotally connected to the bal- Aance wheel, .and ay continuously revoluble gear on the adjacent end of the horizontal shaft in mesh with the said sector.

el. The combination with a rotary reciprocal vertical shaft, a rotary reciprocal hori-l zontal shaft at right angles thereto, means Y mounted on the adjacent ends of said shafts for operatively connecting the same and a pinion on the opposite end of said horizontal shaft, of a lever fulcrumed'at its forward end independent of said horizontal shaft, a

balance wheel whose axis is below said lever and'parallel to said horizontal shaft, a secorward end indetor-gear carriedby said lever and engaging the undermost 'segment of said pinion, a gear indirectly actuated by said lever for operating. said wheel; and a pitman whose upper end is pivotally 'connected to the sectorgear, and whose lower end is pivotally connected to the balance wheel.

5.. The combination withy a rotary recipr0.

cal vertical shaft, a rotaryA reciprocal horizontal shaft at right angles thereto, means for operatively connecting said shafts, and a pinion on the outer end of said horizontal shaft, of a lever fulcrum'ed at its forward end whose faxis is parallel to 'said last mentioned shaft, a sector-gear carried thereby.

pinion, a` balance wheel and means including a pitinan. for imparting motion from said lever to said wheel, and means for rigidly securing the horizontal shaft and its support in their normal relation.

Signed by me at Fort ldlayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, this 11th day of `January, A. D. 1908.

ABBA VAN wonnen.

VVitn'es/ses AUGUSTA VIBERG, AUGUSTE SPIEGEL.

.hai-

Images