Clothes washing machines

A clothes washing machine has a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical axis and is oscillated back and forth within a perforated tub, the tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action and the perforated tub in turn being mounted within a watertight container in the cabinet, with a space between substantially vertical walls of said container, and a drain is provided to drain washing liquid from the container, there being circulating means operable during a washing cycle of the washing machine to cause washing liquid to circulate from the pool of washing liquid in which clothes are being washed through at least part of the space between said walls of the perforated tub and walls of said container and back to said pool of washing liquid through perforations in the perforated tub, the perforations being of a size and shape such and said circulation being such that any lint in the washing liquid tends to be left in the space for discharge therefrom during a draining cycle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to clothes washing machines of the type in which an 
agitator is mounted on a vertical axis and is oscillated back and forth 
within a perforated tub, the tub and the agitator rotating continuously in 
one direction to give a spin action and the perforated tub in turn being 
mounted within a watertight container in a cabinet, and relates in 
particular to the reduction of lint in the washing liquid during the 
washing process. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clothes 
washing machine of the type described and/or method of controlling the 
same which will at least provide the public with a useful choice. 
Accordingly in one aspect the invention consists in a method of controlling 
a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an 
agitator is mounted on a vertical axis and is oscillated back and forth 
within a perforated tub, to give a washing action the tub and the agitator 
rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action and the 
perforated tub in turn being mounted within a watertight container in said 
cabinet, with a space between substantially vertical walls of the 
perforated tub and adjacent walls of the container said method comprising 
the steps of causing circulation of washing liquid from the pool of 
washing liquid in which clothes are being washed through at least part of 
said space between said walls of said perforated tub and walls of said 
container and back to said pool of washing liquid through perforations of 
said perforated tub, said perforations being of a size and shape such that 
any lint in the washing liquid tends to be left in the space between said 
tub and said container for eventual discharge through a drain from said 
container, when said pool of washing liquid is being drained from said 
container by actuation of said draining means. 
In a further aspect the invention consists in a clothes washing machine of 
the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical 
axis and is oscillated back and forth within a perforated tub, the tub and 
the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action 
and the perforated tub in turn being mounted within a watertight container 
in said cabinet, with a space between substantially vertical walls of said 
container, draining means being provided to drain washing liquid from said 
container, said clothes washing machine including circulating means 
operable during a washing cycle of the washing machine to cause washing 
liquid to circulate from the pool of washing liquid in which clothes are 
being washed through at least part of said space between said walls of 
said perforated tub and walls of said container and back to said pool of 
washing liquid through perforations in said perforated tub, said 
perforations being of a size and shape such and said circulation being 
such that any lint in the washing liquid tends to be left in said space 
for discharge therefrom on actuation of said draining means with draining 
washing liquid. 
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in 
construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the 
invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the 
invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the 
descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in 
any sense limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawing, a clothes washing machine comprises a cabinet 1 
which contains an electric motor 2 driving machinery which drives a shaft 
7 in order to agitate an agitator 3 within a spin tub 4 which in turn is 
mounted with a clearance space 5 inside a watertight container 6. The 
drive mechanism preferably comprises the electric motor 2 directly 
connected or connected by pulleys and a belt (not shown) to the drive 
shaft 7 of the agitator and interconnecting means connect the drive shaft 
and the spin tub 4 so that when the drive shaft 7 is driven continuously 
in one direction the spin tub will be rotated to spin the clothes therein. 
The electric motor 2 is preferably electronically controlled to cyclically 
reverse to give the agitate action and on appropriately timed switching to 
change to continuous rotation to give the spin action. Brimer U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,914,963 discloses an agitator drive which when rotated continuously 
in one direction also drives the spin tub continuously in that direction. 
A drain exit 9 is provided in the container 6, the drain exit leading to a 
drain pump 17 in the usual way. 
The spin tub 4 has a balancing ring 10 near the upper edge thereof and has 
a series of apertures 11 therein, the apertures 11 being so formed that 
the edges of the apertures are directed facing outwardly of the spin tub. 
These perforations are preferably round burst holes having a diameter of 
about 4 mm. A further series of apertures 12 are provided in a lower part 
of the spin tub and a shield or guide 13 is provided above the apertures 
12, the apertures 12 being provided in the substantially vertical 
cylindrical wall of the spin tub above the base 14 of the spin tub. 
The spin tub is preferably, though not necessarily a castellated drum as 
described in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,372. The agitator 3 has a hollow 
column 20 with a series of slots 21 positioned about midway of the length 
thereof and leading from the interior of the spin bowl 4 into the interior 
of the column 20. The agitator 3 has external blades 16 thereon which 
extend from the surface of both column 20 and the upper surface of an 
upper disc 22 (to be described below). 
At the lower end the agitator extends outwardly in the form of an upper 
disc 22 and a lower disc 23 with a space 26 between them. This space may 
be divided with radial vanes 18 since the purpose of the two disc and 
space arrangement is to provide a centrifugal impeller. Such an impeller 
may be otherwise provided, and e.g. an independent centrifugal pump could 
be provided. 
Outlet openings 24 are provided between the discs 22 and 23 at or near the 
outer edges of the discs and the outer edge 25 of the upper disc is turned 
downwardly and operates in close proximity to the inner edge of the guide 
13. 
The base 14 of the spin tub is castellated as above referred to, with 
spaces between the castellations and the spaces 15 between castellations 
provide passageways through which water is pumped as described below. 
If desired a container 27 may be mounted on the column 20, such container 
holding a clothes conditioner in the known way. 
The operation of the construction is as follows: 
When the clothes washing machine has a load of clothes placed in it and the 
machine commenced to operate, washing liquid e.g. water, and detergent 
flows into the container 6 to form a pool to a desired level and the 
agitator 3 is set in motion to oscillate backwards and forwards. As a 
result of its motion there is a centrifugal pump action between the discs 
22 and 24 assisted by vanes therein (if provided) and the centrifugal 
pumping action circulates the washing liquid, in which lint is usually 
entrained, into the hollow column 20 and downwardly and outwardly between 
the discs 22 and 24 for discharge through spacer 15 below the guide 13 and 
through the apertures 12 into the space 5 between the container 6 and the 
spin tub 4. The washing liquid is then drawn upwardly in space 5 between 
tub 4 and container 6 and then across the tub 4 to pass downwardly through 
the hollow column 20 and the process is repeated. 
However re-entry of lint to the pool of washing liquid through the 
apertures 11 is limited, firstly by the size of these apertures, secondly, 
by the fact that the walls of the apertures are bulged outwardly, and 
thirdly because of the slower flow of fluid through the apertures 11 thus 
restricting the inflow of lint. As a result the lint collects in the space 
5 and tends to either rise to the top as shown diagrammatically at 28 or 
settle into the bottom of the container depending on the nature of the 
lint. 
When the wash cycle is completed and a drain cycle is started, the drain 
outlet 9 is opened to allow flow of water through the drain and as a 
result of the draining action and also preferably because of rinse water 
entering the washing machine during a spray rinse cycle, which includes 
spinning the perforated tub at a suitable spin speed of rotation as part 
of the operation, the lint which is collected in the space 5 tends to be 
washed downwardly and outwardly through the drain outlet and pump. Thus 
the problem of lint collection is substantially overcome by the invention 
when performed at least in the preferred manner above described. To effect 
some spinning of the spin tub a microprocessor 30 (FIG. 2) instructs the 
motor 2 to rotate continuously while the pump 17 is driven at pumping 
speed. If rinsing is also effected a motor valve 31 is also operated to 
open.