Patent GB-1059243-A (GB)
Title: Clutch mechanism
IPC: D06F13/08
Filed: 1965-03-04
Abstract: 1,059,243. Friction ratchet clutches; clutchbrake combinations; securing together rotary parts. PHILCO CORPORATION. March 4, 1965 [March 4, 1964], No. 9336/65. Headings F2C, F2L and F2U. [Also in Division D1] In a clutch, for a washing-machine, comprising selectively engageable lower driving and upper driven friction clutch members 63, 52 on a common vertical axis, the lower driving clutch member comprises a hollow annular housing containing liquid, such that when the housing is stationary, during reversals or when the machine is not in operation, the liquid gravitates to a sump portion 69 of the housing and immerses the facings of the clutch, and when the housing is rotated, in either direction, the liquid is centrifuged from the sump and the facings to the outer peripheral portion of the housing at 64a. A ring (67) is secured to the housing by mating hexagonal surfaces or by recesses (78) in a sleeve portion (83) of the ring receiving embossed portions (79) of a sleeve portion (84) on the housing. The ring (67) has riveted thereto arcuate cantilever springs 66 inclined towards the downwardly presented face 62 of the driven clutch member 52 and provided with friction, e.g. rubberized cork, linings 65. The driven clutch member 52 is splined on a clothes basket drive hollow shaft 33, and is biased, by a spring 53, to engage a facing 51 thereon with a fixed annular brake lining 45. A wobble-agitator drive central shaft 36 is driven by a reversible motor (82) through a V-belt drive (81), 77, 76 and has keyed thereto a cam 73 having helical surfaces 75 and radial abutment surfaces 74, respectively, co-operating with helical surfaces 72 and radial abutment surfaces 71 on a cam 60 fixed to the housing 63, the cam 60 and the housing being rotatable and slidable on the shaft 36. In operation, when the shaft 36 is rotated in one direction (90), for agitator rotation only (washing and rinsing); the cam 60 moves downwardly by gravity until the abutment surfaces 74, 71 engage, and permits the braking of the basket drive shaft 33 by engagement of the facing 51 and the brake lining 45. The housing 63 is rotated through the abutment surfaces 74, 71, and clutch linings 65 urged by the springs 66 slide freely over the driven clutch member face 62, this sliding reducing impact when engaging the clutch. When the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction 91, for rotation of the basket and agitator together (spinning), the cam 60 is raised by the helical surfaces 75, 72. Initially the clutch linings 65 are urged into driving engagement with the face 62, the springs 66 being deflected into engagement with the ring 67, and finally the plate 51 is released from the lining 45 against the spring 53. The basket drive shaft is thereby rotated, the clutch torque transmission being controlled by the spring 53. Prior to complete centrifuging of the liquid in the housing, particularly during the basket spinning period, some liquid remains between the linings 65 and the face 62 and, by initially reducing clutch torque transmission, provides a desired clutch slippage to permit the motor to attain full operating speed, the remaining liquid being forced out, finally, by the cam means to provide slip-free driving engagement. The wetting of the clutch on each change of direction provides a viscous drag that helps relative cam movement. Heat generated by the clutch, particularly as the basket is brought up to speed, is absorbed by the liquid on return to the sump at 69, and dissipated by the relatively large surface area and the rotation of the peripheral region of the housing prior to the return of the liquid to the sump. Flow to and from the sump is promoted by the spaces between the linings 65 and by radial embossed grooves (80) serving as housing ribs. The fluid is preferably in silicone type oil which serves as a clutch casing lubricant.