Patent GB-843105-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to washing machines
IPC: D06F17/06
Filed: 1956-06-22
Abstract: 843,105. Washing-machines; wringers. HOOVER Ltd. June 22, 1956 [July 8, 1955 (2)], No. 19457/56. Class 138 (2). In a washing-machine including a motor 27 for driving both a pump 34 and an impeller 29 in a washing container 17, the motor is bodily movable by control-means between two operative positions, in one of which positions the drive to the impeller is engaged and that to the pump is disengaged, whilst in the other position the drive to the impeller is disengaged and that to the pump is engaged. The motor 27 is bolted to angle-section frame members 49, 50 and is urged upwardly by tension-springs 61, 62. A pair of angle-section rails 21, 22 extending from the top of the container 17 to near the bottom of the machine act as supports and guides for the members 49, 50. The up and down movement of the motor 27 is limited by means of shouldered studs 55 . . . 58 carried by the rails 21, 22 and projecting through longitudinal slots 59, 60 in the frame members 49, 50. When the motor 27 is in its lowest position a belt 72 connecting a motor pulley 71 to an impeller pulley 33 is held taut and transmits drive to the impeller 29. When the motor is raised to an intermediate position or its upper position the belt 72 slips and the drive to the impeller is rendered inoperative. In the uppermost position of the motor a friction-wheel 66 (Fig. 3) on the motor shaft engages a friction wheel 39 and transmits drive to the pump 34. Excessive pressure or shock between the friction wheels 39, 66 is prevented by a rubber bumper 68 mounted on the motor and adapted to engage an abutment 69 on the pump casing. An open channel 113 extending between the bolts 45, 47 serves to guide and locate the belt 72 when inoperative. Vertical movement of the motor 27 is effected by a two-part connecting- rod 117, 118 of adjustable length having a hook 120 at one end entering an opening in the frame member 50, and a hook 122 at the other end entering a hole in a crank 124 (Fig. 9). The crank 124 is carried by an L-shaped shaft of which one portion 125 is mounted in a bearing in a boss 128 on the top frame 3 of the machine, whilst the other portion 126 forms a handle movable to three positions A, B, C. When the handle is moved to position A to press the motor downwardly against the action of the springs 61, 62, the crank 124 and rod 117 pass over a deadcentre position. When the handle is turned to position B the springs 61, 62 tend to produce further clockwise movement but this is prevented by engagement of the hook 122 with the boss 128. In position B the motor 27 is in a neutral position in which both the impeller 29 and pump 34 are undriven. The handle 126 can be moved to position C by first pushing it in axially so as to clear the hook 122 from the boss 128. A clip (not shown) secured to the rail 22 guides the rod 117, 118 and urges it towards a position in which the hook 122 will normally engage the boss 128. Wringer drive.-A second pulley 70 on the shaft of the motor 27 is connected by a belt 73 to a pulley 74 mounted on a lay-shaft 75 together with a smaller pulley 76 connected by a belt 77 to a pulley 44 which drives the wringer rollers through gearing 42, 41. The wringer drive can be rendered operative or inoperative by shifting the lay-shaft 75 horizontally towards or away from the motor shaft by means of a shiftable L-shaped frame 78, 79. The lay-shaft 75 is rigidly secured in a groove 80 in the upper part of the frame member 79 which has a stud 82 and double slot 81, 83 connection with the rail 21. The right-hand end of the frame member 78 is carried by a swinging arm 84 having a bolt 85 passing through a vertical slot 86 in the rail 22. A foot pedal 89 has one end 90 mounted between a ledge 88 on the frame member 78 and a foot 87 on the arm 84, these parts being secured together by means of a bolt 92 and a nut 93 with a spring 94. By depressing the pedal 89 the frame 78, 79 is moved laterally against the action of a tension-spring 105 to tauten the belt 73 and transmit drive to the wringer. The arrangement provides a " dead man's release " since if pressure on the pedal is not maintained the drive to the wringer will be immediately disengaged. When not in use the pedal 89 can be retracted within the confines of the machine casing by turning it through an angle of 90 degrees about the axis of the bolt 92. A pair of clips 114, 115 serve to locate the belt 73 when inoperate. The frame member 78 is provided with a pair of slots 111 and 112 which will receive the lower ends 108 and 109 of the frame members 49 and 50 when the frame member 78 is in its right-hand or inoperative position with the foot-pedal released, but will not receive them when it is in the left-hand fullline position of Fig. 4. Thus when the motor is lowered to tighten the belt 72 and drive the impeller 29 the wringer drive cannot be rendered operative by pressure on the pedal 89 and conversely when the wringer drive is rendered operative the impeller drive cannot be rendered operative by lowering the motor. Modification. Fig. 10 shows a modified frame for supporting the lay-shaft 75 and a modified interlock between the drive to the wringer and impeller. The lay-shaft 75 is carried in a bearing 140 carried by a swinging arm 139 pivoted at 138. The arm 139 is pivoted at 144 to a beam 143 pivoted at 145 to a swinging link 141 pivoted at 142 to the rail 22. A pedal 146 is resiliently pivoted to the beam 143 by means of a spring connection 149 similar to that in Fig. 4. Pressure on the pedal 146 will move the swinging arm 139 to the left in Fig. 10 and tighten the belt 73 so as to transmit drive to the wringer. The arm 139 is biased to the wringer disengaged position by means of a spring 153 encircling a curved rod 152 secured to the link 141. When the motor is in its raised position the rod 152 can enter the slot 60 in the frame member 50 so that the pedal 146 can be depressed to drive the wringer. If, however, the motor is lowered to tighten the belt 72 and drive the impeller, the slot 60 will move clear of the end of the rod 152 and prevent the drive to the wringer from being engaged. Conversely when the drive to the wringer is engaged and the rod 152 extends through the slot 60, lowering of the motor is prevented by engagement of the upper end of the slot 60 with the rod 152. Specification 843,106 is referred to.