Patent GB-663786-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to clothes washing machines
IPC: D06F23/04
Filed: 1948-12-22
Abstract: 663,786. Centrifugal machines. RAMSEY, A. R. J. (Solar Corporation). Dec. 22, 1948. No. 33078/48. Class 23. [Also in Group VIII] A clothes washing machine comprises an outer housing structure A, B having a support member 31 at its lower end which mounts an inner frame 34 provided with a spindle 43 supporting a clothes receptacle C for rotation about a vertical axis, the frame assembly having freedom with respect to the vertical axis for gyratory deflection induced by rotation when the receptacle is out of balance, spring means 45 being disposed at an elevation substantially above the support 31 and connecting the housing structure and inner frame for yieldingly restraining the gyratory deflection and tending to restore the spindle 43 and receptacle C to normal operating positions and at least one pair of co-operating friction producing members 51, 52 being provided adjacent the spring means 45 for frictionally resisting the gyratory deflection, one of the members 51 being attached to a point fixed with respect to the housing structure and the other 52 being attached to the inner frame 34. General features. - A vaned agitator D which is oscillated for washing by a motor 104 (not shown) is contained in the receptacle C which comprises an imperforate tub which is rotated for spin drying by a motor 79 through a fluid drive mechanism 76, 77. The tub and driving mechanism are mounted upon the support member 31 which is a single point bearing and are supported in a vertical position within the two part housing A, B, by the springs 45 and snubbers F comprising parts 51, 52. The functions of the machine are automatically controlled. Casing construction.-The tub is contained in the upper part A of the casing and the driving mechanism in the lower part B. The base of the part A has a circular aperture through which the tub supports and driving spindle 43 extend and this aperture is surrounded by a cylindrical member 21 to provide a receptacle in the bottom of the part A for water removed from the tub during the spin drying operation and which is removed from this space by a drain opening and a pump 114. The lower part B has detachable panels for access to the mechanism and has four adjustable feet each comprising a bolt 24 having a ball socket connection to a cup 27 which has a serrated flange. This flange is designed to engage a resilient pad 28 which is embedded in the floor. Tub and agitator construction and mounting.-The tub is imperforate, its walls taper slightly outwardly in an upward direction and a heavy balancing ring 67 is fitted to its rim, water discharge openings 71 being provided in the ring since it has an overhanging lip 72 to keep clothing in the tub. A sediment trap 64 is provided in the tub bottom and this is connected to two discharge tubes 65 which terminate beneath flared deflectors 66 in the balancing ring. The tub contains a vaned agitator D above which is detachably mounted a baffle unit E comprising a flared and slotted cylindrical tube 126 having sealed fins 130. This unit is fitted on the agitator hub with the agitator blades in the slots so that water passages are left between the unit and the hub. The tub driving shaft 43 surrounds the agitator driving shaft 44 and is supported in a sleeve 40 which is fixed to a plate 36. This plate supports the driving motors 79, 104 and a drain pump 114 and is mounted by a frame 35 upon a rubber bearing 31 in the centre of the base of the casing B. The drain pump inlet is flexibly connected to the base of the casing A. The tub and drive assembly supporting springs 45 are adjustably secured to the casing B and movement of the assembly is restrained by snubbers F comprising friction discs 52 supported by flexible plates 49 on the assembly and engaging plates 51 secured to the casing B. Driving means.-The agitator is oscillated through a dog clutch 94, 95 by a mechanism 98 of known type which converts rotating to reciprocating motion, from the motors 104. The dog clutch is controlled by a solenoid 107 and the motor 104 also continuously drives the drain pump 114 so that water collecting in the bottom of the casing A is continuously removed. The tub is driven from motor 79 through a fluid drive device, Fig. 9 which comprises a driven member 76 connected by an integral pulley 75 to the tub shaft and having a series of radial vanes 83. Vertically positioned above the member 76 and on the shaft of the motor 79 is the driving member 77 which has a series of radial vanes 82 and depending paddles 85. The lower member 76 is filled with liquid and this when stirred by the paddles 85 causes driving,engagement between the. vanes 82, 83. The drive slips when the rotation of the tub is first started and also in the event of unbalanced loads in the tub. Water supply and draining means.-Water from an external mixing valve is supplied to a sprayer 123 which is mounted axially over the agitator and has two circular sets of perforations. One set 124 produces a wide conical spray 124a and the other 125 a cylindrical downward spray 125a. Water is removed from the casing B to which it is delivered by the centrifugal drying action of the tub by a continuously running pump 114. Operation - The clothing and soap are placed in the tub and it is filled with water to a predetermined level 133 under manual control. A dial 131 is then turned to set the washing time and lifted to start an automatic controller 109 of known type. The controller starts motor 104 and operates solenoid 107 to close clutch 94, 95 so that the agitator D starts oscillating. At the end of the predetermined washing period water is supplied to the spraying head 123 to raise the water level. The spray from the head retards the normal tumbling of the clothing and spray 124a pushes scum out of the tub through holes 71 helped by the fins 130 of the baffle unit which are below the increased water level. This step may be under manual or automatic control. The solenoid is then de-energized which disengages clutch 94, 95 and stops the agitator. Motor 79 is then energized and spins the tub through the fluid drive. Water is discharged from the tub through the openings 71 and any sediment which has accumulated in the trap 64 during the washing period is discharged through the pipes 65 into the casing A from where both are removed by the pump 114. Vibration of the machine during the spinning periods is minimized by the balancing ring 67, the fluid drive (which limits the speed of rotation by slipping when unbalance is present) and by the springs 45 and snubbers F. During the spinning period the clothing may be sprayed with hot water if desired. When the water has been substantially removed from the clothes, motor 79 is stopped, cold water for rinsing is admitted to the tub and the agitator is restarted. This is followed after a suitable period by a further spin-drying period to terminate the cycle.