Patent GB-654836-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in laundry machines
IPC: D06F34/06
Filed: 1947-04-01
Abstract: 654,836. Washing-machines. APPLIANCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA. April 1, 1947, No. 8876. Convention date, April 11, 1946. [Class 138 (ii)] Mechanism for controlling the cycle of operations in a power-driven automatic laundrymachine having a container or tub in which the articles are washed, rinsed, and dried comprises a timer for controlling the duration of the washing and rinsing operations and for shutting off the power, means for making the timer inoperative at the end of each of the washing and rinsing operations, pressure-controlled means for controlling the duration of the hydroextracting operation which occurs after each of the latter operations, and means actuated by the pressure-controlled means for making the timer operative on completion of the hydroextracting operations. The invention is described as applied to the machine constructed as disclosed in Specification 654,832 and comprising a spherical tub 28 which is disposed in the upper compartment 23 of a casing 20 on a vertical shaft 30 and oscillated from an electric motor 60 through crank mechanism 55, 59. The tub 28, which is formed of two hemispherical parts 35, 36, has a pair of ribs 45, 46 disposed internally on both these parts and preferably all in the same vertical plane, the ribs 46 being flexible. A flexible disphragm 47, which is gripped at its edges between the two parts 35, 36, is adapted normally to lie snugly against the inner surface, including the ribs 45, of the part 35; when raised by water applied through an inlet 65 in the base of the tub, the diaphragm squeezes the articles against the lid 38 of the tub and discharges water from the tub through the perforations 41 in the lid. Hot water for washing and cold water for rinsing are supplied to the upper part of the tub through an arcuate pipe 70 which is connected by a flexible hose 75 with a pipe 76 having one connection with a mixing valve 94 and a second connection with a cold water inlet 91 as shown in Fig. 2. Water for lifting the diaphragm 47 is fed to the inlet 65 from a pipe 78 which is connected both with a diverting valve 87 and a pressure-relief valve 98. Both these valves are solenoidcontrolled and connected through pipes 99, 100 to the inlet of a drain pump 85, the outlet of which delivers to a drain pipe 83. The diverting valve 87 is also connected to the outlet 74 of a pressure pump 96, the inlet 84 of which is connected through a solenoid-controlled valve 81 to the cold water inlet 91. The pumps 85, 96 are' driven continuously by the motor 60. Any water which spills over from the tub into the compartment 23 is pumped away to the drain 83 by the pump 85 through a pipe 89 and solenoid-controlled valve 88. A timer motor 116 is adapted to control the operation of the machine through a set of cams 110, 111, 112, 113 which are adapted, respectively, to govern (a) the solenoid 127 of the drain, valve 88 through a switch 125; (b) the motor 60 through a switch 129 ; (c) the solenoid 142 of the rinse valve 92 through a switch 140; and (d) the solenoid 147 of the valve 81 and solenoid 149 of the diverting valve 87 through a switch 144; the energization of the solenoid 147 by the cam 113 also serves to open a switch 133 in the circuit of the timer motor 116. In a modification (Fig. 3, not shown), the drain pump 85 is replaced by an ejector which communicates with the cold water inlet through a solenoid-controlled valve and has an outlet leading to the drain; the outlets from the drain valve 88 and relief valve 98 are also connected to the drain, and a branch from the former connection is led to the intake of the ejector. Operation.-After the insertion into the tub of the articles to be washed, the doors 38, 25 of the tub and casing are closed so as to effect the closure of safety-switches 44, 109 in the main power circuit. Hot water is then admitted through the mixing valve 94 at a temperature determined by the manual setting of a handle 103 acting through gearing 104, 107 upon the valve. By rotating the cam-shaft 115 through a handle 119, the cam 111 energizes the motors 60, 116 and causes the tub to oscillate throughout the whole operation. At the end of the washing stage, the cam 152 energizes the solenoid 147, whereby (a) the valve 81 is actuated to divert a supply of cold water from the inlet 91 to the pressure pump 96, and (b) the switch 133 is opened so as to stop the timer motor 116. Simultaneously, the solenoid 149 is energized in order to connect the outlet 74 of the pump 96 to the pipe 65 whereby water under pressure lifts the diaphragm 47 in order to squeeze the articles against the upper portion of the tub, the water above the diaphragm being discharged through the perforated lid 38 and passing to the drain through the pipe 89, valve 88 and drain pump 85. When the pressure under the diaphragm reaches a predetermined amount, the piston 98a in the relief valve 98 is raised, thereby diverting some water from the pump 96 to the drain and slowing up the raising of the diaphragm. When fully extended, the piston 98a closes a switch 137 in a secondary circuit to the timer motor 116 so that the latter again drives the cam-shaft 115. The cam 152 then de-energizes the solenoids 147, 149 so as to cut off the water supply to the pump 96 and the valve 87 to allow the water behind the diaphragm to pass to the drain and the diaphragm to return to its original position; the original circuit to the timer motor is also re-established at the switch 133. Thereafter, the cam 112 opens the rinse valve 92 for a time sufficient to cause cold water to fill the tub and overflow therefrom for a period, and, at the end of this operation, the cam 113 is again effective to lift the diaphragm. For a short period towards the end of this second squeezing operation, the cam 110 is effective to keep the drain valve 88 in open position, and the cam 111 then acts to open the switch 129 and stop both motors with all the water drained from the machine. The operation of the machine when the drain pump is replaced by an ejector is substantially the same except that an additional cam is provided in the cam shaft for operating the solenoidcontrolled valve in the cold water supply line to the ejector. The cam opens this valve a short time after the pump 96 starts to pass water into the lower part of the tub so that the action of the ejector results in complete and rapid draining of the casing compartment; the ejector also completely drains the lower part of the tub at the end of the second squeezing action.