Patent GB-747749-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in washing machines
IPC: D06F37/30
Filed: 1953-11-16
Abstract: 747,749. Washing-machines. AVCO MANUFACTURING CORPORATION. Nov. 16, 1953 [Nov. 22, 1952], No. 31686/53. Class 138 (2). [Also in Groups XXIV and XXXVII] An automatic clothes-washing machine has a unidirectionally rotatable output shaft 18 driven at high and low speeds, a reversibly rotatable constant speed input shaft 28, a gear 32 fixed to the input shaft 28 for driving a gear 34 clutchably engageable with the output shaft 18, a gear 38 clutchably engageable with the input shaft 28 for driving a gear 42 fixed to the output shaft 18, and clutch means 39, 45 for engaging each of the clutchably engageable gears 34, 38 to their respective shafts in response to a different direction of rotation of the input shaft. General arrangement.-A clothes-receiving cylinder 12 is perforated and provided with baffles 21, and mounted on the output shaft 18 by means of spider plates 19, 20. A surrounding tub 10 is mounted in an outer cabinet (not shown) and secured by a clamp ring 15 to two frusto-conical plates 16 carrying the housing 26 of the transmission 17. The transmission 17 (Fig. 3).-The pinion 32 on the input shaft 28 meshes with an internally toothed ring gear 34 free to rotate on the output shaft 18. A clutch spring 39 frictionally engages a hub 36 keyed to the shaft 28 and a hub 37 freely mounted on the shaft 28. The hub 37 is an extension of the gear 38 which meshes with a gear 42 keyed to the shaft 18. The gears 42 and 34 have extended hub portions 43 and 44 respectively, frictionally engaged by a clutch spring 45 wound opposite hand to the spring 39. When the shaft 28 is rotated in one direction low-speed rotation is imparted to the shaft 18 and cylinder 12 through pinion 32, gear 34, hub 44, spring 45 and hub 43. On reversing the shaft 28, the shaft 18 is rotated at a higher speed in the same direction as before, through hub 36, spring 39, hub 37, and gears 38, 42. The shaft 28 carries a pulley 24 connected by a belt 25 to a reversible electric motor 22 (Fig. 10). The transmission 17 may be readily removed for servicing by means of a number of screws 53. Control means (Fig. 10).-A timer 54 having cam-operated contacts 55 ... 60 is driven by a synchronous motor 61 which is energized when contacts 55 are closed by manually advancing a timer dial (not shown). Contacts 57 control the supply to a relay 62 having a solenoid 62g operating the arms 62e, 62f of a reversing switch for the motor 22. The drive motor 22 (Fig. 10) has a run winding 68, and a start winding 69 controlled by a centrifugal switch 71. Means are provided for producing substantially instantaneous reversal of the motor 22 in order to prevent slowing down of the cylinder 12 which would result in an outof-balance distribution of the clothes therein during spin drying. This means comprises a direction-responsive switch 72 (see Group XXXVII) which provides a by-pass for current to flow to the start winding 69 on reversal of the relay 62, independently of the position of the switch 71. The switch 72 comprises a pair of fixed contacts 72a, 72b, and a movable contact 72d, carried by an insulating member rotatably mounted on the shaft of the motor 22. By means of a slipping clutch (Fig. 6, not shown) the movable contact is biased into contact with one or other of the contacts 72a, 72b, according to the direction of rotation of the motor shaft. Liquid supply and discharge.-The circuit (Fig. 10) includes a hot-water solenoid 64, a mixed water solenoid 63, a selector switch 67 and a drain valve solenoid 65. A pressure switch 66 normally breaks the circuit through the solenoids 63/64 when the level in the tub 10 reaches a predetermined maximum. Contacts 60 provide a spray rinse independently of the position of switch 66. Specification 514,887 is referred to.