Patent GB-615708-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic clothes washing machines
IPC: D06F34/08
Filed: 1944-05-04
Abstract: 615,708. Washing-machines. STEVENS, A. H. (Nineteen Hundred Corporation). May 4, 1944, No. 8452. [Class 138 (ii)] [Also in Groups XXIV and XXVI] An automatic clothes washing machine comprises an elongated member 318, Figs. 3 and 9, movable longitudinally between two positions and operatively connected to a working element of the machine for alternately rendering the said element operative and inoperative, and an oscillatable member 312, Figs. 3 and 13, connected to a motor of the machine so as to be continuously oscillated thereby whenever the motor is running; a mechanical connection between the oscillatable and elongated members has two effective settings and is of such a nature that, whenever the connection is adjusted from one setting to the other, the oscillatable member will engage the elongated member and move it from one effective position to the other, and, thereafter, continue to oscillate without affecting the position of the elongated member until the setting of the connection is again changed. General arrangement.-The invention is applied to a machine in which clothes are automatically washed, rinsed and dried in a perforated receptacle 108, Fig. 4, carried on a hollow shaft 101 within which is mounted a shaft 113 carrying an agitator 117. The shaft 113 and agitator 117 are adapted to be oscillated during the washing and rinsing cycles, and the shaft 101, together with the receptacle 108, are rotated at high speed during the drying cycle, the oscillation of the shaft 113 and rotation of the shaft 101 being each under the control of an elongated member as defined above. Substantially all the operating and control mechanism of the machine is carried by a horizontal spider 70 which is flexibly suspended from the framework of the enclosing cabinet 40, as described in Specification 615,792. The spider 70 provides a mounting for a tub 88 and is formed with an upstanding hollow boss 92, in which is disposed a tube 98 providing at its upper end a sleeve bearing 99 for the hollow shaft 101. The upper end of the shaft 101 carries a collar 102, to which is secured by a tapered sleeve 105 and retaining ring 106, a depending flared member 104 serving as a mount for the cylindrical and perforated basket 108. A strengthening plate 111, secured to the lower edge of the member 104, extends radially into contact with the basket. A sleeve bearing 112 at the upper end of the shaft 101 provides a journal for the shaft 113 which projects above the shaft 101 for the support of an agitator 117 of multipleyane type. An annular guard rim 118, which is detachably secured by a flexible ring 119 to the edge of the tub 88, extends inwardly for the support of a funnelshaped member 121, which serves to facilitate the introduction into the machine of the goods to be washed and carries a weighted collar 122 to reduce the swinging movement of the spider 70. Driving-mechanism.-The driving mechanism for the basket 108 and agitator 117 is carried underneath the spider 70 and comprises an electric motor 124, Fig. 3, which drives, by means of a belt 135, pulleys 130, 132, 133 for actuating, respectively, a transmission unit 131 for oscillating the agitator shaft 113, basket shaft 101, and a pump 134. The transmission unit 131 comprises a shaft 142, Fig. 5, which carries the pulley 130 and is provided with a gear 151 meshing with a spur gear 152. A crank 155 is provided on the gear 152 for oscillating a gear sector 156, which meshes with a gear 157 rotatably mounted upon the agitator shaft 113. The gear 157 is slidable axially upon the shaft 113 under the action of a fork 166 carried by a vertically-movable rod 169, and, in its lowered position, one of a number of slots 164 in the hub of the gear engages a radial pin 165 on the shaft 113, so that the gear and shaft are coupled together and the agitator is oscillated. The upper end of the rod 169 is provided with a slot 315, Fig. 9, through which is passed for endwise movement therein a bar 318, provided at one end with an inclined surface 322 engaging a roller 316 on the rod 169. The opposite end of the bar 318 is provided with two parallel offset slots 323, 324, connected by a vertical slot 325 for engagement by a pin 328 on the plunger 326 of a solenoid 327. This solenoid is carried by a mounting 312, Fig. 13, which is connected to the top of the pin 162 of the gear sector 156 so as to oscillate therewith. During oscillation of the agitator, the solenoid 327 is energized so that the plunger 326 is retracted and the pin 328 moves from one end to another of the upper slot 324 under the swinging action of the mounting 312. When the solenoid is deenergized, the pin 328 drops down into the lower slot 323, and as it swings with the mounting 312, engages the right-hand end of this slot so as to shift the bar 318 to the right-hand end of this slot so as to shift the bar 318 to the right and cause the rod 169 to be lifted against a spring 329 by the coaction of the inclined surface 322 and roller 316. The gear 157 is then disengaged from the shaft 113 and the agitator stops oscillating. On the next energization of of the solenoid 327, the pin 326 is raised into the upper slot 324 and, when swung to the left by the mounting 312, withdraws the bar 318 so that the gear 157 and shaft 113 are again driven. The basket shaft 101. Fig. 5, is adapted to be driven by the pulley 132 when a flanged member 198, which is keyed to, and slidable on a sleeve 192 fixed to the shaft 101, is urged downwardly by springs 202 so that a braking surface 200 on the member 198 engages the upper surface of the pulley 132. The movement of the member 198 is controlled by a braking disc 228, which is pivotally carried by a flange 214 on a member 213 mounted on a post 215 and axially-movable rod 222. In the lowered position of the member 213, the pulley 132, which is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the hollow shaft 101 drives the member 198 and hollow shaft 101. When the rod 222 is moved upwardly against a spring 226, the braking disc 228 is raised against a braking surface 206 on an annular member 204 keyed on the flanged member 198 so that the latter member is lifted against the action of springs 202; the pulley 132 then no longer drives the shaft 101, and this shaft is braked by the co-action of the friction members 206, 228, and also of a friction ring at the upper end of the member 192 with the spider 70. The rod 222 is adapted to be raised against a spring 226 by the engagement of an inclined surface on a slideable bar 335, Fig. 3, with a roller (Fig. 11 not shown) mounted in a slot at the lower end of the rod 222. This bar 335 is constructed and arranged to operate similarly to the bar 318 described above, being actuated to raise and lower the rod by means of a solenoid 344 carried by the mounting 312; a toggle acts upon the outer end of the bar 335. Energization of the solenoid causes the bar 335 to be moved so as to lower the rod and effect rotation of the basket. Water supply and discharge apparatus.- Hot and cold water are supplied through intakes 236, 237, Fig. 3, to a mixing valve 234, and thence through a flexible hose 235, which leads either to the base of the tub 88 or to a nozzle mounted in the annular member 121, Fig. 4. The base of the tub 88 is also provided ,with a sump having an outlet connected to the pump 134 for withdrawing water from the tub. The pump, which is supported from the spider 70, comprises an impeller 250, Fig. 17, mounted on a shaft 252, which carries, rotatably, the driving pulley 133 adapted to be coupled to the shaft 252 by a coiled spring 262 embracing the pulley 133 and a collar 259 fixed to the shaft. A lever, which is connected with the plunger of a solenoid 273, Fig. 33, mounted beneath the spider 70 normally engages a projection 265 on the spring 262 so that the latter does not act to lock the pulley to the shaft; on energization of the solenoid, the lever is withdrawn, and the spring 262 then permits the pulley to drive the pump. The solenoid 273 is connected in the electric control circuit for the machine so that it is energized automatically at the times when the pump is to operate to remove water from the tub. Water-level control mechanism.-A cylindrical member 284, Fig. 21, which is open at its upper end and communicates at its lower end through a flexible hose with the sump in the base of the tub 88, is disposed in the upper part of the cabinet adjacent the tub 88. Two independent bell-shaped float members 293, 294 are disposed in the cylinder 284, the lower float 294 being connected by a vertical rod 296 and lever 298 with a toggle switch 299, and the upper float 293 being connected by a lever 306 with a second toggle switch 307. The switches 299, 307 are included in the control circuit of the machine so that when they are actuated by alterations in the water-level in the tub, they control certain operations of the machine. For flushing the cylinder 284, a small amount of fresh water may be supplied thereto from the mixing valve 234 through a pipe 310. Control mechanism.-The electric control circuit for the machine comprises, as shown in Fig. 33, the driving motor 124, solenoids 273, 327, 344 for controlling the pump 134, agitator shaft 113 and basket shaft 101 respectively, and the water-level toggle switches 299, 307. In addition. it includes a timer 365 for the washing cycle comprising a shaft 366 rotated by a motor 365 in step-by-step action and provided with cams 377 ... 380 for controlling the various operations. The timer 363 is disposed under the cover of the machine, being controlled by a knob 55 which is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 366 so that it can turn the latter in one direction only. Associated with the timer, is a control unit 238 for directing the operation of the mixing valve 234 and consisting of two cams 397, 398 mounted on a shaft 396. A knob 54 on the shaft 396 permits the cams to