Patent GB-999510-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electric switch programing devices
IPC: D06F34/08
Filed: 1961-07-25
Abstract: 999,510. Washing machines. CROUZET. July 25, 1961 [July 30, 1960; March 11, 1961], No. 26828/61. Heading D1A. [Also in Divisions F2 and H2] A reversible electric motor 39 preferably synchronous, drives a programme drum or cam (not shown) for a washing machine, for example, via a ratchet step-by-step mechanism (Fig. 1) which requires a uni-directional drive, and change in direction of rotation of the motor 39 is used to produce a different driven arrangement whereby the programme drum may be driven or not whilst a perforated washing cylinder continues to be oscillated. The step-by-step mechanism comprises a gear wheel 18 driving a cam 15 (Fig. 1) through a lost-motion coupling such that a lever 8 pivoted at 7 and carrying a cam follower 9 is urged to the left until the nose 15a of the cam 15 passes the follower 9, whereupon the lost motion coupling allows lever 8 (under action of spring 10) to push the cam 15 suddenly forward, causing a roller 16 thereon to engage the end 11c of a driving pawl 11. Pawl 11 is slidingly pivoted on a pin 13 and is therefor moved back until roller 16 slips off the end 11c whereupon spring 10 rapidly restores pawl 11 to the position shown and in so doing causes the part 11b to step the ratchet wheel 2 and turn shaft 3. The ratchet wheel 2 may be stepped manually by means of a control knob integral with shaft 3, but thus can only occur if pawl 11 is free to rock about pin 13 and may be prevented by axial movement of shaft 3 into the path of heel 11d. Axial movement of shaft 3 may be used to open a main switch when it is desired to operate the ratchet wheel 2 by hand. The shaft 3 carries a programming drum or cam (not shown) and also three selector cams 32, 33 and 34 (Fig. 2). Each cam 32, 33 and 34 has an associated change-over switch 35, 36 and 37 respectively in series with selector switches 40, 41 and 42, arranged such that only one can be closed at a time. Thus switches 40, 41 and 42 select which change-over switch 35, 36 or 37 is in the circuit of motor 39 and the selected change-over switch serves to keep reversing the direction of rotation of motor 39 according to the profile of its associated cam 32, 33 or 34. As shown in Fig.3 pinion 28 is permanently meshed with gear-wheel 21 and a uni-directional ratchet clutch 40 (Figs. 4 and 5) acts between a pin 42 on wheel 18b and pin 41 on cam 15. The cam 15, member 40 and wheel 18b are rotatable on fixed shaft 14. Cams 43, rigid with wheel 18b operate a reversing switch (not shown) of a motor (not shown) which oscillates a perforated cylinder of a washing machine and they provide this function irrespective of their direction of rotation. Thus one direction of rotation of motor 39 produces operation of the washing cylinder only, while reverse rotation of motor 39 (and hence wheel 18b in this embodiment) continues the oscillation of the cylinder but also drives cam 15 and hence the step-bystep mechanism and the programming arrangement. This arrangement may be used to oscillate a washing cylinder for a pre-wash period and to start the programme cycle automatically when the wash water reaches a predetermined temperature. A thermostat initially closed a change-over switch (Fig. 6, not shown) to cause motor 39 to drive wheel 18 in the direction in which clutch member 40 "free-wheels". When hot the thermostat switch suddenly changes over and reverses motor 39, thus causing wheel 18 to drive cam 15 also. The first movement of the step-by-step mechanism operates a cam switch to by-pass the thermostat controlled switch whilst a further cam (not shown) stops the heating.