Patent GB-538243-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in washing machines
IPC: D06F34/08
Filed: 1940-03-20
Abstract: 538,243. Washing and drying machines. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd. March 20, 1940, No. 5222. Convention date, March 25, 1939. [Class 138 (ii)] [Also in Group II] A washing, rinsing and drying machine comprises a casing 1 housing a clothes receptacle 117 supported on a cradle 121 mounted on a tube 123 having bearings on a spindle 95 supported by a ball 95a on, and having a flexible drive connection through resilient cross arms 91 with, a spindle 68 mounted in a gear box 51 supported in a ring 23 secured within a skirt 22 extending below the bottom 21 of the casing 1. The casing is provided with a trough 190 to receive all liquid ejected from the receptacle, which escapes through a ring of apertures 118 near the top, and a telescopic spring-raised sleeve 244 extends from the trough and may be depressed to connect with an outlet aperture 228 in the bottom of the casing, which aperture is connected to the inlet of a pump 230 whose outlet 231 is connected to a tube 232 extending up through the casing for delivery on to a sieve 238 above the receptacle, and has a branch 243 near the foot for delivery to a drain. An agitator 141 in the receptacle is secured to the spindle 95 and is oscillated for washing, the receptacle remaining substantially at rest. For rinsing and extracting, the receptacle is driven in one direction only from the spindle 95 through a clutch 148 such as described in Specification 472,149, which operates automatically, on increase of speed. Bearings 97 between the tube 123 and the spindle 95 and bearings 115 between the lower part of the tube and a bracket 100 connecting the gear box and casing provide for flexibility of the spindle 95. The machine is driven from a motor 41 through belt 47 and shaft 50 which drives a worm wheel 53 having a crank for oscillating a rack 66 which may be engaged with pinion 67 on the spindle 68 to oscillate the agitator during washing. For rinsing and extracting the rack is disengaged and a clutch 71 is moved to drive a loose pinion 70 gearing with a pinion 69 to drive the spindle 68 at an appropriate speed, the; change being effected by a spindle 65 which is oscillated by an arm 186 from a cam 187 on a spindle 177 driven from a shifting motor 178 connected electrically to segments 309, 311-316 contacted by brushes 305, 306 on a spindle 308 driven by a timing motor 285 -and provided with manual adjustment means 298. Hot and cold water are supplied by pipes 187, 188 to a thermostatically controlled valve 193 which delivers through pipe 214 supplying the receptacle through pipe 218 for washing and also connected to the top of the tube 232 so that, when a sleeve valve 233 in this is lowered and provides a connection from the pump to the drain, flushing water can pass through the pipe 236 on to the sieve 238 above the receptacle. The sleeve valve 233 may be moved manually in the tube 232 by a rod 267 connected by a bracket 246 which also serves to depress the spring-raised sleeve 244 over the casing outlet 228 to the pump and complete circuits to the driving, shifting and timing motors whereby an automatic control of the machine is effected. During washing and oscillation of the agitator water escaping from the receptacle to the trough is directed to the pump and returned by the tube 232 to the receptacle through the sieve. During rinsing and rotation of the shaft 95 cleansing water is circulated, and during extraction the sleeve valve 233 is positioned to permit the sleeve 244 to rise above the outlet 228 and to connect the pump outlet to the drain. These operations are controlled by cams on a shaft 327 controlling circuits from the segments over which the brushes 305, 306 driven by the timing motor 285 move. A brake 159 controlled from the cam shaft 177 serves to arrest the drive of the spindle 68 in changing over from washing to extracting. The cover 2 of the casing is hinged by spring strip leaves which tend to raise the cover slightly when a spring catch is released, and also limit the opening of the cover by coming against an inwardly directed flange of the casing. The machine is supported on castors the brackets 31 of which are braced by a ring 32 and bear against springs 29 resting against brackets 35 on the rings 23; excessive vibration is checked by plates 34 hooking over the brackets 35 and engaging between friction plates 36 on the brackets 31. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 535,318.