Patent GB-795301-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to clothes washing machine
IPC: D06F13/08
Filed: 1955-08-11
Abstract: 795,301. Washing-machines. THOR CORPORATION. Aug. 11, 1955 [Feb. 21, 1955], No. 23151/55. Class 138 (2). A washing-machine comprises an agitator 75 positioned within a clothes tub 30 and supported on the upper end of a drive shaft 60 surrounded by a rotatable tubular shaft 48 supporting the tub 30, a support 114 carried on and rotatable with the tubular shaft 48, brake mechanism comprising a drum 110 operably associated with and rotatable with the support 114, and means providing a lost motion connection between the drum and support whereby the tub, tubular shaft and support are permitted to rotate a limited amount independently of the drum and while the brake is in operative position, as a result of rotative movement imparted to the tub and tubular shaft during normal washing operation of the agitator. General arrangement.-A suitable crank-head (not shown) is attached to the upper end of the drive shaft 60 and provided with a portion extending at a slight angle to the axis of the shaft 60. The crank-head is operably connected to a substantially circular dome like agitator mounting member 72 on which is mounted an agitator 75 which is free to rotate in one or both directions. An annular flexible sealing member 76 extends between the mounting member 72 and the bottom 38 of the tub 30. Gyration of the tub 30 during spin drying is reduced by means of one or more diagonallyextending snubber bars 78 provided at their ends with friction pads (Fig. 3, not shown) adapted to be pressed by springs into contact with recessed portions of brackets 20 mounted in the corners of the cabinet 10 of the washing machine. The bars 78 are secured by pins 80 and resilient grommets 82 to a plate 84 which is welded to a tubular member 60 surrounding the shafts 48, 60. Drive mechanism.-The brake drum 110 is surrounded by a brake band 100a having friction lining segments 110b and secured at one end to an anchor pin 98 welded to the plate 84. The other end of the brake band 100a is connected by a pin 102 to an actuating member 104 pivoted at 98 and biased towards its brakeapplying position by a coil spring 106. The lost-motion connection between the drum 110 and support 114 is provided by arcuate slots 118 (Fig. 8), in the drum through which pass bolts 117 interconnecting a plate 116 and a flange 112 on the support 114. The plate 116 has a cut-away portion 120 and an upwardlyextending lug 121 positioned so as to engage a rubber bumper 122 rigidly attached to the brake drum 110. The slots 118 permit limited rotation of the tub 30, shaft 48, support 114 and plate 116 relatively to the brake drum 110 when it is held stationary by the brake band 100a during the washing and rinsing periods when the tube tends to be rotated by the action of the rotating agitator. This limited rotation of the shaft 48 is used to move a clutch to its disengaged position. through the action of an actuating member 124 depending from the brake drum 110. The clutch comprises three elements 160, 170, 172 connected to the shaft 48 and a clutch drum 126 drivingly connected through a hub 128, pin 136 and slot 137 to the shaft 60. The hub 128 also has a resilient driving connection to a stub shaft 130 connected by a pulley 146 and belt 147 to a pulley 150 on the shaft of a driving motor 151. The clutch also comprises a metal band 156 having friction lining segments 157 and secured at its ends to arms 170a, 172a of the clutch elements 170, 172 respectively. The elements 170, 172 also have arms 170b, 172b respectively connected by a coil spring 176 and are capable of limited rotation relative to the shaft 48. The clutch element 160 has arms 166 bolted to arms 158 extending from the support 114 and lugs 168, 169 adapted to engage the arms 170a, 170b at different times in the operation. The element 160 also has an arm 165 supporting the band 156, and a hooked arm 164 connected by a coil spring 175 to the arm 172a. At the beginning of each agitation period the limited movement of the tub 30, shaft 48 and support 114 brings the clutch element 170 into engagement with the actuator member 124 which is held stationary by the brake mechanism, and disengages the clutch band lining from the clutch drum 126 (Fig. 11, not shown). During centrifuging periods the brake mechanism is released and the spring 176 tends to move the elements 170, 172 relatively to each other so as to press the clutch lining segments 157 into engagement with the clutch drum 126. The element 172 however is restrained by the spring 175 and the resulting snap action movement of the element 170 moves the arm 124 to its disengaged position (Fig. 9). As the tub is being accelerated up to its full speed the clutch element 170 engages the lug 168 (Fig. 10, not shown). When the tub 30 reaches full speed the clutch elements 170, 172 again assume the position seen in Fig. 9, with the element 172 abutting against the lug 169. If the load on the clutch increases above the normal torque load the clutch elements 170, 172 assume a position under the control of the spring 175 for limiting the torque output of the clutch. Water supply and discharge.-Water is supplied to the tub 30 through a conduit 232 (Fig. 27); under the control of a dual water valve 231 having solenoids 230, 233 for supplying warm and hot water respectively. By means of a control knob 221 either warm or hot water may be selected for washing but only warm water can be supplied for rinsing. The water fills the tub 30 and overflows through openings 32 into an outer tub 15 having an outlet 22 connected by a conduit 23 to a pump 24 driven by the motor 151. The inlet of the pump 24 is also connected by a hose 186 to a water reservoir 180 mounted on an arm 181 pivoted at 182 and biased upwardly by a spring 188. When sufficient water has entered the reservoir 180 to overcome the spring 188 the reservoir moves downwardly and through an arm 192 operates a switch 198 to stop the supply of water. The reservoir 180 is held in its lowered position by means of a notch 196 in the arm 192 which is biased by a spring 194 into engagement with the side of an opening in a channel member 141 through which the arm 192 extends. A bell-crank lever 204 pivoted to the channel member 141 can be operated by an arm 206 to release the arm 192 from the channel 141 but latch it in its lowered position. The rod 206 is connected to a lever 208 pivotally mounted at 210 on the channel member 141. The lever 208 is connected by a rod 212 to the brake actuator 104 the lower end of which is bent inwardly and journalled on a pin 98a in vertical alignment with the pin 98 (Fig. 27). The control switch 198 maintains the motor circuit open when the reservoir is at its uppermost position, which is limited by a lug 202 on the arm 192. When the reservoir 180 is moved downwardly by the weight of water therein the switch 198 is actuated to close the motor circuit and operate the pump 24 to remove the water in the hose 23 and from the reservoir 180 and hose 186. The reservoir 180 remains latched in its lowered position however to maintain the motor circuit closed. This latching is effected during washing and rinsing periods by engagement of the notch 196 with the channel member 141, and during spin drying by the bell-crank lever 204 which is moved to its operative position as soon as the brake mechanism is released. After the spinning period the brake is re-applied and the actuator 104 moved in counter clockwise direction to move the bell-crank 204 out of latching engagement with the arm 192. The reservoir 180 then moves upwardly under the control of the spring 188 to reactuate the switch 198 to re-admit water to the tub 30. The reservoir 180 has a vent pipe 184, and the pump 24 has a drain hose 23a extending upwardly and having a portion fastened to the frame of the machine above the height of the reservoir 180. Timer control mechanism.-This comprises a control assembly 240 having a control knob 220, and an actuating assembly 242 associated with the drive mechanism of the machine. The knob 220 is mounted on a shaft bearing a water control cam 250, a cycling cam 252, an actuating ratchet 254, and a line switch cam 256. The cam 250 has a follower 260 adapted to operate a switch 228 to ensure that only the warm water solenoid 230 is actuated for rinsing purposes. The cam 252 has a follower 262 connected by a Bowden wire 263 to a blocking member 396 pivoted at 311 and biased to the right in Fig. 27 by a spring 398. The cam 252 has notched portions which determine the length of the extraction periods during which the tub and agitator are rotated together, and raised portions which determine the length of the washing and rinsing periods when the agitator is rotated alone and the tub held stationary. The cam 256 has a follower 276 rigidly connected to a switch arm 280 normally biased to the left in Fig. 27. The cam 256 has three deep notches for completing a circuit to the switch 198, a shallow notch portion for holding the switch amr 280 in the neutral position, and raised portions for completing a circuit to the motor 151. The ratchet 254 and cams 250, 252, 256 are stepped rotatively as a unit by a finger 267 pivoted at 268 and connected by a Bowden wire 270 to a member 324 journalled on a shaft 311. A spring biased keeper 264 prevents reverse rotation of the ratchet and cams. Also journalled on the shaft 311 are a ratchet wheel 310 and a carrier 315 (Fig. 15), for a pawl 312 pivotally mounted at 314 on the carrier 315 and urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 310 by a leaf-spring 318. The carrier 315 is oscillated about the shaft 311 by means of a downwardly extending lug 330 which enters an opening 334 in a yoke member 300 pivoted at 301 on the channel member 141. The yoke member 300 is itself oscillated by means of an eccentric 298 which engages flanges 302 on the yoke member and is rigidly connected to the upper surface of a gear 292 driven by a toothed portion 2