Patent GB-968842-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to pneumatically driven domestic appliances
Inventor: KOK ABRAHAM DE
IPC: D06F37/30
Filed: 1960-09-21
Abstract: 968,842. Rotary and oscillatory pneumatic motors. J. A. POUW. Sept. 21, 1960, No. 32389/60. Heading F1F. [Also in Division D1] A domestic appliance comprising an oscillatable or rotatable member driven by a pneumatic motor having an oscillatable vane or an eccentric rotor with sliding vanes, an electrically driven rotary pump supplying the pneumatic medium and at least one connecting stub between the pump and motor, with the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet openings of the motor not exceeding 0À2 atmosphere. As shown in Fig. 1, a washing machine tub 1, houses an agitator 5 driven by an oscillatable vane pneumatic motor 6 connected to the suction side of an electrically-driven domestic vacuum cleaner. The pneumatic motor comprises a cylindrical casing 8 having a cover member 9 to which is attached diametrical partitions 12 sealingly engaging the internal surface of the casing and the boss 13 of a double-acting oscillatable vane 14 secured to a shaft 4 driving the agitator. Beneath the casing is secured a manifold 16 by screws 17 which pass through holes 19 in the manifold and are screwed into holes 20 in the partitions. The manifold is formed with a stub 24 connected to the vacuum cleaner, ports 27a, 28a, 29a, 30a opening into the casing on opposite sides of the partitions 12 through openings 22a, 22b, 23b, 23a respectively and ports 27b, 28b, 29b, 30b controlled by a valve plate 31 having a cavity 32 so that when the valve plate is in one or other of its extreme positions, one diametrically opposite pair of ports, e.g. 28b, 29b are connected to the stub 24 through a central aperture and the other diametrically opposite pair of ports, e.g. 27b, 30b, are connected to atmosphere. The valve plate 31 is formed on its underside with abutments 33 which co-operate with a lever 34 freely journalled on the shaft 4 and connected by a spring-loaded link 35 and a pin 37 to the manifold 16 to form a kneejointed lever which engages pins 42 on a plate 41 secured to the shaft 4 such that as the shaft oscillates the pins 42 move the lever to one or other of its extreme positions which in turn through the abutments 33 moves the valve plate 31 to reverse the connections to the motor. In another embodiment, the pneumatic motor comprises a single vane 44, Fig. 4, mounted for oscillation in a cylindrical casing 43 formed with radial walls 46, 47 having therebetween a connection stub 51 to the suction side of the cleaner. Ports 49, 50, 52 co-operate with a member 53 whose side walls in combination with abutments 57, 58 on the casing 43 and a spring-loaded element 62 connects opposite sides of the vane alternately to vacuum and atmosphere. Other embodiments are described wherein the pneumatic motor comprises an outwardly sliding vane motor with two, three or four vanes fitted in radial slots in a rotor eccentrically mounted in a cylindrical casing. Instead of oscillating, the vanes may continuously rotate to drive a centrifuge, floor rubber, coffee mill, domestic mixer or other domestic appliance. To vary the output of the motor, the amount of opening of an aperture 106, Fig. 12, in a connecting, tube 105 between the pump and motor may be adjusted by a valve sleeve 107.