Patent GB-598086-A (GB)
Title: Washing machine
IPC: D06F37/22
Filed: 1945-07-28
Abstract: 598,086. Centrifugal machines. PAGE, H.E. July 28, 1945, No. 19356. Convention date, July 11, 1944. [Class 23] [Also in Group VIII] A washing-machine comprising a basket 25 rotatable about a horizontal axis within a cylindrical wash chamber 6 is provided with a horizontal drive shaft 15, which is rotatably supported by two axially-spaced bearings 16, 17 arranged in the casing 5 of the machine, and to which the wash basket is resiliently secured in such manner as to rotate with the drive shaft and permit it to tilt with its longitudinal axis about a point located within this axis and within the space occupied by the basket. The chamber 6 is mounted on legs 8 within the casing 5, and the shaft 15 is driven from a motor M by a belt 21. The basket 25 is resiliently mounted on the shaft 15 by means of a rubber hub 28, which is secured in a socket 30 formed in the wall 31 of the basket and carries a metal bush 29 keyed to the shaft. Disposed annularly of the basket is an outer wall 35 divided by radial partitions 36 into a plurality of liquid-catching cups 40, which communicate with the interior of the basket through perforations 41 in the periphery of the basket. The front of the wall 35 of each cup 40 is provided with a discharge port 43 provided with a valve 45 which is urged on to its seat by a spring 48. The stem 46 of each valve 45 is connected to a pivoted actuating-rod 55, which is disposed on the back wall of the basket and carries a cam roller 59 at its inner end for engaging one of a number of cam slots 52 on the front face of a disc 51. The disc 51 is slidably carried on a collar 50 on the shaft 15 and is provided with radial slots 58 for guiding lateral arms 58a on the rods 55. Two oppositelydisposed weights 60 are pivotally secured at their inner ends by pins 61 to ears 63 on a collar 64 on the shaft 15 as shown in Fig. 2. These weights are normally urged into the inclined position shown in Fig. 1 by springs 65 so as to engage the disc 51 and cause it to slide to the left on the shaft 15. In this position, the cam surfaces 52 on the disc 51 engage the rollers 59 so as to cause the rods 55 to open the valves 45. When, however, the shaft 15 is rotated, the weights are swung by centrifugal action into a vertical position and a spring 70 slides the disc 51 to the right with the result that the valves 45 are opened. When the machine is in operation, with the basket 25 and drum 6 filled with water to the level L, the basket will, because of the rubber hub 28, tend to rotate about an inclined axis, such as that indicated at A in Fig. 1. Since, however, the cam rollers 59 are always in engagement with the cam surfaces 52, any inclination of the axis of rotation will cause one or more of the rods 55 to open the corresponding valve or valves 45, thereby releasing water from the relative cups 40 and restoring the dynamic balance of the machine. After the articles have been washed, the water may be drained from the drum 6 through a valve 75, and the basket then rotated in order to extract moisture from the articles. The drum 6 is provided with an inwardly-flanged opening 10 on its front face adapted to be closed by a door 11 carrying a sealing gasket 12.