Patent GB-691478-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to washing machines for clothes and other fabrics
IPC: D06F23/04
Filed: 1950-06-30
Abstract: 691,478. Clothes washing and drying machines FITCH, C. K. Oct. 1, 1951. [June 30, 1950] No. 16433/50. Class 138 (ii). A clothes washing machine comprises a liquid container, a holder for clothes within the container, hydraulic means for raising and lowering the holder, means for rotating the holder at the higher level at a speed for centrifuging the clothes and means at that level for collecting the centrifuged liquid and leading it to a desired location. In one construction a casing 10 contains a tub 11 beneath which is arranged a driving motor 13 and a unit 14 driven from the motor consisting of a pump and timing device. A perforated clothes receptacle 19 is mounted within the tub 11 and this is driven from the motor 13 through a reversing gear and change speed mechanism 8 controlled by the timing gear through linkage 7. The receptacle is oscillated at low speed for washing within the tub and is raised out of the tub and rotated at high speed for rinsing and centrifugal drying. The receptacle 19 is mounted on a hollow shaft 17 having a piston 16 at its lower end which fits in a cylinder 15 which passes through the tub 11. The shaft 17 is rotated by a rod 25 to which it has a splined connection, this rod being driven by the motor and passing through a gland 26 in the bottom of the cylinder. The cylinder is connected to the outlet side of the pump in the unit 14 and when a water control cock 6 on the inlet side of the pump is opened, the piston 16 is raised on the cylinder so lifting the receptacle from the washing liquid. A short circuited pipe 31 is provided in the wall of the cylinder and when the piston passes the lower end water flows to the other side of the piston which then remains between the two openings of the pipe. If the pump is kept in operation water then flows through a port 32 in the shaft 17 and is discharged for rinsing through apertures 22 in the hub of the clothes receptacle. Water discharged from the receptacle by centrifugal force is collected by a trough 34 which has a two-way cock 35 so that washing liquid can be returned to the tub and rinsing liquid can be discharged to a drain 37. The lowering of the clothes receptacle into the tub is arranged either by providing a bleed-hole in the piston 16 or by arranging for reversal of the pump connections. An imperforate receptacle which discharges liquid from the rim may be substituted for the perforated clothes receptacle. In another construction a tub forming part of a casing 47 contains a clothes receptacle 40 which has imperforate side and bottom walls and which has two cylindrical walls 42, 43 extending upwardly from the centre of the bottom wall and arranged so that there is an aperture 44 between them. Rotatably mounted on the outer wall 42 near its bottom is a ribbed circular tray 45 which supports the clothes. Fitting closely within the inner wall 43 is an impeller 51 which is rotated by a reversible motor 49 below the base 48 of the tub and this base has a hollow support 52 on which the bottom wall of the clothes receptacle rests in the washing position. The outer wall 42 is slightly taller than the inner wall 43 and is closed by a cap 53. The inner wall carries at its lower end below the bottom of the receptacle one half 54 of a Fottinger coupling, the other half 59 of which is positioned on the impeller shaft immediately below the impeller. When the clothes receptacle 40 is resting on the support 52, washing liquid is circulated by the impeller from the tub through apertures 55 in the support 52, up the inside of the wall 43, and thence to the clothes receptacle underneath the tray 45, through the space 44 between the walls 42, 43 and openings in the bottom of the wall 42. The liquid impinges on vanes 56 on the underside of the tray and rotates it and then overflows the top of the receptacle into the tub. When washing is completed, the electric motor 49 is reversed and the impeller then sucks liquid from the receptacle 40 into the tub. The receptacle consequently rises in the tub until at its upper limit the two parts 54, 59 of the Fottinger coupling are opposite each other. The receptacle is then rotated by the coupling and liquid ejected by centrifugal force is collected in a trough 63. The receptacle 40 has a spindle 60 projecting from the cap 53 which engages a socket 61 in the casing lid in the centrifuging position. A circular r.insing pipe 66 connected to a supply pipe by a cock 67 is provided at the top of the casing 47. The motor 49 also drives a drain pump 73. This may be coupled through a control cock 69 either with the trough 63 or with the tub. The trough 63 may also be coupled directly by the cock to the tub so that washing liquid ejected in the first stage of centrifuging may be returned to the tub. The cock is interconnected with the motor control switches so that the motor runs forwardly, backwardly or is stopped depending on the position of the cock.