Patent GB-471970-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to washing and drying machines
IPC: D06F23/02
Filed: 1936-02-14
Abstract: 471,970. Washing and drying machines. HYDRAULIC BRAKE CO. Feb. 14, 1936, No. 4445. Convention date, Feb. 14, 1935. [Class 138 (ii)] [Also in Groups II and XXXVII] The oscillation of the clothes receptacle of a washing-machine during washing and rinsing and its subsequent rotation during centrifuging is automatically controlled from a constantly operating control element which may be electrically or spring driven. Between the rinsing and centrifuging stages the receptacle is accelerated at such rate as permits the articles to become disentangled and to such a speed as to cause them to distribute themselves evenly around the inside of the receptacle whereby centrifugal unbalance during the final and high speed rotation for drying is minimized. In the control shown in Fig. 8, a motor 10 is connected to the receptacle shaft through belt gearing and a separate motor 11 drives the control arm 24 and operates a switch 19 for reversing the motor 10 during certain phases of its operation. The motor 11 also operates a pump for discharging the washing liquids and a blower for circulating heated drying air. Valves 16, 7a in the liquid supply and discharge pipes are respectively opened and closed when solenoids 16a, 7b are energized by the controller and a liquid-level actuated switch 18c is provided to over-ride the effect of the controller on the supply valve 16 in certain circumstances. The operation is initiated by the manual rotation of the control arm clockwise until it contacts with a conductor strip A on a stationary disc. This closes the circuit to the motor 11 which moves the arm on to the strips D, C and B con. trolling respectively the valve 16, valve 7a and motor 10. The circuit of the latter includes the double-throw switch 19 operated from the motor 11 through reduction gear anc an eccentric 19g whereby the current passes alternately through the field windings 10a and 10b to reverse the motor and cause the receptacle to oscillate. The discharge valve opens before the supply valve is closed whereby the goods are rinsed. The liquid can discharge more quickly than it can be supplied so that, during rinsing, the goods are not submerged. During the rinsing, the motor 10 stops and the control arm advances to contact strip E to switch the motor in again with an adjustable resistance 27 in series with the field winding 10a in place of the resistance 26. When the control arm advances to the contact F the resistance 27 is cut out and the receptacle rotates at centrifuging speed. After centrifuging, the clothes are further dried by a current of hot air supplied by the blower operated by the motor 11 and a heater 28 is switched in as the control arm reaches the strip K. Simultaneously, the circuit to the motor 10 is broken and remade through the contact strip H and the reversing switch 19 so that during the final drying the receptacle oscillates at the comparatively low speed. The cycle of operations can be advanced at any stage by operating a control knob placed outside the stationary casing. Hot and cold water supply pipes 15, Fig. 4, enter a mixing valve 15b manually controlled from outside the casing through a shaft 15d and pass through a pipe 15c into the lower portion 17 of a partitioned annular chamber formed in the casing. The central aperture in the chamber registers with the loading aperture 8a of the receptacle and is closed by a door 1. Apertures 17c, Fig. 5, are formed in the lower compartment of the annular member for discharging the hot and cold water into the receptacle. The current of drying air is passed through an aperture 12c in the upper compartment of the annular member in which the heating unit 28 is mounted. In the form shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the control arm is driven by a spring motor, and the motor 30 driving the clothes receptacle rotates unidirectionally, a clutch being inserted in the transmission whereby the receptacle can be oscillated at low speed through a rocking quadrant or rotated at high speed through bevel gear. Movement of the clutch is controlled by an electromagnet 39 energized from the contacts L, T of the controller. The centrifuging speed is built up by successively cutting out portions of a resistance 50 as the control arm passes over the strips P, Q, R to the strip S. To start the controller or to accelerate any portion of the cycle, the shaft 43 carrying the arm 45 must be moved inwardly to break the circuit and to free the driving disc 41 of the spring motor from the driven disc 41a secured to the shaft 43. To prevent passing directly from the washing speed to the centrifuging speed or to prevent undue acceleration to the centrifuging speed, a shield 49 extends over and is spaced away from the contacts P, Q, R, S whereby when the arm 45 registers therewith it cannot be moved inwardly. Manual rotation of the shaft 43 in a counterclockwise direction rewinds the spring motor.