Improvements in Washing Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
ALONZO ABRAM CASLER, Manufacturer, Lestershire, Broome Co., State of New
York, U.S.A., and THOMAS BURR CRARY, Capitalist, 28, Chenango Street, Bing-
hamton, State of New York, U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to washing machines, and particularly to that class which
embodies a rotating tub, and a rubber, either stationary or revolving in the
same direction as the tub, but at a different speed, or in an opposite direction.
It is to remedy certain existing difficulties, that we have made this invention,
embodying a tub, a pivot therefor having double-ball-bearings one above the other,
one of which at least, engages with said pivot to prevent its lateral oscillation;
a bracket arm extending partially around and over the centre of the tub, and
provided with means whereby the rubber is normally both suspended therefrom
and prevented from revolving, and also permitting said rubber to be raised,
shifted upon its support, remaining partly within and partly above the tub, but
so that it will drip or drain into it; and also embodying means, as a spring for
checking the momentum of the rotating tub, and overcoming or aiding in over-
coming the inertia of the tub, when it is desired to change the direction of the
semi-rotation or reciprocatory swing.
It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation.
Fig. 2, is a vertical section on line a, a, enlarged.
Fig. 3, is a bottom plan of the tub on the lower line y, y.
Fig. 1, is a top plan of the rubber.
Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation of part of the rubber showing its stem, the ways
therein and the centre guide.
Fig. 6, is a cross section on the upper line y, y, in Fig. 2.
A is a suitable tub, having a plate 2, secured under its bottom, provided with a
central boss 3 which constitutes the pivot pin, and also having a ball-race 4 in
its lower face.
A suitable plate 5 is suitably adapted to hold the legs fi. It is also provided
with a ball-bearing member 7 coinciding with the race 4. It is also provided with
a tubular boss 8 freely receiving the pivot pin 3, and is interiorly recessed to
create one member of a ball bearing 9, or to receive both members, the lower
member being adjustably held by the washer 10 and nut 11.
In this manner a double ball bearing is created in different planes and of
varying radii, whereby the tub is supported in a horizontal plane, and the pivot
pin is laterally supported and prevented from moving laterally.
Arms 12 integral with or secured to the plate 5 extend out beyond the edge of
the tub, carrying the uprights 13 to which are secured the fork-ends of the
Price 8d.1

page_text: outer end of the arm 14 which is provided on its inner end at the centre of the
tub with a tubular sleeve 15 which is also vertically grooved as at 16.
The bottom of the tub is provided with suitable rubbing-ribs 17, as upon
radial lines around a central boss 18.
A suitable rubber 19 provided upon its under side with a central and perforated
boss 20 and suitable rubbing ribs 21, and is provided with a support consisting of
feet 22 parallel uprights 23, a cross bar connecting them, and a hand-grip 24
upon said cross-bar.
These uprights are provided with ribs or ways 25 upon their inner faces,
which are broken off adjacent to the rubber, and which normally enter the grooves
in the sleeve 15.
An arm 26 projects from the plate 5 provided with a longitudinally grooved
head 27, and 28 is a spring suitably connected to said head, and to the edge of
the tub, whereby, when said tub is rotated upon its pivot, the inner end of said
spring will traverse said head until it reaches the end of said slot, and the centri-
fugal momentum of the tub will then produce a tension upon the spring to stop
the tub, and then this tension will exert its force to overcome the inertia and start
the tub to swing, or rotate in the opposite direction; and thus this spring performs
an important function greatly assisting an operator, as in some cases the tub and
contents will weigh several hundred pounds, and thus require great exertion in
stopping or starting and swinging it when it is swung to and fro with only a
partial rotation each way.
The double ball-bearing performs these functions: first, the upper one carries
the weight, and second, as the balls of the lower one bear against the outer surface
of the pivot, they prevent any swinging of the pivot and vertical oscillation of the
tub, and thereby maintain the ribs in the tubs, at all times in parallelism with
those of the rubber.
Also the rubber is maintained in like parallelism and prevented from revolving
by the joint action of the ways engaging with the sleeve, and also by the aid of
the guide pin 29 pendant from the cross-bar of said uprights, and which passes
through said sleeve.
To remove the rubber, to obtain access to the clothing, or for other purposes,
it is lifted until the ways and guide-pin are free from the sleeve 15, which sleeve
is then in the space 30, and then the rubber can be tilted over and slid along
on the arm 14 into the position shown by the dotted lines, whereby the tub is
opened and all of the water or suds will drain into the tub.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, provided with a central
pivot, of a support for said tub, a ball-bearing between said tub and the top of said
support, and concentric with said pivot to carry the weight, and a second ball-
bearing in said support around and bearing laterally against said pivot, whereby
said pivot is prevented from swinging laterally.
2. In a washing machine, the combination with a support, a tub centrally
pivoted thereon, and a rubber within said tub, of an upright upon said support
exterior to said tub, an arm projecting over the tub from said upright, a sleeve
upon said arm, parallel uprights upon said rubber, provided with ways for part of
their length, with which said sleeve engages, whereby when said rubber is raised
and said sleeve disengaged from said ways, said rubber can be tilted and moved
laterally and outwardly upon said arm to the side of the tub.
3. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, and a rubber within it,
of parallel uprights secured to said rubber, ways upon said uprights for part of
their length, a sleeve grooved to engage with said ways, and means to support said
be disengaged
sleeve over the centre of said tub and rubber, whereby said ways can,
from said sleeve and said rubber tilted.

page_text: 4. The combination with a tub, a disk secured thereto, and a pivot pin upon said
disk, of two separate concentric ball-bearings in parallel planes, one engaging
with said disk to support it and the tub in a vertical line, and the other engaging
with said pin in a plane at a right angle to the line of the support of said disk
and tub.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.