US1410652A - Washing and wringing machine - Google Patents

Description

F. M. CASE. WASHING AND WRINGING MACH|NE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, I920. 1,4105652, Y Patented Mar- 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WINK? lnvenfi or: Fracis M Case F. M. CASE.- WASHING AND wmwame MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1920. 1,410,65g, Patented. Mar. 28, 1922..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lnvendor; Francis M.Cas,

UNHTED STATES Parent @FFHCE.

FRANCIS M. CASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T

THE FOOTE-BURT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WASHING AN D WRINGING MACHINE.

* Application filed May 5,

To all whom it may concern:

- type referred to. and

Beit known that I, FRANCIS M. CAsE, a citizen of the- United States, residin at Cleveland, inthe county of 'Cuyahoga, tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Washing and Wringing Machines, of which the to owing is a specification.

The present invention relates to power driven washing and wringing machines and particularly to such machines of the type comprising one or a number of suction cups or bells for washing which are reciprocated vertically and at the same time given a step by step rotary motion around the tub containing the material to be washed, and a suitable wringer for wringing the material after it is washed. In general, the power shaft for the washing mechanism and the wringer of such a machine is driven by a small electric motor and in the pres ent instance I have illustrated such an arrangement but it will be understood that my invention is not necessarily limited thereto, nor is it in some aspects limited to the specific type of washing machine re-v ferred to.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved structure and arrangement in a washing and wrin ing machine of the For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of a washing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view of: part of the operating mechanism 1n a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views of details, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 being on an enlarged scale; Fig. 7 .is a side elevation of the machine,

part of it being shown in section at a right Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 379,161.

cation for having the gear casings and motor bolted thereto as will appear hereinafter. There are preferably three posts13 and two of them extend down below'the frame as indicated at 14 to form supportng legs for the machine. The third post is supported at its lower end-in a socket 15, Fig. 7 on the top of a gear casing and dlrect ly under it is a third leg 16 for the machine. The gear casing comprises a top portion 17 preferably formed integral with base ring 11 and a bottom portion 18 which is suitably bolted to top portion 17 and has a socket 19 to receive the upper end of leg 16. The bottom portion 18 of the gear casing has an open side which faces inwardly and is closed by a wall 20 of a gear and clutch casing 21 which is bolted to base plate 11 as indicated at 22. The bottom casing portion 18 has a projection 18 on which casing 21 rests and to which it is secured by bolt 23. Carried by the casing wall 20 is a bearing 24 in which is located one end of a driving shaft 25. The end of driving shaft 25 projects beyond bearing 24 and hasfixed thereon a bevel pinion 26 which meshes with a bevel gear 27 on the lower end of a wringer driving shaft 28. VVringer shaft 28 xtends through the tubular post 13 which isdirectly over leg 16 and at its upper end is provided with a coupling member 29 by means of which it is coupled to the driving shaft of a wringer. The particular wringer structure forms no part of the present invention and hence is not illustrated. It will be understood that any suitable wringer may be used and preferablyit will be pivoted on the top of post 13 through which shaft 28 extends, so it may swing in a horizontal plane and will be provided with a suitable reversing mechanism, so it may be run in either direction or stopped. WVith this arrangement it will be noted that the wringer is supported directly over and by leg 16 so that it has a firm support and that a single tube serves for supporting the wringer, housing the driving :shaft for it, and also to make up a part of the washing machine frame. 7

In the wall of casing 21 opposite wall 20 is a bearing 30 (Figs. 7 and 8) in which is mounted a short, hollow shaft 31 for driving the moving parts of the washing machine, this shaft being hereinafter termed the washing machine shaft. The outer end of shaft 31 extends beyond bearing and on such end is fastened a crank arm 32. The other end of driving shaft 25 is located in hollow washing machine shaft 31 which forms a bearing for it and is provided with a shoulder 33 which engages the'end of shaft 31. Hollow shaft 31 has a shoulder 34 which engages the inner end of bearings 30. Fixed on driving shaft 25 with one end flusli with shoulder 33 is. a worm wheel 35, the same being located at about the center of casing 21. On shaft 25, between the .hub

of worm wheel 35 and casing wall 20 is a spacing sleeve 36, and on shaft 31' on the other side of worm wheel 35 is a sliding clutch member 37 which is caused to turn with shaft 31 by a spline 38. As is clear from a consideration of the arrangement, shafts 25 and 31 are independently rotatable and are both fixed against axial movement.

Clutch member 37 is adapted to connect and disconnect driving shaft 25 to and from washing machine shaft 31 and to this end it is provided with pins 39, two for example, adapted to engage in holes 40 in worm wheel 35. As shown in Fig. 9 the worm wheel is provided with runways 41 for directing pins 39 into holes 40. In Fig. 8 the clutch is shown engaged to connect shaft 25 to shaft 31. Clutch member 37 is moved by a crank arm 42 carried on the inner end of a shaft 43 and provided with a pin 44 located in a groove 45 in clutch member 37. Shaft 43 is rotatably mounted .in gear casing 21 and fixedon its outer end is a lever arm 46 which is connected to a crank 47 on the lower end of rod 48 by means of a link 49. On the upper end of rod 48 is a handle 50 for turning it. As is obvious the clutch can be engaggd and disengaged by turning handle 50 0d 48 is arranged to have a small amount of axial movement and is held yieldingly upward by a spring 51. In the under ed e of top rim 12 are notches 52 with which 3. ug 52 on handle 50 engages to fasten the clutch in either position, rod 48 moving axially'against the action of spring 51 to'permit the handle to move from one notch to the other. -Meshing' with worm wheel 35 is a worm 53 carried on the end of a shaft 54. Shaft 54 has a bearing in casing 21 as shown at. 55, Fig. 2, and is connected through a suitable coupling 56 to the shaft of an electric motor 57 which is bolted to the underside of base ring 11 and web 11. Coupling 56 is of a type which. can

be readily disconnected such as a jaw conpling. In the motor shaft is a centrifu al slip coupling 56 which is adapted to slip in case of overload on the motor, such coupliriglbeing of any suitable type.

en motor 57 is running, driving shaft 25 and wringer shaft 28 will be continuously rotated, and washing machine shaft 31 may .be connected to and'disconnected from shaft 25 at will by means of clutch member 37.

Referring now particularly to Sheet one of the drawing, at the center of tub 10 is fixed an upwardly extending tube 60 through which extends a tubular shaft 61 carrying at its upper end a yoke '62 on which are suction clips or bells 63 for washing. As many cups 63 may be provided as found desirable, two being shown in the present instance. Tubular shaft 61 has a sliding fit with tube 60 at the upper and lower ends of tube 60 and at the upper end is a sleeve nut i 64 and packing gland which make a water- 'tight joint at such point, which point is sufliciently high to be above thenorm-al level of the water in the tub. In the lower end of tubular shaft 61 is a solid shaft 65 which projects some distance. below the end of shaft 61 and is fastened to it by a pin 66 (Fig. 5) which serves also to fasten a collar 67 in place on shaft 65,-tubu1ar shaft 61 terminating in a recess in collar 67. On the lower end of shaft 65 is fixed acollar 68 and I resting on it and rotatable on shaft 65 is a sleeve 69. rovided with an arm 70 on the end of which isa pin 71 and with a lug 72 in which is located a pawl 73 which is 'pressed by a spring 74 into engagement with the teeth on a ratchet wheel 75 which isfixed on shaft 65, just above sleeve 69. On shaft 65', between ratchet wheel 75 and col lar 67 is a loose sleeve 76 providedwith a pair of trunnions 77 on which is pivoted a link comprising two plates 78 spaced apart by lugs 79, Fig. 4, formed integral with plates 78 and fastened together by a rivet 80 which extends through the plates and lugs. Plates 78 are provided with trunnions 81. Depending from base plate 11 is a bracket 82, Figs. 1 and 2, on the end of which is pivoted one end of a bent operating lever 83. Lever 83 is preferably made of two spaced strips as best shown in Fig. 3 and at its other end these strips are spread apart to form furcations which have-open-' ings through which trunnions 81 extend. Operating leve'r'83 is thus pivoted at one end to bracket 82 and at the other end it is pivoted to vertical shafts 61 and 65 through the link comprising plates 78. Fastened to one side of lever 83 is an arm 84 having a hole in its end through which pin 71 projects. Operating lever 83 is connected to crank arm 32 by a link 85 which at one end is pivoted to the end of crank arm 32 and at the other end is pivoted to lever 83 at a point between its ends. It will be noted that the sleeve 69 which carries pawl 73 is at the lower end of shaft 65 and that sleeve 76 to which the main operating lever 83 is connected is above sleeve 69 and ratchet wheel 75. This arrangement serves to bring the operating lever up as close as possible to the and out of the way. A spring 86 is provided to counterbalance the operating lever 85 and associated parts, such spring having one end connected to lever 83 and the other to rib 11 In operation, when the motor is running and the washing machine shaft 31 is clutched to power shaft 25, shaft 31 will be rotated thus: rotating crank arm 32, which through link 85 will oscillate operating lever 83 on its pivot on bracket 82. The end of operatin lever 83 which is pivotall-y connected to s aft 65 will move down and up in the arc of a circle thus reciprocating shafts 61, and 65 and suction cups 63.". The extent of this reciprocating movemeilt is indicated by Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 1 shdwing the parts at the upper limit of their movements and Fig. 2 showing them at the lower limit of their movements. 'The linliconnect'ion between operating lever 83 and. shaft 65 permits the end of lever 83 to move along the arc of a circle, the link pivoting on trunnions 77. When the parts are at the top of their stroke as shown in Fig. 1 arm 84 is horizontal and as the parts move downward the outer end of such arm, in moving along the arc of a circle, about the pivot point on bracket 82, turns sleeve 69 toward the left as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and moves pawl 73 one notch in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 6. On the return stroke sleeve 69 will be turned by'arm 84 in the opposite direction ratchet wheel on each up stroke.

and pawl 73 will turn ratchet wheel 75 and hence shafts 61 and 65:and suction cups one notch. As the motor operates, therefore, the suction cups will be continuously reciprocated and turned with a step by step motion, being turned by one notch of the The method of washing with a machine of this type 1s well known and needs no description.

With the above-described arrangement I obtain a washing machine and wringer op crating mechanism which is compact and in which the moving parts are brought up close to the bottom of the tub where they are out of the way and out of sight. The a1- rangement of the gearing casings gives, a structure which comprises a minimum number of parts and which is easy to assemble I and dismantle. It will be noted that the one gear casing 21 carries the worm wheel 35, the clutch member 37 and the shafts 25 and 31 on which they are mounted and it carries rock shaft 43 for movingclutch member 37 and also the worm 53 and shaft 54. By disengaging link49 from lever arm 46 and link up the'shafts and in keeping them aligned. This makes the assembling of the mechanism very simple and avoids having a number of separate parts which must be nicely finished and accurately assembled relatively to each other. In assembling the machine, all the parts carried by and in gear casing 21 may be assembled in it as a complete unit and correctly adjusted relatively to each other. This unit may be then fastened to the frame of the machineand the links 49 and 85 and the motor shaft coupled up. As is obvious, none of these couplings requires more than ordinary accuracy. As regards the wrin'ger shaft 28 and bevel gear 27, these may have a small amount of axial play so that gear 27 will come into correct meshing engagement with bevel pinion 26.

Theuse of a worm and worm wheel for getting the desired speed reduction between the electric motor and the cup actuating 'means is highly advantageous because they practically eliminate noise and vibration which are so objectionable in household appliances. By preference, the worm is hard ened and ground to ensure accuracy. By 10- cating these arts in a separate casing they may be effectively lubricated by a soft grease and the latter properly confined against leakage.

The provision of rings at the top and bottom of the tub in which the legs are snugly seated ensures a rigid frame construction which is not liable to distortion or other in,- jury and the proper alignment of the parts is preserved. The upper ring also serves to brace the wringer support and to properly distribute the strains, incident to the use of the wringer, to the frame as a whole.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means. e e

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a-washing and wringing machine, the combination with a frame having a tubular spacing post, a wringer shaft therein, a tub, and washing mechanism in the tub, of a unitary structure fixed to the underside of the frame for driving said wringer shaft and washing mechanism, said structure comprising a gear casing, driving mechanism in said gear casing, and means connecting said driving mechanism to said wringer shaft and said washing mechanism, said unitary structure being adapted to be attached to and removed from the frame as a unit.

2. In a washing and wringin machine, the combination with a frame havmg a tubular spacing post, a wringer shaft therein, a tub, and washing mechanism in the tub, of a unitary structure fixed to the under side of the frame for driving said wringer shaft and washing mechanism,said structure comprising a gear casing, driving mechanism in said gear caslng, means connecting said drlving mechanism to said wringer shaft and to said washing mechanism, said unitary structure being adapted to be attached to and removed from the frame as a unit, and supporting legs for said machine, one of which is located directly beneath said spacing post.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a frame, a tub supported therein and washing mechanism in the tub, of a unitary structure detachably connected to the under side of said frame, and through which the washing mechanism is actuated and controlled, said structure comprising a casing, a washing machine shaft and a power shaft journaled in walls of said casing, a clutch for connecting them and means journaled in a casing wall for operating'said clutch; and means connecting the washing machine shaft to said washing mechanism.

4. The combination with a frame, tub

therein, washing mechanism in the tub. a

wringer shaft carried by the frame anda motor fixed beneath the frame, .of a unitary structure detachably connected to the under side ofothe frame, through'which the motor supplies power to the washing mechanism and wringer shaft, said unitary structure comprising a gearcasing, a power shaft, a washing machine shaft and a driving shaft all journaledin walls of the casing and each having an end projecting beyond the casing, and means connecting the projecting end of said power shaft to the wringer shaft, the projecting end of the washing machine shaft to the washing mechanism, and the driving shaft to the motor.

5. The combination with a frame, a tub therein, washing mechanism in the'tub, a wringer shaft carried by the frame and a motor fixed beneath the frame, of a unitary structure detachably connected to the under side of the frame through which the motor supplies power to. the washing mechanism and wringer shaft, said unitary structure comprising a gear casing, a power shaft, a washing machine shaft, a driving shaft, and

a clutch operating means all journaled in walls of the casing, and. means connecting the power shaft to the wringer shaft, the

washing machine shaft to the washing mech anism and the driving shaft tothe motor.

side thereof, a clutch in the casing for connecting" said shafts together, a. vertical wringer shaft geared to the projecting end of said power shaft, a tube forming a part of said frame and through which said wringer shaft extends, washing mechanism in said tub, means connecting the washing machine shaft to said washing machine mechanism, and supporting legs for said frame one of which is directly beneath said frame tube.

7. In a washing machine, the combination of a frame, a tub, a vertical shaft extending up through the'bottom of the tub, suction cups earned by the upper end of said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said shaft adjacent its lower end, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft beneath said ratchet wheel and provided with a spring pressed pawl which engages the teeth on the ratchet wheel, a

second sleeve mounted on the lower end of vertical shaft, a washing machine shaft hav ing a crank arm on one end thereof, a link connecting said crank arm to said operating lever at a point between its ends, and a power shaft for driving said washing machine shaft. a

In a washing machine, a frame comprising a top ring, a base ring and a plurality of tubes which hold them in spaced relatlon to each other, at least two of said tubes extending beyond the frame to form supporting legs, a wringer shaft which extends through a third tube and has a gear wheel on its lower end, a power shaft having a pinion'which meshes with said gear wheel, a casing for said ear wheel and pinion, which casing is fixe to said'frame, and another leg for the machine which engages said casing -directly below said third tube.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of May, 1920.

FRANCIS, M. CASE.

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