US2272029A - Bearing and seal - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3,1942.' v B, A, B'ENSQN 'l V2,272,0-29- BEARING AND SEAL l FiledAug. 27, 1958 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Bernhari: assi'gnor to Chicago Electric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation o! Illinois Application August 27, 1938, Serial No. 227,053

6 Claims. (Cl. 30S-36.1)

tial that the washing zone be kept free fromcontamination by dirt or debris, and to this end the associated moving parts should be so arranged and shielded as to prevent ingress to the washing zone of any lubricant employed therein.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a simple and eicient sealing means i'or enclosing the operative drive mechanism in a washing machine, as above, which will eiiectually prevent communication between the contents thereof and the adjacent portions of the washing machine.

The present invention yet more particularly is concerned with a washing machine of the type wherein the drive motor and the transmission mechanism are mounted on the cover and prei'- erably centrally thereof, and provides a driving connection with an agitator arranged therebelow in the washing zone. closed more particularly in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 175,450, led November 19, 1937, and 201,947, iiled April 14, 1938, of which applications the present is a continuation in part.

It will be apparent that in structures of this type there is a denite tendency for grime or residuum to pass downwardly through the drive mechanism and thus pass directly into the washing zone. It is a further object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a washing device of the above type wherein the driving means is mounted on the upper portion of the machine and over the washing zone, but wherein the driving mechanism is encased and sealed against passage of contaminating matter in a downward direction.

Yet another'object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine, as above, wherein the present invention will 'become more apparent throughout the progress ,of the following speci` cation, when taken in connection with the- 8.6--A companying drawing. wherein:

Such a machine is'dls- Figure 1 is a detail plan view of a bearing seal construction shown in operative position on a washing machine. v f

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the .line 6--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sealing diaphragms and holding ring shown in Figure 2,

the parts being disclosed in disassembled relationship.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken centrally through a modified form of the bearing seal.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective yview of the sealing member shown in Figure 5. I

Figure 8,is a perspective view of the retaining ring shown in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein one embodiment of the invention is disclosed in detail, Figures 1 to 4 show a bearing and sealing assembly such as may be utilized, for example, on a washing machine drive unit 24.

The bearing and sealing assembly 5I consists of a supporting plate 58 extending between spacer blocks 52, this plate terminating in the aforementioned supporting flanges 56 but being displaced downwardly from the plane of said anges by downwardly extending, inclined wall portions 60. 'I'he plate may be rigidied by'ribs or channel shaped depressions 62, stamped or otherwise formed therein. Centrally the plate 58 is deformed downwardly, as at 64, in a plurality of conical steps or flanges terminating in a central aperture or perforation. A bearing 66 for the shaft 50 is mounted in the recess thus formed, its end being forced through the central aperture and thus ilrmly engaged by the surrounding axially inclined ange. I

A retaining plate S8, centrally apertured and provided with an annularly and upwardly extending ange l0, is mounted on top of the plate 58, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the upper edge of the flange i0 firmly engages the bearing $5 adjacent its upper end. *The retaining plate is in turn retained upon the supporting plate 5l through the agency of struck-out portions i2 formed over and clampingly engaging opposite ends of the former plate.

An oil-retaining felt or washer 'Il may be positioned within the space between the plate 5I and the downwardly deformed portion 6I of the lower plate. So, also, the peripheral portion of the flange 10 is deformed inwardly in a recess in the bearing 66, as at 16, to interlock the parts against relative rotation.

In order to provide the bearing 66'with an adequate supply of lubricant at all times, a fibrous washer or mat 'I8 embraces the shaft and bearing just above the plate 68 (Fig. 2), being retained firmly in position by a cap or casing 8|). The cap or casing 80 has a peripheral flange or foot 82 which resides against the supporting plate 58, but it should -be noted that opposed portions of said flange are separated therefrom and formed downwardly, as at 84, so that they extend through the apertures provided by the struck-out members 12 and clampingly engage the cover member 80 in the operative position shown. Opposed flanges 86, formed on either side of the main supporting plate 58, further embrace the cap.

A pair of shaft sealing members 88 are positioned just below the bearing assembly and retained in place against the plate 46 by means of a cylindrical ring 90.

In accordance with the present invention the sealing disks or diaphragms 88 are of resilient material, such as rubber, although it is to be preferred that the resilient material employed be resistant to the particular lubricant employed. For example, in situations where ordinary lubricating oil is employed the members 88 may comprise Duprene or the like. As shown clearly in Fig. '1 the disks or diaphragms 88 are provided centrally with an aperture substantially smaller than the shaft 50 and arranged in a central portion which is caused by application of the shaft to the hole, to provide wall surfaces residing in a conical plane. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the clamping or retaining ring 98 not only holds the disks 88 securely against the supporting wall or plate 46, but that this ring is in turn centered with respect to the assembly through the agency of the downwardly deformed portions 64 of the plate 58. Moreover, it should be particularly noted that the lower portion of the bearing 66 is arranged below the lower edge of the ring 90 and accordingly tends to maintain at all times the central conical configuration of the disks 88.

It will be obvious from this disclosure that the shaft 50 is during operation supplied with adequate lubrication, but at the same time is sealed by the tight engagement of the laminated disks.

As shown in Figures 5-8, a modified form of bearing seal may, for example, be used on the lower surface of Va transmission casing. the lower wall of the housing shown may be provided with a cylindrical sleeve 94, Figure 5, in which is rigidly mounted an antifriction bearing sleeve 9S, rotatably supporting a drive shaft 98. It will be understood that the transmission casing houses a suitable mechanism for modifying and transforming the mechanical energy of a motor to an oscillating or other movement for actuation of an agitator. This transmission, the details of which form no part of the present invention, drives the shaft 98 through the agency of a pinion |00 mounted thereon. In accordance with the present invention, however, the interior of the housing is provided with a permanent supply of lubricant sealed therein so that replacement will A tending disk-like flange |06. rI'he lower end of the sleeve 94 is enlarged, as at |08, to provide a central shoulder |||I, and the peripheral flange |86 and sealing member is locked against the shoulder by means of a disk-shaped retaining or locking member ||2 (Figs. 5 and 8).

The retaining member |2 is, during' assembly. forced into and upon the lower end of thev en' larged portion |88 of the housing to the position shown in Fig. 5, and locked in place by peening over the adjacent portions of the housing, as at ||4, by means of a sharpened instrument, such as a chisel. Relative rotation between the sealing member |02 and the casing is positively prevented by depressing or deforming the retaining member ||2 at spaced points, as indicated by the reference numeral ||6 in Figs. 5 and 6.

Attention is specifically directed to the fact that the conical portion of the sealing member |02 is so configurated that the central aperture therein is substantially smaller than the diameter of the shaft 98 so that no clearance is afforded for the passage of lubricant along the shaft. It will be understood that the sealing member |02 may be formed from any suitable elastic, resilient material, capable of resiliently and tightly engaging the shaft without creating substantial frictional resistance.

The present invention provides a simple structure for sealing the transmission of a washing machine, and particularly a. machine of the herein described type, while providing adequate lubrication for all of the bearing portions and without necessitating replacement or renewal of lubricant. In the above embodiment the lubricant is retained, for example, within the transmission casing, even though shafts pass vertically through both the upper and lower walls thereof.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. The combination of a bearing and sealing assembly for a washing machine and the like and adapted to seal a wall having a shaft extending through an aperture in said wall, said bearing and sealing assembly comprising a normally flat, elastic sheet member having an aperture therein of smaller diameter than the shaft and transversely engaging the shaft, said shaft passing through said aperture and having a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the aperture whereby the sheet is elastically distended to grip the shaft with a predetermined, elastic tension', said sheet elastic member having an axially extending, generally conical portion about said shaft extending into said first named aperture in the wall, the bearing being arranged in the vicinity of the plane of said wall and extending into engagement with said conical portion whereby to retain said conical configuration at all times.

2. The combination of a bearing and sealing asscmbly for a washing machine and the like and adapted to seal a wall having a sh'aft extending through an aperture in said wall, said bearing and sealing assembly comprising an elastic sheet member having an aperture therein of smaller diameter than the shaft and transversely engaging the shaft, said shaft passing through said aperture and having a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the aperture whereby the sheet is elastically distended to grip the shaft with a predetermined, elastic tension, said sheet elastic member having an axially extending, generally conical portion about said shaft extending into said rst named aperture in the wall, the bearing being arranged in the vicinity of the plane of said wall and extending into engagement with said conical portion whereby to retain said conical configuration at all times.

3. The combination of a bearing and sealing assembly for a washing machine and th'e like and adapted to seal a housing having an operating shaft extending through said housing. said bearing and sealing assembly comprising an elastic member having an aperture therein of smaller diameter than the shaft, means disposing said elastic member in a position transversely embracing said shaft with said shaft passing through th'e aperture and havingv a diameter substantially larger than the aperture, whereby the elastic member is distended to grip the shaft with a predetermined tension', and a shaft bearing axially embracing the shaft adjacent said elastic member providing a chamber communicating with the opposite extremity of said bearing and supplied with lubricant retaining means.

6. A combination as dened in claim 3, wherein said b'earing is operatively mounted upon a bridging member disposed in spaced relation to said elastic member and wherein means is interposed between said bridging member and said elastic member to hold said latter member in operative position.

BERNHART A. BENSON.

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