US2974510A - Gentle action agitator - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1961 A. H. GERHARDT l GENTLE ACTION AGITATOR Original Filed March 8, 1956 United States Patent O i' GENTLE ACTION AGITATOR Andrew H. Gerhardt, Herrin, Ill., assigner to Borg- Wamer Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application Mar. 8, 1956, Ser. No. 570,335. Divided and this application Jan. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 7,505

This application is a division of application, Serial No. 570,335, iiled March l8, 1956, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 2,927,449 on March `8, 1960.

This invention relates to washing machines and in particular to washing machine agit-ators of the type which create gentle or light agitation of fabrics during the washing cycle.

Agitators commonly in use in washing machines generally include a column or post member having a plurality of radially projecting blades or fins formed integral with or otherwise secured to the post. The agitator frequently is flared at the bottom and thus overlays a major portion of the bottom wall of the clothes receiving receptacle Within which thel agitator is disposed.

Agitators of the above general description are usually rotated about the longitudinal axis of the column or post, first in one direction and then i-n the opposite direction, so as to create a considerable agitation or swirling motion when the agitator is surrounded by wash water and clothing. It is well known that in laundering synthetic fabrics it is advisable to avoid excessive agitation or excessive working. Conventional agitating devices of the above class frequently work the wash load excessively and to the extent that synthetic fabrics shrink, felt or mat rendering them useless as articles of clothing.

Accordingly, it is ya particular object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator suitable for laundering synthetic fabrics.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which may be mounted upon and driven by a conventional blade type agitator.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which substantially encloses the agitator blades.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gentle action agitator which m-ay be readily inserted or removed from the clothes receiving receptacle of a laundry machine without disturbing the existing agitator means.

A Washing machine embodying certain principles of the present invention may include an oscillatable agitator having a plurality of -radially extending blades and a gen erally bell-shaped casing overlaying the agitator and formed with grooves, said grooves connecting mating blades so that upon oscillation of the agitator the casing is also oscillated.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the succeeding detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a washing machine with which the present invention may be associated and showing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gentle action agitator of Fig. 1 with portions of the agitator broken away to show the configuration of the interior grooves;

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the gentle action agitator; and

Patented Mar. 14, 1961 Fig. 4 shows a still further embodiment of the invention wherein the lower portion of the bell-shaped gentle action agitator is slotted permitting portions of the conventional agitator blade to project through the slots.

In the iFig. 1 embodiment of the invention there is shown a washing machine casing A, having a control panel B, a hinged access door C, a clothes receiving receptacle D and a transmission housing E substantially enclosing and forming the bottom wall of the receptacle.

The clothes receiving receptacle is supported by the transmission housing E by a depending sleeve not shown. Since the present invention is directed to agitator devices for' a washing machine, it is deemed unnecessary to describe the laundry machine in detail except where necessary to show the function, operation and structural details of the gentle action agitator.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, there is shown an `agitator indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 supported upon a shaft 11 projecting upwardly from the transmission casing E. The agitator, formed with four radially projecting ns or blades .15, is keyed to the shaft 11 in 'a suitable manner. The shaft and the agitator are formed with complementary, tapered, hexagonal sections as at 12 and a nut 13 threadedly engaging the shaft is operable to draw theagitator and the shaft together axially so as to make a. snug lit along the respective hexagonal sections.

In a Well known manner the shaft 11 is caused to rotate alternately about its longitudinal axis; first in a clockwise and then in a counterclock-wise direction so as to cause the agitator 10 to oscillate about its vertical axis.

As stated earlier, it is frequently desirable to reduce or minimize the work performed by the bladed agitator particularly when washing tine synthetic fabrics. Heretofore it has been the practice to operate the agitator at a reduced speed or to remove the agitator and replace it with one whose blade or fin structure is less pronounced. Obviously, the provision of means for changing the speed of agitation is relatively expensive and involves either a two speed power means for the laundry machine or the introduction of a gear change device in the transmission; both involve an increase in cost. The alternative scheme of replacing the bladed agitator with one which rcreates less violent turbulence is disadvantageous wherein frequently the housewife is unable to remove the conventional agitator. y

Recognizing these difculties the present invention contemplates the provision of a casing or gentle action agitator indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 being positioned upon the conventional agitator 10 and in a driving connection therewith. For example, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l and 2, a generally bell-shaped casing 16 having four ribs or grooves 17 formed therein is shown positioned upon the agitator 10 so that the mouth 18 of the casing rests upon the conventional agitator as at 19.

It is to be noted that the grooves 17 make a driving connection with the blades 15 by virtue of the reception of the marginal regions 2li of the blades into the grooves. Obviously, the casing or gentle agitator 16, although making a driving connection with the conventional agiv the bladed agitator and has been found effective in creating a gentle agitation.

It is apparent that oscillation of the gentle action agitator is etective to provide substantially reduced turbulence thus reducing the amount of work performed upon ne synthetic fabrics during a washing cycle.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the coaction between the bladed agitator and the ribs 17a is substantially the same as the structure shown in Fig. l; however, the casing .16a does not fully enclose the conventional agitator. The driving connection is made by the engagement of the ribs 17a with the marginal regions 21 of the lower portion of the blades 15.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 it is apparent that the lower portion of the bell-shaped gentle action agitator is slotted as at 25 to permit th marginal portions 21 of the conventional agitator to project therethrough. Obviously, the lower portion of the gentle action agitator according to the embodiment of Fig. 4 may be molded according to a variety of patterns.

to permit the marginal portions 21 to project to varying degrees as desired.

It is to be understood that a particular feature of the present invention resides in the cooperation between the conventional agitator and the gentle action agitations to produce a new and useful washing device.

It is anticipated that various arrangements and representations of the present invention may be undertaken without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes, an oscillatable agitator in said receptacle and having a plurality of radially extending blades for creating a considerable agitation of the clothes and the water, means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an imperforate casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of said agitator, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow portions projecting outwardly thereof with marginal portions of the radially extending blades being received within said hollow portions for providing a driving connection `between the agitator Iand the casing.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes, an oscillatable agitator in said receptacle and having a plurality of radially extending blades for creating a considerable agitation of the clothes and the water, and means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an irnperforate casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of said agitator, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow ribs projecting outwardly thereof and defining grooves extending axially of said casing for receiving marginal portions of the radially extending blades for providing a driving connection between the agitator and the casing.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes, an oscillatable agitator in said receptacle and having a plurality of radially extending blades for creating a considerable agitation of the clothes and the water, each of said blades havinga curved marginal portion, and means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an imperforate bell-shaped casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the blades of said agitator, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having hollow ribs projecting slightly outwardly thereof and defining interiorly located grooves conforming to and receiving the cured marginal portions of the radially extending blades for providing a driving connection between the agitator and the casing.

4. In a clothes washing machine, a receptacle adapted to contain wash water and clothes, an oscillatable agitator in said receptacle land having a flaring base portion provided with a plurality of radially extending blades for creating a considerable agitation of the clothes and the water, means for substantially reducing the action of the agitator comprising an imperforate bell-shaped casing detachably mounted on said agitator and completely enclosing the vblades of said agitator, said casing being substantially smooth over its entire periphery and having its bell-mouth engaging the aring base portion of said agitator, and provided with hollow ribs projecting slightly outwardly therefrom and defining interior grooves for receiving marginal portions of the radially extending blades for providing a driving connection between the agitator land the casing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,745,177 Markley Jan. 28, 1930 2,119,677 Labisky June 7, 1938 2,298,624 Labisky Oct. 13, 1.942

FOREIGN PATENTS 5311,147 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1940

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