US3307424A - Laundry machine with safety balancing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1967 v. c. MANDARINO ETAL 3,307,424

LAUNDRY MACHINE WITH SAFETY BALANCING MECHANISM 35heegs-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1964 March 7 v. c. MANDARINO ET-AL 3,307,424

LAUNDRY MACHINE wmx SAFETY BALANCING MECHANISM Filed May'6, 1964 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORE' 14. 3119472761 4% M mils March 1967" v. c. MANDARINO ETAL 3,307,424

LAUNDRY MACHINE WITH SAFETY BALANCING MECHANISM 7 Filed May 6, 1 964 3 Sheets-Sheet s 55- a I i 4/ '1 34 29 59 h v L! 52 AW I A EH3! L W 30- 4p .55 v 7 AZ V A j 7 3 Q INVENTORS 7 Vz/zcerz C Magda/"02o v Z R Z H.5re0fi6r BY I I l W r I 3,307,424 LAUNDRY MACHINE WITH SAFETY BALANCING MECHANISM Vincent C. Mandarino and Robert A. Brenner, St. Joseph, Miclr, assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 6, 1964, Ser. No. 365,454 19 Claims. (Cl. 74-573) The present invention relates to laundry apparatus and more particularly concerns improvements in the balancing mechanism for washer-dryers.

In Washer-dryers of the horizontal axis drum type, it is desirable to have the rotative cylinder speed during extraction as high as practicable. However, any unbalanced condition in the load within the drum causes serious vibration conditions. Means for overcoming any such imbalance and vibration have been disclosed and claimed in the application of Albert D. Ishoy and William F. Scott, Serial No. 128,070 filed July 31, 1961, now Patent No. 3,151,067 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. In that application control means are provided operatively connected between the rotative drum or basket mounting means and the support means of the machine including a relatively thin leaf spring member which is alternately placed in tension and compression to control water balancing and clutch control functions. With that arrangement, however, careful installation adjustment is require-d in order to assure proper operation. In other words, the linkage afforded by the leaf spring must be properly adjusted for the particular installation, rather than be preadjusted at the factory.

According to the objects of the present invention, new andimproved means are provided in balancing mechanism for washer-dryers, wherein the connection between the drum or basket mounting means subject to unbalanced vibration and the relatively stationary machine support or frame is effected in a manner enabling full assembly and adjustment at the factory and which is free from liability of damage in the event of excessive shock or imbalance tending to overthrow oscillations of the drum.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel safety mechanism in balancing mechanism for washerdryer combinations.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved self-centering means constructed and arranged to prevent excessive, damaging motion to the balancing mechanism of a washer-dryer combination.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel motion transmission means in balance mechanism of a laundry machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel slip-out clutch device in the motion sensing linkage of balance mechanism for laundry machines.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a laundry machine of the washer-dryer type embodying principles of the present invention, but with the outer cabinet removed and with parts broken away, and partially schematic;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic representation of certain hydraulic circuitry incorporated in the illustrated machine;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view disclosing in better detail the sensing mechanism for controlling the load counterbalancing means and transmission speed ratio means of the machine and em- United States Patent 3,307,424 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 bodying the new and improved device of this invention for preventing excessive, damaging motion to the balancing means of the sensing mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken on substantially the line IVIV of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the sensing mechanism shown in FIGURE 3 on a smaller scale;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of FIG- URE 3; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional detail view taken substantially along the line VII VII of FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 1 is depicted a representative domestic laundry appliance in the form of a combination washerdryer 5 including a substantially lirnperforate casing 7 having attached to its front wall as by means of welding or the like a supporting plate 8 secured as by means of screws 9 to a bracket plate 10 attached fixedly to a base frame 11 of a housing 12 supported by front legs 13 and :a rear leg 14 and adapted, as is well known, to be adjusted for levelling the machine in service. Suitable supporting bracket structure also connects the rear portion of the casing 7 to the base frame 11.

Within the casing 7 is rotatably mounted on a frontto-rear horizontal axis a perforate drum or cylinder 15, also sometimes referred to as a rotary basket, for receiving fabrics to be washed and centrifugally dried. In its front wall the drum 15 has a central opening 17 which registers with a suitable access opening in the casing 7 adapted to be closed by an openable closure or door (not shown). In its rear wall, the drum 15 is provided with angularly spaced reinforcing ribs 18 radiating from a hub 19 from which extends rearwardly a shaft 20 suitably journalled in a supporting bearing assembly of any preferred construction. Driving of the drum 15 rotatably is effected in any preferred or known manner as motivated by a prime mover comprising an electrical motor 21 under the control of any preferred cycling control system, as is known in this art. In such a system, the machine is operated through a program including washing, rinsing, extracting and drying periods.

In the bottom of the casing 7 is a sump 22 (FIG. 2) for receiving fluids in the washing, rinsing and extraction operations of the machine cycle. Communicating with the sump is a pump 23 delivering to a two-way valve 24 for directing fluid either to drain or a second two-way valve 25. The latter valve may direct washing fluid through a conduit 27 in a recirculating cycle to the drum 15 by way of a recirculation nozzle (not shown). The valve 25 may also selectively direct fluid through a conduit 28 having its discharge end portion (FIGS. 1 and 3) attached to a bracket plate 29 mounted on the outer side of the front wall of the tank casing 7 over an opening 30 therein and secured thereto as by means of screws 31 and expansion nuts 32, with a gasket 33 providing a liquid tight seal between the casing wall and the bracket member (FIG. 4).

On the bracket plate 29, the conduit 28 terminates in a nozzle portion 34 (FIGS. 3 and 6) which discharges through a port 35 at the inner side of the bracket plate and through the opening 30 to direct liquid through a limited size opening 36 in a splash and deflector plate 37 mounted on the inner side of the front wall of the tank casing 7 in alignment with the opening 30 and between the tank front wall and the adjacent front wall of the basket drum 15. This liquid delivered through the splash plate opening 36 is utilized for balancing the drum 15 and for this purpose is received in respective collector segments 38 of which there are in the present instance three of equal size mounted on the front wall of the drum and each of which has associated therewith recess means in the form of a liqu-id-receiving balancing receptacle 39 mounted on the perimeter of the drum. Through this arrangement, when balancing is required as when there is an unbalanced load in the rotating dru=m 15, liquid delivered by the conduit 28 through the nozzle 34 and directed into the appropriate balancing receptacle 39 will effect substantial balancing of the drum. This is especially desirable during the fluid extraction portion of the machine cycle.

In order to control the introduction of balancing liquid into the balancing receptacles 39, there is utilized as a controlling variable, vibratory movements of the basket drum 15 and the tank casing 7 generated by rotation of acentric loads in the drum and relative to the base frame 11', as permitted by the means mounting the casing 7. To this end, a water diverter flag, stream interrupter or deflector member plate 40 is mounted between the nozzle orifice 35 and the opening 36 for normally deflecting all liquid issuing from the orifice 35 away from the opening 36 and toward the imperforate portion of the deflector plate 37 or downwardly toward the sump 22 unless there is a demand for balancing liquid automatically called for in response to vibrations of the rotary basket and the tank casing 7.

In order to translate the relatively small allowable loadimposed vibratory oscillations of the casing 7 on the order of about 0.010 inch from a normal centered position relative to a stationary upright frame member 41, the deflector comprises a plate member of substantial length with a free end portion in controlling relation to the port 35 and an opposite end portion secured as by means of a screw 42 (FIG. 4) to one end of a spindle shaft 43 journalled by means such as needle bearings 44 through a hub 45 on the bracket plate 29. Suitable sealing means including a washer 4-7 and a fluid seal 48 are provided about the shaft 43 at the inner end of the hub 45 and a liner bushing 49.

Side-to-side oscillatory vibrations of the tank casing 7, due to acentric loads in the rotating drum 15 supporta'bly mounted within the casing, are translated into corresponding rotary or pivotal oscillations of the shaft 43, and by having the liquid diverter flag 40 of suitable substantial predetermined length relatively low amplitude pivotal movements of the shaft 43 will be reflected in substantially wider arc rocking or oscillations of the free end portion of the flag member for appropriate intervals of unblockin g the nozzle orifice 35 to direct balancing liquid through the aperture 36 into the proper collector segment 38 for loading the balancing receptacle 39 generally opposite the unbalancin-g load. For this purpose, the outer end portion of the shaft 43 provides a motion transmission coupling 50 with a link arm 51 serving as a reaction member and mounted on the upstanding, stationary pylon-like frame member 4-1. The construction and relationship are such that as the mounting housing plate member 29 oscillates with the tank casing 7, the coupling arm held against such oscillation through its mounting on the stationary frame member 41 causes the balance liquid control flag shaft 43 to be pivotally oscillated on its axis.

In a convenient arrangement, the pylon frame member 41 may be constructed as a suitably reinforced elongated plate having its lower end portion secured as by means of screws 52 to the supporting base frame 11, with a lanced and struck-out lapping stabilizer flange 53 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 7) of the plate member gripping the contiguous base frame bar. On its head end portion, which is suitably disposed in spaced relation to the mounting plate 29, means are provided for pivotally mounting the coupling arm 51. Herein such means comprise an adjustment lever arm 54 attached intermediately on a pivot 55 to the head end portion of the frame member 41 to extend generally in an up and down direction. Attachment of the coupling, reaction arm 51 is to the upper end portion of the lever arm 54 to extend across the gap between the head end of the pylon frame member 41 and and the plate 29 and with the free end portion of the rigid reaction link arm 51 disposed in coupled relation to the shaft 43. Normally, biasing means conveniently comprising a torsion spring 57 engaging between the lever arm 54 and the link arm 51 urges the link arm yieldably but firmly toward the coupling engagement with the shaft.

For effecting longitudinal adjustments of the link arm 51 relative to the balancing shaft 43, the lever arm 54 is adjustably movable about its intermediate pivot 55. Means for securing the lever arm in adjusted position comprise suitable screw means such as a thumb screw 58 which is accommodated for adjustment purposes through an arcuate slot 59 is the frame member 41 adjacent to the lower end portion of the arm 54. Limit upon the range of adjustment movement, and safety stop means are provided by extending the upper end extremity portion of the lever arm 54 through a slot 60 of predetermined length transversely in the head extremity portion of the frame member 41. Stops are thus provided at the opposite ends of the slot 60 providing limit of adjustment range and also preventing escape of the lever arm should the adjustment setting screw 58 come loose.

According to the present invention, the motion transmission means 51 comprises a projection and notch coupling relationship between the shaft 43 and the coupling link arm 51. In a simple, advantageous form, this comprises a lug nib projection 61 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) extending laterally from the free end portion of the arm 51 and mating in a longitudinally extending and radially opening complementary socket recess notch -62 in the adjacent outer end portion of the shaft 4-3 which for this purpose is provided as a reduced diameter terminal-end integral extension 63 of the shaft. Through this arrangement, since the rigid link arm 51 is held against reciprocations by virtue of its mounting on the stationary pylon frame member 41, when the transmission means 50 is caused to move in a generally horizontally oriented oscillatory path with the oscillations of the drum 15 and tank 7, the shaft 43 will be caused to oscillate pivotally as effected by the coupling afforded through engagement of the clutch tooth, nib projection 61 in the notch 62 of the shaft terminal portion 63. Thereby, swinging of the balancing liquid diverter flag 40 is effected.

Inasmuch as oscillatory movement of the tank casing 7 toward the left as viewed in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 is caused by the unbalanced load being at the left at that moment in the revolution of the drum 15, while the balancing device is mounted on the right-hand side of the the tank casing, the arrangement is such that swinging of the diverter fiag 40 to uncover the balancing liquid delivery nozzle 35 occurs only during such left-hand oscillatory motion, that is, motion away from the stationary pylon frame member 41 wherein the transmission nib 61 causes the shaft 43 to rotate counterclockwise and swing the flag 40 toward non-blocking relation to the nozzle orifice 35 indicated in a dot-dash lines in FIGURE 5. Reverse action is effected in the balancing control mechanism during oscillating movements of the tank casing 7 toward the right, that is toward the stationary pylon frame member 41, as indicated in dash lines in FIGURE 5. The width and relation of the diverter flag 40 to the nozzle orifice 35 are such that although the flange 40 is swung clockwise during right-hand oscillating movement of the tank casing, the flag will remain in blocking, diverting relation to the orifice. As a result, balancing liquid is, in effect, squirted as a stream into the balancing receptacle or receptacles 39 generally opposite to the acentric load in each revolution of the drum 15 during which the unbalanced relationship persists and until a substantially balanced condition has been attained. Normal slight side-to-side vibrations do not effect sufficient swinging movement of the diverter flag 40 to permit escape of balancing liquid there past into the balancing system of the drum, although the balancing mechanism does permit sufliciently close adjustment to attain highly etficient balancing.

A substantial advantage accruing from the structure of the balancing mechanism control means of the present invention resides in that bench adjustment of the balancing mechanism can be effected at the factory and with generally no need for further adjustment or any servicing of the balancing mechanism when installed for service, although if any such servicing is required, it can be effected quite easily and simply. In this respect, when an optimum adjustment of the diverter flag 40 relative to the nozzle orifice 35 has been determined, with the transmisison nib 61 freely and accurately meshing or registering in the socket notch 62, as can easily and quickly be accomplished through pivotal adjustment of the lever arm 54, tightening of the retaining screw 58 sets the control and transmission mechanism.

As a safety measure to prevent overtravel of the diverter flag 40 and to avoid damage to the balancing mechanism due to excessive motion of the tank 7 relative to the stationary pylon frame 41 when the machine is being transported or moved or due to unusually heavily unbalanced loading of the rotating drum 15, or for any other reason, limit stop means are provided to constrain the balancing shaft 43 to a predetermined range of pivotal oscillatory motion. To this end, a limit finger 64 extends radially from the outer end portion of the shaft 43 and normally has its free end portion disposed medially between a pair of spaced rigid stops 65 mounted on or comprising a part of the housing or mounting plate 29. These stops 65 are spaced from the median position of the limit finger 64 to determine and limit swinging movements of the fingers 64 to a safe range of oscillation of the shaft 43, and thereby prevent overtravelling and subsequent damage to diverter flag 40.

Although, if preferred, the limit finger 64 may be constructed as a molded or cast or forged part of the shaft 43, a convenient construction comprises fixed attachment of a hub 67 on the proximal end portion of the finger on a stepped portion 68 of the balancing mechanism shaft 43 between the main body of the shaft and the outer extremity transmission terminal portion 63 thereof.

In order to avoid damaging stresses on the sensing and motion transmission structure of the balancing mechanism should the limit finger 64 strike either of the stops 65 with any appreciable impact, as during oscillatory overtravel of the tank 7, an overload clutch relationship is afforded in the transmission means 50 and more particularly in respect to the coupling afforded by the projection and notch means 61, 62. Accordingly, the projection nib 61 is of a generally rounded contour, as evident in FIGURES 3 and 5, and the notch 62 is desirably of a generally V-shaped cross-section. Further, the free end portion of the reaction link arm member 51 extends a substantial distance beyond the coupling lug projection nib 61. Since the arm 51 is firmly resiliently yieldably biased toward the coupling extension 63, a coupled relationship of the nib 61 in the socket groove 62 is normally assured whereby the balancing shaft 43 is oscillatably driven by the reaction link arm 51 throughout the range permitted by the limit finger 64 and the stops '65. However, should there be any tendency of the reaction link arm 51 to overtravel at either limit of swinging movement of the limit finger 64, such as might be caused by an excessive load imbalance in the rotating drum and thus overtravelling, oscillatory movement of the tank casing 7, or a more or less violent, jarring or shock induced overtravel during transportation or movement of the machine as a whole, the coupling nib projection 61 can leave the notch 62 in the manner of a slip-out or throw-out clutch, affording a safety disconnect. In the reactionary, reverse relative movement, the clutch tooth 61 snaps back into its clutch socket 62 to resume the balancing shaft drive coupling relations-hip. Hence, there is automatic reestablishment of the predetermined or zero adjustment of the balance mechanism after any safety declutching and reclutching action.

Such automatic reclutching is facilitated by means functioning normally to return the balancing mechanism to a zero or neutral position. In a desirable form such means comprise a cam arm 69 provided as a radial rigid extension from the hub 67 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 On its free end, the cam arm extension 69 has a pair of equal spaced cam lobes 70 affording a notch therebetween within which is nestably engaged a follower roller 71 mounted intermediately on a lever plate 72 having a pivotal connection 73 adjacent one end thereof with the mounting plate 29 and carrying on its opposite end portion a valve actuating flange '74. A biasing tension spring 75, anchored at one end to the mounting plate 29 and at its opposite end engaging the actuating flange 74, normally biases the rockably mounted follower lever 72 toward the cam 69 and more particularly urges the follower roller 71 into.the bight between the cam lobes 70. This functions normally to center the cam 69 in the zero or neutral adjusted position of the limit finger 64 and thereby of the diverter flag 40.

Another function of the centering lever 72 is as a valve controlling means for a pneumatic speed control for the transmission associated with the motor 21 in the driving connection thereof with the rotary drum 15. For this purpose, a valve stem 77 of a normally closed bleed-off valve assembly 78 attached to the mounting plate 29 as by means of a clamp 79 underlies the valve actuating flange 74. During definite acentric load deflections of the casing 7 to each side of a vertical center line through the machine, resulting in an amplitude of oscillation of the cam 'arm 69 to cause the respective cam lobes 70 to act on the follower 71 to depress the lever arm 72, the valve stem 77 is depressed to open the valve 78. This results in bleeding a conduit 80 (FIGS. 1, 3 and '5) leading from a solenoid air valve 81 communicating by way of a conduit 82 with pneumatic clutch means forming part of the transmission 83 associated with the electrical motor 21. The air valve 81 also communicates by way of a conduit 84 with a compressor 85. As more fully described in the copending application of Ishoy and Scott, Serial No. 128,070, referred to hereinabove, this regulates the supply of pressure to the clutch means of the transmission 83 and thereby limits rotation of the basket drum 15 to those speeds which produce only minimal basket vibrations at a predetermined amplitude, and concurrently with balancing the drum. Minor vibrations of the tank casing 7 will not, of course, cause such swinging of the cam arm 69 as will motivate the lever arm 72 and thereby the valve actuating flange 74 to open the bleed valve 78.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by the present invention there has been provided a substantially improved compensator for balancing mechanism for combination washer-dryers wherein the automatic safety release and self-recoupling transmission and clutch means in the balancing control mechanism enables prime factory adjustment of the balancing mechanism. Thereafter, the mechanism automatically maintains or resumes its optimum operating condition.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Laundry apparatus including a rotary basket drum and means mounting the drum on a support providing for limited oscillating deflections of the drum relative to the support toward opposite sides of a center line transversely though the axis of rotation of the drum in response to acentric loads in the rotating drum,

means for counterbalancing the acentric loads mounted to oscillate with the drum,

means for automatically controlling the balancing means, comprising a shaft mounted to oscillate about its own axis and also to oscillate with the acentric loading oscillations of the drum, and a rigid member mounted on a stationary portion of saidsupport,

and projection and notch coupling means connecting the shaft and rigid member to effect oscillations of the shaft about its own axis during oscillation movements of the shaft with the drum.

2. In a laundry machine including a stationary support and a rotary drum mounted in a tank casing mounted on said support in a manner to permit limited oscillations of the casing responsive to acentric loads in the rotating drum,

means for balancing the drum comprising a balancing water controlling member carried by a shaft pivotally mounted on said casing and provided with a coupling part, and means for controlling pivotal movements of said shaft responsive to oscillations of the drum and casing comprising a rigid member pivotally attached to said support having an articulated motion transmission connection with said coupling part. 3. In a laundry machine including a stationary support and a rotary drum mounted in a tank casing mounted on said support in a manner to permit limited oscillations of the casing responsive to acentric loads in the rotating drum,

means for balancing the drum comprising a balancing water cont-rolling member carried by a shaft pivotally mounted on said casing and provided with a coupling part,

means for controlling pivotal movements of said shaft responsive to oscillations of the drum and easing comprising a rigid member attached to said support having an articulated motion transmission connection with said coupling part,

and means mounting said rigid member against longitudinal movement thereof relative to said support but enabling yieldable pivotal movement of the rigid member.

4. In a laundry machine including a stationary support and a rotary drum mounted in a tank casing mounted on said support in a manner to permit limited oscillations of the casing responsive to acentric loads in the rotating drum,

means for balancing the drum comprising a balancing water controlling member carried by a shaft pivotally mounted on said casing and provided with a coupling part,

means for controlling pivotal movements of said shaft responsive to oscillations of the drum and casing comprising a rigid member attached to said support having an articulated motion transmission connection with said coupling part,

means mounting said rigid member against longitudinal movement thereof relative to said support but enabling yieldable pivotal movement of the rigid member,

and biasing spring means normally biasing the rigid member toward said coupling part.

5. In a laundry machine including a stationary support and a rotary basket drum for receiving fabrics to be treated,

means mounting the rotary drum on the support to accommodate oscillating deflections of the drum as produced by rotation of acentric loads in the drum, means for driving the drum rotatably,

means for balancing the drum comprising mechanism mountedto oscillate with the drum and including a pivoted member, means for limiting pivotal movement of the pivoted -member,

a member mounted on said support,

and motion transmission means connecting said members including an overtravel clutch.

6. In a laundry machine including a stationary support and a rotary basket drum for receiving fabrics to be treated,

means mounting the rotary drum on the support to accommodate oscillating deflections of the drum as produced by rotation of acentric loads in the drum, means for driving the'drum rotatably,

means for balancing the drum comprising mechanism mounted to oscillate with the drum and including a pivoted member,

means for limiting pivotal 'movement of the pivoted member,

a rigid member mounted on said stationary support,

transmission means connecting said members including an overtravel clutch,

and means for controlling the speed of rotation of said drum concurrently with balancing of the drum including a control element carried by said pivoted member.

7. In a laundry machine including a rotary basket mounted on a stationary support and drive means for rotatably actuating the basket,

means mounting the basket on the support to accommodate limited oscillatory movements of the basket as produced by the rotation of acentric loads in the basket,

means for counterbalancing the basket including mechanism'mounted on said mounting means and comprising a pivoted member having means for limiting pivotal movement to a predetermined range,

an arm mounted on said support projecting into adjacent relation to said pivoted member but held against oscillation with the mounting means, and

motion transmission means comprising an overtravel clutch coupling said pivoted member with said arm for effecting pivotal movements of the pivoted member when said mounting means moves oscillatably with the basket.

8. A laundry machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said motion transmission means includes a clutch socket recess on a portion of said pivoted member and said arm has a l-ug nib portion meshing with said socket recess.

9. A laundry machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said overtravel clutch comprises projection and notch means on said pivoted member and said arm.

10. A laundry machine as defined in claim 7, wherein said pivotal motion limiting means comprises a limit finger fixed on the pivoted member and stop means rigid with respect to said mounting means and limiting the swinging movements of the finger with the pivoted member.

11. A laundry machine as defined in claim 7, wherein the mounting for said arm on said support comprises means for adjusting the arm longitudinally relative to said pivoted member.

12. A laundry machine as defined in claim 7, including means for normally defining a neutral position of said pivoted member.

13. For use in a laundry machine,

balancing mechanism including a mounting plate,

a shaft pivotally mounted through said plate and carrying a flag member on one end, a stop finger mounted on the opposite end of the shaft, stop means on said plate limiting swinging movement of the stop finger with pivoting of the shaft, and

transmission means for connecting the shaft to means for pivoting the shaft and including an overtravel cl tch.

14. For use in a laundry machine,

balancing mechanism including a mounting plate,

a shaft pivotally mounted through said plate and carrying a flag member on one end,

a stop finger mounted on the opposite end of the shaft,

stop means on said plate limiting swinging movement of the stop finger with pivoting of the shaft, and

an overtravel clutch transmission device on the other end of said shaft including a clutch structure adapted to be coupled with a reaction member.

15. Balancing mechanism for laundry apparatus which includes a rotary drum subject to vibratory movements resulting from rotation of acentric loads and equipped With balancing water receptacles,

means for directing balancing water into the receptacles,

means for controlling delivery of balancing water to the receptacles, means including a pivoted member for controlling said controlling means,

said pivoted member including a limit finger swingable in an arc with pivotal movements of the pivoted member,

means for pivoting the pivoted member responsive to vibratory movements of the drum requiring balancing, and

means comprising spaced stops to limit swinging movements of the limit finger and thus the amplitude of pivotal movements of said pivoted member.

16. Balancing mechanism for laundry apparatus which includes a rotary drum subject to vibratory movements resulting from rotation of acentric loads and equipped with balancing water receptacles,

means for directing balancing Water into the receptacles,

means for controlling delivery of balancing water to the receptacles,

means including a pivoted member for controlling said controlling means,

said pivoted member including a limit finger swingable in an arc with pivotal movements of the pivoted member, means for pivoting the pivoted member responsive to vibratory movements of the drum requiring balanc- 8,

means comprising spaced stops to limit swinging movements of the limit finger and thus the amplitude of pivotal movements of said pivoted member,

cam means on the pivoted member comprising spaced lobes, and

a follower member including means for yieldably biasing the follower member between said lobes for yieldably centering said limit finger between said spaced stops.

17. Laundry apparatus comprising a rotary basket for receiving fabrics to be washed and centrifugally dried and support means therefor and drive means for the basket,

means mounting said basket on said support means to accommodate vibratory movements of said basket as produced by the rotation of acentric loads in said basket,

transmission means for said drive means including fluid pressure controlling means and a source of fluid pressure,

conduit means interconnecting said source of fluid pressure with the transmission control means,

valve means in said conduit means,

valve actuator means connected to said basket mounting means, a movable cam pivotally mounted on said mounting means,

reaction means interconnected between said cam and said support means for moving said cam in response to vibratory movements of said basket,

said cam including a plurality of lobes engageable with said valve actuator means for actuating said valve means in response to said vibrations for regulating the supply of pressure to said transmission controlling means and thereby limiting the rotation of said basket to those speeds which produce only minimal basket vibrations of a predetermined amplitude,

means for counterbalancing said acentric loads in said basket and operatively connected to said cam for actuation thereby,

means for limiting the range of operative pivotal movements of the cam, and

overtravel clutch means between said reaction means and said cam.

18. Laundry apparatus comprising a rotary basket for receiving fabrics to be washed and centrifugally dried and support means therefor and drive means for the basket,

means mounting said basket on said support means to accommodate vibratory movements of said basket as produced by the rotation of acentric loads in said basket,

transmission means for said drive means including fluid pressure controlling means and a source of fluid pressure,

conduit means interconnecting said source of fluid pressure with the transmission control means,

valve means in said conduit means,

valve actuator means connected to said basket mounting means,

a movable cam pivotally mounted on said mounting means,

reaction means interconnected between said cam and said support means for moving said cam in response to vibratory movements of said basket,

said cam including a plurality of lobes engageable with said valve actuator means for actuating said valve means in response to said vibrations for regulating the supply of pressure to said transmission controlling means and thereby limiting the rotation of said basket to those speeds which produce only minimal basket vibrations of a predetermined amplitude,

means for limiting the range of pivotal movement of the cam, and

overtravel clutch means between the reaction means and the cam.

19. Laundry apparatus including a rotary basket drum and means mounting the drum on a support providing for limited oscillating deflections of the drum relative to the support toward opposite sides of a center line transversely through the axis of rotation of the drum in response to acentric loads in the rotating drum,

means for counterbalancing the acentric loads mounted to oscillate with the drum,

a pylon frame member having a head end portion located in adjacent spaced relation to. said counter-' balancing means,

means for attaching the opposite end portion of the frame member to said support comprising attachment bolts and a struck-out lapping flange on the frame member engaging the support, and

clutch means operatively connecting said head portion of the frame member with said counterbalancing means to control operations of the counterbalancing means in accordance with oscillating deflections of the drum.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,014 9/1925 MacFarland 73468 2,731,887 1/1956 Sjostrand 73468 3,080,059 3/1963 Scott et al. 210-144 3,095,676 7/ 1963 Voller 74--573 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

W. S. RATLIFF, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. LAUNDRY APPARATUS INCLUDING A ROTARY BASKET DRUM AND MEANS MOUNTING THE DRUM ON A SUPPORT PROVIDING FOR LIMITED OSCILLATING DEFLECTIONS OF THE DRUM RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT TOWARD OPPOSITE SIDES OF A CENTER LINE TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE DRUM IN RESPONSE TO ACENTRIC LOADS IN THE ROTATING DRUM, MEANS FOR COUNTERBALANCING THE ACENTRIC LOADS MOUNTED TO OSCILLATE WITH THE DRUM, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE BALANCING MEANS, COMPRISING A SHAFT MOUNTED TO OSCILLATE ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS AND ALSO TO OSCILLATE WITH THE ACENTRIC LOADING OSCILLATION OF THE DRUM, AND A RIGID MEMBER MOUNTED ON A STATIONARY PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT, AND PROJECTION AND NOTCH COUPLING MEANS CONNECTING

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