US3313130A - Domestic laundering machines - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1967 P. w. DOUGLAS 1 3,313,130

DOMESTIC LAUNDERING MACHINES Filed Oct. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 V INVENTOR Peytbn W. Douglas P. W. DOUGLAS DOMESTIC LAUNDERING MACHINES April 11, 1967 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTIOR Peyton W. Douglas April 1 1, 1967 P. w. DOUGLAS DOMESTIC LAUNDERING MACHINES asheets-sneet 3 Filed Oct. 25. 1965 Fig.4

5 .m g u R0 00 WW V H o i y e P United States Patent 3,313,130 DOMESTIC LAUNDERING MACHINES Peyton W. Douglas, Bemus Point, N.Y., assignor to Blackstone Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,548 2 Claims. (Cl. 68-23) Be it known that I, Peyton W. Douglas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bemus Point, County of Chautauqua, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in domestic laundering machines of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in domestic laundering machines of the type in which a single receptacle is utilized for washing, rinsing and centrifugally drying clothes. More particularly the invention is directed to structural features which permit rapid discharge of water and sediment, e.g., sand and slit from the clothes receptacle, and to drying clothes.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over my co-pending application Ser. No. 229,923, filed Oct. 11, 1962, now Patent No. 3,215,232.

In the washing, rinsing and centrifugal drying of clothes, the rapid removal of sediment (sand, silt, etc.) and water from the clothes receptacle has been a problem which has not been satisfactorily solve-d. Many devices and expedients have been suggested for accomplishing this purpose but the problem, particularly as respects removal of sediment such as sand and silt, has remained.

I have invented a domestic laundering machine in which the problem of rapid removal of sediment and water is accomplished. The device of my invention is simple and readily adaptable in many conventional laundering machines of the wash, rinse and centrifugal dry type.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention I provide in a washing machine having a receptacle rotatable about a vertical axis, a housing on the bottom thereof, a fixed stationary member adapted to receive and support said receptacle, said housing having an at-rest position on said fixed stationary member, a depending drain member on the bottom of said receptacle, stopper means on the housing adapted to move into engagement with said drain when the housing is in the at-rest position and out of engagement when the receptacle is not in the at-rest position, a drive shaft on the axis of the receptacle, means for lifting said housing from its at-rest position and rotating it, comprising a shaft member entering said housing, a lift member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, clutch means on the lift member engageable with said housing and means operatively connecting said lift member and clutch means in a manner to axially raise said clutch means into engagement with the housing whereby the housing is raised from its at-rest position moving the stopper means from the drain member and rotated when said shaft is rotated in one direction and to lower the clutch means out of engagement with the housing and the housing onto the stationary member moving the stopper means into closing position in the drain means when the shaft is moved in the opposite direction. Preferably the clothes receptacle is surrounded by a water receptacle which receives the water and sediment discharged from the drain.

In the foregoing general description I have set out certain purposes, objects and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a cabinet enclosed washing machine, partly broken away, embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical segmental section Patented Apr. 11, 1967 ice through a domestic laundering machine of my invention showing the drain in open position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical segmental section of the machine of FIGURE 2 with the housing in the atrest position and drain in closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a segmental section of a drain according to a second embodiment of my invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded isometric view of the parts involved in raising and lowering and spinning the receptacle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 is employed to generally designate a rectangular cabinet in which a single receptacle washing, rinsing, and centrifugally drying machine, embodying the invention, is contained. The cabinet forms no part of the invention and is illustrated solely for the purpose of disclosing the general proportions required to enclose the structure. Within the cabinet, a portion of the bottom of a collector tank is shown and it will be understood that this tank encloses a washing receptacle 12, the bottom wall 13 of which is shown in part in FIGURE 1. A rigid base wall 14 of the cabinet centrally mounts an endthrust bearing 15 for a drive shaft 16. A cone-like member 17 and an enclosing sleeve 18 for the shaft form the support for said collector and receptacle. The shaft 16 is rotatable by a driven pulley 19 and provides support for the receptacle 12 during a part of a laundering operation. The shaft 16 and fixed sleeve 18 project upwardly through the wall 11 of the collector tank, substantially as shown. A tubular member 22 is secured to the upper end of the fixed sleeve 18 and includes a radially enlarged upper end 23, the top surface of which takes the form of an annular ledge 24 that locates and secures a seat plate 26. A suitable boot 27, carried by the base wall of the tank 11, engages the depending portion of the tubular member 22. Within the member 22, a suitable seal 28 is provided by which to prevent liquid contained in the tank 11 from seeping into the area in which the shaft 16 is located.

Centrally, the base 13 of the receptacle 12 includes a series of annular, radially, inwardly stepped up flanges 29 which terminate in an opening 31. The purpose of this configuration in the base is to accommodate and match the top section 32 of a transmission housing 33. Spaced drain members 13a depend from openings 13b in the bottom wall 13. Screens 13c are provided in each opening 13b. Centrally, the section 32 is reinforced and includes an apertured neck 34 that extends upwardly through the base 13 into the receptacle and serves as a support for the lower end of an agitator shaft 36 and enclosing sleeve 37. The lower section 38 of the housing 33 includes a rim 39 that matches and is secured to the depending rim of the top section 32. These parts provide an enclosed space 40 in which the entire mechanism for oscillating the agitator 41 and spinning the receptacle is contained. The section 38 has a central cup-like recess 42, from the base of which are upstanding lugs 43. The space 44, within the lugs 43, is bridged by a plate 46 which is secured by suitable studs 47 that engage the lugs 43 (see FIGURES 2 or 3). The plate 46 has a central opening 48. The under surface of the plate 46 has a friction pad 49 attached thereto. That portion of the housing part 38 that forms the cup-like recess 42 has an integral depending annular shoulder 51, the diameter of which is such that it matches the diameter of the seat plate 26. Inasmuch as the plate 26, through member 22, is carried by the fixed sleeve 18, it is evident that the receptacle, when in position of rest, may seat on the plate 26 and the entire weight of the receptacle and contents will be supported by the sleeve 18. Arms 51a equal in number and spacing to drain member 13a are i pivoted in slots 51b in the shoulder 51 and bear against As is shown in the drawings, the upper end of shaft.

16 projects into the. recess 42 and somewhat beyond into the general interior area 40 of the housing 33. This endof the shaft is cut to form a pinion 52. The upper end of this pinionis employed to operate an oscillating mechanism for the purpose of actuating the agitator 41 in well known manner. Since this particular mechanism is old and well known, it is not shown nor considered to be a part of the structure on which patent protection is currently sought. A clutch plate 53 in the form of a disk, includes a central collar portion 54 which extends above and below the disk. Since this plate, in use, is intended to carry the weight of the receptacle, the under portion of the collar is reinforced by ribs 56. The upper portion of the collar (see FIGURE 5) is provided with a series of laterally projecting lugs 57. A relatively thin plate 58 of the same diameter as'the clutch 53 has a central opening which is notched, as at 59, to the same extent as lugs 57 are provided, and it is proposed to seat this plate on the clutch with the lugs fitting the recesses 59.

Within the opening formed by the collar portion 54 is a ring 61. In any suitable manner this ring is permanently attached to the circular wallformed by the collar portion 54. The inner surface of the ring 61 is formed with a spiral groove 62. A lift member 63 takes the form of a downwardly opening cup-like nut, the top thereof being apertured, as at 64, to fit and enable mounting it on the pinion 52. This connection requires the member. 63 to at all times rotate with the shaft 16.

The circumferential vertical wall of this member is formed with a spiral groove 66, and the difference in diameter between the inner wall of ring 61 and the circumferential wall of member 63 provides a slight clearance. When a series of balls 67 are fitted into the spiral grooves of the member 63 and ring 61, theballs may feed upwardly or downwardly ofthe cooperative grooves, thus providing anti-friction, thread-like connection between the member 63 and the clutch 53.

In explaining operation of the present structure, it will be kept in mind that the drive shaft 16 not only serves to oscillate the agitator when rotating in one direction but also serves to raise and rotate the receptacle 12 when driven in the opposite direction and, of course, it is with this latter phase of a washing cycle that the present invention is particularly concerned. Attention is particularly directed to FIGURE 3, wherein it will be seen that the receptacle 12, by means of the annular shoulder 51, rests upon and is supported by the seat plate 26 and in this position the pinion 52 of the shaft 16 projects sufficiently into the space 40 of the housing to be engageable with a suitable oscillating mechanism for the agitator 41. In other words, the position of the parts shown in this figure represents the at-rest" position of -the receptacle which may be for agitator operation or the shut-down position of all parts of the machine.

In the washing cycle, following an agitator operation, it becomes necessary to remove the liquid contained in the receptacle and this is accomplished by spinning the receptacle. The automatic sequence of operation of a machine of the nature'disclosed is such that, following the washing operation, the motor is stopped 'and then caused to rotate the drive pulley 19 in the opposite direction. In the present showing, this would be clockwise. Immediately the shaft 16 commences rotation in this direction, the lift member or nut 63 rotates and, through balls 67, causes the clutch plate 53 to move upwardly to a position such that it engages the friction pad 49 attached to the under surface of the bridging plate 46. Continued rotation of shaft 16 causes the clutch plate to lift the receptacle from off the seat 26, thus rendering the receptacle freeto rotate. The position of the parts in this circumstance are shown in FIGURE 2. In this position the arms 51a drop away from the drain members 13a opening the receptaclc 13 to the collector tank 11 through screen 130 in opening 13b. This permits the water in the receptacle to rush into the collector carrying with it all sediment in the receptacle. Of course, with the receptacle full of clothes and liquid, there will be a certain measure of slippage between the driven clutch plate and the friction pad 49 until such time as speed of rotation of the receptacle approaches or approximates the speed of rotation of the shaft and clutch plate. Rotation of the receptacle continues through a period timed to remove a substantial part of the liquid contained in the receptacle and in the clothes within it. At this time, the cycling mechanism shuts olf the motor and, when the receptacle slows down and comes-to a stop, the weight thereof will cause the receptacle, through the clutch plate 53, to rotate in areverse direction; that is counterclockwise and downwardly to a point such that the tion pad 68, attached to the under surface of the annular shoulder 51, immediately brings rotation of the receptacle to a stop. In other words, due to the weight of the receptacle, transmission housing, and clothes in the receptacle, the total weight is such that, for purposes of any other operation of the machine, the receptacle has now become one with the fixed support. At this point, the plate 26 will have forced the arms 51a tomove upwardly about then pivot to bring the stopper head 510 into sealing engagement with the drain member 13a. This effectively seals the receptacle against loss of water.

Referring to FIGURE 4, I have illustrated a modification of the drain member structure. In this modification, the bottom wall of the receptacle 113 is pro vided with an opening 114 with a depending and inturned flange 115. A drain member 116 is fixed in opening 114 by means of a resilient ring 117 preferably of neoprene or like rubbery material which may be bonded to drain member 116 and flange 115. A screen 118 corresponding to screen 13c is provided at the top of the drain member 116. The balance of the structure is identical with that described in connection with FIGURES l-3.

It will, of course, be understood that other thread-like means than the bearing structure shown as between the lift member and the clutch plate may be employed and, also, that the extent of movement of the clutch plate and extent of lift of the receptacle may be varied as required, one type of machine with respect to another, without 11'! any way departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set out in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a Washing machine having a receptacle rotatable about a vertical axis, a housing on the bottom thereof, a fixed stationary member adapted to receive and support said receptacle, said housing having an at-rest p0 sition on said fixed stationary member, a depending drain member on the bottom of said receptacle, stopper means on the housing adapted to move into engagement with said drain when the housing is in the at-restposition and out of engagement when the receptacle is not in atrest position, a drive shaft on the axis of the receptacle, means for lifting saidhousing from its at-rest position and rotating it, comprising a shaft member entering said,

housing, a lift member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a clutch means on the lift member en- 7 gageable wit-h said housing and means operatively conin the drain means when the shaft is moved in the opposite direction.

2. In a washing machine having a receptacle rotatable about a vertical axis, a housing on the bottom thereof, a fixed stationary member adapted to receive and support said receptacle, said housing having an at-rest position on said fixed stationary member, a plurality of depending drain members on the bottom of said receptacle, a plurality of arms corresponding to said drain members pivoted adjacent one end on said housing, stopper means on the opposite end of each said arms adapted to move into engagement with said drain members when the housing is in the at-rest position and out of engagement when the receptacle is not in the at-rest position, a drive shaft on the axis of the receptacle, means for lifting said housing from its at-rest position and rotating it, comprising a shaft member entering said housing, a lift member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, clutch means on the lift member engageable with References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,700 10/1943 Kirby 682,3 2,361,767 10/1944 Hays 68-23 3,215,232 11/1965 ,Douglas 6823 X WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A WASHING MACHINE HAVING A RECEPTACLE ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, A HOUSING ON THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A FIXED STATIONARY MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN AT-REST POSITION ON SAID FIXED STATIONARY MEMBER, A DEPENDING DRAIN MEMBER ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE, STOPPER MEANS ON THE HOUSING ADAPTED TO MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRAIN WHEN THE HOUSING IS IN THE AT-REST POSITION AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WHEN THE RECEPTACLE IS NOT IN ATREST POSITION, A DRIVE SHAFT ON THE AXIS OF THE RECEPTACLE, MEANS FOR LIFTING SAID HOUSING FROM ITS AT-REST POSITIN AND ROTATING IT, COMPRISING A SHAFT MEMBER ENTERING SAID HOUSING, A LIFT MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A CLUTCH MEANS ON THE LIFT MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID HOUSING AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID LIFT MEMBER AND CLUTCH MEANS IN A MANNER TO AXIALLY RAISE SAID CLUTCH MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOUSING WHEREBY THE HOUSING IS RAISED FROM ITS ATREST POSITION MOVING THE STOPPER MEANS FROM THE DRAIN MEMBER AND ROTATED WHEN SAID SHAFT IS ROTATED IN ONE DIRECTION AND TO LOWER THE CLUTCH MEANS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOUSING AND THE HOUSING ONTO THE STATIONARY MEMBER MOVING THE STOPPER MEANS INTO CLOSING POSITION IN THE DRAIN MEANS WHEN THE SHAFT IS MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

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