US1211436A - Washing-machine. - Google Patents

Description

A. J. GRUVER.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1915.

1,231 1,486 Patented Jan. 9,1917.

25 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1 t E 7 04404401, I A/vaJGr-ov Q t affovnu a A. J. GROVEFL WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 5. 1915.

w-itwmoe ALVA J. GROVER, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1915. Serial No. 19,389.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVA J. GRovnR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Council Bluffs, in the county of Pottawattamie and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to washing machines of the class having vertically reciprocating agitating means operating within a receptacle containing the articles to be washed.

It is the object of my invention to provide in a washing machine a vertically reciprocating pounder, yielding actuating means for said pounder whereby the same may be caused to press equally upon varying amounts of material, means for moving the pounder horizontally toward and away from the center of an associated tub, and means connected with the actuating means for causing a rotary movement of the tub, whereby the pounder will be operated successively in the various parts of the tub.

A structure embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 isa side view ofthe machine,

parts being broken away, Fig.2 is ahorizontal sectional view on the plane ofthe line waz of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail. vertical sectional view of the drive mechanism on the line y z of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail end elevation of the drive'mechanism, and Fig.

5 is a plan view of the machine.

In the structure shown I provide a suitable frame having a base-portion 1 which is held at a suitable height by legs 2 (shown broken ofl in the drawings). At one end of the machine there is an elevated table 3 carried by a supporting-frame 4 which connects it with the base-portion 1. On top of the table 3 is secured the fixed frame 5 of the drive mechanism, said frame 5 having bearings formed therein for a horizontal main-shaft 6 and a vertical. shaft 7. On the inner end of the main-shaft is abevel pinion 8 which meshes with a bevel-gear 9 secured on the shaft 7 so that said shaft may be driven by rotation of the main-shaft 6. On the outer end of the main-shaft 6 is a suitable pulley or fly-wheel 10 which has a handle 11 so that it may be turned by hand. The lower part of the vertical shaft 7 extends down through the table 3 and the 'lower end of the shaft is journaled in a suitable bearing carried on one ofthe cross pieces of the base 1. On one end of the base 1 a tub 12 is revolublysupported by means of rollers 13 mounted on the crosspieces of the base, as shown. On the central portion of the bottom of the tub there is secured a toothed wheel 14 of which the hub- I Patented Jan. 9,1917- portion extends into a bearing on the base,

so as to keep the tub centered on a fixed vertical axis. 'On the hub-portion of the wheel 14 is pivoted a pawl-arm 15, and to the end of said armis pivotally connected the end of a rod. 16. The other end of said rod forms an eccentric-strap which fits upon a small eccentric 17 which is secured to the shaft 7 just above the bearing for the lower end of said shaft. A pawl 18 is pivoted on the outer end of the arm 15 and normally engages the peripheral part of the wheel 14, as shown in Fig. 2. v A lever 18 is pivotally connected with the pawl by means of a link 20, and may beused to move the pawl out to a position at which it will not engage the wheel. Rotation of the vertical shaft 7 imparts a reciprocating movement to the connecting-rod 16, and to the pawl-arm and:

pawl, so that when the pawl is in position to engage the wheel 14, the latter is actuated thereby and an intermittent rotative movement is imparted to the tub.

A swing-frame 21 is provided, having at one end thereof portions which are pivotally connected with the shaft 7 above the upper and lower bearings for said shaft in the fixed frame 5. In the swing-frame are formed bearings for a horizontal crank-shaft 22. A bevel gear 23 is secured on the end of the shaft 22 adjacent to the shaft 7 and meshes with a similar gear. 24 on said shaft 7 so that the crank-shaft is driven from the,

vertical shaft. v j

At the free end of the swing-frame 21 there are upper and lower projecting arms 25 and 26 through which the pounder-rod 27 is vertically slidable. On the-lower end of the pounder-rod within the tub 12 is a V hollow conical pounder 28, the same being of the type commonly known as a vacuum washer. On the upper end of the rod 27 a hand-wheel 29 is screwed thereon, and said hand-wheel has hooks 30 engaging an annu-' lar lip on a collar 31 which is slidably disposed on the rod below the wheel. To said collar isconnected one end of a coil spring 32 which is disposed around the rod and of which the lower end is connected with the .causes the frame 21: to swing between the 'extremepositions shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. 5, or so thatxthe pounder is stud-collar-33. Said stud-collar is also'slidably disposed on the rod 27, and a connecting-rod 34 extends from the collar to a crank 35 on the end of the crank-shaft 22, so' that rotation of said shaft imparts a vertically reciprocating movement to the collar. Ordinarily the entire vertical movement of the stud 'collar is imparted to the pounder-rod, but if there bean excessive resistance to the downward movement of the pounder, such as would be caused by an unusual amount of material in the tub, the movement ofthe stud-collar, or a part-of such movement, will be expended in stretching the spring 32. The spring 32 is so proportioned that it may be elongated sufficiently to take up almost the entire movement of the stud-collar, and it is thus impossible to cause an-excessive stress upon the driving mechanism should there be an unusual amount of clothing placed in the tub, or if the materials being washedtherein should become bunched beneath .the pounder. The tension of the spring 32=may be varied by screwing the hand-wheel 29 upor down on the rod, and the device is thus adjusted so as to operate most effectively upon varying amounts of material in the tub.

-On the lower side of the swing-frame there. is revolubly mounteda crank-wheel 36 which has a series of teeth on the upper side of the rim thereof, as shown. On the lower side of said wheel there isan eccentrically-disposed crank-pin 37 which fits slidably in a rectilinear channel formed in aplate 38 which is secured to the table 3 beneath the swing-frame, the channel in the: plate extending radially to the vertical shaft 7. The wheel 36 has an intermittent rotative movement imparted thereto by means of an eccentric 39 carried on the crankshaft v22. A strap 40, disposed around the eccentric, is pivotally connected with the horizontal arm ofabell-crank4l which is 'fulcrumedona lug 42 onthe swing-frame. The vertical arm of the bellcrank carries a pawl 43 adapted to engage the teeth on the wheel, so that the reciprocating movements imparted to the pawl by the-eccentric and bell-crank intermittently actuate the wheel. As the wheel 36 is revolved, the crank-pin 37, which remains constantly in the channel in the plate .38,

moved horizontally from positions near the sides of the tub to positions near thecenter thereof.

. The 'describedswinging movementof the frame 21, combined with the rotary movementof the tub and. the vertical movements 7 of. the. pounder, causes the pounder to work successively all .parts 7 .of (the tub, and

materialsinanypart of thetub will,-.thus,

thecpounder. Should it be desired to stop the swinging movement of the frame 21,

the pawl 43 may be lifted out of operative relation to the crank-wheel 36 by means of a rod 44 which extends to the upper part of 'the'frame and is connected witha small cam-lever 45. Said lever is formed so that by turning the same up to a vertical position the rod 44 is raised and. the pawl lifted out of contact with the teeth-on the crankwheel.

F-rom the foregoing, the structure and operation of the machine will be clearly ap parent, and it will appear also that various changes. andmodifi'cations of the mechanism may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. 7

Now, having described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. In a washing machine, vertically reciprocating agitating means, a tub associated therewithandv rotatable on'a vertical axis, a swing-frame carrying the agitating means and movablesin a horizontal plane to carry .theagitating means in a path approximately radial to the axis of thetub, and connected driving .mechanism for reciprocating the agitating means, rotating the tubgand swingingthe frame.

2. In a washingmachine,vertically reciprocatable agitating means, a pivoted horizontally swingable frame'carrying. said agitating means, and connected zdriving means for reciprocating the agitating means and for swinging said frame. :in .alternating directionszabout the pivotalaxis thereof.

3. In a washing .machine, a fixed frame, a vertical: shaft journaled therein, a movable framepivoted on-said shaft, ar-horizontal shaft journaled insaid movable frame and extending radially. to the vverticalrshaft, gearing operatively connecting said horizontal andvertical shafts, lalrod slidable vertically in the movable frame, smeans connecting said -rod and thehorizontal shaft for reciprocating the: rod,: and means actuatedxby the horizontal: shaft for swinging the movable frame to. reciprocate the same about the axis ofthe-vertical shaft.

1 4.. Inra washing machine, a tubv rotatable on a vertical axis v agitating meansdisposed withinthe tub, aamovable frame carrying said agitating means,xsaid v frame being, pivoted on a vertical-axis and-being swingable thereon to move. the agitatingameans horizontally towardand away from the axis of the tub, and connecteddriving. means for actuating the: agitating means, rotating the tub, and swinging the movable frame alternately toward and; away from the tubsaxis.

5. In -a washingmachine,#a-fixed. frame,

' a movableframerpivotedon the'fixed frame so as to be swingable horizontally about a vertical axis, a horizontal crank-shaft journaled in said movable frame, means for rotating said shaft, a rod slidable vertically in the movable frame, means connecting said rod and crank-shaft whereby the rod may be reciprocated vertically by rotation of said shaft, a crank-wheel mounted on the movable frame so as to be revoluble on a vertical axis, means connected with the crank-shaft for rotating said wheel, a plate connected with the fixed frame and extending adjacent to the crank-wheel, and a pin on the crank-wheel disposed eccentrically thereto and extending into a rectilinear 15 subscribed my name in the presence'of two 20 witnesses. 4

ALVA J. GROVER.

Witnesses:

D. O. BARNELL, F. W. CARMICHAEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

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