US1387365A - Gearing for washing-machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

J. A. DIENNER.

GEARING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2, I918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' J. A. DIENNER.

GEA RING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2,1918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. A. DIENNER. GEAHING FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, I918.

1 ,387,365, I Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. DIENN'ER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 WALTER J. CONLON, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JOHN A. DIENNER, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of detail description that it is not limited to such use only.

More particularly, the gearing provides control mechanism for controlling the operation of the washer mechanism and independent control mechanism for controlling the operation and direction of rotation of the wringer rolls. This mechanism comprises gears and cooperating clutches embodied in a unitary and compact power transmission mechanism. I preferably dispose this transmission mechanism relatlvely low on the machine where it presents no hindrance to.

wringing clothes nor to inserting or removing clothes from the drum or container.

dispose the electric motor and the different control and driving mechanisms so that they will not obstruct any of the washing or wringing operations; so that they will permit of a maximum sized clothes container; and furthermore, so that they will preserve the general balance of the machine.

I shall now' describe a preferred embodiment of my invention to acquaint those skilled in the art how to construct and use the same.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of the washing machine, wringer and the driving mechanisms therefor, with parts of the gear housing broken away to illustrate the interior arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational 'view of the same with the tank and main gear housing broken away to reveal the construction; and

Fig. 3 is a' schematic layout of the driving and controlling mechanism of the washing machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1918. Serial No. 226,144.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the main body of the washing machine comprises a rectangular sheet metal tank'l, having a semicircular bottom 2. An open drum or clothes container 3 built of end members and cross slats is pivoted in bearings in the .tank 1. This drum has a suitable door or opening forthe insertion of the clothes and the drum is of such size as to substantially fill the tank as shown by the dotted circle in Fig. 1.

The tankhas the usual cover 01' lid 4 to afiord access to the drum 3 and is supported upon the four legs 5, provided with swivel casters 6. p

A triangular frame casting 7 in the form of a spider has one arm 8 firmly secured to the tank 1, another arm 9 secured to one of For numerous reasons I find it advantageous to dispose the motor 12 on the end of the washing machine as shown, rather than under the tank or casing l, as is so often the practice. First, with the motor under the tank the clearance of the machine is materially reduced, and the clothes container must be of reduced size and capacity to accommodate the motor thereunder. Second, the difficulty and loss of power involved in driving around the corner of the washing machine and third, the underslung disposal of the motor subjects it to the moisture dripping and leaking from the washing machine casing.

The arm 10 of the spider member 7 is provided with a gear housing extension 16 having suitable hearings in its end for supporting the worm gear 17. The worm gear 17 has connection through a stub end with a sleeve coupling 18, having pin and slot connection with the stub and motor shaft-s.

A worm wheel 19 meshes with the worm gear 17 within the housing 16, and is mount:

ed upon the end of the inclined shaft 21 and drives the bevel gear 24. The housing 23 bolts to a flange 20 on the end of the hearing 22. The shaft 21 terminates substantially flush with the top of the gear 24. Another bevel gear 25 is journaled in the hub 27 in the side of the housing 23, and meshes with the power bevel gear 24. The pivotal support of the bevel gear 25 is in the form of a stub sleeve 26 pro ecting through the hub 27 and surrounding the end of the shaft 28.

The shaft 28 is supported in bearings 29 and 30, integral with the spider casting 7 and operates to drive the drum '3 through the reversing mechanism 32 as I shall presently describe. A sleeve housing 33, integral with the spider casting 7 slips over the hub 27 of the transmission housing and incloses the shaft 28 and its operating parts.

The clutch collar 34 is splined on this shaft and has clutching elements 35 adapted for driven engagement with clutching elements 36 on the end of the stub sleeve 26. A shifting lever 37 is pivoted to an extension of the sleeve housing 33 and has a forked end extending through an opening in said housing and engaging in an annular groove in the clutch collar 34.

My invention is not concerned with the reversing mechanism 32 and it will sufiioe to say that the two loosely mounted bevel pinions 38 and 39 are alternately connected to the shaft 28 by the sleeve 41 and rocking key 42 for reversibly rotating the large bevel gear 43. The large bevel gear 43 rotates the clothes container or drum 3 through a large friction clutch, the housing of which is indicated at 44 in Fig. 2. The function of this clutch is to absorb the back lash of reversal and its construction and operation are fully set forth in the application of Walter J. Conlon, Serial No. 197,184 filed October 18th, 1917. The provision of the friction clutch is, of course, optional in the present machine.

An upper bevel gear 46 meshes with the bevel gear 25 and rotates freely about the shaft 47. As shown in Fig. 3, the motion of this gear is reversed to that of the power gear 24. The shaft 47 extends up through a sheet metal sleeve 48 into the gear housing 49, where it is keyed to a bevel gear 51. The shaft rotates in suitable bearings formed in the housings 48 and 49, and has its lower end extending down adjacent the gear 24.

A clutch collar 52 is splined upon this lower end and adapted to engage with cooperating clutch elements 53 and 54 on the faces of the ears 24 and 46, respectively. As indicated 1n Fig. 3, upward shifting of the clutch collar 52 is operative to connect the shaft 47 to the gear 46 to rotate the shaft to the left, while downward shifting of the clutch collar is operative to connect the shaft to the lower gear 24 to rotate the shaft to the right.

This shifting of the clutch collar 52 is effected by a forked lever engaging in an annular groove in the clutch collar and pivoted in an opening in the transmission housing cover 23. An operating rod 56 has pivotal attachment to the outer end of the lever 55 and to an operating lever 57 pivoted on the side of the gear housing 49. This rod is bent back to pass down through the sleeve 48 alongside the shaft 47.

The rod 56 may pass directly into the housing 23 and connect with the clutch collar 52 without the intervention of the lever 55 if so desired.

The bevel gear 51 meshes with a second bevel gear 58 mounted upon the driving shaft 59 of the wringer rolls 60. I preferably interpose a friction clutch indicated in dotted lines at 61 in Fig. 1 between the bevel gear 58 and driving shaft 59 to prevent injury to the motor 12 in case the rolls become jammed or stalled. The rolls 60 are positively geared together by the conventional long tooth pinions 62. The wringer 63 is of a conventional type and has a quick release mechanism 64 for releasing the tension upon the rolls 60. The depending side members of the wringer frame are bolted to the legs 5 as shown at 65, and a bracket 66 is bolted to one of these side members and supports the gear housing 49.

The reversing mechanism 32 is inclosed in a suitable casing 67, and thus it will be apparent that all of the operating parts of the machine are inclosed to prevent catching or soiling of the clothes.

The control lever 57 works over a notched bracket 68 and has the three positions indicated in the diagram of Fig. 3. The other control lever works over the notched bracket 69 and has the two positions corresponding to rotation and non-rotation of the clothes drum 3.

The simplicity and compactness of the arrangement will be apparent. The three gears in the housing 23 and their associated clutches comprise the entire mechanism for controlling and transmitting a uni-directional drive to the drum operating shaft and for independently controlling and transmitting a selective drive to the wringer operating shaft.

I do not intend to be limited to the particular details herein shown and described.

I claim: a

1. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, power means for driving said mechanisms, a power driven member, a first gear driven directly by said power driven member, a plurality of transmission gears all in mesh and driven from said first gear, driving means for said washing mechanism, driving means for said wringer mechanism, and control means operable to releasably connect said driving means for said washing mechanism through said gears, and to selectively connect said driving means for said wringing mechanism whereby said latter driving means is driven directly from said power driven member for motion in one direction or is clutched to one of said plurality of transmission gears for motion. in the other direction.

2. Iii a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, power means for driving said mechanisms, a selective transmission nnit comprising a plurality of gears all in mesh, one of said gears being driven by said power means, driving means for sa d washing mechanism, driving means for said wringing mechanism, both. of said driving means being normally disconnected from said gears, control means operable to connect said first driving means to said gears, and independent control means operable to selectively connect said latter driving means to said power driven gear directly or to another of said gears for motion in either direction.

3. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, power means for driving said mechanisms, power transmission mechanlsm comprising a plurality of.

shafts, gears on said shafts,,all of said gears being in constant driving mesh, one of said shafts having connection with said power means, the other shafts having connection with said washing mechanism and with said wringing mechamsm, and clutch means for driving one of said latter shafts from said gears and for driving another of said shafts selectively in either direction from said power shaft directly or through said train of gears.

4. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, power means for driving said mechanisms, a unitary power transmission mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts, a gear on each of said shafts, one of said shafts having connection with said power means, the other shafts having connection with said washing mechanism and with said wringing mechanism, clutch means for driving one of said latter shafts from said gears, an independently operable clutch means for driving another of said shafts selectively in either direction from said power shaft directly or through said train of gears.

5. In a washing machine, a main tank or casing, a clothes washer within said tank, a.

wringer on said washing machine, an electric motor mounted u on the side of said tank, a power shaft driven by said motor, a first gear on said shaft, a second gear meshing with saidfirst gear, a third gear meshing with said second gear, a second shaft having operative connection with said clothes washer, clutching means for connectin said second shaft to said second gear, a th1rd shaft having operative connection with said wringer, and clutching means for selectively connecting said third shaft either to said first gear or to said third gear.

6. In a washing machine, a main tank or casing, a clothes washer within said tank, a wringer on said washing machine, an electric motor mounted upon the side of said tank, a power shaft driven by said motor, a first gear driven by said ower shaft, a second gear meshing with said first gear, a cross shaft having operative connection with the reversin mechanism of said clothes washer, clutc ing means for connecting said cross shaft to said second gear, a third gear meshing with said second gear, an upright shaft havin operative connection with said wringer an independent clutching means for selectively connecting said upright shaft with either said first gear or said third gear.

7. In combination, a power gear, a second gear meshingwith said power gear, a third gear meshing with said second gear, a plu-- independently operative clutch means for connectin another of said shafts to one or another 0 said gears for selectively driving said shaft in either direction.

8. In combination, three meshing ears, a plurality of shafts forsaid gears, t e first of said shafts being power driven, the remainder of said shafts being normally disconnected from said gears, clutching means on a secondshaft for driving said second shaft in uni-directional rotation from said gears, and clutching means on a third shaft for driving said third shaft in either direction from said gears.

9. In combination, a substantially vertical power shaft, a substantially vertical wringer driving shaft axially in line with said power shaft, a substantially horizontal washer driving shaft, a gear case, three gears in mesh in said case, said shafts all having their ends projecting into said case in line with said gears, said power shaft being attached to one of said gears, clutching means for clutching the wringer driving shaft to move with the power shaft, said clutching means having mechanism to drive the wringer shaft from the power shaft through said three gears, and clutching means for controlling the drive through said horizontal washer driving shaft.

10. In combination, a substantially vertical power shaft, a substantially vertical said power shaft, a substantially horizontal washer driving shaft, a gear case, three gears in mesh in said case, said shafts all having their ends projecting into said case in line with said gears said power shaft being attached to one of said gears, clutching means for clutching the wringer drivin shaft to move with the power shaft, sai clutching means having mechanism to drive the wringer shaft from the power shaft through said three gears, and clutching means for clutchin to said washer driving shaft.

11. In a washing machine, washing mechanism, wringing mechanism, power means the intermediate gear gears, one of said facing bevel gears being 20 driven by said power means, driving means connecting said third bevel gear with said washing mechanism, releasable clutch means interposed in said driving means, a shaft for driving said wringing mechanism and 25 reversible clutch means for connecting said shaft to either of said facing bevel gears.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th da of March, A. D. 1918.

J HN A. DIENNER.

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