US1667195A - Agitator for washing machines - Google Patents

Description

April 24, 1928. 1,667,195

H. J. CRINER AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 5. 1926 INVENTOR H r/: C'RJIY'ER w afiinwg,

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HARRY T. CBINER, OF GLARINDA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO CLARINDA MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF CLARINDA, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Applicationfiled March 3, 1926. Serial No. 91,934.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved agitator for clot-hes washing machines so constructed and arranged that in operation it will produce a circulating movement of water in the machine and produce a more efficient cleansing of the clothes.

A further object is to provide an improved agitator which is made of metal and presents smooth surfaces which do not catch on or injure the clothes. j

A further object is to provide an improved agitator so constructed and positioned that the entire bot-tom of the tub of the machine is left clear and unobstructed, with consequent greater capacity and permitting even distribution and a movement of the clothes over the bottom of the tub.

Still a further object is to provide a hollow cone-shaped agitator with a number of projecting wings on its outer surface of peculiar shape and having distinctive and valuable functions in producing .a movement of water in the tub which is desirable in respect of the forcible movement of the water against the clothes to be cleaned.

with these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved agitator removed from the machine.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the same, they operating shaft being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the agitator, part1 in section, a portion of the shaft being bro en away. I

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the agitator in position for use in a washing machine tub and illustrating the circulation of water produced in operation.

The agitator is formed with a conical body 10 of hollow construction and having at its upper end a collar or boss 11 formed with an aperture within which extends, and is secured, the shaft 12. The shaft 12 in this instance is square in cross-section and it serves to suspend the agitator within a washing machine tub such as 13 and also to produce a rotary oscillation of the agitator when the mechanism is in motion. The shaft 12 extends through the lid of the tub 13 and through a housing 14 carried by said lid, which housing contains suitable mechanism described in detail.

' point somewhat above the base .Serial Number 55,497.

Integrally formed on and radiating from the outer surface of the cone-shaped body 10 of the agitator are wings, preferably'three in number and equally spaced, which I have designated by the numerals 16, 17 and 18. Each of the wings 16, 17 and 18 starts at a point near the top of the cone-shaped body 10 and terminates flush with the lower end of said body. The outer margin of the wing is'of peculiar shape which gives to the agita tor its especial function in producing a circulation of the Water, and this shape will be Each wing is narrow at its top, being formed on a slight curve 19 joining it to the cone, which curve 19 merges into a relatively straight marginal edge 20 which is arranged at an angle diverging slightly from the plane of the surface of the cone and of a length somewhat less than one-half of the total length of the wing. The straight edge 20 is joined at an obtuse angle to another substantially straight edge 21 which leads abruptly away from the body and merges into an arcuate marginal edge 22 of considerable radius which turns back toward and joins the body 10 and is substantially tangent to the plane of the baseof the cone. Thus there is produced an outstanding wing which is narrow in its upper portion and wide in its lower portion, and at a of the cone, at its widest point, said win has a width substantially one-half that 0% of the cone in that horizontal plane; and the narrow and Wide portions of the wing merge into each other and are joined by curved edges to the body of the cone. The

.edges of the wings and the base of the cone are preferably rounded, and thecone itself is smooth except for the projecting wings, so that there are no sharp edges or rough surfaces to injure clothes to be washed.

In practical use water and clothes to be washed are placed in the tub 13 and the agitator is oscillated. In this construction the agitator shaft 12 is free to slide vertically in its bearings, so that the agitator can rest on top or substantially n the top of the the diameter 5 clothes, which are distributed over the hottom of the tub. As the agitator is oscillated a current is set up in the water in the tub, which is substantially shown by the arrows in Figure 4, this current being upwardly near the center of the tub following substantiall the wings of the agitator, then outward y near the top toward the walls of the tub, and thence downwardly along said walls. This is a rolling motion or complete circulation of the water in all directions radially of the tub which brings the water.

into intimate, forcible and continuous contact with the'clothes and serves to cleanse the said clothes in a very efiicient manner. It is to be understood the same action would be used for rinsing the clothes in the event a rinse water were used instead of a suds water. Of course some rotary motion of the water circumferentially of the tub is also produced due to the rotary motion of the agitator, and some movement of the clothes also is produced from side to side by coming into contact with the wings. The cone shape of the agitator also serves as a divider for the clothes and prevents them from collecting on or clinging to the top thereof as they tend to do on a fiat-topped agitator. Thehollow construction of the agitator also serves to vary the pressure somewhat in its movement so that the water will move up and down somewhat, and there is some vacuum action of the cup on the water, all of which increases the efficiency of the agitator in moving the water and the clothes, but more particularly the water with relation to the clothes, to produce a cleansing action. It is believed the peculiar circulating movement of the water is due principally to the shape of the cone and its wings, and that great advantage is obtained by the peculiar sha e of the wings which has been described in etail.

This agitatoris also economical to manu-' facture as the body and its wings arecast in one piece from suitable metal such as aluminum.

I claim as my invention-- 1. An agitator for washing' machines, comprising a hollow cone-shaped body, a means connected with the upper end of said body for causing a rotary oscillation, and a plurality of. independent wings formed on and radiating from said body, the upper portion of each wing being arranged on a substantially straight line diverging outwardly slightly from the body and extending not more than one half the total length of the wing,the lower portion being formed on a relatively large are to which the base of the cone-shaped body is substantially tangent, whereby currents of liquid are drawn inwardly toward the base of said body when it is rotated and thence upwardly and between said wings.

2. An agitator-for washing machines arranged for rotary oscillation and comprising a substantially cone-shaped body, and a plurality of wings formed on and radiating from said body, each of said wings being relatively wide in its lower portion and having Its margin formed on an arc, said are merging into a straight line inclining sharply toward the body, the upper portion of the wing being relatively narrow and having its outer margin arranged on a substantially straight line disposed at an ob tuse angle to the first mentioned straight line and at an acute angle to the outer surface ofthe body, whereby when said agitator is oscillated a rolling motion of water is produced, the currents passing upwardly between said wings and along the surface of the cone-shaped body and thence outwardly therefrom. HARRY J. CRINER.

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