US1976902A - Dishwashing machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1934. E. s. STOD'DARD 1,976,902

DI SHWASHING MACHINE I Filed May 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1- Inf/87%": v x5 Stoddard Oct. 16, 1934, E. s. STODDARD DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 toddani Oct; 16, 193:; E a STQDDARD 1,976,902

DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ITLUeTUH-r' Ed ar 6 Stoddard.

13 W W azg Patented Oct. 16, 1934 PATENT OFFICE DISHWASHING MACHINE Edgar S. Stoddard, Berwyn, 111., assignor to The Conover Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 2, 1930, Serial No. 449,186

12 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines, and it particularly relates to a liquid level control and drain mechanism for a dishwashing machine.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved liquid level control and drain mechanism for liquid containing machines, which is particularly adapted to be utilized in combination with the driving and spray-projection apparatus of a spray-projection type washing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drain-level construction which may be centrally located in the lower part of a washing machine and which is adapted to cooperate with a liquid actuating device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a drain-level mechanism for liquid containing machines which may be manually actuated from a distant point and which will not be readily impaired in its action by the lodgment of dirt and other solid particles in the valve mechanism.

A stillfurtherobject of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which is adapted to cooperate with the water actuating device of a spray-projection type dishwashing machine and maintain a central quiescent zone within the liquid pool of the machine from which the water discharging device is adapted to receive the waste liquids to be discharged.

Other objects will appear during the course of the following description.

Although the drain-level arrangement of the present invention is particularly adapted to be utilized in connection with spray-projection type dishwashing machines, which are more fully shown and described in a copending application Serial No. 389,696 filed August 31, 1929, now Patent No. 1,937,100, this arrangement may be generally employed and utilized in connection with liquid containing machines of widely varying character.

In the drawings, which show one embodiment of the invention as applied to a spray-projector type dishwashing machine, and to which'the invention is by no means restricted:

Fig. 1 shows a front sectional view of the washing machine with the drain mechanism in position;

Fig. 2 shows a side sectional view of the drain mechanism and its manually actuated control upon a slightly enlarged scale and upon the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are side views partly in section and partly in elevation upon the line 3-3 of 2, showing the drain valve in closed and open positions respectively;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are top sectional viewsupon the lines 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7- of Fig. 2;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged showings of the 5 various elements of the drain valve removed from the combination;

Fig. 11 is a front sectional view upon the line 11-11 of Fig. 2 showing in greater detail a portion of the actuating arrangement; and

Figs. 12 and 13 show a modified actuating mechanism.

The present invention is shown as applied to a combined sink-dishwasher adapted to be permanently installed in kitchens, but it also may be readily applied to portable dishwashing machines. The supporting structure has a sink portion 20, a dishwasher support structure 21 and a backboard 22. Upon the backboard are positioned the hot, and cold water faucets 23 and 24 'of the sinkand also the hot and cold water valves of the dishwasher 25 and 26. These valves are adapted to empty into thepipe 27 which in turn discharges into the tank 51 of the dishwasher by the outlet 28. Closely adjacent these faucets are positioned the motor switch 29 and the drain actuating handle 30.- r

The dishwashing machine proper consists of a cylindrical tank 51 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which is provided with a sloping bottom 52, said sloping bottom having a. slightly inclined outside portion .53, and an interior portion 54 which is inclined at a much greater angle so as to cause the formation of a deeper pool of water in the central portion of the tank. The tank 51 forms "the washing chamber of the machine and is supplied with the racks (not shown) which are adapted to support the dishes and other articles to be cleansed in proper relationship to the cleansing spray. To the central open portion of the sloping bottom is attached a rather short cylindrical chamber 55 (see Figs. 1 and 3) which is provided with an annularly recessed sloping bottom 56. Below the cylindrical chamber 55 is another cylindrical chamber 57 of smaller diameter which contains the mechanism adapted to remove all liquid from the tank. T0 the bottom of the chamber 57 is attached the motor 65.

The motor 65 (see Figs. 1 and 2) drives the impeller or main water actuating or spraying device of the dishwashing machine by means of the shaft 76. The shaft 76 is provided with two bearings, a lower bearing in the lower part of the motor casing (not shown) and an upper bearing 74 to which is attached the sleeve 77. The

' of the tank, and it is enclosed by the aforementioned tubular sleeve '77 which is fitted into the bearing '74 in the motor end bell 81 (see especially Fig. 2). Supported upon the shouldered portion 79 is the impeller 75. The end of the shaft 79 screws into the head piece 82 of the impeller. The lower inner portion of the blades of the impeller '75 (see Figs. 1 and 2) are cut away so that the impeller may embrace a level and discharge mechanism to which this application is particularly directed.

Hot water is usually admitted to the washing chamber of the tank by the inlet 28 (see Figs. 1 and 2) until it reaches the level of the overflow device. This overflow device is so constructed as to permit the tank to be filled with water to substantially above the level of the jointure of the sloping portions 53 and 54 (see Figs. land 2). The overflow and drain device is supported upon the bottom of the upper cylindrical chamber 55 by means of the plate 140 which fits into a recessed portion in the bottom of the chamber 55. The plate 140 is annular in shape and slopes downwardly and inwardly. The inner edge of the plate is provided with a short cylindrical wall 141. This wall is provided with a series of spaced openings 142 (see also Figs. 6 and 8) and'the inside of the wall is machined and is of frusto conical shape so as to cooperate with a closely fitting conical valve member 143. The valve member 143 is also provided with openings 144 (see also Figs. 6 and 9) which may be of smaller, larger orthe same diameter, as the openings 142, the latter being preferred. The openings 142 are positioned so that they will be at the lowest portion of the cylindrical chamber 55, and therefore will drain all liquid from the washing chamber of the machine. In Figs. 2, 3 and 6 the inner conical valve member 143 is turned so that its openings 144 do not cooperate with the openings 142 in the wall 141, and this will prevent any drainage taking place from the bottom of the chamber 55. However, when the valve is turned so that the openings 144 are opposite and cooperate with the openings 142, such drainage readily occurs (see Fig. 4). The openings 144 in the conical valve member 143 are made smaller than the intervening portions of the wall 141 so that there willbe no leakage past the valve when it is turned into non-discharging position (see especially Fig. 6). I

Seated in a .circular recess in the inner-upper side of the conical valve 143 is a cylinder 145 which extends up to the normal level as previously described (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 9). When the valve 143 is in non-draining position, the water must rise to the level of the top of the tube 145 before it may enter the discharge chamber or pump compartment 57-. The outer upper portion of the conical valve member is shouldered and threaded as indicated at 146 and upon this shouldered and threaded portion is placedthe nut or threaded annulus 147 (see especially Fig. 4) Between themain portion of the valve 143 and the shouldered portion 147 is another shouldered portion 148 of diameterintermediate that of the portion 146 and the main portion of the valve.

I Y This shouldered portion 148 is provided with external flats 149 (see Fig. 5) which co,-

operate with the internal flats of an actuating ring or washer 150 (see also Fig. 10). In the construction shown there is no tendency for the nut 14'? to unscrew and become loose because of the intervention of the actuating ring 150 between it and the top of the outer valve member 141. The washer 150 acts to prevent friction between the stationary valve 141 and the tightened nut 147.

The ring 150 is provided with a projecting finger 151 which has an opening 152 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10). The crank 153 cooperates with the opening 152 and is connected to the end of the rotatable rod 154. The rod 154 passes through the packing nut 155 in the wall of the chamber 55 and connects with a bell crank lever 156 (see Figs. 1 and 2). The outer portion. of the rod 154 is supported by the fixture 15'? attached to the bottom of the'tank. The bell crank lever 156 is actuated by the vertical rod 158, which at its upper end is connected to another lever 159. This lever is rotated by means of the rod 160. The rod 160 extends from the rear of the sink to the front of the sink and is provided at the front of the sink with a handle 30. By means of the handle 30 it is possible to turn the rod 160, elevate or depress the rod 158, rotate the rod 154 and open or close the valve 143. The rod 160 is provided with a bearing in the block 131. The block 131 (see Figs. 2 and 11), is drilled or provided with an opening 132 in which the rod 160 fits and turns. The rod is held in position by means of the pins 133 which cooperate with the grooves 134 in the rod. In this manner the rod 160 will be free to turn and at the same time will not be subject to lateral or longitudinal displacement.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 12 and 13, a bearing 191 is formed in the block 190 to receive the horizontal portion 1920f the handle 30. The lever 193 is attached to the rod 192 between the back 22 of the sink 20 and the front of the supporting bearing 191. It is held in longitudinal position in the bearing 191 by the shoulder 194, the washer 195 and the cotter pin 196.

The actuating mechanism attached to the lever 193 may be modified so that a flexible push and pull rod will connect the lever 193 directly to the finger 151 of the washer 150 (see Fig. 5). In this construction the entire flexible rod is preferably contained in a water tight casing the lower end of which is under the level of the water and the upper end of which is above the liquid level, means being provided to prevent leakage where the tubular casing passes through the wall of the tank.

Placed on the upper side of the plate 140 and upon the outer side of the perforated cylindrical wall 141 are the symmetrically positioned bailles or ridges 1'15 (see Figs. '2 to 6 and 8). These baflles or ridges serve to prevent a swirling motion of the water, and moreover direct the water when it is draining out of the chamber 55 into the openings 142. Moreover, the vertical portions of these baflles or ridges 176 are provided with shoulders 177 which serve to support a shield 178 which fits over the overflow and drain combination. The holes 142 are cut non-radially in ,the wall 141 and are positioned so that their lower portion will be level with or below the top of the plate 140. This position of the holes will insure complete drainage of the chamber 55. It will be noted that the bailles or ridges 175 are positioned tangentially and not radially so that into the chamber 55 and the lower part of the washing compartment until it reaches approximately the normal water level. At this time the water will have risen under the covering shield 178 to the level of the top of the cylinder 145 and it will overflow into the space between the cylinder 145 and the impeller tube or apron 179 into the discharge or pump chamber 57.

It will be noted that the tube 145 is suitably spaced from the top of the shield 178, as indicated at 180 (see Fig. 3) and also that the top of the shield is suitably spaced from the impeller tube 179, as indicated at 181. The impeller tube 179 screws onto a threaded sleeve extending downwardly from the lower edge and is a part of the conical impeller head 82 (see Fig. 2). The impeller tube 179-extends downwardly around 'the upwardly projecting tubular portion 77 to approximately the bottom of the chamber 57. This tube 179 will turn with the shaft 76. To the lower portion of the impeller tube 179 is attached a centrifugal device 183 (see Figs. 2 and 7). The centrifugal or pump device 183 is adapted to turn in the chamber 57, while the impeller is rotating in the lower part of the washing chamber formed by the tank 51. The blades 184 of the device 183 are curved outwardly away in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation so as to give a maximum centrifugal effect to the water being discharged. They may be placed as close together as desired, except that they should not be placed so close as would prevent the ejection of foodparticles. The blades are also of decreased area adjacent the central shell, as indicated at 185, asa result of which-the water will flow into the discharge chamber smoothly and rapidly through the space between the tube 145 and the impeller tube 179.

During the time the overflow is taking place, the centrifugal device is discharging the excess water which flows upwardly between the shield 178 and the tube 145 and downwardly between the tube 145 and the impeller tube 179 from the machine by means of the discharge conduit 186 into the sink 20 (see Fig. 1). This prevents an overcharging oi the machine with wash or rinse liquid. The discharge of water into the sink will indicate that the machineis filled to its proper level, and the operator then may shut the inlet and keep any further amount of water from flowing into the machine. When the machine is operated in this manner it is necessary to have the shaft 76 and the tube 179 turning while the machine is being filled with water.

When it is desirable to discharge the machine completely, the handle 30 on the rod 160 is turned so as to rotate the valve 143, with the result that its openings 144 cooperate with the openings 142 and communicating with said first mentioned vertical chamber by means of the central opening in the liquid directly or in the washing chamber suitable amounts of a detergent such as trisodium phosphate and soap. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is preferable to start the motor by the switch 29 before admitting the liquid and cause the motor to run while admitting the liquid. ,In this way the starting torque of the motor is reduced, and moreover the centrifugal pump in the chamber 57 is actuated so as to discharge any overflow or excess cleansing or rinse liquid. When the tank has been filled to the topof the cylinder 145, it will overflow into the chamber 57 and discharge through the line 186 into the sink 20. When it is desired to drain the tank completely, the handle 30 is turned so as to place the openings 141 in cooperation with the openings 144 and to permit all liquid in the lower part of the tank to drain into the pump or discharge chamber 57. The articles within the machine may be subjected to several cleansing and rinsing operations of this character.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dishwashing machine, a vertical tank, a vertical chamber communicating with the lowest part of said tank and being provided with a central opening in its bottom, another vertical chamber below said first mentioned vertical chamber forming a pump or discharge chamber the bottom thereof, said opening being provided with a wall extending a short distance up into the first mentioned vertical chamber, the inner surface of said wall being of upwardly pointed frustoconical shape and being provided with openings which are substantially at the lowest level of the bottom of said first mentioned chamber, thereby forming a communication between said tank and said discharge chamber, and a conical valve openings in said wall and adapted to rotate within said wall so as to open or close the openings therein, said valve being provided with a cylindrical tube extending upwardly into the tank and being adapted to maintain a desired liquid level therein.

2. A washing machine comprising a vertical tank, a well chamber communicating with the lowest part of said tank, a central opening in the bottom of said well chamber, forming an outlet therefor, said opening being provided with a wall extending upwardly a short distance, said wall being provided with openings which are substantially on the lowest level of the bottom of said well, a valve member positioned within said wall and adapted to open or close the openings therein, and baflies or guides upon the bottom of the member having openings corresponding to the well chamber for the purpose of guiding the liquid into the openings in the wall around the central opening in said bottom.

3. A washing machine provided with a vertical tank, a well chamber communicating with the bottom of said tank, a driving shaft extending ing downwardly about said sleeve, the lower porattached to said tube, a perforated inner movable valve member in the lower part of the tank and outside of said rotatable tube, an upwardly extending overflow tube movable with said inner valve'member and communicating with said well chamber, a perforated outer valve member, and a shell enclosing and being spaced from said valve members and said overflow tube.

4. A washing machine comprising a tank, a drain valve positioned in the lowest part of said tank, a horizontal rotatable valve actuating rod extending through the wall of said tank, a second vertical rod connected to said first mentioned rod and adapted to rotate it extending upwardly along the side of the tank of the machine to a point adjacent the top of the tank, and a handle connected to the upper end of said second mentioned rod by means of which said second mentioned rod may be moved upwardly or downwardly.

5. A washing machine comprising a tank, a rotatable drain valve in the lowest part of said tank, a horizontal rotatable valve actuating rod extending horizontally through the wall of said tank, a second actuating rod adapted to rotate the first mentioned rod and extending upwardly along the tank of the machine until it reaches a position adjacent the top thereof, and a third horizontal actuating rod connected to said second mentioned rod adapted to reciprocate said second mentioned rod upwardly and downwardly.

6. In a washing machine comprising a tank, a drain valve positioned in the lowest portion of said tank comprising a stationary member and a movablemember, said movable member being of frusto-conical shape and being positioned so as to rotate upon the main axis of the machine, a series of openings in the sides of said movable member, an actuating ring attached to the top of said movable member adapted to be actuated from outside of ,the tank, and a nut fitted upon the top of said movable member and holding the actuating ring in position, said'actuating ring intervening between said nut and said stationary member so as to eliminate any tendency for the nut to unscrew.

valve in the lower portion of said tank, said valve comprising a fixed member and a movable memher, said fixed member consisting of an inwardly and downwardly sloping annulus around the inner opening of which is positioned a circular wall and upon the upper surface of which is positioned a series of non-radial fins which have extensions vertically along the outer side of said circular wall.

9. In a washing machine, a tank, a drain valve positioned in the lower part of said tank, said drain valve comprising an outer annular stations ary member, an inner annular rotatable member, non-radial cooperating openings in the sides of said stationary and movable members, means to rotate said inner member, and non-radial fins positioned on the floor of the tank adjacent the openings in said stationary member for the purpose of directing the liquids therethrough.

10. In a washing machine, a tank and a drain valve in the lower portion of said tank, said valve comprising a stationary annular member attached to and extending upwardly from the floor of the tank, a rotatable annular member fitted within said stationary member, means to rotate said rotatable member, a series of spaced openings in said stationary annular member, the rotation of the inner member being adapted to cover or uncover said openings, and a series of vanes positioned upon the floor of said tank adjacent in said stationary member and extending a substantial distance above the top of said stationary member to determine the liquid level within the tank, a-series of spaced openings in said stationary member and said rotatable member adapted to cooperate with each other, and a shield enclosing and being spaced fromsaid valve mechanism, said shield having an opening adjacent the bottom of the tank.

12. In a dishwashing machine, a tank provided with a draining bottom, a circular opening in the lowest part of said draining bottom, a wall projecting upwardly from around the edges of said opening, a rotatable valve member fitted within 1 said wall, a series of cooperating openings in said wall and said rotatable valve member, means to rotate said valve member adapted to place said openings into or out of alignment, a chamber beneath the lowest portion of said'draining bottom adapted to communicate with said tank by said central opening, and a centrifugal pump in said chamber adapted to remove all liquids from said tank when said openings are turned in cooperating position.

EDGAR S. STODDARD.

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