US1913764A - Washing cylinder and door means therefor - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1933." UN BERG 1,913,764

WASHING CYLINDER AND DOOR MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mani I fig f/ZWW B. LINDBERG 1,913,764

WASHING CYLINDER AND DOOR MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 13, 1 933.

i/// (4 I\ y 1' v I 1 V 5 A 1 I I, 4 /Z I I I j/I I A l l 2 I! 1- 1 /5 I J5 I J y r 29 2a 7 J J 55 java/Z501" Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES IBERNHARD LINDBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WASHINGGYLINDEB AN D DOOR MEAN S THEREFOR Application filed February 24, 1931. Serial No. 517,716.

The present invention relates primarily to washing machine cylinders, including door means therefor, and has for its object to improve the construction thereof so as to make such machines more eflicient, easier to operate, and reduce to a minimum the danger of injury to or loss of articles placed in the same for treatment.

One of the chief difficulties encountered in machines of this kind is in maintaining the cylinder doors sufficiently tight to prevent the work from washing out past them or bein caught and torn or otherwise damaged there y. The principal object of my invention is to produce a door for this purpose that V will be a good fit initially and will remain so even after long service.

It is desirable to provide an unloading shelf to bridge the .gap between the cylinder and the casing while taking out the wet laundry, and one object of my invention is to produce a noveldevice for this purpose.

In carrying out my invention in its most complete form I hinge the unloading shelf to the cylinder and employ it as a holder to trolled by a single handle moun ed on the 7 door, whereby the door may be unfastened and opened and the unloading shelf be swung out through the operation of a single handle. Not only do I thus obtain simplicity of operation, but the doors may be made as wide as the cylinders are long, or of any other desired width.

In wooden washing cylinder the ribs or longitudinal beams that connect together the cylinder heads frequently become loose and can only with difficulty again be tightly secured to the heads so as to give the desired rigidity to the cylinders. A further object of the present invention is to secure the ribs and the heads together-in a simple and novel manner which will permit ready and easy tightening when necessary.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter he pointed out with particularity 'in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had tothe following detailed description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: v Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a washing machine cylinder, including the door and unloading shelf and fragments-of the cylinder immediately adjacent thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2-of Fig. 1, the door being shown closed in full lines and "m open in dotted lines, and a fragment of the stationary casing being shown in dotted lines; Fig.3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig.

2, on a somewhat larger scale; and'Fig. l is I I a section taken on line 4.-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a cylinder that may be of any usual or suitable construction. In the arrangement shown, it is a wooden cylinder having heads 2 connected by longitudinal ribs or, beams 3 and having the usual slabs or staves 4 forming the periphery. The ribs are shown as 'being notched on the under side, as indicated at 5, to receive the edges of the heads. The end of each rib is secured to the adjacent head by a diagonal bolt 6 extending through the same in a plane at right angles to the head; suitable washers 7 and 8 being placed underneath the nuts on the bolt. In case a joint becomes loose, the nuts are simply screwed up','ag'ain tightening the joint.

The cylinder is provided with the usual door opening bounded at the top and bottom by sills 9 and 10. This opening is adapted to be closed by a door which, in the arrangement shown, is composed .of wooden staves 11 properly secured; together. The door is 1 connected to. the sill 9 by any desired number of hinges. One leaf 12 of each hinge is secured to the sill and to the body of the cylinder, whereas the other leaf 13 is a long member extending entirely across the door from top to bottom. Each of the leaves 13 may serve as a strap overlying the staves of which the body of the door is made and cooperating with an underlying strap 14 to secure the staves in the form of a door. In the arrangement shown, each hinge leaf 13 and underlying strap are connected together by means of b0lts'15 passing through the same and through the intervening staves. To the sill 9, and extending throughout the length thereof, is secured a channel-shaped metal member 16, or trough, in position to receive the long edge of the upper stave when the door is closed. This stave fits snugly in the trough, so that there is no possibility of producing an opening through which the laundry may be washed out past the upper edge of the door. Furthermore, this direct interlock between the door and the sill insures against a looseness in the joint between i the door and the cylinder, at the hinged end, after wear takes place in the hinge joints. y

The upper side of the sill 10 is cut away to form a seat 17 upon which the free end of the door may rest when the door is closed. This seat is lined with a metal strip 18, L-shaped in cross-section, on one flange of which the door rests, while the other flange extends outwardly past the free edge of the door. The door has on the under side a metal strip 19 to engage with the flange of the member 18 on which the door rests, and thereby gives a metal-to-metal contact which will not wear sufficiently to form a crack into which laundry may enter.

There is hinged to the lower sill 10 adjacent to the door opening, an unloading shelf 20. If this shelf is made of wood, it is preferably faced on the inner side with sheet metal, as indicated at 21. The parts are so proportioned that, after the door has been closed, the unloading shelf may be swung inwardly into engagement therewith. At this time the sheet metal facing will engage with the hinge leaves 13, giving a metal-tometal contact between the door and the shelf. One leaf22 of each of the hinges that support the shelf is fastened to the sill 10, whereas the other leaf 23 extends across the top of the shelf and past the free long edge in the form of a flange 24 that will engage with the corresponding hinge leaf 13 on the door. The metal facing 21 is extended across the hinged edge of the shelf and then laterally in the form of a lip 25 that underlies and engages with the corresponding stationary hinge leaf 22 when the shelf is in its door-holding position. lVith this arrangement, even though wear takes place in the joints of the unloading shelf hinges, the hinged end of the shelf cannot move outwardlv when the shelf lies against the door,

because the lips 25 abut against the inner faces of the stationary hinge leaves 22 and prevent such outward movement.

When the shelf is locked in its door-holding position, the door is securely held against its seat in the sill 10, byreason of the fact that the hinged side of the shelf engages With a solid abutment. Furthermore, since the shelf engages with the extreme end of the door near the hinge axis of the shelf,

the lower end and containing a sliding dog or bolt 28 behind which is a compression spring 29. The bolt or dog has a wedge shaped outer end 30 adapted to enter an opening in the flange 24 of the corresponding hinge leaf 23. The parts are so proportioned that, the door being closed, all of the dogs or bolts enter the corresponding openings in the edge of the unloading shelf when the latter is swung into position against the door. The openings in the flanges 24: are preferably narrower than the thickness of the base portions of the wedges, so'that, as the wedges wear, the springs will force them farther into the openings and thus avoid the presence of lost motion.

All of the catches are released through the operation of a single rock shaft 32 extending cross the width of the door. In the arrangement shown, each casing or housing 27 has ears 33 rising from the top thereof, and the rock shaft extends through and is ournalled in these ears. The rock shaft is provided with a series of fixed radial fingers 34, one for each catch. Each finger extends into an opening 35 in the corresponding dog or b'olt whereby, when the rock shaft is turned, all of the dogs or bolts will be moved simultaneously. Therefore, by providing the rock shaft with a handle at any convenient point, all of the catches may be released simultaneously and, further, after the catches have been released, the door may be swung open by means of this same handle. As the door opens, it pushes the unloading shelf outwardly so as to cause it to position itself as a bridge across the gap between the cylinder and the stationary casing indicated in dotted lines at A in Fig. 2. In the arrangement shown, there is a single operating handle 36 formed with one of the fingers 34 as an integral casting. However, it will be understood that the handle may be placed anywhere, and that there may be more than one handle, if desired.

Attention should also be called to the fact that the hinge leaves 13 at the. sides of the, door project beyond the ends of the staves, so

as to overlap portions ofthe cylinder, as best shown in Fig. 3. Those portions of the cylinder with which the hinge leaves thus engage are preferably faced with metal strips 37 so V as to provide metal-to-metal contact between the sides of the door and the cylinder, as well as between the long free edge of the door and the cylinder.

It will thus be seen that I have-produced a simple and novel door construction in which there will always be tight joints between all of the edges of the door and' the cylinder, regardless of Whether the cylinder be of wood or metal; in which the door may be of any desired Width; in which one or many catches may bereleased simultaneously; in which thedoor may be opened by the same handle as that which releases the catches; in which an unloading shelf serves also as a door holder; and in which the unloading shelf is automatically swung out upon the opening of the door. It will also be seen that I have produced a novel and efiicient connection between the longitudinal ribs and the heads of a washing machine cylinder, whereby any looseness occurring in the joints between them may readily be taken up.

While I have. illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thusmember being adapted to be swung down 4 upon the door when the door is closed, and means to lock the said member against swinging movement away from the door.

2. In combination, a receptacle having a .door opening, a door hinged to the receptacle at one side of the opening and extending entirely across the opening to the opposite side, a long, narrow member hinged atone long edge to the receptacle at the latter side of the door opening and adapted to be swung down upon the door when the latter is closed, and means at the other long edge of said member to secure the same to the door.

3. The combination with a washing ma-' chine. cylinder having a door opening, of a door extending entirely across the opening and hinged to the cylinder at one side of the opening, an unloading shelf hinged to the cylinder at the opposite side of the door opening and adapted to be swung down upon the door into a door-holding position when the door is closed, and means to secure the unloading shelf in its door-holding position.

1. The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door opening, of a door extending entirely across the opening and hinged to the cylinder at one side of the opening, anunloading shelf hinged to the cylinder at the opposite side of the door opening and adapted to be swung down upon the door into a door-holding position when the door is closed, and catch devices between the side of the unloading shelf opposite the adapted to rest at its free end on the other sill when closed, of an unloading shelf hinged to the latter sill and adapted to be swung inwardly upon and into'engagement with the adjacent marginal portion of'the door, and means to secure the unloading shelf to the door at the long free edge of the shelf.

6. The combination with a cylinder having a door opening bounded at opposite edges by door sills, and a door hinged to one sill and adapted to rest at its free end on the other sill when closed, of an unloading shelf hinged to the latter sill close to the free end of the door when the latter is closed and adapted to be swung inwardly upon and into engagement with the adjacent marginal portion of shelf.

7. The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door opening,'a sill at one side of the door opening, a door hinged to said sill, of a metal trough on the sill in position to receive and "fit about the edge of the door at the hinge side when the door is closed. I c

8. The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door, opening and a wooden door .hinged to one sill and adapted to rest at its free end on the other sill, of a metal trough secured to the sill to which the door is hinged and positioned and shaped to receive and fitabout the adjacent edge of the door when the door is closed.

9. The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door opening bounded on opposite sides by wooden sills and a wooden door hinged .to one sill and adapted to rest at its free end on the other sill, of a metal trough secured to the sill to which the door is hinged and positioned and shaped to receive and fit about the adjacent edge of bounded on opposite sides by wooden sills the door when the door is closed, an angle carried by the door and by which the door piece of metal on the other sill forming a is opened to release the catches.

seat for the free end of the door, and a metal facing strip on the inner side of the door in position to engage and rest upon the said seat when the door is closed.

10, The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door opening and a door hinged thereto at one side of the opening and resting thereon, when closed, at the opposite side of the opening, of hinge leaves extending across the top of the door from the hinged edge to the opposite free edge, an unloading shelf hinged to the cylinder near the said free edge of the door when the latter is closed, said unloading shelf being adapted to be swung inwardly to rest on said hinge leaves, and means to secure the shelf at its free edge to said ,hinge leaves.

11. The combination with a washing mar chine cylinder having a door opening and a door hinged thereto at one side of the opening and adapted to rest thereon at its free end on the opposite side of the opening, of an unloading shelf at the latter side of the door opening, hinges each of which has a leaf secured to the unloading shelf and a leaf secured to the cylinder beside said opening, whereby the shelf is adapted to be swung into a position to overlie and engage with the door when the latter is closed, and a metal piece on the shelf in position to extend under and in contact with the'said hinge leaves on the cylinder when the shelf is swung inwardly. 1

12. In combination, a washing machine cylinder having a door opening, a door extending entirely across the opening, hinges connecting one end of the .door to the cylinder at one side of the opening, the free end of the door resting on a part of the cylinder when closed, the hinge leaves on the door lying on top thereof and extending to the free end of the door, an unloadingshelf hinged to the cylinder adjacent to the free end of the door when the latter is closed, the shelf being adapted to be swung inwardly upon the closed door, the hinge leaves on the shelf extending across the same into positions which will cause them to contact with the hinge leaves on the door when the door is closed and the shelf swung inwardly, and catches between the hinge leaves on the door and those on the shelf.

13. The combination with a washing machine cylinder having a door opening and a door hinged thereto and extending entirely across said opening, of an unloading shelf hinged to the cylinder on the side of the door opening opposite that at which the door is hinged and adapted to be swung inwardly upon the door when the latter is closed, catches for securing the free end of the shelf to the door, and means including a handle In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

BERNHARD LINDBERG.

Images