US2330481A - Constant pressure wringer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. ,28, 1943. N. L ETTEN CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nav. 24, 1939 Sept. 2, 1943 N, ETTEN ,39,

CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER Filed Nov. 24. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept 2, 1943., N. L. ETTEN consum rREssuRE wRINcTER Filed Nov. 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 N. L. ETTEN CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER www@ 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 24, 1939 l w j W @ZZ/ifi em 2%, w43. N. L ETTEN 33mm CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER Filed Nov. 24. T939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mi fa; W Y

Patented Sept. .28, 1943 UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa Application November 24, 1939, Serial No. 305,820

7 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machine wringers and more particularly to a new and improved constant pressure wringer wherein the operating pressure between the rolls is substantially constant irrespective of the thickness of materials being passed between the rolls.

In the prior art it has been customary to provide wringers with an emergency release mechanism so designed that in the event the operator should be accidentally caught, the spring pressure between the rolls would be released by the operation of some manual trip lever or similar device.V

These mechanisms have varied in details of design and structure, but have never been completely satisfactory since they must of necessity rely upon some act of the operator to actuate the release mechanism, and since they have heretofore served only to release the operating pressure from the rolls, but have not caused the rolls themselves to actively withdraw from engagement with each other in order to permit the operator to remove her hand or arm in case it has come between the rolls.

Also, in the prior art, certain release mechanisms were provided which were designed to cause the rolls to be released whenever the rolls were forced apart to an abnormal degree, as, for instance, in case the operators arms should be caught between the rolls. While these devices are not without merit, the fact remains that in conventional type wringers, whenever the rolls have been forced apart suficiently to actuate such release mechanisms, the pressure spring associated with the rolls will have been compressed to such a 'degree as to exert a tremendous pressure capable of crushing the flesh and even the bones of the operators hand, with the result that the operator may become seriously injured before the automatic release is actuated.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a wringer wherein the operating pressure effective between the wringer rolls remains relatively constant irrespective of the thickness of materials being passed between the rolls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant pressure wringer, as described above, in which the pressure effective on the rolls is automatically released whenever the rolls are separated a. predetermined distance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wringer including means whereby the wringer rolls may be caused to actively withdraw from engagement with each other and move into extreme spaced relationship.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant pressure wringer including means to cause the rolls to actively withdraw from each other under spring tension and manually operated means effective to re-establish pressure relationship between the rolls.

Another object is to provide a wringer including a pair of relatively movable rolls and spring members acting at right angles to the ath of movement of the rolls, whereby the rolls may be normally urged into pressure engagement and may under emergency conditions be actively forced into extreme spaced relationship.

These objects are accomplished in the present invention by providing a relatively stationary lower roll and an upper roll journaled in bearings slidably mounted for vertical movement in suitable bearing slides. The bearings on which this upper roll is mounted are also connected to the center point of a toggle joint extending generally horizontally and being provided with pressure springs adapted to force the outer pivots of the toggle joint toward each other. These outer pivots are mounted in such a position that in the normal operation of the machine the toggle joint assumes a V-shaped position at which time the force exerted by the pressure springs is effective to force the upper roll downwardly into pressure engagement with the lower roll. However, in case that materials or objects vof extreme thickness are passed between the rolls, the upper roll will be raised to such an extent that the center point of the toggle ailixed to the bearing of the upper roll will move across the center line estac- 'nshed between the two end pivots of the toggle joints. When this occurs, it is obvious that the force exerted by the pressure spring will be reversed and will act upwardly on the upper roll to actively force the upper roll away from engaging contact with the lower roll. In fact it will be noted that the pressure'sprngs exert their extreme leverage when the rolls are in contact and that as the rolls are forced apart this leverage is reduced in such a manner that the pressure between the rolls does not build up to extremes, but remains at a substantially constant level irrespective of the spacing of the rolls. In practice this means thatin the event that the operators arm should become caughty between the pressure rolls of the wringer, the rolls will be forced apart until the toggle joint crosses the center, after which the pressure springs will snap the upper roll upwardly away from the lower roll a suiiicient distance that the operator may easily withdraw her arm.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in rwhich I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the present preferred form of wringer in operating position;

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 1, except showing the parts of the wringer in released position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3--3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, illustrating the several parts of the wringer structure in released position;

Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view of the outer end frame of the Wringer and is taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view similar to Fig. 5, with the springs shown in compressed position.

The wringer frame Ill may be constructed in any desired manner, but is preferably formed of a pair of channel-shaped vertical bearing slideways II and I2, joined at their lower extremities by a bottom channel I3 and enclosed by the end housings I4 and I5. The top frame I6 extends between these end housings I4 and I5, while the drain boards I'I and I8 are ailixed on each side of the rwringer structure to complete the frame. These several frame members are preferably formed of sheet metal and united by Welding, but the exact structure illustrated in the drawings is intended to be illustrative only, and the frame may be constructed in any manner commonly used in the art.

'Ihe entire wringer is supported on a power head 2| including a sleeve 22 adapted to be mounted on a pivotal mounting, such as is customarily provided for the purpose on any Washing machine. A drive shaft 23 carried within the sleeve 22 is adapted to be engaged and driven by any suitable power devices customarily provided on a washing machine. This drive shaft carries a pair of reversing gears 24 and 25 slidably mounted on the shaft 23 and so arranged as to be shifted longitudinally of the shaft by the yoke 26 in such a manner that the driven gear 21 may be rotatably driven in either forward or reverse direction, according to the position of a reversing control handle (not shown), which serves to rotate the control shaft 28 and move the yoke 26 to shift the gears 24 and 25 longitudinally along the drive shaft 23.

The entire wringer frame I is supported on the power head 2I in any convenient manner, as, for example, by the screws 29 which penetrate the end walls of the end housing I and are threaded into bosses formed on the power head.

The roll shaft 3| of the lower wringer roll 32 is journaled for rotation ln the bearing blocks 33 and 34 carried in the bearing slideways II and I2, respectively. The bearing block 34 is a xed bearing maintained in stationary position within the slideway I2 by means of the cross pin 34, but the bearing block 33 is pivotally mounted upon a cross pin 36 in order that it may pivot'around this cross pin 36 between the operating position, as shown in Fig. 1, and a released position illustrated in Fig. 2. By comparison of the Figs/1 and 2, it will be appreciated that when the lower roll 32 is being urged downwardly by the spring pressure of the Wringer, the bearing block 33 willassume the position shown in Fig. 1, and the metal flange 31 will bear against the left-hand end of the roll shaft 3I in-such a manner that the roll shaft is maintained in operating position with the cross pin 38 at the right-hand end of the roll shaft in operative engagement with the notches 39- cut in the hub 4I of the driven gear 21. This hub 4I is counter-bored to provide a recess for a roll stop spring 42, which remains in compressed position during the normal operation of the wringer, but which serves to move the lower roll to the left and to disengage the power driven connection to the wringer rolls whenever the spring pressure between the rolls is released. The structures thus far described are well understood in the art and since they do not constitute the essence of this invention, they will .not be described in greater detail.

The upper roll 52 of the wringer is mounted for relative movement with respect to the lower roll 32 and to this end the upper roll shaft 5I is journaled in the slidable bearing blocks 53 and 54 positioned within the vertical bearing slideways I I and I2, respectively. Each of these bearing blocks 53 and 54 is arranged for vertical movement in the bearing slideways and is urged downwardly to bring the upper roll 52 into pressure engagement with the lower roll 32 by a pair of identical pressure spring mechanism positioned at each end of the wringer frame. It will `be seen in Fig. 2 that each of the bearings 53 and 54 carries a rivet 55 rigidly fixed to the bearing and adapted to extend through a vertical slot 56 in the wall of the bearing slideway and engage one end of each of a pair of toggle links 5l and 58 (Fig. 3) to act as a center pivot for these toggle links. The outer ends of the toggle links 5l and 58 are mounted on pivotal studs 6I and 62 riveted to the spring supporting arms 63 and 54, respectively.

These spring supporting arms 63 and 64 are pivotally joined adjacent their lower ends by a rivet 65 and are urged together at their upper ends by coiled compression springs to be hereinafter described. The arms 63 are each provided with an extension 66 anchored to a stud `69 on one of the cranks 6l carried by the longitudinal reset shaft 68 (Fig. 2). The shaft 68 is journaled for rocking movement in bearings II and 'I2 riveted in the walls of the vertical bearing slideways II and I2, respectively, and extends outwardly through an orice 'I3 in the end Wall of the end housing I4. In the normal operation of the machine, the shaft 68 is locked in stationary position with the cranks 61 in the position illustrated in the drawings, by means of a reset lever 14 which is secured to the outer end of the shaft 68, as, for example, by a screw 'I5 (Fig. 1). The reset lever 'I4 normally is latched in stationary vertical position between a stop member 'I6 (Figs. 5 and 6) stamped from the wall of the end housing I4, and a. spring latch tooth 'Il mounted on a leaf spring latch support 18.

'I'he leaf spring latch support 'I8 is secured to the inside wall of the end housing I4 in any convenient manner, as, for example, by means of the rivets 19, and extends upwardly into the top frame I6 in order that an inclined operating portion 8l of the spring 'I8 may assume a position in operative relationship with a manual release bar 82. The release bar 82 is plvotally mounted on a cross pin 83 riveted in the walls of the top housing |6 by means of a pair of ears 84 formed integrally, with the release bar. A large perforation 85 is formed in the upper surface of the top frame |6 in order that a handle portion 86 of the release bar 82 may project upwardly therethrough to assume a convenient'position for manual operation, and a spring 81 is carried by the spring pilot 88 to act upwardly against therelease bar 82 and retain this bar in inoperative position unless the handle portion 86 is manually depressed.

In the event that the operator desires to release the pressure effective between the rolls 32 and 52, she may depress the handle portion 86 of `the release bar 82 to pvot the bar 82 around the pivot point 83 and move the operating portion4 89 downwardly into engagement with the operating portion 8| of the leaf spring latch support 18, The angular relationship between the portions 89 and 8| will cause the leaf spring 88 to flex inwardly and withdraw the latch tooth 11 from engagement with the wall of 'the reset lever 14. When thus released, the reset lever 14 may swing downwardly under the influence of the pressure springs 95 and 96 (Figs. 5 and 6), which act through the spring supporting arms 63 and 64 to constantly urge the reset shaft 68 to rotation in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings.

Each of the spring supporting arms 63 and 64 includes an upper end portion extending at right angles to the body of the spring supporting arm to provide a pair of opposed pressure spring seats 9| and 92 (see Fig. 5). Each of these spring seats is perforated at 93 to accommodate a spring pilot 94 on which a pair of coiled compression springs 95 and 96 are mounted. These compression springs are secured on the spring pilot 94V by flanged head portions 91` and 98 threaded on each end ofthe pilot 94, and in order to provide for adjustment of the pressure fords a connection to force the upper roll 52 downwardly into cooperating pressure engagement with the lower roll 32 (see Fig. 43).

Whenever clothes are passed between the wringer rolls 32 and 52, the upper roll 52 will be displaced upwardly to a certain extent and will move the bearings 53 and 54 vertically in the slideways to raise the center pivot 55 of the toggle-joint and force the outer pivots 6| and 52 further apart against the resilient pressure exerted by the coiled compression springs 95 and 96. As these compression springs 95 and 96 are compressed by the outward movementA of the spring supporting arms 63 and 64, it is obvious that they will exert a greater pressure tending to force the spring seats 9| and 92 together, but the mechanical characteristics of a toggle joint are such that the mechanical advantage existing between the spring and the roll is a variable factor and as the center pivot 55 moves upwardly and approaches the dead center line between the end pivots 6| and 62, the mechanical springs 95 and 96, the opposite ends of the pilot 94 are threaded with right-hand and left-hand pitch screw threads threaded into flanged head portions 91 and 98. The end ilange of each of these spring pilot heads is preferably of somewhat rectangular shape and of such dimensions that it cannot rotate but will be maintained in xed angular position in a vertical channel deiined by the wall portions IDI and |02 of the end housings. Each end of the spring pilot 94 is provided with a screw driver slot |63, which -may be reached by passing a screw driver through one of the openings |64 in the end housing in order that the pressure of the wringer may be adjusted. The arrangement is such that when the spring pilot 94 is rotated, the pilot heads 91 and 98 will be restrained against rotary movement by the walls |0| and |02, so that the spring pilot and its head portions will cooperate to act as a turn buckle to simultaneously adjust the pressure of each of the coiled compression springs 95 and 96.

In the operation of the mechanism, the pressure springs 95 and 96 will force the spring seats 9| and 92 toward each other and, since these spring seats are directly connected to the rivets 6| and 62 forming the outer pivots of the toggle joint 51-58, the inward pressure exerted by the springs on these pivots will be resolved into a downward force acting upon the center pivot 55 of the toggle joint. This pivot-55 is directly connected to the bearings 53 and 54 in which the .shaft 5| lof the upper roll 52 is mounted and afadvantage of the spring against the rolls is progressively decreased.r Thus, the structure illustrated provides an increasing spring pressure operating through a linkage of decreasing mechanical advantage with the net 'result that the pressure effective between the wringer rolls -remains substantially constant until the rolls are separated a distance greater than the maximum thickness of clothes intended to be passed through the machine.

In the event of an emergency, however, as, for example, in case the operator should accidently allow her arm to be caught in the bite of the ro-lls, the rolls will be forced apart a distance considerably greater than the maximum thickness of clothes intended to be passed through the machine and will cause the rolls 32 and 52 to separate sufficiently so that the center pivot 55 of the toggle joint 51--58 will move upwardly across the center line defined by the two end pivots 6| and 62. It will be obvious that as soon as the center pivot 55 passes Y the dead center position established between the end pivots, the force vof the coiled pressure springs 95 and 96 will be reversed in direction and will force the upper roll 52 upwardly into extreme spaced relationship with the lower roll 32 (see Fig. 4). This active separation of the upper and lower rolls moves these rolls into an extreme spaced relationship so that the operator may remove her arm without diiiculty or danger of further injury. It is, of course, desirable to limit the upward movement of Ithe roll 52 and to this end the slots 56 may be limited in length, or

treme spaced relationship with each other.

Further, these functions have been accomplished without any increase of operating pressure between the rolls at any time.

To return the rolls 52 and 32 into engaged position, the operator may actuate the release handle 86, which will operate to unlatch the reset lever 14. The reset lever 14 may then be swung downwardly to rock the reset shaft 68 and move the anchor studs 69 upwardly through about one-half of a revolution of movement about the shaft 68. This movement will raise the spring supporting arms 63 and 64 sulciently to cause the end pivots 6I and 62 to rise to a point higher than the center pivot 55, which is limited by the upper ends of the slots 56. When these end pivots 6| and 62 pass the center pivot 55, the toggle joint 51-58 will again reverse in direction sothat the pressure springs will snap the roll 52 downwardly until the spring seats 9| and 92 engage. The operator may then return the reset lever 14 to its vertical latched position to draw the anchor studs 69 downwardly into 4the original position shown in the drawings in which the rolls 52 and 32 will again be in cooperating pressure engagement.

While I have shown and described the present preferred embodiment of this invention, I am s aware that it is capable of numerous modifications without departing from the invention spirit, and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited except as by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of pressure rolls, a. reversible pressure mechanism comprising coiled? pressure spring means for applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to act in a direction normal to the direction of lateral roll movement and a toggle-joint at each opposite end portion of one roll and having end pivots urged toward each other by said spring means and a center pivot operatively connected to one of said rolls and constructed and arranged to assume a position on either side of a center line defined by the end pivots, and adapted to alternatively .urge said rolls into pressure engagement during the normal operation of the wringer and to be effective to actively withdraw said rolls into extreme spaced relationship whenever said toggle-joints are moved across center.

2. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of pressure rolls, a reversible` pressure mechanism comprising coiled pressure spring means for applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to actin a direction normal to the direction of lateral roll movement, toggle joints to urge said rolls into pressure engagement during the normal operation of the wringer and constructed and arranged to assume a position on either side of a dead-center position, to be effective to actively withdraw said rolls into extreme spaced relationship whenever said toggle joints are movedr across center, and arresting means to limit the spacing of said rolls.

3. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of `pressure rolls, a reversible pressure mechanism comprising coiled pressure spring means for applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to act in a direction normal to the direction of lateral roll movement, and toggle Joints to urge said rolls into pressure engagement during the normal operation of the wringer and constructed and arranged to assume a position on either side of a dead-center position, to be effective to actively withdraw said rolls into extreme spaced relationship whenever said toggle joints are moved across center.

4. In a wringer including a frame, and a plurality of pressure rollsI one of said rolls being a movable roll, a toggle joint associated with each end of said roll, spring means for applying wringing pressure between said rolls through said toggle joints, an operative connection between the toggle `iolnt and said movable roll, pivotally mounted supporting members for said toggle joint, anchor means for said supporting membersI means mounting said supporting members for relative motion to provide for reversing action of the toggle joints in response to the spring means, and manually operable means to shift the position o! said anchor means including a quick-acting hand lever.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of coacting wringing pressure rolls, and means mounting said rolls inthe frame for turning movement about parallel axes arranged substantially in a vertical plane and for movement ot said rolls in said plane toward and from each other, spring means, and means for applying pressure from said spring means to said movable roll to apply pressure from said movable roll to the other roll, said pressure applying means comprising a pair of links pivoted together at each end portion oi the movable roll with said pivot connected with the mounting means of said roll, the opposite ends of said links being free to turn about said pivot to points above and below the same, said opposite ends being connected with the spring means.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of coacting wringing pressure rolls, means mounting said rolls in the frame for turning movement about parallel axes and for movement of one of said rolls toward and from the other, a pair of links at each end of the movable roll having a pivot connecting the same together and with the mounting means for the movable roll, said links being free for swinging movement to positions above and below said pivot, and resilient means connected with said links at points spaced from said pivot.

7. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of Vcoacting wringing pressure rolls, means mounting said rolls in the frame for turning movement about parallel axes and for movement of one of said rolls toward and from the other, a, pair of links at each end of the movable roll having a pivot connecting the same together and with the mounting means for the movable roll, said links being free for swinging movement to positions above and below said pivot, levers pivotally connected with the outer end portions of said links, and spring means acting on said levers tending to hold the links in one position relative to the mst-mentioned pivot.

` NICHOLAS L. ETTEN.

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