US3279224A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1966 .1. P. zAlDAN 3,279,224

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

J. P. ZAIDAN WASHING MACHINE Oct. 18, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1965 INVENTOR. Q Z /V United States Patent O 3,279,224 WASHING MACHINE Joseph P. Zaidan, 1234 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Jan. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 425,444 7 Claims. (Cl. 158-23) This invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to that type of washing machine normally employed for individual family washings.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved washing machine of the vertical type characterized by an internally contained agitator, which acts with a new and improved churning motion to improve and enhance the washing effect, thus rendering the machine more eicacious in cleaning clothes.

An additional object of the invention lis the provision of a machine of this character wherein the entire washing assembly may be rotated at relatively high speed by the same motor which drives the impellers, simply by the connection of a clutch mechanism.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved mechanical movement in relation to the propulsion and actuation of the agitators.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character wherein the inner receptacle is relatively tightly sealed and characterized by the absence of any drainage opening in the bottom thereof, the water being removed from a series of apertures about the top -of the receptacle by the centrifugal spinning action of 4the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this nature which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, and utilize.

Still other objects reside in the combinations `of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and-shown in the accompanying drawings wherein there is illustrated a preferred form of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a vertical longitudinal sectional line taken through one form of washing machine embodying the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a constructional detail, embodying the clutch mechanism for the device, certain concealed elements being indicated in dotted lines;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line of 6-6 of FIGIURE 5 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 5 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, and

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more particularly to FIGURE 1, a washing machine constructed in accordance with the instant invention is generally indicated at 10 and includes an outer casing or housing 11, which is preferably although not necessarily of cylindrical construction. Casing 1.1 has an annular internally extending flange 12 positioned at an intermediate point on the inner wall thereof, which serves to support an inner stationary receptacle 13 having an annular side wall. The receptacle 13 is also supported on legs 14 which are secured in bosses 15 secured to the base or bottom 16 thereof, the legs being provided with rubber tips 17 or the like which extend slightly below the bottom of housing 11. A bottom plate 18 is positioned interiorly of housing y11 and secured in any desired manner, as by welding or the like, to the interior of the wall thereof.l

The upper portion of housing 11 has an inwardly extending flange 19 which terminates in the central opening surrounded by a depending rim 20, which is adapted for the reception of the usual cover or lid (not shown).

Bottom plate 18 carries an L-shaped bracket including a horizontal flange 21 secured to plate 18 .by means of bolts 22 and an upright or vertical flange 23. A yoke 24 is bolted to the upright member 23 by bolts 25, and carries an electric motor 26 -of any desired conventional type and voltage, but which is preferably a two-speed motor. Motor 26 is provided with current through a cord 27 which extends outwardly through :an insulating sleeve 27 in the wall of casing 11.

The motor 26 has a drive shaft 28 which extends upwardly into -a housing 29, the latter being iixedly secured as by rivets 30 or the like to the bottom 31 of an internal receptacle 32. The bottom 16 of receptacle 13 is provided with a central opening 33, in which is seated depending flange of a bushing 34 which contains a sealing gasket 35, the assembly being held in position by means of `a lock nut 36. A sleeve 38 concentric with shaft 28 terminates in an annulus 39 which is fixedly secured to the bottom of housing 29, and extends through gasket 35, thus maintaining the bottom 16 in effectively water-tight condition. A drainage tube 37 extends from a suitable opening in the bottom, for the purpose of draining off water in the tube, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

Drive shaft 28 terminates in a worm gear 40 interiorly of housing 29, the worm gear in turn engaging a pinion gear 41 which is mounted on a transverse shaft 42 the ends of which extend exteriorly of housing 29 into sealed annular chambers 43 on opposite sides thereof. In each chamber there is provided a link 44 which is secured in any desired manner to the end of shaft 4t2, as by means of bolts 45, and to the opposite end of each link 44 is secured one end of `a lever 46, pivot bolts 47 effecting the securing thereof. Chambers 43 are closed by suitable end seals 48.

Housing 29 is provided with a pair of extensions 50, in the form of truncated pyramids, which extend through slots 51 in the bottom wall 31 of interior receptacle 32. Extensions 50 are open at the top, and levers 46 extend outwardly thereof into the interior of receptacle 32. Elongated slots 52 and each of levers 46 .accommodate pins 53, which are extended through the side walls of the extensions to provide slidable pivotal motion to the inner ends of the levers. Flexible rubber sealing boots 54 surround each lever and its associated extension to maintain a fluid tight seal thereabout. The inner or working end of each lever is provided with an yagitator pla-te 55, which includes a sleeve 56 which extends over the end of the lever, and which may be secured in adjustable relation thereto by means of a removable pin 57 which extends through one of a series of openings 58 in the end of each lever. The agitator members are preferably comprised of hard rubber or similar material, and serve when in operation to agitate clothing which is contained in water contained in the receptacle 32,

It will thus be seen that as the motor is driven the drive shaft constantly agitates the paddles 55 with a churning up and down eccentric motion, which thoroughly mixes the soap or detergent and water with the soiled clothes, and effectively cleanses the same. After the washing operation has been completed, the inner receptacle 32 may be spun at a relatively high rate lof speed to spin-dry the clothes. Such spinning is effected by means of a clutch member generally indicated at 60, which includes a sleeve 61 which is .mounted on an enlarged portion 62 of drive shaft 28, and which is provided with a pair of elongated longitudinal slots 63 through which extends a pin 64, which in turn extends entirely through drive shaft 28 and its associated enlarged portion 62. A central groove 62' accommodates the forked end 65 of a shift lever 66, the latter being pivoted as by means of a pin 67 to a sleeve 68 which is suitably mounted on one of the legs 14. An extending shift actuating arm 70 protrudes through an opening 71 in the side of the casing 1l. A guide member 72 is similarly pivoted on pivot 67 and has an upturned end 73 which engages the sleeve 38. This is for the purpose of aligning the sleeve 38 properly with the upper portion 74 of the clutch member, which includes a reduced end portion 75 having longitudinally extending flanges 76 thereon. The anges 76 are adapted when the shift lever 66 is raised to engage in slot 77 in sleeve 38, so that the clutch assembly is rigidly connected with the sleeve. Corresponding tlat portions of shaft 28 and enlarged portion 62 serve to hold clutch member 74 rigidly against rotation, relative to the drive shaft 28. When the clutch is engaged, obviously rotation of the sleeve 38 will, through its connection with housing 29 and the connection of the latter with t-he -bottom of the receptacle 32, effectively serve to rotate the inner receptacle. As previously stated, motor 26 may be of the twospeed variety, and when stepped up to high speed the inner receptacle 32 will rotate at a relatively rapid rate so that water contained therein is thrown outwardly through openings 80 adjacent the top of the inner receptacle :by centrifugal force. After the clothes or other material contained in the inner receptacle have been completely spun dry, the water may be drained outwardly through the drainage pipe 37.

In the foregoing simplified modification of the device the clutch lever 70 has been shown as manually actuated, and the motor may be manually shifted from one speed to another. However, it is to be understood that such shifting may be effectuated in any of the conventional automatic manners well-known in the washing machine art, by ymeans of a timer and a solenoid shift lever, or in any other desired conventional automatic manner.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided 'an improved washing machine, which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance, i

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, in combination, an outer receptacle having an annular side wall and a bottom, support means therefore, a motor carried by said support means, said outer receptacle having an opening in the bottom thereof, an inner receptacle including an annular side wall and .a bottom, a housing depending from the bottom of said inner receptacle, a tubular boss depending from said housing and extending through said opening in the bottom of said outer receptacle, a drive shaft for said motor extending through said boss into said housing, a transverse shaft in said housing, gearing connecting said transverse shaft and said drive shaft, an eccentric at each end of said transverse shaft, a lever having an elongated slot therein connected at one end to each eccentric, said bottom of said inner receptacle having a pair of openings therein, tapered hollow extensions of said housing projecting through said last-mentioned openings into the interior of said inner receptacle, said levers extending through said extension, pivot means in said extensions extending through the slots in said levers, and agitator paddles carried by the ends of said levers interiorly of said inner receptacle.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a clutch member is carried by said drive shaft exteriorly of said boss, and means are provided for engaging said clutch member and sai-d boss for rotating said inner receptacle.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein a iiuid tight seal surrounds said boss in said opening in said bottom of said outer receptacle.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein a exible boot surrounds each lever and its associated extension in fluid tight sealing relation.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said clutch member is slidably mounted on said drive shaft, and a pin and slot connection secures said clutch member to said drive shaft for rotation therewith.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the gearing in said housing comprises a worm gear carried by said drive shaft, and a pinion gear engaged by said worm gear mounted on said transverse shaft.

`7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said motor is a two-speed motor, having a high speed for actuating said levers and their associated agitators, and a low speed for spinning said inner receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,238 4/1929 Fowler 68-122 2,491,080 12/1949 Bilde 68-131 X 2,568,614 9/1951 Fields 68-131 X 2,932,962 4/1960 Stickel 68-13l WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner,

Claims (1)

1. IN A WASHING MACHINE, INCOMBINATION, AN OUTER RECEPTACLE HAVING AN ANNULAR SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM, SUPPORT MEANS THEREFORE, A MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAID OUTER RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AN INNER RECEPTACLE INCLUDING AN ANNULAR SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM, A HOUSING DEPENDING FROM THE BOTTON OF SAID INNER RECEPTACLE, A TUBULAR BOSS DEPENDING FROM SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID OUTER RECEPTACLE, A DRIVE SHAFT FOR SAID MOTOR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BOSS INTO SAID HOUSING A TRANSVERSE SHAFT IN SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AN ECCENTRIC AT EACH TRNSVERSE SHAFT AND SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AN ECCENTRIC SAID END OF SAID TRANSVERSE SHAFT, A LEVER HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREIN CONNECTED AT ONE END TO EACH ECCENTRIC, SAID BOTTOM OF SAID INNER RECEPTACLE HAVING A PAIR OF OPENINGS THEREIN TAPERED HOLLOW EXTENSIONS OF SAID HOUSING PROJECTING THROUGH SAID LAST-MENTIONED OPENINGS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER RECEPTACLE, SAID LEVERS EXTENDING

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