US1578564A - Washing-machine-operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 30 {1 926. [1,578,564

W. H. VOSS WASHING MACHINE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 10, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 2 hm... lel o o 0 4'3 2 a I 1 a i vZ2 w 25 Z .27

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W. H. V055 WASHING MACHINE OPERATING MECHAN ISM Filed Dec. 10, 1920 v i gsneets sheet s mull lllll/Il/nll chine operating mechanism and more Patented Mar. 30, 1926. I

, UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

ILLIAM 111'- voss, or DAVENPORT, IOWA.

WASHING-MACHIKE-OPERATING mncnamsm.

Application filed December 10, 1920. Serial No. 429,615.

To aZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. Voss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State 6 of Iowa, have invented certainvnew and useful Improvements in VVashing-Machine-Opcrating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing ma- P ticularly to an improved clutch adapted to reduce as much aspossible the shocks incident to starting'and stopping-the washer; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear.

30 clutc 0 wood or other suitable material.

My invention further resides in the combination, constructlon and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs, and While -I have shown therein a preferred embodiment I desire the same to be'understood as illustrative only and not as limiting my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an end elevation 'of a washing machine,

showing my improvements applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan'view of the machine shown in Fig. 1 to shOW the arrangement of my improvements. p

Fi 3 is a longitudinal section of the and mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3 when viewed from the left in said figure.

Fig. 5 is an inside face view of the cone member shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

I have found that washing machines heretofore constructed, and more particularly machines of the oscillating tub type, have a tendency when-starting or stopping to ]6Ik the machine excessively, making it unpleasant to operate the machine, besides being very hard on themachine itself. Tlns d fiiculty I haveovercome by inserting a friction clutch between the driving and drivenmech- 5 anisms, my new clutch being shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The frame member of my machine comprises a pair of cross bars 1 and 2, to which 'are suitably secured insulating blocks of o In the resent instance these blocks are shown as being held in place by means of a metallic clampingmem "er 3 and a second metallic clamping member, (not shown), below cross bar 2, though they may be secured directly to the frame. 7 Journa-lled in these. blocks therethrough.

is a shaft 5, on which is mounted the motor bracket 6. This bracket hasan extension arm 7 at its lower end, to which is secured one end of a spring 8, the other end of the spring being secured to an insulating bar 9, preferably of wood. Another bar 10 is securedto the diagonal. braces 11, and through these two bars passes a bolt -12 .havlng means for readily adjusti11g:.tl1e tension of the spring 8, this being possible .by

reason of the fact that one end of the bar 9 is pivoted as shown at 13. It will therefore be'seen that when the nut on bolt '12" I on a shaft 24, by means of which a wringer also passing over ashaft is driven. As shown inFig. 3- shaft 21 is provi'dedwith a spline or splines 25 to prevent the rotation of gears 20and 22.

These gears may either be rigidly secured to the shaft "and may reciprocate-with it when', it is moved axially to cause the clutch to engage or be disengaged, or they may be provided with means to-pre'vent their axial movement, therebycausing the shaft to slide Any desired means may be used to accomplish this result, such, for example, as'k crfs cut in the gear hubs and co-operating with projections rigidly carried by a frame member. It will be obvious that if the gears move with ,theshaft 21 the inter-meshing gears should have suflicient Width so that the engaging faces of the gear teeth will have a substantial surface in engagement, both when the clutch is thrown in and out.

"A pair of collars 26 is secured to shaft 21 intermediate its-ends and is engaged by the forked end 27 of a lever 28 mounted on frame cross-bar 2 by means ofa-bracket 29. The tension of a spring 30 secured at one end to the frame and at its opposlte end to the lever 28 normally actuates the shaft 21v to the right as shown in'Fig. 3, thereby holding clutch cone 31 m engagement with the inner surface of chitchmember 32. The bearing member 33, secured to the cross bar 2, normally supports shaft 21 for rotation.

- Also supported on this crossbar 2 is a meniher 34 having one end turned up, as at 35, to

' driven; Suitably secure engage a kerf'in the hub of clutch cup 32, as shown best in Fig. 3. The clutch cone 31 is provided on its inner surface, with .a. plurality of projections .37 adapted to hold in place a plurality of wood or other suitable blocks 38. Preferably these blocks are of the clutch cup 32 is a cross bar 39 whic l tion on the member 31, of which they, in recarries a crank pin which latter passes through and is secured in a pit-man 41, by means of which the tub is oscillated, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1. Reference to Fig. 4 will show that screws" are provided for holding the blocks 38 in posiality, constitute a part.

also to point out that with myconst'ruction To throw the clutch out of operation there is provided a handle 42 secured to ashaft 43 which has adjacent its lower end a crank.

arm 44 to which is secured a link 45, another portion of this link-being securedtolever 28 as shown in Fig? 2. Any suitable means is provided for holding the crank 42 and shaft 43 from rotation under the influence of spring 30-. It will be seen that by reason ofthis locking means the clutch parts can be kept o -t of engagement when desired, and that w en it is'desiredto start the machine the clutch can be thrown in as slowlyasdesired, the spring '30 resiliently holding the clutch members in engagement.

It is obvious that if the clutch is thrown in slowly the machine will start up without any jerking or jolting whatever, but I wish having drivigg it is possible to throw the clutchlin quickly,

without any particular attention thereto,

and'thatno disagreeable jolting or jerking of the machine will result. I should perha s.

state that if desired the cross bar 39 may e formed as a cover plate so that member 31 is entirely cove ed over and enclosed, though this is not 0 nsidered necessary.

- It is of course understood that the specific descript-ion'of a structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of my invent-ion as set forth inv this specification and the appended claims. I Having now described my 1nvent1on, I

claim:

1'. In amachineof the. character described,

means and driven means, a clutch adapt to connect sa1d means, said clutch comprlsmg acup member, a cross bar secured; to the cup member, a crank pinfixed to the cross bar, a cone member in the cup member andico-operable therewith fori clutching operation, a driving shaft secured to the cone member, and means for shifting the cone member and the shaft, forclutching and unclu-tching the cu and cone members.

In a device of the c aracter described, a

,.drii e shaft and a driven element, a clutch adapted to comiect saidjshaft and element, said clutch comprising a cup-member havi'ng a conical inner surface, a cooperative clutch member on said drive shaft and concentrically within said cup member and provided on its face with wooden blocks impregnated withtallow, said blocks having tapered edge surfacescooperating with thevv conical inner surface of said cup member for the clutching operation, and means for shifting said drive shaft endwise' for clutching and unclutching said cup andiclutch I member. m

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name tothis'speclfieationl WILLIAM H. vo'ss.

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