US2388175A - Washing machine drive - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1945. A EY 2,388,175

WASHING MACHINE DRIVE Filed April 11, 1944 Patented Oct. 30, 1945 UNITED OFFICE j WASHING MACHINE DRIVE John Oakley, Springfield, Mass., assigno'r to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, West Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 11, 1944, Serial No. 530,456

Cl. '74--.'i8)

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines and the like and is directed more particularly to driving mechanisms therefor.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to driving mechanism which is particularly adapted for washing machines and is characterized by frictionally engageable driving and driven members whereby a shaft for an agitator may be driven back and forth through various angles.

Mechanisms of the type to which this invention relates are intended to'be responsive to the load applied to an oscillatable shaft, such as the agitator shaft, and are arranged for adjustment to accommodat or operate on materials and fabrics of various kinds.

Some materials require more or less agitation than others and to that end the novel construc' tion of this invention makes it possible to accommodate the angle of oscillation of the shaft to th material or fabric being washed. That is the angle of oscillation may be varied from zero to the maximum, even while the mechanism is in operation;

There is a tendency for the angle of oscillation, or strok of the driven shaft, during oscillations to creep around the axis of oscillation. That is,while the mechanism may be adjusted to produce a certain angle of oscillation the point of reversal of direction of oscillation at the end of the strokes moves around the axis of oscillation which is objectionable. For instance where the oscillations are through a certain angle say sixty degrees, that angle of sixty degrees gradually works around a full circle.

According to this invention, means is provided to prevent movement of the angle around the axis of oscillation.

' Various novel features and advantages of the invention will be observed from the following description of th invention in theform at present preferred.

In the drawing: i

Fig. 1 is a partial inverted plan view of a washing machine tub havingthe novel features of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the driven member of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views showing modified forms of the invention. 7

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A tub of a washing machine is represented by 2 in an inverted position.

A shaft 4 for the agitator of the washing machine extends through the lower wall 6 of the tub wherein it is 'journalled for oscillation and is also journalled in a housing 8 the cover of which is not shown in the drawing. The housingwis secured tothe tub; in the usual manner and-has a shaft 10 journalled therein that extends upwardly at a side of thetub for operating the wringer mechanism of the washing machine.

Aimotor 12 supported by a bracket construction it fixed to the machine has a shaft 16 coupled by a coupling I8 to a shaft 28 journalled in the housing. ;A,worm 22 onsaid shaftlfl is in mesh with a gear 24 on the shaft l2 whereby it is rotated. i 1

, A driving member 26 pivoted at 28 to the gear 24 :is reciprocated back and; .-forth relative to a driven member 30 on agitator shaft 4. l

The driving and driven members 26 and 30 are provided with complemental frictionally engageable surfaces whereby. the latter is driven back and forth by the former. r

A lever 32 fixed to ashaft 3.4 journalled in the housing has a guide member 36 pivoted thereto for engaging member 26. A lever 38 fixed to said shaft 34 carries a yieldable member 40 fixed thereto at one end thereof and is acted upon by a cam 43 on a shaft 42. t l 1 The shaft 42- may be rotated thereby to cause cam 43. to acton spring and cause the lever 32 to exert more or less pressure to the driving memher and bring about the desired angle of oscillation of the agitator shaft The mechanism described is slmilarto that described in U. S. Patent No. 2,274,950 of- March 3,

1942 but the invention is applicable to other mechanisms having similarly yieldingly engaged frictiona1 surfaces. I l

The mechanism may be adjusted to provide the desired angle of oscillation for the shaft 4 from zero to maximum but as before stated the said angle tends to move around the axis of oscillation of said shaft. That is, the points of reversal at opposite ends of the stroke move around the center of the agitator shaft.

To prevent this a projection 50 of any desired form is carried by the driven member 30 which engages an abutment 52 associated with the housing 8. a l

During oscillation of the driven member. 30 and at one end of the stroke thereof theprojection 50 brings up against the abutment 52 and thereafter thepoint of reversal of the oscillation is held or, prevented from creeping around the axis of oscillation.

While the angle of oscillation of the shaft may be varied the strokes remain in the same place with reference to a circle to overcome the objections referred to.

When desired the impact of the projection and abutment may be cushioned by yieldable material applied to the projection or abutment or toboth.

According to themodification of Fig. 3, the abutment may take the form of yieldable means as a loop spring 60, such as shown in Fig. 3. The

It may be desired to reduce the resiliency of,

the spring to the point where the projection will not rebound when it brings up against the abutment but will provide the; desired cushioning effect.

According to the modification of Fig. 4, the abutment is yieldable and may take the form of a detent l urged outwardly by a spring .12 adjusted by a member 14 threadedly engaging the housing 8 with a lock nut 16 in engagement therewith.

As the member is oscillated the projection 50 brings against the abutment for the purpose above referred to.

The detent may yield more or less according to the adjustment of the spring 12 to absorb the shock and eliminate noise.

The, detent may also yield so that the projection may pass by said detent should for some reason the projection bring up against the detent with more than'the normal force. This may happen in, this way. The machine may stop with the projection against the detent, as shown, then when the machine is started the full force of the driving mechanism may force the projection against the detent which yields allowing the projection topass thereby eliminating possibility of injury to the parts.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations. as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein, 7

What it is, desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mechanism for operating the agitator shaft of a Washing machine comprising in combination, a support, an oscillatable wheel for said agitator shaft and a. reciprocable bar having complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth by the bar, adjustable means for applying varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, and means associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the latter oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around the axis thereof.

2. In a mechanism for operating theagitator shaft of a washing machine comprising in. combination, a support, an oscillatable wheel for said agitator shaft and a reciprocable bar having complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth by the bar, adjustable means for applying'varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the,,wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, andmeans associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the latter oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around theaxis thereof, said means including a projecting member movable with said wheel and an bination, a support, an oscillatable wheel for said agitator shaft and a reciprocable bar having complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth by the bar, adjustable means for applying varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, and means associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the latter oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around the axis thereof, said means including a projecting member movable with said wheel and an abutment member, one of said members being yieldable.

4. In a mechanism of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an oscillatable wheel and a reciprocable bar having complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth bythe bar, adjustable means for applying varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, means associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the latter oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around the axis thereof, said means including a projecting member movable with said wheel and. an abutment member. one of said members being yieldable, and means to adjust the yieldability of said member.

5. In a mechanism of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an oscillatable wheel and a reciprocable bar having complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth by the bar, adjustable means for applying varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, and engageable means associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the wheel oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around the axis thereof when the means are engaged through normal force but yieldable when said normal force is exceeded to. allow the stroke to move around the axis of the wheel.

6. In a mechanism of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an oscillatable wheel and a reciprocable bar having'complemental wedging friction faces whereby the wheel is oscillated back and forth by the bar, adjustable means for applying varying pressures to the wheel and bar whereby the oscillating strokes of the wheel are of an angle depending on the applied pressure, and engageable means associated with the housing and wheel engageable as the wheel oscillates in one direction to prevent oscillating strokes of the wheel from moving around the axis thereof when the means are engaged through normal force but yieldable when said normal force is exceeded to allow the stroke to move around the axis of the Wheel, said means including a projection on said wheel and a spring pressed member on said housing.

JOHN OAKLEY.

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