US3280983A - Clothes retaining device for washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1966 c, G, MORENA 3,280,983

CLOTHES RETAINING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1963 INVENTOR.

CARMEN G. MORENA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,280,983 CLOTHES RETAINING DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE Carmen G. Morena, 48 Columbus St., Providence, R.I. Filed Dec. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 334,774 6 Claims. (Cl. 210382) This invention relates to a washing machine and more particularly to a device for the retaining of the workload in its intended position.

In washing machines in which there is a casing enclosing a spin tub within the casing which spin tub rotates during the washing operation, the water in the spin tub climbs up the sides of the spin tub and spills over into the casing from which it drains. However, many times the clothes which are in the spin tub also climb up the sides of the spin tub and if these get out of the spin tub into the casing, they will clog the drain or cause other malfunctioning of the machine.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a retaining device which will stretch over the open upper end of the spin tub so as to prevent the clothes or workload of the washing machine from escaping out of the spin tub with the water which due to centrifugal force does get out of the spin tub.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clothes retaining device which will normally contract sufficiently so that the spin tub may be easily loaded or unloaded with clothes but which when desired may be drawn into operating position and there held so that the clothes cannot get out of the spin tub until the device is released and contracted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a contractable net-like cover which will permit water to escape out of the spin tub in a normal way but will retain the clothes that are in the spin tub from rising out of the spin tub while the closure is in operative position.

Another object of the invention is to provide some sort of a limit for an expandible and contractable means so that the same cannot be easily damaged by pulling upon it excessively.

Another object of the invention is to provide the retaining device in two parts which may be drawn in opposite directions toward each other and there held in operative position against a force tending to contract them into open position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation partly broken away illustrating the casing and spin tub within;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of the top of the spin tub with my retaining device in open position, parts of the spin tub being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the closure device in closed position over the upper end 0f the spin tub;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental view in section illustrating on a larger scale the connection between the parts;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3 but of a somewhat modified showing;

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail of the modified showing in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing one of the rings on the bar.

In proceeding with this invention, I have mounted at the upper open end of the spin tub :a track which is here shown as circular and which follows the contour of the circular spin tub, this track being mounted just within the "ice open edge thereof. I have then mounted on this track an extendible and collapsible rod, such as a rod made in two parts with one part telescoping into the other, as a cord across this track and positioned between this bar and the portion of the track which it spans, a net-like closure connecting the net to the bar and also two devices which slide along the track, and additionally I provided some sort of resilient means such as elastic cord or the like which will tend to contract the net and the bar unless held in extended or stretched position. Two of such bars are provided adjacent opposite sides of the open upper end of the spin tub so that when these bars are drawn together, the net will substantially cover the entire open end of the spin tub and although a liquid may be spun out of the tub the clothes which are being washed in the tub cannot be ejected from the tub by the spinning action and thus are maintained in the tub where it is desired they should be maintained.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates an outer casing within which there is located a spin tub 11 having an open end 12. A drain 13 extends from the outer casing to waste. Within this spin tub there is located the agitator and some pump for water all as in a generally known manner.

The sidewall 18 of the spin tub has an inwardly extending flange 19 at its upper open end and within this flange adjacent the upper open end, I mount a track 20 which is seen more particularly in section in FIG. 4 and is of generally I shape in cross section having a web portion 21 with upper flanges 22 and lower flanges 23. This track conforms to the shape of the tub 11 and here is circular and is supported at the arch of a groove formed just below the upper open end of the tub by four screws 24 threaded through the track 21 and engaging the inner surface of the groove from which the lip 19 extends. These screws 24 also serve to center the track within the spin tub.

A bar designated generally 25 comprises two parts 26 and 27 which in this particular instance are tubes telescoping one within the other so that they may be expanded or contnacted lengthwise and this bar 25 extends as a cord across the circular track 20. Each end of the bar is equipped with a ferrule 28 (FIG. 4) having an eye 29 at an end thereof. A bail has two legs 30 and 32 extending from a bridging portion 33 with the leg 32 passing through the eye 29 to attach it thereto. The legs 30 and 32 are turned inwardly as at 33 and 34 so as to provide axles for rollers 35 and 36 which rest upon the flanges 23 of the track and are held in this position by the bail. Thus each end of the bar 25 is anti-frictionally supported and guided by the track and the bar may contract or expand in length as it is moved toward and from the center of the circular track. Additional bails 40, 41 and 42 are positioned on the track between the end of the bar and a support 24 as shown in FIG. 2 and similarly other bail-like members 40', 41 and 42' are shown on the track between the other end of the bar and the same support 24. These six bails 40, 41, 42, 40', 41', 42' serve as a means of connection and mounting for a net-like closure 45 formed of strands as seen in FIG. 4 tied or knotted into net form as at 47 and are suitably connected at equally spaced points to the bails 40, 41, 42, 42', 41', 40 by some sort of a tying device. The net is attached to bar 25 by rings 49 of a size to slide freely along the rod at its largest diameter. There is sufiicient of this net structure so that the bar 25 when this net is attached along an edge to the bar may be drawn out from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 where it will substantially cover one-half of the open upper end of the tub and when in this position will be stretched substantially horizontally. There is a similar closure for one-half of the open end of the tub diametrically opposite as seen in FIG. 2 which may be similarly drawn toward the center of the tub and there a resilient clip 48 may be attached to one of the bars and having the resilient snap connection with the other of the bars so as to hold the bars in the closed position shown in FIG. 3.

The bars will not stay in the closed position shown in FIG. 3 however unless these clips 48 are secured in place as there is provided elastic cords 50 which are attached as at 5 1 to each of the bails 40, 41, 42, 40, 41', 42 which when the closure is in extended or closed position are under substantial tension tending to pull the ends of the bars along the curved tracks and thus cause them to move into contracted position with one part over-lying the other part a greater extent, the contraction being such that the bars will contract from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 2 under such elastic action. However, in order that the bars may not be moved closed beyond a certain limited extent, a chain 53 is also attached to each of the bails 40, 41, 42, 40', 41', 42' so that when the limit of the chain is reached such as shown in FIG. 3 no further extension may be had. This elastic action thus causes the bar 25 or its two parts 26 and 27 to move into contracted position when released by disconnection of the clips 48.

In the modified form shown in FIG. 5, the track 20 is substantially the same as shown in the previous figures; however, in this case, instead of providing roller supports for the bail a different form of bail 55 is provided which is generally C shaped and embraces one of the flanges which in this case is shown as the lower flange 23 of the track 20 and attached directly to this C formation slide 56 there is an extendible and contractable net 57 made of elastic strands such as rubber covered with cotton which is secured at its crossing points 58 by some sort of a knotted formation known in net forming. In this case, the limiting chain is not shown but may be utilized for limiting the extension of the net, however, because of its inherent elasticity there will be no need to provide additional elastic cords such as shown at 50 in the above described form of the invention. However, clips will be needed to hold the parts in closed position such as 48 heretofore referred to.

The ring 49 may have small rings 60 at intervals about the roll on the bar 26 or 27 as moved therealong in an anti-friction manner for ease of sliding the net along the bar.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine or the like, a casing, a spin tub in said casing having an open upper end, a cover for said open upper end of said tub comprising a generally circular track supported by the upper edge of said tub, a pair of extendible and contractable bars each extending as a chord across said track and each having two parts with their outer ends. guided by said track and their inner ends slidably guided in overlapping relation one with reference to the other, flexible closure 4 means having an edge attached to each of said bars and with the opposite edge attached to said track and guided thereby.

2. In a washing machine as in claim 1 wherein elastic means are incorporated in said closure means tending to contract said closure, and means for maintaining the closure means in closed position during the operation of the machine.

3. In a washing machine as in claim 1 wherein elastic means are incorporated in said closure means tending to contract said closure and to contract said bars, means to limit the expansion of said elastic means, and means for maintaining the closure means in closed position during the operation of the machine.

4. In a washing machine as in claim 1 wherein said closure means is a net-like structure.

5. In a washing machine or the like, a casing, a spin. tub in said casing having an open upper end, a cover for said open upper end of said tub comprising a generally circular track supported by the upper edge of said tub, a pair of extendible and contractable bars each extending as a chord across said circular track and each having two parts with their outer ends slidably supported and guided by said track and their inner ends slidably guided one from the other in overlapping relation one with reference to the other, a pair of flexible closure means each having one edge attached to one of said bars and with the opposite edge slidably guided by said track, means to contract said closure and said bars, and

means to clip said bars together in adjacency to stretch said closure across the open end of said tub.

6. In a washing machine or the like, a casing, a spin .tub in said casing having an open upper end, a cover for said open upper end of said tub comprising a generally circular track supported by the upper edge of said tub, net-like flexible closure means contractable radially and peripherally, means slidably attaching the peripheral edge of said closure means to said track to be guided thereby, said closure means being sl-idable along said track for extension and contraction to at least partially cover the open upper end of said tub when extended.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,299,866 4/1919 Smith 2110-380 X 1,595,980 8/1926 Dunbar et a1 210-380 X 2,179,436 11/1939 Smith 21078- X 2,759,609 8/ll956 Williams 210-380 X 2,956,684 10/1960 Johnston et a1. 68-23 X 3,013,424 12/ 1961 Sophiea 68--23 X FOREIGN PATENTS 916,845 1/4963 Great Britain.

REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

J. DE CESARE, Assistant Examiner,

Claims (1)

1. IN A WASHING MACHINE OR THE LIKE, A CASING, A SPIN TUB IN SAID CASING HAVING AN OPEN UPPER END, A COVER FOR SAID OPEN UPPER END OF SAID TUB COMPRISING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR TRACK SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID TUB, A PAIR OF EXTENDIBLE AND CONTRACTABLE BARS EACH EXTENDING AS A CHORD ACROSS SAID TRACK AND EACH HAVING TO PARTS WITH THEIR OUTER ENDS GUIDED BY SAID STRACK

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