US2660870A - Clothes-washing and extracting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 1, 1953 KENNEDY 2,660,870

CLOTHES-WASHING AND EXTRACTING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l [mi/enter fawora ,jfe 02% yfito 172 9 Dec. 1, 1953 KENNEDY 2,660,870

CLOTHES-WASHING AND EXTRACTING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WATER LEVEL Dec. 1, 1953 E. F. KENNEDY CLOTHES-WASHING AND EXTRACTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 20, 1948 WATER LEVEL [/2 112/2 for rogfennegy 0% Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES-WASHING AND EXTRACTING APPARATUS 4 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes washing and extracting apparatus and particularly to such apparatus that is adapted for operation in an automatic cycle.

In automatic clothes washing and extracting apparatus as heretofore used, there have been a large number of different types of control mechanism employed for governing the various func tions in the machine, and such control apparatus has been relatively complicated. This, of course, has caused such prior machines to be relatively expensive and to be relatively difiicult to maintain. It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to enable such washing and extracting apparatus to be made in such a way that the machines and the controls therefor may be economically produced and economically maintained over long periods of time. More specifically, it is an object to enable such automatic clothes washing and extracting machines to be made from elements that are of a rugged character and which are in most instances made from elements that are of a mechanical construction rather than electrical.

In prior clothes washing and extracting apparatus of the general character to which this in vention relates, it has been customary to differentiate between the washing and extracting periods of the machine merely by differences in the speed of rotation of the drum in which the clothes are contained, and this, of course, requires a large number of controls to accomplish the other functions that are required in the different operations of the cycle. It is therefore another object of the present invention to enable the washing operation to be performed by rotation of the drum in one direction and to enable the extracting function to be performed by rotation of the drum in the other direction, and a related object is to render certain of the supplemental functions in the machine dependent upon the direction of rotation of the clothes containing drum so as to thereby simplify the control of the machine. A related object is to afford a new and improved water action in washing machines and to accomplish this in such a way that the clothes supporting baflie which lifts the clothes out of the body of water during the washing action is disposed along the wall of the drum in the course of an extracting action so as to enable the clothes to be evenly distributed and thereby attain a more complete and uniform extraction of the water from the clothes while at the same time avoiding vibration that would ordinarily result from uneven clothes distribution.

Clothes washing machines that include means for extracting the water from the clothes are subject to considerable vibration in most instances, particularly where the use of spring mounting or other balancing means have been avoided in the interest of reduced cost, andthis has made it necessary for most machines of this character to be mounted in a stationary position on a relatively heavy base. In particular, this has made it impractical heretofore to construct such washing machines so that they may be moved about from a convenient working position to a convenient storage position, and a further object of the present invention is to enable clothes washing machines of the aforesaid character to be readily moved about between different positions and yet to simplify the maintenance of the machine in a stationary location during the washing and extracting operations. A related object is to enable such a washing machine to be normally supported on casters or the like to facilitate moving and to enable the machine to be elevated automatically away from the floor when the machine is used for washing purposes.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principles thereof and What I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a clothes washing and extracting machine embodying the features of the invention, some of the side wall sections being broken away to show details of internal construction;

Figs. 2 to 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the water action and the movement of the clothes in the course of a washing operation;

Fig. 2A is a sectional view taken along the line 2A2A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionalview taken along the axis of the clothes washing drum and showing details of internal construction;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of one of the elevating devices that serve automatically to raise the machine during the washing operation;

Fig. 8 is a top view, taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 10, with certain portions broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9A is an enlarged detail portion of Fig. 9;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line Ill-40 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line I ll l in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a schematic view illustrating certain relationships of the various portions of the cycle of operation of the machine; and

Fig. 13 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the control mechanism of the machine.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as employed in a clothes washing and extracting machine 28 having a casing 2| of generally rectangular and upstanding form that is normally supported on a plurality of casters 22 so that the machine may be moved from one location to another as desired. The casing 2: has a back or rear wall 23, a parallel front wall 24 and side walls 25 and 25 that are connected together in any conventional manner, and a bottom wall 2'! and a top wall 23 are secured in position with respect to these vertical walls in any conventional manner. The casters 22 are mounted on the bottom wall 2? as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The top wall 28 has a movable cover 30 mounted therein by means of concealed hinge elements 3i located at the rear edge thereof, and it will be noted that the rear edge of the cover 30 is disposed a considerable distance forwardly from the rear wall 23 of the casing. Beneath the top wall 28 and just rearwardly of the hinge 3!, a vertical partition wall 32 is extended downwardly in a parallel relation to the front wall 24, and this partition 32 is connected to the side walls 25 and 26 and to an arcuate bottom wall 33 which is in turn connected to the side walls 25 and 26 and to the front wall 24 so as to define an upwardly opening washing chamber within which a perforated clothes containing drum 35 is rotatably supported on a horizontal axis. The drum 35 has end walls 36 and 31 and a perforated and generally cylindrical side wall 38, this perforated side wall having a relatively large opening therein which is normally closed by a pair of doors 4D. The side wall 38 is perforated in such a manner that it in effect presents longitudinal corrugations on its inner surface, as shown in Fig. 10. The doors 40 are normally held in closed position by releasable latch devices ll that are carried on one of the doors 43. The one of the doors 48 upon which the latch devices are mounted has an overhanging lip 42 at its edge so that when the latch devices M are engaged with the end walls 36 and 31, both of the doors an will be held in closed position. The latch devices are in the nature of sliding bolts 4113 which are spring-urged by a spring 43 so that the ends of the bolts 44B extend through keeper openings formed in the opposite end walls 36 and 3'! of the drum 35. Thus the drum 35 may be brought to a position where the doors 6B are located beneath the cover 36, and the cover 38 and the doors 30 may be readily opened so as to afford access to the clothes within the drum 35.

The forward wall 36 of the drum 35 has a hollow bearing shaft 44 extended therefrom and supported in a stationary bearing t5 carried on 4 the front wall 2 3, and this hollow bearing shaft 44 affords internal or axial clearance for a stationary water supply pipe 25 through which water is supplied to the machine, as will hereinafter be described.

The rear end wall 3'! of the drum 35 has a shaft d8 extended therefrom and supported in a bearing 49 on the rear wall or partition 32 of the washing compartment, and the shaft Q8 extends rearwardly into the space between the partition 32 and the rear wall 23 so that this shaft may be driven as will hereinafter be described.

Within the clothes receiving drum 35 a baflie 50 is mounted so that this bafiie may accomplish lifting, rubbing and squeezing functions effect-ually in the washing cycle and yet be disposed in an out-of-the-way position in the extracting cycle so as to enable even clothes distribution to be attained in such extracting cycle. Thus the bafiie 53 is pivoted at one edge at 5! adjacent to the outer wall 33 of the drum, and, as will be evident in Figs. 2 to 5, a pair of pins 32 are afforded on the end walls 33 and 37! of the drum so that the baffle 52 may move in a counter-clockwise direction in Figs. 2 to 5 to an active position where it is substantially radial with respect to the axis of the drum 35. In practice, a spring retaining means in the nature of a spring detent may be afforded by a ball detent 50A urged to a latching position by a spring 5913 as shown in Fig. 2A to yieldingiy hold the baffle in such active position. The bane 59 is preferably of such a size that it extends from the end wall 35 to the end wall 3?, and when it is in its radial position, the edge that is remote from the pivot 5| is disposed relatively close to the central axis to the drum 35. Moreover, the bafiie 50 has openings therein as well as longitudinal corrugations similar to the side wall 33. With this arrangement the drum 35 is rotated in a c0unter-clockWise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 to 5 in the course of the washing operation of the machine, and hence the baiiie 51} engages the water in the bottom of the drum and will assume a position wherein it is substantially radial with respect to the axis of the drum, and as the baffle moves downwardly into the water as viewed in Fig. 2, it will move the clothes through the water and to the right to the position shown in Fig. 3. Continued rotation causes the baffle to lift the clothes out of the water as viewed in Fig. 4 and thereafter, as the baffle moves toward a vertical position, the clothes will slide with a rubbing action off of the baiile 5G and will drop into the water adjacent to the right hand side of the drum 35. In this connection it should be observed that the water level is illustrated herein as being approximately one-half way between the lower edge of the drum and the axis thereof, but this water level may be varied somewhat without altering the effective washing action that is attained.

The mounting of the baffle 53 is such that it may move about its pivot 51 toward the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5, and this characteristic is utilized under the present invention by causing the drum 35 to be rotated in the opposite direction, or, in other words, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 to 5 in the course of the extracting operation. Thus the baflie 50 will assume the inactive position against the side wall 38 and enable the clothes to be evenly distributed in the drum. This enables an improved extracting action to be obtained.

Water is supplied to the washing compartment from a pair of hose supply connection-s 601-1 and 600 as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and these hose connections lead into a mixing valve 6| which has an outlet pipe 62. This outlet pipe extends forwardly beneath the bottom wall 33 of the washing compartment, and at its forward end is connected to a flexible hose 63 that extends through an opening 54 formed in the forward wall 24 directly beneath the axis of the drum 35. The hose 63 then extends upwardly along the forward wall 24 and is connected by means including pipe fittings 65 to the forward end of the water inlet pipe 46. A supplemental vertically extending housing 66 is provided to conceal the pipe fitting 65 and the hose 63 as well as the bearing 45, this supplemental housing 66 extending downwardly for a substantial distance and having a relatively small door 61 formed therein for purposes that will hereinafter appear.

The water from the hot water hose 60H is controlled in the mixing valve 6| by means including a solenoid 69H which serves when energized to admit water from the hose 60H. Similarly a solenoid BBC may be energized to admit water from the hose 50C to the mixing valve BI, and by control of the solenoid SSH and 69C, the water temperature in the pipe 62 may be governed and the ultimate temperature of the water in the washing compartment may be determined.

Water from the washing compartment is withdrawn through a drain pipe 18 and a strainer and cleanout fitting H through a hose connection 12 to the inlet of a pump 13 that is mounted on the bottom wall 21 and within the casing 2|. The strainer and cleanout fitting II has a forwardly and downwardly projecting extension 14 that is normally closed by a cap 15 that is located just rearwardly of the door 61, and a locking bail 16 is utilized to releasably hold the cap 15 in its closed position.

The outlet from the pump 13 has a flexible hose line ll extended therefrom through an opening A in the side wall 25, and this flexible hose 11 has what is usually termed a gooseneck fitting 18 at the end thereof so that this fitting 18 may be hooked over a laundry tub, sink or the like to receive the water that is withdrawn from the washing compartment by the pump 13. Since the present machine is adapted to be moved from place to place, provision is made for attaching the gooseneck fitting l8 to the machine in an elevated position when the machine is moved away from the tub, sink or the like, and under the present invention this is accomplished in such a way that failure to associate the gooseneck fitting 78 with a sink when a washing cycle is started will not cause water to be discharged on the floor. Thus, as will be evident in Figs. 1 and 8, an elongated opening 19 is formed in the top wall 28 of the casing just to the right of the top cover 30 so that this opening is disposed over the washing compartment. The opening 79 has a downwardly swingable closing flap 19A that is spring urged to closed position, and this opening thus serves as a soap receiving opening that is closed by the fiap 79A during the machine cycle. The opening 19 is thus adapted to receive the discharge end of the gooseneck fitting 18 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8, and hence if a washing cycle is started without placing the fitting 18 in its discharge position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 in association with a laundry tub or the like, the operation of the pump 13 will merely serve to return the withdrawn washing solution back into the washing compartment, and, as will hereinafter be described, the machine will operthe pulley 8'! ate through its full cycle and will stop Without causing damage. When the gooseneck 18 is in position in the opening 79, it holds the flap 79A in its open position, thereby to afford ventilation for the interior of the machine. i

The pump 13 is mounted in alignment with a driving motor 80 that is utilized not only to drive the pump 13, but also to drive the drum 35, and in order that this drum may be driven in either direction, the motor 80 is of the reversible type. The motor 80 is disposed so that one end of its motor shaft is disposed below the shaft 48 of the washing drum 35, and the pump 13 is mounted opposite and in alignment with the other end of the motor shaft to which end the rotor of the pump 13 is connected by a one-way clutch 8| which may be of any conventional type so disposed that the motor 80 will be efiective to drive the rotor of the pump 13 only when the motor 80 is being operated in what may be termed its reverse direction.

At the other end of the motor shaft, or, in other words, at the right hand end as viewed in Fig. 6, connections are afforded whereby the drum 35 may be driven at a relatively low speed in a forward or counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 2, during a washing cycle, this occurring when the motor 80 is being driven in what may be termed in its forward direction, or for driving the drum 35 at a relatively high rate of speed in a reverse or clockwise direction, Fig. 2, for extracting purposes when the motor 80 is operated in its reverse direction. The driving connections between the motor 80 and the drum 35 are arranged in the present instance to include belt connections, but it will be recognized, of course, that other types of power transmission means might be employed in some instances. Thus the motor shaft, near its right hand end as viewed in Fig. 6, has a pulley 82 thereon that is associated with the shaft by a one-way clutch mechanism that is effective to connect the pulley 82 with the motor shaft only when the motor 80 is being driven in its reverse direction. Adjacent to the pulley 82, a pulley 83 is fixed on the motor shaft. The pulley 82 is connected by a belt 84 directly to a pulley 85 that is arranged to run freely on the shaft 48, thus to give a relatively high speed driving relationship between the pulley 82 and the pulley 85, this drive being utilized during the extracting cycles by effectually connecting the pulley 85 to the drum shaft 48 in a. manner that will be described hereinafter.

The pulley 83 is connected by a belt 86 to a relatively large intermediate pulley 81 that is mounted on a stub shaft 88 approximately halfway between the motor shaft and the shaft 48, and a relatively small'pulley 89 that is fixed to is connected by a belt 92 to a relatively large pulley 9| that is loosely mounted on the shaft 48. Thus the pulley 9! will be driven at all times from the motor 80 at a reduced speed, and it should be noted that this drive is effective whether the motor'Bil is operated in its forward direction or its reverse direction.

The pulleys 85 and .Eil are spaced apart a considerable distance as will be evident in Figs. 6 and 8, and between these two pulleys, a drive sleeve 93 is fixed to the shaft 48 as by means of a key or the like. The sleeve 93 has a mounting disc 94 fixed thereto, and a radially slidable bolt 95 mounted on the plate 94 is adapted to be shifted readily upwardly into a position shown in Fig. 9, wherein the bolt 95 lies in the path of a shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

' extracting direction, as

scribed, and hence the pulley 9| is effective only 2 drive pin 99 fixed "on the left hand. or forward side of the pulley 9% as Thus when the bolt 95 is in its outwardly extended position, the pulley 9| will be effective through its drive pin 96 to drive the sleeve 93 and the drum 35. Provision is made, however, to retract the bolt 95 when the drum 35 is to be rotated in a reverse or will hereinafter be deto drive the drum in a forward direction, even though the pulley 9I is rotated in a reverse direction during the extracting operation, as will hereinafter be discussed. In order that this control of the bolt 95 may be attained, an actuating spring 99 is mounted on the disc 94 as shown in Fig. 9 so that one end of the spring 99 is connected to the bolt 95. The end 99A of the spring 99is anchored to the plate 94 at a point that is disposed radially inwardly from the relation that is occupied by the other end of the spring 99 when the bolt 95 is extended so that means operating on the principle of a cam may engage the spring 99 to retract the bolt 95, and means are associated with the pulley 95 which will accomplish this when the pulley 85 is rotated due to reverse rotation of the motor 89. Thus the pulley 99 has an arcuate rim I9I formed thereon in a concentric relationship so that it is spaced from the axis of the pulley just slightly more than the spacing of the anchoring point 99A. "When the reverse rotation of the pulley 85 is started, one end IIIIA of the flange I9I is disposed in the position shown in Fig. 9, and as the pulley 85 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 9, the end mm of the flange I9I rides over the spring 99 and withdraws the bolt 95. After this has been completed the end i9IA strikes a driving lug 92 on the plate 94 so that thereafter the rotation of the pulley 95 in a reverse direction is transmitted to the sleeve 93 and hence to the drum 35. While this driving relationship prevails, the bolt 95 is, of course, in its withdrawn position, and the driving pin 99 of the pulley 9I passes freely by the end of the bolt 95, even though the pulley 9I is being driven at a reduced speed. When the flange I9I' is in the aforesaid driving relationship, the opposite end thereof, identified as I953, is disposed in such a relation that a locking pin I93 mounted on the sleeve 93 may move outwardly past this end I9IB to maintain the flange i9I in the same rotative relationship with respect to the disc 94, or, in other words, to maintain a relationship such that the end I9IA is engaged with the lug I92, The plunger I93 is shown in Fig. 9A as being mounted in a guide sleeve I94 that is radially fixed on the sleeve 93, and a spring I95 normally retracts the plunger I93 to an inner position. When the sleeve 48, however, is driven at the relatively high extracting speed, the plunger I93 is projected radially by centrifugal force to the dotted position shown in Fig. 9A so as to be disposed opposite the end I9IB of the flange I9I.

Thus at the time when an extracting cycle is terminated and the motor 89 is reversed to its forward direction, the plunger I93 remains effective till the speed of the drum is reduced to substantially below the normal washing speed. When the plunger I93 retracts, the momentum of the drum 35, which of course exceeds the momentum of the pulley 85, will cause the disc 94 to drive counter-clockwise, Fig. 9, ahead of the flange I9 I thereby to release the bolt 95 and cause the same to be projected to its effective position 8 in which the drum 35 will be driven in a washing direction by the pulley 9|.

When the machine cycle is started, water from the mixing valve Iii is forced under pressure to a plurality of elevating devices I I9, Figs. 1, 6 and '7, to raise the entire machine and thus lift the casters 22 off of the floor. The elevators II9 are disposed at the respective lower corners of the casing 2 I, and each comprises a housing II I with a plunger or piston I I2 vertically movable therein. A piston rod I I3 extends downwardly as shown in Fig. 7 from the piston and through the lower wall of the housing I i I, and a screw threaded leveling foot H4 is mounted on the lower end of the rod II3. A spring H5 within the housing III urges the piston upwardly against a transverse diaphragm IIB, thus to normally allow the casters 22 to rest on the floor. When water under pres sure is applied to the chamber I I8 formed in each housing III above the diaphragm I I4, the pistons I I2 are forced down so as to lift the machine and support the same on rigid rather than rolling elements.

The four chambers II8 are connected by pipes I29, which have a supply branch I2I extended to the mixing valve GI, this branch IZI having a check valve I22 therein so that once the water has been forced into the elevators, it can not return or be released through the branch I29. Thus the machine will be held in its raised or elevated position throughout the complete machine cycle, and even through a plurality of cycles, and when it is desired to lower the machine for purposes of moving and storage, this is accomplished as an incident to release of the bail I6. For this purpose a drain or release pipe I23 is extended from one of the pipes I29 into the pump inlet connection I2, and this drain pipe has a normally closed check valve I25 disposed therein. The valve I25 is located adjacent to the fitting 'EI and has an operating stem I256 which, upon downward actuation, opens the valve I25 so as to cause lowering of the machine. To actuate the stem IZES, a cam arm 19C is fixed on the bail 19 so that when the bail I9 is swung upwardly to release the cap I5, the stem I250 will be actuated downwardly and the elevator system drained.

The various machine functions in a cycle of operation are governed by a timer mechanism I39 that is located in the upper right hand corner of the casing 2i between the partition 32 and the rear wall 23, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and this timer mechanism is driven by a. connection from the pulley 9|. Thus an eccentric I3I, Fig. 19, fixed on the pulley 9|, has an arm I 32 extended upwardly therefrom and pivoted to one end of a lever I33 which is pivoted at its other end on a horizontal shaft I34 of the timer I39. The shaft I34 has a ratchet wheel I35 fixed thereon, and a pawl I35 on the lever I33 engages the ratchet wheel I35 to advance the same as the lever is oscillated by the eccentric I3 I The shaft I39 has a helical gear I31 thereon which engages a helical gear I38, Fig. 11, that is fixed on the lower end of a main vertical timing shaft I49.

The shaft I49 extends upwardly and partially through an insulating plate I4I which has a plurality of arcuate contact strips thereon for cooperation with a switch wiper arm I42 that is connected to the upper end of the shaft I49. The wiper arm I42 has a center spring connector I43 associated therewith and connected to the fixed contact I44 of a toggle switch I45, the shiftable member I458 of which is pivoted at I49 for movement against the action of a tog le spring I41 between an open position in which the upper end of the member I 458 engages a stop pin I48 and a closed position in which the upper end engages the stationary contact I44. A block I45 on the shiftable contact 145s is arranged to lie in the path of the end of the arm I42 when the switch is closed, and hence a cam surface 1420 on the arm I42 moves the switch contact I458 to its open position at the end of a complete revolution of the arm I42.

For operating the switch I 45, and for setting the timing shaft I to any desired rotative po sition, an operating dial I50 is supported outside the front wall 24 on a shaft I5I which extends rearwardly through the walls 24 and 32 in the plane of the shaft I40. A rotatable shaft I52 fixed in alignment with and rearwardly of the shaft I5I is connected by bevel gears 153 to the shaft I40, and a pin and slot connection I54 between the shaft I5I and the shaft I52 provides for transmission of rotative motion therebetween, while permitting axial control movements of the dial I50 and the shaft I5I for the purpose of opening or closing the switch I45.

When a washing and extracting cycle is to be started, the dial I50 is withdrawn in a left hand direction to the relation of Fig. 11, and when this is done, a disc I58 fixed on the shaft I5I engages an insulating sleeve I51 on the lower end of the :a

contact arm IS to shift the same to its switch closing position of Fig. 11. At the end of the cycle, the cam surface I420, Fig. 13, shifts the toggle switch member I45S to its open position,

and when this is done, the insulating sleeve I51 engages a disc I58 on the shaft l5! to return the dial I to an inner position concurrently with termination of the machine cycle. Another disc I59 fixed on the shaft I5I may also be engaged by the lower end of a lever I60 to open the switch I45. The lever I60 is pivoted at NH, and has a spring I62 urging the same in a counterclockwise direction such asto tend to open the switch I45. However, the center hinge 3| has a rearward extension 3IE which, when the cover 30 is closed, engages a laterally projecting pin I63 on the upper end of the lever I60 to rock the same against the force of the spring I62 to the position of Fig. 11, thereby to free the shaft ISI for forward or switch closing movement. A latch button I 65 in the top 28 of the casing has a tooth I66 which engages a notch or reces I61 in the end portion of the extension 3 IE to resist the action of the spring I62. With this arrangement, inadvertent opening of the cover 30 during machine operation causes the spring I52 to so actuate the lever I60 as to open the main switch I45 and thus stop operation of the machine.

When a cycle of machine operation is to be started, the dial I50 is turned in an amount at least sufiicient to move the arm I42 out of alignment with the block I49, and the dial is pulled outwardly so as to close the main switch I45. Closure of the switch I45 extends the circuit from one line wire I10 of a plug connector I1I to the movable contact I458, and this circuit is, of course, extended through the spring member I43 to the switch arm I42. This switch arm has wiper contacts I12, I13 and I14 formed thereon at different radial position for engagement with contacts that are disposed in arcuate positions at difierent distances from the axis upon which the arm I42 is rotated. The contacts that are thus engaged by the switch arm are extended to the various elements of the mechanism as is best shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings. Thus it will be observed that the other line wire I15 has a branch 116 that extends to the common contact of the reversible motor 80, and connections are extended from the forward and reverse terminals of this motor to suitably disposed arcuate contacts on the insulating plate I4I. In addition, the line wire I10 has a branch I 11 that extends to a float switch I18 which is operated by float I15, this float switch I18 and its float I19 being shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and being effective to break the circuit to the solenoids 69H and 59C when the water level in the washchamber reaches a predetermined height. Thus a wire 185 is extended from the other contact of the float switch I18 to the common terminal of the two aforesaid solenoids. The forward terminal of the motor is connected by a wire E82 and a branch I83 to a relatively long contact I 84F, and when the contact I 84F is engaged by the wiper contact I 14 the motor 00 will be driven in a forward direction. The angular extent of the contact I84F determines the maximum length of the washing cycle, and when the contact I14 runs off of the contact I841", it rides onto a contact I85R which is connected by a wire I05 to the reverse terminal of the motor 80. Hence, at this time the motor will operate in a reverse or extracting direction, and the arcuate length of the contact I05R. determines the length of this cycle. The contact I14 then runs onto a contact EBIF, which is connected by a branch lead I86 to the wire I82, thus to cause the motor to operate again in a forward direction during what is termed a deep rinse cycle.

After the contact I14 leaves the contact I81F, it rides onto a contact I89R that is connected by a wire I90 to the wire I86, thus to cause the motor to operate in a reverse direction for the required final extracting cycle.

The contact I13 of the switch arm I42 is arranged to engage an arcuate contact I9I which is connected by wire I92 to the other terminal of the solenoid 690 so that when the contact I 0| is engaged, the solenoid 69C will be energized and cold water will be allowed to flow into the mixing valve so long as the float switch I18 remains closed. Similarly, a wire I93 connects the other terminal of the solenoid 69H to a contact I94, which is arranged to be engaged by the contact I12 so that a similar operation of the valve 69H results when the contact I94 is engaged.

Similar contacts I9IA and IBIB are provided for engagement after the main washing cycle for the purpose of causing cold water to be furnished for the rinsing cycle, and similarly contacts I94A and I 94B cause hot water to be furnished in the final rinsing cycle, which takes place during reverse rotation of the drum, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail.

The arrangement of the present washer is such that the water temperature for the washing operation is determined by the relative time intervals during which hot and cold water is allowed to flow into the washing chamber, and hence, as will be evident in Fig. 13, the contact 1 94 which controls the hot water solenoid 69H is arranged to be engaged a substantial time prior to the engagement of the contact II which controls the cold water supply. Hence, by governing the initial position to which the arm I42 is moved at the time when the cycle is started, the relative temperature of the water in the washing chamber may be controlled.

It will be evident, of course, that the supply of hot and cold water will both be terminated during the washing cycle by the operation of the float switch I18, and this will, of course, take place relatively early in the cycle. At the end of the washing cycle, the reverse operation of the drum 35 will cause water to be extracted and, as will be evident in Fig. 13, prior to the end of this extracting cycle, the contacts I9IA and I94A will be engaged at such a time that water will be allowed to enter the washing chamber for a short period just prior to the time when the extracting cycle is terminated. The extracting cycle will, of course, be terminated when the contact arm passes from the contact 185R, to the contact IBIF, and the supply of water will be continued for a substantial portion of the rinsing cycle during which the drum 35 operates at its low speed in a forward direction so as to afford a deep rinse period. The contact I42 then will pass to the contact I89R to cause the drum to rotate in a reverse or extracting direction and at high speed, and after a substantial period of extraction, the contacts I9IB and I94B will be engaged so as to cause water to be supplied to the drum for a short period during the continued reverse or extracting rotation of the drum. After the water has been shut off, the final extracting operation is performed, this period of extraction being relatively long, as will be evident in Figs. 12 and 13 of the drawings. At the end of this final extracting period, the cam surface I420 causes the switch M to be open so as to thereby terminate the machine cycle.

It will be observed in Figs. 2 to 5 of the drawings that during a washing operation, the rotation of the drum 35 tends to build up the water level at the right hand side of the washing cornpartment as viewed in these figures, and under the present invention this characteristic is utilized in filtering the water and removing foreign matter therefrom during the washing cycle. For this purpose, an arcuate wall I96 is secured in position beneath the drum 95 and spaced from the bottom Wall 33 of the washing com partment. This wall I96 extends from a point immediately beneath the drum about half way up and to the right as shown in Fig. 2, and this affords a passage I9'I into which water flows downwardly from the right hand side of the washing chamber. To the right of the wall I96, a screen I98 is extended in substantially the same relation as the wall I96, and at its right hand edge as viewed in Fig. 2, the screen I93 is attached to the wall I95. At the left hand edge, the screen I98 is attached to the bottom Wall 33 at I99. Thus the water which tends to fiow downwardly through the passage I91 returns in an upward direction through the screen I98 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, so that threads or any other forign matter will be held beneath the screen I98. Hence such foreign matter will not enter into the washing cycle once it has been stopped beneath the screen I98. However, during an extracting cycle a large portion of the water that is withdrawn from the washing compartment will pass downwardly to the drain Hi through the screen I98 and the foreign matter will thus be removed from the screen I98 and will be caught in the strainer II or discharged from the machine by the pump I3.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new and improved clothes washing machine 12 which is of such a character that it may readily be moved about in a home from a storage position to a position of use, and it will be evident that this machine is relatively simple in its structure so that it may be economically manufactured and I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine of the tumbler type, a washing compartment adapted to contain water, a perforated drum rotatably supported in said compartment on a substantially horizontal axis, a baffle disposed within said drum and pivotally supported on said drum on an axis parallel to the axis of the drum and adjacent to the peripheral wall of said drum for limited movement from an inactive position against the inner face of said wall to an active position substantially radial with respect to said drum, 9. reversible drive motor, a first connection from said motor for rotating said drum at a high extracting speed in a first direction such that said bafiie assumes said inactive position and is disposed in a trailing direction in respect to its pivotal axis, a second drive connection from said motor for rotating said drum in the other direction at a relatively low washing speed whereby said baffle moves to said active position, means for rendering said first and second drive connections effective selectively in accordance with the direction of operation of said motor, and means including a pump operable as an incident to rotation of said drum in said other direction to withdraw Water from said washing compartment.

2. In a clothes washing machine of the tumbler type, a washing compartment adapted to contain water, a perforated drum rotatably supported in said compartment on a substantially horizontal axis, a baffle disposed within said drum and pivotally supported on said drum on an axis parallel to the axis of the drum and adjacent to the peripheral wall of said drum for limited movement from an inactive position against the inner face of said Wall to an active position substantially radial with respect to said drum, 3, reversible drive motor, a first drive connection from said motor including a drive pulley disposed on and connected to the motor shaft by a one-way clutch and operable when said motor is operated in a reverse direction to rotate said drum at a high extracting speed in a first direction such that said baffle assumes said inactive position and is disposed in a trailing direction in respect to its pivotal axis, a second drive connection from the motor shaft and operable when said motor is operated in a forward direction to rotate said drum in the other direction at a relatively low washing speed whereby said baflle moves to said active position, means operable in response to changes in direction of said motor to render said drive connections effective selectively, and a pump operable to withdraw Water from said washing compartment and having a one-way clutch connection from the shaft of said motor to drive said pump only when said motor is operating in said reverse direction.

3. In a clothes washing machine of the tumbler type, a washing compartment adapted to contain water, a perforated drum rotatably supported in said compartment on a substantially horizontal axis, means for rotating said drum at a high extracting speed in a first direction, and means for rotating said drum in the other direction at a relatively low washing speed, and a baffle shifta'bly mounted in said drum and on a part thereof for movement by contact with water in the bottom of said drum to an active position extended substantially radially inwardly of said drum when the drum is moved in said second direction and to an inactive position adjacent to the inner face of the peripheral wall of the drum when the drum is rotated in said first direction.

4. In a clothes Washing machine of the tumbler type, a washing compartment adapted to contain water, a perforated drum rotatably supported in said compartment on a substantially horizontal axis, baflle means movably mounted within and on a part of said drum for shifting movement in response to Water resistance being movable from an inactive relation against the inner face of said wall to an active relation substantially radial with respect to said drum, said bafiie being of an arcuate cross sectional form so as to nest against the inner face of said peripheral Wall when said bafile means are in said machine relation, means for rotating said drum at a high extracting speed in a, first direction such that said baffle means assume said inactive relation, and mean for rotating said drum in the other direction at a relatively low washing speed whereby said 'baille means move to said active relation.

EDWARD F. KENNEDY.

Number Name Date 1,183,724 Connor May 16, 1916 2,212,822 Blase Aug. 27, 1940 2,225,407 Bassett Dec. 17, 1940 2,229,270 Altorfer Jan. 21, 1941 2,269,190 Dunham Jan. 6, 1942 2,273,170 Baron Feb. 17, 1942 2,287,628 McMahan June 23, 1942 2,339,162 Flint Jan. 11, 1944 2,404,450 Meyer July 23, 1946 2,426,078 Bassett Aug. 19, 1947 2,441,926 Zahn et a1. May 18, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 134,659 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1919

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