US2145454A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan 3l, 1939. R. R. MILLER WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shree?I 1 Filed July 20, 1936 Jan. 31, 1939. R. R. MILLER WASHING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Patented Jan. 31, 1939 PATENT'. OFFICE l WASHING MACHINE Royal R.-Miller, Chicago, Ill.,

assigner of onehalf to mm1 J. dus, mversiaem. Application July zo, 193s, serial No. 91,432 14 claims. (c1. ca zs) This invention relates to washing machines, and particularly to washing machine agitators and agitator and bowl arrangements which are operable in accordance with the general scheme disclosed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 9,803 filed March 7, 1935, and Serial No. 56,192, filed December 26, 1935.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved washing machine agitator; to provide an improved agitator construction; to provide an agitator capable of more emciently agitating the contents of a washing machine; to provide an agitator that will produce an improved suspended and cushioned tumbling action of the material being washed; to provide an improved washingmachine bowl and agitator arrangement whereby greater operating efciency is obtained; to provide such an arrangement wherein the water currents are more positively and eiciently directed to obtain most effective agitation; and to provide an improved agitator in which mechanical resistance to the flow of water currents around the agitator is reduced to a minimum.

A specic embodiment of this invention is Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a washing machine embodying the improved agitator construction and agitator and bowl arrangement.

tially broken away and showing an arrangement of perforations and reinforcement for the agitator disc.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the improved agitator showing its construction more in detail. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a modied form of the improved agitator, and

Fig. 5 is a partially rsectioned fragmentary view,

in elevation, of the agitator carrying head showingv an improved arrangement for securing the same onto the main drive shaft.

In the, form shown in the drawings the improved agitator comprises essentially a flat annular disc having an upwardly tapered central portion which forms a hub arranged to be journaled on a. shaft eccentrically carried by a main drive shaft and inclined upwardly and inwardly so that its axis will intersect the axis of the main drive shaft. The agitator is disposed within a bowl-shaped tub, the lower side wall portion of which is spherically shaped and located so that the center of curvature of the spherically shaped portion will substantially coincide with the point of intersection of the agitator shaft axis and the axis of the main drive shaft whicl projects ver- Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the agitator pary bowl 5 and on the end of the main wardly and inwardly with its Atically upward from the bowl'bottom. 'I'hus the' agitator extends transversely ofthe tub and is supported in a tilted position with the plane of the disc always at an angle relative to the 'tub bottom or the' horizontal. l

As shown in Figgl the washing machine comprises an outer shell or casing I, mounted upon a base 2, which infturn is supported on Wheels 3 which, by an arrangement not shown, may be retracted to allow the base 2 to rest directly upon 10 the floor. -In the lower portion of the casing I is a transversely extending base plate 4' dividing the casing '-into upper and lower sections. A water bowl or container 51s housed in the upper section of the casing I, with its bottom disposed 15 close to the base plate d; and a drive mechanism 6 is disposed in the lower section of the casing I and has a main drive shaft 1 extending upwardly through the base plate` l and the bottom of the bowl 5 through a suitable housing and seal ar- 2o rangement 8.

The casing I andthe bowl'5 are together arranged to provide a relatively large top opening through which access is had to the interior of the bowl 5, and a removable'cover 9 is provided 25 as a closure for the top opening.

As shown in Fig. 1 the main drive shaft 'I extends a relatively short distance intothe interior of-the bowl 5, extending upwardly from the bottom thereof in a central position. Within the 3o drive shaft l closely adjacent the bowl bottom is a suitable driving head i9 having an upwardly and inwardly tapered hexagonal bore formed to receive and iit a similarly tapered hexagonal end of the shaft 35 '11. The head II) is arranged to carry an agitator shaft l I, made of steel or any other suitable hard wearing material, which in the form shown is cast into an eccentric angularly disposed portion I2 of the head I Il and so positionedV as to extend up- 40 axis intersecting 'I at the point C. an annular body the axis of the main drive shaft The water bowl or tub 5 is provided with a relatively flat horizontal bottom I3 from the margins of which the side wall ex- 45 tends outwardly and upwardly in an arcuate curve having its center at the point C, the side wall continuing vertically'upward from the level of the point C, thus forming a body, the lower portion of which is in the form of a truncated hemisphere and the upper portion of which is cylindrical.

The improved agitator I4 comprises a flat annular disc portion I5 and an upwardly tapered central portion I6 which is normal to the plane 55 of the discportion I5 and arranged to provide a hub for mounting the agitator onto the agitator shaft II. The agitator Il is preferably made as a single casting and as shown the central portion I6 terminates a short distance above the end of a bore I1 in which shaft II is journaled. As shown the upperend of the central portion of the agitator is provided with an externally threaded boss I8 on which a tapered tip or post I9 is secured by means of threaded engagement with the boss I8, the post I9 extending upwardly to a point adjacent the top opening of the bowl 5.

A 'I'he post I9 is made with'an outside diameter at its lower end substantially equivalent to the outside diameter of the central agitator portion I6 at its top, so that the outer surface of the post.

I9 will be flush with the outer surface of the central portion I6 at the point where the post and the agitator are joined.

The agitator herein shown is proportioned so that the main body of the upwardly extending central portion I6 of the agitator and the post I9 taper upwardly in a gentle curve so aS to more effectively direct the downward flow of the water currents produced by the agitator when the agitator is in operation'; and also to obviate any tangling or twisting on the post I9 and central portion I6, of the material being washed. For example, in the device which is illustrated herein the agitator disc I5 is made with a diameter of approximately eighteen and one-half inches and the tip of the post I9 is approximately fourteen and one-half inches above the upper face of the disc I5 terminating in a rounded portion about one-half inch wide. .The radius of curvature of the upward taper of the central portion I6 and post I9 is approximately thirty-six inches and this curve is blended into the plane surface of the disc I5 through a tangential curve having a radius of approximately two and three-fourths inches. It has been found that such proportions have a material effect upon the eiiiciency of the device as a washer, particularly in that a greater amount of tumbling of the clothes and a more rapid, travel from side to center to side is had than is possible withv former arrangements or constructions.

In the form shown in the drawings the central portion IB of the agitator, in which the hub is formed, ares downwardly outward away from the hub 20, leaving the hub as a cylindrical portion, centrally disposed, extending downwardly from the upper part of the central portion I6. The annular disc portion i5 is formed at right angles or normal to the axis of the hub 20 and is provided with a flat smooth even upper surface, uninterrupted by any manner of ribs, fins, or other projections.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a reinforcement is provided on the under side of the agitator disc I5 and comprises a at bead 2| formed on the outer margin of the disc and a plurality of radially extending thickened portions 22 which join into the at marginal bead 2|. The reinforcing portions 2I and 22 are made quite wide as shown and curve slowly from their crests into the lower surface of the disc so as to offer the least amount of resistance possible to the ow of the water currents under the agitator and over the outer margin. Thus the bead 2l comprises a marginal bulge, on the under side of the disc I5, which tails of! gradually into the disc surface and the radial reinforcements 22 are beaver-tailed in section, tapering 'off gradually from each side of their respective radial center lines.

, or v.'letsof water, on the descending side of the agitator, which cause a more rapid movement and turn over.of the material being washed as well as the function of directing the material toward the upper side portion of the tub and counteracting the tendency of the material from merely following the disc in its up and down movement.

As shown, the radial reinforcements 22 of the agitator disc lextend inwardly and into the central portion I6 where they join into the hub portion 20 somewhat above the end thereof. f

The lower end of the hub 20 is inwardly beveled as at 23 and an outwardly flared funnel shaped collar 24- is disposed over the lower end of the hub 20 so as to facilitate entrance of the agitator shaft II into the bore I1.

'I'he collar 24 is a press fit onto the hubL 20 and the outwardly flared portion extends to the side wall of the central portion I6 of the agitator, the portion of the collar embracing the hub 20 being of such length as to engage the reinforcements 22' at the point where they join the hub 20, thus maintaining the flared portion of the collar in a position substantially flush with the beveled portion 23 of the hub 2u so that the end of the shaft I I will readily enter the bore I1 when the agitator is being set upon the shaft.

The agitator as shown merely rests upon the shaft II and is not lsecured thereto, and in order to provide adjustment of the position of the agitator on the shaft I I a set screw 25 (see Fig. 1), is mounted in a threaded bore 26 extending axially through the boss I8 and into the bore I1. The set screw 25 is arranged to engage the end of the shaft II and thus provide a limitstop determining the amount that the shaft I I will extend into the bore I1. A lock nut 21 is provided on the upper end of the set screw 25 and engages the end of the boss I8 to prevent inadvertent change of adjustment of the set screw 25.

A modified arrangement of the improved agitator is illustrated in Fig. 4 and the modification y comprises mainly the upturned or curved annular margin 28 of the disc portion I5. In this arrangement the upturned margin 28 is curved on a radius equivalent to substantially four times the thickness of the disc portion of the agitator or, according to the proportions shown, about onehalf inch, and the inner corner of the upper edge of the margin 28 is rounded as at 29.

The upturned margin 28 of the modified form of agitator obviates the necessity of employing the reinforcements 2I and 22 shown on the agita' tor construction illustrated in Fig. 3^, the upwardly extending margin serving their function.

As shown in Figf- ,5 the head III which carries the agitator shaftfi/I is provided with a Vtapered bore shaped to t the tapered hexagonal end por- .tion 30 of the shaft 1, and is locked thereto by 1lis shown in Fig. 1 the agitator I4 is disposed on the shaft I I so as to t closely to the bottom I3 of the bowl 5, the exact position being determined by the angle of the agitator shaft II and the maintenance of a reasonable clearance between the lowermost portion of the agitator disc I5 and the bowl bottom I3.` Thus the agitator disc I5 is set low in the tub 5 and extends transversely thereof from side to side at an angle relative to the plane of the bowl bottom. Also the bowl or tub 5 is so proportioned relative to the diameter of the agitator disc I5 lthat there will be a clearance of approximately one-sixteenth of an inch between the outermost periphery of the disc I5 and the side wall of the tub or bowl.

This clearance may vary somewhat due to manufacturing tolerances, but it is intended that the margin of the disc I5 should alwaysclosely follow the wall of the bowl or tub 5. The location of the tub wall relative to the agitator disc I5 is shown by the dotted line in Figs.3 and 4.

The improved agitator is preferably made with its upper or clothes-contacting surfaces polished smooth so as to minimize friction, and with its lower surface in the area of the disc portion I5 buffed or brushed so as to be smooth. 'Ihus it will be apparent that whatever agitation of the water or material contained in the bowl 5 is had will be mainly derived from water currents produced by the movement of the agitator, rather than by any iins or other structural element which might directly engage the clothesor have a lateral paddling action on the water.

, In operation the agitator I4 is freely rotatable upon the shaft II and the shaft II is gyrated about the axis of the main drive shaft 1, thus gyrating the agitator I4 about the axis of the shaft 1 so that the raisedand lowered portions of the disc I5 tend to travel in horizontal paths about the wall of the tub 5. However, due to the fact that the agitator is freely rotatable on the shaft II there is a tendency for the shaft II to turn in the bore I'I, causing the agitator I4 to wobble from side to side during the-gyrating movement of the shaft I I. This wobble movement is due to the fact that the inertia of the agitator I4 and the resistance caused by the contents of the tub prevents the agitator being rotated at the same speed as the head4 I0. The result is that each portion of the agitator disc will be alternately raised and lowered as though the agitator were suspended at the point C and oscillated from side to side pendulously while at the same time being rotated on the point of suspension.

During such wobble movement the tub contents are strongly agitated due to revolving water currents that are created by the agitator and the material being Washed is tumbled about both a horizontal and a vertical axis. The water currents tend to follow the paths indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 and because of l their revolving movement substantiallysuspend the material in the water above the agitator so that contact with the agitator is reduced to a minimum.

Because of the polished smooth even upper surface of the agitator the speed and strength of the water currents is greatly increased overl that of other devices and arrangements. Also friction between the material being washed and the agitator is reduced to a minimum as far 'as any Wearing or beating effect is concerned. There being no ribs or ins or other projections on the agitator surface, the danger of the material being torn, beaten, whipped or otherwise being roughly treated, is obviated. Instead a steady suspended cushioned tumbling action is had. Also a more rapid turn over of the material is obtained than with other devices and thus a more rapid washing or cleansing action.

The elimination of vertical ins or ribs', which the present invention accomplishes, also permits the handling of a greater material load with maximum eiliciency than can be taken with other washing machines having the same volumetric capacity.

It will be observed that though there is a small space between the margin of thev agitator disc and the spherical side wall of the tub, the material being washed will not enter or become caught between the agitator and the tub because of the fact that there is a substantially constant upward water current passing over the edge of the agitator disc, thus forcing the material away from the said space.

The main advantages of the present invention are derived from the improved agitator construction and the resultant .agitator and bowl arrangement or combination, whereby a greatly improved and more rapid washing action is obtained. The minimizing of friction by providing a smooth even upper surface for the agitator is unprecedented, as other constructions are either provided with ribs or with vertical or spiral fins which act laterally upon both the water and the material being washed. Also the location of the disc agitator below the material being washed further obviates the possibility of any beating action on the material. Another advantage is in the spherical bowl and agitator arrangement whereby a maximum of free open space is pro-l vided in the bowl for holding the washing load and for the removal of the same.

Although but two specific embodiments of this invention are herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a tub having a spherical inside wall surface, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of said tub and comprising a dat disc portion extending transversely of said tub, said agitator having a multiplicity of small closely spaced perforations in said at disc portion and occupying a major portion of the area thereof and having a polished smooth upper surface, a rotatable driving means extending upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and a connection between said driving means and said agitator arranged to support said agitator in a tilted position relative to the bottom of said tub and to impart a rotary pendulous motion to said agitator relative to the spherical center of said tub. l .l

2. In a washing machine, a tub having a spherical inside wall surface, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of prising an upwardly tapered central portion extending substantially to the top of said tub and a flat annular disc portion extending transversely of said tub and disposed in one plane normal to said central portion, a centrally disposed rotatable driving means extending upwardly from the bottom of, said tub, and a 'connection between said driving means and said agitator arranged to support said agitator in a tilted position relative to the bottom of said tub and to impart movement to said agitator such that the axis of said central portion describes a cone having its said tub and 4comcenter of the tub.

3. In a washing machine, a tub, an agitator disposed adjacent; the bottom of said tub and comprising an upwardly tapered central portion extending Asubstantially to the top of said tube and a at annular -disc portion normal to said central portion and `extending transversely of said tub, said agitator having a smooth even upper surface devoid of' projections other than said central portion, a/rotatable` driving means extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and a connection between said driving means and said agitator arranged to support said agitator in a tilted position relative to the bottom of said tub.

4. In a washing machine, a tub, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of said tub and comprising an upwardly tapered central portion extending substantially to the top of said tub and a at annular disc portion extending transversely of said tub and normal to the axis of said central portion, said agitatorV having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections other than said central portion and closely spaced perforations in said fiat disc portion, a rotatable driving means extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said tub, and a connection between said driving means and .said agitator arranged to support said agitator with the axis of said central portion tilted relative to the axis of said driving means.

5. A washing machine comprising a tub having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent its bottom, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of said tub below the spherical center of said wall surface and having a flat annular disc portion extending transversely of said tub, the margins of said disc portion being in close proximity to said spherical wall surface, and a centrally disposed rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom of said tub and arranged to support said agitator in a tilted position with the central transverse axis of said agitator intersecting the axis of said driving means at the spherical center of said wall surface.

6. A washing machine comprising a tub having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent its bottom, an agitator disposed adjacent the bottom of said tub below the spherical center of said wall surface and having a flat annular disc portion extending transversely of. said tub and an upwardly tapered central portion normal to said disc portion and extending substantially to the top of said tub, said agitator having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections other than said central portion and the margins of said disc portion being in close proximity to said spherical Wall surface, and a rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom of said tub and arranged to support said agitator in a tilted position with theaxis of said central portion intersecting the axis of said drivingy means at the spherical center of said wall surface.

7. A washing machine agitator comprising a flat transversely extending disc portion, an upwardly tapered central portion, and a hub housed in saidcentral portion, said disc portion and said central portion having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections therefrom.

8. A washing machine agitator comprising an upwardly tapered central portion the base .of which flares outwardly into a fiat disc portion extending transversely and normal to the axis of said central portion, and a hub in said central portion, said central portion and said disc portion having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections therefrom.

9. A washing machine agitator comprising an upwardly tapered central portion the base of which flares outwardly into a ilat disc portion extending transversely and normal to the axis oi said central portion, and a hub in said central portion, said central portion being tapered throughout its length and together with said disc portion having a polished smooth upper surface uninterrupted by lateral and vertical projections.

10. A washing machine agitator comprising a hollow upwardly tapered central portion the base of which flares outwardly into a portion extending transversely of the axis of said central portion, a hub housed wholly within said hollow central portion and integral therewith at its upper end, saidhub being spaced from the side wall of said central portion at its lower end and having an axial bore, and a collar secured on the lower end of said hub and having a conical flange the inner margin of which is ush with the end of said hub, said flange extending downwardly and outwardly to the side wall of said central portion to close o the space between the lower end of said hub and said side wall.

11. A washing machine agitator comprising a hollowupwardly tapered central portion the base of which flares outwardly into a flat disc portion extending transversely and normal to the axis of said central portion, a hub housed wholly within said hollow central portion and integral therewith at its upper end, said hub being spaced from the side wall of said central portion at its lower end and having an axial bore, and a co1- lar secured on the lower end of said hub and having a conical flange the inner margin of which is flush with the end of said hub, said flange extending downwardly and outwardly to the side wall of said central portion to close off the space between the lower end of said hub and said side wall.

12. A washing machine agitator comprising a flat annular transversely extending disc portion, a relatively long upwardly tapered central portion normaly to the plane of said disc portion, an upwardly turned flange at the marginal edge of said disc portion, and a hub housed within said central portion, said disc portion and said central portion having a smooth even upper surface devoid of projections therefrom.

13. In a washing machine, a tub arranged for holding a washing liquid and having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent the bottom thereof, a rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom of said tub, an agitator comprising a flat annular disk disposed in said tub transversely adjacent the bottom thereof and having an upwardly tapering central portion normal to the plane of said disk and extending substantially to the topof said tub, and a connection between said driving means and 'said agitator arranged to support the agitator so that the disc portion thereof is disposed in a plane which is non-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said 'driving means and. to pendulously rotate said agitator below the spherical center of said inside wall surface.

14. In a washing machine, a tub arranged for holding a washing liquid and having a spherical inside wall surface adjacent the bottom thereof, a rotatable driving means extending vertically upward from the bottom of said tub. an agitator comprising a flat annular disk disposed in said tub transversely adjacent the bottom thereof and having an upwardly tapering central portion normal to the plane of said disk and extending substantially to the top of said tub, said disk being devoid of projections other than said centrai portion. and a connection between said driving means and said agitator for supporting the agitator so that said disk is disposed in a plane which is non-perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said driving means and for pendulously oscillating said agitator below the spherical center oi' said inside wall surface.

ROYAL R. MILLER.

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