Claims
- 1. A drive for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth within a coaxially mounted perforated spin tub, the spin tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted with a stationary water tight container, said cabinet containing an electric motor and driving means to oscillate said agitator back and forth or rotate said spin tub continuously in one direction characterised in that said agitator is directly driven by said vertical shaft during both agitation and spinning at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator are axially movable relative to each other, each said one part has a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith and interconnection actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub so that said spin tub is driven through said interconnecting means when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
- 2. A drive system comprising an electric motor having a rotor and a stator carrying energizable windings on poles thereof, a shaft carrying said rotor and being roratable in frames forming part of said electric motor, said frames also mounting said stator of said motor, a clothes washing agitator, a perforated spin tub mounted in a stationary washing container in turn mounted on a cabinet, said motor, said clothes washing agitator and said spin tub being mounted co-axially on said shaft and rotatable thereon in a mode selected from an agitating mode in which said rotor said shaft and agitator are oscillated backwards and forwards over an arc of movement and said spin tub remains substantially stationary and a spinning mode in which said rotor, said spin tub and said agitator are rotated continuously in one direction, at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator being axially movable relative to each other, each said one part has a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith and interconnecting actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part of said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said spin tub to said agitator through said interconnecting means so that said spin tub and said agitator rotate together to effect spinning and to separate said parts of said interconnecting means during agitation by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub uring a washing phase in said sequence.
- 3. A drive for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth within a perforated spin tub, the spin tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted within a stationary water tight container, said cabinet containing an electric motor and a driving means to oscillate said agitator back and forth or rotate said spin tub continuously in one direction, characterised in that said driving means include a vertical shaft which directly drives said agitator during both spinning and agitation, interconnecting means being provided between said agitator and said spin tub, said interconnecting means including actuating means actuable by the presence or absence of a substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container so that when at least said predetermined amount of water is present in said container said interconnecting means are disconnected between said agitator and said perforated spin tub and when water is substantially absent from said container said interconnecting means connect said agitator to said perforated spin tub so that said perforated spin tub will rotate with said agitator.
- 4. A drive system for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth within a coaxially mounted perforated spin tub by an electric motor, the spin tub and the agitator being rotated continuously in one direction by said electric motor to give a spin action and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted within a stationary tight container, said electric motor driving said agitator directly during both spinning and agitating through a drive means including a vertical shaft, said drive means selectively oscillating said agitator back and forth and rotating said spin tub and agitator continuously in one direction, said drive means including at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator which are axially moveable relative to each other, each said one part having a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith and interconnection actuating means associated therewith, and interconnection actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate said spin tub and said agitator by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
- 5. A drive system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said interconnection actuating means are actuable by the presence of absence of a substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container so that when at least said predetermined amount of water is present in said container said interconnecting means are disconnected between said agitator and said perforated spin tub and when water is substantially absent from said container said interconnecting means connect said agitator to said perforated spin tub so that said perforated spin tub will rotate with said agitator so that both said perforated spin tub and said agitator are rotated continuously in one direction by said electric motor through said drive means.
- 6. A drive system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said drive shaft has an anti-friction coating thereon and said spin tub has a hollow tubular mounting, inner surfaces of which rub on said anti-friction coating to provide a bearing between the spin tub and the shaft during agitation.
- 7. A drive as claimed in claim 6 wherein said shaft and said motor are removable downwardly by unfastening said agitator from said shaft and unfastening said motor.
- 8. A drive system as claimed in claims 6 wherein said agitator and said spin tub are removable from said container upwardly through an upper opening in said container after freeing said agitator from said drive shaft.
- 9. A drive system machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said actuating means comprise a bell having a wide open mouth below the interior of the bell, said bell being open to atmosphere from an upper part thereof, said bell being driven by said driving means so as to be rotatable therewith and said bell having a movable member with a flexible connection between said bell and said movable member, said movable member being subjected in use to pressure of water in said container and having biasing means to assist movement of said bell to a desired position.
- 10. A drive system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said interconnecting means includes said movable member having clutch means movable to and from engagement with one or more members on said perforated spin tub, the construction and arrangement being such that when said container has water at least to a desired level water pressure on said movable member causes said clutch means to be released from said perforated tub and when water in said container drops to a desired low level or is completely absent said clutch means is moved into engagement with said perforated spin tub so that said perforated spin tub moves with said
- 11. A drive system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said clutch means comprises a series of dog clutch teeth on said movable member engagable with corresponding tooth members on the base of said perforated spin tub.
- 12. A drive system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said perforated spin tub has a castellated base with a series of radial ribs and radial grooves and said dog teeth engage in said grooves and against said ribs.
- 13. In a clothes washing machine comprising a cabinet, a non-rotating container for wash water suspended in said cabinet, an electric motor mounted below said container, an agitator within said container, a drive shaft between said electric motor and said agitator so that said electric motor directly drives said agitator, a spin tub within said container and within which said agitator is mounted, said spin tub being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, sealing means between said drive shaft and said container, and interconnecting means having two positions in one of which said positions said interconnecting means connects said spin tub to said agitator so as to rotate therewith and in the other said position of which said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, an electric supply means arranged to drive said electric motor and through said drive shaft said agitator in a forward and reverse motion to give agitation to clothes placed within said spin tub in one mode of operation when said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator and arranged to rotate said spin tub and said agitator continuously in one direction when the spin tub and the agitator are interconnected by said interconnecting means.
- 14. A clothes washing machine comprising a cabinet, a stationary container for water suspended in said cabinet, an electric motor mounted below said container, an agitator within said container, a drive shaft between said electric motor and said agitator so that said electric motor directly drives said agitator, a spin tub within said container and within which said agitator is mounted, said spin tub being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, sealing means between said drive shaft and said container and interconnecting means having two positions, in one of which said positions said interconnecting means connects said spin tub to said agitator so as to rotate therewith and in the other said position of which said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, said electric motor being arranged to drive said agitator in a forward and reverse motion through said drive shaft to give agitation to clothes placed within said spin tub in one mode of operation when said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, and arranged to rotate said spin tub and said agitator continuously in one direction when the spin tub and the agitator are interconnected by said interconnecting means, at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator being axially moveable relative to each other, each said one part having a part of said interconnecting means associated therewith, and interconnection actuating means being provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
- 15. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said interconnection actuating means are actuable by the presence or absence of a substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container so that when at least said predetermined amount of water is present in said container said interconnecting means are disconnected between said driving means and said perforated spin tub and when water is substantially absent from said container said interconnecting means connect said driving means to said perforated spin tub so that said perforated tub will rotate with said driving means.
- 16. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 15 wherein said interconnecting means including a movable member having clutch means movable to and from engagement with one or more members on said perforated spin tub, the construction and arrangement being such that when said container has water fed therein to fill the container to a desired level, the rising water in said container acts on said movable member and causes said clutch means to be released from said perforated tub and when water in said container drops to a desired low level or is completely absent said clutch means is moved into engagement with said perforated spin tub so that said perforated spin tub moves with said driving means.
- 17. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein said clutch means comprises one or more dog clutch teeth of said movable member engagable with corresponding tooth members on the base of said spin tub.
- 18. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein said actuating means comprise air chamber mounted below said spin tub, said spin tub and said air chamber being axially movable on and rotatable with said agitator shaft, the buoyancy of said air chamber in the presence of said substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container being such as to provide flotational support of said spin tub causing said spin tub to be lifted to disconnect said driving means from said perforated spin tub.
- 19. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 18 wherein said agitator is also lifted by said air chamber.
- 20. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 18 wherein said air chamber is compartmented and has an open mouth below the interior of the air chamber.
- 21. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 18 wherein said air chamber is air tight.
- 22. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 15 wherein said actuating means comprise an air chamber mounted below said spin tub, said spin tub and said air chamber being axially movable on and rotatable with said agitator shaft, said air chamber carrying teeth forming part of said interconnecting means, the buoyancy of said air chamber in the presence of said substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container being such as to raise said teeth from engagement with said spin tub when the said substantially predetermined quantity of water is present in said container.
- 23. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said drive shaft has an anti-friction coating thereon and said spin tub has a hollow tubular mounting, inner surfaces of which rub on said anti-friction coating to provide a bearing between the spin tub and the agitator during agitation.
- 24. A clothes washer as claimed in claim 23 wherein said shaft and said motor are removable downwardly by unfastening said agitator from said shaft and unfastening said motor.
- 25. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said agitator and said spin tub are removable from said container upwardly through an upper opening in said container after freeing said agitator from said drive shaft.
- 26. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said actuating means comprise a bell having a wide open mouth below the interior of the bell, said bell being open to atmosphere from an upper part thereof, said bell being driven by said driving means so as to be rotatable therewith and said bell having a movable member with a flexible connection between said bell and said movable member, said movable member being subjected in use to pressure of water in said container and having biasing means to assist movement of said bell to a desired position.
- 27. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said interconnecting means includes said movable member having clutch means movable to and from engagement with one or more members on said perforated spin tub, the construction and arrangement being such that when said container has water at least to a desired level water pressure on said movable member causes said clutch means to be released from said perforated tub and when water in said container drops to a desired low level or is completely absent said clutch means is moved into engagement with said perforated spin tub so that said perforated spin tub moves with said driving means.
- 28. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 27 wherein said clutch means comprise a series of dog clutch teeth on said movable member engagable with corresponding tooth members on the base of said perforated spin tub.
- 29. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 28 wherein said perforated spin tub has a castellated base with a series of radial ribs and radial grooves and said dog teeth engage in said grooves and against said ribs
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
215389 |
Mar 1986 |
NZX |
|
217623 |
Sep 1986 |
NZX |
|
218356 |
Nov 1986 |
NZX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 022,894, filed Mar. 6, 1987.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1020189 |
Feb 1953 |
FRX |
1340648 |
Sep 1963 |
FRX |
2183932 |
Jun 1987 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
22894 |
Mar 1987 |
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