US2948128A - Wobble agitator restraining assembly - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1960 T. R. SMITH 2,948,128

WOBBLE AGITATOR RESTRAINING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l gigi Aug. 9, 1960 T. R. SMITH WOBBLE AGITATOR RESTRAINING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 28. 1957 5 SheetsFSheet 2 Aug. 9, 1960 T. R. SMITH 2,948,128

WOBBLE AGITATOR RESTRAINING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 49 4@ ,lnvankor' 'dll-bor w Allg 9, 1960 T. R. SMITH 2,948,128

woBBLE AGITATOR RESTRAINING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 28. 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 lnucnlor Yflomasj?. 5mi Ph dit vom@ All@ 9 1960 T. R. SMITH 2,948,128

woBLE AGITATOR REsrRAINxNG ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,948,128 'woBBLE AGrrAron Assur/intr Thomas R. Smith, Newton, Iowa, assignor to The Maytag Company, Newton, Iowa, Aa `corporation of Delaware Filed oct. 2s, 19s7,jser. No. @asas 2 claims. (cl. `s4-1o) This invention relates .to a clothes washing 4machine incorporating a wobble agitator for the agitation of fabrics placed within that machine. Agitators of this type which :are capable of producing a wobbling ,movement to agitate fabrics during a washing operation are usually driven by a revoluble shaft journaled in or extending through the bottom of the tub` `retaining the 4huid in which .the fabrics are washed. These revoluble drive shafts are often tted with either a crank or an oblique extension -which is journaled in an agitator restrained against rotation so `as t produce the ldesired wobbling agitator ymovements duri-ng rotational movements `of the drive shaft. This invention is -directed to an anchoring assembly for restraining -rotation of -such a'wobble agitator relative to the clothes receptacle in which it is located.

This application forms a continuation-impart of the `copending application, Serial No. 638,126, filed February 4, 1957, naming Thomas R. Smith and Charles W. Burkland as inventors, and assigned to the assignee `of the instant invention. e

The agitator restraining device of `the instant invention is produced by providing the face of a clothes receptacle hub journaling the revoluble agitator drive shaft with a circule of blind-ended holes positioned in a concentric and parallel relationship to the main portion,` of that drive shaft. The hub or extension of the wobble agitator, which receives the oblique or crank end of :the agitator drive shaft to produce the desired wobbling move'- ment, is provided with asimilar ring of holes so that these two substantially oppositely facing sets of holes may receive the opposite ends of a ring of pins w-hich` are capable of a slight degree of flexing to permit the desiredl wobbling action to take place While simultaneously preventing the agitator from rotating during `the rotational movements imparted to the a-gitator drive shaft.

In the accompanying drawings: e

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, showing a washing machine of the vertical axis type incorporating my invention; e

v Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View; partially broken away,` showing the wobble agitator assembly illustrated in Figure l with its drive assembly in its agitate position;

A Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, similar to that of Figure 2, with the ysame parts being shown in the :spin position;

`Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspectivek View of the ring of agitator restraining pins shown'in Figures 2, 3 and-4; Figure 6is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 6 6 of Figure 2 showing the power input drive connections in the agitate position; V e

Figurev 7 is a View similar to that of Figure 6 `taken -online 7-7 of Figure 3 showing the positioningof the same parts in the spin position;

2,948,128 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 relationship between one of the agitator restraining pins Vand a socket receiving ohe end of that pin. p

In the accompanying drawings, base frame 10 is shown mounted o`n adjustable Afeet 11 and is provided with a supporting dome -12 rising out of a centrally located concave depression 13 in base frame 10. Dome 12 serves as the mounting which supports -bot-h the tub assembly and the drive assembly for "the machine shown in the accom panying figures.l e

Base frame 10 also supports the -upended reversible motor 15 and the water pump 16 which, like the drive assembly 14, is driven by motor 15 through belt 17 by a separate pulley (not shown) mounted on the under sidelo'f base Vframe 10. Numeral 19 designates the `groove of pulley 18 which serves as the input member for the drive assembly 14. l M

'Cabinet 21, attached to and enclosing base frame 19 together with drive and tub assemblies supported thereby, is provided at its upper end with a depending annular iiange 22 defining an access opening into the washing machine apparatus which is normally covered by access door panel .24.

Dome 12 is provided with friction pads 26 on its periphery adjacent `the opening 27 located in the uppermost portion of thattruncated dome member. An inveited bowl-like support member 28 rests on these -friction pads 26 and is provided with three equally spaced ears 29 `for the three centering springs 31 which are fastened between ears f2.9 and the rbase frame 10. This arrangement centers support member 28 on dome 1 2 `and restrains it from rotation relative to base frame 10.

Threaded into the lower side of support member 28 is a member 34 'of substantially frusto-conical configuration which `serves as a housing for the drive assembly 14. Housing member 34 cooperates with the support member 28 'by gripping the outer race of `a thrust bearing 35 which Vsupports the spin tube or shaft 37 by means of the thrust ring 33 positioned in the `anrnllar recess' 36 in tube 37 and seated `on the inner race of bearing 35.

The spin tube 37 journals a concentric power shaft 38 which extends into the drive assembly 14 and, as will .bemcfref apparent hereinafter, is ultimately supported by spin-tube 37 and bearing 35; With thi-s construction, all weight placed upon the' spin tube 37, housing 34 and `on the support member 28 may be used to an advantage to provide ample frictional forces between member' 128 and the friction pads 26 for damping nutational movements `of the shafts 37 .and 38 relative to dome 12 while permittingrotational movement of spin tube 37 in thrust bearing35.

.Spin tube-37 is provided with an annular recess 41 receiving the Huid deector 42 which prevents uids from draining down tube 37 and ventering the upper part of drive assembly 14. Tube 37 is also provided at its lower end withsplines 43 which receive the mating splined hub 45 of the brake rotor member 46.

The beveled periphery of brake rotor 46 is surfaced with friction material 48, such as cork, and is capable of engaging the :brake stator plate 49 bolted to the lower edge of the housing member 34. Stator plate 49 also includes an upturned inner flange 51 defining a small reservoir for retaining apsmall quantity vof lubricant to prevent squeaking of cork material 48 on thealuminum stator plate -49 wit-hout Amaterially affecting the desired braking action between these surfaces.

The friction material `48 on brake rotor 416 is urged against the brake stator plate 49 by means of the large coil spring 52 which encompasses the splined hub 45 of rotor 46 and is compressed between a shouldered portion of brake rotor 46 and a spring retainer washer 53 near the upper portion of housing 34 From this it will be seen that when rotor member 46 engages the stator plate 49, spin tube 37 and all members aflixed to the latter tube will be restrained against rotation by means of the braking action occurring between members 46 and 49.

The lower end of the center drive shaft 33 extends beyond'the lower end of the 'spin tube 37 and is provided with a right hand helix 55 on which drive pulley 18 is threaded. Center shaft` 38 is also splined at its lower end to receive a splined dog or projection 57 which is maintained in its axial position relative to shaft 38 by means ofthe ilat head machine screw 58 extending through the serrated countersunk center portion of washer 59. Dog S7 is adapted to cooperate with the segmental lug 61 which depends from the hub of pulley 18 serving as the power input member for drive assembly 14 as shown in detail in Figure 6. The snap-on rubber dust cover 60 protects helix 55, pulley 18 and the driving connections between these members from impairment by foreign particles.

During the' agitation periods when pulley 18 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the bottom of Figure 2, the surface 64 of depending lug 61 abuts surface 63 of dog 57 in a positive driving engage- .ment as shown in Figure 6 and limits downward travel of pulley 18 on helix 55. However, in the centrifugal extraction operations when pulley 18 is reversed and rotated in a clockwise direction, upward travel of pulley 18 is independent of any cooperation between dog 57 and lug 58, as apparent from Figure 7. Its positioning, however, is dependent upon the effects of the engagement between the thrust bearing assembly 66, carried by the hub of pulley 18, and the boss 67 of brake rotor member 46. These effects will be understood after `an inspection is made of the cooperation between the upper ends of shafts 37 and 38.

Coaxial shafts 37 and 38 both extend upwardly through and into an outer tub member 71 which is supported on the inverted tripod formed by the three brace members 72 connected to lug members 73 formed integrally with support member 28. Since support member 28 is restrained against rotation by reason of its connection to the centering springs 31, the outer tub member 71'is likewise prevented from any. rotational movement by means of this tripod support. While not shown by any plan views in the accompanying drawings, it should be apparent from this description that the three equally spaced centering springs 31 are 120 apart while each of the three equally spaced lugs 73 is positioned midway be'- tween adjacent ears 29'.

The upper end of the spin tube 37 is provided with a porous oil impregnated bearing member 75 which receives center shaft 38 and is maintained in place by means of the cross pins 76 penetrating spin tube 37. Bearing member 75 is provided with a countersunk upper face 78 which serves as a combined thrust surface and clutch surface for the thrust collar 79 having a conical surface 81 mating with the countersunk face 78. During the agitation operations, surface 81 rotates on surface 78, as shown in exaggerated form in Figure 2, but during the extraction operations, these surfaces are frictionally engaged by the application of thrust forces on shafts 37 and 38 to provide a cone clutch activated by movements of drive assembly 14 as shown in Figure 3. Thrust collar 79 is pinned to center shaft 38 by means of the cross pin 33 to limit its downward axial travel relative to spin tube 37 while the washer 85 and its adjacent expansible ring 86 carried in an annular recess near the upper end of spin tube 37 limits the upward travel of thrust c ollar 79 relative to the mounting stem 9S.

4 and shaft 38 relative to spin tube 37 as apparent from Figure 8.

Tub 71, which communicates with the water pump 16 through the drain hose 88, is provided with a centrally located opening formed in its bottom wall by the upturned flange 91. Flange 91 receives in an interference fit the rubber mounting sleeve 92 which is bonded to the steel sleeve 93 which in turn retains the porous metal bearing 94 by means of a squeeze t. Porous bearing 94, which journals and lubricates shaft 37, is contiguously encircled by the lower portion of the rubber sleeve 92 carrying an oil reservoir filled with wicking material 96 which supplies lubricant to spin tube 37 AflXed to the upper end of the spin tube 37 by means of the outer ends of cross pins 76 is the clothes receptacle carrier or mounting hub 97 which is provided with a mounting stem 98, a tapered receptacle supporting flange 99 and a depending annulus 101. The lower end of annulus 101 defines a bearing surface which is abutted by the carbon nose ring 102 which is sealed to and forms a part of the boot seal 103 clamped to the outer periphery of the upturned flange 91.` Nose ring 102 is pressed upwardly into sealing engagement with annulus 101 by means of the coil spring 104 which encompasses ange 91 within boot seal 103.

The tapered supporting flange 99 mates with and supports a cooperating reentrant central portion 106 ofthe perforate clothes receptacle 107 provided with an inertia ring 108 on its upper rim. A clamp washer 111 having a rolled periphery 112 presses reentrant portion '106 against the mounting flange 99 when the large clamp `nut 114 threaded on mounting stem 98 is turned tightly againstclamp washer 111. Clamp nut 114 is shown as being provided with diametrically opposed recesses 115 to accommodate ak spanner wrench for tightening nut 114 into this position. This clamping assembly provides a unil tary connection between clothes receptacle i107 and spin tube 37 so that any movements imparted to this latter shaft will be also transmitted to clothes receptacle 107. Y

The upper face of mounting stem 98 is provided with a plurality of blind ended holes 121 positioned concentrically with respect to shaft 38 with their axes being parallel to `each other and to that ofthe latter shaft as is apparent from Figure 8. These holes or recesses 121 receive the lower halves of the yieldable agitator restraining pins 122 which are preferably formed of tough, flexible plastic in a one-piece construction with the flat washer-like connector ring 123 interconnecting all of the pins 122 to facilitate manufacturing and assembling operations. The upper ends of pins 1122 are received in the mating holes 124 of the bearing retainer member 126 which serves as the agitator mounting stem. Both sets of holes or bores 121 and 124 are deep enough to provide end clearance for pins 122 to accommodate the wob'- bling movement imparted to bearing retainer 126 by rotation of the bent shaftiportion 12S. .C

Shaft portion 128 is, in this illustrative embodiment, an extension of center drive shaft 38 and is obl-ique to the rotational axis of that drive shaft. Shaft portion 1.28 has in practice been inclined from the rotational axis of shaft 38 by about seven and one-half degrees but other angular constructions may also be chosen. Oblique portion 128 is journaled in the needle bearings '129 contained within bearing retainer member 126.

Pins 122, which may also be separately formed of spring steel, etc., are rigid enough to resist the torsion created by the tendency of bearing retainer member 126 to rotate relative to mounting stern 98 during rotary movements of shaft 38 but are flexible enough to permit a wobbl-ing movement of bearing retainer 126 to take place As apparent from Figure 9, pins 122 are slightly tapered to a narrower end diameter while holes 121 are likewise tapered toward .in order to reduce the tendency for binding of these parts during the wobbling movements of retainer member 126. The upper ends cf pins '121 are also tapered and are received by holes 124 formed with a taper similar to that of holes 121 to reduce binding between members 122 and 126. In addition, holes 121 and 112,4 are thoroughly lubricated by the Alubricant .normally retained Within bulbous seal member 132 to further facilitate their cooperation with pins 122. 'Ihis lubricant alsoterldsV to keep surfaces 78 and 81 lubricated.-

A watertight seal between the mounting stem 98 and bearing retainer member 126 Vfor theprotection of the central shaft structure 4is produced `by the bulbous seal member y132 which is pressed into grooves '133-and 134 of members 126 and 98, respectively, by the encircling clamp members 1135 and 136.

While the embodiment illustrated in Vthe accompanying drawings shows Vpins 122 as moving in and out of both .sets of holes 121 and 124, it is considered to be Within the scope of this invention to tix one end .of pins 122, or their equivalent, to either of members 98 or 126 while providing for sliding movements between the opposite` ends of pins 122 and the remaining member.

The top central portion of ,bearing retainer member 126 is drilled and counterbored to receive the thrust washer insert member 138 which .journals the upper shank of the shouldered screw 137 threaded into Ithe end of `shaft portion 128 with its shoulder seated tightly against the upper surface of that shaft portion 128l in order to provide the necessary axial clearance for member 138 (Figure 8) while preventing the separation of mounting stem 126 and mounting hub 97. Washer member 138 serves as a bearing insert in member 126 which has a slotted upper surface (not shown) for receiving mating lugs (not shown) depending from the bottom of washer -138 to prevent the latter member from turning relative to member 126. By preventing washer` 138 from rotating within bearing retainer member 126 relative movement .occurs only `between the top bearing surface of washer member 138 and the lower surface of the head of screw 137 during .rotation of shaft 38.

The upper end of lbearing retainer 126 is provided with four equally spaced diagonal kerfs 141 cut in the upper end of that member. These kerfs 141 receive the four mating webs or fillets 142 formed integrally with the hub 144 of the agitator 145 which, in this illustrative embodiment, is provided with a hemispherical base portion 146 and an lip/standing vane 147. This keyed construction prevents the agitator 1.46 from rotating relative to bearing retainer member 126 during rotation of the center shaft 38.

An annular recess 151 is provided in member 126 in t order to anchor agitator 145 on bearing retainer member 126 after agitator 145 has been slipped over the latter member. This recess 151 carries an expansible annular seal 152 whose periphery presses outwardly into a mating annular groove 153 in hub 144 once agitator 145 has been slipped into place over bearing retainer member 126i.

This construction seals the hub 144 of agitator 145 and bearing retainer member 126 together while preventing axial movement of agitator 145 relative to bearing retainer member 126 during the rotation of shaft 38. It also provides a quick method of disassembling this agitator assembly by allowing ready access to the central shaft structure once the clothes shielding bellows member 154 has been unsnapped from under the rolled periphery 112 of clamp washer 111 or out of the peripheral groove 156 carried in the hemispherical base portion 146 of agitator 145.

in operation, rotation of drive motor 15 in the direction to rotate pulley 18 in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from the bottom of Figure 2 causes pulley 18 to spiral downwardly on helix 5S until surface 64 of the `depending lug 61 carried by pulley 18 abuts surface 63 of dog 57 carried on the lower splined end of center shaft 38 as shown in Figure 6. Further rotation of pulley member 18 in this counterclockwise direction creates a `positive `drive between pulley 18 and center shaft :38 in this counterclockwise direction while `the .spin tube 37 is restrained against rotation by brake spring 52 which urges brake rotor 46 against the nonrotatable brake stator plate 49. Rotation of shaft 38 in this direction allows Ythe thrust collar 79 to rotate freely within the countersunk face 78 in the porous oil impregnated bearing 75 ,so that-the bent `shaft portion 4128 describes an inverted "'cone of revolution with its'veitex -beinglocated at the `intersection of the radii of curvature of the hemispheric'al base portion 146. Though collar 79 actually contacts `and slides' on face 78 during the relative movement between surfaces 78 and 81, an exaggerated spacing is shown between these surfaces in Figure 2to clarify this detail of operation.`

` This movement of shaft`38 causes'the bearing retainer member 126m follow asimilar cone of revolution in a gyratory 'action as pins 122 slide and out of holes 121 and 124 to Vrestrain member 126 "from any rotational movement. In practice, seal 1312 has been packed with lubricant to reduce frictional resistance to this wobbling movement of member 126. The movementY of bearing retainer 126 is transmitted directly to agitator 145to produce a wobbling movement of the upstandinjgV vane 147 t0 effect the desired cleansing action of the fabrics carried within receptacle I107.

Since the wobbling movement of the hemispherical `base portion 146 takes place about the center point deter- `This agitation produced by the wobble agitator is therefore solely Ydepemlent upon the movement of the "upstandinig vane 1'4'7' or any other additional fins, ,skirts `or vanes that may be placed upon base portion 146.

The clothes shielding bellows member 154 'attached between the hems-pherical base portion 146 `and clamp washer 11-1 includes a number of convolutions to accommodate the wobbling movement ofY agitator 145 but is formed substantially in the form of a spherical segment so as to continue the sperical lform of base portion 146 to the bottom wall of receptacle 107 to minimize rotational `drag effects.

In reversing motor 15 `during the centrifugal extraction operations, pulley 18 is also reversed and is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed -from Ithe bottom of Figure 3 so that it climbs helix 55 when rotated in this direction. Depending upon the initial angular positioning of lug 57 relative to center shaft 38, pulley 18 may Vhave as much as lost motion before its upward vertical travel causes thrust bearing 66 to abut the boss 67 on brake rotor member 46 and li-ft the latter member away from stator 49.

However, in actual practice, dog 57 is angularly positioned on the splined end of shaft 38 so that the pulley 18 rotates only slightly over ninety degrees from the agit-ate position of Figures 2 and 6 to the centrifugal extraction position shown in Figur 3 and 7. This latter angular movement includes bot-h the lost motion between parts 61 and 57 and that movement which is necessary for pulley 18 to climb helix 55 in order to effect a desired clutching between shafts 37 and 38. It should therefore be apparent that the clearance shown in Figure 2 between parts 66 and 67 is exaggerated to more clearly show relative movements between these parts.

This angular movement of pulley 18 relative to shaft 38 is made possible by the inertia of the Alatter shaft and the driving connections to tube 37 on its upper end. While it is possibile that -pulley 18 may completely climb helix 55 so that the rotor hub 45 abuts the spring retainer washer 53 adjacent lthe inner race of thrust bearing 3S, the operation of this drive assembly is not dependent upon that degree of vertical travel. It is possible, dependn7 ing upon the various design characteristics of spring 52 and helix 55, for example, that -a state of equilibrium will be reached before rotor 46 is moved that far upwardly on the splined end of spin tube 37 since it is only necessary to separate rotor 46 from stator 49 in order to free the spin tube 37 for rotation and since the clutchving of shafts 37 Iand 38 is dependent upon the forces applied between surfaces 78 `and 81, not upon any precise degree of vertical travel of rotor 46.

Since, in lactual practice, spring 52 normally urges rotor 46 against stator 49 with a force of over two hundred pounds, the additional vertical travel of pulley 18 on helix 55 beyond that necessary to separate members 46 and 49 causes this force plus that produced by the continued compression of spring 52 to be transmitted to shaft 38 through helix 55. The transmission of this force to shaft 38 places the center shaft 38 in tension due to the inability of spin tube 37 to move downwardly because of the presence of the-thrust ring 33 in bearing 35, and causes the conical surface 81 `of the thrust collar 79 to bear against the countersunk surface 78 of bearing member 75 with the same total force.

This causes the clockwise rotary movement transmitted from pulley 118 through the helix 55 to be transmitted from shaft 38 to the spin tube 37 by way of these clutch surfaces to rotate receptacle 107 at the centrifuging speed imparted to spin tube 37. Since the shafts 37 and 38 rotate in unison during this period, no wobbling movement is imparted to agitator 145 which rotates with receptacle 107. At the end of the centrifugal extract-ion operation motor is deenergized causing an interruption in the power supplied to pulley 18. This causes the rotating shafts 37 and 38 to become driving members and results in shaft 38 overrunning pulley 18 with the latter member spiraling downwardly on helix 55 as `a result of this relative movement between these members. Spring 52 causes rotor 46 to follow pulley 18 downwardly `and forces rotor 46 into contact with brake stator 49 to quickly terminate rotation of tube 37 while shaft 38 also ceases t-o rotate shortly therafter due to its driving connections to tube 37 through oblique portion 128.

I claim: i t

l. In a coupling member having a carrier member, a driven member positioned adjacent said carrier member and movable through a cone of revolution by an oblique extension of a drive means, means limiting relative axial movement between said members, -a ring of tapered recesses in said carrier member about the axis of said cone of revolution and a ring of tapered recesses in said driven member encircling said oblique extension; the invention residing in a restraining pin structure including a plurality of exible restraining pins having opposite ends tapered and in engagement with said recesses in said .carrier member and said drive member, said restraining pins being connected at their midpoints by a flexible connector ring.

2. In a coupling member having ya carrier member adapted to receive a drive means, a driven member positioned adjacent said carrier member and movable through a cone of revolution relative to said carrier member by an oblique extension of said drive means, a ring of tapered recesses in said carrier member about the axis of said cone of revolution and a ring of tapered recesses in said driven member encircling said oblique extension; the invention residing -in -a restraining pin structure including a plurality of round, flexible restraining pins having opposite ends tapered to be Ireceived by said tapered recesses in said carrier and driven members, said restraining pins being connected intermediate their ends by a flexible connector ring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,687,035 Newhouse Oct. 9, 1928 2,439,479 Mackrn-ann Apr. 13, 1948 2,554,573 Johnson May 29, 1951 2,695,510 Clark Nov. 30, 1954 2,696,719 Sklar Dec. 14, 1954 2,830,454 Karn Apr. 15, 1958 2,831,333 Smith Apr. 22, 1958

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