Unidirectional Agitation Accessory for Automatic Washer

This application has subject matter in common with the application of Clark I. Platt entitled "Combined Oscillating and Unidirectional Agitator for Automatic Washer" Ser. No. 418,378 filed Nov. 23, 1973, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is in the field of agitating elements for washing machines and provides an agitator accessory consisting of a detachable vaned sleeve structure which cooperates with the agitator vanes in forcing the fabrics being washed downwardly toward said agitator vanes as the agitator oscillates.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

It has been found that the most efficient means for washing clothes within an automatic washing machine having a vertical axis agitator is to provide a substantially continuous cyclical rollover movement pattern of the clothes during washing which involves moving the clothes down along the agitator barrel, then radially outwardly from the oscillating vanes, then upwardly along the wall of the washing basket and inward to the barrel of the agitator, and so forth. Conventional washing machines are reasonably proficient in achieving this type of rollover pattern when light loads are being washed, but not with heavy loads. When the washing basket is tightly packed with clothes the load crowds the agitator and basket area. A conventional oscillating agitator has difficulty in attaining any kind of a rollover to the clothes load under these conditions. The conventional-type agitator may merely scrub the bottom portion of a tightly-packed heavy load, resulting in a very uneven uniformity of cleaning.

There are a few examples in prior patents of agitators which move in separate paths during a washing operation. For example, the Bryant U.S. Pat. No. 1,834,936 suggests dual agitator members which are reciprocated in opposite directions within the tub, the object being to create a violent water action.

The Krolzick U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,714 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention describes a washing machine assembly including a pair of agitators, the two agitators being coupled together for mutual oscillation, but having cam means or the like provided between the two agitators to effect a vertical reciprocation of one with respect to the other during such oscillation.

Dyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,331,897 discloses a washing machine having an agitator provided with a spiral vane on an upper portion, the agitator rotating at motor speed during washing.

Krolzick U.S. Pat. Des. 196,194 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention shows an agitator for a laundry machine wherein the ornamental design for the agitator includes a spiral vane arrangement.

Geldhof U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,367, assigned to a predecessorof the assignee of the present invention, shows an agitator for a laundry machine wherein the agitator includes spiral vanes which extend in the form of radial vanes on their lower edges, with radial projections or vanes extending intermediate the spiral vanes.

The present invention provides an agitator accessory for use with an automatic washer having a clothes-washing receptacle and drive means for driving a vertical axis agitator in an oscillatory fashion. In the preferred form of the present invention, a sleeve is provided to fit around the barrel of the agitator in coaxial relation therewith, with an auger-like inclined-vane structure being formed on the outer periphery of the sleeve. The upper end of the sleeve may be provided with teeth which are arranged to receive a ratchet ring which is detachably coupled to the agitator barrel for oscillation therewith. Upon oscillatory movement of the agitator the pawls of the ratchet drive the sleeve in one direction of agitator rotation, but not in the other. The inclined vane on the sleeve is configured to urge, deflect or auger clothes within the receptacle downwardly toward the lower-agitator portion where they may be contacted by a set of generally vertically-extending vanes disposed about the skirt portion of the agitator. The agitator accessory thereby acts to feed clothes downwardly along the barrel of the agitator where they come under the influence of the oscillating vertically-positioned agitator vanes on the skirt portion of the agitator which direct the clothes radially outwardly toward the periphery of the basket, and eventually upwardly and back to the barrel of the upper agitator, completing a rollover cycle which is extremely efficient for securing scrubbing contact with the wash liquid.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective, partly broken away, of a conventional type of automatic washing machine which is provided with the improved agitator accessory of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the machine during operation, and illustrates the type of rollover pattern which can be achieved through the use of the agitator accessory of the present invention, the washing liquid being omitted and only a partial clothes load being shown for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the agitator accessory of the present invention, partly broken away, illustrating the means by which a unidirectional drive is achieved in the accessory; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded fragmentary view of the agitator accessory and a portion of the agitator barrel.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a washing machine of the automatic type which includes a frame 11 carrying vertical panels 12 forming the sides, front and back of the machine. The machine 10 is supported by means of threaded legs 13 extending from each of its corners.

The machine also includes a hinged lid 14 providing access to the interior of the washing machine and a console 15 having a timer dial 16 and a program selector 17.

Within the cabinet formed by the vertical panels 12 there is an imperforate tub 18 which is supported within the cabinet by means of a base plate 19. A plurality of suspension rods 20 having resilient spherical end portions 21 and 22 are positioned about the tub 18 to suspend the tub freely within the interior of the cabinet.

A perforate washing basket 23 is positioned concentrically within the tub 18. The improved agitator accessory of the present invention has been designated generally at reference numeral 24a and is positioned with the agitator 24 centrally of the perforate basket 23.

Liquid is introduced into the washing machine by means of a solenoid-controlled inlet valve 25 which directs the liquid through an intake conduit 26 and an anti-siphon device 27 into the washing area. A filter 28 is positioned along a tub ring 29 disposed between the tub 18 and the basket 23 and delivers filtered wash water to the tub by means of an outlet conduit 30 fed from the outlet port of a pump 31. The inlet port of the pump 31 is in fluid communication with the tub 18 by means of an inlet conduit 30a, thus forming a means for circulating washing liquid through the filter 28 during the agitate cycle of machine operation. The pump 31 as well as the other movable parts of the assembly are driven by means of a motor 32 which operates through a transmission 33. A clutch and brake assembly generally indicated at reference numeral 34 is provided for energizinhg the agitator 24 in an oscillatory fashion during washing, and for disengaging the agitator and engaging means for spinning the basket 23 during the liquid-extraction portion of the washing cycle.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is conventional in vertical-axis washing machines and has been shown for the sake of completeness.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the agitator 24 which comprises a first unitary member has an upstanding centerpost or barrel portion 35 and a lower vaned portion or skirt 36 about which are disposed a plurality of generally vertically disposed agitator vanes 37. A splined drive shaft 38 extends through the agitator 24, as shown best in FIG. 3, and is secured at the top of the barrel portion 35 by means of a washer 39a and a threaded stud 39. The stud 39 has an integral shoulder portion 39b which serves to hold the washer 39a and therefore the agitator 24 in place, and the shoulder portion may have a hexagonal shape to facilitate tightening. The top portion of the stud 39 is provided with threads to hold the agitator cap 51 in place at the top of the assembly. When the agitator cap 51 is made up tight on threaded stud 39 the lower portion of the agitator cap circumferentially contacts the top of the ratchet ring 45 and holds it in contact with the top of the sleeve 41, preventing any substantial vertical movement of the ratchet ring or the sleeve with respect to the agitator 24 or with respect to each other.

The upper end of the barrel portion 35 has a reduced diameter portion 40 which is received within and is encompassed by a sleeve 41, a bottom of the sleeve 41 resting on a shoulder 42 of the barrel portion 35. The sleeve 41 has radially outwardly extending vane means associated therewith, in the illustrated embodiment two inclined helical vanes 43 formed about its outer periphery somewhat like an auger such that upon rotation of the sleeve 41 in one direction, the vanes 43 tend to move or auger the clothes downwardly toward the generally vertical agitator vanes 37 as best illustrated in FIG. 2.

One-way clutch means are provided to cause rotation of the agitator accessory 24a in one direction only. In the illustrated embodiment the one-way clutch means comprises a ratchet ring 45 and a series of teeth formed on sleeve 41. The upper end of the sleeve 41 has a plurality of teeth 43a around its periphery as best illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 4. These teeth are arranged to engage pawls 44 extends from ratchet ring 45. The pawls 44 may be somewhat flexible. The upper portion 48 of the agitator barrel is tapered and has vertical grooves 53 formed on opposite sides of the periphery thereof which receive inwardly-projecting tongues 52 of the ring 45. The ratchet ring 45 is thus coupled to the agitator barrel 35 through this tongue and groove arrangement and the two therefore oscillate together.

In operation, as the agitator barrel 35 is oscillated, the flexible pawls 44 on the ratchet ring 45 engage the teeth 43a of the sleeve 41 to incrementally rotate the sleeve when movement of the agitator is in the counterclockwise direction. When the washing machine is loaded and the agitator is moved in a clockwise direction, the flexible pawls 44 slip over the teeth due to the frictional drag created on the sleeve 41 by the action of the clothes against the inclined vanes. Thus, as the agitator 24 oscillates the agitator accessory 24a including the sleeve 41 and the attached inclined vanes 43 rotates intermittently in the counterclockwise direction. That is, as the agitator 24 oscillates, its counterclockwise movement and only said counterclockwise movement is imparted to the agitator accessory 24a. It has been found that this incremental rotation of the inclined vanes 43 tend to create a generally toroidal rollover movement or pattern of the type shown in FIG. 2, that is, the clothes adjacent to the agitator accessory are forced downwardly toward the generally vertical agitator vanes 37 which in turn propel the clothes radially outwardly and upwardly along the inner periphery of the basket 23 and back to the vicinity of the agitator accessory 24a. This creates a highly desirable rollover action which subjects the clothes to intimate contact with the washing liquid.

The agitator accessory of the present invention is simple and easy to construct, as all the parts thereof can be made of an easily moldable synthetic resin such as polypropylene. It should also be noted that the agitator accessory is easily removable from the agitator itself so that the machine can be utilized with or without the accessory, depending upon the size of the load being washed.

It will be evident that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.