Abstract: An automatic liquid level control system is provided for a laundry appliance having a tub and a perforate fabric basket within the tub. Washing liquid is injected onto the surface of fabrics to be laundered. A portion of the washing liquid will be absorbed by the fabrics and a portion will flow through the fabrics and fabric basket perforations for accumulation in the tub. Sensing devices are provided for monitoring the changing liquid level in the tub and the time required to reach predetermined levels. A programmable controller determines the quantity of additional liquid required to launder the fabric load responsive to the sensing devices and commensurate with the load characteristics and controls the injection thereof onto the fabrics.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus is provided with a float controlled liquid inlet valve. The float includes a centrally located, downwardly extending, stem portion which extends through the inner aperture of a standpipe associated with the bottom wall of the liquid container. A cap portion of the float surrounds and encloses the upper extremity of the standpipe and prevents spraying liquid from escaping the liquid container through the standpipe aperture. A floatation chamber is axially spaced below the cap portion of the float and is connected thereto by a plurality of arms. The spacing of the float chamber from the cap defines openings which allow liquid to wash through the inner section of the float and around the standpipe to remove debris.

Abstract: An appliance is provided with a control housing secured to the cabinet top cover. The control housing includes a front opening which is closed by a control panel assembly engageable with the lower portion of the housing front and rearwardly pivotable for engagement with the top of the housing front. The control panel assembly includes a support panel and an overlying decorative panel which is biased toward the frontal surface of the support panel. This biasing maintains the rear of the face portion of the fascia panel in contact with the support panel. The control panel assembly ends are enclosed by a pair of rearwardly extending end caps which combine with the upper edge of the fascia panel to provide a continuous unbroken line at the top of the panel assembly and form a frame having a mitered corner appearance.

Abstract: An automatic fabric washing machine is selectively operable through a plurality of cycles for washing either permanent press or regular fabrics. The drive system is selectively operable in either low or high speed for agitation of the fabric load or to spin the fabric basket for extraction of liquid from the fabric load. Circuitry is provided for bypassing the selected drive speed to assure that the initial cool-down spin increment for the permanent press cycle will always be at a low speed to reduce the quantity of liquid pumped from the machine and to allow the fabrics to cool down with potentially reduced wrinkling. After the assured slow speed initial spin increment, the machine will proceed through the remainder of the cycle at the operator selected speeds.

Abstract: A laundry appliance is provided with a pressure responsive switch operable for detecting fluid levels in a fluid container. The switch is secured to mounting bracketry including a guideway within which a slider member is movable. A cam portion of the slider member contacts a switch adjustment lever and movement of the slider member within the guideway moves the cam portion relative to the adjustment lever and determines the fluid level attainable in the container by changing the switch setting. The slider member is removable from the bracketry and is replaceable with other slider members having modified cam surfaces corresponding to different fluid levels.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus including a washing chamber having an access door. An air inlet is located in the bottom wall of the washing chamber and includes a motor driven blower for forcing ambient-temperature air into the washing chamber. The air is directed over a heating element to pick up heat, rises through the dishes and flows out of the washing chamber through a vent in the access door. Valves are located in the air inlet and in the vent which are sequentially opened by the forced airflow into the washing chamber. These valves automatically gravitationally close when blower operation ceases.

Abstract: A decorator panel construction is provided which utilizes removable and replaceable decorative panel inserts. A support panel holds these panel inserts between forwardly projecting upper and lower horizontal flanges. The panel inserts are further retained on the support panel by a pair of vertically extending elongated side channels secured to the support panel. The subassembly of support panel, panel insert and side channels, is secured to the appliance door by fasteners not visible from the front or sides of the appliance.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus having a pump arrangement which is belt driven by a laterally disposed drive motor. The apparatus further includes a tub defining a washing chamber and a fluid inlet system including a fill valve for supplying fluid to the washing chamber. The pump recirculates the fluid within the washing chamber to wash the dishes and drains the fluid from the washing chamber. A timer controls the apparatus through a predetermined cycle of recirculation and drain periods for rinsing and washing the dishes. Operation of the fill valve is controlled to provide different levels of fluid for rinsing and washing with the fill valve being operable prior to recirculation in predetermined fills to provide a first fluid level and being operable after recirculation has begun in at least one other fill to provide a second higher fluid level.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus has an air inlet conduit located in the bottom wall of the washing chamber. A forced air circulation apparatus is attached to a support bracket on the air inlet conduit from the outside of the washing chamber through a partial turn rotary motion. The air circulation apparatus is locked in this attached position by tightening a threaded fastener from within the washing chamber.

Abstract: An adjustable idler mechanism for use with a belt drive system in a laundry appliance. The idler mechanism includes first and second bell cranks pivoted about a common point and interconnected by a threaded member for adjustment with respect to each other to place tension on the drive belt. A solenoid is provided to disengage the idler mechanism from the drive belt during predetermined portions of a cycle of operations.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus which includes a generally perforate silverware basket for holding silverware during washing, rinsing and drying operations. The basket side and end walls include vertical and diagonal intersecting ribs forming a lattice-work of perforations which promotes natural, gravitational drainage of washing fluid from the walls.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus including a washing chamber having an access door. An air inlet is located in the bottom wall of the washing chamber and includes a motor driven blower for forcing ambient-temperature air into the washing chamber. The air is directed over a heating element to pick up heat, rises through the dishes and flows out of the washing chanber through a vent in the access door. Valves are located in the air inlet and in the vent which are sequentially opened by the forced airflow into the washing chamber. These valves automatically gravitationally close when blower operation ceases.

Abstract: An access door lock system for an automatic washing machine which includes a timer having an internal manually operated On-Off switch, a latch biased to normally engage with and lock the access door, and a latch actuating mechanism interconnecting the timer and the latch and preventing opening of the access door when the timer-associated switch is in the On condition. After the switch is moved to the Off condition, the latch actuating mechanism is operable to a position for disengaging the latch from the access door and allowing the access door to be opened.

Abstract: A dishwashing apparatus which includes a silverware basket for holding silverware during washing, rinsing and drying operations. The basket has generally perforate side and bottom walls. The bottom wall includes first and second pluralities of elongated ribs disposed in two generally parallel but spaced apart planes. The ribs are joined at the projected rib intersections and thus form an offset grid having nonplanar openings which resist bridging by washing fluid.

Abstract: A latch mechanism for an appliance having a cabinet with an access opening and an access door for closing the access opening. The latch mechanism has a strike portion on the cabinet and a latch portion on the access door. The latch portion includes a handle rotatable in a horizontal plane and an actuating member for longitudinally shortening while transversely widening a catch member to concurrently latch and seal the access door to the cabinet.

Abstract: A coupler assembly for a portable washing machine which includes an improved method of assembling and retaining the faucet locking means between the coupler body and the retaining ring. The coupler body supports locking means in pockets between the retaining ring and the body. The retaining ring includes a plurality of inwardly extending segmental shoulders which define recesses therebetween. The retaining ring is assembled onto the coupler body by aligning the recesses with the locking means and sliding the ring onto the body. The retaining ring is then locked by rotating the ring to snap a leg portion into a detent slot in the body. The locking rotation moves the segmental shoulders into alignment with the locking means to prevent movement of the ring from the coupler body.

Abstract: A coin slide apparatus which includes a housing for mounting the apparatus to the machine, a coin slide assembly, a guideway in the housing for the coin slide assembly to operate within, and coin authenticating apparatus on the housing. The coin slide assembly is reciprocally operable in the guideway from an extended coin receiving position through coin measuring and coin ejection positions to a position for initiating operation of the machine. The movable slide assembly comprises three main members: an upper slide plate, a center body portion, and a latch plate. The upper slide plate is formed to include the operating handle at one end and has coin receiving slots of a predetermined size. The center body portion gives the slide assembly the necessary thickness to support coins on edge and serves as a storage area for blanking members and coin inserts which are used to convert the apparatus from one combination of coins to another.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump having an impeller with a fingerlike projection on each blade extending radially outward from the impeller body into the outer annulus of the pumping chamber. These projections cut through the liquid that has been centrifuged to the outer annulus causing a turbulence which draws a portion of the liquid into the body of the impeller for mixing with trapped air. This mixing action causes the air to be centrifuged with the liquid and alleviates air locking in the pump and is especially valuable in a laundry washing machine where, in the last portion of the liquid extraction cycle, air and soap bubbles are likely to be included in the liquid.

Abstract: A control system for a fabric drying apparatus comprising a resistive heating element in series with high limit and cycling thermostats and connected across the two power lines of a three wire alternating current power supply. The drive motor of the timer is electrically connected between the junction of two legs of the heating circuit and the neutral wire of the power supply. The impedance of the timer drive motor is high compared to the resistance of the heating element; therefore, when the heating element is energized for dying fabrics, the current flow to the timer drive motor is negligible and the timer will not advance. When the cycling thermostat in one of the legs opens at a predetermined temperature, the heating element will be deenergized and current will flow in the other leg and neutral line and the timer will advance until the thermostat closes to reenergize the heating element.

Abstract: A manually operable caster brake control system for a portable apparatus such as an automatic washing machine. The brake control system is connected through a linkage system to an access door and a line switch such that the apparatus will not operate unless the caster brake is actuated and the access door is closed.