Abstract: A horizontal axis clothes washing machine. A rotatable clothes basket has a generally longitudinally extending and generally horizontally disposed axis of rotation. The clothes basket is rotatably attached to a generally surrounding first member (which is a tub). A second member (which is a cabinet) generally surrounds the tub. At least two spaced-apart tub suspension subassemblies each include a cylinder, a rod, a piston, and a spring. The cylinder is attached to one of the first and second members. The rod has a first end positioned within the cylinder and has a second end attached to the other of the first and second members. The piston is positioned within the cylinder and is attached to the first end of the rod. The spring is positioned within the cylinder between the first and second ends of the rod. Preferably, a pair of balance rings are attached to the clothes basket.

Abstract: A rotatable subassembly for a horizontal axis clothes washing machine, such subassembly having a rotatable clothes basket and a pair of balance rings. The clothes basket has a generally longitudinally extending and generally horizontally oriented axis of rotation and has two longitudinally spaced-apart ends. Each balance ring has a circumferential interior cavity, is attached to the clothes basket near a corresponding one of the ends of the clothes basket, and has a generally longitudinally extending axis generally coaxially aligned with the axis of rotation. The cavities of the balance rings are in fluid communication with the clothes basket.