Abstract: A transmission shift mechanism for use in a vertical axis automatic washing machine having reversible rotary drive means has a drive gear on which is mounted an eccentric for translating rotary motion into oscillatory motion in a plane perpendicular to the washing machine axis. The oscillatory motion is transmitted to the agitator shaft of a washing machine by a rack and pinion. The pinion is rotatably mounted on the agitator shaft and has teeth on a lower surface thereof which engage teeth on an upper surface of a sleeve co-rotatable with the agitator shaft to form a jaw clutch for driving the agitator shaft from the rack and pinion. A shifter fork also connected to the eccentric operates cams to raise the pinion out of engagement with the sleeve to disengage the jaw clutch when the eccentric is rotating in a first direction, and returns the clutch teeth to engagement when the eccentric rotates in an opposite direction.

Abstract: A washing machine transmission is disclosed for alternately producing either oscillating agitator drive or basket spin upon rotation of the drive motor in reverse directions. The transmission includes an input shaft rotated by the drive motor and extending parallel to a concentric spin tube and agitator drive shaft. An agitator drive element is oscillated by an oscillation mechanism and in a first direction of rotation of the input shaft is connected to an agitator drive shaft to oscillate the agitator, while in the reverse direction a spin input gear is clutched to the input shaft and drives a spin gear drivingly connected to the spin tube for rotating the basket. A spring-applied friction brake acts on the spin gear to brake the spin tube, but is released upon rotation of the spin tube for spinning the basket by mating cam surfaces acting between the spin gear and the tube to axially retract the spin gear and release the brake.

Abstract: A transmission is disclosed for providing drive to a washing machine agitator and basket to produce slow speed agitator oscillation and relatively high speed rotation of the basket for spin extraction. The transmission input shaft is driven by a drive motor and operated for either reversing or unidirectional rotation to produce the agitator oscillation and basket spin, respectively. The input shaft is drivingly connected to an agitator power shaft through reduction gearing carried in a gear case, while the gear case is secured to the washing machine basket. A clutch-brake arrangement alternatively causes braking of the gear case to the transmission housing or couples the gear case to the input shaft to produce the high speed drive of the basket through the gear case, or alternatively producing a low speed oscillation of the agitator by drive through the reduction gearing.

Abstract: A spin brake and brake release mechanism for an automatic washer or other spinning drive mechanism has a pair of brake shoes applied by a spring but released by a rotating cam mechanism. The brake operating mechanism rotates with the spin basket. The brake drum is connected to the stationary parts of the machine. As the release cam rotates, it acts against cam follower areas of the brake shoes to release the shoes from the drum.

Abstract: An agitator-type washing machine comprising an axial-airgap motor and a planetary reduction gear means, wherein a reciprocating motion of the axial-airgap motor is transmitted to an agitator via the reduction gear means in a washing action thereby making use of a high rotational speed, hence large torque and high efficiency of the axial-airgap motor.

Abstract: A clothes washing machine of the type having recirculation of water from a tub into a perforated basket within which the clothes are received with a mechanically delayed action clutch driving both the agitator during wash and rinse cycles, and the basket during spin cycles. The mechanical delay in the case of the wash or rinse cycles enables a recirculation pump to bring the water level in the basket to the operating level after the machine fill prior to initiation of agitator drive. In the case of the spin cycle, the water level is reduced by a drain pump during the delay interval prior to initiation of the basket spin. The mechanical delay is introduced by a retarding action on the centrifugal drive clutch whereby after start of rotation of the drive motor, the full engagement of the centrifugally actuated clutch is delayed by a rotary damping action consisting of a washer caused to rotate through a volume of silicone liquid enclosed in a container.

Abstract: A delay mechanism for providing a delay in the spin cycle of an automatic washer is operated by means of a pawl pivotable about a stud rotating on an eccentric, which in turn is engageable with a spin gear only in one direction of rotation, and thereby provides a delay of substantially one revolution of the eccentric upon a change in direction of rotation of the eccentric.

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 simplified arrangement for alternately operating an agitator and a spinning clothes container in a laundry machine. A container driving member and an agitator driving gear are both mounted rotatably and reciprocably on the agitator shaft, and a shifter selectively effects concurrent driving clutching engagement between the container and the container driving member and declutching of the gear from the shaft, and alternatively the shifter controls the container driving member to declutch from the clothes container and concurrently controls the driving gear to enter into clutching driving relation to the agitator shaft. Improvements in mechanism include the shifter assembly, an anti-clash device for the gear clutch, an inertial spring clutch for the container driving member, an agitator spin drive snap ring and spring clutch, and load sensitive brake and clutch means for the clothes container.

Abstract: This is a washboard device intended for permanent attachment to an inner wall of a washbowl or washbasin for use in washing personal and small articles of clothing. It includes a sheet of semi-rigid material having a peelable protected adhesive back coating and a front washboard surface. The washboard surface may be corrugated with alternate rounded ridges and intervening furrows in the preferred form. Alternately, it may include any type surface having a plurality of hills and valleys, in any regular or irregular pattern or spaced dots of material on a flat surface, etc. It is made of a suitable semi-rigid material in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and can be made to conform to any size or shape basin wall, the material being a suitable plastic such as polyurethane, polyvinyl, semi-hard rubber. The edge of the sheet is preferably feathered and may be readily installed in operative position by the average person.

Abstract: A reversible turbine pump for producing bi-directional liquid flow wherein there is provided a housing having a substantially annular outer wall and top and bottom walls closing the ends of the outer wall. Within the housing there is a rotatable impeller having an annular series of blades extending outwardly and forming with the wall a toroidal space. First and second spaced outlet openings are provided in the housing and also first and second circumferentially spaced channels between the impeller and each of the outlet openings in liquid flow communication with the toroidal space. A dam is located between the channels. An inlet opening is located in each of the channels.

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 domestic clothes washer drive mechanism for oscillating an agitator in a nested pair of tubs wherein the inner tub is rotatable and the outer tub is generally fixed against rotation and adapted to contain water. First and second concentrically arranged driven pulleys are rotatably carried in fixed respective planes with respect to the agitator and spin tub with concentric agitate and spin drive shafts related therewith. Drive belt means circle the driven pulleys to rotate same in opposite directions while clutch means are provided between the driven pulleys so as to be selectively operable to effect a driving relationship alternately between a drive motor and the driven pulleys.

Abstract: A domestic clothes washer drive mechanism for oscillating an agitator in a nested pair of tubs wherein the inner tub is selectively rotatable by said mechanism and the outer tub is generally fixed against rotation and adapted to contain water. A pair of vertically spaced pulleys driven by a reversible motor and a single belt are rotatably mounted with concentric agitate and spin drive shafts related therewith. A radial transfer follower arm is pivotally secured to the agitator shaft intermediate the driven pulleys. The pulleys have opposed drive notches configured so that in one direction of motor rotation one pulley notch is operative to engage the arm and rotate the agitator shaft in a first direction through a predetermined arc, after which the opposed pulley notch is rotated into position and the arm escapes the one notch and is engaged by the opposed notch causing the agitator shaft to be driven in an oscillatable manner.

Abstract: A receptacle drive coupling atop the spin drive tube in a washing machine assembly of the vertical axis type has a hollow drive block with a circumferential contact surface of reduced area on its downwardly flared lower part. A lock nut including a downwardly extending lower lip portion is threadedly received at the upper part of the drive block. A hollow center post of the receptacle is forced into proper alignment over the drive block by the lock nut and is firmly aligned with respect to the spin tube by the raised contact surface on the drive block and the lip portion of the lock nut.

Abstract: A drive system for a laundry apparatus including a torque sensing drive mechanism for determining the presence of washing fluid in the cavity of a rotary positive displacement pump by means of the different resistive torque responses of relatively full and empty pump cavities. A clutch mechanism joins two driving pulleys that are belt-connected to two driven pulleys on the transmission and pump units. The presence of washing fluid in the pump cavity effects separation of the driving pulleys and actuates only the pump unit. Absence of washing fluid in the pump cavity causes the driving pulleys to remain coupled and a centrifugal extraction operation is initiated through the transmission and spin clutch.

Abstract: A belt drive mechanism for an automatic clothes washing machine having a timer to control the operational cycles of the machine, a basket supported for rotation, and a vaned structure for agitating the clothes in the basket. A motor provides a plurality of operational modes and has a start winding and a run winding. There is an input shaft connected with the motor by a belt and coupled to the vaned structure for agitation thereof for a first mode of operation of the motor and coupled to the basket for effecting rotation thereof during a second mode of operation of the motor. An idler pulley engages the belt with means arranged for biasing the pulley against the belt to place tension on the belt and means including the motor windings to overcome the pulley biasing means during energization of the motor start winding to thereby release tension on the belt.