US495168A - Washing-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-sheet 1. W. S. GIBBONS 8v G. E. BABTHOLOMEW.

WASHING MAGHINB. No. 495,168.

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(No .M0de1,) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. GIBBONS 8v G. E. BARTHOL'OMEW.Y

WASHING MACHINE. I

No. 495,168. Y PatenteaApr. 11, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.. l

WILLIS S. GIBBONS AND GEORGE E. BARTHOLOMEW, OF RUSSELL, NE'VV YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,168, dated April 11, 1893.

Application tiled March 30, 1892.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIS S. GIBBoNs and GEORGE E. BARTHoLoMEw, citizens of the United States, residing at Russell, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof. Our invention relates to that class of washing machines in which a vertically reciprocating and intermittently revolving pounder is utilized in connection with a stationary tub for holding the clothes, and it has for its object to improve the construction of such machines with a view to increasing their ediciency and ease and convenience of operation.

To this end our invention consists in the washingv machine constructed and operating.

as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters and numerals designate like parts in the several views, Figure l is a plan view of our improved washing machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the tub and its false bottom being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the pounder. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine with the pounder raised to and held in its inoperative position. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the adjustable guide-block for the pounder shaft. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the false bottom of the tub.

The letter a designates an ordinary Washtub, which is shown as resting upon a bench b with its front, lower edge bearing against a cleat b on said bench. In addition to its usual imperforate bottom said tub is provided with a false bottom h2 having upon its under side a series of cleats b3 whereby it is sustained at a distance above the tub bottom corresponding to the thickness of said cleats, and which is provided with a series of radially disposed slots b4 or otherv openings to permit a free circulation of water therethrough, as will be presently described.

The letter c designates the supporting standard, which is preferably made of wood, and which extends from a point near the bottom of the tub, at the outer side of the latter, to a considerable distance above the top thereof,

Serial No. 427,090. (No model.)

as shown, and is provided with a suitably disposed shoulder 2 which bears upon the upper edge of the tub, and with a clamping member 3, whichbears against the inner side of the tub and is adapted to be operated by a threaded bolt 1l and thumb-nut 5 to tightly clamp the standard upon the tub.

To facilitate holding the tub securely upon the bench b, we prefer to provide the standard cwith a cleat 6 near its lower end, through which passes a threaded bolt 7 having at its lower end a hook which is adapted to entera staple 8 on the bench, and carrying at its upper end a thumb-nut 9, by turning which the standard and the tub to which it is rigidly secured can be securely locked upon the bench, and as readily released therefrom.

The letter d designates the pounder-shaft, which carries at its lower end the pounder d and at its upper end the ratchet wheel d2, and c designates the operating lever by which a Vertical movement is imparted to said shaft, said lever being composed of two parallel arms pivotally connected at their rear ends to the standard c and connected together at their front ends by the handle-bar e. The arms of said lever are connected to standard c at a point but slightly above the plane of the upper edge of Ythe tub, thereby greatly conducing to the comfort and ease with which the lever can be operated as will be presently described. Between the arms of said lever is pivotally supported a block e2, which is preferably made of Wood and has the trunnions or pivots at itsends inserted within suitable holes in said arms, said block being provided with a central opening through which passes the pounder-shaft d in such manner as to be capable of a free revolving movement therein, While pins l0 entering one of a series of holes in said shaft, above and below said block, compel the shaft to partake of the vertical movements of the block, in a manner which will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawings. By providing the shaft with a series of holes to receive said pins l0 provision is made for adjusting the normal height of the pounder to correspond with the quantity of clothes within the tub without aecting the normal position of the lever e. A link-bar f is pivotally connected at its rear end to the standard c, near the upper end of IOO the latter, said bar being composed of two arms which are connected together by a crossbar, f', and between which is pivotally supported a block f2, similar to the block e2, and through which the pounder-shaft passes in the same manner, the function of said linkbar being to maintain the pounder-shaft in an upright position, as is common in this class of machines.

As the angle at which the standard c stands will correspond with the angle of the sideof the tub, which latter is far from uniform, and as it is important to a perfect operation of the pounder that the pounder-shaft shall be maintained in a truly vertical position, we have provided means whereby this result can be secured regardless of the inclination of the side of the tub and standard c, such means v consisting in devices whereby the block f2 can be adjusted toward and away from the pivotal center of thelink-barf. As herein shown, Such adjustment is secured by causing the trunnions of said block to project through longitudinal slots 12 in the arms composingsaid bar, and connecting to the outer end of each of said trunnions a slotted plate 13, through the slots in which plates extends a bolt 14, which constitutes the center of the cross-bar f', and which carries at one end the thumbnut 15. By loosening said thumb-nut the plates 13 and the block f2 can be moved in either direction, and can be held in any desired position of adjustment by again tightening said nut, as will be fully apparent by inspection of Fig. 5. Various other means for securing saidadjustment can be employed within the spirit of our invention.

A pawl-carrier g is pivotally mounted upon the shaft d adjacent to ratchet-wheel cl2, the spring-actuated pawl g of which engages the teeth of said wheel, and a link-rod g3 connected to the outer end of said carrier carries at its free end a hook, or other suitable device, whereby it is adapted to be detachably connected to a bracket e3 projecting upwardly from the lever c, said bracket being provided with one or more eyes 16 to receive said hook. When ysaid link-rod is in its operative position, as shown inFig. 2, each upward movement of lever e will impart a partial revolution to the pounder-shaft through said rod, the pawl-carrier, and its pawl, and with each downward movement of said lever the pawlcarrier will be retracted to cause its pawl to engage a new tooth of the ratchet-wheel. detaching the end of said link-rod from the bracket e3 the operative parts of the machine can be swung upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the clothes can be readily placed in and removed from the tub, or a wringing machine can be attached to the tub and used in the ordinary manner. To temporarily retain the parts in such elevated position we utilize a pin 17 suitably hung to the frame, which is inserted through holes 18 in the bracket e3 and one ot'l the arms of link-bar f, said holes being brought into register with each other when the parts are swung to their highest position.

The pounder d is shown as being of asubstantially rectangular shape, and having an open bottom, its interior being divided into sections-by a vertical partition 19 extending from end to end thereof by a zig-zag line, as shown in Fig. 3. The object of thus dividing tle interior of the pounder into sections is to increase its capacity for creating a suction upon the water within the tub, as it is lowered upon and raised from the clothes, and to thereby cause a circulation of the water through the clothes and through the openings in the false bottom b2, which action of the water results in a speedy and thorough cleansing of the clothes within the tub. The particular shape of the pounder is not material, however, so long asl it, retains this capacity for causing a circulation of water through the clothes. The operation of the washing machine thus constructed will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

The standard c being securely fastened t0 the tub by means of its clamping member 3, and the tub being secured to the bench by meansof the bolt 7 and staple 8, the poundershaft is adjusted vertically within the blocks e2 and f2 to cause lever e to occupy a substantially horizontal position when the pounder rests upon the clothes within the tub. The operator then grasps the handle-bar e and, by imparting an upward and downward swinging movement to lever e, causes the pounder and its shaft to move in a vertical plane, the former with each descent forcing the water through the clothes and through the openings in the false bottom b2, and causing an upward circulation of the water with each upward movement thereof by reason of the suction secured by its open bottom, the partial revolution imparted to the poundershaft during each upward movement thereof by the means described, causing the pounder to engage a new area of the clothes at each descent. and thoroughly removes all dirt from tho clothes after which, by securing the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, a wringer can be secured to the tub and the clothes wrung out in the usual manner. By rendering the block f2 adjustable within the link-bar f as described we rare enabled to maintain the pounder-shaft in a truly vertical position regardless of the inclination of the side of the tub, and thereby secure a perfect suction action of the pounder under all circumstances.

The washing machine herein described is simple and inexpensive in construction and at the same time very strong and durable,

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Such continued operation quickly and can be operated with perfect ease to ,i

1. In a washing machine, the combination with an operating lever and a link-bar, piv-` otally connected at their rear ends to a common support and each carrying a pivotally supported bearing-block, of a pounder-shaft passing loosely through both of said blocks and carrying a pounder at its lower end, means substantially as described for causing said shaft to partake of the vertical movements of said operatinglever, and means for adjusting the bearing-block on said link-bar toward and away from the pivotal center of said bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a washing machine, a standard and means for detachably securing it to the side of a tub, a vertically disposed pounder-shaft carrying at or near its upper end a ratchetwheel and at its lower end a pounder having an open bottom, an operating lever pivoted at its rear end to said standard and carrying a pivotally supported block which forms a bearing for said shaft, means for securing a vertical adjustment of the shaft within said block, a link-bar pivoted at its rear end to said standard above said operating lever and carrying a pivotally supported block which embraces said shaft, means for securing an adjustment of said block longitudinally of said bar, a pawl-carrier mounted upon said shaft and carrying a pawl which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel on the latter, and a link connection between said pawl-carrier and an upwardly projecting portion of said operating lever, combined and operating substantially as described.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with the pounder-shaft d and operatinglever 4. In a washing machine, the combination with standard c, of pounder-shaft d carrying ratchet-wheel d2 at its upper end, lever e provided with the upwardly projecting bracket e3 and carrying the pivoted block e2 which embraces said shaft, link-bar f carrying block f2 also embracing said shaft, pawl-carrier gcarrying pawl g which engages said wheel d2, and linkrod g8 connected. at one end to said pawl carrier and having its opposite end adapted to detachably engage said bracket e3 on lever e, substantiallyas described. A

WILLIS S. GIBBONS. I GEORGE E. BARTHOLOMEW. Witnesses:

WARREN D. STONE, A. B. SCOTT.

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