US669566A - Locking-stopper for washing-machines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 669,566. Patented Mar. I2, 1901.

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LOCKING STOPPER FUR WASHING MACHINES.

(Application filed Aug. 13, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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WILLIAM VAUDT, OF VANMETER, IOWA.

LOCKlNG -STOPPER FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

i: EECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,566, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed August 13, 1900. Serial No. 26,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM VAUDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vanmeter, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking-Stoppers for Washing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction in the nature of an attachment to be applied to any ordinary washing-machine or tank containing liquid and to provide means whereby a stopper may be locked in position in the draining-opening of said washing-machine or tank, so that it cannot be loosened and forced out by shaking the machine and so that the stopper cannot readily be withdrawn by children; and my object is, further, in the same connection to provide meanslwhereby the stopper may be held in a position away from the opening, so that it cannot be lost or misplaced.

My invention consists in certain details in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a portion of a washing-machine with my improved locking-stopper locked in the draining-opening of the washing-machine. Fig. 2 shows the device in perspective and held in its open position; and Fig. 3 shows a transverse sectional view of the device, taken at the pivotal point of the stopper-bearing lever.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral to indicate that portion of the washingmachine shown, and 11 indicates the draining-opening therein.

The numeral 12 indicates a flat cast-metal base designed to be secured to a washingmachine body adjacent to the draining-opening thereof, either on the side or bottom of the washing-machine. Near the central portion of the casting is an integral ing 13, and a lever let is pivoted to said lug. On one end of the lever 14 is a stopper 15 and a short handle 16, and on the other end of the lever is a shoulder 17 and a curved face 18 forpurposes hereinafter made clear. The lever is pivotally connected with the lug by means of a bolt 19, passed through the lever and lug, and mounted upon the bolt is asleeve 20. The spring 21 is fixed at one end to the base 12. Its central portion is coiled upon the sleeve 20, and its other end overlaps and rests against the top of the lever 14, near the end thereof which supports the stopper. This overlapping end is indicated by the referencenumeral 22.

Near one end of the base 12 is a perforated lug 23, and pivotally mounted in said lug is a pawl 2-t. This pawl is provided with rounded outer end 25 and a shoulder 26, a short haudle 27 being attached to the pawl. A leafspring 28 is fixed to the base to engage the outer surface of the pawl and normally force it toward the base. 1

The parts described are so arranged and proportioned that when the shoulder 26 of the pawl 24 is placed in engagement with the shoulder 17 of the lever 14: the said lever will be held in position against force of the spring 21 and out of the draining-opening of the washing-machine, as illustrated in 2. Then when it is desired to place the stopper in the draining-opening the pawl 24 is elevated by means of its handle 27 and the lever 14 released, so that its spring 21 will force thestopperintothedraining-opening. When this is done, the rounded end 25 of the pawl will engage the rounded surface 18 of the lever and securely lock the lever in position, the said leaf-spring 28 serving to force the pawl into engagement with the lever to prevent the stopper from withdrawing from the opening in the washing-machine.

In practical use it is obvious that the device may be attached to a washing-machine or other vessel containing liquids, either on the side or the bottom thereof, and when in the position shown in Fig. 1 the stopper is locked in position, so that it cannot be withdrawn by shaking the machine and so that it is not likely to be tampered with or opened by children, and, furthermore, on account of the constant pressure of the spring 21 the stopper is automatically forced into the draining opening to thereby prevent leakage. When it is desired to drain the washing-machine, the pawl24 is first withdrawn from engagement with the lever. Then the stopper is pulled out by means of the short handle 16 until the shoulder 17 of the lever passes under the pawl. Then the spring 28 of the pawl forces the pawl to engage the shoulder 17, and thereby lock the lever in its open position, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. An improved locking-stopper for washing-machines and the like, comprising a pivoted lever, a stopper secured to one end of the lever, a spring for normally holding the lever in position where the stopper will be forced into a drain-opening in a washing-machine or the like, and a pawl adjacent to the opposite end of the lever, designed to lock said opposite end'in a position with the stopper in the draining-opening in the washingmachine, and a shoulder on said end of the lever, to be engaged by said pawl, whereby the lever may be locked in position with the stopper away from the draining-opening of thewashingmachine, for the purposes stated.

2. A locking-stopper for washing-machin es, comprising in combination, a pivoted lever, having a rounded surface 18 and a shoulder 17 on one end, and a stopper at the opposite end of the lever and apawl pivoted adjacent to the lever, and havinga shoulder 26, said pawl being designed to be capable of engaging the rounded surface 18 and looking it in position away from the washing-machine and the shoulder 26 thereof, being capable of engaging the shoulder 17 of the lever and looking the lever in a position with its stopper away from the washing-machine.

3. An improved locking-stopper for washing-machines and the like, comprising in combination a base, a lug formed on or fixed to the base, a lever pivotally connected with the log, and having the stopper 15 at one end, a rounded surface 19 at the other end, and a shoulder 1'7 adjacent to the rounded surface WILLIAM VAUDT.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

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