US2414506A - Washing machine support structure - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 1, 1947. H. c. BOWEN 2,414,505

WASHING MACHINE SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed June 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

f/ev'zert C Bowen BY WWW Jan. 21, 194". H, c, BOWEN 2,414,506

WASHING MACHINE SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed June 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIIWR.

Patented Jan. 21, 1941 WASHING MACHINE surronr smuc'runa Herbert C. Bowen, Cassopolls, Mich, assignor to'y Bendix Home Appliances, Inc, South Bend,

Ind., a corporation of Delaware w Application June 24, 194$,Serial No.492,138

7 Claims. on. 243 26)} f y This invention relates to support structure.

In washing machines of the type wherein there is a centrifuging operation to remove a major portion of the water from the clothes, it becomes important to plovidemeansto prevent excessive vibration of the machine during the centrifuging process, which requires rotation of a centrifuge a washing machine I be set on a floor'wlthout bolting or otherwise positively securing-the machine to the floor.

1 a It is a further obiectto provide a washing matil unit at a relatively high speed-the weight distribution of which issomewhatvariable because of the shiftable nature of theclothes load carried therein. t i

In the type of automatic washing machine described generally in United States Patents Nos.

2,165,884 and 2,173,603 a tub structure of .cylindrical shape is positioned with its axis substanchine support structure which will allowlimited movement of the centrifuging unit'ln a generally horizontal direction with provision of resistance to such horizontal movements ffective to reduce vibrations transmittedto a floor support, T

It is, another object to allow limited horizontal movement and to afford frictional resistance to i such allowed horizontal movement and in addition to add resilient restraint to vertical movement;

tially horizontal and has a rotating cylinder or a basket enclosed in the tub, whichcylinder is perforated on its circumference and serves as a container for the clothes. On draining of the water from the tab, the perforated clothes cylinder is used as a centrifuge, the speed of the unit being increased materially over thewashing speed. As more fully described inthe aforementioned Patent No. 2,165,884, if the cylinder is of proper diameter relative to the washing speed, a satisfactory washing of theclothes will result; and

also when the water isdrained from the tub, the

same speed of operation will cause the clothes to arrange themselves in relatively uniform position around the inner circumference of the cylinder; and if the rate of rotation of thecylinder is then increased to the centrifuging speed, the clothes will be in such position as to produce, within limits, a distributed load, and consequently the out-of-balancecondition of the machine generallywill not be excessive. With such a machine it has been found necessary, however, when no special shock-absorbing or other mountings are provided, to bolt the machine to the supporting floor or platform, as otherwise even the relatively small out-of-balance load which may be encountered would cause the machine to move about on the floor'during the centrifuging operation. The bolt-down requirement, although entirely satis- Figure 5illustratesthe positionof :theparts of r The above and otherobjects of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

Figure .1 is a front elevation of a washing machine, partly in section, showin the rangement of thesupport; l

Figure 21s a section taken on the line 2 -2-01 Fi u e l a 1 Figure 3 ls a view, partly in section, taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 1; 1 a

Figure 4 is a view, partly insection, taken on,

the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

a one of the ball and cup units shown in Figure 4 p when the movable part o! the machine is in its maximum position toward the left, as viewed in the drawings; and s Figure ,6 is a view, similar to Figure 5,; illustrating the opposite or right-hand position of the movable part of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, an automatic washying' machine is shown which ishoused in acabinet factory in many installations, is an additional installation factor, and, insome instances it is of importance that a machine-be availablewhich can be set on the floor in any room in the home without the necessity of bolting the unitto the floor. p p

It is therefor the primary object of the, pres 'ent invention to provide a support for a washing machine which will absorb the out-of-balance vibration in such, mannerthat the machine may Ill. The machine is of the so-called horizontalcylinder type and employs a cylindrical tub II with ,a clothes cylinder l2 -mounted for rotation therein. Other meanaincluding a motor I and a belt 8, are provided to rotate this clothes cylinder at a, washing speed-and at a centrifuging speed. The cylinder i2 is supported by bearings 9 secured in the tub at one end only, theopposite end of the cylinder being open, as shown by the flanged opening 13 inFigure 3. A door.

I4 is? provided inthe front wall of the cabinet in, and as shownin the structure used for illustration,,a flexible connectionor sleeve I5 is used to connect the outerwall of the cabinet with the wall of the. tub l I, thus making it necessary to h useonlyone door, in the outside of the cabinet,

and still allowrelative movement between the tub llrandthecabinet Ill. The tub, together with the rotating cylinder andotherparts, is supgeneral arported on a support frame structure ii; the other parts necessary to drive the washing and. centrifuging cylinder are also carried on the same frame structure. ||i,.including motor I and belt 8. A soap door ll' may also be provided in thetop of the cabinet with a'suitable flexible connection l8 therefrom to the toplof the tub As shown inFlgure 1, the support frame structure i6, together with the tub unit H and all parts carried thereby, is mounted on three ball cup units I9, each of these three ball cup units being made up of two metal cups 2ll and 2|-between each of which a ballv 22 is positioned. It is apport member or plate 23 in the bottom of 'the secured to the bottom of the frame structure ii. The curvature of the cups is a spherical radius which for the machine illustrated has been constructedrasa 4/a'inchnspherical radius on both upper and lower cups. Therefore, when the balls 22 are in position between these two oppositelydisposedcups, the frame" structure l6 and the parts it supports can move on the balls 22, one

maximum ."position of such movement being showzrinxFigure 5 and the opposite, maximum position beingshownsin Figure 6. 1 :3 As best shown in *Figure" '4, there is a resilient memben-preferably a leaf spring 24; secured to "a bracket 25, which is in turn supported on the p e23 carried'by the cabinet: Ill. The leaf r 24 has friction pads 28 and 21 positioned at its ends, .these pads connecting metal plates .28 and 29.

retaining the leaf spring 24 are such that the The relative position of the parts spring holds thepads zli'and- 2lpositivelyagainst the plates .28 and 29, so that on horizontal movementof thevfra'me' structure I6 on theball's 22 the movement will be resisted'by friction of the parent, on an inspection :of Figure 2,that the" lower-metal cups 2| are seeured on a second sub 5" cabinet in and that theuppermetal cups are of mass substantially coincident with the axis of i rotation:

Duringthe washing operation the speed of rotation of the-cylinder H. is generally sufficiently slow so that there are no particularly important vibrations set up which would be at all objectionable if the machine were set on the floor without fastening. However; at centrifuging speeds,

which are generally 300R. P. M. or greater, even with relatively good clothes distribution which is usually accomplished'thereis a definite tendency for the unit to vibrate. With the structure above described, however, the vibration set-up will cause the unit to move back and forth on the'ball cup assembly in a relatively horizontal a direction the major movement being in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotatingclothes cylinder with limited movements allowed in other directions because of the spherical radii of the cups; and any tendency of-the support frame II to ralseofi the ball cups is resiliently resisted by'the leaf spring 24 and also the horizontal movement; regardless of tendency to lift up, will be resisted by the frictional contact of thepads 28' and 21, as previously mentioned. It will be the tendency of a load which is off center in the rotating cylinder to produce a movement which will tend torequire the cylinder to have a resultant movement about its center of mass as .diStinguished from its center of rotation. It is not-possible, however, with the mounting shown herein for this result to be accomplished, as the pads'28 and 21 on the plates 28 and 29, and any upward movement of the frame assembly off the It is preferable that the mass of theportion of the tub structure and of the frame structure in the region of the cylinder be substantially greater, and preferably on the order of about four times greater, thanthatiof the clothes loading.

plus the'water which maybe carried in the-cylinder at the time centrifuging begins; and to accomplish'this resultauxiliary weights 3| and 32 are positioned preferably on the outside wall of the tub "tration, the total'of these auxiliary weights is about 120 pounds. It has also been found pref- In the "installation used for illuserable thatthese weights be positioned and selected as" to size so thatthe center of mass of the 'entire body carried by the frame structurev It shall substantially coincide with the axis of rotation of the rotating cylinder l2.

It is apparent on reference to Figurel that in order to compensate for the weight of the drivingmotor-l and the frame] It below the axis of rotation .and tobring'the center of mass closer to'the axis of rotation, it would be necessary to have some weight added above a horizontal line through the-axis of rotation of the rotor 12.. In

order to accomplish this-purpose the weight 3| may be added in the upper left-hand quadrant, the exact weights and position, being determined by computation on consideration of the-various weights involved and by taking moments about any fixed point. It will be foundalso that weight 32in the lower right-hand quadrant as shown in balls 22 will also be resisted by the resilience of the spring 24.

in contact with said support frame.

freedom of movement aiforded'by the rise in the ball cup radius is r'elativelys'mall and, the horizontal movement is'predominant; therefore, to

this extent the mounting is a compromise over resilient mountings which allowfreedom in all "directions with suitable snubbing. The tendency of the unit to lift vertically in the device herein disclosedi's counteracted by its mass and also by "the high center .of weight of the movable unit 2 produced by the positioning of auxiliary weights 3| and 32, and further by the resistance to verticalmovementafforded by the spring 24.

Although my invention has been described by reference to a sp'ecific structure used for illustration, it'isunderstood that modifications may be made therein without departing from 'the, 55.

fundamental principles herein set forth; and such modifications are intended within thefscope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

' 1.' Incombination, a-support frame, awashing machine centrifuge unit mounted, for rotation on said support frame, a second support memb r positioned "under said support frame, a' plurality i of cups secured to said supportframe, a plurality of cups secured to'said second support member positioned to form cooperating pairs of cups; rolling means between each said pair of cooperating cups for allowing relative movement betweensaid support frame and saidsecond support member,'friction pads positioned to contact said support. member thereby to produce frictional resistance against said movemenh'and a resilient member for holding said friction pads 2. In combination withfa washing machine structure employing a centrifuging member rotatable in a substantially horizontal position, a support frame for said centrifuging member, means to allow limited movement of said rotatable member horizontally comprising cooperating spherical radius concave members, intermediate rolling members between said cooperating concave members, and a resiliently mounted friction contacting member positioned to contact said support frame thereby to frictionally resist said horizontal movement.

3. In combination with a washing machine structure employing a centrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis, a support frame for said centrifuge unit, a second support, cooperating sliding members between said support frame and said second support allowing relative horizontal movement of said centrifuge unit and said support frame relative to said second support, a resilient restraining member mounted in position for frictional contact with said support frame thereby to resist said horizontal movement and positioned also to restrain the vertical movements of said support frame induced by said centrifuge unit.

4. In combination with a washing machine structure employing a centrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis,

a support frame, connections to said support frame allowing limited horizontal movement, and a resilient member having a frictional portion contacting a surface'on said support frame in a horizontal plane to frictionally resist horizontal movement and positioned with said frictional contacting portion above said surface in such relation to said support frame as to afford resilient resistance to vertical movement of said frame.

5. In a combination with a washing machine structure, a support frame assembly including a centrifuging unit structure with motor driving means therefor mounted on said support frame, said support frame assembly and centrifuging 6 .unit being'so constructed as to have a center of mass substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of said centrifuging unit and having a mass of such amount that the mass supported on said frame is at least four times greater than the mass of the washing load intended to be operated on in said centrifuging unit, connections port member positioned under said support frame, cooperating rolling members between said support frame and said second support member allowing movement of said centrifuging unit and said support frame relative to said second support in a definite path predominantly in the horizontal direction in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said centrifuge unit, and a resilient restraining member mounted in position for frictional contact with said support frame.

7. In combination with a washing machine structure employing a centrifuge unit mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis, a support frame for said centrifuge, a second support member positioned under said support frame, cooperating rolling members between said support frame and said second support member allowing movement of said centrifuge unit and said support frame relative to said second support in a definite path in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said centrifuge unit, and a resilient restraining member mounted in position for frictional contact with said support frame.

HERBERT C. BOWEN.

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