US2680917A - Electric clothes drier - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 1954 c. A; FINLEY 2,580,917 ELECTRIC CLOTHES DRIER Filed Feb. 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi .2 40 56 g 40 I U f 9 E 33 l QI QQQ.

Clyde A. Finley INVENTOR.

A Norm Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATES SPATENT OFFICE 2,680,917 ELECTRIC CLOTHES DRIER Clyde A. Finley, East Point, Ga. Application February 25, 1952, Serial No. 273,210 3 Claims. (Cl. 34-133) This invention relates in general to an electric clothes drier, and more specifically to an electric clothes drier for attachment to an electric washing machine.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved electric clothes drier which may be attached to conventional spinner type washing machines in order to convert same into a combined washing and drying machine for clothes.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved electric clothes drier in the form of a separate integral unit which may be secured to the exterior housing of conventional spinner type electric washing machine, said machine being adapted to be connected into the electrical circuit of the washing machine in order to be automatically connected in sequence with the washing and rinsing stages of the washing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved electric clothes drier which includes pipe means for connection to a washing machine housing, heatin means, and blower means.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved electric clothes drier which is an integral unit which may readily be attached to a conventional spin type washing machine whereby an electric clothes drying machine may be constructed at a low cost.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved attachment for electric washing machines in the form of an electric clothes drier having electric heating coils for heating air, said electric heating coils being provided with control means for varying heat of the coils and the associated air passing thereover.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional spinner type washing machine having attached thereto the improved electric clothes drier attachment, which is the subject of this invention, parts of the washing machine and clothes drier attachment being broken away and shown in sections in order to clearly illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a partial transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of Figure l 2 and showing the arrangement of the tubes for conducting air from the clothes drier heating element to the interior of the electric washing machine;

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 8-4-3 of Figure 1 and showing the arrangement of a supporting plate for electric heating coils and the means for supporting same;

Figure 4 is a partial transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 34 of Figure l and showing the construction of an intermediate supporting plate for the electric heating coils and the manner in which they are insulated from said supporting plates;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 1 and showing the construction of rod means on the pipes communicating the heating means to the washing machine whereby water is prevented from passing into the pipes;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view showing the means for supporting one end of a heating coil from one of its associated supporting plates; and,

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit for the heating attachment secured to the washing machine.

Similar characters of reference designate simi ar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the dilierent views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will is referred in general by the reference numeral ill The washing machine i ll includes a generally rectangular housing l2 having a base I 1 and a cover plate is at its upper end. Mounted within the housing i2 is a horizontal supporting plate 18 adjacent the lower end thereof. The horizontal supporting plate I8 is secured to the side walls of the housing 82 by an integral flange 26 on each edge thereof, said flange 20 being secured to the respective side wall of the housing [2 by conventional fasteners 22. The horizontal supporting plate It divides the housing I2 into an upper and lower compartment with a washing tub 24 mounted in the upper compartment, and drive means mounted in the lower compartment. The drive means includes an electric motor 26 having a drive pulley 28 thereon over which is entrained a drive belt 30. The drive belt 39 is also connected to a pulley (not shown) mounted on the lower end of a spinner receptacle for clothes, the spinner receptacle being referred to by the reference numeral 32.

It will be noted that the spinner receptacle 32 is rotatably mounted within the to portion 22- and has a plurality of apertures through its side walls for the entrance of water, the apertures being referred to in general by the reference numeral 34. In the normal washing operation, the tub 24 is filled with water and clothes are depos ited within the spinner receptacle 3:! whereby they are spun within the water and washed in that manner. In order that the washing and rinsing cycles of the washing machine it may be automatically controlled, the housing i2 is provided with a control knob 36 on its front side.

When the clothes are washed within the wash ing machine it they are normally spun dry due to the rotation of the spinner receptacle after the water has been emptied from the tub Iowever, since no heat is applied to clothing within the receptacle the clothes removed therefrom are still partially damp and need to be hung up for drying. In order to utilise the washing machine ii] for also drying clothing washed thereby, there is provided on the rear side thereof a heating structure which is referred to in general by the reference numeral The heating structure 36 includes a housing 38 which is best illustrated in Figures 2 through 5 and includes a back wall iii, cu red side walls a top wall Ml, a bottom wall A and inturned flanges :58 at the sides and fail at bottom ed e thereof. The housing 33 is secured to the housing 12 of the washing machine by a plurality of common fasteners 52 passing through the flanges 48 and 553 and securing same to the rear wall 54 of the housing 52.

Carried by the housii g 38 adjacent the curved upper wall id is a transverse supporting plate having downturned flanges 5d and secured to the housing 38 and the housing 52, respectively, by conventional fasteners Secured to the supporting plate 5% are a plurality of curved pipes ell having flared lower ends The pipes are secured to the pipe supporting plate 56 by a plurality of nuts 68 threadedly engaged thereon. Carried by the washing machine it are a plurality of pipes it which extend radially from the tub 24 and pass through openings :2 in the rear wall 54 of the housing E2. The individual pipes lid and iii are detacha'oly connected togetheby pipe sleeves i i disposed within the housing 33. The other ends of the pipes T0 are secured in openings '56 in the tub it by nuts '58 threadedly engaged on the pipes iii and engaging the opposite sides of the tub it. Each pipe it! is also provided with a valve til at its inner end, the valve Bil being mounted within the tub 24 and is of the automatic closing type so as to prevent entrance of water from the tub into the pipes it.

Also mounted within the housing 38 are heating coil supporting plates 82 which are in vertical space relation and have vertically depending flanges 84 and 36 for supporting same. The flanges 8d are secured to the housing 3% and the flanges 85 are secured to the housing i2 in order to supply means for supporting the heating coils and at the same time in order to brace the housing 38. Carried by each of the heating coil supporting plates 82 is a plurality of eye bolts Sii. The eye bolts 88 are best illustrated in Figure 6 and include an eye portion 9%] and a stem 92 which is provided with a nut 54 for securing the eye bolt 28 to its respective supporting plate 32. The eye Slit of each eye bolt 83 is provided with an insulating bushing 95? through which is mounted one end of a heating coil 98.

As is best illustrated in Figure 1, each of the heating coils 98 are mounted in parallel space relation and connected in series. In order that the intermediate portion of each of the heating coils 98 may be supported out of engagement with an adjacent heating coil, the housing is provided with an intermediate wire supporting plate Hill which is secured to both the housing and the housing i2. As is best illustrated in Figure l, the intermediate wire supporting plate liiil is provided with a plurality of apertures I92 in which are mounted insulating bushings wt to which the intermediate portion of the heating coils (38 pass.

In order that air may be forced over the heating coils 9B, the bottom wall of the housing '58 has secured thereto a supporting bracket Hi8 which has mounted therein a conventional electric motor m3. Secured to the armature iii) of the electric motor tilt is a fan H5: in order to provide blower means for forcing air past the heating coils 98 and through the pipes =5? and iii. In order that air may pass into the housing 38,

the rear wall it thereof is provided with an open- The opening lit ing 5 iii adjacent the lower end. is provided with a screen lit to prevent foreign matter from entering into the housing 33 and strialng the fan 25?. and the heating coils 38.

As is best illustrated in Figures 3 and i, the supporting plates 55, B2 and ieli are provided with a plurality of enlarged openings 1 it through which air may pass after urged upwardly by the fan i it. As the heated air passes through the apertures Hi2 of the upper heater coil supporting plate 82, it passes into the flared ends of the pipe E i and thereby passes i rough the openings H3 in the pipe supporting plate 5-5. The heated air then passes into the pipe ill and forces open the valves Eli and enters the tub 2 in order that the cool air within the tub 2 may be removed, the housing i2 is provided with a plurality of vent openings ltd adjacent the upper end thereof. It is readily apparent that damp clothing within the spinner receptacle will be dried by hot air passing in through the pipes "it and heating same.

Referring now to Figure '7 particularly, it will be seen that the motor and heating coils of the heating unit as are controlled by a single switch i222. Furthermore, in order that the temperature of the air passing into the tub may be con trolled, there is mounted in series with the heating coils ed a rheostat lid for controlling the flow of current thereto.

Although there has not been illustrated means for connecting the electrical circuit of the heating device with the electrical circuit of the electric washing machine iii, it is obvious that the two electrical circuits may be connected so as to automatically control the heating device at whereby heat will be produced after the clothing has been spun dry. Also, while the heating device lit has been illustrated and described as being attached to a generally rectangular housing of a conventional spinner type washing n1achine, it is not intended to so limit the invention. The housing 33 of the heating devi 'c 33 may be modified so that it may be secured directly to a circular tub of a circular washing machine.

The operation of this device will be understood from the foregoing description of the details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modifications of the device, varying in minor details from the embodiment of the device illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A drying attachment for a washing machine having a hollow body, a tub within the a clothes basket rotatably mounted within the tub, said drying attachment including a housing secured to a rear wall of said body, said rear wall forming a wall of said housing, a blower dis posed in a lower portion of said housing, heating means disposed in said housing above said blower, duct means disposed in an upper housing communicating the interior of housing with said tub, said duct means including check valves preventing accidental entrance of water into said housing, said heating means including a plurality of vertically spaced brackets extending between said rear wall and a spaced wall of said housing, a plurality of electrical heating coils extending between and supported by said brackets in insulated relation.

2. A drying attachment for a washing machine having a hollow body, a tub within the body, and a clothes basket rotatably mounted within the tub, said drying attachment including a housing secured to a rear wall of said body, said rear wall forming a wall posed in a lower portion of said housing, heating means disposed in said housing above said blower, duct means disposed in an upper portion of said housing communicating the interior of said housing with said tub, said duct means including a portion of said of said housing, a blower distransverse baflle in the upper portion of said housing, first apertures in said baflle, second apertures in said tubs, pipes extending between said baffie and said tub, opposite ends of said pipes passing through said first and second apertures, check valves disposed within said tub mounted on ends of said pipes for preventing flow of water into said pipes from said tub.

3. A drying attachment for a washing machine having a hollow body, a tub within the body, and a clothes basket rotatably mounted Within the tub, said drying attachment including a housing secured to a rear wall of said body, said rear wall forming a wall of said housing, a blower disposed in a lower portion of said housing, heating means disposed in said housing above said blower, duct means disposed in an upper portion of said housing communicating the interior of said housing with said tub, said heating means including a plurality of vertically spaced brackets extending between said rear wall and a spaced wall of said housing, a plurality of electrical heating coils extending between and supported by said brackets in insulated relation, said duct means including a transverse bafile in the upper portion of said housing, first apertures in said bafiie, second apertures in said tubs, pipes extending between said bafile and said tub, opposite ends of said pipes passing through said first and second apertures, check valves disposed within said tub mounted on ends of said pipes for preventing flow of water into said pipes from said tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,965,480 Stramaglia July 3, 1934 2,212,560 Foley Aug. 27, 1940 2,328,256 Brechenbridge Aug. 31, 1943

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