US3095722A

US3095722A - Device for dispensing water or fabric conditioning substances in clothes washers

Info

Publication number: US3095722A
Application number: US114531A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald L Fox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-02
Filing date: 1961-06-02
Publication date: 1963-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-02

Description

July 2, 1963 D. FOX 3,095,722

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING WATER 0R FABRIC CONDITIONING SUBSTANCES IN CLOTHES WASHERS Filed June 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DONALD L. FOX

AT TO RNE Y July 2, 1963 D L Fox 3 095,722

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING WATER OR FABRIC CONDITIONIN SUBSTANCES IN CLOTHES WASHERS Filed June 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD L. FOX

AT TORNE X '3,09S,722 DEVICE FOR DISPENSING WATER OR FABRIC CONDITIONING SUBSTANCES IN CLOTHES WASHERS This invention rel-ates generally to the introduction into clothes washers of either water or fabric conditioning or softening substances.

Many substances, either in liquid or powdered form, are now commercially available for use during the laundering of clothes and other fabric articles for either conditioning or softening the water, or for treating the fabric so as to obtain either improved cleansing of the fabric or other desirable characteristics, such as softening of the fabric. When clothes or other fabric articles are laundered in automatic clothes washers which follow a prescribed operating cycle including washing, rinsing and spin-drying phases, it is necessary that the previously mentioned commercially available water or fabric conditioning or softening substances be introduced into the deep rinse water which enters the clothes washing machine approximately midway through the operating cycle.

Thus, the efficient use of the available water or fabric I conditioning or softening substances requires that the housewife continuously observe the automatic operation of the clothes Washer so as to ascertain when the deep rinse water is introduced, at which time the conditioning or softening substance is manually introduced for mixture with such water. The necessity of continuing to observe the operation of the clothes Washer is obviously undesirable in that it deprives the user of the main advantage of the automatic operation of modern clothes washers,

namely, the possibility of performing other chores without attention to the clothes washer until the laundry operation has been completed. Accordingly, the above mentioned available water or fabric conditioning or softening substances have not enjoyed the extent of public acceptance that one might expect fromtheir otherwise desirable properties.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which may be either permanently or temporarily installed within a clothes washer and which automatically operates to introduce the avail-able water or fabric conditioning or softening substances into the deep rinse water.

Another object is to provide a device of the described character which is adapted for use in either tumbling or agitator type clothes washers.

A further object is to provide a device of the described character which is automatically operative to dispense either liquid or powdered water or fabric conditioning or softening substances.

Still another object is to provide a device of the described character which can be conveniently installed as an accessory or attachment in existing clothes washers.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, a device for dispensing water or fabric conditioning or softening substances into the deep rinse water of an automatic clothes washer includes a housing which is conveniently mounted within the tub of the clothes Washer and adapted to contain a charge of the water or fabric conditioning of softening substance to be introduced, and a valve assembly which normally prevents the escape of such substance from the housing and which is conditioned, in response to the centrifugal force resulting from the short spin cycle which precedes the introduction of the deep rinse water in all existing automatic clothes washers, so as to permit the escape of the contained substance from United States Patent ice the housing when such centrifugal force is removed upon the introduction of the deep rinse water following the short spin cycle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing defines a first chamber initially containing the charge of conditioning or softening substance and having a first opening communicating with a second chamber which, in turn, has a second opening extending to the exterior of the housing, and the valve assembly initially closes the first opening to contain the charge within the first chamber and, in response to centrifugal force during the spin cycle preceding the introduction of the deep rinse water, is moved to a position Where the valve assembly uncovers the first opening and closes the second opening so that the charge can fiow from the first chamber into the second chamber during such spin cycle, while the removal of the elevated centrifugal force permits the valve assembly to be resiliently urged to an intermediate position in which the first and second openings of the housing are both substantially open or uncovered to permit the charge to be dispensed or discharged through the second opening into the deep rinse water.

Further, in accordance with an important feature of the device embodying this invention, the latter is constructed and arranged so that, in a clothes washer of either the tumbling or agitator type, the housing is contacted with the deep rinse water during the discharge or dispensing of the charge of conditioning or softening substance into the water, and further the housing is designed to ensure the flushing of the entire charge therefrom.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which a device for dispensing water or fabric conditioning or softening substances in accordance with the present invention is installed in a clothes washer of the tumbling type;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the device of FIG. 1, but with a hood forming a removable part of such device being cut away and in section;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the device embodying the invention, as viewed in the direction of the arrows 3-3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion 0 mounting of the device in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 on FIG. 3, and showing a valve assembly included in the device in its initial position after the device has received a charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance which is to be dispensed or discharged into the deep rinse water in a clothes washer;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but with the housing of the device in section, as in FIG. 5, and illustrating the displacement of the valve assembly by centrifugal force during the brief spin cycle which precedes the introduction of the deep rinse water into the clothes washer;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 5, but showing the valve assembly in the position which it occupies during dispensing or discharging of the water or fabric conditioning or softening substance into the deep rinse water in the clothes washer;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but illustrating the installation of the device embodying the present invention in a clothes washer of the agitator type; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken along FIGS. 2 and 3 thereof, it will be seen that a device for dispensing water or fabric conditioning or softening substances in accordance with the present invention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral 10, includes a housing 11 and a frame 12 by which such housing is suspended Within the tub of an automatic clothes washer.

The housing 11 is preferably of generally rounded configuration and includes

body portions

13 and 14 which are normally disposed at the top and bottom, respectively, of the housing, as in FIGS 2, 3, and 7, and which are preferably molded or otherwise formed from a suitably rigid plastic, such as, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, phenol formaldehydes or urea formaldehydes. Upper body portion 13 generally includes a substantially hemispherical outer wall 15, an inner wall 16 spaced from wall so as to define an insulating air space 17 therebetween, and a radial flange 18 joining together the

walls

15 and 16 at the bottom of body portion 13. The inner wall 16 of body portion 13 defines a first cahmber 19 which is intended to initially receive a charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance, either in powdered or liquid form, as shown in FIG. 5.

The body portion 14, which normally appears at the bottom of housing 11, includes a side wall 20 preferably shaped as a continuation of the contour of outer wall 15 of body portion 13 and extending from the periphery of a bottom wall 21 which, as shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, preferably has the shape of a section of a cylindrical surface with a radius of curvature substantially corresponding to that of the side wall of the tub of existing automatic clothes washers, for a purpose hereinafter described in detail. A flange 22 is directed radially inward from the upper edge of side wall 20 and is joined to an inner cylindrical wall 23 which, as shown in FIG. 5, extends upwardly and downwardly with respect to flange 22. The bottom edge of inner cylindrical wall 23 is spaced from side wall 20 and bottom wall 21 so as to permit communicaiton between the inner space or chamber 24 surrounded by cylindrical wall 23 and the annular space 25 which is defined between side wall 20 and the lower portion of wall 23.

The upper portion of cylindrical wall 23 extending above flange 22 is externally threaded for meshing engagement, as at 26, with internal threads formed in the lower cylindrical portion of inner wall 16 of body portion 13, whereby the

body portions

13 and 14 are releasably secured together. The flange 18 of upper body portion 13 is preferably formed with a rim 27 projecting therefrom along its inner periphery and being engageable with a sealing ring 28 of rubber or the like which is adhesively secured on the upper surface of flange 22 immediately adjacent cylindrical wall 23 so that the engagement of rim 27 with sealing ring 28, as in FIG. 5, spaces flange 18 from flange 22 and further provides a water-tight seal between

body portions

13 and 14 to prevent the entry of water into the first chamber 19 through the engaging threads 26.

An annular top wall 29 extends radially inward from the top edge of cylindrical wall 23 and defines a central opening in which a ring 30 of rubber or other resilient material is adhesively secured to define a first valve seat, while the bottom wall 21 of body portion 14 has a central opening in which a resilient ring 31 is also adhesively secured to define a second valve seat. It will be apparent that, when

body portions

13 and 14 are assembled together, as in the drawings, the opening surrounded by first valve seat 30 provides communication between the first chamber 19 within inner wall 16 of body portion 13 and a second chamber defined by the internal space 24 of body portion 14, while the second chamber 24 opens to the outside of housing ll through the opening surrounded by the second valve seat 31. Further, the flange 22 of l wer body portion 14 is formed with a series of openings 32 therein, and since flanges 18 and 22 are spaced apart by the cooperative engagement of rim 27 with seal 28, the annular space 25 Wit i body portion 14 can communicate with the exterior of housing 11 through openings 32.

Housing 11 further contains a valve assembly 33 that includes a first valve body 34 dimensioned so as to have a frictional fit within the first valve seat 30 and tapering into a slender extension 35 projecting in the direction toward the first chamber 19 and terminating in agitator fins 36. Valve assembly 33 further includes a second, generally hemispherical valve body 37 joined to valve body 34 at the side of the latter facing away from extension 35 and being adapted to seat on the second valve seat 31. A radially directed flange 38 extends outwardly from valve body 37 and has a depending peripheral rim 39, and -a light helical spring 40 bears, at one end, against flange 38 within rim 39 and is suitably secured, at its other end, to the bottom wall 21 of body portion 14 around valve seat 31.

Spring 40 is dimensioned so that it is adapted to resiliently support valve assembly 33 in an intermediate position shown in FIG. 7, where

valve bodies

34 and 37 are both removed from

valve seats

30 and 31, respectively and extension 35 projects loosely through the opening surrounded by valve seat 30 to dispose the agitator fins 36 within chamber 19. With valve assembly 33 in the intermediate position of FIG. 7, it will be apparent that chambers 19 and 24 are in communication with each other, and chamber 24 opens to the exterior of housing 11 through the opening surrounded by valve seat 31. Although spring 40 is adapted to support valve assembly 33 in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 7, it is to be understood that spring 40 can be stretched, as in FIG. 5, to permit frictional engagement of valve body 34 within walve seat 30, and that the frictional resistance to removal of valve body 34 from valve seat 30 is sufiicient to overcome the force of spring 40 tending to return the valve assembly to its intermediate position. Further, it is to be understood that valve assembly 33 can be moved against the resistance of spring 40, as hereinafter described in detail, to engage valve body 37 against valve seat 31, as in FIG. 6, in which case spring 40 is substantially compressed within the space between bottom wall 21 and flange 38 of the valve assembly, while the end of extension 35 still projects into the opening surrounded by valve seat 30 so as to continue to ensure the proper alignment of valve assembly 33 with

valve seats

30 and 31. The frame 12 is preferably formed of a length of resilrent or spring wire which is suitably bent to provide

side members

41 and 42 joined together, at one end, by a cross member 43, and having their opposite ends integral with reverted, converging

members

44 and 45, respectively, which lie in a plane at an acute angle to the plane contaming

side members

41 and 42. The adjacent ends of converglng

members

44 and 45 are pivotally connected as by a metal loop 46, and extend into diverging

members

47 and 48, respectively, which are at a greater angle with respect to the plane of

sidemembers

41 and 42 and Whl'Ch terminate in inwardly bent pivot definingend members 49 and 50 (FIG. 3).

The end portions of'side

members

41 and 42 adjacent to converging

members

44 and 45 have inwardly bent hook members 51 soldered, welded or otherwise secured thereto to extend into the usual perforations in the side wall of the rotary tub of an automatic clothes washer for mounting the frame 12 in such tub. The housing 11 has diametrically opposed sockets 52 (FIG. 2) in its upper body portion 13 to receive the pivot defining

end members

49 and 50 of frame 12, whereby housing 11 s rotatably suspended from the frame. The housing 11 is constructed and its sockets 52 are located so that the center of gravity of housing 11 is spaced substantially from its p vot ng aXis defined by

end members

49 and 50 in the direction toward body portion 14, whereby housmg 11 normally tends to hang from frame 12 with its relative to each other at the loop 46 to urge the endp'ortions of

side members

41 and 42 carrying hook members 51 toward each other. Since hook members 51 are bent towards each other, the described inward movement of the related end portions of

side members

41 and 42 will tend to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the hook members 51 from the perforations of the tub.

When the device embodying the present invention is to be employed in a clothes washer of the tumbling type, that is, a clothes washer of the kind having a tub which is rotated about a horizontal axis during the washing and rinsing cycles, as well as during the spinning extract-ing or drying cycles, the device 10 further includes a removable hood preferably formed of a suitably rigid plastic and generally identified by the reference numeral 53 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6). The hood 53 is removably mounted on frame 12, as hereinafter described in detail, and includes a bulbous, generally hemispherical portion 54 (FIGS. 2 and 6) having a sufficiently large radius of curvature to provide a substantial clearance with respect to pivotally mounted housing 11 so that the latter can rotate within hood 53, and a skirt portion 55 extending from the hemispherical or bulbous portion '54 and formed with a cutout 56 intended to open in the direction opposed to the rotation of the tub when device 10 is installed in a tumbling type clothes washer.

In order to mount hood 53 on frame 12, a side edge of the skirt portion 55 of the hood has a pair of bent wire resilient hinge barrels 57 (FIGS. 3 and 4) extending therefrom and being only partly closed to sli-dably and releasably embrace side member 41 of frame 12so that .hood. 53 is swingable relative to frame 12 about the axis of side member 41 and also is bodily movable relative to the frame to a limited extent in the direction of the axis of side member 41. Further, hood 53 is removable from frame 12 by forcing side member 41 of the frame radially out of the resilient, partly closed hinge barrels 57.

In order to retain hood 53 in the operative position of FIGS. 2 and 3 relative to frame 12, skirt portion 55 of the hood is further formed with an internal hook-like projection 58 which is adapted to normally extend between converging

members

44 and 45 of the frame and then around member 44, thereby to hold the hood against swinging relative to the frame. However, hook-like projection 58 of the hood can be disengaged from member 44 of the frame by displacing hood 53 relative to frame 12 in the upward direction, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, that is, in the direction'of the longitudinal axis of side member 41 of the frame. After hook-like projection 58 of the hood has been released from member 44 of the frame,

hood 53 can be pivoted relative to frame 12 so as to uncover housing 11 and thereby facilitate the introduction of a charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance into housing 11.

When the device 10 is to be used in a tumbling type clothes washer, the frame 12 of the device has its hook members 51 engaged in perforations of the clothes washer tub 59 so as to locatethe frame immediately in back of one of the usual vanes 60 of the tub, considered in the .direction of rotation of the latter, as in FIG. 1. By reason of such location of device 10, the tumbling clothes in tub 59 are, for the most part, thrown clear of device 10, while the housing '11 and frame 12 of the latter are protected from entanglement with, or the impact of a charge of the desired water or fabric conditioning shown in FIG. 5 where valve body 34 is frictionally held in valve seat 30. Thus, when

body portions

13 and 14 are screwed together, valve assembly 33 is disposed to seal the water or fabric conditioning or softening sub stance within chamber 19. With housing 11 pivotally mounted in frame 12, hood 53 is locked or secured in its operative protective position by engagement of hook-like projection 58 of the hood with member 44 of the frame.

During the washing cycle of the tumbling type clothes washer, device 10 repeatedly passes through the washing water, but the charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance is retained within chamber 19 by valve assembly 33, and thus isolated from the washing water.

At the conclusion of the washing cycle, the tub 59 undergoes the usual brief high-speed spinning cycle for extracting the soapy and dirt-laden washing water from the tub. During such brief high-speed spining cycle, a correspondingly high centrifugal force is encountered and is effective to pivot housing 11 relative to frame 12 to the position shown in FIG. 6 that is, 'a position where the axis of symmetry of housing 11 is directed radially with respect to the axis of rotation of tub 59, and the high centrifugal force further acts on valve assembly 33 to displace the latter radially outward with respect to the axis of rotation of the tub, whereby the frictional resistance to movement of valve assembly 33 is overcome and valve body 34 is withdrawn from seat 30 while, simultaneously, valve body 37 is engaged with seat 31, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, communication is opened between chambers 19 and 24, and at least a major portion of the charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance passes from chamber 19 into chamber 24 where it is retained by reason of the engagement of valve body 37 with seat 31.

At the conclusion of the above mentioned usual brief spinning cycle, rotation of tub 59 is again slowed and the deep rinse water enters the tub. By reason of the reduced centrifiugal force acting on housing 11 and on valve assembly 33 in the latter, the housing 11 is free to return to its normal position in which its axis of symmetry extends substantially vertically, while spring 40 can lift valve assembly 33 to the intermediate position shown in FIG. 7 where

valve bodies

34 and 37 are both re moved from seats 30* and 31, respectively, and extension 35 projects substantially into housing 19. Thus, communication remains open between chambers 19 and 24 while the latter chamber is open to the exterior of the housing through both the openings 32 and the opening surrounded by valve seat 31. As housing 11 repeatedly passes through the introduced deep rinse water, such the entire charge of Water or fabric conditioning or softening substance from the chamber 24 of body portion 14 of housing 11.

It will be apparent that, during the repeated passage of housing 11 through the deep rinse water, the hon-sing is rocked or agitated, and the resilient support for valve assembly 33 provided by spring 40 permits the valve assembly to vibrate so that the extension 35 and the agitator vanes 36 at the upper end thereof act on any of the conditioning or softening substance remaining in chamber 19 to break-up any conglomerations thereof and thereby ensure the free passage of the entire charge of such substance into chamber 24.

' In order to prevent excessive tumbling or pivoting of housing 11 as the latter is repeatedly passed through the deep rinse water, housing 11 preferably has downwardly and outwardly extending stabilizing vanes 61 projecting from upper body portion 13. Whenever the action of the deep rinse water on housing 11 tends to excessively pivot the latter from its substantially vertical position, the vane 61 at the downwardly moving side of the housing acts against the water to resist such pivoting movement. Thus, housing 11 remains more or less substantially erect during the dispensing of the conditioning or softening substance therefrom.

Since the device is intended for use in'dispensing powdered substances, as well as liquid substances, it is imperative that valve seat and the side of flange 29 facing toward chamber 19, as well as the rest of the interior surface of the latter, be maintained in an absolutely dry condition so as to prevent the caking of the powdered substance within chamber 19. In the above described embodiment of the invention, this necessary condition is obtained by the water-tight seal between

body portions

13 and 14 provided at the line of engagement of rim 27 with sealing ring 28, and further by positioning valve seat 30 and flange 29 substantially above flange 22 having the openings 32 therein so that, when water flushes through the lower body portion 14 of the housing, such water cannot rise to the level of flange 29 and seat 30 against the pressure of the air trapped in chamber 19. Further, the adaptability of device 10 to the dispensing of powdered substances is ensured by the sealed air-containing insulating space 17 surrounding charnber 19 to prevent sweating of the inner surfaces of wall 16.

When the device 10 embodying this invention is to be used in a clothes washer of the agitator type, as in FIG. 8, the protective hood 53 may be removed from frame 12 by disengaging the resilient, partly closed hinge barrels 57 from side member 41 of the frame, and the latter is .mounted against the cylindrical side wall of the tub 62 adjacent the top of the latter, by engaging the hook membcls 51 in the usual apertures provided in such side wall. Since tub 62 is rotatable about a vertical axis, mounting of the device 10 in the indicated position near the top of the side wall will hold housing 11 and frame 12 out of possible contact with the clothes or with the central agitator (not shown) during the washing cycle.

In adapting device It) for use in an agitator type clothes washer, an insert 63 is installed in each socket 52 of housing 11. As is apparent in FIGS. 8 and 9, each insert 63 includes a cylindrical body 64 slidably received in the related socket 52 and defining a shallow concave seat 65 at its outer end for releasably receiving the related pivot defining

end member

49 or 50 of frame 12. In order to hold body 64 in socket 52, insert 63 further includes a hairpin spring clip 66 which is soldered, welded or otherwise secured to the outer end of body 64 and which has resilient legs engaging releasably under wings 67 molded on top body portion 13 at the ends of vanes 61.

By reason of the engagement of pivot defining

end members

49 and 50 of frame 12 with the concave seats 65 of inserts 63, housing 11 is pivotally suspended from frame 12, but can be removed from the latter by an increased force acting on housing 11 parallel to its axis of symmetry in the direction toward lower body portion 14.

When using device 10 in an agitator type clothes washer, the charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance to be dispensed is placed in chamber 19 of housing 11 and valve assembly 33 is initially manually set, as in the previous description of the operation of the device in a tumbling type clothes washer, so that the substance to be dispensed is retained in chamber 19 during the washing cycle. When the tub 62 of the agitator type clothes washer is rotated about its vertical axis at a high speed during the short spin cycle preceding the introduction of the deep rinse water, the high centrifugal force acting on housing 11 initially pivots the latter relative to frame 12 asthat the axis of symmetry of the housing extends radially with respect to the vertical axis of rotation of the tub, and the high centrifugal force then pulls housing 11 radially outward against the cylindrical side wall of tub 62 to the position shown in broken lines at'11 on FIG. 8, whereby the concave seats 65 of inserts 63 are released from the pivot defining

end members

49 and 50 of frame 12. During the short, high speed spin cycle, the housing of device 10 remains against the side wall of the tub in the position 11', and engagement of the arcuate surface 21 of body portion 14 of the housing 11 with the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall of tub 62 ensures that the axis of symmetry of housing 11 will remain radially directed with respect to the axis of rotation of the tub. The high centrifugal force which effects movement of the housing to the position 11 also effects displacement of the valve assembly 33 to the position thereof shown in FIG. 6, that is, to the position wherein valve body 34- is disengaged from seat 30 and valve body 37 engages seat 31 to permit the substance to be dispensed to pass from chamber 19 into chamber 24.

At the conclusion of the brief high speed spin cycle, that is, when the deep rinse water is being introduced into tub 62, the high centrifugal force is relieved from the housing 11 so that the latter, being free from frame 12, falls to the bottom of vtu-b 62 to float in the deep rinse water. Housing 11 is suitably weighted so that it will float with the body portion 14 lowermost, and balancing of the housing in this buoyant position is further ensured by the fact that the sealed air containing space 17 is provided in upper body portion 13. As housing 11 floats in the deep rinse water, excessive rocking thereof is resisted by the projecting vanes 61, and water flushes through the interior of body portion '14 to wash the charge of water or fabric conditioning or softening substance therefrom while valve assembly 33 is resiliently supported by spring 40 in the position illustrated in FIG. 7.

From the above description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that a device has been provided for automatically dispensing either liquid or powdered substances into the deep rinse water in automatic clothes Washers of either the tumbling or agitator type so that the benefits of the described treating substances may be obtained without requiring any supervision of the automatic operation of the washer.

.Further, such device may be made apermanent part of substance into the deep rinse water in an automatic clothes washer having a tub which is rotated at high speed for a brief spin cycle prior to the introduction of the deep rinse water; said device comprising a support adapted to be secured to the side wall of the tub of a clothes washer, a housing pivotally suspended in said support and defining first and second chambers, said housing tending to maintain said second chamber below said first chamber and having a first opening between said first and second chambers and a second opening between said second opening and the exterior of the housing and normally disposed at the bottom of said housing, a valve assembly movable in said housing and operative to initially close said first opening for retaining a charge of treating substance initially placed in said first chamber, said valve assembly being displaced by centrifugal force acting thereon during the high-speed spin cycle prior to the introduction of the deep rinse water to open said first opening and close said second opening so that the charge of treating substance can enter said second chamber, and resilient means acting on said valve assembly to urge the latter to an intermediate position where both said first and second openings are open when the centrifugal force is removed at the conclusion of the spin cycle so that the charge of treating substance can discharge from said second chamber and mix with the introduced deep rinse water.

2. A device as in claim 1; wherein said housing has additional openings extending from said second chamber so that, when said second opening is open, water can flush through said second opening and said additional openings to ensure the removal of the entire charge of treating substance from said second chamber.

3. A device as in claim 2; wherein said additional openings are spaced downwardly from said first opening in the normal position of said housing and the latter further has a downwardly directed wall in said second chamber between said first opening and said additional openings to prevent the rise of water in said second chamber to said first opening and into said first chamber, whereby the inter-ior of the latter and the periphery of said first opening remain dry to prevent clogging of powdered treating substance initial-1y contained therein.

4. A device as in claim 3; wherein said housing has an outer wall and an inner wall spaced from the latter to define an insulating space therebetween around said first chamber for preventing sweating of the surfaces of said first chamber.

5. A device as in claim 3; wherein said housing includes separably joined together upper and lower body portions defining said first and second chambers, respectively, and cooperating sealing means on said body portions providing a watertight joint between the latter so as to prevent the seepage of water into said first chamher.

6. A device as in claim 1; further comprising a removable hood mounted on said support and partly enveloping said housing with substantial clearance therebetween to permit pivotal movement of said housing relative to said support and access of water to said housing while protecting the latter from contact with laundry in the tub of the clothes washer.

7. A device as in claim 1, wherein said housing further has stabilizing vanes projecting from the exterior surface thereof to resist excessive tilting of the housing by the action of water thereagainst.

8-. A device as in claim 1; wherein said valve assembly includes an elongated extension projecting through said first opening in all positions of the valve assembly and operative to prevent clogging of the treating substance in said first opening when said valve assembly is in said intermediate position.

9. A device as in claim 1; wherein said support includes a spring Wire frame having -free end members which are urged apart to pivotally suspend said housing therebetween and hook members which are adapted to engage perforations in the side wall of the clothes washer tub and which are urged toward each other, in response to movement away from each other of said free end members, so as to prevent inadvertent removal of said hook members from the perforations.

10. A device as in claim 9; further comprising a hood removably swingable on said spring wire frame to move relative to the latter between an operative position, where said hood partly envelops said housing with substantial clearance therebetween to permit pivotal movement of the housing and access of Water to the latter while protecting the housing from contact with laundry in the tub, and a loading position where said housing is substantially uncovered, and means on said hood engageable with said spring Wire frame to releasably hold said hood in said operative position.

11. A device as in claim 9; wherein said housing has diametrically opposed, outwardly opening sockets therein receiving said free end members of the spring wire frame for pivotally suspending said housing in the latter.

12. The combination of an automatic clothes washer of the tumbling type having a tub rotated about a horizontal axis and undergoing a high-speed spin cycle prior to introduction of deep rinse water therein; and a device for dispensing Water or fabric treating sub-stance into the deep rinse water comprising a frame mounted Within said tub, a housing rotatably mounted in said frame and tending to maintain an erect position within said tub, said housing defining a first chamber adapted to initially receive a charge of the treating substance and a second chamber which is disposed below said first chamber in said erect position of the housing, said housing having a first opening between said first and second chambers and a second opening extending from said second chamber to the exterior of the housing, a valve assembly initially closing said first opening to retain the charge of treating substance in said first chamber and being displaced by the centrifugal force acting thereon during the high-speed spin cycle preceding the introduction of the deep rinse water to open said first opening and close said second opening, whereby the charge of treating substance can enter said second chamber, and resilient means acting on said valve assembly to urge the latter to an intermediate position clearing both said first and second openings upon the removal of the centrifugal force at the conclusion of the high-speed spin cycle so that the charge of treating substance can then be discharged from said second chamber for mixture with the introduced deep rinse Water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,242 Wagner Sept. 12, 1950 2,956,709 Nison Oct. 18, 1960 2,967,416 Devery Jan. 10, 1961

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING A WATER OR FABRIC TREATING SUBSTANCE INTO THE DEEP RINSE WATER IN AN AUTOMTIC CLOTHES WASHER HAVING A TUB WHICH IS ROTATED AT HIGH SPEED FOR A BRIEF SPIN CYCLE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DEEP RINSE WATER; SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE SIDE WALL OF THE TUB OF A CLOTHES WASHER, A HOUSING PIVOTALLY SUSPENDED IN SAID SUPPORT AND DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS, SAID HOUSING TENDING TO MAINTAIN SAID SECOND CHAMBER BELOW SAID FIRST CHAMBER AND HAVING A FIRST OPENING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS AND A SECOND OPENING BETWEEN SAID SECOND OPENING AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSING AND NORMALLY DISPOSED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING, A VALVE ASSEMBLY MOVABLE IN SAID HOUSING AND OPERATIVE TO INITIALLY CLOSE SAID FIRST OPENING FOR RETAINING A CHARGE OF TREATING SUBSTANCE INITIALLY PLACED IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER, SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY BEING DISPLACED BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ACTING THEREON DURING THE HIGH-SPEED SPIN CYCLE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DEEP RINSE WATER TO OPEN SAID FIRST OPENING AND CLOSE SAID SECOND OPENING SO THAT THE CHARGE OF TREATING SUBSTANCE CAN ENTER SAID SECOND CHAMBER, AND RESILIENT MEANS ACTING ON SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY TO URGE THE LATTER TO AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION WHERE BOTH SAID FIRST AND SECOND OPENINGS ARE OPEN WHEN THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE IS REMOVED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SPIN CYCLE SO THAT THE CHARGE OF TREATING SUBSTANCE CAN DISCHARGE FROM SAID SECOND CHAMBER AND MIX WITH THE INTRODUCED DEEP RINSE WATER.