US2711297A - Suspension for laundry machines - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1955 B. R. THIELE SUSPENSION FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Oct. 7, 1949 unnn e L oi u M M N m b E5 P LIM tuk ww g 6 WW 8 2 B rl H 3 CRT-Tb Maw- U i d S te Pam 1 SUSPENSION FORi LAUNDRY Q Berthold R; Thiele, Ripon, Wis., assignor to Speed Queen Corporation, Ripon, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application October 7, 1949, se -time. 126,013.

. The invention relates to laundry machines of the centrifugal extractortype and it is more particularly concerned with improved means for mounting the extractor.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting arrangement for machines of the above general character which is adapted to absorb and dissipate the energy tending to cause the extractor to 'vibrate'or' gyrate when the load therein is unevenly distributed whereby the strains imposed on the extractor, its bearings and associated driving and supporting instrumentalities are reduced to a minimum and the transmission of destructive and dangerous'vibrations to the framework or housing of the machine is substantially eliminated.

Another object is to provide a centrifugal extractor" mounting in which'the vibrations of the extractora're effectively damped and in which the damping efiect is automatically proportioned to the' magnitude'o'f the vibrations produced by different degrees of load unbalance in the extractor. 'L i A further object is to provide a mounting for centrifugal extractors which is simple intconstruction; easy to assemble and which retains its fullyoperating efliciency under long and hard usage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated'in the accom panying drawings, in which: i

Figure 1 is a plan view of a laundry machine-equipped with an extractor mounting embodying the feaures o f the' invention.

Fig. 2'is a side view of the machine'with parts broken away to show the mounting arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional'viewof one of the suspension members comprising a part of the mounting.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view takenin a plane substantially on the line4-4 of'Fig. 3. I

While .the inventionissusceptible of various modifica tions and alternative constructions, I have shownin the drawings and will herein describe in detail the'preferred embodiment, but his 'to be understood that'I do-not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions *falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration, the invention has beenshown as incorporated in a domestic laundry or washing machine in which the extractor comprises a perfo: rated cylindrical clothes receptacle or basketS serving both for washing and' for centrifugal drying. The re ceptacle 5 is rotatable .on a vertical axis within" a 'stationary tub 6 which holds the wash water,-the tube of course being-provided with asuitable outlet fordraining the water-before a drying' or extractingoperation' isstarted; Oscillation and rotation of the receptacle 5 for washing and'drying respectively are etfected bya motor M through a transmission T which may .berof conventional construction. In theexemplarymachine the re- 1 suspension members-10 converge downwardly and thus tend to-re'turn the assembly to-a' centered position whenceptacle, tubfmotor and transmission are assembled as a unit on a base or spider 7 supported in the frame or housing 8 of the'machine'which is shown herein as rectangular" in'rform.

Support for the; receptacle assembly isprovided by'af plurality of suspension 'or' support members connected at opposite ends to brackets 'or segments 11011 the hous ing and'tolaterallyprojectingsegments or arms'12 ofa the spider -7. "*In theparticular' machine illustrated, fo' u'r such suspension member's -areused'and'the brackets 11, and arms '12 are accordingly arranged at the four'corners of the rectangularhousing 8 and the spiderf7. 1-

The suspension members :10 are secured to the brackets 11 and arms 12 by resilient connections which allow a limited swinging of the receptacle assembly from a cen-2 rotational axis of the receptacle. Such movernents'f' which maybe either vibratory or gyratoryfar'e imparted: I to the receptacle when itis rotated at extracting speedwith the load therein unevenly distributed, as'-?is'usuallya I V the case in the operation of domestic laundry machinesf- Preferabl'y, the'brackets 11 and arms 12 are differently:-

spaced from the ce'ntralaxisof the assembly so that the the receptacle is stationary. g t V v In accordance with the invention the suspension members/10 are constructed andarranged so thatn-theenergy which produces theswinging inovements :of the receptacle assembly isabsorbedand'dissipatedwithout im posing excessive strains on a'nytpart of the machineand without transmission of vibration'to the housing 8:v Furthermore, the' vibrationproduce'd'by the operation of the motor M'and transmission-.; which are usuallyof substantially smaller amplitude than those produced byflan unevenly distributed load in the-receptacle S-areaefEec-J. tively absorbed by the-suspension members so that theoperating conditions." ":5 g v. The-suspension members. IO are alike; in construcma'chine is=enabledto1un smoothlyand quietly under all tion. As shown in Fig. .3, each membercomprises an elongated rod .15 threaded ati'one end for. the reception of J retaining and locking nuts 16 and-having an enlarged head 17 at'its other-end; "In the assembled machine the rod 15 extendslthrough a, clearance hole in one of the arms 12 andlthrough' a'similar hole in the companion" bracket 11 with thehead 17 projecting below the-arm. A

pad 18 of resilienttmaterial interposed; between [the lower face. of the,:arm 12 and. a washer 19 bearing against the upper end ofwtheuhead 17" supports theweight 'of. the assembly: on the rod 15.. "As hereinsho'wn, the'pad-18 is in the form of a disk centrally apertured to receive the: rod withaisnug-fit'g' Asocket 20 is providedon thearm lzifor seatingthe pad'so as'to hold the rod 15 centered'inthe clearancehole andout of direct contact-.witli the arm,

tion to the housingth .Mounted n.;the rod-ls-betweenthe arm 12 andjthe; bracket 11 are atpair, of resilientdisks. orpads25 aud.26-. These padsaswell astheresilientpads 18 and'21 maybe made of: rubber orother material. suitable for the purpose. Spring means, ,herein shown as a coiled; compressioni spring 27 wound ;around the rod 15 :acts through thrusts 2,711,297 Patented June 21, 19 55 v 3 washers 2S and 29 to yieldably urge the pads outwardly and thus clamp the arm and bracket against the companion pads 18 and 21. The washer 28 is preferably flanged so as to partially enclose the pad 25 and thus restrict its compressibility. A similar flanged washer 28'.

may be interposed between the pad 26 and the bracket 11.

The resilient connection between the rods 15, brackets 11 and arms 12 provided by the resilient pads 18, 21, 25 and 26 constitute, in efiect, a universal joint and permit the spider 7 and the assembly of which it forms a part to swing from a centered position in any direction in a horizontal plane. In such swinging of the spider each rod 15 pivots about a stationary point P at the bracket 11 While the lower end oscillates within the limit positions indicated at C and C", the central axis of the rod being at C when the machine is idle. There is also a relative angular or pivotal movement between each rod 15 and the associated spider arm 12 about a universal pivot point P located at the intersection of the axis of the rod and the plane of the arm. Such relative movements result in a twisting or deformation of the resilient pads and, if the movements are of sufficient amplitude, in further compression of the springs 27. The springs and pads thus impose a resistance to the movements of the spider and thereby exert a damping effect on the swinging of the assembly which keeps it within reasonable limits and dissipates a part of the energy producing the movement.

Further damping of the swinging or vibration of the receptacle assembly and dissipation of the remaining energy causing the swinging is effected by novel friction braking mechanism associated with the suspension members 15. In the preferred form illustrated, the braking mechanism for each suspension member comprises a first component constituting a spherically segmental shoe 30 having an axially disposed socket portion 31 slidably mounted on the projecting head 17 of the rod 15 for movement longitudinally of the rod. The shoe 30 is provided at its outer face with a friction pad 32, preferably nonmetallic, adapted to coact with a complemental friction surface 33 defined by a cup-shaped member 34 secured to the underside of the spider arm 12 and constitutinga second brake component. A spring 35 interposed between the spider arm and the shoe 30 urges the pad 32 against the surface 33 and thus determines the frictional drag or braking etfect produced by the mechanism.

As the shoe is mounted on the projecting-end of the rod 15 substantially below the point P', relative pivotal movement of the rod and arm 12 will swing the shoe through an are over the friction surface 33. Preferably this friction surface and the coacting surface of the friction pad 52 are formed concentric with the point P so that the pad maintains substantially uniform pressure on the friction surface in all positions of the shoe 30. It

will be noted that this pressure is not affected by axial movements of the rod 15 since the shoe is slidably mounted on the head 17. In the embodimentillustrated the shoe may be swung from the central position in which it is shown in solid lines in any direction within a range, the extent of 'which is indicated by the broken-line representation of the member 34; 4

' Itwill be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a novel mounting arrangement for centrifugal extractors. The rotatable receptacle or extractor and the associated parts which are assembled with it' as a unit are supported from the housing of the machine by a plurality of suspension members having resilient connections with the unit and with the housing so constructed and arranged that the unit is permitted to vibrate or swing in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the extractor. driving motor and transmission are absorbed and a part of the energy producing swinging movements of the unit is: absorbed and dissipated without imparting excessive strainsto any of the parts of the machine. The vibra- Vibration resulting from the operation of the tion absorbing action of the connections is effectively supplemented by a novel friction mechanism associated with the suspension members which acts to dissipate the major portion of the energy imparting swinging movements to the unit.

The improved mounting is effected with simple, sturdy parts which are inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble. Once the parts have been assembled, there is nothing to get out of order and full operating efficiency is maintained for a long time under the hardest usage.

I claim as my invention: 4

1. A mountingelement for suspending an assembly subjected to axial and transverse vibratory 'movement from a stationary support, comprising in combination mounting brackets having alined apertures therethrough adapted to be connected to a support and assembly, an elongated rigid member having end portions projected through said apertures in said brackets, a'first pair of resilient pads secured outwardly of said brackets on said elongated member and fixed against outward axial movement, a second pair of resilient pads slidable axially on said elongated member and positioned, on the opposite side of the brackets from said first pair of pads, a spring intermediate tosaid second pair of pads urging said pads away from each other and toward respective ones of said first pair of pads thereby clamping said brackets between mating ones of said pairs of pads, .a brake shoe having a spherically segmental braking surface and axially slidably mounted on said elongated member outwardly of one of said first pair of pads, a coacting braking element having a. complementary spherically segmental; braking surface secured to and fixed in spaced relation to one of said brackets, and a spring positioned betweensaid one of said brackets and said brake shoe resiliently pressing,

the latter into uniform braking engagement with said coacting braking element independently of relative axial movement between said support and said assembly.

2. A mounting for suspending a movable member subjected to axial and transverse vibratory movement from a stationary member, comprising in combination, mounting brackets having apertures therethrough and adapted to be connected respectively to an assembly and support with said apertures in alinement, an elongatedirigid member having end portions projected through said apertures in said brackets, a first pair of resilient pads positioned outwardly of said brackets and fixed on said elongated member against outward axial movement, a second pair of resilient .pads positioned inwardly of vsaid brackets.

and mounted on said elongatedmernber for axial sliding movement, a spring positioned between said second pair of pads urging said second pair of pads away from each other and toward respective ones of said first pair of pads thereby clamping said brackets between mating ones-of said pairs of pads, a brake shoe having a braking surface and mounted on saidelongated member for relative axial movement and unison transverse movement, a coacting braking element having a complementary braking surface and fixedly mounted on one of said brackets for movement in unison therewith, and resilient. means positioned between said one of said brackets and said brake shoe rcsiliently urging the latter into substantially uniform braking engagement with said coacting braking element irrespective of relative movement between said members .3. A mounting for suspending an assembly subjected to axial and transverse vibratory movement from a stationary support comprisingin combination, a pair of mounting brackets having alined apertures and adapted to be rigidly connected to said support and assembly respectively, an elongated rigid member havingendpor tions projected through said apertures in said brackets,

connections including-resilient pads on the end portions of said-elongated member and a resilient spring pressing said pads into engagement with said brackets for connecting said elongated member to said brackets for limited axial movement of said elongated member relative to said brackets and for limited universal swinging movement of said elongated member about pivot points located on the axis of said elongated member and substantially in the plane of each of said brackets respectively, a brake shoe having an outwardly facing spherically segmental braking surface and axially slidably mounted on said elongated member adjacent said other bracket for relative axial movement and unison transverse movement with said elongated member, a coacting braking element having a complementary spherically segmental braking surface secured to the other one of said brackets for axial and transverse movement in unison therewith, said spherically segmental braking surfaces having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the distance of the braking surface on said coacting braking element from said pivot point, a spring interconnecting said other bracket and said brake shoe resiliently urging the latter into braking engagement with said coacting braking element independently of relaassembly.

References. Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Eynon Dec: 8; 1925 Schaum June 24, 193 0 Hull Apr. 28, 1931 Naul Sept. '15 1931 Schaum Feb. 7,1933 Cole -Sep t. 26, 1939 Geldhof et al. Apr. 25,1944 Tholl Sept. 26, 1944 Dyer Jan. 8, 1946 Woodson Nov. 16, 1948 Russell i Oct. 17, 1950 Geldhof Feb. 12, 1952

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