US2790247A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

E. G. OLTHU IS CLOTHES DRYER pril 30, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1955 AC/ N m I ro E 2 l m. 9 l 2 l 3 a E M 6 a O/ 2 m m o oo Hr. O 4 5 O l OOO o Ooo O O O M O O O Ol l,l. O O O O O 5 4 f 7, a Ooo 7 3 oo v, oo 6 5 2 4 7 2 N 2 \\l/ 3 .l 0 f/ A\ ll\ l l l l I i 1|\|\ E.

EUGENE G. OLTHUIS April 30, 1957 E, G, oLTHUls CLOTHES DRYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1955 EUGENE G. ou-Hus E. G. OLTHUIS CLOTHES DRYER April 3o, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 19, 1955 FIC-5.5

gmc/wm `EUGENE 6. OLTHUIS nited States Patent O CLOTHES DRYER Eugene G. Olthuis, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 19, 1955, Serial No. 523,084

8 Claims. (Cl. 34-48) proved air-heating and circulating system for a clothes' dryer including a temperature responsive control so ar ranged that it is particularly effective to sense the condition of the clothes being dried.

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved air-heating assembly for a clothes dryer.

In carrying out my invention I provide a clothes dryer having a clothes basket rotatable about a non-vertical axis. An air-heating assembly is mounted behind the rear wall of the basket, and means are provided for circulating air over the heater and through the basket, thereby to dry the clothes being tumbled within the basket. The air iiows from the heater assembly into the basket through a plurality of perforations in the basket rear wall. In addition to a heating element the heater assembly further includes radiation barrier means which are disposed between the heating element and the basket rear Wall so that the rear wall is not subjected to direct radiation from the heating element. The heater assembly is thereby effective to heat the air for drying the clothes without causing any over-heating of the basket rear wall. The radiation barrier means include apertures through which the heated air flows from the heater assembly to the basket, but these apertures are so arranged that not even the sections of the basket rear wall adjacent to the perforations receive any direct radiation from the heating element.

By a further aspect of my invention, the air-heating and circulating system of the dryer is arranged for the inclusion of a temperature responsive control in a position wherein it is particularly effective to sense the condition of the clothes in the basket. In this arrangement the air is discharged from the basket through a duct connecting with the basket at the front thereof so that the air enters the duct only after passing through the length of the basket. The temperature responsive control is positioned within the duct at a point adjacent to the basket and thereby the control senses the air temperature at a point where it corresponds closely to the actual clothes temperature.

The novel features which l believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a clothes dryer embodying my invention, the view being partially broken away and partially sectionalized to illustrate details of the dryer;

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Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dryer, with certain surfaces broken away and'partially sectionalized to illustrate further detail;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a preferred electrical control system for the dryer; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing an alternate embodiment of the heater assembly included in the dryer.

Referring now to the drawings I have shown therein a domestic 'clothes dryer 1 embodying my invention in one form thereof. The clothes dryer 1 includes a rotatable clothes tumbling basket 2 which is mounted within a suitable outer cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 has side walls 4, a front wall 5, a rear wall 6, a top panel 7, and a base 8 and completely encloses the basket 2 on all sides. The basket is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and comprises a cylindrical drum-like member having an outer cylindrical wall 9 and front and rear end walls 10 and 11. The front wall 10 of the basket is provided with a flanged loading opening 12 which is in substantial alignment with an access opening in the front wall 5 of the outer cabinet for the loading and unloading of clothes. A door 13 is hinged to the cabinet for closing the cabinet opening during operation of the dryer, and the llange of basket opening 12 prevents clothes from dropping down between the front of the basket and the cabinet. The outer cylindrical wall 9 of the basket is substantially imperforate over its entire length but the rear wall 11 is provided with a series of openings or perforations 14 therein through which air may enter the basket. As explained hereinafter the air entering through perforations 14 ows axially for the length of the basket and is discharged at the front thereof through loading opening 12. As shown, annular ribs 14a may be formed on the perforated-rear wall 9 for strengthening purposes.

The clothes basket 2 is rotatably supported within the outer cabinet by means of a plurality of anged roller wheels 15, 16, 17, and 18 (see Fig. 2). The roller wheels 15 and 16 are mounted on a shaft 19 which is driven from the main drive motor 20 of the dryer by means of a belt and pulley drive 21. The roller wheels 17 and 18 .are supported on an idler shaft 22. As shown, both the drive shaft 19 and the idler shaft 22 are supported at the front and the rear of the cabinet by means of suitable bearings. The basket 2 being so supported on the roller wheels turns or rolls thereon whenever the shaft 19 is turned by the motor 20. The ratio of the driving and driven pulleys in the drive 21 is suitably chosen that the basket is driven at an appropriate speed to provide a tumbling action for articles of clothing placed therein.

During operation of the dryer a stream of heated air is passed through the basket 2 in order to evaporate moisture from the clothes being tumbled therein. This stream of air enters the outer cabinet 3 through various small openings appearing therein as a result of its sheet metal construction. Additionally, special air inlet openings such as louvers or a grill may be provided if desired in the side, front, or rear walls of the cabinet. The air entering the cabinet is circulated through the clothes basket by means of suitable fan or blower means such as the centrifugal blower 23 which is driven directly from the motor 20. The blower 23 tirst pulls the air entering the cabinet 3 over a heater assembly 24 which is positioned behind the perforated rear wall 11 of the basket. After flowing over heater assembly 24 and being heated thereby,

the air is drawn through the perforations 14 into the tumbling basket 2 and flows axially the length thereof. The air in passing through the basket dries the clothes and picks up a certain amount of lint therefrom.

. At the front of the basket 2 the air is pulled into a basket discharge `duct .25 through a plurality ,of .sneu ings 26 rat the top of the duct. These openings 26 connect with the basket through the loading opening 12. The discharge air then is drawn throughvthe duct 25 into gflsuitable cycloneftype lint trap 27 in which any lint picked in the air is separated therefrom. `Any suit- .able lint trap maybe used, but the lint `trap illustrated in thedrawings has been found to be particularly satisfactory in operation. This lint trap is described and claimed in the co-pending application of Steven L. McMillan, S. N. 455,280, filed September l0, 1954 and :assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. From the lint trap 27 the air passes into the blower Y23 Iand then is discharged outwardly from the machine .through a suitable discharge conduit 28.

i The'heater assembly 24 in which the air is heated before entering the basket 1 comprises one important aspect of my invention. This heater assembly is particularly elec- .tive to heat the air, but yet itis so constructed and arranged that there is no directradiation from the` heat- .ing element thereof to the rear wall 11 ofthe basket 2. Also, there is no direct metallic heat conduction path between the heating element and the rear wall of the .basket." As a result, the rear wall of `the basket is not Vheated to a high temperature during the operation of `the machine. ltl is, of course, desirable that the rear .wall'of the basket Vremain at a relatively low temperature to prevent scorching of the articles being dried.

The heater assembly 24 includes an electrical heater in the form of a coiled resistance wire 29 which is mounted on a plurality of electrical insulating members 3G (Fig. 2). The resistance heater 29 preferably extends in a circle coaxial with the outer cylindrical wall 9 of basket 2. Besides the heater 29 the assembly 24 further includes a ,plurality of pan-like members 31, 32 `and 33. These pan-like members, as shown, 4effectively surround the heating Velement 29 and they are preferably formed. of sheet metal. The one pan-like element 31 is supported :bythe rear Wall of the basket by suitable means (not vshown) such as screws Vformed of heat insulating material. The other two pan-like v` members 32 and 33 are mounted on the rear wall 6 ofthe Youter cabinet. -Specifically, they are mounted thereon 'by means of a imain Ycentral supporting lrod 34 and a plurality of auxiliary bracing lrods 3 5. The supporting`1'od3-4and the bracing Ameans 35, are preferably insulated Vfrom the `rear wall of the cabinet ,by ber washers or the like. It ,will be noted that the pan-like elements 32 and`33 are so mounted on these supporting means that there is an ,air space ,therebetween 4In other words, the members 32 and 33 are spaced somewhat apart.

The pan-like elements 31 and 32 have two Yfunctions. They act as radiation barriers, and they also Aac t as air heating surfaces. The rearmost pan-like yelement 33, although acting to some extent as an air warming means, 4is primarily intended as an auxiliary shielding means for reducing heat transfer` Afrom the assembly to the rear wall of lthe cabinet.

As shown in Fig. 2, the respective edges 36 and 3'7 of the elements 31 and 33 are flanged and are spaced apart to define an annular air passageway 38 whereby the air within the cabinet may ow into the assembly. The blower 2S continuously draws air into this passageway A.'58 during the operation of the dryer. When the heater 29 is energized, there is direct radiation from yit to both the pan-like elements 31 and 3.2. 'lfhese .elements are vtliereby raised to a relatively high tenuiperatureffor example 1000 F. The air enteringv through passageway 38 ows between the principal surfaces of the pan-like elements 31 and 32 and also over the heating element V29 itself. The pan-like elements being relatively hot transfer a considerable amount of heat to the air, and the air, of course, also absorbs heat directly from the heater. The air is thereby raised considerably in ternperaturefas it peas/ses through the heater assembly 2d. For example,

V.in a preierredembodiment of .my invention utilizing an air flow of cubic feet per minute, the air is raised approximately 200 F. in temperature in passing through the heater assembly. The heated air leaves the heater assembly through a plurality or apertures 39 in the panlike element 31. The air ows through these openings to the perforations 14 in the=backwall 11 of the basket and then into the basket itseltas described-above.

As well as serving as air-heating means, the pan-like elementsel and 32 alsl'serve as radiation barriers. They prevent direct radiation from the heater 29 to the rear wall 11 of the basltetand also to the side and rear walls 4 and 6 of the cabinet, As shown, the pan-like element 31 forms a shieldbetween the heating element and the rear wall 11 of the basket to prevent radiation to the wall 11. The element 32 forms a shield preventing direct radiation to the rear wall 6 of the cabinet. The spacedapart outer pan-.shapedelement 33 and the space between it andthe.elementfliprevent any considerable re-radiation from the element 32.itself to the rear wall of the cabinet. The hanges 3.6, 37 and 40 of the respective elements prevent direct-radiation from the heater to the side walls d of the cabinet. e

:In order further to reduce the 'heat transferred to the This insulating member 41 is positioned between `the pan-like element 31 and the Vrear wall llandforms heat insulating layer therebetween.

rThis .insulating sheet 4may be made of any suitable heat insulating material, as for example, asbestos. The insulating sheet .41 basa plurality of apertures bt2 therein which are aligned with the perforations ift in the rear .wall 11 of the Vbasket and the apertures 39 in element 31 to provide for the flow of air from the heater assembly into the'basket. Thev apertures 3S? in the pan-iikc element 31, of course, permit somedirect heat radiation to pass through the pan-like clement. However, the insulating sheet V41 overlies the portion of :the basket rear wall 11 ill; f lQutco the -heater, and thereby positively prevents any `d irect radiation .to Athe basket wall. Ythe apertures .42 in sheet 41ers somewhat smaller than the pertorations 14 so the edges .of the perforations are shielded by the insulating sheet; and as -a result, there can be no direct radiation fromfthe electrical heating element 29 even to the sections lof the rear `Wall 11 immediately adjacent the perforations.

Besides being 4effective to prevent direct heat radiation ,through apertures 39 to Ithe' back wall 11 of the basket, the heat insulating sheet 41 also substantially prevents heat conduction between the pan-like element 31 and the basket. The pan 31 includes a plurality of circular ribs .42a thereon whereby itis supported from the basket Wall 11. `The ribs -42aspace the principal surface of pan `3:1 away'pfrom wail 11 and comprise the only paths for heat conduction from the pan .to the wall. The ribs 42a do not, however, contact `the `basket Wall 11 directly but rather contact Kthe insulating sheet 41. The insulating sheet 41=thus forms -a bar r-ier preventing direct heat conduction to the back wall of Vthe basket from lthe pan. The sheet 41. also acts-as a. barrier to prevent transfer of heat by convection or radiation from pan 31 to the back wall of the basket. The supporting means (not shown) for the pan 31 extend through sheet 41 to the basket Wall-but as 'aforementioned these .means are preferably formed kotheat A1'r,tsv .,1,lating material Yso .that no apareaihehcat transferee cur through them- Thus it `will be seen Ythat-.my .heater assembly is so constructed and arranged that it is eiective to heat the air W for the tumbling basket without causing overheating of the basket rear wall. The basket rear wall is eiectively shielded from direct radiation from the heating4 element and also is .insulated against heat transfer by conductionand radiation. However, due to the fact that the air flows between two heated surfaces-as well as over the heating element, the heater assembly is particularly effective as an air heating means for a clothes dryer.

`It will be noted incidentally that, although there can be no direct heat radiation from the heating element 29 to the rear wall 11 of the basket, direct radiation can occur to the clothes in the basket through the aligned apertures 39, 42 and 14. The radiant heat so reaching the clothes aids the heated air stream in drying the clothes.

Besides this improved heater assembly, my new and improved clothes dryer also includes a temperature-responsive control so arranged that it is particularly eective to sense the condition of clothes being dried. The positioning of this control 43 is such that it senses the temperatures of the air stream through the dryer at a point where the air temperature corresponds closely to the temperature of the clothes being dried. Specifically, as shown in Figs. l and 3, the control 43 is positioned in the basket discharge duct 25 closely adjacent the openings 26 through which the air leaves the basket 2. The control is in fact positioned directly in the path of the air stream as it leaves the basket. In iiowing lengthwise through the basket, the air reaches a temperature which corresponds closely to the temperature of the clothes themselves. Since the control element 43 then senses the temperature of the air just as it leaves the basket, the control is thereby efective to sense the condition of the clothes themselves to a very accurate degree.

The control 45 includes a manual control knob 44 which by my invention is positioned directly behind the access door i3. The shaft for the control knob 44 protrudes upwardly through the top wall 45 of the duct 25 to provide for this positioning. The control knob may thus be reached only when the access door is open and cannot be tampered with during the operation of the machine. This arrangement of the control knob is particularly advantageous to prevent children from changing its setting or otherwise playing with it so as to effect adversely machine operation.

Although various temperature-responsive control devices may be disposed in the manner shown to control machine operation, one preferred tempera-ture-responsive .control device is described and claimed in my co-pend ing application, S. N. 523,083, tiled concu-rrently herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. This device or switch and a preferred electrical control system for use therewith are shown schematically in Fig. 4. The switch includes a bimetallic element 46 which is eiective to move .a column spring 47 between upper and lower bowed positions as indicated by the dotted lines. In its upper position, the spring 4'7 closes a plurality of contacts 48, 49, and S0, and in its lower bowed position the spring closes the contacts 48 and 51. A resilient latch mem-ber 52 is effective to hold the spring in an additional intermediate position, illustrated by the solid lines in Fig. 4, wherein none of the contacts are closed. The latch member 52 may be released from the spring by means of an operating plunger `53 which is controlled by the knob 44 positioned behind the door i3.

` To place the dryer in operation, the latch member S2 is released allowing the cold bimetal 46 to flex the spring 47 to its upper bowed position (as viewed in Fig. 4). This closes the contacts 48, 4Q, and 5t) and thereby energizes both the drive motor 2i) and the heating element 29. The heating element is energized across a 220 Volt supply comprising conductors 54 and 55, and the motor is energized across a 110 volt supply appearing between conductor 54 and an electrical neutral line 56.

The drive motor is energized by a circuit commencing with conductor 54 of the 220 volt supply and extending through the bimetal 46, the spring 47, the contacts 48 and 49, to a line 57. The circuit continues through line 57 to the main winding 58 of the motor, and through line 57 and the contacts 59 of a motor centrifugal switch 60 to the starting winding 6l of the motor. A common line 62 leading from the motor windings to the elec trical neutral line 56 completes the motor circuit. A fuse 63 in the common line 62 provides motor overload protection in the usual manner. As the motor cornes up to speed, the motor centrifugal switch 60 opens the contacts 59 and thereby drops the starting winding 61 out of the circuit. The main winding 58 thereafter continues the motor in operation during the drying cycle. Preferably a door switch 64 operated by door 13 is connected in series circuit relation with the line 57 so that the motor will be de-energized whenever door 13 is opened. This, of course, provides a safety feature of terminating basket rotation whenever the door is opened. As explained hereinafter, the stoppage of basket rotation also results in the heater 29 being de-energized. Since the control knob 44 is positioned behind door 13, this means that the control 43 can be adjusted or operated only when the basket is at rest .and the heater is cie-energized.

The movement of the switch to its upper position closes a circuit for the heating element 29 between conductors 54 and 55. Beginning at the conductor 54 this circuit extends through the bimetal 46, the spring 47, the contacts 48, 49, and 50, and a line 65 to the heating element 29. From the element 29 the heater circuit is completed to the other 220 volt supply conductor 55 through a line 66 and the contacts 67 of the motor centrifugal switch 60. The contacts 67 are closed by the centrifugal switch 6i) when the drive motor 20 comes up to speed and remain closed so long as normal Vbasket rotation continues. However, if motor rotation is stopped as by opening of the door 13, contacts 67 are opened to terminate heater operation. Over-temperature protection for the dryer is provided by a safety thermostat 68 connected in series circuit relation in line 65 Once the motor has come up to speed, the dryer there-` after continues in operation with the heater 29 energized until such time as thebimetal 46 develops enough downward force to move the` spring 47 to its lower bowed position (as viewed in Fig. 4). This occurs when the clothes have been substantially dried. At that time the air temperature in the basket discharge duct 25 rises to predetermined level effective to cause the bimetal to bend far enough to overcome the upward stress in the spring and move it to its lower position. Since it is a column spring, the spring 47 exes between its upper and lower positions with a snap action.

vThe movement of the spring 46 to its lower position opens the contacts 49 and Si) and thereby breaks the heater circuit deenergizing the heater 29. The basket' drive motor 2l), however, continues in operation for a dryer cool-down period. As mentioned above, the movement of the spring to its lower position closes contact 43 with contact 51, and, as shown, contact 51 is connected directly to line 57. The motor is thereby energized through the same circuit as when the spring was in its upper position, the only exception being that the circuit extends through the contact 51 rather than through the contact 49. The machine continues in this cooldown operation with the heater orf until such time as the basket 2 has cooled suliiciently for the clothes to be removed without danger. Since the drive motor vcontinues to operate, the basket, of course, rotates and also air is blown through the basket by the blower to cool it. When the basket and clothes temperature has reached a safe value, the bimetal 46 bends upward far enough to overcome the downward stress in the spring 47 and moves it toward its upper position. The latch 52, however, catches the bimetal and holds it in its intermediate position sothat all ofthe contacts-48V-S1- are opened- 7 -Thedryer operationis-thereby'completely terminated with -bcththe main drive motor and the heater turned off.

In Fig. l5, I have shown an alternaterembodinient of my new and improved heater assembly incorporatedin the-dryer 1. This heater assembly 70 is similar in many respects to the heater assembly 24, and it is mounted in the clothes-dryer 1 in the same manner. Identical members in the heater assembly 70 to those in the heater assembly 24 are indicated by the same reference numerals.

The assembly 70 is positioned behind the rear wall 1i of basket 2 and includes an electrical resistance wire heater -29supported on suitable insulating elements 30. 'The heating element v29 is circular in form and is coaxial with the outer wall 9 of basket 2. Behind the heating element there are positioned a pair of spaced-apart panshaped elements 3'2 and 33. These pan-shaped elements are mounted on the-rear Wall 6 of the cabinet 3 by a main center supporting rod 34 and a plurality of auxiliary bracing rods 35. A third pan-shaped element 31 is positioned in front of the heating element between it and the rearwall 11'of-the basket. This pan-shaped element 31 is supported from the rear wall 11 ofthe basket by any suitable means such as screws formed of heat insulating material. The pan 31 is, however, heat ins sulated from the rear wall 11 by means of an insulating member or sheet 41 disposed between it and the wall, The sheet 41- is also supported by the basket wall 11.

The edge portions 36 and 37 of the pans 31 and 33 are hanged rearwardly and are spaced apart to provide a suitable passageway 38 through which air enters the heater assembly 70 during the operation of the machine. The air is heated in the assembly both by the heating element 29 itself and also by the principal surfaces of the pan-shaped elements 31 and 32. These pans being heated by radiation from the heating element in turn give ofi heat to warmv the air passing through the assembly. The heated air passes out of the heater assembly through suitable apertures 71 in the pan-shaped element 31 and -then flowsinto the basket 2 through apertures 42 in the insulating sheet 41 and perforations 14 in basket rear lwall 11. As in the Erst-described embodiment the apertures 42 and the perforations 14 are aligned for the ow of air into the basket, and the apertures 42 are somewhat smaller in diameter than the perforations 14 for protecting the wall 11 against radiation from heater 29.

-The pan-shaped element 31 as well as acting as an air heater also lacts as a heat radiation barrier for basket rear wall 11. of the forward radiation from the heater so that it will not strike the rear wall of the basket. There is some radiation `from the heater through apertures 71 in the pan 31, butit will be noted that the apertures 71 are not aligned with the apertures 42 in sheet 41 and the perforations 14 in the basket rear wall 11. Rather these apertures 71 in the pan-shaped member 31 lie behind solid portions of the insulating sheet 41. The sheet 41 thereby prevents the radiation through apertures 71 from reaching basket rear wall 11 and also prevents it from proceeding on into the basket. Any direct radiation from the heater passing through the apertures 71 necessarily strikes the insulating sheet, whereby in heater,`

assembly 70 there is no direct radiation from the heater 29 either to wall 11 orintothe basket itself.

The insulating sheet 41 in addition to serving as a heat radiation barrieral'so serves to prevent any substantial heat transferby conductionbetweenpan-like element 31 and basket rear Wall 11. The pan-like elements 32 and 33 act, as 'in' the -rst described embodiment, to prevent overheating of the cabinet rear wall 6.

With the heater assembly 70 there is an effective healting of thebasket air stream without-there being any direct radiation-from; the --lieater 29 into'v the clothes -blasket-` 2. This absence of direct radiation has been found to be de- In other words, pan 31 takes up most sirable in certain .sizes `of dryers in order 'to prevent scorching of the clothes. The 'offsetting of the apertures 71 Vfromthe aligned apertures andjperforations .T42 iand 14 does not restrict the air ow through the heater and the basket to any appreciable extent. The spaces 72 provided between pan 31 and sheet 41 by the ribs 42a provide adequate passage for the ow of air from apertures 71 to apertures 42`an'd perforations 14.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I Ihave described what lat present are considered Ito be the preferred embodiments of my invention, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and mo'dilications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention and I therefore aim to cover in the app-ended claims all such equivalent variations and modifications.

What i claim as new and desire to secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a clothes dryer, a clothes basket rotatable about a non-vertical axis, said basket having a plurality of erforations in the rear wall thereof, a heater assembly disposed behind said rear wall, means for circulating a stream of air over said heater assembly and through said basket, said airV passing into said basket through said perforations, said heater assembly including a heater, and a heat-insulating 'member secured to said rear wall in fno-nt of said heater for insulating said rear wall from said heater, said insulating member having a plurality vof apertures therein aligned with said perforations for the iiow of air from said heater assembly to said basket, said apertures being `no larger in size than said perforaticns whereby the rear Wall sec-tions adjacent to said perforations are not exposed to direct radiation from said heater.

2. ln a clothes dryer, a clothes basket rotatable about a non-vertical axis, said basket having a plurality of perforations in the rear Wall thereof, a heater assembly disposed behind said rear wall,` means for circulating a stream of air over said heater assembly and through said basket, said air passing into said basket through said perforations, said heater assembly including a heater, a heat insulating sheet secured to said rear wall in front of said heater, said insulating sheet having a plurality of apertures therein aligned with said perforations for the flow of air from said heater assembly to said basket, and Aa radiation barrier member secured to said basket and positioned between said insulating member and said heater, said member being heated by radiation from said heater there by forming a hot surface aiding the heating of said air, and said member having ra plural-ity of apertures therein for the liow of air from said heater assembly to said basket.

3, The combination of claim 2 wherein said apertures in said radiation barrier member are displaced from said apertures in said insulating member thereby to prevent direct radiation from said heater into said basket.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said apertures in said insulating member are smaller in size than said perforations in said rear wall of slaid basket whereby the rear wall sections adjacent said perfora-tions are not exposed to radiation from said heater.

5. In a clothes dryer a clothes basket rotatable 'about a non-vertical taxis, said basket having a plurality of perfo-rations in the rear wall thereof, a heater assembly disposedbehind said rear wall of said basket, means for circulatinga stream of air oversaid heater assembly and through said basket,-said air passing into said basket from said heater assembly through said peromtions, said assembly including a heater, and a heat insulating member secured to said basket rear wall in front of said heater for insulating said rear wall from said heater, said insulating member having a plurality of apertures therein aligned with said peronations therebyproviding for the flow of airV fromy said. heater. assembly to. said basket, Ya duct leading from said basket at the front thereof for the discharge of said air from said basket, and temperature-responsive control means for said heater disposed in said duct closely adjacent to said basket.

6. In a clothes dryer, an 'outer cabinet, a clothes basket disposed within said cabinet yand rotatable about a nonvertical axis, said basket having a plurality of perforations in the rear wvall thereof, a heater assembly disposed behind the rear wall, means for circulating a stream of air over said heater assembly and through said basket, said air passing into said basket from said heater assembly through said perforations, said heater assembly including a heater, rst and second metallic members disposed on opposite sides of heater for preventing direct radiation from said heater to said rear wall of said basket and to the rear wall of said outer cabinet respectively, said metallic members being heated from radiation from said heater thereby forming hot surfaces aiding in the heating of said air, said tirst metallic member having a plurality of apertures therein for the ow of air from said heater assembly to said basket, and a heat-insulating member secured to said rear wall of said basket land positioned beftween said rear wall and said first metallic member for insulating said rear wall from said heater assembly, said insulating member hlaving a plurality yof apertunes therein aligned with said perforations for the flow of air fnom said assembly into said basket.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said apertures 4in said first metallic member are displaced from said apertures in said insulating member thereby to prevent direct radiation from said healter into said basket and wherein at least one of said metallic members is panshaped thereby to prevent direct radiation from said heater to the side walls of said cabinet.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said metallic members are pan-shaped thereby to prevent :direct nadiaytion from said heater to the side walls of the said cabinet, and including a third metallic member disposed between said second metallic member land said near wall of said cabinet thereby fur-ther to shield said rear wall from said heater.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,472,293 Groven June 7, 1949 2,670,549 ONeill Mar. 2, 1954 2,722,057 Pugh Nov. 1, 1955

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