| 摘要 |
994,647. Washing-machines. COOK MACHINERY CO. Inc. June 12,1962 [June 1,1962], No. 22538/62. Heading D1A. [Also in Divisions F4 and H2] A laundry device, e.g. a washing machine or extractor, includes a rotatable basket direct driven by a motor so that the ratio of motor speed is always the same and the direction of basket rotation depends solely upon the direction of motor rotation, and means responsive to the motor speed for varying the electrical power input to the motor. With a single-phase supply, one of the motor windings is in series with phase-shift capacitors, and with a discontinuously variable resistance the tap-off points of which are connected to successive segments of a commutator 44. A tapoff brush 46 is moved along the commutator 44 by means of a pivoted arm in response to the movement of a collar 51 along the motor shaft produced by the centrifugally-actuated elements 49 of a fly-ball actuator 47 on the shaft. Basket rotation may be cyclically reversed by cyclically reversing the motor lead connections. In the case of a washing machine, the resistance values between successive tap-off points of the variable resistance are chosen so that the basket accelerates smoothly (from rest say) to a given speed which it maintains, and so that when the water is drained off after washing and rinsing, the reduced basket moment of inertion results in a gradual acceleration to a higher speed during which any bundles of clothes are shaken out. To accelerate the basket rapidly to spin-drying speeds, a part of the variable resistance is then short-circuited for a time by the automatic timer followed by the short-circuiting of one or more of the capacitors. If the access door is opening during the cycle, the basket is stopped and the timer times out to the end of the cycle without performing the rest of the cycle. The basket has four internal fins at 90 degrees intervals on the side walls, a diametrically opposite pair in the front part of the basket and a similar pair in the gear, giving an improved sliding- tumbling washing action if the basket speed is such that the clothes are held on the walls by centrifugal force until say half way up the side. In the timer, two clock motors of different speeds are provided to give short and long wash cycles for delicate and regular fabrics respectively. In an alternative embodiment, a three-phase supply and motor are used with an autotransformer and no capacitors (Fig. 5, not shown). The autotransformer may be variable tapped in which case the variable resistance can be eliminated also, the wiper 46 being moved along the transformer taps. A drain pump, and a blower providing cooling air for the motor and variable resistance may be driven by the same (subsidiary) motor in which case a solenoid valve is provided in the drain conduit. Three rinses are provided, with hot or warm water, warm water and cold water respectively. |
