摘要 |
A clothes washing machine includes a water tub, a spin basket, and a clothes agitator. A vertical dehydrating shaft is fixed to the spin basket, and a laundering shaft extends coaxially within the dehydrating shaft. Upper and lower ends of the laundering shaft are connected to the agitator and a motor respectively, whereby rotation of the motor is always transmitted to the agitator. In order to selectively connect the dehydrating shaft to the laundering shaft (e.g., during a spin-drying operation), a connecting gear is mounted on the dehydrating shaft for rotation therewith and for vertical movement relative thereto. A power-driven actuator is provided for selectively moving the connecting gear up or down. When the connecting gear moves down, lower teeth thereon become operably connected to the motor so that the dehydrating shaft and laundering shaft rotate together. During a washing or rinsing operation, the connecting gear is moved up, whereby upper teeth thereon become connected to a fixed element, whereby the dehydrating shaft is fixed against rotation. One of the upper teeth, and one of the lower teeth, of the connecting gear are longer than the other teeth to guide the connecting gear into meshing relationship with other sets of teeth when the connecting gear is moved up and down.
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