Belt-driven transfer arm clutch mechanism for agitator washer

摘要

A domestic clothes washer drive mechanism for oscillating an agitator in a nested pair of tubs wherein the inner tub is selectively rotatable by said mechanism and the outer tub is generally fixed against rotation and adapted to contain water. A pair of vertically spaced pulleys driven by a reversible motor and a single belt are rotatably mounted with concentric agitate and spin drive shafts related therewith. A radial transfer follower arm is pivotally secured to the agitator shaft intermediate the driven pulleys. The pulleys have opposed drive notches configured so that in one direction of motor rotation one pulley notch is operative to engage the arm and rotate the agitator shaft in a first direction through a predetermined arc, after which the opposed pulley notch is rotated into position and the arm escapes the one notch and is engaged by the opposed notch causing the agitator shaft to be driven in an oscillatable manner. Upon the motor and driven pulleys being operated in the opposite direction of rotation the follower arm is captured in a pulley notch and causes the spin shaft and tub to rotate.