Whirlpool Corporation

Eric M Coates

James Phillips Carow

Gerald L Kretchman

Victor W Cuthbert

David W Carr

Anthony Mason

A drive and support system for a bottom plate disposed in the bottom of a wash basket of an automatic washer. The bottom plate is driven to radially gyrate or wobble within the wash basket by an output shaft which extends upwardly though the bottom and is rotatable in a first and second direction. A spin tube is disposed coaxially about the output shaft and has a top end which engages the bottom of the basket. The spin tube is co-rotatable in the second direction with the output shaft. A universal joint pivotably supports the wash plate about the top end of the spin tube. Drive means connect the wash plate with the upper end of the output shaft such that the wash plate is disposed in an angled orientation when the output shaft is driven in the first direction and the wash plate is disposed in a level orientation when the output shaft is driven in the second direction. In this manner, the bottom plate is supported for wobbling during the wash portion of the wash cycle and is supported in a level orientation during the spin extraction portion of the wash cycle.

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Stevensville, MI, United States of America

Eric M Coates