Whirlpool Corporation

Roy C Oakley, Jr

James I Czech

A vertical axis washing machine characterized by a washing receptacle and drive means supported by three or more suspension element assemblies which each comprise a coil spring and an upper and lower mounting member each having a projection telescopically received in the respective end of the spring. During a washing cycle, the addition of washing liquid to the receptacle causes vertical displacement of the springs so that the projections on the upper and lower mounting members engage each other to provide a substantially solid support for the receptacle. With removal of the washing liquid from the receptacle, the spring forces raise the upper projection from the lower projection to eliminate the aforementioned support but the assemblies will to some extent, snub horizontal movement and dampen any simultaneous vertical movement, especially during excursion of the receptacle as the rotational frequency of the receptacle during an extraction cycle passes through the 'critical' or natural frequency of the suspended system. A vertical attitude of the washing receptacle is attained despite the fact that its center of gravity is not located at its geometric center by providing the suspension element assemblies with differing spring rates by varying the number of free coils of a spring in each of the suspension element assemblies.

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Coloma, MI, United States of America

Roy C Oakley, Jr