General Electric Company

Sudhir D Savkar

Robert E Sundell

Walter Whipple

Roger Neal Johnson

Richard E Hornung

Robert D Lillquist

Gerhard Frind

Harold J Jenkins

John Marshall Hooker

Richard Leland Butsch

Brian D Lisek

Marshall Gordon Jones

Robert A Thompson

Russell Scott Miller

Carl M Penney

Gary L Leonard

Kiernan Francis Ryan

Lawson P Harris

Rok Sribar

Brain D Lisek

A washing machine having a variable speed motor. The washing machine has a basket for holding articles to be washed and has a first axis of rotation. A basket drive shaft connected to the basket drives the basket. An agitator disposed in the basket along the first axis of rotation agitates the article in the basket. An agitator drive shaft connected to the agitator drives the agitator. A variable speed motor, having a second axis of rotation which is not coincident with the first axis of rotation, drives the basket drive shaft and the agitator drive shaft. A coupler couples motion of the variable speed motor to the agitator drive shaft and basket drive shaft.

Washing machine having a variable speed motor

Bearing fretting conditions are eliminated in washing machines by providing a drive system in which the bearings are not loaded during the spin mode. The drive system includes an input shaft and first and second hubs rotatively mounted about the input shaft. The second hub is movable along the input shaft between a first position adjacent to the first hub and a second position displaced from the first hub. The drive system spins the washing machine's basket when the second hub is in its first position and oscillates the agitator when the second hub is in its second position. A brake disk is mounted to the second hub for movement therewith, and a brake surface is fixedly mounted to the washing machine adjacent to the brake disk so that the brake disk contacts the brake surface when the second hub is in its second position. Separation of the two hubs is accomplished by ball bearings which are unloaded when the second hub is in its first position.

Drive system for washing machine

A vibration sensing device including a strip bearing a pattern of markings. The strip is caused to slide back and forth in front of a sensor as the result of vibration or displacement of an object to which either the strip or the sensor is attached. By varying the spacing between the markings on strip, the direction and approximate speed of the motion can be sensed by the frequency of the signal generated by movement of the pattern past the sensor and its rate of change. The vibration sensing device can be made to sense out of balance (OOB) or vibratory motion of a piece of equipment such as a washing machine, motor engine or other device during use or transport.

Vibration sensing device

This invention relates to novel apparatuses for measuring deposit thickness during composite materials production. More particularly, this invention uses a composite's emission signature or a composite's reflectance signature, to measure deposit thickness.

Measuring deposit thickness in composite materials production

A transmission for driving an agitator in a washing machine includes a housing, an input shaft for being driven by a motor, and an output shaft for driving the agitator. The input shaft includes a crank disposed in the housing, and the output shaft includes a pinion disposed in the housing adjacent to the crank. A yoke is slidably mounted in the housing between the crank and pinion, and includes a rack operatively engaging the pinion along a pitchline, and a slot having a slot axis disposed perpendicularly to the pitchline which receives therein a slider rotatably joined to the crank. Rotation of the crank sinusoidally reciprocates the rack as the slider reciprocates in the slot, and reciprocation of the rack sinusoidally oscillates the pinion for driving the output shaft with minimum peak torque and drive power.

Low torque washing machine transmission

A suspension mounts a tub to a housing in a clothes washer. The suspension includes a coil spring having first and second loops at opposite ends thereof, and an integral rod joined thereto. A one-piece snubber has a resilient middle portion and opposite first and second lugs disposed inside the coil spring, with the first lug being aligned with the first loop, and the second lug being aligned with the second loop. The snubber middle portion includes a sidewall defining a cavity which changes in volume in response to excursions between the first and second lugs. The rod has a proximal end for joining one end of the spring to the washer housing, with the other end of the spring being joinable to the tub so that the snubber and spring cooperate together to provide a variable spring and damper suspension supporting the tub.

Coil spring and snubber suspension system for a washer

A drive mechanism for converting rotary oscillation of a washing machine clothes agitator to unidirectional rotation of an adjoining clothes auger includes a one-piece ratchet wheel, and a cooperating one-piece pawl wheel. The pawl wheel includes integral pawls, with each pawl having an elastically flexible arm supporting a bulbous distal end. The pawl wheel is fixedly joined to the agitator for rotary oscillation therewith, and the ratchet wheel is fixedly joined to the auger. Rotary oscillation of the agitator correspondingly rotates the pawl wheel for intermittently engaging the pawls with the ratchet teeth which drive the ratchet wheel in a single direction for correspondingly rotating the auger joined thereto.

Washer auger with flexible ratchet drive

A drive mechanism for converting rotary oscillation of a washing machine clothes agitator to intermittent unidirectional rotation of an adjoining clothes auger includes a ratchet wheel and cooperating ratchet pawls. The wheel includes axially oppositely facing top and bottom sides, with the top side having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart ratchet teeth, and the bottom side being configured for being fixedly joined to the clothes agitator. The pawls are vertically suspended from a support disk for allowing gravity to engage the pawls with the ratchet teeth as the ratchet wheel oscillates with the agitator, with the support disk being driven in a single direction by the pawls for correspondingly rotating the auger joinable thereto.

Washer auger with gravity assisted ratchet drive

A novel ball-type auger ratchet mechanism which may be used with washer agitators and augers. More particularly this mechanism comprises a top cap, a simplified cam, and a plurality of balls. The structures described have fewer parts than conventional auger ratchet mechanisms, and ultimately are easier to assemble and cost less. Furthermore, both embodiments of the instant invention, use mechanical means to achieve a positive locking and non-slipping action, rather that the conventional frictional force mechanisms.

Ball-type auger ratchet mechanism for agitator/auger systems

A horizontal axis clothes washing machine. A rotatable clothes basket has a generally longitudinally extending and generally horizontally disposed axis of rotation. The clothes basket is rotatably attached to a generally surrounding first member (which is a tub). A second member (which is a cabinet) generally surrounds the tub. At least two spaced-apart tub suspension subassemblies each include a cylinder, a rod, a piston, and a spring. The cylinder is attached to one of the first and second members. The rod has a first end positioned within the cylinder and has a second end attached to the other of the first and second members. The piston is positioned within the cylinder and is attached to the first end of the rod. The spring is positioned within the cylinder between the first and second ends of the rod. Preferably, a pair of balance rings are attached to the clothes basket.

Horizontal axis clothes washing machine with tub suspension

A novel dispenser cup which may be employed in washing machines or other mechanical devices. More particularly, this dispenser cup mechanism comprises a top cap fixedly positioned above a bottom cup. This dispenser cup uses a parabolic shape in order to fully dispense a laundry additive placed within.

Two piece laundry additive dispenser cup

A plurality of snubbers for a washing machine dampens and isolates unbalanced load excursions by using the positive displacement pumping action of air being forced through an orifice in each snubber. One end of each snubber is attached to the washing machine housing and the other end attached to the tub or mounting platform and has a resilient middle portion sidewall defining a cavity that changes in volume to minimize the effects basket excursions caused by unbalanced loads. The snubber sidewall defines an orifice providing a passageway for egress and ingress of air during the change in volume. The orifice meters air so that the resiliency of the snubber is greater for low frequency excursions than for high frequency excursions to thereby function as a damper for low frequency excursions and as a gas spring for high frequency excursions.

Washing machine with snubbers for limiting unbalanced load vibration

A novel auger clutch mechanism which may be used with washer agitators and augers. More particularly this mechanism comprises an outer clutch housing and a clutch, wherein the clutch is positioned within the housing. The clutch has a number of outwardly extending ligaments which are flexible enough to be rolled up. When rolled up, the ligaments restrict movement in one direction, yet allow the clutch to move freely in the opposite direction.

Growing community of inventors

Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Sudhir D Savkar