Whirlpool Corporation

William F Robandt

Raymond W Spiegel

Roger J Cartier

Sandy C Gay

An agitator for a vertical-axis automatic clothes washing machine has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart vanes extending upwardly from a skirt adapted to overlie the bottom wall of a tub or receptacle. A corresponding plurality of lobe-like cams projects outwardly and upwardly from at or near the periphery of the skirt in the alternate spaces between the vanes. Each cam extends approximately 5 to 15.degree. upwardly from the horizontal and is geometrically defined by two edges forming a segment of the surface of a cone co-axial with the agitator. The inner edge of each cam has the radius of the circular perimeter of the agitator skirt with which the edge is co-linear; the upper edge either has a somewhat smaller radius in a crescent-shaped configuration or has an irregular, double-lobe configuration. The upper cam edges impel the clothes upwardly as the agitator oscillates to and fro, thereby promoting a successive movement of clothes downwardly, outwardly, upwardly, inwardly, and downwardly again, within the receptacle.

One-piece agitator with clothes directing cam

A coil assembly structure having an improved terminal arrangement whereby the coil electrical terminals are effectively positively maintained in association with the coil bobbin. The terminal includes a portion received in a recess in the bobbin. A spreader element is provided in the recess for urging a biting portion of the terminal into the sidewall of the recess to provide effectively positive maintained association of the terminal with the coil bobbin for improved subsequent electrical connection and encapsulation.

Growing community of inventors

St. Joseph, MI, United States of America

William F Robandt