The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 1979
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1977
Frank R Burgener, Jr, Stevensville, MI (US);
Reinhold A Drews, Stevensville, MI (US);
John W Pielemeier, St. Joseph, MI (US);
Harry J Rasmussen, Three Rivers, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A vertical-axis, automatic washing machine has a central drive shaft for oscillatably driving a first agitator portion with a clutch member splined thereto. The clutch has downwardly-facing teeth having drive surfaces and slip surfaces. An auger or second agitator portion coaxial with the first agitator portion has cooperating upwardly-facing teeth. Upon a drive or forward oscillation of the drive shaft and first agitator portion, the drive surfaces engage one another to drive the auger portion in a stepwise rotation. During an opposite rotation of the first agitator portion, the slip surfaces engage one another and, where the contents of the washer basket retards a reverse movement of the auger, the teeth will slip past one another, with the clutch member reciprocating vertically upon its splined connection. An annular cushioning member placed between the clutch and the agitator parts cushions impacts between the teeth during such reciprocations by controlling the depth of tooth engagement. Thus, noise otherwise normally produced during ratcheting of the clutch is substantially reduced.