US2785557A - Apparatus for the complete laundering of fabrics - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1957 w, w JR 2,785,557

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet l March 19, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 72 6' 0 657/59 INVEN March 19, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR 2,785,557

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952 SheatsSheet :5

// INVEN TOR.

BY wzpgyflu 2,785,557 APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF- FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952' March 19, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR

7 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 y a m Z March 19, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING 0F FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 19, 1957 w. E. STlLWELL, JR

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF FABRICS Filed Jan. 11, 1952 "r She ets-Sheet Is law VI March 19, 1957 w. E. STILWELL, JR 2,785,557

APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDERING OF FABRICS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 11, 1952- NN K jeZ/azycie Ja/rfral United States Patent APPARATUS FOR THE COMPLETE LAUNDER- ING F FABRICS Wiiliam E. Stilwell, Jr., Glendale, Ohio, assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1952, Serial No. 266,050

32 Claims. (Cl. 68-12) This invention relates to fabric laundering machines, and particularly to a machine which washes and dries the fabrics in a single cycle of operation.

it has long been an object in the art of laundering machines to achieve the washing and drying of fabrics in a single cycle of operation in such a short time as to render such machines commercially acceptable. In such a type of machine, the fabrics are placed therein and removed therefrom in the dry state, thus avoiding the handling of wet fabrics as occurs today.

it has been a further object in the art to achieve drying of fabrics in a short cycle of time, using energy froma conventional 1l5-volt circuit rather than from a 230- volt circuit which is employed in driers now supplied to the trade.

All of these objects or achievements have been attained in the laundering machine of the present invention, which is a continuation-in-part of the copending application of- W. E. Stilwell, Jr. Serial No. 245,585, filedSeptember 7, 1951, and licensed to the assignee of the present in vention.

The tub, receptacle and cabinet employed in the present invention are substantially the same as disclosed in the copending application. The receptacle is of a size required to properlydry six pounds of fabrics, and is operated in a manner to properly wash this amount of fabrics. The cabinet is completely insulated and is constructed of a size to have the desired width and depth while being of counter height to conform to the heightof sinks and other cabinets or appliances with which the laundering machine may be employed.

A new principle of washing and drying is incorporated in the laundering machine by which it is possible to accomplish the washing and drying operations in forty-five minutes or less time when the electrical elements thereof are energized solely from a single ll5-volt electric circuit. The laundering machine utilizes a closed air-circulating system which transfers no moisture or lint to the surrounding atmosphere which heretofore occurred when drying machines now furnished to the trade performed a drying operation. drying and circulating structure is supported on the tub along with the motor and speed-reducing drive mechanism. This structure embodies a blower which exhausts through a conduit containing the heat-accumula-v tor-and-exchanger unit which is connected to an opening through the rear wall of the tub.

The blower draws the air through a partitioned duct in which a dehumidifier is located to form part of the partition. The partitioned duct permits a division of the hot, humid air being drawn from the tub so that a portion thereof will pass directly into the blower while the other portion must first pass through the desumidifier. A temperature-regulated damper may be placed in the lat: ter section of the partitioned duct for the purpose of changing the relative amounts of air flowing through the two sections of the duct. This was found to be exceptionally beneficial when drying the fabrics by the newly An exceedingly simple airdeveloped method practiced by the herein described laundering machine.

By maintaining he saturation of the air in the 100% recirculatory system at a relatively high value, the latent eat of the vapor in the air entering the tub is much higher than if the air had a lower moisture content. Furthermore, by using air having a high temperature, the total heat content of a given volume of air-vapor mixture (the total heat content being defined as the sum of the sensible heat of the air and the latent heat of the vapor) can be made higher and thus the ability to heat the fabrics to a satisfactory. evaporating temperature is increased. All of the recirculatory air may be passed through a dehumidifier, with the cooling medium controlled so as to remove only a small percentage of moisture content of the air. Similar results could be obtained by passing only a portion, say 25%, of the air through the condenser, removing a greater percentage of moisture therefrom, which percentage, when added to the air bypassing the condenser, would have the same amount of moisture removed, as in the first example, when all of the air is passed through the condenser. In any of the arrangements a high moisture content is maintained in the air passing from the tub, and the moisture removed by the condenser would be an amount substantially equal to the amount of water removed from the fabrics and any additional amount required to maintain the substantially constant moisture content due to the lowering of the temperature of the recirculatory air. Thus, the heating of the air which is delivered back into the container increases the ability of the air to evaporate water and to carry away vapor from within the container manyfold while maintaining the fabrics and casing walls at a high temperature which also increases the rate of removal of the water and vapors from the fabrics. To maintain high efiiciency, at least during the predominant part of the drying cycle, the input air to the container should be less than 50% saturation and greater than 10% saturation, and the output air from the container should be greater than 50% saturation and less than saturation.

The reasons that such high drying efi'iciencies are obtained are, first, practically all of the thermal radiation losses, normally occurring in drying machines, are eliminated by housing the tub and all the operating parts of the machine within a thermally insulated and sealed cabinet; and second, the centrifuging efiiciency per R. P. M. of the rotating inner receptacle per pound of fabrics and water being centrifuged is higher than is found elsewhere in laundering receptacles of the size disclosed herein. The final spin rinse occurs with the highest tap-water temperature available, which results not only in the fabrics and their contained moisture being at an unconventionally high thermal-energy level, but also the viscosity, decreasing with the increase in temperature, facilitates the centrifuging operation.

The decrease in viscosity is assisted during the latter part of the final centrifuging operation by the drawing of heated air from the heat accumulator and exchanger at high temperatures due to the circulation thereof caused by the rotation of the receptacle at high speed, which thereby favorably affects the viscosity of the water in the fabrics and elevates the temperature thereof to a higher thermal-energy level. As a result, the combina: tion of the high tap-water temperature during the spin rinse and the thermal energy removed from the thermal accumulator produces a centrifuging efiiciency equal to centrifugers having three and a half times the centrifugal force obtained in the present machine when not employing the high temperature spin rinse and the heat from the thermal accumulator. This theory is entirely contrary to the conventional concept that the drying process is best accomplished with dry air.

The present laundering machine is operated on a new principle that the highest drying rate will obtain when the output air from the blower is maintained at a saturation of 70% to 80% and a thermal-energy level ranging from 175 to 210 F. dry bulb. The reasons for this unconventional solution to the fabric drying problems are, first, the moisture-carrying ability of air is generally considered to be double with each 20 elevation in temperature; second, the facility with which water may be evaporated from fabrics will depend in large measure on the temperature at which the fabrics are maintained during the evaporating cycle. To this end, hot, moist air, having a higher total heat than hot, dry air, will be able, by conduction and/ or convection, to heat the fabrics to the desired evaporating temperature; and third, the evaporating efliciency is enhanced by keeping the entire recirculatory drying system on the maximum thermalenergy level commensurate with the electrical-energy input to the thermal exchanger.

The principle employed in the laundering machine by which the successful and rapid drying of fabrics is accomplished in an extremely short time on a single 115- volt circuit, is based on the approximated theory that a 20 F. rise in temperature of air will substantially double its moisture-carrying ability, and also on the assumption that the recirculated air will be maintained at a high temperature. For this reason, only a portion of the continuously circulated air is bypassed through the dehumidifier to lower the weight and the dry-bulb temperature thereof by condensing a portion of the water vapor therefrom. Thus, for example, if the temperature of the 25% bypassed saturated air is lowered 20, half of the water-vapor content thereof is removed, and when this air is mixed with the 75% which bypassed the dehumidifier, then the water vapor removed from the aggregate would be one-eighth of that contained in the air when drawn from the tub. The temperature of the air before being delivered back to the tub will be raised approximately 80 above that when drawn into the blower after passing through the heat accumulatorexchanger, and the ability of this air to evaporate water will be raised many fold.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a laundering machine for washing and drying fabrics in a single cycle of operation within an acceptable time, operating from a single 1l5-volt circuit; to employ a 100% recirculatory system of air during the drying cycle in which the air is maintained at a high total heat; to provide a closed system of air circulation in a laundering machine in which a portion of the circulating moist air is passed through a dehumidifier to remove part of the vapor content therefrom and is mixed with the remainder of the moist air not so treated before passing the resulting mixture through the accumulator and exchanger unit, and, in general, to provide a laundering machine for washing and drying fabrics which is simple in construction, positive in operation and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laundering machine embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the laundering machine illustrated in Fig. 1, with the ironer cover and loading door in open position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 77 thereof;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5, taken on the line 88- thereof;

Fig. 9 is a reduced, fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 99 thereof;

Fig. 10 is a reduced, fragmentary horizontal sectional v view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the on the line 11-11 thereof;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 11, taken on the line 1212 thereof; Fig. 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 1313 thereof;

Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 13, taken on the line 1414 thereof;

Fig. 15 is a time chart illustrating the time of operation of the various components of the laundering machine;

Fig. 16 is a wiring diagram which may be employed in the laundering machine of the present invention;

Fig. 17 (Sheet No. l) is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, showing another form of the invention, and

Fig. 18 (Sheet No. 6) is a view of structure, similar to that shown in Fig. 12, illustrating a further form which the invention may assume.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a complete laundering machine embodying a cabinet containing a tub having therein a rotor in which the fabrics are washed and completely dried, and having thereon, as a separate component, a mangle-ironer unit. The cabinet embodies a I metal casing 17 having side Walls 18 and 19 which are extended upwardly at 21 in unit relation with a top panel 22 which extends a short distance downwardly at the rear at 23. The side panels may be in continuation with a front panel 24 to form a wrap-around type of cabinet having a cutaway area 25 in which an ironer unit 26 is located. A cover 27 is hinged at 28 to be moved in closed position over the ironer unit in continuation of the top panel 22, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or to be in open position and swung back upon the top panel, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when the ironer unit is in use.

The cabinet is completely sealed and insulated by in ternal insulating and sealing material 29 and the back opening is enclosed by a removable panel 31 which is also covered on its inner face by the insulating material 29. The panel is secured in position by a plurality of wing nuts 32 provided at the top and bottom and along the sides, if necessary, so that the nuts may be readily removed along with the back panel from studs 33 provided about the rear wall of the cabinet. The front panel 24 has an opening 34 therein which is closed by a door 35 hinged along the bottom edge of the opening by a hinge 36. The door 35 may be provided with a glass window 37 which is sealed thereto in the conventional manner so that the movement of the fabrics within the receptacle may be viewed during the operating cycle. The bottom of the cabinet thus described is rigidly secured to angle members 38 which are welded to each other to form a square supporting frame for the cabinet.

Those angle members 38, which extend laterally across the front and rear of the machine, support channel members 39 which extend from the front to the rear of the cabinet near each side panel 18 and 19 thereof. Apertures 41 are provided in the angle members near the forward and rear ends thereof, through which a threaded stud 42 of a bracket 43. extends when the brackets are secured to the members. A floordeveling grommet 44 is threaded upon the stud 42 for leveling the laundering rnachine and for directly supporting the load of the tub and mechanism supported thereon. An arm 45 is pivoted at its lower end on a pin 46 on each bracket 43, the opposite end forming an oval sleeve 47 in which a resilient sleeve 48, made of rubber or the like, is bonded to the inner surface of the sleeve 47. Oval-shapcd hubs 49 are bonded to the inner surfaces of the resilient sleeves 48. Arms 51, having a bifurcated end 52 spanning the hubs, are secured thereto in a suitable manner, herein illustrated as by rivets 53. The opposite ends of the arms 51 are bifurcated at 54 to receive protruding studs 55 on brackets 56 to which they are secured by pivots 57. The brackets are attached directly to the forward lower portion of a tub 58 at each side thereof, While brackets 69 at the rear of the cabinet are secured to channel members 59 which are secured to the tub 58 and extend beyond a rear wall 61 of the tub -8. Removable bracing elements 63 may be employed for connecting lower ribs 62 of the rear wall of the tub to the ends of the channel members 59 by bolts 70. In this manner, the tub and all of the elements attached thereto are supported on the pairs of arms 45 and 51 through the rubber sleeves 48 at the four corners of the cabinet, for a purpose which will be described specifically hereinafter.

The tub has a peripheral wall 64 having a front flange 65 to which a front wall 66 is secured. The wall 66 may be of standard thickness or may be made heavy, as explained in the above-mentioned copending application, for the purpose of shifting the center of weight of the tub forwardly from the rear wall. At the rear of the tub, an outwardly presented channel 68 is provided for receiving the rear wall 61 which is secured thereto by a wrap-around ring 69 which engages mating flanges 71 and 72 on the peripheral wall 64 and rear wall 61, respectively. The channeLsh-aped ring 69 is drawn tightly about the flanges by a bolt 73, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The front wall 66 is provided with an opening 74 substantially the shape of the opening 34 in the front wall 24 of the cabinet, the openings being sealed relative to each other by a suitable seal element 75 which is flexible to permit vibratory movement of the tub independently of the cabinet. The central bottom area of the tub is provided with a plurality of openings 76 which communicate with a channel-shaped drain housing 77 which is welded to the bottom of the tub and which has an outlet port 78 provided in a drain Well 79 thereof and communicating with a drain valve 70.

Within the tub is mounted a rotatable cylindrical receptacle 80 which may be of the built-up or drawn type, having a rear wall 82 reinforced by embossed ribs 83 and having a plurality of vanes 84 in a peripheral wall 31 extending horizontally along the entire width of the peripheral wall, the vanes being herein illustrated as six in number. The receptacle has an annular vertical front wall 85 which extends toward the horizontal axis of the cylinder only a short distance in order to provide a large opening 86 in the front face of the receptacle. A sealing element 37 seals the edge of the opening 86 to the front wall 66 of the tub. The rear wall 82 of the receptacle has an annular opening 88 therein covered by a screen 89 across which the embossed portion of each of the ribs 83 extends. The central portion of the rear Wall 82 has a hub 91 secured thereto for receiving an end portion 92 of a shaft 93 which is supported in bearings 94 in a hub 95 on the rear wall 61 of the tub. A pulley 96 is secured to the shaft 93 in driving relation by a key 97 and by a stud 98 threaded into the end of the shaft. The rear wall 61 of the tub is provided with annular sealing elements 99 and 101 at each side of the annular opening 38 in the rear wall of the receptacle for sealing the opening between the walls 61 and 82 in the area of the open. ing 88, for a purpose which will be described hereinafter.

The plurality of ribs 33, as illustrated in Fig. 9, which span the annular opening 88 in the rear wall of the re,- ceptacle 80, have side flanges 102 at opposite ends ad; jacent each side of the opening, by which the ribs are securely welded to rigidly connect the central and outer portions of the receptacle rear wall 82. It will be noted that the peripheral wall 81 of the receptacle is provided with a plurality of apertures 103 through which water in the tub may pass and fro-m which the water within the rotor and fabrics may be extracted. The direction of rotation of receptacle is indicated by an arrow in Fig. 9, and each vane has its leading wall disposed slightly be yond radial position for lifting the fabrics to a desired height and the vane walls are void of apertures so that the fabrics can readily slide from the vanes when raised to the desired height. It will be noted further in Figs. 3 and 9 that the hub 91 of the receptacle is secured to the end portion 92 of the shaft 93 by a stud 104.

A pivot-providing bracket 105 is mounted on the top of the tub S3, and supports a tiltable platform for a motor 106 which may be tilted on the bracket for tightening a belt 112 that drives a speed-reducer unit 107. The speedreducer unit is pivoted on a bracket 108 which is welded or otherwise secured to the peripheral wall of the tub 58. The pivot of the bracket 108 is so located that the tension applied by the motor through the belt 112 to the speed reducer tightens a belt 114 to the receptacle pulley 96. Springs 1490 extend between the motor-carrying platform and the tub wall 6 and are so tensioned as to bias the motor for tilting in a direction that will tighten the belts 112 and 11 The motor 106 drives a pulley 109 for driving a pulley 111 on a forward side of the speeds reducer unit 107 through the belt 112. Another pulley 113 spaced from a rear side of the speed reducer drives the pulley 96 for rotating the receptacle through the belt 114. A bearing 115 spaced from the rear of the speed reducer and disposed adjacent to the pulley 113 is supported in a suitable spider bracket 116 mounted on and extending rearwardly from the rear face of the speedreducer unit. In this arrangement, the motor drives the receptacle at different speeds through the speed reducer, the selected speed being controlled through the gears and clutches of the speed-reducer unit as operated by solenoids hereinafter described.

A channel bracket 117 is mounted on the rear angle member 33 at the bottom of the cabinet for supporting a pump motor 113 and a pump 119 which is secured thereto. A flexible conduit 121 connects the drain valve 70 at the outlet port 78 of the drain well 79 to the pump. The outlet side of the pump is connected through a flexible conduit 122 to a conduit 123 at the top of the cabinet, which may be directed to a drain or permanently connected thereto. A cold-water inlet 124 and a hotwater inlet 125 are connected to a solenoid-operated valve 126 for delivering water at a controlled temperature through a conduit 127 and a backflow-preventer device 128 which is connected by a conduit 129 to a delivery nozzle 131 in the rear wall 61 of the tub and opposite to the opening $3 in the rear wall 82 of the receptacle 80. The nozzle has a thin slot therein for producing a force spray. The device 128 has a weight valve which prevents a suction in the line 127 from drawing the delivered water or the created suds into the hot and cold water lines 125, 124 should a suction occur therein. The weight valve 13-0 rests upon the lower seat and seals the line 127 from the line 129 and rests against the upper seat when water is admitted through the device 128 to the line 129. The air dome above the upper seat has outlet openings through which the interior of the tub breathes through the line 129 when the Weight valve 130 rests upon the lower seat. A conduit 135, also having a backflow-preventing device 128 therein from the co1dwater inlet conduit 124, bypasses the valve 126, the delivery of water from the conduit 135 being controlled by the solenoid-operated valve 136 which is adjustable 7 toaccurately regulate the delivery of water therefrom; A'flexible conduit 137 directs the water from thevalve 136 to the top of a condenser 138 which is mounted within an air-intake housing 139, as illustrated more specifically in Figs. 11 and 12.

The top of the tub 58 has an aperture 141 in its upper peripheral wall enclosed by the housing 139. The opening is enclosed by a fine screen 142 which forms a trap for the lint picked up by the air as it is withdrawn from the tub. A partition 143 divides the opening into two sections 144 and 145, the section 144 forming a direct passage for the flow of air from the tub aperture 141 to a blower-inlet conduit 146, while the air passing through the section 145 is passed through the condenser 138 to thereafter-mix with the air drawn through the section 14-4 whenever suction is produced in the blower inlet conduit 146. The amount of air passing through the condenser relative to the amount which bypasses the condenser is controlled by a damper 147 having an arm 1 53 thereon which is operated by a bimetallic thermostatic element 149. When the temperature of the air passing through the section 145 is high, the shutter 147 is in fully open position. As the temperature drops, the shutter begins to close, thereby reducing the amount of air passing through the condenser relative to the amount which bypasses the condenser.

A flexible conduit 151 connects the outlet port at the bottom of the condenser 138 to the suction side of the pump 119. A blower 152, of the Sirocco fan type, is connected to the tub for support by means of its inlet conduit 146 on the air-intake housing 139 and by its outlet conduit 153 which is supported by a tub-mounted sleeve 158. A motor 154 is mounted on the top of the casing of the blower 152, and has a pulley 155 thereon connected in driving relation to a pulley 156 on the blower 152 by a belt 157. The outlet conduit 153 projects within the sleeve (see Fig. 13) having an elbow 159 on the lower end which communicates with the interior of the tub 58 through an aperture confronting the annular opening 38 in the rear wall or" the receptacle 89. A heavywalled tube 161 is supported within the sleeve 158, preferably in spaced relation to the wall thereof. The tube 161 is herein illustrated as being spaced from the wall by spacing washers 163 and is supported on the wall by screws 164. The upper end of the tube may be tapered, as at 165, in the manner illustrated, or at different angles, for regulating the amount of air passing through the tube 161 to that passing over the outer wall thereof. A sheath heating strip 166 is wound within the inner wall of the tube 161 to be in direct contact with the wall thereof. The terminal ends of the strip 166 extend through insulators 167 which, in turn, extend through the sleeve 158 and through a cover of insulating material 171 near the upper and lower ends of the tube 161. The heating strip is secured to the ends of current supply conductors by nuts 168 on stud ends of the heating strip. A sinuous partition 169 is provided within the tube 161 for the purpose of causing turbulence to the air passing through the tube so that heat will be readily picked up by the air from the wall of the tube 161 and the heating strip 166. Insulating material 171 is applied to the sleeve 158 and the elbow 159 and is retained thereon by a fabric material and by suitable bands 172 in the conventional manner. It is to be understood that any other method may be employed for insulating the sleeve 158 and the elbow 159. The heavy walled tube 161 forms an accumulator for heat which is built up therein before heat is required in the cycle of operation of the laundering machine, as will be explained hereinafter.

The mangle ironer 26 is of a type illustrated and described in the above-mentioned copending application, the ironer being mounted upon a bed plate 173 which is secured by a pivot 174 to a shelf 175 at the bottom of the area of the cabinet in position to be enclosed by the cover 27. The corner of the base plate 17 3 rearwardly ofthe pivot 174 is provided with an arcuate flange 176 which projects below a flange 177 of an arcuate guiding element 178 which is mounted upon the shelf 175. This permits the platform to swing outwardly at right angles to the front of the cabinet, as illustrated in broken lines at 179 of Fig. 5. The arcuate flange 176 provides stability to the platform and ironer mounted thereon in all positions of its movement. A flexible driving element 181 connects driving gears of a pressure roll 182 of the ironer to the speed-reducer unit 107, from which the ironer roll is driven. The roll is moved toward and away from an ironer shoe 183 which is heated by an electric resistance heating element contained therein and which is rigidly mounted on the bed plate 173. A rail element 184 is mounted on the shelf to support the end of the base plate 173 opposite to the end containing the pivot 17%, a front end portion 185 of the rail element being sloped to cam the plate upwardly upon the rail. The closing movement of the base plate is limited by an up wardly projecting flange 186 provided at the inner end of the rail element and with which the base plate 173 engages.

In a modified construction shown in Fig. 17, a shoe 183' of the ironer is placed in rear of a roll 182' and the ironer is stationary on the shelf 175 and has its open end disposed either to the left or right when facing the machine, and is herein illustrated as being disposed to the left. In either arrangement the flexible shaft is driven at all times when the motor 196 is running; and a clutch 180 (see Fig. 16) is engaged by a solenoid 209 when the roll 182 is to be driven. Foot-control switches are provided at the bottom of the cabinet, as illustrated in the above-mentioned copending application, for controlling the operation of both embodiments of the ironer, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of said copending application. When one switch is operated, the roll is moved to force the fabrics against the shoe as the fabrics are advanced thereacross by the rotation of the roll. When the other switch is operated, the rotation of the roll is interrupted so that a pressing operation on the fabrics will occur.

In Fig. 3 a latching bar 187 is urged by a spring 188 into latching relation with the door 35, the upward un latching movement of the rod being produced by the action of a push rod 189 operating on a bell crank 191. When the door is closed, a cam surface 192 thereon earns the rod 187 upwardly to permit the rod to pass thereover into latching position.

When using the laundering machine, the release rod 189 is pushed inwardly to release the door, which may then drop downwardly so that the fabrics may be placed within the receptacle 8t) along with a suitable detergent. Thereafter the door is closed and retained in latched position and a control knob 193 of a cam-operated, motordriven contact switch 194 (see Fig. 16) is then turned to on position. This completes a circuit to the motor 106 which is energized throughout the cycle of operation on the fabrics, as is evident from the cycling chart illustrated in Fig. 15. Simultaneously, the mixing valve 126 is opened to deliver water through the nozzle 131 at a temperature which is controlled by a temperature control knob 195 for the particular kind of fabrics to be laundered. The water is delivered at a set rate so that after a predetermined time the quantity of water desired will be introduced into the tub 58, at which time the mixing valve 126 is shut off. Simultaneously, when the knob 193 is moved to on position, the heating element 166 is energized for storing heat in the tube 161.

The heating unit 166 has a rating of substantially 1500 watts so that the aggregate watt requirement for the heating element and the motor 106 will be within the 1800 watts permissible to be drawn from the 115-v0lt circuit. After the washing cycle, which requires substantially ten minutes, and during which the fabrics are tumbled within the rotating receptacle 80 and in the. water provided in the bottom of the tub, the drain valve 70 opens for approximately one minute of time to drain off the water from the tub. The drain valve then closes and rinse water is directed into the tub, and this water is then drained ofl. after approximately three minutes of time. Near the end of this period, the heating unit is temporarily cut off from the supply line, after which the receptacle is operated at high speed through the change of gearing in the speedreducer unit 107 to spin the water from the fabrics for approximately one minute while the drain valve is open and maintained open throughout the remaining operation on the fabrics.

After one minute of centrifugal extraction, hot water is sprayed into the receptacle 80 and onto the fabrics therein, and after one more minute the water is shut off and the extracting cycle is completed in three additional minutes. Thereafter, the receptacle is driven at low speed and the motor 154 of the blower 152 is operated to circulate air through the tub, receptacle and fabrics to produce the drying of the fabrics. Satisfactory drying for ironing may occur in sixteen minutes or less, while complete fluff drying may require an additional ten minutes or less, so that in all, the maximum time required for washing and drying the fabrics is forty-five minutes or less. At the end of the cycle, the contact switch 194 moves to off position, interrupting all of the contacts and circuits controlled thereby.

It will be noted in the complete cycle of operation on the fabrics that the tumble wash and rinse occurs in substantially fourteen minutes and that the heat stored in the fabrics from the water, which is employed in the washing and rinsing cycle, is retained in a fabrics, rotor, tub and the area within the insulated casing. It will also be noted that the high Wattage requirement of the motor 106, when building up the speed of the receptacle 80 from low washing to high centrifuging speed, is made available by cutting off the circuit to the heating element 166, so that the 1800 watts will be available for the motor during this time. When the high speed for the receptacle has been reached or has passed through the high wattage requirement, the heating element 166 is again connected to the circuit, since the motor requirement will then be that for running speed and the requirement for the motor at running speed and that for the heater will be within the 1800 watts that are available from the ll-volt circuit. The hot Water available from the tap is then sprayed into the receptacle 80 and onto the fabrics for raising the temperature thereof and substantially increasing the water extraction from the fabrics due to the increased flowability of the contained water. By so heating the water within the fabrics, such heating being augmented by the heated air sucked from the tube 161 by the high speed operation of the receptacle, the moisture remaining in the fabrics may be brought down to the order of approximately .3 pound of water per pound of fabrics. This highly efficient centrifugal extraction substantially reduces the drying requirement that will be imposed on the blower-recirculated and heated air for completely drying the fabrics. This is due to the small amount of water remaining in the fabrics after the extracting operation.

During the centrifugal extraction period, after the hot water has been delivered thereto, the rotation of the receptacle within the tub will suck in air from the accumulator-exchanger tube 161 at a temperature of approximately 500 to 600 R, which will further raise the temperature of the wet fabrics without harming the fabrics, and thereby increase the vllowability of the water and the rate of water extraction from the fabrics. After the high-speed extraction of the Water from the fabrics, the fabrics are then tumbled within the receptacle at a low speed, substantially 52 R. P. M. for sixteen minutes through the same gearing of the speed reducer 107 which operated the receptacle at substantially 48 R. P. M. :due to the load on the receptacle by the Water contained within the tub in which the lower portion of the receptacle and the fabrics contained therein were immersed. After the high-speed operation, the motor to the blower is connected to the circuit to produce the recirculation of. the air within the tub through the receptacle and fabrics being tumbled therein, which air will attain the highest temperat-ure reached during the slow-speed tumble-to-dry cycle, because of the transfer :to the recirculated air of that portion of the stored heat remaining within the accumulator exchanger tube 161 after the centrifugal extraction period. This air soon approaches a saturation point having a high total heat, which is important for obtaining high drying elliciency. The initially recirculated air may reach a temperature of from 300 to 350 E, which temperature slowly drops because the input energy of the heating strip 166 will not entirely offset the cooling caused by evaporation, and because the heat remaining in the accumu-lator-exchange tube 161 is gradually dissipated. Since, when the fabrics are the wettest, higher air temperatures may be employed without damaging the fabrics, and since the air temperatureprogressively lowers as the moisture content of the fabric lowers, the drying cycle of this apparatus results in extremely efiicient drying of the fabrics.

As the vapor-laden air is drawn by the blower into the condenser housing 139, approximately three-quarters thereof passes through the section 144 from the tub and directly into the conduit 146 on the suction side of the blower. The other twenty-five percent of the air passes through the section 14.5 and through the dehumidifier 138, after which it co-mingles with the by-passed air and is drawn through the blower to again be heated when passing through the accumulator-exchanger tube 161. During the passage of the 25% air through the condenser 13%, the temperature of the air drops and water is condensed therefrom so that when the mingled air is again heated its ability to take up water has been expanded many fold, while the requirement of cold water, air, or other medium employed for cooling the condenser 1333, is substantially smaller than would be required if all of the recirculated air passed theret-hrough. Further, if all of the air were passed through the dehumidifier, too much moisture would be taken from the air, its total heat would be substantially lowered, and an unnecessary loss of heat would thereby occur, affecting the efliciency of the drying operation. To this end, as the temperature of the air drops, the damper 147 begins to close through the operation of the thermostat 149, so that a proportionately smaller amount of air passes through the condenser, thereby retaining the high total heat of the recirculated air. Only that amount of moisture is taken from the air at any time, as will enable such air, after being again heated, to have a substantial capacity to take up moisture.

The flow of air occurs at a rate of approximately cubic feet per minute, and in a tub of four cubic foot volume, substantially thirty changes of air will occur during each minute of drying operation. This passage of hot, moist air, with a maximum ability to take up moisture, contributes substantially to the rapid drying of the fabrics after a substantial amount of water has been removed from the fabrics by the centrifuging operation at high temperature. The operation contemplates retaining all of the heat within the cabinet and the fabrics after the washing operation and efficiently employing the heat from. the l500-watt heating element energized from the ll5-volt circuit, so that the washing and drying cycles are performed in forty-five minutes or less of time. In such a machine, the fabrics are dry when handled, being dry when placed within the receptacle and when removed therefrom.

After the fabrics have been washed and dried, the door 35 may then be opened, the lid 2'7 raised, and the ironer 26 swung outwardly into operating position. The motor ms is then available for driving the speed reducer 107 and the flexible drive element 181 for operating the mangle roll 182 in the normal manner bysuitable controls carried on the bed 173 but not herein illustrated.

The fabrics may be. removed piece by piece from the receptacle and passed through the ironer, to thereby substantially reduce the amount of handling of the fabrics.

The supporting arms 51 and 45, interconnected by the resilient sleeves 48, form resilient supporting units for the tub, motors, blowers, and other elements secured thereto. The resilient supporting units form the damping means for limiting vibration of the tub, which occurs whenever the contents of the rotating receptacle form an unbalanced load, but especially when the speed of the receptacle is changing from washing to centrifuging speed, or when the receptacle is operating at centrifuging speed. The ironer unit mounted on the shelf 175 provides the necessary weight at the forward portion of the cabinetto eliminate any vibration to the cabinet as the tub is vibrating, while the rearwardly extending arms 59 on the tub space the rear resilient supporting units rearwardly so that the center of gravity of the tub and the elements secured thereto is not only between the four supporting elements but closer to the two rear supporting elements than to the two forward elements. Because the center of weight of the tub and elements mounted thereon is toward the rear, the resilient sleeves 48 thereof may have difiierent characteristics from those mounted at the front of the tub so as to produce a greater snubbing force at the rear than at the front of the tub.

The receptacle 80 is dimensioned to handle efficiently six pounds of dry fabrics for washing, and for subsequently performing a drying operation thereon. The

receptacle herein illustrated is 16" deep from the front to the rear walls, and 24" in diameter, providing four cubic feet of volume, which conforms to the capacity of efiieient drying machines handling one and a half pounds of fabrics for each cubic foot of content. The peripheral wall of the receptacle is provided with six vanes so as to handle the six pounds of fabrics efficiently for washing and drying. Normally, the receptacle could satisfactorily wash substantially 12 pounds of fabrics, but greater efficiency is obtained in the washing of the six pounds of fabrics and in conforming to the capacity of the receptacle for drying, by operating at a Washing speed of substantially 48 R. P. M. which carries the fabrics to the top of the receptacle where they fall off in a parabolic path and drop downwardly onto the bottom portion of the receptacle and in the water contained therein. This opens the fabrics and causes the water to be forced therethrough, which is the function to be performed in a washing operation on fabrics. Before centrifugally operating the receptacle, it is desirable to slowly increase the speed thereof from 48 R. P. M. to substantially R. P. M. so that the increased centrifugal force will exceed the gravitational pull, and thereby spread the fabrics evenly over the peripheral wall of the receptacle, so as to avoid, as much as possible, an off-center load which would produce undue vibration and require substantial damping by the resilient supporting units. This higher speed could be achieved while slowly building up from washing to centrifuging speed, or a set terminal speed could be employed to change from the 48 R. P. M. to 60 R. P. M. speed. To further avoid the vibration occurring at resonant speeds, two more set terminal speeds could be utilized, one of which would rapidly advance the speed from 60 R. P. M. to 300 R. P. M. and the other from 300 R. P. M. to 600 R. P. M. Such a two-stage arrangement for advancing from low to high speed substantially reduces the load on the motor which could thereby rapidly increase the speed through each stage. This reduces the chance that the resonant speed would set up any noticeable amount of vibration, such as would occur if the motor were required to drive the receptacle directly from either the 48 or 60 R. P. M. speed to the desired 600 R. P. M. stage.

' Fig. 16 illustrates a wiring diagram for producing a sequential operation of the various elements of the 1 2 laundering machine to drive the machine through the various stages of operations embodied in the washing to fluff-drying cycle. The knob 193 operates the contact switch 194 which is thereafter driven by a motor 196. The switch is provided with a plurality of cams 197, each of which operates a pair of contacts 198 to 205 inclusive, 211, 213, 215, 217.

When the knob 193 is turned to on position, contacts 202 close, closing the circuit to the motor 106 which drives the receptacle 80. Contacts 199 also close completing a circuit to the motor 118 for the pump 119 and also to the motor 196 for the contact switch 194. Contacts 198 are closed to energize solenoid 206 which shifts the speed reducer to operate the receptacle at 48 R. P. M. Contacts 203 also close completing a circuit to the drain valve 70 which is moved to closed position, and contacts 200 and 201 close to complete a circuit to the solenoids of the hot and cold water supply which open to deliver water to the mixing valve 126 to start the flow of warm water to the tub. The cam plates 187 move to open the contacts 200, 201 after approximately one minutes time, which is the time required to deliver the required amount of water approximately four gallons through the mixing valve 126 to the tub 58. Simultaneously with the movement of the knob 193 to on position, contacts 205 are closed, completing a circuit to the heating strip 166, the resulting heat from which is stored in the accumulator-exchanger tube 161 during the washing and rinsing operations.

After approximately ten minutes of operation, the contacts 203 open for one minute to drain the water from the tub. The contacts then close, closing the drain, and contacts 200 and 201 are again closed to produce a flow of warm water to the tub for approximately one minute of time. Thereafter, the contacts 200 and 201 are opened to discontinue the flow of warm water, and after approximately one minute of time the contacts 203 again open to open the drain valve which is maintained open for the remainder of the operation of the machine. Before the end of the three minute rinse-drain period, the contacts 205 are opened to discontinue the flow of electrical energy through the heating strip 166 so that the wattage of the circuit will be available for the motor 106. Contacts 198 are opened and contacts 211 are closed to energize a solenoid 212 which shifts the speed reducer to rotate the receptacle at 60 R. P. M. to distribute the fabrics evenly therein. At the end of the three minute period, contacts 211 are opened and contacts 213 are closed to energize a solenoid 214 which shifts the speed reducer to rotate the receptacle at 600 R. P. M. A short time thereafter the contacts 205 are closed to again complete the circuit to the heating strip 166 since the motor is again operating at running speed.

After the first minute that the receptacle operates at centrifuging speed to extract the rinse water from the fabrics, the contact 201 is closed to produce a flow of hot water directly from the tap into the receptacle to produce a spray rinse while the receptacle is operating at ex tracting speed. After one minute of spray rinsing the contacts 201 open, cutting off the flow of water to the tub. The extracting speed is continued for three more minutes, and during the five-minute extracting period the operation of the receptacle at high speed within the tub 58 produces a suction in the tube 161 for drawing heated air therefrom at a temperature of 500 to 600 F., the heated air permeating the fabrics within the re ceptacle and thereby increasing the temperature of the fabrics, receptacle and tub over that produced by the hot tap water which was introduced during the second minute of the extracting period.

As pointed out hereinabove, this high temperature of the receptacle and fabrics produces a favorable change in the coefficient of kinematic viscosity of the water contained about the fibers of the fabrics, which causes itto flow readily therefrom. The elfect of the centrifugalforce of extraction uponthe water within the fabrics produces the increased extraction of the water from the fabricsdue to the increased flowability of the water. Not only, there fore, are the fabrics heated substantially at the beginning of the slow-speed or final drying cycle, but also a large per centage of the entrained water has been removed therefrom, so that the amount of drying to be performed by the blower-recirculated and heated air is substantially lowered, thereby reducing the time required to iron-dry and to fluff-dry the fabrics.

At the end of the five-minute centrifugal extracting period, contacts 213 are opened and contacts 215 are closed to energize a solenoid 216, which shifts the speed reducer to operate the receptacle at 52 R. P. M. during the slow-speed or final drying cycle of operation. At the same time, the contacts 204 are closed to energize the motor 154- of the blower 152 to produce the recirculation of the air within the tub, which contacts also complete a circuit to the cold-water valve 136 which admits cold tap water to the condenser or dehumidifier 138. At the end of the time cycle, whether set for drying to either the iron-dry or complete fiulT-dry stage, the cam plates 197 return toinitial position, thereby opening all of the contacts 1% to 205, 211, 213, 215 and 217, de-energizing all of the motors, heaters and other elements to end'the cycle of operation and have the contact switch 194 set up ready to initiate a subsequent operation when the knob 193 is turned to on position.

When the ironer is to be utilized, a switch 207 is manually closed to complete a circuit to heating element 208 contained within the shoe 183 of the ironer and also to energize a solenoid 209 which shifts the clutch 180 to produce a drive to the roll 182 from the flexible drive element 131. The motor 106 is energized through the completion of a circuit thereto from the line 210 which is energized when the switch 207 is closed. Therefore, upon closing the switch 207, the motor 106 drives the flexible shaft 181 for operating the ironer roll 182 in rotation and for moving it toward and from the shoe 183 in the manner as illustrated and described in the. above mentioned copending application of which this application is a continuation-in-part. The fabrics which have been irondried may be removed piece by piece and ironed sen'atim through the mangle ironer, and after the completion of the ironing operation the ironer unit may be enclosed by the cover 27 which is swung downwardly thereover, the switch 207 first being moved to off position. The circuits herein illustrated are connected to the single 115- volt circuit at the terminal ends 220.

While a complete machine with controls for producing a specific cycle of operation has been illustrated for producing a laundering operation on fabrics to wash and dry the fabrics in an acceptable time of forty-five minutes or less on a ll5-volt circuit, it is to be understood that the machine is not limited to this specific arrangement. Machines may be employed which operate the heating strip 166 from a 230-volt line in a manner commonly employed today. In such an arrangement, the accumulator-exchanger tube 161 is energized only a short time before the blower 152 is operated, as heat will be no cumulated much faster when heat energy is provided from a 5000 watt heater energized from the 230-volt source. The same principle of maintaining 100% tocirculated fair with a large water content and high total heat, would be utilized, as Well as a condenser or other type of dehumidifier,- for removing only a measured portion of the water from the air being circulated. Dri-ers alone could be constructed for ll5-volt and for 23% volt circuits, utilizing an accumulator-exchanger tube 161 to store heat therein during the time the receptacle 8!) is being loaded with the wet fabrics removed from a centrifugal extractor. The principle of introducing heat into the fabrics at a high "temeprature at a time when the fabrics have a high water content and the gradual lower- 14 ing, ofthe. temperature of the recirculatedair as the water: contentof the: fabrics is. lowered; obtains in; such a: type of drier, whichis operated satisfactorily onv a IlS-volt circuit. as well as on-a 23 0-volt circuit.

It is also pointed out that: the lint scavenged from the fabrics during. the drying. operation is trapped upon the large screen 1421whichis provided over the air-outlet aperture 141 in the peripheral wall of the tub 58-. In the subsequent laundering operation upon the fabrics, this lint is washed from. the screen and goes dow n the drain, when the drain valve opens after completion of the wash"- ing operation. It is. within the purview of the present invention to provide a flow of Water at the beginning of the operation through the screen to make certain that the lint is removed therefrom, and to this end a nozzle 131' may be placed within the duct housing 139, preferably above the outlet conduit 146 thereof so as to spray against the face of the condenser to wash any lint therefrom which may have passed through thescreen and to thoroughly wash the dehumidifier and the screen therebelow of any accumulated lint. The tests so far run demonstrate the fact that the line which collects during a drying cycle will be washed from the screen during the extracting cycle of the next laundering operation and no lint was found to have collected upon the condenser. However, it is not certain that some lint will not pass through the screen or permanently collect thereon, and it is for this reason that it was stated a spray could be employed within the housing139 to wash the lint from the condenser and the screen.

In case it is desired to starch a load of fabrics, it is only necessary to supply a container 218 (see Fig. 16) of liquid starch mounted on an injector housing 219 in the conduit 129 containing a valve actuated by a solenoid 221 from contacts 217 to apply a light spray of starch onto the fabrics during the centrifuging cycle along with the hot water directed into the receptacle. A manual switch 222 is located on the cabinet, indicating an oi? and an on position for starch, so that when a load is to be starched it is only necessary for the operator to move the switch to on position to add the starch-cycle of operation of. the machine. The switch 222 is located in the circuit from the contacts 217 which do not complete a circuit to the solenoid 221 when the switch 222 is open. The force for injecting the starch by the flow of the hot water during the extracting period is produced by a Well-known venturi or injection action. When other loads of fabrics are to be processed through the machine without starching, the manual starch switch 222 is then thrown to off position.

It is to be understood further that the pump motor and pump may be mounted either on the back wall or the peripheral wall of the tub so that all of the operating elements of the machine are removed from the cabinet when the tub is removed therefrom. This substantially facilitates the repair of any of the elements of the washing machine and the complete unit may be removed and a loan unit substituted therefor while the removed unit is returned to the shop for repair if major repair is required. It is not contemplated that any major repair will be necessary on the machine'because of the simplicity of all of the component elements contained therein, any one of which may be substituted at the place Where the machine is located. When the machine is operated, substantially no vibration is passed to the cabinet from the oscillation of the tub in view of the degree of damping provided by the new damping structure employed for supporting the tub atthe bottom corners thereof. it further to be understood that the term container em ployed in the claims is to apply to the tub 58 when the machine is used as a washing-drying device, and when employed solely as a drying device the tub 58 becomes the outer container therefor.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means supporting said container, means on said container for agitating fabrics in said receptacle, an air circulatory system connected to said container, a heat-storage element in said system, a heating element in said storage element, and a dehumidifier in said system.

2. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle insaid container, means supporting said container, means on said container for agitating fabrics in said receptacle, a blower, an inlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said contamer, means reducing the moisture content of the air in the' conduits and container, a heat storage means in said outlet conduit, and a heating element for said storage means.

3. In a laundering machine, a container, means supporting said container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle in rotation at washing and extracting speeds, a valve for draining said container, said drain valve remaining closed when the receptacle is being driven at washing speed, a blower, an inlet conduit near the top of the container leading from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in the path of air through the container and conduits, a conduit for a cooling medium connected to said dehumidifier, and a lintcollecting screen provided across said inlet conduit adjacent to said top of the container in such position that lint collected thereon during the drying cycle of operation is washed away during a subsequent laundering operation when the drain valve is open.

4. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle in rotation, a blower, an inlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in the path of air through said container and conduits, heat-storage means in the path of flow of air through the outlet conduit, and a heating element for said storage means.

5. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle in rotation, a blower, an inlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in the path of air through said container and conduits, a conduit for a cooling medium connected to said dehumidifier, heating means mounted within the outlet conduit, and an accumulatorcxchanger in said outlet conduit heated by said heating means.

6. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle in rotation, a blower, an inlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in said inlet conduit, heatstorage means mounted within the path of air through the outlet conduit, a heating element for heating said storage means, said heat-storage means embodying a heavy-walled tube, and an air-agitating vane mounted within the tube.

7. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for agitating fabrics in said receptacle, a blower mounted on said container, an inlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in said inlet conduit, heating means mounted within the outlet conduit, an accumulatonexchanger in said outlet conduit heated by said heating means, said accumulator exchanger embodying a heavy-availed conducting tube with which the heating means is in contact, an air-agitatingvane mounted within the conducting tube, said conducting tube being spaced from the outlet conduit, and means for completely sealing and insulating the outlet conduit.

' 8. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving saidreceptacle in rotation, a blower mounted on said container, aninlet conduit from said container to said blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, a dehumidifier in said inlet conduit, heating means mounted within the outlet conduit, an accumulator-exchanger in said outlet conduit heated by said heating means, said accumulator-exchanger embodying a heavy-walled conducting tube with which the heating means is in contact, and an airagitating vane mounted within the conducting tube, said conducting tube being spaced from the inner Wall of the outlet conduit, the upper end of the conducting tube being tapered for directing a portion of the air between the outer wall of the conducting tube and the inner wall of the outlet conduit.

9. In a laundering machine, a tub, supporting means for said tub, a receptacle in said tub, motor means on the tub, speed-reducing means on said tub for driving said receptacle at washing and centrifuging speeds, a blower having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit so mounted as to have the conduits connected to the tub, a dehumidifier in the path of air through the tub and conduits, a heating element and accumulator in the outlet conduit, and means for delivering a heating medium other than said air to the receptacle during the operation thereof at centrifuging speed in order to raise the temperature of the receptacle, fabrics and the water contained therein and thus increase the rate of extraction of water from the fabrics while the receptacle is being driven at the centrifuging speed and initiate the drying operation before the blower is operated.

10. In a laundering machine, a tub, supporting means for said tub, a receptacle. in said tub, motor means on said machine, speed-reducing means on said machine for driving said receptacle at washing and centrifuging speeds, a blower having inlet and outlet conduits so constructed and mounted as to have the conduits connected to the tub, a dehumidifier in the path of flow of air through said tub and conduits, a heating element in said path whereby recirculation of the air through the tub and conduits is maintained during the drying cycle on the fabrics within the receptacle, a heat-storage element in contact with said heating element, a water supply for the tub, draining means for the tub, a circuit from a llS-volt line for operating the motor and for energizing the heating element, and switch means for completing a circuit to the heating element during the washing cycle when the motor means is operating at running speed and for disconnecting the heating element from the circuit when the motor means is loadedwhile changing the speed of the receptacle to centrifuging speed and for completing the circuit to the heating element when .the motor means is driving the receptacle at high speed.

11. In a laundering machine, a tub, a receptacle in said tub, motor means for agitating fabrics in said tub and extracting water therefrom, air-circulating means, a conduit system connected to said tub providing a path of air therethrough, a heater and heat-accumulating means in said path of air, and switch means for connecting said motor and heater in an electric circuit and for cutting out the heater at the time of initiating the extracting operation.

12. In a laundering machine, a tub, a receptacle in said tub, a motor and speed-reducing means on said tub for driving said receptacle at washing and centrifuging speeds, vibration damping means for said tub which permits the tub to oscillate, a blower having inlet and outlet conduits connected to the tub, means for circulating airin said tub and conduits, a dehumidifier in the path of circulated air, a heating element in said path of circulated air, a cabinet enclosing said laundering machine, and weight means supported on said cabinet for preventing any substantial vibration thereof when said tub is oscillating. I

13. In a laundering machine, a tub, a receptacle in said tub, a motor and speed-reducing means on said tub for driving said receptacle at washing and centrifuging speeds, vibration-damping means for said tub which permits the tub to oscillate, a blower having inlet and outlet conduits connected to the tub, means for circulating air in said tub and conduits, a dehumidifier in the path of circulated air, a heating element in said path of circulated air, a cabinet enclosing said laundering machine, weight means on said cabinet for preventing any substantial vibration thereof whensaid tub is oscillating, said weight means being an ironer having an ironing roll, and a drive for said roll connected to said speed-reducing means.

14. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub having a rear wall portion pervious to the flow of air therethrough, means for driving said receptacle at low and high speeds, a drain for said tub, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air inlet conduit from said tub, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit from said blower to said tub located opposite to the pervious rear wall portion of said receptacle, a condenser in the path of air through said tub and conduits, a supply conduit for a cooling medium connected to said condenser, and a heating element in said outlet conduit.

15. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub having a rear wall portion pervious to the flow of air therethrough, means for driving said receptacle at low and high speeds, a drain for said tub, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air inlet conduit from said tub, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit from said blower to said tub located opposite to the pervious rear wall portion of said receptacle, a condenser in the path of air through said tub and conduits, a supply conduit for a cooling medium connected to said condenser, a heat accumulator in said outlet conduit, and a heating element for said accumulator.

16. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub having a portion of the rear wall pervious to the flow of air therethrough, means for driving said receptacle at low and high speeds, a drain for said tub, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air inlet conduit from said tub, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit from said blower to said tub located opposite to the pervious portion of the rear wall of said receptacle, a dehumidifier in the path of air through the tub and conduits, a supply conduit for a cooling medium connected to said condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, structural means for supporting said tub, and a cabinet supported by said structural means.

17. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub having a portion of the rear wall pervious to the flow of air therethrough, means for driving said r receptacle at low and high speeds, a drain for said tub, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air inlet conduit from said tub, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit from said blower to said tub located opposite to the pervious portion of the rear wall of said receptacle, a condenser in the path of air through said tub and conduits, a supply conduit for a cooling medium connected to said condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, and a screen on the tub across said inlet conduit for collecting lint thereon during the drying cycle which is in a position to have the lint washed therefrom during the subsequent laundering cycle.

18. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub, means for driving said receptacle at low and high speeds, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air inlet conduit from said tub, a screen covering said inlet conduit to collect lint, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit from said blower to said tub, a condenser in the path of air through said tub and conduits, a supply conduit for a cooling medium connected to said condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, and a control switch for regulating the delivery of warm water during the washing cycle, the delivery of hot water during the rinse extracting cycle, and the recirculation of heated air at high total heat during the drying cycle.

19. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle, within the container, means for agitating fabrics within the receptacle, a completely closed recirculatory system for air connected to said container, means for circulating air through the container and said system, a dehumidifier in the path of air through the container and said system, a heat accumulator within said path of air, and means for heating said accumulator.

20. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle in rotation, a blower, an outlet conduit from said blower to said container, heat-storage means of conducting material and of substantial mass within said conduit in the path of flow of air therethrough, and an electrically energizable heating element in said storage means.

21. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle for fabrics in said container, means for driving said receptacle for agitating the fabrics therein, a conduit connected to said container, a blower connected to said conduit, a heat-storage element of conducting material and. of substantial mass in said conduit, and an electrically energizable heating element in said storage element.

22. In a laundering machine as recited in claim 21, wherein said heat-storage means of substantial mass has fin means associated therewith over which said air passes.

23. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, motor means for driving said receptacle at washing, centrifuging and drying speeds, a blower having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit both of, which are connected to said container, a water condenser in the path of air through said tub and conduits, a solenoid valve controlling the flow of water to the condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, switch means for completing a circuit to said heating element, said receptacle when operating at centrifuging speed sucking the heated air into the receptacle, and additional switch means for completing a circuit to a motor for operating the blower and to the solenoid valve for admitting water to the condenser upon completion of the. centrifuging operation of said receptacle.

24. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, motor means for driving said receptacle at washing, centrifuging and drying speeds, a blower hav-, ing an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit both of which are connected to said container, a water condenser in the path of air through said container and conduits, a solenoid valve controlling the flow of water to the condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, valve means for introducing rinse water at high temperature to the receptacle for a final rinse cycle during the operation of the receptacle at centrifuging speed, switch means for completing a circuit to said heating element, said receptacle when operating at centrifuging speed sucking the heated air into the receptacle, and additional switch means for completing a circuit to a motor for operating the blower and to the solenoid valve for ad mitting water to the dehumidifier upon completion of the centrifuging operation of said receptacle.

25. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle at washing, centrifuging and drying speeds, a blower having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit both of which are connected to the container, a water condenser in the path of air through said container and conduits, a sole noid valve controlling the flow of water to the condenser, a heating element in said outlet conduit, switch means for completing a circuit to said heating element, means producing a flow of heated air to said container and receptacle during the centrifuging and drying portions of the laundering operation, and means for actuating said solenoid valve so that said condenser begins to operate only upon completion of said centrifuging operation in order that the circulated air, fabrics, receptacle and container will attain a high-temperature level during centrifuging and before the circulating air begins to lose heat through the operation of the condenser.

26. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for driving said receptacle at washing, centrifuging and drying speeds, a blower having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit both of which are connected to the container, means for reducing the water-vapor content of the air as it is being recirculated, a heating element in said outlet conduit, switch means for completing a circuit to said heating element, means producing a flow of heated air to said container and receptacle during the centrifuging and drying portions of the laundering operation, and means for commencing the operation of said water-vapor-reducing means only at the end of said centrifuging operation in order that the circulated air, fabrics, receptacle and container will attain a high-temperature level during the centrifuging operation and before heat is lost by removing water vapor from the recirculated air.

27. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, motor means for driving said receptacle at washing, centrifuging and drying speeds, a blower having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit both of which are connected to said container, means for reducing the waiter-vapor content of the air being recirculated, a heating element in said outlet conduit, a solenoid valve for controlling the operation of said water-vapor-reducing means, switch means for completing a circuit to said heating element, means producing a flow of heated air during the operation of said receptacle at centrifuging speed and thereafter at drying speed, and additional switch means for completing a circuit to said solenoid valve for reducing the vapor content of the air being recirculated at the end of the centrifuging operation of said receptacle.

28. In a laundering machine for washing and completely drying fabrics, a tub, a rotatable receptacle in said tub, means for driving said receptacle at low and high speeds, a water-supply conduit for said tub, a blower, an air-inlet conduit from said tub, a screen covering said inlet conduit to collect lint, said blower being connected to said inlet conduit, an air-outlet conduit from said blower to said tub, means for reducing the water-vapor content of the air being recirculated, a heating element in said outlet conduit, and switch means for supplying wash and rinse cycles with heated water and a drying cycle with heated recirculated air at high total heat.

29. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle within the container, means for agitating fabrics within the receptacle, a recirculatory system for air connected to said container, means for circulating air through the container and said system, means for reducing the watervapor content of the air being recirculated, a heat accumulator within said path of air, and means for heating said accumulator.

30. In a laundering machine, a container, means su porting said container, a receptacle in said container,

means for driving said receptacle in rotation at washing 31. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle insaid container, means for agitating fabrics in the receptacle to perform a washing operation, means for operating said receptacle for centrifugally extracting water from the fabrics, means delivering rinse water at a high temperature to the container during an intermediate portion of the last rinsing-extracting operation for increasing the separation of the water from the fabrics by decreasing the viscosity of the water and providing heat for initiating the effective drying cycle on a high-energy level, an air-recirculating system having an inlet and outlet connected to the container, heating means in said system, a condenser in said system located to operate on a portion only of the air circulating in the system so that the remainder may be retained at a high-temperature level, said portion acted on by the condenser having a substantial amount of water removed therefrom by said condenser to retain a desired high temperature and high water content in all of the air so that the air when thereafter heated will have a high total heat and an ability to take up moisture which is increased many fold.

32. In a laundering machine, a container, a receptacle in said container, means for agitating fabrics in the receptacle to perform a washing operation, means for operating said receptacle for centrifugally extracting water from the fabrics, means delivering rinse water at a high temperature to the container during an intermediate portion of the last rinsing-extracting operation for in creasing the separation of the water from the fabrics by decreasing the viscosity of the water and providing heat for initiating the effective drying cycle on a high-energy level, an air recirculating system having an inlet and outlet connected to the container, heating means in said system, a condenser in said system located to operate on a portion only of the air circulating in the system so that the remainder may be retained at a high-temperature level, said portion acted on by the condenser having a substantial amount of water removed therefrom by the condenser to retain a desired high temperature and high water content in all of the air so that the air delivered to the receptacle after being heated will have a saturation of 10% to 50% and the air delivered from the receptacle will have a saturation of from 50% to References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,052,834 Lawrence Feb. 11, 1913 1,799,649 Schenck Apr. 7, 1931 1,981,234 Hetzer Nov. 20, 1934 1,986,863 Terry Jan.'8, 1935 2,019,011 Johnson Oct. 29, 1935 2,064,084 Sando Dec. 15, 1936 2,114,776 Davis Apr. 19, 1938 2,252,541 Arnold Aug. 12, 1941 2,282,188 Home May 5, 1942 2,284,051 Gilbert May 26, 1942 2,296,260 Breckenridge Sept. 22, 1942 2,310,680 Dinley 2 Feb. 9, 1943 2,314,155 McCleary Mar. 16, 1943 2,316,669 Busi Apr. 13, 1943 2,318,806 Sisson et a1 May 11, 1943 2,328,256 Breckenridge Aug. 31, 1943 2,356,816 Breckenridge et a1 Aug. 29, 1944 2,418,239 Smith Apr. 1, 1947 2,434,476 Wales l'an. 13, 1948 2,502,211 Dyer l /iar. 2.8, 1950 2,553,581 Hatfield Way 22, 1951 2,555,268 Chamberlin May 29, 1951 2,607,209 Constantine Aug. 19, 1952 2,629,245 Chamberlin Feb. 24, 1953 2,637,189 Douglas -1 May 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 914,656 France -2 a June 24, 194-6 143,605 Australia Ian. 26, 1950

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