Abstract:
AN UPSTANDING BASKET FOR USE IN A VERTICAL AXIS AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING AN AGITATOR AFFIXED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE BASKET, FILTERING MEANS DISPOSED ON THE UPSTANDING SIDE WALL OF THE BASKET AND PUMPING VANES MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE BASKET. IN THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, A BOTTOM PORTION OF THE BASKET, THE AGITATOR AND THE PUMPING VANES ARE IN AN INTEGRAL MOLDED PLASTIC UNIT WHICH IS JOINED TO OTHER PORTIONS TO COMPLETE THE BASKET. THE FILTERING MEANS ARE SMALL PERFORATIONS IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE BASKET WHICH ARE THE SIZE TO FILTER FOREIGN MATTER FROM THE WASHING FLUIDS. IN OPERATION, THE PUMPING VANES CAUSE FLUID DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BASKET AND THE OUTER TUB OF THE AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS TO FLOW OUTWARD AND UPWARD ALONG THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SURROUNDING SIDE WALL TO ENTER THE INTERIOR OF THE BASKET THROUGH THE SMALL FILTERING PERFORATIONS. DURING A SPIN CYCLE, FLUID DISPOSED IN THE INTERIOR OF THE BASKET IS FORCED OUT THROUGH THE SMALL FILTERING PERFORATIONS TO WASH AWAY ANY FOREIGN MATERIAL THAT IS ACCUMULATED THEREON DURING THE WASHING OPERATION.
Abstract:
A clothes dryer employs a pivotally mounted resilient idler for tensioning a drive belt which is entrained about a pulley of the dryer drive motor and a rotatable dryer drum, the idler pivoting to a free position upon release of belt tension due to belt breakage or the like. A separable connector is serially connected in at least one power lead of the drive motor and associated with the idler to be separated and thereby to break the power circuit of the motor as the idler moves towards its free position.