Sat 02/26/2022 -- Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, dated 06/30/1953. Frontloader vibration-resiliant door seal design. Related to Westinghouse slant-fronts?
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Sat 02/26/2022 -- Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, dated 06/30/1953. Frontloader vibration-resiliant door seal design. Related to Westinghouse slant-fronts?
Tue 04/19/2022 -- General Electric, dated 04/18/1944 (filed 12/31/1941). Toploader mechanism with agitator reciprocating/pulsating at 250 strokes per minute and tub spinning/extracting at 1,200 RPM.
Sun 05/08/2022 -- Whirlpool, dated 11/28/1978 (filed 10/06/1977). Dual-action agitator variation involving a attachment beneath the skirt that rotates one direction (counterclockwise), with a ramped edge at the peripherary of the basket to promote lifting the load upwards for improved rollover.
Sat 06/11/2022 -- Nineteen Hundred Corporation (early Whirlpool), dated 05/29/1951 (filed 11/05/1947). Clutch and brake mechanism for operating concentric drive shafts to provide washing/rinsing or spin/extraction/drying action on a toploader with a wobble plate agitator.
ultrawash
Well-known member
Sat 06/11/2022
So it was almost like the Calypso? Was there ever a prototype for this machine?
So it was almost like the Calypso? Was there ever a prototype for this machine?
Sun 07/17/2022 -- Whirlpool, dated 11/29/1983, filed 09/14/1982. If I'm following the complex details correctly .... a liquid pumping agitator with, in the barrel, a manual-clean filter screen, a diluting rinse additive dispenser, and ports to provide an umbrella shower spray during agitation. Water pumps up the barrel during agitation for filtering and to dilute the rinse additive (dilution flow into the cup stops by weight when it's full so it doesn't overflow) for centrifugal dispensing after the first spin, and the pumped, filtered water showers back into the tub. Pumped water again fills the rinse additive cup during rinse agitation to flush it clean (and the rinse water then centrifugally drains out when the final spin ends).
Seems a flaw is that detergent water during the wash period dilutes the rinse additive, which liquid softener and detergent are incompatible. Also, the lower part of the spun clothes load will get dampened when the rinse water collected into the rinse additive cup for cleaning it drains out after the final spin. Am I wrong?
Mon 09/19/2022 -- Bendix Home Appliances, dated 04/14/1942 (filed 11/21/1938). Frontloader with onboard water heating (electric or gas) to provide a profile wash suitable for treating soils that respond to different temperatures.
Note it references an initial warm fill of 110°F (suitable for washing delicates such as woolens), then optionally heated as the wash period progresses to a hot temperature such as 160°F for cotton materials.
golittlesport
Well-known member
Bendix washer water heating
Ahead of its time. Eighty years later almost all brands of front load washers have capability to heat water.
Ahead of its time. Eighty years later almost all brands of front load washers have capability to heat water.
Thu 09/22/2022 -- The Murray Corporation of America, dated 10/20/1953 (filed 12/09/1947). Toploader with wobble-tub agitation.
Seems akin to the Apex Wash-a-Matic. Is Murry related to Apex in some way?
This patent is very interesting. The Apex and Universal brands both used a wobbling/bouncing basket wash action, and while many of the parts are similar they are not the same. The drive mechanism in the Universal is completely different than the drive mechanism in the Apex. What this patent is is the Universal's drive mechanism. I suspect Universal bought the rights to use some of the design of the Apex yet for whatever reason decided on making their own unique drive mechanism.
Gosh it would be an absolutely amazing find to find a Universal automatic washer. As rare as the Apex machines are the Universal is 100 times more rare!
Edit: WOW I just started to read some of this patent. It appears that Universal uses a perforated tub with a recirculation system instead of a solid tub like the Apex! This wash system was like a top-loading Kenmore/Whirlpool combo but with a bouncing basket!
Here is the Universal's Drive System pictures 1 and 2 vs the Apex drive mechanism picture 3...
Gosh it would be an absolutely amazing find to find a Universal automatic washer. As rare as the Apex machines are the Universal is 100 times more rare!
Edit: WOW I just started to read some of this patent. It appears that Universal uses a perforated tub with a recirculation system instead of a solid tub like the Apex! This wash system was like a top-loading Kenmore/Whirlpool combo but with a bouncing basket!
Here is the Universal's Drive System pictures 1 and 2 vs the Apex drive mechanism picture 3...
Sun 12/18/2022 -- Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, dated 01/13/1953 (filed 07/02/1948). Related to Westinghouse?
Mon 04/17/2023 -- Maytag, dated 04/27/1954 (filed 10/11/1950). Toploader that appears to be the beginnings of the Neptune TL.
Fri 04/28/2023 -- General Electric, dated 05/03/1960 (filed 07/02/1959). A washer timing design that involves a thermal bi-metallic control method to vary the wash time per the selected fabric option ... if I'm understanding the details correctly.
Thu 09/21/2023 -- Toploader agitator design. This is the first LG (Gold Star Co., Ltd.) patent that I've seen come up in the library rotation.
Thu 11/30/2023 -- Maytag, dated 03/14/1961 (filed 02/04/1957). A toploader wobbling agitator design (with a splash filter in the lid) ... shades of the Bendix Economat, Philco Automagic, and Whirlpool Calypso.
Tue 12/05/2023 -- Gorman-Rupp Industries, dated 11/08/1960 (filed 10/04/1957). Self-cleaning filter design.
Gorman-Rupp is a long-time manufacturer of pumps for a wide range of applications.
Thu 12/14/2023 -- Maytag, Patent 2,831,333 dated 04/22/1958 (filed 12/27/1955). Another wobbling agitator design.
Sat 06/08/2024 -- Whirlpool, Patent 4,137,737 dated Feb 6, 1979 (filed Oct 6, 1977), One-Piece Agitator with Clothes Directing Cam. The Double-Duty Super Surgilator, which debuted in the LFA (1977-78) 18-lb models.
