Simpson Fluid Drive A39

[rinso]

It is indeed unfortunate that more TL washer manufacturers didn't explore the benefits of a fluid drive, also known as a viscous drive, for their spin clutch mechanisms. Properly designed, a fluid drive can be used instead of a dry clutch having no plate wear, little motor loading at initial spin, and potentially higher spin speeds. I know early Hotpoint and some Speed Queen washers used them. Maybe some of you know why fluid drives have not been widely used.

 

[Unimatic1140]

WOW, that is the third one of those Beam designed Simpson washers to show up in just a few months.

Congrats Nathan! I love the idea of measuring the water level in the outer tub and then pumping up into the inner tub. Thanks for all the great pictures!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Oh and I forgot to mention in my previous post that it absolutely a Beam design machine, the wizard looks quite different underneath.

 

[peterh770]

Wow! Doesn't it get the award for the biggest, most ornate console!

 

[brisnat81]

Its one complicated TL machine

I was prety impressed by the way it measures water also. You get the best of both worlds, a solid tub, and the ability to heat/measure the water, all without the wastage that comes with an overflow fill.

Wiring and mechanically, it seems to be one of the most complicated machines I've come across. The Beam mechanism is complicated for starters, but I've never seen an old TL machine that has a relay to provide logic.

My understanding is, that the relay controls the shift from fill/heating to pumping the water up and wash.

Does anyone know what the Weight Fill switch and the Holding switch shown in the diagram do? I'm not familiar with the Beam design.

Next time I'm up at Michaels mothers, I'll take a new cord up with and give it power and see what happens. When I opened the control panel, which hinges nicely on two support brackets, I found that the pressure tube was off the pressure switch, and that its stretched and loose at the end. Who knows I might get lucky.

Does any one know what the rubber lump on the back of the Washbowl is for?

 

[gansky1]

Wow - what a great find! Thanks for all the pictures too, such a fascinating machine this is. To venture a few guesses, I think the 'rubber lump' on the outside of the outer tub may be an overflow port, in case the water valve would fail. Looking at the wiring diagram, the weight switch appears to have something to do with the agitator solenoid so that would lead me to think that switch is there to prevent the agitator running with no water in the wash-tub. Do you know where the weight switch is? Perhaps at the bottom of the outer tub? If you follow the red wire with black stripe from the agitate solenoid (on the left from the front) you should see where that circuit goes. Not ready to guess on the holding switch, but it also looks to be in series with the agitate solenoid circuit - perhaps something to do with water heating or suds-saving?

Excellent save - congrats!!

 

[mayfan69]

Nathan beat me to it!

What's so ironic is that i was in the same suburb 2 hours later, but did NOT go down that street on advice from my navigator....last time i'll listen to him!

I told Nathan we should still look for another one to use for parts for the one that i got and now for the one he has.

Leon

 

[jamman_98]

Ok am I crazy? Pt 1 , 2 and 3 keep reading

I was looking at the agitator for the Wizard from PeterH770 collection thread. Take a look. Now go to part 2.

 

[jamman_98]

Ok am I crazy Pt 2

Now look at the Simpson agitator. The go to part 3.

 

[jamman_98]

Ok am I crazy Pt 3

Ok if you have reached the bottom of this thread back up two frames to part 1. These agitators look a lot a like. Has anyone else noticed this?

Joe
jamman_98

 

[brisnat81]

Its very similiar

Even the Lid hinges are the same.

The simpson has an inbuilt tub ring, rather than a wire one though, so the bowl is slightly different.

 

[gansky1]

I can't wait to see some action shots of this washer - and Peter's for that matter.... Peter! Pull that washer into the workshop and get that going this week - we need to compare!!

 

[sudsmaster]

Rinso,

I wonder if cost was a consideration for discontinuing fluid clutches. They had extra bearings that could go out, and a sealed fluid clutch probably wasn't cheap to replace, either. And like early automatic car transmissions, the fluid clutch may also have robbed some horsepower from the machine. I wonder if they overheated.

 

[brisnat81]

Too many Belts

Also, there are belts running around in circles everywhere.

I'm assuming that changing the belts on one of these is a bugger?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Wiring or What

Hey Nathan

Great find, this machine looks like it has the best of everything all bar the 1140 spin!!

It looks like the same engineer designed this as the first Keymatic, never thought I`d see another machine with sooo much wiring & belts!!!

 

[johnb300m]

Solid Tubs

I have a dumb question. I know perforated washer drums are set inside an outer tub. But what about the solid drum machines? Why no holes? How the heck does the water drain out of those?

 

[DADoES]

Some solid-basket machines do have an outer tub, some used the cabinet as the outer tub. Water drains out by spinning over the top. Except for one unusual design that lifted the basket up off a seal and the water ran out through a hole under the agitator, although water extracted from the clothes during spin would still go over the top. Oh, and then there's the rubber-tub Bendix Economat that used a vacuum pump to drain the water, collapse the rubber tub and squeeze the clothes against the agitator.

 

[peterh770]

Greg,

That poor dear is still in the Augusta holding cell. It is classic Franklin underneath, which looks a lot like GE but isn't. Steve 1-18 did plug it in, it hums and dims the lights and that's it!

 

[frigilux]

Love that yowza-yowza-yowza console! Definitely looks like a Wizard/Coronado inside. Cool! Hope it's up and running soon so we can get some pictures. Congrats!

 

[brisnat81]

The Machine works perfectly

However, all its rubber bits need replacing, and are NLA in Australia.

The drain port on the back is the worst offender, has anyone ever seen one like it on a Speed Queen before?