The Never Produced DeRemer Automatic Washer

[Unimatic1140]

I just happened to look at the Patent of the Day yesterday and it piqued my interest quite a bit. Apparently there was a mechanical engineer who's corporation in Union City, NJ worked on a fascinating automatic washer design that never made it to market as far as I can tell. It had a tub that wobbled rapidly in an off-center fashion! This is very different from the Apex Bouncing Basket Wash-a-Matics as they used a shorter range nutation style movement as opposed to an actual wide angle wobble.

The interesting thing here is the wash basket would wobble off center during wash (without rotating) and then through a universal joint would upright itself to completely stand upright for spin.

Boy I can only imagine how dramatic the wash action would have been, it would be sooooo cool to see one of their prototypes. I wonder how well it would have performed? It seems to me like depending on design of the vanes in the basket the clothes could really be thrown around without being beaten like with an agitator.

I found three patents for the machine, here is their first design from the late 1930's:

http://https//www.google.com/patents/US2372769

 

[Unimatic1140]

Here is the next model from 1943:

http://https//www.google.com/patents/US2533722

 

[Unimatic1140]

And the last design was from 1948:

http://https//www.google.com/patents/US2652710

 

[gyrafoam]

The design from the thirties looks like it has little castors as feet. The next model looks like flat feet. Either way, with the weight of a tub full of water and clothes, seems like it would be a bolt-down.
Very interesting.

 

[vacerator]

anyone else see

a whirlpool calypso similarity wash action?
Those springs would have been a weak design link.

 

[alr2903]

Interesting, looks like the balance ring is double chambered.  Does it also provide balance during the wash motion? I noticed the "Solar Corp" was cited in the patents, I think the same patent came up while researching the "Barton & Seeling" years of Speed Queen.  The patent did mention the possibility of a fibre glass tub like the "Apex".  These guy's had some innovative ideas post war, when the market was red hot for the new automatics.

 

[combo52]

Very Cool Washer Design Robert

I wounder if there is a functional prototype in a warehouse somewhere.

 

Mike, I see about zero similarities between these designs and a Calypso washer, the Calypso has an agitator at the bottom of the tub, it has suspension, it has a perforated basket, it washes by pumping water over the load, and the tub does not tilt and there is no similarity in the way it is built.

 

[vacerator]

Corect John,

I meant only the way the clothes move. The paddle being stationary in the tilting tub. Rather than the agitator or paddle doing the calypso, the tilting tub would have done it.

 

[tomturbomatic]

When we went for training on the Calypso, we instantly noted similarities to the pattern of motion between the WP wash plate and the energizer disc in the short-lived Bendix / Philco-Bendix / Philco top loader with the Formica lid and, when pressed about the wash action WP called Nutation, he admitted that there were very old patents studied and used. I do not remember if he actually attributed or even knew enough appliance history to attribute them to Bendix / AVCO.

 

[jetcone]

Wobba-Vortexa-matic Action!

He even put pathways into the tub to keep water in during the wash cycle- cool !

 

 

But none of them have the master stroke of genius Kirby came up with when he invented simple water balance for spin. That was pure genius !!

 

 

 

 

 

Holy Moly! Time too scour NJ !!!

 

[henene4]

I had to think about the rattle this could produce. With such a lot of "uneven"/"unbalanced"/off-center movement, the amout of vibration could be treamanduce...

 

[panthera]

I'm either too stupid or this design

couldn't possibly work unless it were bolted down...into solid concrete. Maybe I'm missing something....