Today's PAT - Kelvinator Style Obrital Agitation in an Agi-Tub by GE

[Unimatic1140]

Apparently this is what GE was working on for many years to replace their Filter-Flo washers. The agitation consisted of a basket that orbits around an off-center axis in the exact same way that a ABC or Kelvinator agitator moves, but the difference here is the entire was tub orbits! I have heard that back in the early 1980's GE built quite a few prototypes of these machines, boy would it be fun to find one now.

I wonder what this looked and sounded like during wash? Unlike their design, I also have to wonder if it would have washed even better and more dramatically if both the inner tub and the outer tub would orbit together as opposed to just the inner tub orbiting.

I sure do wish they would have produced this machine as opposed to going with that plastic design of today .

 

[coldspot66]

I wonder how long it took them to come up with the current crappy design??????? It was a good 15 years between this prototype and what is now...

 

[scott55405]

I never would have imagined they'd have been looking to replace the Filter Flo that far back. I'm guessing the Filter Flo was not inexpensive to produce with the nice porcelain and all, and I expect that led to its eventual demise, although I've often wondered if Consumer Reports had a hand in it, at least indirectly. I remember one year they declared it a "dated" design, and not long after they were gone.

In all events, how interesting to see what was in the works. I'm sure there will be times in looking at these patents of the day that we won't know whether to laugh or cry, wondering what might have been!

 

[westytoploader]

COOL MACHINE!!! Wouldn't everybody want to get their hands on a prototype!!!!!

At first I thought it was something similar to the Philco "high-frequency" design, until I saw the familiar Kelvinator/ABC orbital crankshaft. Reading on I found that the whole tub oscillates...bet that would be splashy!

--Austin

 

[Unimatic1140]

I love the fun fill system -- Part #72 is a jet circle fill tube, just like a 1/18! The washer can send 100% of the incoming fill water through the jet circle spray or it can divert part of the water stream to come through the lid and fall from a spout (part #22) directly into the center of the agitator. The center of the agitator serves as a detergent dispenser (part #48).

Another interesting thing is the ramps in the tub (part #52). The drawing only shows one ramp but according to the text there are several:

"A plurality of inclinded ramps, one of which is shown at 52, are provided on the side wall for effecting toroidal movement of the fabrics in the basket."

 

[pulsator-power]

Agitub

Is there actually an agitator in the middle, or is it just dispensing detergent through a center post? Seems like a large version of the skinny mini from Frigidaire except going around a central axis. Maybe that's why GE never produced it-- way too splashy & quite a departure from the filter flo.
Jerry

 

[peterh770]

Seems to me that the ramps on the center post would be needed to turn the load over so that it uniformily comes into contact with the scrubbing ribs on the tub. They would be needed also to keep the load from balling up and going around with the water, unless the tub speed itself prevents that from happening. I bet it is a partial fill system so that wet clothes and a minimal amount of water are used to sling the load around.

Very cool! Thanks again, Robert!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Splashy?

Jerry, the agitator column in the center appears to be just a molded post into the wash tub, without any vanes and it acts as a detergent dispenser. I’m not sure what they were thinking, I wonder if it needs to be so wide? They used the word “toroidal” in describing the action so I looked up toroidal in the dictionary and it says:

adj : of or relating to or shaped like a toroid; doughnut shaped

I wonder if the post in the center helps the wash load turnover in a donut like ring, over and over again? One can only imagine.

Do you guys think this machine is very splashy? I’m not sure, especially since just the inner tub orbits, I suppose it depends on how fast the orbiting is running. I wish they stated the orbits per minute (OPM’s) in their patent but they don’t.

ps. If you think this machine is high drama, just wait until tomorrow’s PAT. I would give my left %^$#*& for it!

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Robert Save your %^$#*&'s!

Robert!
Just wanted to let you know that the "Patent of the day" is so great to me!
Really enjoying the patents posted, and the conversations on them!
Thanks!
Brent

 

[golittlesport]

cool design! too bad it wasn't produced. with a slightly reduced fill and a fast spin this could be an energy star. top loaders got so boring in the 70's and 80's....everyone of them the same under the lid. it is amazing to see that there was actually some design innovation being considered, even though it never made it to market.

 

[peterh770]

What would be totally awesome is if some of these patent inventors are haunting this club and come out of the woodwork to have some lively discussions with us!

 

[partscounterman]

I LOVE Pat O'Day!

Wow! I just love these patents and I really like how everyone is discussing them. I'm not the schmartest guy on earth, so it was nice to learn more about todays patent from the discussion. The explanation with the patent itself is a little dry and hard to understand.

What a cool washer that never was. Perhaps some engineers wife in Louisville has one of these in her laundry.....

 

[gyrafoam]

That would be cool to have a forum with the inventors!

 

[appnut]

What a thrill that never emerged in the market. Why couldn't someone had the ___s to release an innovative drama like design like this -- alas we just have boring. Wonder how fast it would have spun.

 

[agiflow]

Filter-Flo's demise

Scott,i thought the same thing when i read that article about the "dated" design of the filter flo in consumers in the early 90's.What a shame ge quality took such a nose dive.
I think the only appliance i would get from ge today would be
one of their gas or electric ranges,they seem to still have decent quality.

 

[alr2903]

this patent of the day is really nice

how many of you look fwd to just 30 minutes of downtime after work with this great site.. Most days its like therapy for me.. Thankyou Robert and all you tech-wise people that contribute. alr2903.