U.S. patent number 3,724,095 [Application Number 05/148,655] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-03 for delicate goods tray.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Fedders Corporation. Invention is credited to Leo V. Buck, Terry J. Laue.
United States Patent |
3,724,095 |
Laue , et al. |
April 3, 1973 |
DELICATE GOODS TRAY
Abstract
The axle of a horizontally mounted drum is provided with a
special female receptacle. A delicate goods tray is provided with a
male fitting adapted to fit within the female receptacle so as to
cantilever support the tray and hold it stationary during movement
of the drum. The tray is particularly adapted to hold goods which
cannot be subjected to tumbling action during a drying
operation.
Inventors: |
Laue; Terry J. (Herrin, IL),
Buck; Leo V. (Herrin, IL) |
Assignee: |
Fedders Corporation (Edison,
NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
22526737 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/148,655 |
Filed: |
June 1, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
34/139; 34/600;
34/238 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F
58/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06F
58/04 (20060101); F26b 011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;34/91,133,139,237,238 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dority, Jr.; Carroll B.
Claims
We claim:
1. In a dryer having a horizontal drum with a center axle
support:
a. a female receptacle affixed to the center axle support of the
drum; and
b. a tray, adapted to be supported within the drum in a horizontal
position, said tray allowing for the circulation of air and
including:
1. a horizontal portion and
2. a vertical support portion, attached to said horizontal portion,
and having means for attachment to said female receptacle, said
receptacle and means for attachment providing the sole means for
supporting and maintaining the alignment of said tray.
2. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said attachment means includes a
male element having a spring loaded lug for holding within said
female receptacle.
3. The dryer of claim 2 wherein said male fitting also includes a
guide pin and said female receptacle is provided with a slot to
accommodate said guide pin.
4. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said tray includes essentially
vertical edge walls.
5. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said tray includes an essentially
vertical end wall at the end opposite said support means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices for use in standard home clothes
dryers. The devices are particularly adapted to support delicate
goods which, because of their delicate nature, cannot be subjected
to the normal tumbling action of the dryer. Thus, the articles are
placed upon this device and remain stationary, though subjected to
the heat of the dryer, while the main dryer drum continued to
rotate in a normal manner.
A device for a similar purpose is described in U.S. Pat. No.
3,316,659 -- Lauck, issued May 2, 1967. According to this patent, a
tray is supported both at the center, rear of the drum, and
additionally, is supported from some portion of the front of the
dryer structure. In this manner, the user, a housewife, must make
certain that two definite connections are made in mounting the
tray. Additionally, maneuvering is necessary to make certain that
the front support structure is properly placed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a delicate goods tray for
the home dryer has been developed where special alignment in
mounting the tray is not necessary. The tray is not placed in the
dryer, except when delicate goods are to be dried.
However, with the present system, a female receptacle is, or can
be, permanently mounted to the axle which supports the drum at the
center rear. This receptacle is provided with portions to
accommodate and maintain the alignment of the delicate goods
tray.
The horizontal portion of the tray on which the delicate goods to
be dried are placed, can take any form. Thus, it can be a wire
rack, a wire mesh basket, or any other structure which will both
support clothing to be dried and allow for passage of air through
the clothing.
One end of the tray is formed with a male fitting, or a male
fitting is attached to the tray. This fitting is formed to fit
within the female receptacle formed on the axle and is provided
with means to retain the fitting within the receptacle and to
prevent rotation of the delicate goods tray. After insertion of the
male fitting into the female receptacle, the basket is cantilever
supported from the drum axle.
Thus, no unusual alignment problems are presented. The housewife
need merely slide the male fitting into the female receptacle
attached to the basket support axle and installation is completed.
Removal is accomplished by disabling the locking means and is
equally simple.
In one embodiment of my invention, that end of the tray to which
the male fitting is attached or on which the fitting is formed, may
also be provided with castors or rollers which will bear against
the rear moving surface of the dryer drum. However, these rollers
or castors are not a requirement.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a delicate
goods tray for an automatic dryer which is easy to install and
remove.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tray for
drying delicate goods which is supported from the rear of the
drum.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a delicate goods tray of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tray illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a rear view of a similar tray;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the male fitting attached to the
tray;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the female receptacle attached to
the axle of the drum;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, assembled view of the male fitting and
female receptacle; and
FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of a tray, similar to the tray of
FIG. 2, employing castors between the tray and drum to aid in
holding the tray in a horizontal position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, a wire
tray 1 is illustrated having a horizontal portion 2 and upstanding
side portions 3. The side portions are not essential, but do aid in
retaining clothing placed on the horizontal portion, so that this
clothing is not accidentally displaced from the tray and caused to
fall onto the rotating drum. In addition, a front lip (not
illustrated) can be provided on the basket to serve the same
purpose.
The horizontal portion 2 and vertical portions 3 are formed from
wire support braces 4 to which are attached cross wires 5 on which
the delicate goods to be dried are supported.
A male fitting 6 is attached to the end support 4, for example, by
means of plate 7 connecting the two end supports. The male fitting
6 is attached to plate 7 as by means of a threaded member 8 which
is inserted through opening 9 and held within threaded portion 10
of male fitting 6. It will be apparent that the male fitting may be
formed integrally with the end support, or otherwise attached.
The male fitting is also provided with a lug 20, spring urged
outwardly by spring 21. Accidental removal of the lug is prevented
through formation of shoulder 22 which abuts the edge of the male
fitting. The lug 20 is held within opening 23 of female receptacle
24.
The male fitting is also provided with a guide pin 25 which acts to
retain the fitting and, therefore, the attached basket, in a
horizontal position, notwithstanding force applied to the basket.
This alignment pin 25 can be eliminated, depending upon the force
of spring 21. The fitting is also formed with a recessed portion 26
at the end opposite the threaded portion 10.
The female receptacle 24 is provided with an annular recess 30 to
accommodate male fitting 6. Formed on the wall of the recess is
opening 23 which accommodates spring loaded lug 20. Also formed on
the surface of recess 30 is a slot-like opening 31 which
accommodates the alignment pin 25 of the male fitting, when this
alignment pin is present.
The female receptacle is joined to the axle 32 of the horizontally
supported drum as by means of threaded member 33 inserted into
recess 30 and through opening 34 formed at the rear of the recess.
This threaded member replaces a member normally formed over the
axle end. Recessed portion 26 of the male fitting accommodates the
head of threaded member 33.
Because of the plate removed from the normal tub opening covering
the end of the axle, there is a danger of a lint flow through the
now formed opening and into the operating mechanism of the dryer.
For this reason, sleeve 35 is formed about female receptacle 24 and
is held in place by an extension 36 of the rear of the drum
cylinder, the latter preventing tangling of clothes about the axle
in addition to maintaining the sleeve 35 in place to prevent flow
of lint through the opening.
In a second embodiment, illustrated particularly in FIG. 7, a
delicate goods tray 1 is again shown with a male fitting 6 and
female receptacle 24, the latter attached to axle 32. Mounting is
in the same manner as illustrated in the first embodiment, the
difference being the castors 40 which are attached to the tray 1
and formed so as to ride along rear wall 41 of the dryer drum. Such
castors can be employed if it is believed that a particularly heavy
tray or load will be used, the castors acting to provide additional
horizontal support for the tray.
In operation, the axle 32 is provided with a threaded opening by
which the female receptacle 24 is attached. This attachment is
permanent and the receptacle is mounted in such a way that opening
23 and slot 31 are aligned for horizontal support of the delicate
goods tray. The delicate goods tray is attached to the female
receptacle through means of male fitting 6. This fitting is aligned
in such a manner that the spring loaded lug 20 will be inserted
into opening 23 and alignment pin 25, if present, will move into
slot 31. When the male fitting has been inserted sufficiently, the
spring loaded lug 20, which is depressed upon initial movement,
will snap into opening 23 so as to hold the male fitting and, thus,
the delicate goods tray, in place. After drying a load of delicate
goods, if it is desired to remove the tray, the lug 20 is depressed
so as to allow withdrawal of male fitting 6 from female receptacle
24, which completes removal of the tray from the dryer.
It will be appreciated that the dryer in which the receptacle and
tray of the present invention are placed is a standard, horizontal,
automatic, home type dryer. Thus, it includes a standard cabinet in
which the drum is mounted and supported on lower rollers, or
pedestals, and on a rear axle which provides support at the center
of the drum. Such a dryer is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,567,297. It will further be appreciated, of course, that the
standard dryer can be easily converted so as to be useful in drying
of delicate goods according to the present invention. The support
axle need merely be tapped to allow for attachment of the
receptacle. The tray would be supplied with the receptacle and
would be employed in the same manner described according to this
invention.
While the present invention has been described according to
particular embodiments for purposes of illustration, the invention
is not so limited.
* * * * *