Washing Machine Packing Brace

Abstract

Apparatus for use in packing a household automatic washing machine for shipment, to brace the agitator and tub against the cabinet of the machine. The apparatus includes several thick arms of elastic foam material with inner ends joined by an elastic cord so that the arms radiate outwardly. Each arm has a ledge at the top of its inner and outer ends for resting on the agitator and housing, respectively, while the lower portions of the arm are compressed between the agitator at one end and the tub and cabinet at the other end.

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for packing washing machines for shipment.

Automatic washing machines generally are constructed to allow the agitator and tub to pivot in directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This degree of freedom is provided to prevent excessive vibration when an unbalanced tub is rotated at high speed to extract water from the laundry. When the machine is being shipped, however, such freedom allows the tub and a stabilizer assembly or other apparatus attached to the tub to hit the inner side of the cabinet, which can cause damage.

Various devices have been provided for use by moving and storage companies, to brace the agitator or tub. One approach is to provide a circular bracing member which can be placed in the upper end of the washing compartment to lock the agitator in place. While such bracing members can be installed and removed easily and they effectively safeguard the washer, they generally fit only one model of machine. Thus, a variety of different sizes, such as a dozen, are required to fit the different makes and models of washing machines which are commonly encountered. It is difficult to maintain an adequate stock so that each team of movers can pack any model of washing machine it encounters.

Another approach has been to provide a brace formed by several arms of cardboard or the like. The arms can be cut to size by the mover to extend across the tub. The arms are then bound together with the agitator sandwiched between them, by winding tape or cord around the arms. The installation of such apparatus is somewhat complex to workmen who are not familiar with it, and they often quickly give up trying to install the apparatus and leave the machine unbraced and therefore likely to become damaged.

An object of the present invention is to provide universal bracing apparatus for automatic washing machines, which is easily installed even by workmen not familiar with the apparatus.

Another object is to provide a bracing device for automatic washing machines, which fits a wide variety of different models, and is economical, easily stored, sturdy, and highly effective in protecting the machine.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided for bracing a washing machine during shipment, which is easily installed, and which fits a variety of models. The apparatus includes several shock-absorbing arms with inner ends for abutting the agitator and outer ends for abutting the tub and the housing, or cabinet of the machine. The arms may be joined together near their inner ends to hold them together.

In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes four thick arms of a durable elastic foam material. The arms are permanently joined together at their inner ends by an elastic cord that extends through a hole in each of the arms. Each arm has an inner end that abuts the agitator and an outer end that abuts the tub and housing. The compression between the agitator and tub holds the arm securely in place, while the firm abutment with the housing braces the tub and agitator against movement with respect to the housing. The apparatus can be easily installed in a variety of models of washing machines by forcing the arms down into the washing machine so they abut the agitator at the inner ends, and the tub and housing at the outer ends. Ledge portions are provided at the top of the inner and outer ends to rest on the agitator and housing, respectively, so the workman can easily judge how far down to push the arms. The elastic arms are initially slightly larger than required for the largest washing machine commonly encountered, and they can be compressed to fit into the smallest machine commonly encountered.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a packing brace constructed in accordance with the invention, shown installed in a washing machine:

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the packing brace of FIG. 1 prior to installation in a washing machine:

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an arm of the apparatus of FIG. 1 prior to installation in a washing machine; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation view showing the configuration of the outer end of the arm of FIG. 4 when installed in another model of washing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional top-loading automatic washing machine 10 which includes an outer housing or cabinet 12, a tub 14 mounted within the housing, and an agitator 16 mounted within the tub. The agitator can rotate about a vertical axis with respect to the tub, but cannot pivot to the side with respect to it. However, the agitator-tub assembly not only can rotate about a vertical axis, but can pivot sidewardly (i.e. about a horizontal axis) by several degrees with respect to the housing, until it or a stabilizer or other apparatus mounted on the tub hits an inner portion of the housing. The housing includes a rim portion 18 forming an opening that is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the tub 14. A packing brace 20 is shown installed in the washing machine to fix the location of the agitator-tub assembly with respect to the housing 12, so as to prevent damage to the machine during shipment.

As also shown in the other figures, the packing brace includes four arms 22, 24, 26 and 28 with inner ends 30 against the agitator, and outer ends 32 which engage the rim portion 18 of the machine housing and the sidewalls of the tub 14. The four arms are held together by an elastic cord 34 formed of a continuous rubber core with a cloth covering. The cord extends through holes 36 formed in the inner end portions of the arms. The arms are constructed of thick blocks of a sturdy elastic material such as a polyethylene foam.

Each block has an overhanging ledge portion 38 at its inner end which can rest on the top of the agitator 16, and a lower portion 40 which can engage the side of the agitator. The outer end portion 32 has a notch 46 which forms a ledge portion 42 that can rest on the rim portion 18 of the housing, and a lower portion 44 which can engage the sidewall of the tub 14. The extreme inner edge of the housing rim portion 18 is received in the notch 46 of the arm, the housing compressing the walls of the block at the notch. The initial length L as measured between the lower portions of the arm is greater than the length L.sub.c between the sidewalls of the agitator and tub of the largest machine into which the apparatus is to be inserted. Accordingly, the arm is placed under compression between the agitator and tub, so it is held firmly in place and cannot shift position. The arm is also compressed in abutting the edge 18E of the housing rim, to thereby resist shifting of the agitator-tub assembly with respect to the housing. The several arms of the packing brace therefore substantially fix the position of the agitator-tub assembly, to prevent large movements that could damage the machine, under the range of impacts to be expected under normal moving conditions.

The packing brace 20 is designated to be received in a variety of different models of washing machines. Most commonly encountered washing machines have tubs with inner diameters of about 15 inches, but the exact diameter varies by up to about 3 inches for the dozen or so common models. However, those machines with larger tubs generally have larger diameter agitators also, and the radial distance between the agitator and the tub wall generally ranges between only about 51/2 inches and 61/2 inches. By making the initial length L of the bottom arm position about 65/8 inches, it can be made to fit washing machines with agitator-to-tub radial distances ranging from 51/2 inches to 61/2 inches with a compression of the bottom portion between one-eighth inch and 11/8 inch. The polyethylene foam material typically can be elastically compressed up to about 20 percent to enable the required compression of the arms. In order to prevent buckling, or columnlike collapse of an arm during compression, it should be made relatively thick, a thickness T of at least about 10 percent of the length L of the bottom portion being desirable for this purpose, and a greater thickness such as at least 20 percent substantially preventing damage during the compression. Thus, for the above-described length L, a thickness T of about 2 inches provides a sturdy arm. A thickness of up to about 2 inches allows four arms to abut an agitator of about 2 inches diameter without substantial interference of the arms with each other along most of the inner end (they will then interfere at the ledges 38, but the ledges are not deep and a workman can still push the arms into place).

Most of the automatic washing machines have a rim portion 18 with a depth D at the extreme inner edge of about three-fourth inch or more. However, a couple of common models have a depth of only about one-quarter inch. These same narrow-rim models also have an unusually small housing opening that leaves a radius of about 5 inches between the agitator 16 and housing edge 18E, instead of the usual 51/2 to 61/2 inches. In order to reduce the amount of arm compression, the notch 46 is provided to receive the rim portion 18, so that arm undergoes less compression. This situation is shown in FIG. 2. In a case where the rim portion is deeper and of larger diameter, as shown in FIG. 5, the rim portion 18' engages part of the lower arm portion 44 below the notch 46.

Prior to installation, the packing brace may have the configuration shown in FIG. 3, each block having the shape of FIG. 4. In this configuration, the elastic cord 34 is not stretched. The cord serves to hold the members together to make it obvious how the brace is to be installed in a machine without requiring the workmen to read instructions, and to prevent the workmen from misplacing one of the arms. To install the brace, the arms are merely placed within the tub and pushed into a position where their inner ends abut the sides of the agitator. Some compression of the arms occurs, but the foam material is flexible enough to enable the required compression without excessive efforts by the workmen and without the likelihood of his breaking the machine in the process. The cord 34 is stretched somewhat after the brace is installed, to help hold the arms tightly against the agitator. It might be supposed that the compression of the arms between the agitator and tub always would be sufficient to hold the arms in place, but an elastic cord is found to be very helpful to secure the inner ends of the arm on the agitator.

The brace can be constructed with any number of arms, although four arms have been found most desirable. A two-armed brace, with the arms on the opposite sides of the agitator, may allow excessive movement in the directions which are substantially unbraced. A three-armed brace has been found to be somewhat less satisfactory than one with four arms. The overall height H, of each arm can be varied within a wide range, although a height of about twice the thickness T has been found sufficient. Bracing arms with an inner ledge portion 38 extending about one-half inch past the bottom 40 of the inner end and with a notch 46 extending a distance N of about three-fourth inch into the outer end, and with an inner side with a length I of about 1 inch, have been found to provide a brace that securely fits on the variety of washing machine models commonly encountered. The brace assembly can be stored in a compact manner by laying one pair of arms against each other, and the other pair against each other and end to end with the first pair. Thus, a brace with four arms, each about 7 inches long and 2 inches thick, and joined by an elastic cord, are stored in a package about 14 inches long and 4 inches thick.

Thus, the invention provides a packing brace for protecting automatic washing machines during shipment, which can be installed quickly even by workmen previously unfamiliar with the device. The brace is of low cost and can be applied to a wide variety of commonly encountered washing machines, so that a brace can be available for most machines that are likely to be encountered, at low cost in initial purchase price and in storage expense. The brace protects the machine well during shipment and can be quickly removed and later used with another machine of different size.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for use in bracing an agitator and tub relative to a housing of a washing machine during shipment, comprising: at least three bracing members with inner and outer end portions, said members being constructed of resilient material for insertion substantially radially between the agitator and housing of the washing machine so that the inner end portions of the members abut the agitator and the outer end portions abut the housing; and an elongated flexible member extending between the inner end portions of said bracing member to tie them together.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: each of said bracing members has a hole in its inner end portion; and said elongated flexible member extends through said holes to tie said members together.

3. Apparatus for use in bracing an agitator relative to a housing of a washing machine during shipment, comprising: a plurality of bracing members with inner and outer end portions, said members being constructed of resilient material for insertion substantially radially between the agitator and housing of the washing machine so that the inner end portions of the members abut the housing, each member having a ledge at the top of each end portion for resting on the agitator and on the housing of the washing machine, respectively.

4. Apparatus for use in bracing an agitator and tub relative to a housing of a washing machine during shipment, comprising: at least three bracing members with inner and outer end portions, said members being constructed of resilient material for insertion substantially radially between the agitator and housing of the washing machine so the inner end portions of the members abut the agitator and the outer end portions abut the housing, each member having a ledge at its outer portion for resting on the washing machine housing and a portion below the ledge for pressing outwardly against the tub of the washing machine.

5. The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein: the outer end of each member defines a notch between the ledge thereof and said portion below the ledge for receiving the rim of the washing machine housing.

6. Apparatus for use in bracing the agitator and tub relative to the rim of a housing of an automatic washing machine during shipment, comprising: an elongated bracing member of resilient material having a width and thickness which are at least one-tenth its length, including an inner end portion with a ledge for resting on top of the agitator, and an outer end portion, said outer end portion having a ledge at the top for resting on top of the washing machine housing, a rim-engaging region beneath the ledge thereof for abutting the rim of the housing, and a tub-engaging region below said rim-engaging region for abutting the tub of the washing machine.

7. The apparatus described in claim 6 including: three additional resilient bracing members for extending between the agitator and housing, the four bracing members to be positioned substantially radially and about 90.degree. apart, and an elongated elastic member joining together the inner end portions of said four members to allow said inner end portions to move toward and away from each other.

8. In a washing machine which includes a housing with an aperture, a tub located within said housing for access through said aperture, and an agitator substantially at the center of said tub, the combination with said washing machine of: a plurality of bracing members constructed of resilient material located in said aperture of said washing machine, said bracing members having inner end portions abutting the agitator and outer end portions abutting the housing and tub, each housing member having ledges respectively lying on top of the agitator and on top of the region of the housing surrounding the aperture therein.

9. In a washing machine which includes a housing with an aperture, a tub located within said housing for access through said aperture, and an agitator substantially at the center of said tub, the combination with said washing machine of: a plurality of bracing members constructed of resilient material located in said aperture of said washing machine, said bracing members having inner end portions abutting the agitator and outer end portions abutting the housing and tub, each bracing member having ledges respectively lying on top of the agitator and on top of the region of the housing surrounding the aperture therein; and an elastic member connecting the inner end portions of the bracing members and drawing them together.