Combined oscillating and unidirectional agitator for automatic washer

In a clothes washing machine of the vertical axis type having a washing receptacle for receiving washing liquid and fabrics to be washed, agitator means within said receptacle for washing fabrics and for generating a rollover motion to said fabrics during washing of the fabrics, and drive means for driving said agitator means, said agitator means comprising:

• a lower agitator element driven by said drive means in an oscillatory motion on said vertical axis,
• an upper agitator element mounted on said vertical axis above said lower agitator element, said upper agitator element being positively and unidirectionally rotated by said drive means on said vertical axis,
• means on said upper agitator element for deflecting said fabrics downwardly toward said lower agitator element in a first portion of a toroidal rollover pattern for said fabrics by the coaction of said upper and lower elements,
• said lower agitator elements including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, radially-extending, flexible vanes having relatively free end portions positioned outwardly from said vertical axis, and a skirt portion closely positioned beneath said end portions whereby said end portions may flex relative to said skirt portion upon oscillation of said lower agitator element and yieldingly propel said fabrics away from said vertical axis and into a second portion of said toroidal rollover pattern so as to be reengaged by said upper agitator element and thereby generate a continuous rollover motion of said fabrics.

In an automatic washer having a washing receptacle for containing washing liquid and the items to be washed, agitator means within said receptacle for imparting a rollover motion to said items to be washed, and drive means for driving said agitator means, said agitator means comprising:

• a lower agitator element driven by the drive means in an oscillatory manner,
• an upper agitator element mounted above the lower agitator element and coaxial therewith, said upper agitator element being positively rotationally driven by the drive means in one direction only,
• means associated with the upper agitator element for imparting a downward motion to the items to be washed, and
• flexible vane means associated with the lower agitator element to yieldingly flex under heavy wash load conditions to minimize tangling of items to be washed due to the movement of said upper agitator element in said one direction only.

An agitator assembly for use within a vertical axis washing machine adapted to receive washing fluid and fabrics to be washed within said washing fluid, said agitator assembly comprising:

• a first agitator member including means for receiving an oscillatory input drive member from said machine for imparting an oscillatory motion to said first agitator member,
• a second agitator member having fabric deflecting means thereon mounted adjacent said first agitator member and movable relative thereto for urging fabrics positioned adjacent said fabric deflecting means within said washing fluid toward said first agitator member in a generally toroidal fluid circulatory path to effect a scrubbing of said fabrics by said first agitator member,
• said second agitator member having drive means connected thereto for moving said second agitator member as a separate unidirectional rotational movement relative to said first agitator member, and
• flexible vane means on said first agitator element for uniformly scrubbing the fabrics to be washed while yieldingly flexing under relatively heavy load conditions thereby preventing any undue tangling of the fabrics caused by the unidirectional rotational movement of said second agitator member relative to said first agitator element.

In an automatic washing having a clothes washing receptacle, agitator means within said receptacle, and drive means having a drive shaft engageable with said agitator means, an improvement in said agitator means comprising:

• a lower agitator element connected to said drive shaft for oscillating motion therewith,
• an upper agitator element disposed above the lower agitator element and coaxial therewith,
• means interconnecting said upper agitator element with said drive means for unidirectional rotation of said upper agitator element, and
• means on said lower agitator element for scrubbing clothes and for alleviating any tendency for tangling of the clothes occasioned by the unidirectional rotation of said upper agitator element, said means on said lower agitator element comprising a plurality of flexible vanes constructed and arranged to yieldingly flex under relatively heavy clothes wash load conditions.