Pulley system for automatic washer

A pulley system for an automatic washer wherein the automatic washer includes a wash basket rotatably disposed within a tub and a motor having a motor shaft for selectively rotating the wash basket about a horizontal axis, the pulley system being disposed between said motor and said basket for drivingly connecting said motor with said basket, said pulley system comprising:

• a pulley disposed external of said tub and being drivingly interconnected with said wash basket;
• a trip arm interconnected with said pulley;
• means for selectively extending a portion of said trip arm beyond the outer periphery of said pulley in response to the direction of wash basket rotation;
• and
• a belt drivingly disposed about said motor shaft and said pulley for drivingly interconnecting said motor with said pulley.

An automatic washer, comprising:

• an imperforate tub;
• a perforate wash basket disposed within said tub being rotatable about a horizontal axis;
• a motor drivingly connected with said wash basket for selectively driving said wash basket about said horizontal axis;
• a control shaft rotatably supported by said tub and having a main portion disposed adjacent said basket and an end extending external of said tub;
• a plurality of elements interconnected with said control shaft for rotation therewith for controlling the operation of the washer;
• a spring for biasing said control shaft to rotate such that said plurality of elements are urged toward said basket;
• a hub rigidly attached to said externally extending end of said control shaft adapted for selectively controlling the angular position of said control shaft relative to said tub;
• a latching mechanism disposed adjacent said hub for latching said hub in a predetermined angular position against the rotational bias of said control shaft;
• and
• means for tripping said latching mechanism such that said hub is released such that said control shaft rotates under the urgings of said spring.