abstract |
Improved agitation means for use in a clothes washing machine of the type in which an agitator is oscillated by means of a drive mechanism to secure agitation of the clothes placed within the washing machine. The present invention provides a first agitator element and a second agitator element driven from a common driving source, the second agitator element being provided with means to urge clothes into a rollover pattern established by the coaction of the agitator elements and thereby impart a highly efficient rollover motion to the clothes. The first agitator element, which may employ either rigid or flexible vanes, or a combination thereof, is preferably located below and coaxial to the second agitator element which may be driven either intermittently, or continuously, in a unidirectional rotary motion. |