Timing mechanism for washing machines and like equipment

Claim 1

IMPROVED TIMING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES AND LIKE EQUIPMENT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A ROTATABLE, LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE SHAFT HAVING CAMS THEREON, CAM FOLLOWERS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE SAID CAMS SO AS TO BE ACTUATED THEREBY, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM FOLLOWERS, MEANS WHEREBY ONE OR MORE OF SAID CAMS IS OR ARE MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE SO AS TO VARY THE TIME DURING WHICH THE ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ARE CLOSED BY THE RELATED CAM FOLLOWER, EACH SAID ADJUSTABLE CAM INCLUDING A FAST DISC CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT AND A LOOSE DISC THEREON AND WHICH ARE SPRING COUPLED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY ARE NORMALLY URGED APART WHILST RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN IS YIELDINGLY OPPOSED, SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS BEING PROVIDED WITH DISENGAGEABLE DRIVING CONNECTIONS AND MEANS FOR LIMITING RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS ALSO HAVING OPPOSED SHOULDERS ONE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS WHICH ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AN ADJUSTABLE TIME GAP THEREBETWEEN WHICH IS TRAVERSED BY A CAM FOLLOWER, AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID SHAFT FOR MANUALLY EFFECTING RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID FAST AND LOOSE DISCS AND THEREUPON ENGAGING THEIR DRIVING CONNECTIONS.