Washing machines

Claim 1

A DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINE, COMPRISING: AN OUTER STATIONARY HORIZONTAL DRUM, AN INNER HORIZONTAL DRUM CONCENTRIC WITH AND ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID OUTER DRUM, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID INNER DRUM, MEANS DEFINING OPENINGS IN SAID INNER AND OUTER DRUMS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE BROUGHT INTO ALIGNED RELATION FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING SAID INNER DRUM WITH CLOTHING, A LID HAVING A CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE CURVATURE OF THE WALL OF SAID INNER DRUM AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPENING IN SAID INNER DRUM, A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A CONNECTING WEB AND TWO ARMS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID WEB ACROSS SAID OPENING IN SAID INNER DRUM, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID WEB TO THE WALL OF SAID INNER DRUM ON ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING IN SAID INNER DRUM SAID ARMS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID LID SO THAT SAID LID CAN MOVE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID OPENING IN SAID INNER DRUM IN RESPONSE TO PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER, MEANS SUPPORTING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS FOR LIMITED RESILIENT MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, CATCH PLATE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID INNER DRUM WALL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID OPENING IN SAID INNER DRUM FROM SAID WEB, SAID CATCH PLATE MEANS HAVING TWO SPACED-APART EARS SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID INNER DRUM WALL AND PROJECTING TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID EARS HAVING OUTER FACES WHICH ARE INCLINED TOWARD SAID INNER DRUM WALL, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER TO LOCATIONS BETWEEN SAID EARS AND THEN BEING RESILIENTLY MOVABLE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT SAID ARMS CAN BE RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID EARS AND SAID INNER DRUM WALL TO SECURE SAID LID AGAINST MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID INNER DRUM, OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PARTS ON THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID OUTER DRUM SO THAT IN THE EVENT SAID INNER DRUM IS ROTATED WITHOUT SAID ARMS BEING ENGAGED WITH SAID CATCH PLATE MEANS, SAID PARTS WILL ENGAGE SAID OUTER DRUM WHEREBY THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS WILL BE FORCED ALONG SAID INCLINED FACES AUTOMATICALLY TO LATCH THE LID SHUT.