Dual-speed transmission for a washing machine

Claim 1

A TWO SPEED TRANSMISSION RESPONSIVE TO DRIVING SPEED FOR CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION RATIO THEREOF COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A TUBULAR OUTPUT SHAFT JOURNALED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS THEREOF; (C) AN INPUT SHAFT COAXIALLY ROTATABLE IN SAID TUBULAR SHAFT, RESPECTIVELY AXIAL END PORTIONS OF SAID INPUT SHAFT AXIALLY PROJECTIONS FROM THE TWO CORRESPONDING AXIALLY TERMINALL PORTIONS OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT; (D) PLANETARY GEARING INCLUDING (1) A SUM GEAR FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID INPUT SHAFT, (2) A RING GEAR COAXIAL WITH SAID SUN GEAR AND FIXEDLY FASTENED ON SAID SUPPORT (3) A PLANET CARRIER ROTATABLE ON SAID SUPPORT ABOUT SAID AXIS, AND (4) A PLANET GEAR ROTATABLE ON SAID PLANET CARRIER IN SIMULTANEOUS MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUN GEAR AND SAID RING GEAR; (E) OVERRIDING CLUTCH MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PLANET CARRIER AND SAID OUTPUT SHAFT FOR SELECTIVELY TRANSMITTING TORQUE FROM SAID PLANET CARRIER TO SAID OUTPUT SHAFT WHEN THE SHAFT ROTATES AT A SPEED NOT HIGHER THAN THE ROTARY SPEED OF THE PLANET CARRIER; (F) RELEASABLE COUPLING MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID INPUT SHAFT AND THE CORRESPONDING TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT, SAID COUPLING MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE FOR CONNECTING SAID SHAFT FOR JOINT ROTATION ABOUT THE COMMON AXIS; AND (G) CENTRIFUGAL COULING ACTUATING MEANS, SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A CENTRIFUGAL WIEGHT RADIALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID INPUT SHAFT BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT AND REMOTE FROM SAID AXIS AND CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER END PORTION FOR JOINT ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS, AND MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHT AND SAID COUPLING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE SAME IN RESPONSE TO RADIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHT FROM SAID ADJACENT TO SAID REMOTE POSITION THEREOF.