Laundry machine agitator

Claim 1

An agitator for a top loading home clothes washing machine including a centerpost adapted for mounting upright in the tub of the washing machine for rotational oscillation about a vertical axis, said agitator having a lower center post portion and an upper center post portion, said lower portion carrying a plurality of circumferentially mutually spaced radially outwardly extending vanes for operation at the bottom of the tub, at least two of said vanes being flattened, lying in vertical planes, being symmetrically spaced with respect to each other, elongated in the direction of their radial length and having a predetermined degree of flexibility substantially in the direction of oscillation, said flexible vanes having at least a substantial portion of said length freely protruding outwardly from the centerpost portion and terminating in outer clothes selecting and impelling edges which are extended in length, generally vertical and located to impel liquid and articles being washed outwardly along the bottom of the tub, said flexible vanes being further so constructed and arranged that when said agitator is rotationally oscillated through a total arc of about 180* such vanes will deform under washIng load with respect to the centerpost axis not less than about 10* nor more than about 38* from center position of the vanes as measured at the vane tips, at least a substantial part of said upper centerpost portion being free of elements having any substantial effect on the circulation of the liquid and articles being washed.