Washing machine agitator brace

Claim 2

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and the outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; and means forming a lip at at least one end of said brace, said lip having an undersurface for engaging an edge of a portion of said machine, said undersurface being formed at an incline to the horizontal and being of a configuration which does not conform to the configuration of said edge of a portion of said machine, said foam plastic material being relatively crushable whereby said inclined undersurface of said lip may be wedged downwardly against said edge portion of said machine to permanently deform said undersurface and form a permanent pocket receptive to and engaged with said edge portion of said machine, said pocket having a configuration conforming to said edge portion of said machine.

Claim 3

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an opening and an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each lip having an undersurface; and the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly, said foam plastic material being relatively crushable whereby said inclined undersurfaces of said lips may be wedged downwardly against said agitator element and said rim of the opening to permanently deform said undersurfaces and form permanent pockets receptive to and engaged with said respective portions of said agitator rim.

Claim 4

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an opening and an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each lip having an undersurface; and the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly, said foam plastic material being relatively crushable whereby said inclined undersurfaces of said lips may be wedged downwardly against said agitator element and said rim of the opening to permanently deform said undersurfaces and form permanent pockets receptive to and engaged with said respective portions of said agitator rim.

Claim 5

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is uSed it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; and the lower corner of each end of said bracing device being of convex shape and adapted to permit the ends to be wedged firmly against their associated parts of said machine.

Claim 6

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is uSed it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; and the lower corner of each end of said bracing device being of convex shape and adapted to permit the ends to be wedged firmly against their associated parts of said machine.

Claim 7

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; and means forming a transverse slot in said bracing member, said slot extending from the upper surface of said bracing member downwardly to enable said bracing member to be resiliently flexed along its longitudinal dimension.

Claim 8

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of said opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwardly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; and means forming a transverse slot in said bracing member, said slot extending from the upper surface of said bracing member downwardly to enable said bracing member to be resiliently flexed along its longitudinal dimension.

Claim 9

A bracing device as defined in claim 4 further comprising: said slot also extending inwardly and having the lower inner end thereof of larger dimensions than the upper end.

Claim 10

A bracing device as defined in claim 5 further comprising: said lip formed at the outer end of said brace being spaced from the lower portion of the outer end of said brace by an undercut region, said lower end region of the outer end of said brace extending outwardly to substantially the same extent as said outwardly extending lip.

Claim 11

A brace device as defined in claim 4 further comprising: means forming a second transverse slot in said bracing member, said second slot extending from the lower surface of said member upwardly and toward the inner end of said member.

Claim 12

A bracing member as defined in claim 2 further comprising: said lip formed at the inner end of said bracing device extending inwardly beyond the lower regions of said inward end of said bracing device.

Claim 13

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and the outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at at least one end of said brace, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal; and the inner end of said bracing device having beveled surfaces formed thereon at the innermost transverse corners of the inner end of said brace, said beveled surfaces being inclined slightly downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 14

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and the outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at at least one end of said brace, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal; and the inner end of said bracing device having beveled surfaces formed thereon at the innermost transverse corners of the inner end of said brace, said beveled surfaces being inclined slightly downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 15

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwarDly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; said lip formed at the inner end of said bracing device extending inwardly beyond the lower regions of said inward end of said bracing device; the inner end of said bracing device having beveled surfaces formed thereon at the innermost transverse corners of the inner end of said brace, said beveled surfaces being inclined slightly downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 16

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and said outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at each of the inner and outer ends of said brace, each of said lips having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal, the undersurface of the outer lip being inclined upwarDly and outwardly and the undersurface of the inner lip being inclined upwardly and inwardly; said lip formed at the inner end of said bracing device extending inwardly beyond the lower regions of said inward end of said bracing device; the inner end of said bracing device having beveled surfaces formed thereon at the innermost transverse corners of the inner end of said brace, said beveled surfaces being inclined slightly downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 17

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and the outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at at least one end of said brace, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal; and means forming a weakened region along each side of said member, said weakened regions being in substantial registry with each other and being adapted to enable the outer end of said member to be broken away from the remaining portions thereof, said line being of a configuration such that when said outer portion is broken, away, the outer end of said remaining portion of said member will have an upwardly and outwardly curved region at its lower portion, an outwardly extending lip at the upper portion, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal.

Claim 18

A bracing device for a top-loading clothes washing machine having an agitator element comprising: an elongate member formed from a relatively rigid foam plastic material, said member having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end being adapted to engage said agitator and the outer end being adapted to engage the rim of the opening in said washing machine so that when said brace is used it extends radially and outwardly from said agitator; means forming a lip at at least one end of said brace, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal; and means forming a weakened region along each side of said member, said weakened regions being in substantial registry with each other and being adapted to enable the outer end of said member to be broken away from the remaining portions thereof, said line being of a configuration such that when said outer portion is broken, away, the outer end of said remaining portion of said member will have an upwardly and outwardly curved region at its lower portion, an outwardly extending lip at the upper portion, said lip having an undersurface formed at an incline to the horizontal.

Claim 19

A bracing device as defined in claim 10 wherein said undersurfacce of said lip is formed in arcuate configuration extending outwardly and upwardly.

Claim 20

A bracing device as defined in claim 11 wherein said lip and said lower portion of said remaining outer end of said member are separated by an indented portion, said indented portion defining at least a portion of said undersurface of said lip on said remaining portion of said member.