Sept. 6, 1960
`
`Filed Aug. 30, 1956
`
`R. E. GOULD
`GARBAGE GRINDER
`
`2,951,650
`
`2 Sheets-Sheet 1
`
`t
`l ). __
`
`Fig. I
`
`INVENTOR.
`Richard E Gould
`BYff~~1t7-
`His Attorney
`
`PETITIONERS' EXHIBIT 1105
`
`PAGE 1 OF 4
`
`

`

`Sept. 6, 1960
`
`Filed Aug. 30, 1956
`
`R. E. GOULD
`GARBAGE GRINDER
`
`2,951,650
`
`2 Sheets-Sheet 2
`
`64
`
`Fig. 4
`
`Fig. 5
`
`INVENTOR.
`Richard E. Gould
`BY~
`{!)~8.~
`(J
`His At torn/y
`
`PAGE 2 OF 4
`
`

`

`United States Patent Office
`
`2,951,650
`Patented Sept. 6, 1960
`
`1
`
`2,951,650
`GARBAGE GRINDER
`Richard E. Gould, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General
`Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of
`Delaware
`Filed Aug. 30, 1956, Ser. No, 607,119
`5 Claims. (CI. 241-286)
`
`This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more
`particularly to a waste disposal unit .for grinding waste
`material.
`An object· of the inventicm is to provide a waste dis(cid:173)
`posal unit having a lower impeller housing and an upper
`waste receiving housing, one or both housings being
`formed of a plastic or elastomeric material.
`Another object is to provide an electric motor: driven
`waste disposal unit with a lower housing of resilient
`plastic material, the stator of the motor being embedded
`in the plastic material.
`A further object is to provide a was·te disposal unit
`with an upper elastomeric waste receiving housing that is
`secured to the lower housing of the disposal unit by
`snapping a lower portion of the upper housing into a
`space formed by the lower housing and the shredder ring
`of the disposal unit, the lower portion of the upper house
`ing holding the shredder ring in fixed relation to the dis(cid:173)
`posal unit.
`Still another object is to provide a snap ring that
`engages the lower housing and upper elastomerip housing
`of a waste disposal unit for holding the upper housing
`and shredder ring of the unit in fixed relation to the
`lower housing of the unit.
`Further objects and advantages of the present invention
`will be apparent from the following description, refer(cid:173)
`ence being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a
`preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.
`In the drawings:
`Figure 1 is a sectional view of a waste disposal unit
`made in accordance. with this invention;
`Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views of a modified waste
`disposal unit progressively showing the. connection being
`made between the lower and upper housings of t4e unit;
`Figure 4 is a sectional view of still another mqditied
`waste disposal unit showing the connection between the
`upper and lower housings thereof; and
`Figure 5 is a .top view of the snap ring shown. ig J:Yig-
`ure 4.
`·
`The waste disposal unit of this invention as shown in
`Fig. 1 comprises an upper waste receiving housing gen(cid:173)
`erally denoted by the reference numeral 10 and a lower 55
`impeller housing generally denoted by reference numeral
`12. Tne upper housing 10 is preferably made of an
`elastomeric material such as rubber and is provided with
`an integral conduit portion 14 that may be connected with
`the drain connection of a dishwasher or the like. The
`conduit connection 14 may be opened to the interior of
`upper housing 10 by punching out t.'fJ.e portion 16 located
`in alignment with the interior of conduit portion 14. The
`upper and lower housing sections are held together by
`means of a cylindrically shaped metal clamping ring 18
`which engages the outer periphery of upper housing 10
`and conforms to the contour of the housing. The clamp(cid:173)
`ing ring 18 has a flanged portion 26 .that overlies a flanged
`portion 22 of the housing 10. A shredder ring generally
`denoted by reference numeral 24 is secured between the
`upper housing 10 and lower housing 12. The shredder
`
`5
`
`2
`ring has an annular flanged portion 26 that abuts a cir(cid:173)
`cumferential ledge 27 formed in the lower housing 12 of
`the disposal unit, as shown. The upper housing 10 and
`the shredder ring 24 are held in tight engagement with
`lower housing 12 by means of a plurality of cap. s~rews
`28 that are threaded into the lower housing 12 and which
`engage the clamping ring 18.
`It is to be understood that
`the shredder ring is provided with a plmality qf. cutting
`faces (not shown) that cooperate with an impeller 30. to
`10 grind waste material deposited within upper housing 10
`in accordance with conventional practice. The impeper
`30 is press-fitted or otherwise secured to a drive shaft 32
`and rotates therewith when the drive shaft is rotated,
`·
`The lower housing 12 .is preferably formed of any suit-
`15 able moldable plastic or resilient material having. the
`property of withstanding the heat generated in opera(cid:173)
`tion of the disposal. The housing may be formed of a
`polyethylene or epoxy resin or may be formed by rein(cid:173)
`forcing the resin with glass fibers. The housing might
`20 also. be formed of rubber or similar moldable material.
`The moldable material used is molded to the shape shown
`in Fig. 1.
`The housing 12 has an upper impeller chamber 34 de(cid:173)
`fined in part by a side wall 35, the impeller chamber com-
`25 municating with an outlet conduit 36. The outlet pipe 36
`is provided with a rubber conduit 38 that is connectable
`with a drain connection .that is in turn connected to a
`sewer line. The conduit 38 has an integral conduit por(cid:173)
`tion 40 and is similar to conduit portion 14 described
`30 hereinbefore. The conduit portion 40 may be connected
`with a dishwasher Cl' the like and may ·be punched out at
`42 in order to connect the interior of conduit 38 with the
`interior of conduit portion 40. The lower housing 12 is
`formed with a bearing supporting portion 44 that sup-
`35 ports a conventional bearing 46 that in turn carries the
`drive shaft 32 of the disposal unit. The lower housing
`12 also has a rotor chamber 48 that houses a rotor 50. of
`an electric motor, the chamber being closed at its lower
`end by a plastic cap 49 suitably secured to housing 12.
`40 The rotor chamber 48 communicates with the atmosphere
`by means of one or more passages 52 formed in the lower
`housing 12 and by passages 53 formed in plastic cap 49.
`The stator of the. electric motor generally denoted by
`reference numeral 54, and having windings 55 is. em-
`45 bedd_edin the moldable plastic material of lower housing
`12. The passages 52 provide an air path between the
`rotor cha,mber 48 and the atmosphere which serves. to
`cool the stator winding of the electric motor.
`The upper housing 10 of the garbage disposal unit is
`preferably attached to the bottom wall of a sink_ with the
`50 sink drain member in alignment with the top opening. of
`the h()u_si!Jg 10. The provision of an elastomeric upper
`housing and a lower housing of plastic material affords
`a ~ubstantially vibrationless mounting for the disposal
`umt.
`The connection between the lower and upper housings
`of the waste disposal unit shown in Fig. 1 may be modi(cid:173)
`fied to take the form shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 wherein
`the same reference numerals as used in Fig. 1 denote the
`same or similar parts. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the
`60 side wall of the lower housing 12 is extended upwardly
`to substantially the same height as that of the shredder
`ring 24. The top portion of the housing 12 is provided
`with a circumferentially extending flange 56 that operates
`to hold the shredder ring 24 and upper housing 10 in
`65 fixed relation with ·the lower housing 12. The lower
`portion 62 of upper housing 10 is provided with a circum(cid:173)
`f~rentially extending groove 58 and with a horizontally
`disposed annular wall portion 60. The Rower portion 62
`of the upper housing 10 is forced between the shredder
`70 ring 24 and the lower housing 12 as shown in Fig. 2
`when the lower and upper housings are assembled, The
`
`PAGE 3 OF 4
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`

`2,951,6150
`
`'
`
`4
`3
`a chamber of said lower housing and drivably connected
`forcing of the portion 62 into the space between housing
`with said electric motor rotor.
`12 and shredder ring 24 flattens out the circumferentially
`3. A waste disposer comprising, a lower housing en(cid:173)
`eX:tending groove 58 and flattens the shoulder 60 on the
`closing an electric motor, a shaft connected with the rotor ·
`lower portion 62 of upper housing 10. By applying. suf-.
`of said electric motor, an impeller connected whh said
`ficient downward force on the upper housing 10 the 5
`shaft, a shredder ring having a portion supported by said
`shoulder 60 snaps under the flanged portion 56 and the
`lower housing and cooperating with said impeller in the
`groove 58 returns to its normal or unflattened position.
`grinding of waste material, said lower housing forming an
`In the assembled position as shown in Fig. 3 the shredder
`annular space with said shredder ring, an upper waste
`ring 24 is tightly held between the annular portion 59 of
`receiving housing formed of an elastomeric material hav(cid:173)
`rubber housing 10 and the flanged portion 57 of lower 10
`ing a lower portion fitting w1thin said space, and a snap
`plastic housing 12, the lower portion 62 of the housing HI
`ring engaging ·said lower housing and the lower portion
`conforming to the outer contour of shredder ring 24 and
`of said upper housing for holding said upper and lower
`to the inner contour of lower housing 12. The shredder
`housings and said shredder ring in fixed relationship with
`ring 24 is further held in place by the lower portion 62 of
`·
`one another.
`housing 10 bearing down on shoulder 61 of the shredder 15
`4. A waste disposer comprising, a lower housing en-
`ring.
`closing an electric motor, a drive shaft connected with
`In Fig. 4 the shredder ring 24 and lower portion 62 of
`the rotor of said electric motor, an impeller connected
`rubber housing 10 are held in fixed relation with lower
`with said drive shaft, a shredder ring having a portion
`housing 12 by means of a spring metal snap ring 64 that·
`fits within a circumferentially extending slot 66 formed on 20 supported by said lower housing, said lower housing
`forming an annular space with said shredder ring and
`the inner wall of lower housing 12. The lower and
`having an annular flanged portion, and an upper hous-
`upper housings, and shredder ring in the embodiment of
`ing formed of an elastomeric material having a lower
`Fig. 4, are held together by the snap ring 64 which may
`portion press-fitted within said space and partially over-
`be compressed and fitted into circumferentially extending
`slot 66. With the snap ring 64 compressed, the ring is 25 lying a portion of said shredder ring, said lower portion
`having a circumferentially extending shoulder engaging
`allowed to expand so that ·the outer edge of the snap ring
`said lower housing flanged portion, the lower portion of
`tightly engages the inner walls of slot 66. With the ar-
`said upper housing forming the sole means for holding
`rangement shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the shredder ring
`said upper and lower housings and said shredder ring in
`and lower and upper housings are secured together with-
`out -the use of conventional cap screws as shown in Fig. 1. 30 fixed relationship with one another.
`5. A waste disposer comprising, a lower housing en-
`Moreover, with the arrangement of these figures the
`closing an electric motor, an impeller chamber formed in
`shredder ring is supported in a radial direction by reason
`said lower housing, an impeller connected with said motor
`of the fact that the lower housing 12 extends upwardly
`and rotatable within said impeller chamber, a shredder
`to substantially the same height as the shredder ring.
`While the form of embodiment of the invention as 35 ring resting on a portion of said lower housing and coop-
`erating with said impeller in the grinding of waste rna-
`herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be
`terial, the outer surface of said shredder ring being
`understood that other forms might be adopted, as may
`spaced from the inner surface of said lower housing with
`rome within the scope of the claims which follow.
`the shredder ring and housing extending upwardly to sub-
`What is claimed is as follows:
`1. A waste disposer comprising, an upper housing 40 stantially the same height, and an upper waste receiving
`housing formed of an elastomeric material having a lower
`formed of an elastomeric material having a waste receiv-
`portion tightly fitting between said shredder ring and said
`ing chamber, shredder means associated with said dis-
`lower housing, said lower portion having a shoulder fitting
`poser, an impeller cooperating with said shredder means
`under an inwardly extending flanged portion of said lower
`for grinding -waste material, and a lower housing snap
`connected with said upper housing, said lower housing 45 housing and having a circumferentially extending groove
`adapted ·to be flattened during the insertion of said lower
`being formed of a resilient moldable material and enclos-
`portion between said lower housing and shredder ring.
`ing an electric motor drivably connected with said im-
`peller.
`lower housing
`2. A waste disposer comprising, a
`formed of a resilient moldable mruterial, an electric motor 50
`stator embedded in said resilient material, a rotor for
`said motor within said housing, an upper housing formed
`of an elastomeric material snap connected to said lower
`housing, said upper housing having a waste receiving
`chamber, stationary shredder means in said chamber, and 55
`an impeller cooperating with said shredder means for
`grinding waste material, said impeller being mounted in
`
`References Cited in the file of this patent
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`Humphreys ------------ Apr. 21, 1942
`Coss ------------------- Aug. 2, 1949
`Treat --------~---------Apr. 10, 1951
`Brezosky --------------- May 1, 1956
`Jordan ---------------- Mar. 19, 1957
`Macemon -------------- Mar. 25, 1958
`
`2,280,090
`2,477,686
`2,548,133
`2,743,875
`2,785,864
`2,828,083
`
`PAGE 4 OF 4
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