Sears Kenmore Heavy Duty automatic clothes washer, m/n
7114803G. Vintage 1972. Harvest Gold. A bell-shaped
plastic chamber mounted near the bottom of the enclosure
accepts drain water from the pump and outputs it to the
drain hose. What function does the chamber serve? It's a
lint-catcher and I'm tempted to bypass it ... but the
designer put it there for a reason.

Yes, yes. I am going to replace the washer soon. I wish I
had bought two back in '72. One for (much) later.