The water is then pumped out of the machine through a drain hose. There are two types of automatic washers, agitator machines and tumbler machines. Most automatic washers are agitator machines. The operator of an agitator machine puts in laundry by lifting the lid. Inside the machine, a cone-shaped device called an agitator is mounted in the center of the basket.
Most agitators have several projections called fins.
As the agitator rotates, it continually reverses direction. This action moves the laundry through the water and forces water through the items. A tumbler machine is loaded through a door on the front of the machine. The basket revolves, and the laundry tumbles through the water. One of the first mechanical washers was patented about 1860 by Hamilton E. Smith of Philadelphia.