IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred William Turner, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Mechanical Draughtsman and Pattern Maker,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
Scaled the 2nd May 1876, and dated the 4th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred William Turner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th November 1875.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Mechanical Draughtsman and Pattern Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists in constructing and combining the parts
of a machine for washing, wringing, and mangling clothes, linen, and
other articles in the following manner :—
The said machine consists essentially of a longitudinal box or tub,
inside of which is placed a dashing board, the said dashing board being

page_text: made of wood or other suitable substance so prepared as to present a
longitudinal surface of ribs or projections.
On each end of said dashing board are fixed wooden or iron brackets,
henceforward called brackets " A," constructed with a round projection
fitting into another pair of brackets henceforward called brackets "B," |
the said brackets "B" are fastened to the longitudinal box or tub.
A slot is provided at one end of each of the brackets "A" to receive
the ends of a rocking frame, by which the dasher is rocked backwards
and forwards in the longitudinal box or tub.
The clothes being placed between the dasher and front part of the
longitudinal box are by the action of the rocker thrown off the ribs of
dasher, the up stroke of the rocker causing the clothes to slide over and
off the dasher, and at the same time the hot water at back of machinc
is forced to the front, "this action washes the clothes." On the back
of one of the brackets "A" is provided a socket to receive a shaft, on
the end of said shaft is fixed an adjustable weight to balance the rocking
frame, so that the dasher is hung on centres with a rocking frame to
operate it and a weight to balance the said rocking frame.
"
Near the front end of each side bar of the rocking frame I by
preference provide a slot to receive an adjusting pin; on the said pin
will be placed one end of a radius bar, the other end of the said bar
being fastened to the front rail of the rocking frame, by this means the
front rail can be raised or lowered without altering the distance from
the fulcrum in bracket "B."
The said Invention comprises improvements in fixing projecting ribs
on the inside of front board of said washing machine, similar to the ribs
on dasher.
It further comprises improvements of fixing projecting knobs of
spherical section on the inside of said washing machine instead of the
projecting ribs.
It further comprises improvements in connecting the wringing and
mangling frame of the longitudinal tub by means of hand screws
passing through iron brackets hung on pivot hinges.
It further comprises improvement in putting india-rubber or steel
springs under the sides of rocking frame, also under socket end of
bracket "A" to prevent concussion when working the machine.

page_text: It comprises improvements consisting in connecting a table to the
working machine, the said table to be with or without drawers and
with or without folding leaves, the said table being connected to the
longitudinal box or tub by means of wood or iron ledges fastened to
under side of table, the said ledges being fastened to machine by means
of moveable thumb screws connecting with screwed sockets fitted in
brackets herein-before described as brackets B.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred William Turner in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
WILLIAM TURNER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanical Draughtsman and Pattern Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred William Turner, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred William Turner, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred William
Turner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred William Turner, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred William Turner, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to the novel construction and combination of
the parts of a washing machine, that is to say, a machine for cleansing,
wringing, and mangling clothes, linen, and other articles or materials.
5
The said machine has a longitudinal box or tub, inside which is
placed a dashing board, the said dashing board being made of wood 1
or other suitable substance with a longitudinal surface of ribs or pro-
jections.
The said Invention comprises the following devices and combinations
of parts, namely:-A ribbed dasher carried by two vibrating brackets,
projecting ribs fixed on the inside of the back board of a washing 1
machine similar to the ribs on said dasher, and projecting knobs of
spherical section fixed on the inside of the dashing board and back
board instead of the said projecting ribs.
It also comprises peculiar means for adjusting the rocking frame of
the washing machine to suit persons of any height; also connecting a 2
wringing and mangling frame to the longitudinal tub of the machine
by means of hand screws passing through the brackets, and provided
with pivoted or hinged bearings.
Also the placing of india-rubber or steel springs under the sides of
the rocking frame to prevent jarring or concussion, and under and 2
upon the top of the spindles of the mangle rollers to produce the
required pressure of the same upon the clothes or other articles being
mangled.

page_text: and at the same time the hot water at the front of the machine is
forced to the back, and by this action the clothes or other articles are
washed. On the back of one of the rocking brackets a I form a socket
to receive a bent rod or bar e, on whose outer end is suspended an
adjustable weight e¹ to balance the rocking frame c, so that the dasher
is supported in equilibrium, or nearly so, with the rocking frame, and
is therefore very casily operated by the said rocking frame; b³, b³, are
the aforesaid springs or cushions under the vibrating frame and rod
or bar; e² is a bracket in which slides a rod eattached to the said
weight to keep the latter in place. In the front end of each side bar c¹ 1
of the rocking frame c, I by preference provide a slot to receive an
adjusting pin f on one end of a radius bar g; the other end of the said
bar carries the front rail c³ of the rocking frame. By the adjustment
of the said pins in the slots c² the front rail c³ can be raised or lowered
without altering its distance from the fulcrum of the rocking brackets a³, 1
and the rocking frame can by this compression be readily adapted to
suit the convenience of persons of any height.
The screw 9, shewn in Figures 12 and 13, is provided with a cup
shaped bearing g' which is fitted to the end of the said screw, as shown,
in such a manner that it can turn into any angular position thereon, so
that it can adjust itself to any inclined or other surface of the tub or
vessel on which the said bracket is to be secured.
The spring h, Figure 16, is composed of alternate discs of india-rubber
and metal, and is enclosed in the box or case i, Figure 17. At the
lower end of the said spring is a cap j, which fits and rests on the
roller journal; is a rod which extends up from the said cap through
the spring and fits in the hollow stem of the scrow 1, Figure 18. The
latter fits a screw thread formed in the top of the box i. The boxes
i are properly secured to the top of the mangle frame, and by turning
the screws the pressure of the rollers m can be regulated as required.
The table, shown in Figures 10 and 11, may be with or without
drawers and with or without folding leaves, it is connected to the longi-
tudinal box or or tub B by means of wood or iron ledges or bars o fastened
to the under side of the table, the said ledges being attached to the said
box or tub by means of hand screws passing through the brackets A
into screwed sockets fitted into said ledges or bars.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―

page_text: First. In a washing machine the dashing board or dasher with ribs
or other projections, and connected at its ends to vibrating brackets
fitted and working in the main brackets or framing of the machine, as
above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. In a washing machine, the said vibrating brackets, the
balance weight and rocking frame combined, and operating as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The devices for adjusting the rocking frame of a washing
machine to suit tall or short persons, as above set forth.
Fourth. In a washing machine, the back surface or board of the
longitudinal box or tub provided with ribs or other projections, as above
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The device represented in Figures 12 and 13 for securing a
bracket upon a tub or vessol with sloping sides, as above described.
Sixth. In combination with the aforesaid rocking frame, the india-
rubber or steel spring placed under the same to prevent jarring
concussions, as above set forth.
Seventh. In combination with the mangling rollers the india-rubber
or metal springs fitted in boxes secured to the machine frame, and
provided with screws for regulating the pressure of the said rollers as
above set forth.
Eighth. The combination of a table with the box or tub of a washing
machine, as above described and for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The main brackets or frames, constructed and secured upon
the box or tub of the machine and to each other, and with the vibrating
brackets fitted to work in them, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred William Turner, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
sie
ALFRED WILLIAM TURNER. (L.S.)