IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANGLING, WRINGING, AND ROLLING OR SMOOTHING FOR LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, both of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR MANGLING, WRINGING, AND ROLLING OR SMOOTHING FOR
LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES."
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 3rd March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashworth and Elijah
Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March
1877.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANGLING,
WRINGING, AND ROLLING OR SMOOTHING FOR LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES."
Our Invention relates principally to the mangling and wringing machines employed
for laundry purposes, and has for its object to reduce the friction in the working parts
of such machines, and to otherwise increase their efficiency. To this end we in the first
place connect each roller by means of gearing with a common driving shaft, the long
toothed spur wheels ordinarily employed to connect together the two rollers being
dispensed with. In the simplest arrangement a spur wheel is fixed on the axle of one
roller, and an internal spur wheel on the axle of the other roller pinions on the driving
shaft gearing with the said wheels. If the use of two external spur wheels be preferred
an intermediate wheel is used for one of the rollers. We prefer to mount the said
driving shaft in bearings formed in a cross bar which forms a part of the framing,
and may also serve as a shield for the said shaft. We mount the bearings of one of
the rollers in or upon levers which are acted upon by the parts which furnish the
weight or load, and we prefer to situate the fulcra of the said levers in a line with a
point in the pitch line of the spur wheel on this roller, the said point being also the
point of meeting of the pitch lines of the said wheel and of the driving pinion or
intermediate wheel as near as may be. When so arranged the rising or falling of

page_text: the roller does not materially interfere with the action of the gearing, and the
revolving motion of the roller is not interrupted when the said roller is rising or
falling.
In the arrangement which we have adopted the fulcra ends of the said levers are
formed with rounded points which enter recesses formed in the cross bar which
carries the driving shaft, the said lever ends being also formed or provided with
catches to receive the oil which may fall from the bearings of the said shaft.
In lieu of the ordinary half bearings used for the roller journals, we employ entire
bearings of extra length, which are bored out to suit the said journals, and we mount
the said bearings in or on the framing and the said levers, so that they can adjust
themselves to the positions of the said journals, as for example, a bearing may be
formed with recesses which fit upon rounded surfaces formed on the framing, or a
flat or nearly flat surface may be substituted for one of the said recesses, in which
case the bearing will be self-adjusting in all directions with the exception that
endwise movement is prevented by the formation of the recess or recesses.
In the arrangement which we have adopted we employ two spiral springs to
furnish the load or pressure, and we transmit the force of these springs through
compensating and multiplying levers. The fulcrum of each lever is out of line with
the points of connection with the spring, and with the rod which transmits the force
to the lever or part which acts upon the movable roller. The effect of the arrange-
ment is that when the rollers are separated by the passage of an article the leverage
decreases, whilst the force given out by the spring is increasing, so that the pressure
upon the roller is not increased to any great extent. We form the said levers and
the framing with connections of a scale beam form, or we otherwise suitably form
the fulcra as may be considered to be most suitable.
To regulate the force of the said springs we employ a rocking shaft which is
provided or formed with cranks or crank arms, to which each of the spiral springs
is connected by one end. The said shaft is arranged. to be turned by means of a
handle or wheel, either completely or to and fro through a part of a revolution, the
said cranks or crank arms tightening or relaxing the springs according to the
movement of the said hand lever. A pawl engaging with ratchet teeth retains
the said shaft in any desired position.
In some cases we provide the framing with castors; the wheel of cach castor is
cast with gudgeons which work in recesses in a forked casting which is formed
with a shank to enter bearings in the framing. A spiral spring transmits the
weight to the said shank. In some cases we arrange for the upper roller to
.be fixed.
A second part of our Invention consists in the employment of electro-plated or
'other metal rollers heated by means of gas; the said metal rollers are formed of
cast-iron or of wrought-iron tubes electro plated with copper or with a suitable metal,
or are otherwise suitably formed. We mount a burner loosely upon the central
shaft of the roller, and within the roller in such a manner as that the said burner
will not turn with the said shaft, the lower part of the said burner being made
heavier than the upper part, and we convey gas or a mixture of illuminating gas and
air into the said burner through a passage bored or formed in the said shaft. Both
rollers may be of metal, or one roller may be of metal and the other roller of
wood.
Some or any or all of the improvements or arrangements herein-before indicated
may be employed in the construction of or applied to a single machine for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd September 1877.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANGLING, WRINGING,
AND ROLLING OR SMOOTHING FOR LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES."
Our Invention relates principally to the mangling and wringing machines
employed for laundry purposes, and has for its object to reduce the friction in the
working parts of such machines, and to otherwise increase their efficiency. To this
end we in the first place connect each roller by means of gearing with a common
driving shaft, the long toothed spur wheels ordinarily employed to connect together
the two rollers being dispensed with. We prefer to mount the said driving shaft in
bearings formed in a cross bar which forms a part of the framing, and may also
serve as a shield for the said shaft. We mount the bearings of one of the rollers in
or upon levers which are acted upon by the parts which furnish the weight or load,
and we prefer to situate the fulcra of the said levers in a line with a point in the
pitch line of the spur wheel on this roller, the said point being also the point of
meeting of the pitch lines of the said wheel, and of the driving pinion or intermediate
wheel as near as may be.
In lieu of the ordinary half bearings used for the roller journals we employ entire
bearings of extra length which are bored out to suit the said journals, and we
mount the said bearings in or on the framing and the said levers so that they can
adjust themselves to the positions of the said journals.
In one arrangement we employ two spiral springs to furnish the load or pressure,
and we transmit the force of the springs through compensating and multiplying levers.
To regulate the force of the said springs we employ a rocking shaft which is
provided or formed with cranks or crank arms to which each of the spiral springs
is connected by one end. The said shaft is arranged to be turned by means of a
handle or wheel, either completely or to and fro through a part of a revolution, the
said cranks or crank arms tightening or relaxing the springs according to the move-
ment of the said hand lever. A pawl engaging with ratchet teeth retains the said
shaft in any desired position.
In some cases we provide the framing with castors. In some cases we arrange.
for the upper roller to be fixed.
A second part of our Invention consists in the employment of electro-plated or
other metal rollers heated by means of gas. We mount a burner loosely upon the
central shaft of the roller, and within the roller, in such a manner as that the said
burner will not turn with the said shaft, the lower part of the said burner being
made heavier than the upper part, and we convey a mixture of illuminating gas
and air into the said burner through a passage or passages bored or formed in the
said shaft.
And in order that our Invention may be readily described and understood, we
have appended hereunto two Sheets of Drawings marked with letters of reference,
corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures.
Referring to Sheet 1 of the said Drawings, Figures 1 and 2, drawn to a scale of:
about three inches to the foot, represent end and back_clevations of a mangling and
wringing machine constructed in accordance with our Invention.
$
In the said Figs. A is the framing consisting of two end standards connected
together by an upper cross rail band a lower cross frame of any suitable form.
The cross rail b is cast with lugs b¹ which are bolted to the end standards, and is
formed at each end with a bearing to receive the driving shaft c. A great advantage
arising from this arrangement is that if the two bearings are truly bored in line
with one another the hasty fitting together of the parts of the machine will not
interfere with the easy working of the-said-shaft. A section of the said cross rail.

page_text: and shaft, taken on the line in Fig. 2, is seen in Fig. 3, which is drawn to a larger
scale. In the example the said cross rail is formed to cover and partly enclose the
said shaft. The axle of the lower roller D is mounted in bearings which rest upon
the end standards. One of the said bearings is represented about the full size by
Figs. 4 and 5. Each bearing is cast with two lugs e, e, which are hollowed under-
neath, and these lugs rest upon rounded edges on the standards. The bearings of the
upper roller F are similarly formed, with the exception that the lugs are inverted so
that the rounded edges formed on a lever g can rest in the hollows in the said
lugs. This method of mounting the bearings permits them to adjust themselves
to the axles.
To permit of horizontal adjustment we prefer to make the curved bearing surface
of one lug flatter than the other, or to make one bearing surface flat, or one of the
bearing surfaces either on the bearing or on the lever or standard may be adjustable
sideways, and be fixed by means of a bolt. The rounded surfaces may be on the
bearings, and the hollows on the standards and levers if preferred. A spur wheel h,
partly represented, is fixed upon the axle of the lower roller, and gears with a
pinion which is fixed on the shaft c. On the said shaft is also fixed a fly wheel,
seen in Fig. 2. By turning the said wheel which is provided with a suitable handle
the lower roller is caused to revolve, say in the direction indicated by the arrow.
The fulcra of the two levers y, g, are formed in the cross rail b. The end of each
lever is formed with a rounded point which works in a hollow formed in the cross
rail, as seen in Fig. 3. When the upper roller rises and falls it moves in a curved
path which is part of a circle, having for its centre the centre of the rounded point
of the lever at j in Fig. 3. A spur wheel formed with internal teeth is fixed on
the axle of the upper roller, and gears with a pinion 7, as seen in Fig. 3. The result
of the arrangement of gearing is that when the driving shaft is rotated the two
rollers are caused to revolve in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows.
The proportions of the levers and of the gearing are so regulated as that the "pitch
line" of the wheel shall coincide at one point with the centres of motion j, of the
two levers g, g, and that the pitch line of the pinion shall meet the pitch line of
the said wheel at or about the same point of coincidence, as seen in Fig. 3. The
effect of this arrangement which we consider to be an important part of our Inven-
tion is that the upward and downward movements of the upper roller do not
interfere with the action of the gearing, so that for example the said roller might be
raised two inches or more from the lower roller without the wheel k moving out of
gear with its pinion so long as the fulcrum ends of the lever g remain in their
bearings at ; we are thus enabled to dispense with the ordinary long toothed
pinions used to connect together the two rollers, and to effect a reduction in the
friction by gearing the rollers directly to the driving shaft. The upper roller also
rises to admit the articles more readily than when the bearings are mounted in
slides.
When the rollers become worn or damaged they can be reduced in diameter by
turning, and be replaced without making any changes in the gearing.
Fig. 6, Sheet 2, illustrates a modification in the arrangement. In this example
the upper roller is mounted in fixed bearings which are self-adjusting, as in the
former example, and the lower roller is arranged to rise and fall. The bearings of
the said roller are mounted on levers g¹ which rest by one end in bearings formed
in a cross rail b¹ in which the bearings of the driving shaft are formed. The
internal spur wheel is fixed on the axle of the lower roller, the external wheel being
fixed upon tlie axle of the upper roller. The effect of this change is that the rollers
revolve in contrary directions to the rollers in the example first described as com-
pared with the direction of movement of the driving shaft, as indicated by the
arrows in Figs. 1 and. 6.
Other arrangements of gearing may be employed so long as the coincidence of the
pitch lines with the fulcra of the levers, there or thereabouts, is obtained, as indicated
herein,

page_text: I
One
Returning to Sheet 1, it will be seen that the lever g is connected by means of a
rod m with a lever n. There is a corresponding arrangement at both ends of the
machine. The lever n bears by one end, which is formed with a jaw, against "vee"
projections on the standard, the arrangement being similar to a scale beam fulcrum.
A block on the end of the rod m is formed with "vee" lugs, which work in recesses
formed in the lever. The outer end of each lever is formed with a jaw or bearing
to receive a shaft o, which extends from one lever to the other. One end of the said
shaft is represented about half size by Fig. 7, Sheet 2. In the example the said
shaft is formed of cast iron, and is cast with a ratchet quadrant p and a handle q,
which is broken off in Fig. 7. The said shaft is also cast with two cranks r.
end of two spiral springs 8, 8, is hooked on to each crank pin, the other ends of the
springs being attached to a part of the framing in any suitable manner. When the
shaft o is turned in its bearings by means of the handle, the cranks are moved
upwards and extend the springs, thereby putting a strain upon the levers n, which
strain is transferred through the rods m to the levers g. A detent engaging with
the teeth of the ratchet quadrant holds the shaft in the required position. Less or
more load may be put upon the upper roller by turning the shaft o to a lesser or
greater degree. In place of making this shaft of cast iron it may be of wrought
iron, and have cranks or crank arms forged thereon, or be fitted with crank arms.
Whenever desirable, the springs can be relaxed by raising the detent.
It will be seen that the springs and the rods m are inclined with respect to the
levers n.
The effect of this arrangement is that when the springs are extended by
the rising of the upper roller, and the resistance of the springs is thereby increased,
the leverage is reduced, thereby compensating to a great extent for the said increased
resistance.
Diagrams 1 and 2, on Sheet 2, illustrate the action of the arrangement. Diagram 1
represents the parts when the two rollers are in contact. The short arm of the lever
is equal in length to 12 units, as indicated by the dotted line 1, the longer arm
being equal to 48 units, as represented by the dotted line 2; this gives a leverage of
4 to 1. Diagram 2 represents the parts in position assumed when the top roller is
raised to about the greatest extent required when in use. The effective length of
the short arm is now increased to 14 units, and that of the longer arm is reduced to
32 units, the leverage being thus reduced to about 2.28 to 1. In the example selected
there is a slight increase of load with the parts, as indicated in the latter diagram,
but by increasing the angle of the spring, or by otherwise proportioning the parts,
the load upon the roller may be about the same in both diagrams.
One of the modifications which can be made in the arrangement is illustrated by
Fig. 8. In this example the rods m³ and the spiral springs are about parallell when
the top roller is not raised, the compensating effect being obtained by forming the
two arms of the lever at an angle one with another, as indicated. The shaft o¹ is
mounted in bearings on the standars, and the springs are connected by their lower
ends with the levers.
.
Although we prefer to form the joints and fulcra of the levers g and n on the
scale beam principal, we do not confine ourselves thereto.
In Fig. 8 the lever n¹ is represented as hinged by means of a joint pin to the
standard.
The bearings of the yielding roller may be mounted in levers, as in the case of
the lever g or g¹, without the employment of the arrangement of the pitch lines
coinciding with the fulcra of the said levers, if thought to be advisable.
Other than spiral springs may be employed, and the levers g, gl, may be acted
upon by means of weights or weighted levers, or be otherwise loaded than as herein
indicated.
The shaft o may be cranked or formed with cranks, so that it can be completely
rotated in order that the springs may be relaxed by a continuation of the movement
required to extend them.
The aforesaid castors are represented at t, t, in Figs. 1 and 2. The wheel of each
castor is cast with gudgeons which work in recesses in a forked casting, which is

page_text: formed with a shank to enter holes cast or formed in the framing at u, u. A spiral
spring mounted on the said shank transmits the load to the castor. The machine
when so provided can be moved about in any direction with great ease.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10, Fig. 9 being a
longitudinal section, and Fig. 10 a cross section of a metal roller for use in mangles
or ironing machines.
The axle v of the roller is bored to admit the gas or mixture of gas and air. Upon
the said axle is fixed the roller, which in the example consists of a metal shell in
which are fixed ends w, which are formed with arms with open spaces between to
permit the escape of the products of combustion. The bosses of the said ends are
bored to fix upon the axle. Upon the axle and within the roller is mounted a
hollow burner a, made of cast iron or other suitable metal. The said burner is a
loose fit upon the axle, so that when the roller revolves the burner is not carried
around, but remains in a vertical or nearly vertical position within the roller. Upon
the lower part of the burner is cast, fixed, or formed a mass of metal, which by its
gravity keeps the burner from revolving with the axle. The upper part of the
burner is drilled or formed with holes, or with a slot or with slots. The mixture of
gas and air flows out of the passage in the axle through holes drilled into the said
passage and enters the hollow burner, whence it issues through the holes or slots to
be consumed.
The gas may enter at one end only or at both ends of the axle, as considered to
be most suitable.
The gas and air may be supplied to the hollow axle by any ordinary or suitable
means.
The metal roller may be electro-plated or be otherwise coated with brass, copper,
or other suitable metal, or be otherwise formed or prepared as considered to be
suitable to the intended purpose. The roller so formed and fitted may be employed
in the improved mangle herein described, or in a mangle of ordinary construction;
and in a two-roller machine both the rollers may be of metal, or one roller be of
metal and the other of wood, or both rollers may be heated, or one only.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner in which we prefer to carry the same into practical effect, we would
have it to be understood that we claim,―
First. The combinations and arrangements of parts, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and indicated herein-before and by Figs. 1 to 8 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Secondly. The driving shaft revolving in bearings bored in the ends of a cross
rail, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. Actuating the two rollers by means of external and internal spur wheels
gearing with pinions on the said driving shaft, substantially as set forth and
indicated.
Fourthly. Mounting the bearings of the yielding roller in or upon levers, substan-
tially as set forth and indicated.
Fifthly. The bearings for the rollers, and the method of mounting the same, sub-
stantially as set forth and indicated.
Sixthly. The method of gearing and mounting the upper roller, so that when
rising and falling it moves in a curved path without interfering with the action of
the gearing, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Seventhly. The compensating arrangements of levers, rods, and springs for
lessening the leverage as the tension of the springs is increased by the yielding of
the roller, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Eightly. The shaft with cranks or arms for regulating the tension of the springs,
substantially as set forth and indicated.
Ninthly. The castors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Tenthly. The arrangement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated herein-before and by Figs. 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: And, lastly. The burner mounted within the roller and not revolving therewith,
substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Signed and sealed by the
said George Ashworth
and Elijah Ashworth in
the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentees,
3, Princess Street,
GEO. ASHWORTH.
(L.S.)
ELIJAH ASHWORTH. (L.S.)
Manchester.