AN IMPROVED COMBINED WASHING MACHINE AND IRONING TABLE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otis Henry Weed, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED COMBINED WASHING MACHINE AND IRONING TABLE."
Sealed the 24th September 1870, and dated the 28th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Otis Henry Weed at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th ach 1870.
I, OTIS HENRY WEED, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED COMBINED WASHING MACHINE AND IRONING TABLE,"
to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a cheap, durable,
and efficient washing machine for family use which may be conveniently
and easily operated by a person while seated, and which when covered
and the driving crank removed forms a sightly table that may be
employed for ordinary kitchen purposes, though more especially designed
for laundry operations. The body of the washing machine is a water-

page_text: tight box constructed of any suitable material, convenient shape, and
desirable size. This box is supported by legs and has a cover which
also forms the top of the table so fitted upon the said body as to prevent
the escape of water during the operation of washing. The said body or
box having straight sides is cheaply constructed, and on account of its
double use no store room is occupied by the machine when the washing
in completed. In one end of the box a perforated and corrugated
board is placed which allows the water to pass through when the
machine is in operation. A series of bars with a small space between
them may be substituted for the board, the object of which board or
bars is to receive the pressure of the clothes or other articles, and
rotate the same when moved forward by the dashers or plungers herein-
after described. It is desirable to make the said board yielding, which
is advantageously done by placing one or more coiled springs between
the said board and the rear end of the box. Three springs one at either
end of the board near the bottom and a longer spring half way between
but higher are preferably employed. The board inclines forward and
is nearly as long as the interior width of the box, and is kept in its place
by suitable stops inserted in both sides thereof; the board is pressed
against the box by the said springs when the washing operations are
suspended or when the dashers or plungers are withdrawn from the
front face of the board. These stops may be wooden pegs simply, but
to prevent noise it is preferred to make or cover them with india-rubber.
Near the end of the box opposite to the said board a double cranked
shaft is placed with a bearing on each side of the box. A rod connects
cach of these cranks to a dasher or plunger, by which means the said
plungers are moved forward and backward. These plungers, may be
made yielding by forming the connecting rod partly of a spiral spring,
but this will not be found desirable when the board is made yielding
as herein-before described. The cranks upon the shaft are not formed
on the same side thereof or upon opposite sides, but at an angle of about
forty-five degrees so that the plungers do not move forward at the same
time. The dashers or plungers which move the clothes or other articles
in the process of washing work in parallel lines forward and backward
and are kept horizontal by means of grooves formed on the outer side
of each plunger, corresponding guides are secured to the box, which
guides fit the said grooves. A guide is also formed or secured on the
inner side of one of the plungers, and a corresponding groove in which
it works is formed on the inner side of the other plunger. The plungers

page_text: may be made of any desirable height and the width of the two is nearly
the same as the width of the interior of the box. Their faces are cor-
rugated and perforated and incline backward by preference from the
bottom. These plungers are so secured to the connecting rods that they
may be readily removed from the machine, and adjustable connecting
rods are used in order that more or less pressure may be exerted upon
the articles being washed. A simple means which has been adopted of
making these rods adjustable and easily detached is to form a notch in
the under part of the same, which notch takes hold of a rod passing
from side to side of the plunger. The machine is operated by a hand
crank or other suitable means.
SFECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Otis Henry Weed in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Oris IIENRY
WEED, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eight day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Otis Henry Weed, Her special licence
that I, the said Otis Henry Weed, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Otis Henry Weed, 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 "AN IMPROVED COMBINED
WASHING MACHINE AND IRONING TABLE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Otis Henry Weed, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Otis Henry Weed, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the sto be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a cheap, durable,
and efficient washing machine for family use which may be con-
veniently and easily operated by a person while seated, and which when
covered and the driving crank removed forms a slightly table that may
be employed for ordinary kitchen purposes, through more especially
designed for laundry operations. The body of the washing machine
is a water-tight box constructed of any suitable material, convenient
shape, and desirable size. This box is supported by legs and has a cover
which also forms the top of the table, also a portable inside cover in
two parts so fitted upon the said body as to prevent the escape of water
and steam during the operation of washing. The said body or box
having straight sides is cheaply constructed, and on account of its
double use no store room is occupied by the machine when the washing
is completed. In one end of the box a perforated and corrugated board
is placed which allows the water to pass through when the machine
is in operation. A series of bars with a small space between them may
be substituted for the board, the object of which board or bars is to
receive the pressure of the clothes and rotate the same or other articles
when moved forward by the dashers or plungers, hercin-after described.
It is desirable to make the said board yielding, which is advantageously
done by placing one or more coiled springs between the said board and
the near end of the box. Three springs, one at either end of the board
near the bottom, and a longer spring half way between, but higher, are
preferably employed. The board inclines forward and is nearly as long
as the interior width of the box, and is kept in its place by suitable
stops inserted in both sides thereof; the board is pressed against the box
by the said springs when the washing operations are suspended or when
the dashers or plungers are withdrawn from the front face of the board.
These stops may be wooden pegs simply, but to prevent noise it is pre-
ferred to make them of or cover them with india-rubber. Near the
end of the box opposite to the said board a double cranked shaft is

page_text: placed with a bearing on each side of the box. A rod connects each
of these cranks to a dasher or plunger, by which means the said plungers
are moved forward and backward. These plungers may be made
yielding by forming the connecting rod partly of a spiral spring, but
this will not be found desirable when the board is made yielding as
herein before described. The cranks upon the shaft are not formed
on the same side thereof or upon opposite sides, but at an angle of about
forty-five degrees, so that the plungers do not move forward at the
same time. The dashers or plungers which move the clothes or other
articles in the process of washing work in parallel lines forward and
backward and are kept horizontal by means of grooves formed on the
outer side of each plunger, corresponding guides are secured to the box,
which guides fit the said grooves. A guide is also formed or secured on
the inner side of one of the plungers, and a corresponding groove in which
it works is formed on the inner side of the other plunger. The plungers
may be made of any desirable height, and the width of the two is nearly
the same as the width of the interior of the box; their faces are cor-
rugated and perforated, and incline backward by preference from the
bottom. These plungers are so secured to the connecting rods that
they may be readily removed from the machine, and adjustable connecting
rods are used in order that more or less pressure may be exerted upon
the articles being washed. A simple means which has been adopted of
making these rods adjustable and easily detached is to form a notch or
slot in the under part of the same, which notch takes hold of a rod passing
from side to side of the plunger. The machine is operated by a hand
crank or other suitable means, such as a balance wheel with a handle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine closed and
adapted for table purposes; Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section
of the same; Figure 3 is a plan or top view thereof with the covers
removed; Figure 4 is a vertical section in the line y, y, Figure 2,
showing the corrugated dashers; Figure 5 is the wash board removed
from its position in the machine. Like letters indicate the same parts
throughout the Drawing.
A represents the box or outer casing of the machine. It is evident
that while this casing may be manufactured of very cheap material and
at a very low price, it may also be made of fine material so as to

page_text: constitute a handsome piece of furniture. B is an inner cover of thin
wood or zinc corrugated. It is made in two parts resting on cleats
nailed to the sides of the tub, to prevent the escape of steam or water
during washing. In taking out or changing the clothes one part is
placed over the other. C is the corrugated and perforated wash board
placed in one end of the box A to receive the pressure of the clothes
when the machine is in operation. In the rear of the board C and
between it and the end of the box A are placed the springs c to secure
an easy yielding motion to the wash board, and cause the board to adjust
itself to the pressure of the washers D. These washers as before stated
move in parallel lines and alternately toward the wash board O, being
held in place by means of the guides 6 and grooves d, and being
worked by the bent shaft E, to which the dashers are attached by the
connecting rods e, that may be made cither rigid or with springs.
These rods have one slot e¹ to drop on the shaft, and a small hole is
bored in the end to allow a pin to be driven across the slot c¹ to keep
the rod in place on the shaft. At the other end of the rod I form a
number of slots e³ (preferably three) to drop on the bar of the washers
and adapt the same to the quantity of clothes or articles to be washed.
The bent shaft E has its bearings in the sides of the box A. It passes
into the bearing at m, through the box at n, the aperture through which
it passes being subsequently covered by the plate & secured to the box A
by means of the screws 7. F is an outlet, through which to discharge
the water. When the machine is used as a table the wheel G is slipped
off and placed inside of the machine.
Having thus fully described my said Invention I claim, a combined
washing machine and table consisting of the box A, the top B, the wash
board C, with its springs c, the dashers D, the spring guides b, the con-
necting rods e, and bent shaft E, all constructed, combined, and arranged
substantially as herein set forth for the purposes specified.