IMPROVE- MENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald McFarlane, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES.”
Sealed the 26th September 1871, and dated the 29th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald McFarlane
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th March 1871.
I, ARCHIBALD MCFARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
This Invention relates to wringing machines of the kind having rollers
covered with rubber and usually arranged for being easily fixed upon the
edges of a washing tub, and consists in fitting the machine with simple
and convenient appliances whereby the pressure of the springs on the
rollers can be put on and taken off at pleasure.

page_text: In one modification separate helical springs of steel are inserted in
tubular parts of the cheeks or side frames and their bottom ends bear on
the journals of the upper roller whilst their upper ends are kept in place
by a cross bar extending across the machine and with its ends entering
slots or notches in the tops of the checks. Two-handled eccentrics or
cams are set on pins, one over cach end of the cross bar, and when in
one position hold down the springs so as to exert full pressure on the
rollers but relieve the rollers of the pressure when turned over into the
opposite position. The eccentrics or cams may act on the springs
through pieces separate from the cross bar, or a single eccentric or cam
may be fitted upon a fixed cross bar to act on the middle of a movable
cross bar bearing on two springs or to act on the middle of a single plate
spring bearing at its ends on blocks resting on the roller journals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Archibald McFarlane in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
MCFARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Archibald McFarlane, Her special
licence that I, the said Archibald M'Farlane, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Archibald McFarlane,
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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Archibald McFarlane, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Archibald McFarlane, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to wringing machines of the kind having
rollers covered with rubber and usually arranged for being easily fixed
upon the edges of a washing tub, and consists in fitting the machine
with simple and convenient appliances whereby the pressure of the
springs on the rollers can be put on and taken off at pleasure.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
wringing machine as fitted with what I believe to be the best modifica-
tion of my improved arrangements.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation, and Figure 2
is a transverse vertical section as taken through one of the checks or
side frames.
The machine comprises two checks or side frames 1, connected by
rods 2, 3, and formed with slots 4 to fit on the edge of a washing tub,
on which they are fixed by means of the well-known handled eccentrics 5
and ratchet racks 6. The journals of the lower rubber covered rollers 7.
are entered into eyes 8 formed in the checks 1, and one of them, 9, is
prolonged for the attachment of the handle 10. The journals of the
upper roller 11 are entered into eyes in small blocks 12, capable of
movement vertically in the lower open ends of tubular parts 13, formed
in the upper parts of the cheeks 1. Separate helical springs 14 of steel
are inserted in the tubular parts 13 of the cheeks 1, and their bottom
ends bear on the blocks 12, and through them on the journals of the
upper roller 11, whilst their upper ends are kept in place by a cross
bar 15 extending across the machine and with its ends checked to
fit easily in slots or notches in the tops of the tubular parts 13 of
the checks 1. Two-handled eccentrics or cams 16 are set on pins, one
over each end of the cross bar 15, and when in one position hold down

page_text: the springs 14 so as to exert full pressure on the rollers 11, 7, but relieve
these rollers from pressure when turned over into the opposite position
in which they are shown in the Drawing. The eccentrics, or cams 16,
may be arranged to act on the springs 14 directly or through pieces
separate from the cross bar 15, or a single eccentric or cam may be fitted
upon a fixed cross bar to act on the middle of a movable cross bar (15),
bearing on two springs, or to act on the middle of a single plate spring
bearing at its ends on blocks resting on the roller journals.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do
not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delincated, but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the fitting of wringing machines with eccentrics or cams for putting on
and taking off the pressure of the springs, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald McFarlane, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ARCHIBALD M'FARLANE. (L.S.)