CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES EMPLOYED FOR WASHING AND WRINGING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Francis Billingham and William
McDowall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th April 1873.
We, FRANCIS BILLINGHAM and WILLIAM M'DOWALL, both of Lisson
Grove, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of.
our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINES EMPLOYED FOR WASHING AND WRINGING TEXTILE FABRICS," to be as
follows:
The Invention is designed for the purpose of producing a machine of
novel construction that will expeditiously and with facility wash and
cleanse articles of wearing apparel and other textile fabrics.
The Invention consists in providing the interior of a closed receptacle
or box with a novel construction of vibrating squeezers or racks so
arranged that when in action they will from their points of suspension
in such box continually contract and expand the space between their
inner surfaces. The said racks are composed of a framework of wood
and are placed parallel to each other, and from their points of suspension
occupy the transverse sectional space of the receptacle or box in which

page_text: they vibrate; each frame is provided with bars of wood having spaces
or interstices between them. The rack at the rear of the box has
from its point of suspension a handle projecting therefrom at right
angles thereto terminating at a point outside the box. From the
framework of this rack a horizontal bar projects inside the box; this 5
bar at some little distance from the rack is provided with a stud by
which it and the rack is supported on brackets secured inside the box;
beyond this stud the horizontal bar projects and terminates in a swivel
"filboe" through which a vertical rod projecting from the centre or
point of suspension of the second parallel rack passes; thus when the 1
handle attached to the front rack is caused to vibrate up and down, it
transmits motion to the two racks inside the box simultaneously in a
direction to and from each other in radial lines.
P
The bottom of the box or receptacle is perforated and partakes of the
curve or sweep of the racks; underneath the perforated bottom there is 1
a space the whole of which is closed so as to leave a receptacle for
sediment or dirty water which is drawn off from time to time by
a tap.
In large machines made of metal the box is constructed so that it will
admit of a furnace being placed underneath which can be employed for 2
heating the water used for washing or may be employed for generating
steam for drying the racks.
When it is desired to use the machine the front rack is lifted out
of its bearings and the articles to be washed are placed against the rack
at the rear of the machine connected with the handle. The front rack 2
is then replaced in its bearings against the articles which are at this
time enclosed between the two racks. The water for cleansing is then; .
or before the articles are so placed, poured into the receptacle, after
which, being closed by the lid, the machine is ready to commence
operation. For this purpose the handle of the machine is repeatedly 3
raised and lowered, the action of which through the medium of the
vibrating internal racks alternately squeezes or compresses and releases
or rinses the articles, whilst the agitation of their working force the
water through them in a manner that speedily cleanses the fabric
subject to their action from soil or dirt.
Diagonal uprights on either side the box or receptacle and secured
thereto are provided with ringing rollers.conveniently placed so that the
3

page_text: articles as taken from the washing compartment can be readily passed
through the same into a basket comparatively dry.
The gear wheels driving the wringing rollers are supplemented by a
driving pinion on the axle of which the handle is placed for giving.
motion to the rollers.