Improvements in and relating to Rotary Washing and Disinfecting Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1896-Accepted; 4th Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in and relating to Rotary Washing and Disinfecting
Machines.
We, WILLIAM GEORGE HANNA, Laundry Engineer, of 15 Charing Cross,
and ROBERT WALKER HANNA, Engineer, of 551 Sauchiehall Street, both in the
City and County of Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to rotary washing
and disinfecting machines, and essentially comprises improvements in the actuating
mechanism of the machines for which Letters Patent No. 18,382 November 18-1889
were granted to the applicant William George Hanna, and wherein a cage carrying
the clothes to be washed rotated within an annular shell vessel, the latter rotating
also in the reverse direction to the cage.
By the present improvements, the outer shell can be put out of gear, and its
motion stopped, while the cage will continue to rotate, and so enable the clothes to
be rinsed, while the dirty suds can be discharged at any given point. The cage
can also be stopped with its doors in relative position to the doors of outer shell
for the purpose of easily removing the washed clothes and inserting those to be
cleaned.
As described in the Specification of the aforesaid Patent the washing machine
bas, hitherto been operated by means of an internal toothed rim wheel, on the
shaft of outside steel shell, and an external toothed wheel on the shaft of inner
cage having a pinion wheel working between these two wheels which gave the
motion to the machine. By this means the outer steel shell revolved in one
direction while the inner cage revolved in an opposite direction during the
operation of washing and disinfecting.
"
These wheels, the pinion, internal, and external toothed wheels are put in motion
by means of a friction cone, which is operated and thrown out and into gear by
means of a hand wheel lever and cod piece, the driving cone being keyed on
driving shaft.
The friction cone or strap being so arranged to move backwards and forwards
on a fixed feather, by means of hand wheel, screw lever and cod piece, as to grip
the driving cone or let go as desired.
On the same shaft is a belt driving pulley and two loose pulleys.
It has been found difficult to always so manipulate the combined arrangement of
hand wheel screw lever and cod piece when throwing the friction cone out of gear
for the purpose of stopping the machine at the moment when the doors of outer
shell and doors of inner cage come opposite each other, and then stop, the
machine at the right position so as to allow the clothes to be taken out of
the cage.
In order to make this operation much easier for the operator, and to improve
and facilitate the working or handling of the machine by our present improve-
ments the internal toothed wheel on shaft of outer shell is dispensed with and an
external toothed wheel substituted for it, and this wheel and the external toothed
wheel on shaft of inner cage, are operated by means of two pinion wheels mounted
on the same shaft, one working or geared into the toothed wheel on shaft of outer

page_text: shell and one. geared into a new motion toothed wheel termed an idle wheel, which
idle wheel in turn is geared into the external toothed wheel on-shaft of inner cage.
This gives the original directions of motion to the outer shell and inner cage,
namely, the outer shell revolving in one direction and the inner cage revolving in
an opposite direction at the same, time and while the operation of washing and
disinfecting is going on.
By the present improvements the outer shell can be instantly thrown out of
motion and brought to a stand still while the inner cage is still revolving.
The outer shell can for more effectually washing and cleansing the clothes be
instantly set in motion again and the machine works as formerly, namely, the outer
shell revolving in one direction; while the inner cage revolving in an opposite
direction during the operation of washing and disinfecting.
This is effected by means of a lever handle operating a pronged clutch on the
driving shaft which slides on a fixed feather in shaft and gears. at the clutch
prongs into a corresponding clutch fixed or cast to the pinion wheel operating or
driving the external toothed wheel on shaft of outer shell.
1
A brake hand wheel is fixed to a pinion geared into the external wheel on shaft
of outer shell or any equivalent brake organ may be used so as to enable the
operator to stop and brake the outside shell in any desired position or to move it
round to any desired point so as to get the doors in outside shell opposite
the doors in cage for the purpose of allowing the clothes to be taken out of
the cage.
Hitherto if the doors in outer shell and inner cage were not stopped at the right
moment, the machine had again to be started in motion allowed to revolve a few
times then stopped under same circumstances but the doors not being opposite
each other in proper position difficulty was always experienced in working the
outer shell and the cage into position to allow the doors to come opposite each
other. This new arrangement does away with this difficulty and very much
facilitates the working or handling of the machine.
The new arrangement of throwing the outside shell out of motion very much
facilitates the rinsing operation. Previously the outer shell revolved when rinsing
and only discharging the dirty suds at intervals, whereas by this improved
arrangement the outer shell can be instantly thrown out of motion and braked at
any point desired while the cage is still revolving and rinsing the clothes, thus
saving much time in this operation and allowing the dirty sud to be discharged at
a given point into a sink or other arrangement in floor of wash house thereby
keeping floor dry instead of the dirty suds flowing over it as heretofore.
Dated this 19th day of April 1895
Improvements in and relating to Rotary Washing and Disinfecting
Machines.
We, WILLIAM GEORGE HANNA, Laundry Engineer, of 15 Charing Cross, and
ROBERT WALKER HANNA, Engineer, of 551 Sauchiehall Street, both in the City
and County of Glasgow, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 that is to say :-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to rotary washing
and disinfecting machines, and essentially comprises improvements in the actuating 5
mechanism of the machines for which Letters Patent No. 18382 November 18 1889
were granted to the applicant William George Hanna, and wherein a cage

page_text: carrying the clothes to be washed rotated within an annular shell vessel, the latter
rotating also in the reverse direction to the cage.
By the present improvements, the outer shell can be put out of gear and its
motion stopped, while the cage will continue to rotate, and so enable the clothes
to be rinsed while the dirty suds can be discharged at any given point. The cage
can also be stopped with its doors in relative position to the doors of outer shell
for the purpose of easily removing the washed clothes and inserting those to be
cleaned.
As described in the Specification of the aforesaid Patent, the washing machine
has hitherto been operated by means of an internal toothed rim wheel, on the shaft.
of outside steel shell and an external toothed wheel on the shaft of inner cage
having a pinion wheel working between these two wheels which gave the motion
to the machine. By this means the outer steel shell revolved in one direction,
while the inner cage revolved in an opposite direction during the operation of
washing and disinfecting.
These wheels, the pinion, internal, and external tooth wheels, are usually put in
and out of motion by means of a friction cone wheel keyed on driving shaft.
The friction cone or strap being arranged to move backwards and forwards on a
fixed feather, by means of hand wheel, screw lever, and cod piece, so as to grip
the driving cone wheel or let go as desired.
On the same shaft is a belt driving pulley, and two loose pulleys. It has been
found difficult to always so manipulate the combined arrangement of hand wheel
screw lever and cod piece when throwing the friction cone out of gear for the
purpose of stopping the machine at the moment when the doors of outer shell and
do ore of inner cage come opposite each other, and then stop the machine at the
right position so as to allow the clothes to be taken out of the cage.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
same into practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended an
explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the washing machine with its gearing and fittings.
Figure 2 is a detached sectional elevation of the upper shafting carrying the
geared wheels of the outer shell and inner cage respectively.
Figure 3 is a similar view of the lower shaft and power transmitting gearing
with clutch and brake mechanism.
Figure 4 is a transverse view through the clutch in Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a detached view of the friction cone and hand wheel actuating
mechanism, and
Figure 6 a plau view of the operating hand mechanism.
Referring to these drawings:
In order to make the work much easier for the operator, and to improve and
facilitate the working or bandling of the machine, by our present improvements,
the internal toothed wheel described in the Complete Specification of the before-
mentioned prior Patent on shaft A of outer shell A is dispensed with and an
external toothed wheel a substituted for it, and this wheel and the external toothed
wheel bon shaft B' of inner cage B are operated by means of two pinion.
wheels a, b mounted loose on the same shaft C, the pinion &¹ being preferably
formed in one with or keyed on to the sleeve b* one a working or geared into the
toothed wheel a on shaft A¹ of outer shell A and the other 6' geared into a motion
reversing toothed wheel mounted loose on a stud 6 and termed an idle wheel,
which idle wheel in turn is geared into the external toothed wheel on shaft B' of
inner cage B. This give the original directions of motion to the outer shell' A and
inner cage B described in the Complete Specification of the prior Patent namely
the outer shell A revolving in one direction and the inner cage B revolving in an
opposite direction at the same time, and while the operation of washing and
disinfecting is going on.
By the present improvements the outer shell A can be instantly thrown out of
:

page_text: motion and brought to a standstill, while the inner cage B is still revolving. The
outer shell A can for more effectually washing and cleansing the clothes be instantly
set in motion again and the machine works as formerly, namely, the outer shell A
revolving in one direction, while the inner cage B revolves in an opposite direction
during the operation of washing and disinfecting.
This is effected by means of a lever handled and fork d* operating a pronged
clutch d' on the driving shaft C or preferably as shown on the sleeve b* which
slides on a.
fixed feather d' and gears at the clutch prongs d² into a corresponding.
clutch d secured on or cast in one with the pinion wheel a¹ operating or driving
the external toothed' wheel a on shaft A of outer shell A. The friction coue
wheel E is keyed on to the driving shaft C and the friction cone F for transmitting
the motion to the actuating mechanism is mounted loose on the sleeve b* and slides
on a feather f fixed thereon. The friction cone F is moved into and out of
contact with the friction cone E to start and stop the machine by means of a
fork geugaging with a groove on the cone F said fork g¹ being carried by a
lever G fulcrumed at g and actuated by means of a screw h and nut on the lever
end said screw being turned by the hand wheel H. Brackets I are fixed to the
framing of the machine and have angled faces to meet the outer augled periphery
of the friction cone F and act as a brake to stop the motion of same as it is being
moved out of contact with the friction cone wheel E. A hand wheel K which
may be fitted if desired with any ordinary form of brake mechanism, not shown in
the drawings, is secured on the spindle k carrying a pinion gearing into the
external wheel a on the shaft A¹ of outer shell A¹ to move it round when out of
gear with the driving mechanism to any desired point so as to get the door in
outside shell A opposite the door in cage B for the purpose of allowing the
clothes to be taken out of the cage, or any equivalent brake organ may be used so
as to enable the operator to stop and brake the outside shell-A' in desired
position.
any
Hitherto if the doors in outer shell and inner cage were not stopped at the right
moment, the machine had again to be started in motion, allowed to revolve a few
times, then stopped under same circumstances, but the doors not being opposite
each other in proper position, difficulty was always experienced in working the
outer shell A and the cage B into position, to allow the doors to come opposite
each other. This new arrangement does away with this difficulty and very much
facilitates the working or handling of the machine.
The new arrangement of throwing the outside shell A out of motion very much
facilitates the rinsing operation. Previously the outer shell A revolved wheu
rinsing and only discharged the dirty suds at interval, but by this improved
arrangement the outer shell A can be instantly thrown out of motion and braked
at any point desired while the cage B is still revolving and rinsing the clothes thus
saving much time in this operation and allowing the dirty suds to be discharged at.
a given point into a sink or other arrangement in floor of wash house thereby
keeping floor dry instead of the dirty suds flowing over it as heretofore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In rotary washing and disinfecting machines the arrangement of mechanism
for actuating the outer shell and inner cage and for putting the former into and ont
of gear, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to a ki
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In rotary washing and disinfecting machines as herein described, the
arrangement and combination of the toothed wheels, pinions, and clutch, and
braking mechanism all substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third. In rotary washing and disinfecting machines as herein described, the
arrangement of a hand operated wheel and lever mechanism in combination with

page_text: the clutch mechanism for starting, stopping and braking the machine all sub-
stantially as and in the manner herein described and shown in the accompanying
drawings more particularly in detail in Figures 5 and 6.
Fourth. In rotary washing and disinfecting machines as herein described the
arrangement and combination with the toothed wheel on shaft of outer shell of a
hand wheel, with or without a brake, and pinion for turning and holding the outer
shell in any desired position all substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
The 10th Tanu 1906
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.