CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR CHURNING, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MIXING LIQUIDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of Cathedral Steps, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, and 9, Argyll Square, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Washing Machine Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED FOR CHURNING, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING TEXTILE
FABRICS AND MIXING LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 17th October 1868, and dated the 18th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th April 1868.
I, THOMAS BRADFORD, of Cathedral Steps, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, and 9, Argyll Square, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Washing Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO
BE EMPLOYED FOR CHURNING, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING TEXTILE
FABRICS AND MIXING LIQUIDS," to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to apparatus for churning purposes, which
may be employed for washing clothes or other woven fabrics or

page_text: textile materials, and also for effecting the thorough mixing of liquids,
such as, for example, liquid compounds used by dyers, printers, sizers,
blcacliers and others.
The improvements consist in the construction, combination, and use
of an outer vessel or chamber (of suitable form and material to
contain the milk, cream liquids, or fabrics) with an internal air
vessel or vessels or "pontoon" fitted to a framework of corresponding
form to the outer chamber, and by natural buoyancy floating on the
surface of such liquid, the air vessel or pontoon being so constructed
that the liquid may pass between certain parts thereof from the lower
surface to the upper, and vice versa, and in so doing is compelled to
pass between bars, grating, perforations, or other obstructing surfaces.
This air vessel naturally floats, but by applying a rod and lever
or other convenient apparatus thereto actuated by hand or machinery
it may be depressed and submerged, its rise after each downward
stroke being assisted by its own buoyancy, by which motion a counter
or opposing current or rush of the milk, cream, or liquid is created
between the air chambers in positive directions and through the inter-
secting bars and openings between the air vessel, by which agitation
and aeration butter is produced, and cleansing or mixing effected.
In adapting this machinery for washing clothes or fabrics, I apply
bars or uneven surfaces upon the lower .or underneath surface of the
air vessel to produce a rubbing action on the whole surface of the
fabrics in the chamber, and if necessary a pendant buoyant framework
may be applied within the chamber, upon which the fabrics are placed,
and which forms an elastic or yielding foundation and relieves the fabrics
from the strokes of the air vessel, or the distance or power of such
strokes may be regulated by ordinary mechanical means without
employing the said buoyant platform.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRADFORD, of Cathedral Steps, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,

page_text: and 63, Fleet Street, London, in the County of Middlesex, Washing
Machine Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Bradford, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Bradford, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Bradford,
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 Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR
CHURNING, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS AND MIXING
LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Bradford, 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 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 Thomas Bradford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for churning purposes, which
may be employed for washing clothes or other woven fabrics or
textile materials, and also for effecting the thorough mixing of liquids,
such as, for example, liquid compounds used by dyers, printers, sizers,
bleachers, and others.
The improvements consist in the construction, combination, and
use of an outer vessel or chamber of suitable form and material to
contain the milk, cream, liquids, or fabrics, with an internal air vessel
or vessels or "pontoon" of corresponding form to the outer chamber,

page_text: and by natural buoyancy floating on the surface of such liquid, the
air vessel or pontoon being so constructed that the liquid may pass
through certain parts thereof from the lower surface to the upper,
and vice versa, and in so doing is compelled to pass between bars,
gratings, perforations, or other obstructing surfaces. This air vessel
naturally floats, but by applying a rod and lever or other convenient
appliance thereto, actuated by hand or machinery, it may be depressed
and submerged, and will rise after each downward stroke by its own
buoyancy, by which motion a counter or opposing current or rush of
milk, cream or liquid is created within the chamber in opposite
directions, and through the intersecting bars and openings in the
air vessel, by which agitation butter is produced and cleansing or
mixing effected.
In adapting this machinery for washing clothes or fabrics, I apply
bars or uneven surfaces upon the lower or underneath surface of the 1
air vessel to produce a rubbing action on the whole surface of the
fabric in the chamber, and when necessary a pendent or buoyant frame-
work may be applied within the chamber, upon which the fabrics are
placed, and which forms an elastic or yielding foundation and relieves
the fabrics from the strokes of the air vessel, or the distance or power 2
of such strokes may be regulated by ordinary mechanical means without
employing the said buoyant platform.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings in which there
is shewn as an example one construction of the improved apparatus 2
adapted as a churn.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the improved "churn" in
which is shewn the position and arrangement of the pontoon inside
the box or receptacle; and Figure 2 represents a plan view of the
same having the lid or cover removed in order to shew more clearly 3
the construction of the pontoon.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, is the outer box or receptacle into which
the milk, cream, or other liquid or fabric to be acted upon is placed,
within this receptacle the pontoon or air vessel b is placed which is
constructed so that its buoyancy may be equalized with two air 3
chambers c, c, the intermediate space being provided with a slide d
in which are formed bars or rods and which may be placed as desired
in the top groove e or as shewn in the bottom. The air vessel when

page_text: not otherwise prevented would float on the surfaces of the liquid con-
tained in the outer vessel a, but in order to make it effectual as
an agitator a vertical rod e is attached thereto which is caused to
project through the hole formed in the lid f, the upper end of this
rod outside the lid is connected to the lever g, the fulcrum of which
is formed in the bracket h secured to the box a, thus as the handle
is forced down a propelling power is exerted to and from opposite
directions by reason of the air chambers c, c, formed in the pontoons b,
the aeration and agitation of the milk or other liquid being further
increased by directing the opposing currents when the pontoon is
rising and falling through the intermediate series of wooden bars or
"breakers" d, thus producing thereby greater agitation with reduced
power.
I claim the apparatus for agitating liquids for churning, mixing,
and washing (but more especially for churning purposes) by means
of counter or opposing currents produced by two or more air chambers
being put in motion, and thereby directing such liquid currents
through intermediate spaces or openings formed of bars or perforations
as shewn in the annexed Drawings and herein-before particularly
described or any mere modification or imitation thereof, constructed
and operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES,
Patent Agent,
1, Serle St.,
Lincoln's Inn,
London.
THOMAS BRADFORD. (L.s.)