An Improved Clothes-washing Machine for Household Use.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Clothes-washing Machine for Household Use.
We, JOHANN AUGUST HERMANN ADOLPH, of 195, King Street, Melbourne,
in the Colouy of Victoria, Mechanic, and HENRY GEORGE JOHNSON, of
Cummings Avenue, Birchip, in the said colony, Auctioneer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This improved clothes washing machine for household use consists mainly of a
box or trough within which are two endless belts or carriers which travel around
certain rollers arranged as hereinafter described in such a way as to first convey
the clothes or other articles to be washed through the water with which the box or
trough is supplied, then to press such articles between said belts or carriers, then
to carry them underneath one or more corrugated or ribbed rollers and eventually
to return them to that end of the box or trough in which they were first placed
and from which end they will be carried by said belts or carriers as before to be
again subjected to the same series of operations.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,-
Figure 1 is a vertical central section,
Figure 2 a plan, and
Figure 3 a side elevation of a clothes washing machine constructed according to
this invention.
Figures 4 and 5, are detail views illustrating the construction of the endless
travelling belts or carriers above referred to, and
Figures 6 to 9 are views of various details of said washing machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A represents a water-tight trough or box which may be constructed of wood and
be mounted upon legs a and be provided with handles a¹ at each end to facilitate its
removal from place to place.
The feed end of this box or trough where the clothes or other articles to be
washed are supplied is made to incline outwards slightly as shown, and may if
preferred also be provided with a compartment B which is useful for various
purposes such as for soaping the clothes or other articles, for holding blue water, or
for receiving the water wrung out of the clothes by the wringer, which latter
contrivance can be fitted upon that end of the machine if so required.
C represents the lower, and D the upper endless travelling belt or carrier above
referred to. They are made each of a number of laths c' with short metal plates c
let into their ends in such a way as to project slightly therefrom, as clearly
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Said projecting ends have holes c through which
are passed links c for connecting the laths together, said links having openings co
left between their ends so that the laths can be disengaged therefrom when
desired.
By this construction short spaces are left between the ends of adjacent laths,
through which project the teeth of the drive wheels as shewn.
The lower and longer belt C passes over a pair of toothed drive wheels E
(whereby motion is imparted to it) and thence downwards and under a pair of
guide wheels F upon a spindle f which extends across the trough or box A. The
bolt then travels along the bottom of the trough towards the feed end and after
vassing under another uair of similar guide wheels F¹ it is led up over another

page_text: pair of guide wheels F and thence down under two large guide wheels F³, F', and
finally up again over the toothed drive wheels E and so on.
The upper belt D is arranged to travel horizontally between a pair of toothed
drive wheels G, and guide wheels G1, the former being mounted upon the spindle g
which also carries the larger guide wheel F and the latter upon the spindle gl
which carries the large guide wheels Fs under which as above described the lower
belt C is led.
The spindle e of the drive wheels E is mounted in vertically sliding bearings el
which are capable of being drawn upwards by means of thumb nuts e upon screw
threaded rods e³ attached at their lower ends to said bearings and passing through
a cross bar or bridge piece et extending across a vertical slot or opening in the
sides of the trough or box A. By this means the belt or carrier C may be kept as
taut as required.
H represents a corrugated or ribbed roller which is mounted in bearings in
the ends of a pair of arms h which are pivotted at their other ends upon the
main drive spindle I above the upper belt or carrier D and which roller serves
to press the water out of the clothes or other articles as they are carried under
it upon the surface of the horizontally travelling belt or carrier D. This said
roller H is driven by a short length of endless chain h' from said main drive
spindle I which is mounted in bearings i on the sides of the trough or box A
and is fitted with a hand wheel whereby it may be conveniently rotated.
The spindle e carrying the toothed wheels E may also be driven from this
spindle I by another endless chain e but the rate of travel should be less than that
of the roller H in order that the latter may serve to draw the clothes or other
articles along over the surface of the belt Ď and thus assist in preventing the
machine choking.
Motion may be imparted to the spindle g of the guide wheels F and toothed
wheels G by spur gearing 92 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
By this arrangement the two belts CD will be caused to travel in the direction
indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, the effect being to carry any clothes fed on to
the left hand end of the lower belt C under the water and along between the two
belts C and D, thence upwards on to the top of the upper belt D and under the
pressing roller H back to the feed end of the lower belt C.
J J represent guide pieces which are secured inside the box or trough A and
serve to keep the upper belt D in its proper working position, said belt being
narrower than the lower one C.
If preferred the pressure roller H may be thrown over out of its working
position and the guide wheels F may be dispensed with, the lower belt C being
conducted around the guide wheels F instead.
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 a clothes-washing machine for household use, two endless travelling
belts or carriers formed of a number of laths having short plates inserted in their
ends and connected together by links arranged and operating substantially as
described and illustrated.
Second. In a clothes-washing machine for household use, an endless travelling
belt or carrier formed of a number of laths having short plates inserted in their
ends and connected together by links substantially as described and illustrated.
Third. In a clothes-washing machine for household use, an endless travelling
belt formed of a series of laths connected together with spaces between in com-
bination with a pair of toothed drive wheels having their teeth arranged to
project into the spaces between said laths substantially as described and
illustrated.
Fourth. In a clothes-washing machine for household use, two endless travelling
belts or carriers C, D, arranged as illustrated in combination with a corrugated

page_text: or ribbed roller H mounted upon pivotted arms substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
Fifth. The herein described combination of specified mechanical parts
constituting the improved clothes washing machine for household use, arranged
as illustrated.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-six.
J. A. H. ADOLPH.
H. G. JOHNSON.
Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.