IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Nicholson, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Nicholson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1877.
ANDREW NICHOLSON, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North Britain.
PROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
"IM-
This Invention relates to improvements in the mechanism employed for driving
the agitators of washing machines, and consists in a compact, simple, and easily
worked arrangement to produce the reciprocating motion of the agitators. On
the spindle to which these latter are attached is keyed or otherwise fixed a pinion
gearing with a quadrant, which is supported and pivotted on a pin, beyond which
it is extended in the form of an arm, the extremity of which is connected by
a link or connecting rod to the pin of a disc crank. To the opposite side of the
disc crank is secured a spur wheel, with the inverted teeth of which a pinion gears,
which pinion is actuated by a hand wheel at the side of the machine. The rotary
motion imparted to the pinion aforesaid produces a horizontal and reciprocating
motion of the quadrant, and consequently of the agitators, without the necessity of.
reversing the motion of the hand wheel. The strain on the operator is reduced,
and liability of the mechanism to become deranged is lessened by reason of its
simplicity.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Andrew Nicholson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January
1878.
ANDREW NICHOLSON, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North Britain.
PROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
"1M-
My said Invention relates to improvements in the mechanism employed for
driving the agitators of washing machines, and consists in a compact, simple, and
easily worked arrangement to produce the reciprocating notion of the agitators.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures
on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of
showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the same
into effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating the same parts in the
several Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and plan, and Figures 3 and 4
are corresponding vertical and horizontal sections taken on the lines 3---3, and
44, each on the other, all of one modification of my new or improved washing
machine, constructed in accordance with and illustrative of my said Invention or
improvements.
Referring to these Figures, the body of the machine consists of a strong nearly
square washing trough A, with the inside corners A¹ filled up at the angles, and set
or secured at the top of four legs A", at a proper height for use without stooping
on the part of the person using and working the machine. The internal sides are
formed with vertical rounded edge ribs or bars a, with hollow grooves a¹ between
them all round, and the top is fitted with a strong lid B, hinged at the one end B',
quite water-tight when folded down, and secured by the turn catches B", and
folded over on the hinged rest B2 at an angle when opened up for the insertion and
removal of the clothes or articles being washed.
This lid B carries the bush
bearing of the spindle C of the cruciform agitator C¹, with the four vertical
carrying and scrubbing bars or arms c, rounded or ridged on their outer edge; and
slotted or made hollow at their sides c' to allow the warm water and soapsuds or
other washing liquid to pass through them, the washing liquid being first filled in,
and the clothes to be washed then laid in the bottom and round the sides, between
the agitating arms c and the rubbing ribs and grooves a, a¹, on which the clothes
are alternately thrown and rubbed in reverse directions by the reverse turning or
oscillating and centrifugal action of the agitators C³, c, all carried on the lid B, and
worked or driven through the pinion D keyed on the upper and outer end of its
spindle C by quite a new or improved arrangement of reciprocating and hand
gearing. The pinion D gears directly into the correspondingly toothed double-
armed segmental or quadrantal lever D¹, D", which is supported and pivotted on a
stud or pin & fixed on the outside of the lid B, and having the outer free end of its
arm D (or opposite lever) extended outwards, and connected by a swivel stud
joint to a link or connecting rod D³, jointed at its other end to the pin e of a
hollow annular disc crank E revolving on a fixed stud E' in the cast-iron fraine F
screwed to the front of the trough A, and which carries the spindle G in a bearing
below the stud E', this spindle carrying the hand actuating crank wheel G' on its
outer end, the inner end having a pinion G" keyed on it gearing into an internal
spur wheel E formed in the hollow disc crank E, so as to actuate it when the
hand wheel G¹ is turned, the revolving crank pin e reciprocating the connecting
rod D², and segmental lever D1, D", horizontally, so as to turn the agitator C¹, c,
about a full turn to and fro backwards and forwards on their vertical spindle C, as
herein-before stated, which has the effect of twisting and untwisting or overlapping
and rubbing the clothes on themselves, while agitating and scrubbing them on the
corrugated bars and grooves a, a¹³, the toothed segment and pinion D, D¹, being

page_text: preferably covered in by a case 6 screwed to the upper surface of the lid B. The
whole actuating mechanism thus forms a most simple and efficient arrangement for
changing the circular motion into reciprocating motion without shock or vibration
to the operator or the machine, thus lessening wear and tear, and reducing the
liability of the mechanism to become deranged.
The washing trough A is fitted at the upper edge of its one end with a segmental
rim I for fixing the frame of the usual roller wringers, so as to separate the water
from the clothes as they are being drawn through the rollers from the trough, which
is fitted with the usual drawing off valve A* near its lower edge.
It will be understood that although the washing trough A is here shown as
horizontal, with the agitators B revolving on a vertical spindle within it, this being
preferred, still it will be understood that the trough might be made vertical, with
the agitators revolving on a horizontal spindle; but in this latter case the door B
would require to be in the upper corrugated side when desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The general construction and arrangement of a washing machine and its
revolving and reciprocating actuating gearing, all substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The giving of a to-and-fro revolving or reciprocating motion to the
agitators C', c, of washing machines by revolving gearing E, E, G, and recipro-
cating segmental levers D₁, D", substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Nicholson, have hereunto set my hand
. and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ANDREW NICHOLSON. (LS.)