Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 15th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
1, THOMAS EDWARD THICKPENNY of Breydon Villa, Lansdowne Road, Bournemouth,
in the County of Hants, Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows:-
My improved washing-machine is constructed essentially in the following manner.
The articles to be washed are enclosed in a horizontal cage, capable of rotation upon
pivots within a water-tight box, or case, fitted with a water tight lid. The said cage
is preferably of hexagonal form in cross-section, the ends are solid, but the sides are
formed of round rods of alternately unequal size and placed at alternately different
levels. One side of the cage is hinged, or otherwise so formed, as to permit of the
cage being opened for the admission thereto or extraction therefrom of the articles.
The pivots on the ends of the cage do not pass through the ends of the outer box
or case, but work in bearings or other suitable supports attached to the inner sides of
the said ends. A crank is formed on one of the said pivots and a second crank coupled
therewith by means of a connecting rod is keyed on the end of a spindle passing
through the end of the box and journalled in a bearing affixed to the outer side of the
said end. A winch or handle is affixed to the said spindle by which means the cage
may be conveniently rotated. The opening in the box through which the said spindle
passes is thus placed sufficiently high up to prevent any leakage of water through
such opening. The upper crank may be affixed to its spindle by means of a nut, so
that by unscrewing the said nut, the crank may be removed, the spindle drawn out
and the cage lifted out of the box if required, or the connecting-rod may be disengaged
to effect the same purpose. In place of this arrangement of cranks and connecting-
rod for driving the cage from the handle, a pinion may be fixed on the inner end of
the handle spindle gearing with a spur-wheel journalled on a short stud on the
end of the box, one pivot will rest in a bearing as before, while the other pivot
may be formed with a square to enter a square socket on the boss of the
spur wheel, so that the cage will be rotated by the wheel, but by being slid
length ways out of the socket may he lifted out of the box without requiring to
disturb any of the driving mechanism, a taper pin or other suitable device may be

page_text: employed to keep the pivot in place in the socket. The said box may either stand on
the ground or be carried by any suitable supports, and a bar or beam is preferably
provided above the box at a convenient height so that a wringing machine can be
placed thereon. A hole is provided in the bottom of one of the box sides, closed with
a plug or stopper for emptying the water from the said box, the bottom of which slopes
at an angle towards the hole to effect perfect drainage. I do not confine myself to
any special materials for the construction of my apparatus, but in practice I prefer to
form the metallic parts of galvanized iron and brass, while the wooden parts are made
of deal, with the exception of the facings of the edges of the ends of the cage, which are
of oak. The peculiar arrangement of the round bars of the cage give the nearest
approach to the rubbing action of the human knuckles in washing, and the said
bars being round and perfectly smooth it is impossible for them to catch in or tear the
most delicate article." The hexagonal shape of the cage necessitates during its
revolution a continual change in the position of the clothes so that every part, receives
the action of the bars or rubbers. Immediately after each rub, that is to say six times
in every revolution, the clothes are thoroughly rinsed in exact imitation of hand
washing.
The power required to turn the machine is very slight and a large quantity of water
can be employed without requiring any increase of power in turning, and by employing
a large amount of hot water it maintains its temperature and so effects a more
thorough cleansing of the clothes than can be obtained in machines where only small
quantities of water can be used, with the result of such water soon becoming too cold
and dirty to be of any service.
By the peculiar construction of the machine, the clothes and water can never be
lodged in one place and simply whirl round together without effecting any washing
of the said clothes, a failing frequently met with in machines of the ordinary
construction.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: 1. THOMAS EDWARD THICKPENNY, of Breydon Villa, Lansdowne Road, Bourne-
mouth, in the County of Hants, Schoolmaster, 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
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional
elevation, and Fig. 2 a cross-sectional elevation, through the line X X in Fig. 1, of
a washing machine constructed according to my invention; Fig. 3 is a similar view
to Fig. 1, but shewing an alternative arrangement for driving the internal cage.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the articles to be washed are enclosed in a horizontal
cage A, capable of rotation upon pivots B, B1, within a water-tight box, or case C,
fitted with a water-tight lid D. The cage A is preferably of hexagonal form, as shewn
in cross-section, the ends E are solid, but the sides are formed of round rods F, of
alternately unequal size, and placed at alternately different levels. One side F¹ of
the cage is hinged, or otherwise so formed, as to permit of the cage being opened for
the admission thereto, or extraction therefrom, of the articles.
The pivots B B¹, on the ends of the cage, do not pass through the ends of the outer
box or case, but work in bearings H H, or other suitable supports attached to the
inner sides of the said ends. A crank J is formed on one of the pivots B, B, and a
second crank K, coupled therewith by means of a connecting-rod L, is keyed on the
end of a spindle M, passing through the end of the box, and journalled in a bearing N,
affixed to the outer side of the said end. A winch or handle P is affixed to the said
spindle, by which means the cage may he conveniently rotated. The opening in the
box through which the said spindle passes, is thus placed sufficiently high up to prevent
any leakage of water through such opening. The upper crank K may be affixed to its
spindle by means of a nut, so, that by unscrewing the said nut, the crank may be
removed, the spindle drawn out and the cage lifted out of the box if required; or the
connecting rod L may be disengaged to effect the same purpose.
In place of this arrangement of cranks J and K and connecting-rod L, for driving
the cage A from the handle P, I may employ the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3. In
this case a pinion R is fixed on the inner end of the handle spindle M, gearing with a
spur wheel S, journalled on a short stud T on the end of the box C, one pivot B of the
cage A will rest in a bearing H, as before, while the other pivot B is formed with a
square to enter a square socket U, on the boss of the spur wheel S, so that the cage A
will be rotated by the wheel, but by being slid lengthways out of the socket U,
it may be lifted out of the box C, without requiring to disturb any of the driving
mechanism; a pin V or other suitable device, may be employed to keep the pivot in
place in the socket. The cross-section of Fig. 3 will be the same as that shewn in
Fig. 2:
The box C may either stand on the ground, or be carried by any suitable supports,
and a bar or beam W is preferably provided above the box, at a convenient height, so
that a wringing machine can be placed thereon. A hole Y is provided in the bottom
of one of the box sides, with a plug or stopper for emptying the water from the said
box, the bottom of which may slope, if desired, at an angle towards the hole, as shewn
by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

page_text: I do not confine myself to any special materials for the construction of my apparatus,
but in practice I prefer to form the metallic parts of galvanized iron and brass, while the
wooden parts are made of pine, with the exception of the facings of the edges of the
ends E of the cage A, which are of oak. The peculiar arrangement of the round bars F
of the cage, give the nearest approach to the rubbing action of the human knuckles in
washing, and the said bars being round and perfectly smooth, it is impossible for them
to catch in or tear the most delicate article. The hexagonal shape of the cage
necessitates, during its revolution, a continual change in the position of the clothes,
so that every part receives the action of the bars or rubbers.
Immediately after each rub, that is to say six times in every revolution, the clothes
are thoroughly rinsed in exact imitation of hand washing.
The power required to turn the machine is very slight, and a large quantity of
water can be employed without requiring any increase of power in turning, and by
employing a large amount of hot water, it maintains its temperature, and so effects a
more thorough cleansing of the clothes than can be obtained in machines where only
small quantities of water can be used, with the result of such water soon becoming too
cold and dirty to be of any service.
By the peculiar construction of the machine, the clothes and water can never
be lodged in one place and simply whirl round together, without effecting any
washing of the said clothes, a failing frequently met with in machines of the ordinary
construction.
I am aware that it has been proposed to drive washing machines of this class by
means of gearing, in order to place the handle spindle above the level of the
water, and I therefore make no broad claim for the construction of washing machines
with the handle in such position, but having now particularly described and ascertained
the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a washing machine, the internal cage A for the reception of the articles to be
washed, having the sides formed of round rods F, of alternately unequal size and
placed at alternately different levels, substantially as and for the purposes herein shewn
and described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a washing machine having the driving spindle M above the water level, the.
mechanism for imparting motion to the cage A, consisting of the cranks J and K
and connecting rod L, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Figs. 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a washing machine having the driving spindle M above the water level and
motion imparted to the cage A by means of spur gear R. and S, the stud T on the end
of the box formning the journal for the wheel S, the square socket U on the wheel S,
the square pivot B₁ and the pin V, or other equivalent device, substantially as and for
the purposes herein shewn and described, with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. A washing machine constructed substantially as herein shewn and described, with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
5. A washing machine constructed substantially as herein shewn and described,
with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Datad 12th October 1888
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.