IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, BOILING, RINSING, WRINGING, ✓ AND DRYING WEARING APPAREL, BED, AND OTHER LINEN, OR DOMESTIC OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS, AND PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER DOMESTIC OR USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of 142 and 143, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Cathedral Steps, in the City of
Manchester, Laundry Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, BOILING, RINSING, WRINGING,
✓ AND DRYING WEARING APPAREL, BED, AND OTHER LINEN, OR DOMESTIC
OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS, AND PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER DOMESTIC OR
USEFUL PURPOSES.”
11
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th October 1873.
THOMAS BRADFORD, of 142 and 143, High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, and of Cathedral Steps, in the City of Manchester,
Laundry Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, BOILING, RINSING,
WRINGING; AND DRYING WEARING APPAREL, BED, AND OTHER LINEN, OR
"
12

page_text: DOMESTIC OR OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS, AND PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER DOMESTIC
OR USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction and use of certain improved
and useful machinery or apparatus for washing, boiling, rinsing,
wringing, and drying wearing apparel, bed, and other linen, and
domestic or other textile fabrics, the Invention being in part applicable
to other domestic or useful purposes.
"
The Invention consists in constructing such machines or apparatus in
duplicate, and so that the receptacle or vessel containing the fabrics or
clothes to be operated on can be removed " en masse from the
machine, or from one machine or a part thereof to another, so as to
undergo therein all the said processes in 'consecutive order, thus obviating
the laborious operation of removing or lifting the clothes or fabrics
separately by hand after each process, which has hitherto been a
necessity; and so that if required each machine can be used either
separately or in combination for any one or all of the above-named
processes.
The interchangeable receptacle or cage or basket for the clothes or
fabrics during the operations necessary to effect their proper cleansing
is proposed to be constructed of wood or metal of any suitable or 'con-
venient shape and 'design.
At or near the centre of the apparatus I place a division (or
divisions) of open wood or metal work, which divides the said
receptacle into two or more compartments, into both or all of which
the water or washing ley is admitted.
The articles to be cleansed are placed in the front divisions or
compartments only.
In order to obtain the requisite and suitable action or motion of the
water or washing ley and of the contents of the receptacle or vessel, in
order to properly effect the cleansing or washing, I place or fit one or
more vertical shafts provided with fans or blades of suitable shape.and
construction and made of wood or metal. As however a new and
peculiar principle in such machines is involved herein, I prefer to use
two shafts with fans, and by preference fans having a single fin or blade
converging inwardly or outwardly according to the direction of the s
motion applied. The fans or blades will work in the back spaces or

page_text: compartments occupied by the washing ley or water only and not in
the compartments or divisions occupied by the articles to be washed or
cleansed; and when set in motion by a horizontal shaft in gear with the
vertical shafts to which the fans are secured or attached they will produce
concussive heaving and surging motions of the water or washing ley
and of the fabrics in the compartments, a novel and extraordinary
cleansing effect being thereby exercised, thereupon possessing the
important advantage (over existing machines for like purposes) that the
fabrics or clothes will not come in contact with any internal or moving
mechanism, and therefore will be absolutely free from any chance of
injury; the further novel and important advantage will be attained of
requiring but a very small amount of power to effect the required
motions in consequence of the active principle (that is, the action of
the fans) giving primary motion to the water or washing ley only,
without being impeded by contact with the fabrics.
The speed at which the fans or blades can be driven will be varied
for the several operations as may be found desirable.
After the clothes or fabrics have been thus washed the water is let off
and the succeeding operations of rinsing, wringing, draining and drying,
(or partially drying) are performed, either in the same machine, or that
part of the apparatus containing the clothes or fabrics together with its
contents is lifted out or removed to other machines, which. (as above-
mentioned to facilitate this object) are constructed in duplicate, and for.
the processes or operations of boiling and rinsing steam or hot water
will be introduced into the receptacle or apparatus and the articles
therein will thus be completely cleansed.
.
Upon the horizontal shaft above-mentioned I place a corrugated
rollor of metal, vulcanite, or other suitable material, which will be
made to work in connection with an upper roller, either plain or
corrugated, the requisite pressure upon which I obtain by the combina-
tion of a spring and lever and I graduate it by a cam.
After the above processes for cleansing the articles, the fan shafts are
ungeared or disconnected from the horizontal shaft, the corrugated
rollers are then put in motion and the clothes or articles are lifted and
passed through the rollers, after which the articles will undergo the
succeeding operations of draining and drying.

page_text: .
One or more dashboards of convenient shape will be attached or
placed in front of the apparatus against which the contents will
operate, and on the back or opposite side a similar one (or more) will
be attached or placed, but of a smaller size in order to give direction to
the water current.
'
The part of my Invention which is applicable to other domestic or
useful purposes is the fan or blade arrangement; by modifying or
varying the form of the fans or blades at one end of the receptacle or
vessel, and placing fixed or movable breakers at the other end, the
apparatus can be applied and used for various useful purposes, such as
for churning or for mixing liquids.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRADFORD, of 142 and 143, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Cathedral Steps, in the City of Manchester, Laundry Engineer,
send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three,
in the thirty-seventh 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, admini-
strators, 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 Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, BOILING, RINSING, WRINGING, AND
DRYING WEARING APPAREL, BED, AND OTHER LINEN, OR DOMESTIC OR OTHER
TEXTILE FABRICS, AND PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER DOMESTIC OR USEFUL
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: 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 my said 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, and on reference being had to
the acccompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction
and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for washing, boiling,
rinsing, wringing, and drying wearing apparel, bed, and other linen, and
domestic and other textile fabrics, part of the said improvements being
also applicable to other domestic and useful purposes.
The various improvements comprising the said Invention are
illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings in Figures 1 to 4..
In carrying my said Invention into practice I construct the washing
vessels of the said machines or apparatus in duplicate, and apply thereto
interchangeable receptacles, cages, or baskets to contain the articles to
be operated on, so that each said receptacle together with the articles
it contains can be removed "en masse" from and replaced in the
washing vessel of its machine, or from that of one machine to that of
another, so that the articles may undergo without removal from the
said receptacle all the above-mentioned cleansing processes in con-
secutive order, and which may be performed or effected all in one
machine or separately in different machines. By this arrangement I
obviate the laborious operations of lifting and removing the articles
separately by hand after each process from one receptacle to another,
which have hitherto been necessary.
The improved or duplicate washing vessel 1 is illustrated in Figures 1
and 2; and the improved or interchangeable clothes receptacle 2 is also
illustrated in Figure 2, and more clearly in the perspective view,
Figure 3. They are each constructed by preference of metal or wood,
the vessel 1 being made of any desired shape, and the receptacle 2

page_text: being formed of partitions 3 of open metal or woodwork, and if required
divided into compartments by another or other partitions 3*, either open
or corrugated and provided with a bottom plate 4 upon which the
articles rest within the said receptacle or its compartments. The
receptacle 2 is placed and contained within the vessel 1 in the way
shown in Figure 2, and its partitions 3, 3*, thus divide the said
vessel into compartments; only those of which which are contained
within the said partitions are occupied by the articles to be
operated on.
In order to obtain the most effective cleansing action upon the
articles of the water or washing ley, such as is given by imparting
thereto concussive heaving and surging motions, I apply in that com-
partment of the vessel 1 not occupied by the receptacle 2, one or more
vertical shafts 6 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, and which
shaft I provide with metal or wood fans or blades 7 which receive
motion imparted by bevil gearing or friction cones 8 from an upper
horizontal shaft 9 in either an inwardly or outwardly converging
direction. By this means in combination with the use of suitable dash-
boards 22 I produce the desired motions of the water or washing ley,
causing it to exert a very effective cleansing of the articles contained in
the receptacle 2. I thus obtain very great advantages (over existing
machines) from the employment of the partitioned receptacle 2,
inasmuch as I thereby prevent the articles coming in contact with any
internal rotating, revolving, or any other moving mechanism, so that
they cannot receive injury; and also require but a comparatively small
expenditure of power as the fan blades give motion to the water or
washing ley only, and cannot be impeded by contact with the articles.
I would here mention that inasmuch as the application of this fan
arrangement involves a new and useful principle in machines of the
character now being described, I prefer to apply but two shafts, each
having a single fin or fan blade.
:
After the articles have been thus washed the water is let off from the
vessel 1, and the succeeding operations of rinsing, wringing, draining,
and drying, or partially drying the articles are performed, either in the
same vessel and machine, or the receptacle 2 together with its contents
is lifted out and removed to another vessel and machine as above-
mentioned, and for the processes or operations of boiling and rinsing;

page_text: steam or hot water is then introduced into the vessel 1 so as to complete
the cleansing of the articles in the receptacle 2.
-
Upon the shaft 9 between the gearing 8, 8, I place a corrugated or
ribbed roller 10 of metal, vulcanite, or other suitable material, which
works in connection with an upper roller 11 either plain or corrugated,
and mounted upon a shaft X, and these rollers I use for wringing or
expressing the water from the articles (instead of the plain surface
rollers now used) as the articles can be more readily placed between
them, and the ribs or corrugations impart additional stiffness to the
articles, enabling them to clear themselves from the rollers much better
than if the surfaces of the latter were smooth; and when the said
roller 10 is made of metal and used in combination with a plain
india-rubber roller 11 it acts more efficiently and is liable to less
wear and tear.
I obtain the requisite pressure upon the top roller 11 by the peculiar
combination of a spring and levers hereafter described, and I graduate
the said pressure as desired by a cam or by the usual hand screw work-
ing in or upon the top framing. This improved combination is more
simple, direct, and efficient than any hitherto in use for effecting the
desired purpose, and its peculiar novelty consists in causing the ends or
any other suitable parts of the top framing to act as the fulcrums for
the levers as well as the bearing for the cam or screw by which the
pressure is first imparted. This improved arrangement is shown in
Figure 1, and more clearly as applied to an existing domestic washing
machine in Figure 4. In the latter case 12 represents the top framing,
the ends of which overhang the side frame 13 to which they are bolted,
and act as the fulcrums for the levers 14, which at their inner ends
have pressure exerted upon them by a spring 15, the said pressure being
obtained by a cam Z (see Figure 1), or in the usual way by the
screw 16. 17 represents the bearing surfaces of the levers which
act upon bearing blocks 18 resting upon the journals of the upper
roller 11.
In the modification illustrated in the left of Figure-1 the arrange-
ment is similar to that immediately above described; but in the
modification illustrated on the right of the same Figure the fulcrum
of the lever is shown as adjustable, and which is obtained by. shifting
the pin. 19. to the holes corresponding in the lever and top framing...

page_text: After the above-described processes of cleansing the articles the
shafts 6 are ungeared from the shaft 9 and the articles are lifted and
passed between the rollers 10 and 11 (the water which is expressed
'thereby falling into the receptacle and flowing away), after which they
undergo the succeeding operations of draining and drying or partially
drying either in the same receptacle or in another. The latter operation
is effected by again gearing the shafts 6 and 9, and causing the fans to
force continuous or intermittent currents of heated or atmospheric air
upon the articles in the receptacle.
After the above-described processes of cleansing the articles the
shafts 6 are ungeared from the shaft 9 and the articles are lifted and
passed between the rollers 10 and 11 (the water which is expressed
thereby falling into the receptacle and flowing away), after which they
undergo the succeeding operations of draining and drying or partially
drying either in the same receptacle or in another. The latter operation
is effected by again gearing the shafts 6 and 9, and causing the fans to
force continuous or intermittent currents of heated or atmospheric air
upon the articles in the receptacle.
The hot water, steam, or air is admitted to the vessel 1 by means
of a pipe o.
f
The speed at which the fans or blades are driven is or may be varied
for the several described operations, as found desirable.
20, Figure 1, represents a framing of the ordinary description adapted
to my improved apparatus; and 21 represents a suitable arrangement of
driving pulleys and fly wheel.
That part of my said Invention which is applicable to other domestic
and useful purposes is the above-described fan or blade arrangement,
which by modifying or varying the form of the blades or fans at one end
of the vessel and placing fixed or movable breakers at the other end
can be applied and used for various like purposes, such as for churning
or mixing liquids.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said In-
vention, together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion,
that I claim as my Invention,―
1. The combination in washing machinery of the character described
of duplicate washing vessels with interchangeable clothes receptacles.
2. The peculiar means of obtaining the concussive heaving and surging
motions of the water or washing ley and of the articles being
operated on.
3. The application of corrugated or ribbed wringing rollers, or of one
such roller in combination with an upper plain roller of india-rubber or
other suitable material.
And 4. The peculiar combinations of a spring and levers, and cam a
or screw, for obtaining pressure upon the said rollers, the fulcrums of

page_text: the said levers being formed of the overhanging or projecting ends or
other suitable parts of the top framing, all substantially as herein-before
described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and for the purposes respectively specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the
1 year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
THOMAS BRADFORD. (L.S.)
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.