IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, SCOURING, GETTING-UP, DYEING, BOILING, AND STEAMING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ashwell, of New Basford, in the County of
Nottingham, Bleacher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, SCOURING, GETTING-UP, DYEING, BOILING, AND
STEAMING."
Sealed the 7th January 1862, and dated the 11th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ashwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
July 1861.
I, HENRY ASHWELL, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham,
Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, SCOURING, GETTING-UP, DYEING,
BOILING, AND STEAMING," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist of the following arrangement, that is to say, of
a square, round, or other conveniently shaped trough, which trough, in a large
apparatus, is firmly bolted to the floor; to the sides of the trough inside are.
placed two or more pairs of vertical guides, and on the outside thereof are:
similar guides; the inner guides are preferably made of wood, and the outer
ones may be of the same material, or of metal, or other suitable substance.
In these guides slide rods of wood or other suitable material, connected to a.
crosshead extending across the trough; where outer guides are used, the cross-
head will extend over the sides a suitable distance. To the centre of the cross-;
head one end of a lever is secured by a pin and hinge, or by other similar

page_text: attachment; the other end of the lever is connected to a rocking lever, moved
by another lever, driven by being connected to a rod moved by an excentric on
a shaft, actuated by steam or other power; or in some cases I may connect
the crosshead to a rod terminating in the strap of an excentric on a main
shaft, lying horizontally over the centre of the trough, and provided with a fly
wheel. To the crosshead is attached a frame carrying a cage composed of wood
or metal rods or strips, or of perforated sheets; the top of the cage is composed
of the same material as the sides and bottom thereof, and so constructed that
it can be opened for inserting the goods intended to be operated upon. Nearly
over the centre of the trough, lying by the side of the crosshead is a perforated
metal pipe, through which hot or cold water is distributed in a shower over the
whole of the top of the cage, the pipe having a valve, so that the water can be
shut off or turned on as required. The bottom of the trough is also provided
with a pipe and stop-cock, through which steam is admitted. Similar pipes
and stop-cocks are provided for admitting other liquids. There is a stop-cock
or valve to the bottom of the trough to let out the liquid when required. The
goods are put in the cage, and the lids or top fastened down; the valve at the
bottom of the trough being left open, the machine is put in motion; the water
being admitted through the perforated pipe will pass through the goods and
out at the valve; or if the valve is closed, the water will remain in the trough,
and the goods may be alternately raised and depressed in the water as long as
convenient. Dyes or other liquids are admitted as required (according to the
work to be done) through the various pipes. My Invention is also applicable
to machines used for domèstic purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Ashwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY,
ASHWELL, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Bleacher, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Ashwell, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Ashwell, a
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: Henry Ashwell, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, SCOURING, GETTING-UP, DYEING, BOILING, AND
STEAMING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Heury Ashwell,
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 bo
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 Henry Ashwell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My apparatus consists of the following arrangement, that is to say, of a
square, round, or other conveniently shaped trough, which trough in a large
apparatus is firmly bolted to the floor; to the sides of this trough inside are
placed two or more pairs of vertical guides, and on the outside thereof are
similar guides; the inner guides are preferably made of wood, and the outer
ones may be composed of the same material, or may be made of metal or
other suitable substance. In these guides rods slide; these rods are made of
wood or other suitable material, and are connected to a crosshead extending
across the trough; where outer guides are used the crosshead will extend over
the sides a suitable distance. To the centre of the crosshead one end of a
lever is secured by a pin and hinge, or by other similar attachment; the other
end of the lever is connected to a rocking lever, which is moved by another
lever, and driven by being connected to a rod moved by an excentric on a
shaft actuated by steam or other power; or in some cases I may prefer to
connect the crosshead to a rod terminating in the strap of an excentric on a
main shaft lying horizontally over the centre of the trough and provided with
a fly wheel. To the crosshead is attached a frame carrying a cage composed
of wood or metal rods or strips, or of perforated sheets; the top of the cage is
composed of the same material as the sides and bottom thereof, and is so
constructed that it can be opened for inserting the goods intended to be
operated upon. Nearly over the centre of the trough, lying by the side of the

page_text: crosshead, is a perforated metal pipe, through which hot or cold water is dis-
tributed in a shower over the whole of the top of the cage, the pipe being
provided with a valve, so that the water can be shut off or turned on as may
be required. The bottom of the trough is also provided with a pipe and stop-
cock, through which steam is admitted. Similar pipes and stop-cocks are pro-
vided for admitting other liquids. There is a stop-cock or valve to the bottom
of the trough to let out the liquid when required. The goods are put in the
cage, and the lids or top are or is fastened down, the valve at the bottom of
the trough being left open, the machine is put in motion; the water being
admitted through the perforated pipe will pass through the goods and out at
the valve; or if the valve is closed, the water will remain in the trough, and
the goods may be alternately raised and depressed in the water as long as is
found convenient. Dyes or other liquids are admitted as may be required
(according to the work to be done) through the various pipes. My Invention
is also applicable to machines used for domestic purposes.
Having thus set forth the nature of the said Invention, I now proceed to
explain the same more particularly, and the mode of performing it, with refer-
ence to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view of an improved apparatus for washing,
cleansing, scouring, getting-up, dyeing,' boiling, and steaming, constructed
according to my Invention; it has a portion of one side broken away in order
to shew the arrangement more clearly. Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a sectional view
of the same looking from one end, and shewing the cage in which the goods
to be operated upon are placed, the goods being placed in the said cage at the
lowest point thereof, nearly at the bottom of the trough; Figure 3, Sheet 2, is
a plan of the apparatus. The several corresponding parts in the above Figures
being lettered alike, the following description will apply to each.
A is the bottom, and B are the sides of a strong tub or trough, which is
firmly bolted or otherwise fastened to the floor. There are two pairs of vertical
guides C on two sides of the tub or trough facing each other, between which
guides. slide upright pieces D, framed into the sides of the cage E, the bottom
of which is composed of round wooden rods; these rods are inserted in a
strong framing, which framing is divided into three equal parts; the sides of
the cage are made of strong boarding. The top of the cage is closed by two
lids or grates formed of rods with framing, and the bottom of the cage on the
inside, as also the under side of the lids, are covered with a network of copper,
or of galvanized iron wire or other suitable material, which prevents the
goods from passing between the rods as the cage is raised or lowered. When
the cage is charged with goods, the lids are held closed by a bar F, which is

page_text: placed above them, and has each end inserted under a stop D' on the upright
pieces D, which are tenoned into a crosshead F', each end of which is fitted
into a cast-iron cap F, each of which caps forms an axle for the upper ends
of the links G to work upon. On the under side of the caps are cast socket
pieces, in which are secured rods G', which slide in guides G2 on the outside
of the troughs. In the lower end of the links G are axles or pins, which take
into the ends of the levers H, keyed on the ends of a rocking shaft I, lying in
bearings K, secured to beams fastened firmly to the floor. There is a lever L
keyed on the shaft I between the bearings; the short end of this lever is
provided with a box, which is weighted so as to counterbalance the weight of
the cage when loaded with goods and with the water, which (goods and water)
are lifted together at each stroke of the apparatus; the other or upper end of
the lever L has a bracket screwed to it, between which and the lever the end
of a connecting rod M lies; the other end of the rod is hinged to the strap of
an excentric keyed on a main shaft moved by steam or other power, the revo-
lution of which will communicate a rocking motion to the lever L, and through
the levers H and links G the cage will be alternately raised and depressed.
At the back of the cross head is a wooden trough N, which is freely supplied
with cold water from a feed pipe furnished with a valve or stop-cock, so that
the water may be turned on or off at pleasure. When the water is turned on,
the trough being pierced with holes, the water will be distributed over the
whole of the inside of the main trough, as shewn at Figure 1. At the back
of the trough N is a similar trough, indicated by the letter O, which trough O
is provided with a pipe and stop-cock, and supplies the main trough with hot
water, distributing it in a similar manner to the trough N, which said trough
N is placed a little above the main trough, so as not to intercept the streams
of hot water from the trough O. In the centre of the main trough, at the
bottom thereof, is a pipe P through which steam is admitted to the goods, to
be operated upon. This pipe is furnished with a stop-cock to turn the steam
either on or off, as required. There is also an additional stop-cock between
the steam cock and the bottom of the trough, by means of which the water
lying in the pipe can run off before steam is admitted, thus preventing any
rusty water from the steam pipe being blown on to the goods, and their conse-
quent discoloration. The main trough is furnished with a valve Q, which is
lifted by a handle, at the upper end of the rod attached to the lever of the
valve. When the rod is pulled up the valve will be held open by the bend of
the spring lying under a projection on the upper end of the rod until the valve
is closed by the rod being lowered, as seen at Figure 2. Other pipes are
applied to the trough to admit dyes or other liquids, as may be required,

page_text: according to the work to be done. This machine may be stopped while the
excentric is revolving, and in the following manner:-To the end of the con-
necting rod which moves the lever L is attached a chain or cord, which passes
over two pulleys and terminates in a ring, which, on its being pulled down and
placed on a pin R when the cage is raised to its highest point, will lift the
connecting rod clear of the pin in the bracket of the lever L, and allow the
rod to move backwards and forwards without moving the lever. In starting
the machine I take the ring off the pin and lower the rod on to the lever pin,
when the notch in the rod will slip on it. I use the above arrangement when
the main shaft is at some distance from the trough, but where a trough can
be placed under the shaft, I use the arrangement shewn at Figure 4, Sheet 2,
which represents in side view a similar, but smaller, apparatus for domestic
use. The cage is raised and lowered by a link attached direct to the strap of
an excentric and to a central cross framing of the cage. A¹ in this Figure is
the bracket which supports the shaft, B₁ a bed plate, and C¹ the lids.
For machines which can be driven by hand power, as shewn in the said
Figure 4, I key the excentric on a short shaft having a handle and fly-wheel
at either end of the shaft, the shaft being supported by the brackets A¹ secured
to a bed plate B¹, having a hole in it large enough to receive the trough, which
is closed at the top by lids C', which said lids C¹ prevent the water from being
splashed out. The cage has also doors similar in character to the large
machine and lying flush with the top of the cage.
The following are methods in which the machine may be used:-
For washing and scouring goods.- I charge the machine with the goods
intended to be operated upon. I next run into it either suds or water, turn
on the steam, and add soap, if required. I then set the machine in motion
for about ten minutes, when I turn off the steam and draw off the suds; and
then, after turning on clean water for a few minutes to rinse the goods' and
cleanse out the soap, I stop the machine and take out the goods.
For cleaning or cleansing goods.-In the first place I start the machine,
then put the goods into the machine, after which I turn on the water and
work the machine for about five minutes. I then let out the water and repeat
the process until the goods are clean.
For getting up goods.-I run sufficient water into the machine, next add
soap and blue, as may be required, then put in the goods and start the machine,
turning on the steam and working for about five minutes; after which I turn
off the steam and draw off the suds and turn on cold water, working for about
five minutes, then stop the machine and take out the goods; or, if necessary,
I repeat the operation before so doing.

page_text: For boiling goods.-Put the goods into the machine, then run in the water
and turn on the steam and start the machine. Boil the goods as long as they
require boiling, then turn off the steam and cleanse them with cold water.
For dyeing goods. For dyeing goods I proceed in a similar manner to that
which I adopt for getting-up goods, but of course using the dyes required.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim as my improvements in
apparatus for washing, cleansing, scouring, getting-up, dyeing, boiling, and
steaming, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting such
apparatus, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ashwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
HENRY ASHWELL. (L.s.)