AN IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Broughton, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, and James Broughton, of Lampton, in the County of
Middlesex, Carpenters, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED WASHING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 26th March 1867, and dated the 28th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Broughton and
James Broughton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th September 1866.
We, JOSEPH BROUGHTON, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, and
JAMES BROUGHTON, of Lampton, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenters, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WASHING
MACHINE," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to washing machines, and consists of an improved
mode of forming and constructing the same. Upon a suitable stand wo fix an
oblong box, at one end of which box we fix an inclined grate of open staves.
having a cross bar at or near the bottom, and a similar cross bar a little more
than half way up; at the opposite end of the said box we fit a rocking cross
pole or shaft, the ends of which are fitted with hand levers. The band levers'
are fixed upon the ends of the rocking shaft inside the box, so that there is no'
projection at the sides, while the space. occupied by the handles is boxed off to
.

page_text: prevent any wet from escaping when in use. Above the shaft the box is
permanently closed with an inclined cover outside, at the top of which wringing
rollers are mounted. Between the fixed grate above mentioned and the
other end of the box where the levers and shaft are fixed, we fit a moveable
beater, which is caused to slide backwards and forwards by means of the
levers and shaft before described and jointed levers inside the box. The face
of the beater is formed with cross staves and vertical knuckle bars which form
a grating, and this grating is inclined backwards towards the top, so that as it
advances towards the inclined fixed grate it forms therewith a V trough; in
this trough space the clothes are placed, the box being partly filled with water,
and soap, or other washing liquid. The open part of the box at the top is
closed by a loose lid which drops in below the surface of the side and end to
prevent any wet from escaping. The whole of the surface of the box grate
and beaters are of wood, no metal being used in the interior of the box.
The mode of operating the machine is as follows:-The clothes or articles
to be washed or cleaned are placed in the box between the inclined grate and
the beater which is drawn back to the opposite end of the box; the lid being
now closed, the said levers being worked up or down by the right and left
hand causes the articles to be squeezed and turned between the ribs and
knuckles of the fixed and beater grates, through and under which the suds
can pass freely, the inclined surfaces and the cross bar causing the articles to
rise and turn continuously during the operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Broughton and James Broughton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
BROUGHTON, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, and JAMES BROUGHTON,
of Lampton, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenters, send greeting.
of our
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Joseph Broughton and James Broughton, Her special licence that we
the said Joseph Broughton and James Broughton, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Broughton and
James Broughton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED
WASHING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Joseph Broughton and James Broughton, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Joseph Broughton and James
Broughton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Upon a suitable stand we mount an oblong box having its centre portion of
a rectangular form. Near the front end of this box we fix a vertical or
slightly inclined grate or knuckle surfaced staves having a flush transverse bar
near the bottom and a projecting cross bar (or turning bar) a little more than
half-way up. In the rectangular portion or body of the box we fit a sliding
beater, the front of which beater also consists of a grate of knuckle staves;
this grate, however, is more inclined than the fixed grate and inclines from the
bottom backwards; it is fixed to the front of a kind of box open at the top
and formed with two side connecting boards and a back board; the back board
and beater grate extend across the box and the side connecting boards, which
are fitted so as to slide close to the sides of the main box before mentioned.
The space between the back board and beater grate is divided by a horizontal
cross board which is perforated, and has its upper surface grooved, fluted, or
corrugated. The portion of the back board below the perforated cross board
last mentioned is made with an opening in it, and this opening is closed by a
moveable hanging valve which closes as the beater is pushed forwards, and
opens from the bottom forwards as the beater is drawn backwards. For
giving the necessary motions to the beater at the end of the main box opposite
the fixed grate, and behind the beater space, and near the top inside, we mount
a rocking cross pole or shaft fitted at each end with hand levers; these hand
levers, which have their outer or free ends connected by a cross bar handle,
have their inner ends fixed to the ends of the rocking shaft before mentioned
(inside the box), so that there are no projections from the sides externally.
On the rocking shaft between the hand levers vertical levers are fixed, the

page_text: lower ends of these being connected with the back board of the beater by means
of short jointed link bars; as the handles and hand levers are moved up and,
down the beater is caused to slide backwards and forwards. The top of the box,
is permanently closed with inclined covers, a space being, however, left above
the grates closed by a moveable lid for putting in and taking out the clothes
or articles to be washed or cleansed. Wringing rollers with a reversing tipping.
board under the same are fixed on the top and turned by a handle in the
usual way.
The mode of operating the machine is as follows:-The clothes or articles
to be washed or cleaned are placed in the body of the box between the.
inclined grate and the beater, which is drawn back to the opposite end of the
box; the lid being now closed the side levers being worked up and down by
the right and left hand cause the articles to be squeezed and turned between
the ribs and knuckles of the fixed and beater grates, through and under, which
the studs or washing liquid can pass freely, the inclined surfaces and the cross,
bar causing the articles to rise and turn continuously during the operation;
the turning is also partly the result of the back flow of the suds or liquid in;
the space left between the fixed grate and the front of the box rising therein;
as the beater is pressed forwards, and falling through the upper portion of the
grate as the beater recedes. The valve in the back board of the beater by
closing as the latter is pressed forwards causes both suds and clothes to rise in
the space between the beater and fixed grates, and the said valve by opening
as the beater is drawn backwards allows the suds to fall more rapidly, renders
the action more easy, and causes a more perfect operation of the machine.
The space or chamber in the beater, between the back board and the grate,
is intended for small articles or those of a fine texture, which may be washed
or cleansed therein separate from those in the main part of the box between
the grate.

page_text: small articles and lower or sud space 9'; h, the rocking shaft; i, the lever,
and the connecting bars or links by which the beater is moved as the hand
levers c are worked up and down; k, k¹, are wringing rollers fixed in suitable
standards over the top of the box; 1 is an improved dripping board which
rocks upon the centre m, so as to cause it to conduct the suds back into the
body of the machine when the clothes or other articles are being wrung, or by
reversing the position to that shewn by the dotted lines to conduct the
"blueing" liquid into a suitable vessel at ; n is a bar of wood which acts
as a spring, the pressure of which spring is regulated by the screw n¹; this
screw works in a bush let into the head bar n³; o is a vulcanized india-rubber
washer placed under the ends of the spring bar and between it and the
bearing pieces p, resting upon the journals of the upper roller k; q is a
spigot or tap for drawing off the suds or other liquid from the machine.
We claim the machine thus constructed and operating as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Broughton on behalf of myself
and the said Joseph Broughton, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of Marcb, in year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES BROUGHTON. (L.S.)