IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND STARCHING
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND STARCHING."
Sealed the 9th July 1866, and dated the 9th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
January 1866.
I, THOMAS BRADFORD, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND STARCHING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates chiefly to an improved washing apparatus, or ribber,
or beetler to be used in connection with oscillatory or rotating washing or
scouring machines.
My Invention consists in turning or moulding, according to the material
employed, a smaller groove or series of grooves upon the prominent or
projecting part of each rib or corrugation of a ribbed or corrugated roller
made of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and in fitting or placing
in such smaller grooves elastic rings, by preference of vulcanized india-rubber,
of convenient diameter; a double corrugation on the roller is thus produced,
the most prominent portion or periphery of which being composed of elastic
material presents a yielding and therefore a non-injurious surface. During

page_text: the rotation or oscillation of the washing compartment the roller produces its
effect in accordance with its weight, and I regulate the weight as required to
suit the strength, quality, or quantity of the fabric acted upon.
To adapt the apparatus before described to new shirt and collar washing
and starching I place the elastic rings or elastic rope longitudinally instead of
transversely on the ribber or roller, and I construct the compartment of the
washing machine in which the ribber or roller is fitted rectangular or otherwise,
"with the two ends rounded off by a series of ribs of wood or india-rubber,
leaving the intermediate space plain or very slightly corrugated, so that the
ribber will roll unobstructedly and pass into the articles which are being
washed or starched at every oscillation or revolution of the washing
compartment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRADFORD, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our 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 me, the said
Thomas Bradford, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Bradford,
my executors, administrators, 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 there-
after 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 MACHINES FOR WASHING, SCOURING, AND STARCHING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said 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.

page_text: 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 per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates chiefly to an improved washing apparatus, or ribber,
or beetler to be used in connection with oscillatory or rotating washing or
scouring machines.
My Invention consists in turning or moulding, according to the material
employed, a smaller groove or series of grooves upon the prominent or
projecting part of each rib or corrugation of a ribbed or corrugated roller
made of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and in fitting or placing in
such smaller grooves elastic rings, by preference of vulcanized india-rubber, of
convenient diameter; a double corrugation on the roller is thus produced, the
most prominent portion or periphery of which being composed of elastic
material presents a yielding and therefore a non-injurious surface. During
the rotation or oscillation of the washing compartment the roller produces its
effect in accordance with its weight, and I regulate the weight as required to
suit the strength, quality, or quantity of the fabric acted upon.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation, and Figure 2 a
longitudinal section, of a ribbed or corrugated roller constructed according to
my Invention. a, a, are the ordinary recesses, and b, b, the prominent or
projecting parts of the ribs or corrugations. Upon each projecting part 6 I
turn or mould a smaller groove as shown, and I fit or place in each of these
smaller grooves a ring c, of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable elastic
material, of convenient diameter. As before stated, a double corrugation on
the roller is thus produced, the most prominent portion c of which being
composed of elastic material presents a yielding and non-injurious surface.
To adapt the apparatus before described particularly for shirt and collar
washing and starching I construct the compartment of the washing machine
in which the ribber or roller is fitted rectangular or otherwise, with the two
ends rounded off by a series of ribs of wood or india-rubber, leaving the
intermediate space plain or very slightly corrugated, so that the ribber will
roll unobstructedly and pass into the articles which are being washed or
starched at every oscillation or revolution of the washing compartment; and
instead of placing the elastic rings separately round each ribber or roller, I
place them round the two outermost of a series of rollers arranged in a frame
of semicircular or convex form.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a shirt and collar washing and starching

page_text: machine, and Figure 4 is a face view of a series of rollers arranged as just ex-
plained. d is the washing compartment, the two ends of which are rounded off
by a series of ribs e of wood or india-rubber, leaving the intermediate space from
eto e plain; f, f, are the rollers fitted in a convex frame k, and formed with
ordinary recesses a, a, and with a smaller groove upon each projecting part b,
as in Figures 1 and 2; but instead of placing elastic rings or ropes separately
round each roller f, as in Figures 1 and 2, I place the elastic rings or ropes c
round the two outermost rollers f of the series, so that they bear upon the
fronts or faces of the other rollers. I employ two series of such rollers, one
at each side of a box g, which is weighted with lead, water, or otherwise.
This box is dropped or placed loosely in the washing compartment d, which
is hung upon a centre h, and is provided with handles i, or with a crank
handle or other appliance, by which an oscillating or rotary motion may be
imparted thereto. The compartment d is assisted in its oscillation by coming
in contact at each end with a buffer spring j. The goods to be washed or
starched are introduced into the compartment d between the sides thereof
and the series of rollers f. Friction rollers may be fitted, if desired, below and
at the sides of the box g.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in machines for washing, scouring, and starching,―
First, the construction and employment in such machines of ribbed or
corrugated rollers, the prominent or projecting parts of the ribs or corrugations
of which are formed with a smaller groove or series of grooves in which
elastic rings or ropes are fitted or placed, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before described.
Second, constructing the compartment in which the ribber is fitted with
the ends rounded off by a series of ribs of wood or india-rubber, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-sir
THOMAS BRADFORD. (L.S.)