Improvements in Washing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16 h June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
I THOMAS BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford in the County of
Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate to a further development of the invention for which
Letters Patent No. 3618 dated 10th March 1887 were granted to me for an improved
machine for washing boiling and rinsing clothes or other linen which I call the
Woodendway" washing machine.
66
In this machine I use wooden plugs (endwise of the grain) inserted in brass
bushes but I then proposed only to use such plugs in washing machines having
one washing compartment which compartment required to be watertight.
According to my present improvements I propose to apply these "woodend way"
plugs to washing machines having two compartments, that is to say, an inner
revolving compartment (not watertight) for the linen to be placed in, and an outer
fixed watertight compartment or casing containing the water or soapsuds which
also pass into and around the inner or washing compartment.
"
For this purpose I propose to fix in the inner compartment hollow "woodendway
plugs, that is each having a hole bored through the centre for the admission and
emission of the soap suds or water during the washing or rinsing processes.
A further improvement which I propose to make in this class of washing
machines relates to the construction of the inner or clothes compartment and consists
in making one edge of each of the six, eight, or other number of sides as the case
may be, to overlap the adjacent edge of the next side so as to form a series of
angular buckets on the outside of the same, by which means, during the rotation
of the compartment in a forward direction, the water contained in the outer com-
partment enters these angular buckets which force the same (by the pressure due
to the speed of rotation) into the inner compartment containing the linen, through
a series of openings which are made in the buckets under the overlap of the edges.
And just as the action of these buckets will fill the inner compartment during its
forward rotation, so in like manner the holes will empty the inner compartment of
soap suds or water when the motion is reversed, which alternate movement will
exercise a beneficial and desirable cleansing effect, the forward motion being
equivalent to the dipping of the linen in the water or suds by hand, and the reverse
motion corresponding to the rubbing by hand, and driving the water or suds out-
wards through the linen.
It will be understood that these pumping holes or water openings under the
overlaps are in addition to the holes through the "woodendway" plugs.
As a further improvement I also propose to construct or build up the inner
compartments of a series of moulded metal plates, and to secure the same by rivets,
bolts, or set screws to two metal ends.
A further improvement consists of an improved arrangement for carrying the
linen through and away from the wringing rollers attached to such washing
machines and also for conveying the soap suds or water back in to the washing
compartiment.
In the first place I fix a shallow trough immediately under the rollers and above
this in front of the bottom roller I secure a partial cover, which is set to such a
distance from the front surface of the lower roller that the whole of the fingers of
the hand can be inserted under the bottom roller.
Under this shelf or cover I make two or more openings so placed as to convey
the water or suds back into the washing compartment.

page_text: Upon the back of this shallow trough (that is, beyond the rollers) I propose to
fix a loose roller made of wood or other suitable material. This roller is simply
dropped into open bearings and I propose to mount the same at a precise distance
from the bottom wringing roller, and not in contact therewith, so that when the
linen is being passed through the wringing rollers it will come into contact with
the loose roller, and the mere push of the linen will cause it to be carried on to
and over the loose roller.
Dated this 15th day of September 1890.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4. St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
I THOMAS BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford in the County of
Lancaster Engineer, 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 :-
These improvements relate to a further development of the invention for which
Letters Patent No. 3618 dated 10th March 1887 were granted to me for an improved
machine for washing boiling and rinsing cloths or other linen which I call the
"Woodendway" washing machine.
In this machine I use wooden plugs (endwise of the grain) inserted in brass
bushes but I then proposed only to use such plugs in washing machines having
one washing compartment which compariment required to be watertight.
"
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto
a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the same with figs. and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
According to my present improvements I propose to apply these "woodendway'
plugs to washing machines having two compartments that is to say an inner
revolving compartment (not watertight) for the linen to be placed in, and an outer
fixed watertight compartment or casing containing the water or soap suds which
also pass into and around the inner or washing compartment as shown by the
partial sectional view at Fig. 1.
For this purpose I propose to fix in the inner compartment a, hollow "woodend-
way" plugs that is each having a hole bored through the centre at *for the
admission and emission of the soap suds or water during the washing or rinsing
processes.
A further improvement which I propose to make in this class of washing
machines relates to the construction of the inner or clothes compartment and con-
sists in making one edge of each of the six, eight, or other number of sides as the
case may be, to overlap the adjacent edge of the next side as seen at a¹ so as to
form a series of angular buckets on the outside of the same, by which means during
the rotation of the compartment in the direction shown by the arrow the water
contained in the outer compartment e enters these angular buckets which force the
same (by the pressure due to the speed of rotation) into the inner compartment
containing the linen, through a series of openings a² which are made in the buckets
under the overlap of the edges.
And just as the action of these buckets will fill the inner compartment a during
its forward rotation, so in like manner the holes a² will empty the inner compart-
ment a of soap suds or water when the motion is reversed, which alternate move-
ment will exercise a beneficial and desirable cleansing effect, the forward motion
being equivalent to the dipping of the linen in the water or suds by hand, and the
reverse motion corresponding to the rubbing by hand and driving the water or suds
outwards through the linen. It will be understood that these pumping holes or

page_text: water openings a² under the overlaps a¹ are (or may be) in addition to the holes *
through the "woodendway" plugs b.
As a further improvement I also propose to construct or build up the inner
compartments a of a series of moulded metal plates, and to secure the same by
rivets a' bolts, or set screws to two metal ends a*.
A further improvement consists of an improved arrangement for carrying the
linen through and away from the wringing rollers attached to such washing
machines, and also for conveying the soap suds or water back into the washing
compartment. This arrangement is shewn on the detached section Fig. 2.
In the first place I fix a shallow trough immediately under the rollers and h,
and above this in front of the bottom roller I secure a partial cover which is
set to such a distance from the front surface of the lower roller h that the whole of
the fingers of the hand can be inserted under the bottom roller h.
Under this shelf or cover I make two or more openings or a central slot f² so
placed as to convey the water or suds back into the washing compartment..
Upon the back of this shallow trough f (that is, behind the rollers g and h) I
propose to fix a loose roller k made of wood or other suitable material.
This roller is simply dropped into open bearings and I propose to mount the
same at a precise distance from the bottom wringing roller (and not in contact
therewith,) so that when the linen is being passed through the wringing rollers g
and h it will come into contact with the loose roller k, and the mere push of the
linen will cause it to be carried on to and over the loose roller.
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 :-
-
First. In a washing machine the combination with an outer fixed water tight
compartment of an inner revolving compartment provided with plugs of wood
endways of the grain and bored through to admit water substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Secondly. In a washing machine the combination with an outer fixed water
tight compartment of an inner revolving polygonal compartment one edge or side
overlapping the adjacent edge of the next side to form buckets perforated at the
point of overlapping so as to admit water substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Thirdly. The building up of the above inner compartments of moulded metal
plates rivetted or otherwise secured to two metal ends.
Fourthly. The arrangement (hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 2
of the drawings) for carrying the linen through and away from the wringing
apparatus and for conveying the water back to the washing compartment.
Dated this 15th day of June 1891.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.