CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING RAGS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Holdin, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Paper Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING RAGS, WHICH SAID
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 5th December 1856, and dated the 9th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Holdin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th June
1856.
I, JAMES HOLDIN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Paper
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING RAGS,
WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING OTHER MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment or use of a novel construction and
arrangement of apparatus constituting a revolving rag washing machine, and is
principally designed for washing cotton or linen rags, or waste, to be subse-
quently used in the manufacture of paper, but is also equally applicable to
washing other materials.

page_text: The revolving rag washing machine is furnished on its periphery (or at its
sides with shallow "buckets," in a similar manner to an overshot water wheel,
which buckets have their sole perforated, so that as the washing machine
revolves in a reservoir of water, the buckets upon the periphery of the machine
take up the clean water, and as each bucket ascends to the uppermost part of
the machine, the water percolates or rains through the rags, &c. under opera-
tion in the interior of the revolving machine, being thus distributed, as it were,
in a continuous shower through the rags, &c. The revolving machine is sup-
plied with a series of agitators extending across from one side to the other, and
so arranged in number and position that they may most effectually beat up or
agitate the rags, and thus keep them in continual motion during the process
of washing. The washing wheel may be driven by suitable gearing, and
revolve in a framework attached, such framework being provided with a large
circle or rim of internal spur teeth, which will drive all the agitators or beaters
through the medium of pinions or carrier wheels placed on the extremity of
their shafts, and also in gear with such internal toothed rim. The machine
is also provided with an entrance and exit pipe, for the passage of the main of
water before and after use, the necessary reservoirs below, and overflow pipe,
and also a discharge pipe at the bottom for the exit of the rags, &c. when
sufficiently washed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Holdin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HOLDEN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Paper Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Пer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Iler reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho said
James Holdin, Her especial license that I, the said James Holden, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Holden, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING RAGS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR WASHING OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said James Holdin, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho
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 James Holdin, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, tọ
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the employment or use of a novel construction and
arrangement of apparatus constituting a revolving rag washing machine, and is
principally designed for washing cotton or linen rags, or waste, to be subse;
quently used in the manufacture of paper, but is also equally applicable for
washing other materials.
The revolving rag washing machine is furnished on its periphery (or at its
sides) with shallow "buckets" in a similar manner to an overshot water
wheel, which buckets have their sole perforated, so that as the washing
machine revolves in a reservoir of water, the buckets upon the periphery of
the machine take up the clean water, and as each bucket ascends to the upper-
most part of the machine, the water percolates or rains through the rags, &c.
under operation in the interior of the revolving machine, being this distri-
buted, as it were, in a continuous shower through the rags, &c. The revolving
machine is supplied with a series of agitators extending across from one side
to the other, and so arranged in numbers and positions that they most effec-
tually beat up or agitate the rags, and thus keep them in continual motion
during the process of washing. The washing wheel may be driven by suitable
gearing, and revolve in a framework attached, such framework being provided
with a large circle or rim of internal spur teeth wheel, which will drive all
the agitators or beaters through the medium of pinions or carrier wheels
placed on the extremity of their shafts, and also in gear with such internal
toothed rim. The machine is also provided with an entrance and exit pipe for
the passage of the main of water before and after use, the necessary reservoirs
below, and overflow pipe, and also a discharge pipe at the bottom for the exit
of the rags, &c. when sufficiently washed.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of

page_text: about three quarters of an inch to a foot, and having similar letters of reference
marked upon corresponding parts of the machinery or apparatus throughout
all the figures illustrated.
Fig. 1 is an elevation or front view of the machine, shewing the situa-
tion thereof with regard to the ground line A, A, together with the arrange-
ment of the agitators, and the method of driving the same by means of the
spur gearing, and also tho application of the worn and worm wheel for
driving the revolving wash wheel by hand, used when filling the compartments
with rags, &c. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, shewing the
method of driving by power, and also the situations and positions of the beaters
or agitators. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, exhibiting more clearly the
divisions or compartments into which the wheel is divided by the curved
internal plates. This Figure also shews the reservoir for the reception of clean
water, and position of the trough used to carry away the dirty water when
received from the buckets after having washed the rags in the compartments,
and also the exit pipe situated at the lower end of the wheel for the discharge
of the cleansed rags, &c. In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing of the machine, by
which is supported the internal toothed rim b; the cylinder c is divided in-
ternally by means of suitably curved plates & into any number of compart-
ments d' for the reception of the rags, &c.; and after its exterior surface it is
furnished with "buckets" e, e, in a similar manner to an overshot water
wheel. These "buckets" have their "soles" f perforated, so as to allow the
water to rain or percolate through them on to the goods inside. 9 is the main
or driving shaft upon which the cylinder revolves. Upon this shaft is fixed the
driving wheel h, by which the cylinder is caused to revolve, the pinions i, i, i, i,
which are fixed at the end of each shaft, furnished with the agitators
k, k, k, k, aro caused to rotate and drive such agitators by means of the action
of the revolving cylinder c. The worm and worm wheel are used to turn
the cylinder by hand, in order to fill the different compartments with rags, &c.,
and are so arranged as to be easily thrown out of gear when the cylinder
is full, and steam power is applied for driving. The reservoir m is supplied
with clean water, which is taken up by the "buckets" as they rotate, and
rained upon the goods. n is the trough or guide for carrying away the unclean
water after it has returned from the internal chambers. The larger apertures
o, o, are for the purpose of filling the compartments with rags, &c., which
operation is performed when the aperture is about level with the central shaft,
as shewn in Fig. 3. The smaller apertures p, p, are the openings or entrances
for the water into the buckets when taken in, and by which it is discharged
into the waste trough when used. The pipe q, q, through which the goods

page_text: are discharged is opened or closed at will by a sliding plate ; actuated by: a
rack and pinion, as shewn in Fig. 3, or by any suitable: contrivance.
The practical operation of the apparatus will be more readily understood
upon reference to the Drawings, together with the following working. descrip-
tion thereof....
One of the large openings o, o, is brought to its proper level by means of
the arrangement of worm and worm wheel, and rags, &c. are then placed in
the compartment to, the required amount. The aperture is then closed, and a
similar operation takes place until all the compartments are filled. Next a
rotatory motion is imparted to the cylinder c, which causes the "buckets" e
successively to enter the reservoir m and fill themselves with clear water. As
the cylinder continues to revolve, the water is showered through the per-
forated sole of the bucket on to the goods, and remains in the compartment
until the cylinder has completed half a revolution, when it returns through the
perforated sole and is discharged into the trough n. The motion of the re-
volving cylinder also causes the beaters or agitators k, k, to rotate, by which
means the rags are kept constantly in motion, so as to allow the water to cleanse
them thoroughly. When the rags, &c. have been sufficiently washed, the
supply of water to the reservoir is stopped, and the openings of the compart-
ments brought immediately above the pipe q. The plate r is then removed,
the goods are discharged through the pipe, and so on until all the compartments
are empty.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the method of carrying the same into practice, I would remark, in con-
clusion, that I claim,-
First, the novel application and use of the buckets e, e, upon the periphery
of the cylinder c, for taking up the clean water, and having their "soles" f
perforated or gridded to allow the water so taken up to percolate or rain
through such perforations on to the goods contained in the chambers d', or
the water may be introduced through a hollow shaft, or some other part of
the periphery of the wheel, without departing from the principles of my
Invention.
Secondly, the employment of agitators, with suitable means provided for
driving them.
Thirdly, the use of a driving apparatus, independent of the main driving
power, for turning the cylinder to a proper position for "feeding and dis-
charging.
And, lastly, I claim the general arrangement and combination of machinery
or apparatus for effecting the above-named purpose, as herein-before par-

page_text: ticularly described and set forth, and fully exhibited in the accompanying
Drawings, or any other modification or slight variation of the different parts
thereof as shall have substantially a similar effect as those herein-before
mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Holden, have hereunto set my 5
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JAMES HOLDIN. (L.S.)