CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS UPON A MACHINE FOR WASHING LINEN CLOTHS, COTTON CLOTHS, OR WOOLLEN CLOTHS, WHETHER IN THE SHAPE OF PIECE GOODS OR OF ANY ARTICLE MADE UP OF LINEN CLOTH, COTTON CLOTH OR WOOLLEN CLOTH
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WARCUP, of Dartford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of December now last past, did, for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Warcup, His
especial licence that I, the said William Warcup, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Warcup, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS UPON A MACHINE FOR WASHING LINEN CLOTHS, COTTON
CLOTHS, OR WOOLLEN CLOTHS, WHETHER IN THE SHAPE OF PIECE GOODS OR OF ANY
ARTICLE MADE UP OF LINEN CLOTH, COTTON CLOTH, OR WOOLLEN CLOTH;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William
Warcup, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His

page_text: said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Warcup, do describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention
by the following Specification thereof, reference at the same time being had to
the annexed Drawings, that is to say:-
Fig. 1 is a lateral section of the washing machine and an end view of the
machine supposing one of its ends to be taken away. Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section of the same, and also shewing the section of a cistern C, for supplying
the machine with water. Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a
plan of the machine as seen from above. I will here premise, that in the whole
of the Drawings or Figures on the annexed Sheet, the same letters or figures of
reference denote the same things, and that in the first place I shall give a
general description of the washing machine, and the manner of using it, and
in the last place more particularly explain the several improvements in which
my Invention consists.
In the first place, then, in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, 1, 1, 1, &c.,
shews the wooden frame for supporting the machine, and 2, 2, 2, &c., shews
the sides, ends and bottom of the cistern or trough into which the cloths are put
to be washed, or in which the washing operation is performed, as in the
common washing machine. B, b, represents a wooden frame, the construc-
tion of which is sufficiently apparent in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6. This frame
(which I shall herein-after call the presser) is suspended by and made to swing
backwards and forwards upon two pivots, one at each end of the machine, as
seen at 3, 3, &c. When in the act of swinging, the lower edge piece 6 of the
presser describes a portion or arc of a circle between 4 and 4, as seen in Figs. 1
and 6, and accordingly so much of the bottom of the trough is made to corre-
spond therewith in such a manner that the whole internal surface of this part of
the bottom of the trough may be brought as nearly as possible to correspond
with the cylindrical or curved surface described by the lower edge of the piece
b of the presser, so as not to touch it. In Fig. 1, G, G, represents the section
of two solid planks of wood, placed in the oblique position there shewn, and
which extend from one end of the machine to the other. These planks I shall
call tables. In Fig. 1 they are shewn in the position required when the
machine is at work, but for greater convenience in putting into and taking out
of the machine the articles to be washed, the said tables are made to turn
back out of the way, and are therefore hung or supported at the lower. edge of
each, or rather at the lower angles or corners of each, upon the points of screws

page_text: or pins passing through each end of the trough, as seen at J, J, &c., in Figs.
1, 2, and 3. When the machine is at work the said tables are held in the
position as shewn in the Drawing by the blocks K, K, &c., as in Figs. 1 and
4, the said blocks being removable at pleasure. In Figs. 1 and 4, L, L, &c.
represent a series of pieces of wood affixed edgewise upon the inner surface of
each of the tables, so as to form alternate projections with spaces or grooves
between them, the more effectually to wash the cloths when the said cloths are
interposed and squeezed or pressed between the faces of the tables and the
presser. That part of the presser below the axis of motion is formed by
inserting a number of rounded bars or staves of wood between the centre piece
and the bottom piece b, as shewn in the Drawing, Figs. 1 and 2. The relative
position of the tables is determined by that of the presser when brought to one
side of the trough, that is, the face of each table should be nearly parallel with
the face of the presser when the said presser is held against one or other of
the tables respectively. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, B, B, &c., are two stems
projecting upwards from the presser, to which are affixed the cross handle or
double-ended levers 5, 5, &c., and the cross bars 6, 6, &c., by which the
presser is put in motion when in the act of washing. In Fig. 2, D is a pipe for
conveying water from the cistern C into a square trunk affixed to the bottom
of the trough, as shewn at E, E, &c., in Figs. 1 and 2, communicating with
the trunk E. Several small holes or perforations are made through the
bottom of the trough, so as to admit the water from the cistern C to flow
through them in sufficient quantity for washing the cloths which may be
undergoing that operation. In Fig. 2 is shewn a cock 7, for regulating the
supply of water, and in the same Figure 8 is another cock, by which the
whole of the water at any time remaining in the trough may be discharged.
In Fig. 1, H, H, shew the situation of a series of holes, which I make about.
three quarters of an inch, less or more, in diameter through each of the tables,
and I make one hole in each of the spaces between the pieces L, L, &c.
These holes are for the purpose of permitting the dirty or stained water which
is forced or expressed from the cloths by the action of the presser against the
tables to flow through them into the side cavities behind the tables. I, I, are
two cocks by which the aforesaid stained or dirty water is allowed to run off to
waste. Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are different views of my improved washing
machine, of such a size as is found convenient for washing piece goods, such as
calico, cotton, &c., and such a one as would require firm and permanent
fixture. It will be evident to every mechanic that such a machine may
easily be constructed so as to be wrought by any other power besides that of
manual labour, such as water, steam, or horses, &c., and that the means requi-

page_text: site to accomplish such a purpose are too common to need further description.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, are different views of my said washing machine, of
such dimensions and of such a construction as to render the said machine
portable and more adapted to domestic use. In these last-mentioned Figures
the machine is represented as somewhat differently constructed; that is to say,
for the sake of simplicity, lightness, and cheapness, I make the tables perma-
nent fixtures, or in other words, I make these parts of the machine to answer
the double purpose of the tables and the sides of the washing trough. In order
to render these machines more portable, the legs P, P, &c., upon which the
machine stands, are so applied as that they can readily be removed or taken
from the trough. The presser and lever can also be easily taken out and
separated; and the whole, namely, the legs, presser, and lever, conveniently tied
together, as shewn in Fig. 9. To each side of the trough, as at 9, 9, 9; &c., in
Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, I affix a bar with blocks 10, 10 (not seen in Fig. 6),
interposed between the said bar and the side of the machine, so that the thick-
ness of the said blocks corresponds to the thickness of the legs P, P, &c.
The said legs are then introduced between the said bars and the sides of the
machine, and are there fastened and held in their proper position by the.
screws 11, 11, &c.
I shall now, in the next place, more particularly describe the nature of my
improvements, that is to say:-They consist principally in the described
method of supplying the machine with water, and of discharging the stained
or dirty water therefrom, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Secondly, the application of the moveable tables, as herein-before described,
and also represented in Fig. 1, 3, and 4.
Thirdly and lastly, the application of the pieces or knuckles L, L, L, &c., to
the tables, as herein-before described and represented in the Figures 1, 4, 5,
and 6.
Although in the foregoing Specification I have named wood as the material
generally used in the construction of my said improvements, yet, as the said
improvements are capable of being made of any other fit and proper material,
I hereby claim the exclusive right to all the privileges granted to me by the
said Letters Patent, notwithstanding any variation in the choice of materials,
which may be varied as circumstances may suggest.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Warcup, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.
WILLIAM WARCUP. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Ninth day of February,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Warcup came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Ninth day of February, in the year above written.