Improvements in or relating to Washing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Washing Machines.
I, JOHN GAMGEE of 6 Lingfield Road Wimbledon in the County of Surrey
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Washing machines described in the Specification of my Patent No. 5330 of 1888,
that is to say comprising an outer vessel or "copper" and an inner vessel or liner,
the inner vessel or liner being open at bottom and having a number of holes around
its upper part for the passage of streams of circulating liquid, have hitherto been
heated by means of a fire or furnace. There has been no practical means of
regulating the heat, and the result is that according to the state of the fire the
washing machine sometimes works violently when the attendant wishes it to work
moderately and at other times slowly when the attendant wishes it to work at a
greater pressure. In a laundry where a number of machines are employed cach
machine has had its separate fire or furnace with a consequent extravagant
expenditure of fuel, multiplicity of sources of coal dust and dirt, and much manual
labor for feeding the fires. Further, for washing machines such as those referred
to the use of distilled water for washing the clothes is of great advantage, and
in some laundries this water has been obtained by special apparatus and at
considerable expense.
Now according to my present invention I dispense entirely with fire places or
furnaces for heating the coppers or outer vessels of the washing machines, and I
heat these machines by means of steam jackets, and I further collect the water
resulting from the condensation of the steam in the jackets, whereby obtain a
supply of distilled water to use in the machines. Thus the machines as it were
themselves produce the distilled water for their own use without additional
expense.
For the purpose of my invention I employ an outer vessel or copper fitted with
an inner vessel or liner having holes around its upper part so that the soap-water
or lye may continually rise between the two vessels and flow in continuous streams
through the said holes as described in my said former Specification, and I provide
the outer vessel or copper with a steam jacket. The steam from a boiler enters
the jacket by a pipe which may be connected to the jacket at any suitable part,
while to the lower part is connected a pipe in which the distilled water due to the
condensation of the steam in the jacket is received. This pipe terminates in a
chamber fitted with a float valve which, as the level of the distilled water rises in
the chamber, opens to allow this water to escape by an outlet pipe. No matter
what may be the steam pressure in the jacket the float valve will not be affected
thereby the steam is in short trapped, and cannot force the valve open.
;
A pressure say as low as five pounds will suffice to maintain the liquid in the
machine in energetic circulation when once raised to the requisite temperature.
There is a pipe fitted with a cock for emptying the vessel or copper when
required.
Any convenient number of machines can be heated by steam from the same
boiler, and the distilled water due to the condensation of the steam in the jackets
of all the machines can be conducted to one common reservoir from which it will
be drawn for use as required.
Dated this 6th day of 1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Washing Machines.
I JOHN GAMGEE of 6 Lingfield Road Wimbledon in the County of Surrey
Gentleman 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 :-
Washing machines of the kind described in my Specification No. 5330 of 1888
that is to say comprising an outer vessel or "copper" and an inner vessel or liner,
the inner vessel or liner being open at bottom and having a number of holes around
its upper part for the passage of streams of circulating liquid, have hitherto been
heated by means of a fire or furnace. There has been no practical means of
regulating the heat, and the result is that according to the state of the fire the
washing machine sometimes works violently when the attendant wishes it to work
moderately and at other times slowly when the attendant wishes it to work at a
greater pressure. In a laundry where a number of machines are employed each
machine has had its separate fire or furnace with a consequent extravagant
expenditure of fuel, multiplicity of sources of coal dust and dirt and much manual
labor for feeding the fires. Further, for washing machines such as those referred
to the use of distilled water for washing the clothes is of great advantage, and
in some laundries this water has been obtained by special apparatus and at
considerable expense.
Now according to my present invention I dispense entirely with fire places or
furnaces for heating the coppers or outer vessels of the washing machines and 1
heat these machines by means of steam jackets, and I further collect the water
resulting from the condensation of the steam in the jackets whereby I obtain a
supply of distilled water to use in the machines. Thus the machines as it were
themselves produce the distilled water for their own use without additional
expense.
For the purpose of my invention I employ an outer vessel or copper a (see the
annexed drawing) fitted with an inner vessel or liner having holes cc around its
upper part so that the soap-water or lye may continually rise between the two
vessels a and b and flow in continuous streams through the said holes as described
in my said former Specification, and I provide the outer vessel or copper
with
steam jacket d. The steam from a boiler enters the jacket by the pipe e which
may be connected to the jacket dat any suitable part while to the lower part is
connected a pipe in which the distilled water due to the condensation of the steam
in the jacket is received. This pipe terminates in a chamber y fitted with a
float valve which, as the level of the distilled water rises in the chamber, g, opens
to allow this water to escape by the outlet pipe No matter what may be the
steam pressure in the jacket d the float valve / will not be affected thereby; the
steam is in short trapped and cannot force the valve open.
A pressure say as low as five pounds will suffice to maintain the liquid in the
machine in energetic circulation when once raised to the requisite temperature.
kis a pipe fitted with a cock (not shown) for emptying the vessel or copper a
when required.
Any convenient number of machines can be heated by steam from the same
boiler, and the distilled water due to the condensation of the steam in the jackets
of all the machines can be conducted to one common reservoir from which it will
be drawn for use as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In washing machines the combination with an outer vessel or copper (a) and

page_text: an inner vessel or liner (6) such as described in my former Specification, of a steam
jacket (d) and a condensed or distilled water pipe () leading to a chamber (9)
fitted with a float valve (h) whereby the condensation of the steam which has been
utilized for heating the washing machines produces distilled water for employment
in such machines, substantially as set forth."
2. The improved washing machine herein before described and represented in the
annexed drawing.
Dated this 6th day of August 1901
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.