IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."--A com-
munication from abroad by Hamilton Erastus Smith, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 8th June 1869, and dated the 31st December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st December 1868.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new washing machine in which the articles
to be washed are thoroughly stirred or kept in motion in hot water or
steam, without requiring the use of friction so as to preserve the articles
to be washed in good order and condition.

page_text: The Invention also relates to new means for imparting motion to the
apparatus.
The Invention consists chiefly in the use of a perforated hollow
cylinder in which is formed a cage consisting of horizontal rods or bars
placed inside. A door is formed in the perforated cylinder and cage so
that the articles to be washed may be placed in the cage which with the
whole cylinder is mounted in a suds box. An oscillating motion is
imparted to the cylinder, so that the articles are constantly moved or
stirred about in the cage and exposed to the action of the hot water and
steam. The oscillating motion is imparted to the perforated cylinder by
means of two belts from a suitable driving shaft, one of which is crossed
and the other straight, and are arranged so as to throw these belts into
and out of gear alternately, in order that the motion of the cylinder
may be suddenly reversed. The cylinder may however also be turned
by hand alone, in which case it is provided with a crank and handle for
turning.
The Invention finally consists in operating the cylinder by combined
muscular and mechanical power. In this arrangement the ends of the
cylinder axle are connected with coiled springs that act in reverse
directions. On the outside of the suds box is mounted a toothed sector
having a lever handle attached to it. This sector gears into a pinion
mounted on the axle of the cylinder, and by depressing and raising
the lever causes the sector to turn the pinion backwards and forwards
and thus impart an oscillating motion to the cylinder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton, in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton, Her

page_text: special licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Edward Newton, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," being a communication
to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Edward Newton, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):-
This Invention relates to a new washing machine in which the
articles to be washed are thoroughly stirred or kept in motion in hot
water or steam, without requiring the use of friction so as to preserve
the articles to be washed in good order and condition.
The Invention also relates to new micans for imparting motion to the
apparatus.
The Invention consists chiefly in the use of a perforated hollow
cylinder, inside which is formed a cage consisting of horizontal rods or
bars. A door is formed in the perforated cylinder and cage, so that the
articles to be washed may be placed in the cage, which with the whole
cylinder is mounted in a suds box. An oscillating motion is imparted
to the cylinder so that the articles are constantly moved or stirred about.
in the cage and exposed to the action of the hot water and steam. As
there is no friction applied in this machine articles of the finest
description of materials, such as lace and curtains, may be washed
without the least injury thereto, and the machine itself being of very

page_text: simple construction cannot readily get out of order, and will not there-
fore require much repair. The oscillating motion is imparted to the
perforated cylinder by means of two belts from a suitable driving shaft.
One of these belts is crossed and the other straight and they are arranged
so as to be brought into and out of action alternately in order that the
motion of the cylinder may be suddenly reversed. The cylinder may
however also be turned by hand alone in which case it is provided
with a crank and handle for turning.
The Invention finally consists in operating the cylinder by combined
muscular and mechanical power. In this arrangement the ends of the
cylinder axle are connected with coiled springs that act in reverse
directions. On the outside of the suds box is mounted a toothed sector
having a lever handle attached to it. This sector gears into a pinion
mounted on the axle of the cylinder and by depressing and raising
the lever causes the sector to turn the pinion backwards and forwards
and thus impart an oscillating motion to the cylinder, the return motion
being assisted each time by the coiled springs.
I will now proceed to describe the machine and the apparatns for
setting it in motion as communicated to me, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings in which Fig. 1 a front elevation partly in
section of the improved washing machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse
section of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine shewing
the means or apparatus for driving the same; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal
section on an enlarged scale of the driving pullies; Fig. 5 is an end
elevation of the machine showing the coiled springs and toothed sector
and pinion and lever arm, for combined mechanical and muscular
power; Fig. 6 is a front elevation partly in section of the same. Similar
letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is the box or reservoir for containing the water or suds, and B
the cover of the same hinged at a to the reservoir A, and secured at the
opposite side by means of a staple and catch or other suitable fastening.
The lower portion of the reservoir is in the present instance of semi-
cylindrical form as seen at Fig. 2, the whole being supported on
suitable legs, but the box may however be of any other suitable form.
D is a hollow perforated cylinder supported in journals d, d, having
their bearings in the ends of the box or reservoir A. To one of the
journals of the perforated cylinder is secured a crank handle C
(Fig 1.) so that the cylinder may be turned by hand, or a piuion e may

page_text: be mounted upon the journal gearing into a toothed wheel f (Fig. 3),
the axle of said wheel f receiving motion either directly by hand or
by mechanical power as may be desired. A portion of the cylinder D
is cut away for the reception of the lid E also perforated, which when
closed forms a continuation of the said cylinder. This lid is hinged to
the cylinder at one edge, and is secured to the other by any suitable
fastenings. Within the cylinder and extending from end to end of the
same are arranged four or more or less rows of rods g so as to form a
square or polygonal cage as seen in Fig. 2. One of the rows of rods
is secured to the lid, so that on opening the latter access may be
obtained to the interior of the cage. Water or suds having been poured
into the box A, the lid E is opened, and the clothes to be washed are
thrown into the cage, after which the lid E of the cage, and the cover B
of the suds box A are closed and secured. As the cylinder D revolves
the clothes are rolled over and over, so that all portions are exposed to
the action of the agitated water, at the same time the pressure of the
clothes against the rods g, g, of the cage causes the water contained
within the folds to be forced through the interstices of the fabric thus
driving therefrom the accumulated dirt.
Revolving perforated cylinders or vessels have been before used for
washing purposes with very good results but practical tests however
have proved that the good effect is greatly increased by arranging a cage
within the cylinder as the clothes never come in contact with the latter
but are confined within the limits of the cage.
Wringing rollers F, F, may be attached to one side of the machine
as shown in the Drawing, and motion may be imparted to the said rollers
either by means of a crank handle (Fig. 1) or by a belt i, (Fig. 3).
To one of the journals d of the perforated vessel D is fixed a cog
wheel e which gears into a pinion f mounted on a shaft R turning in
bearings at one end in the box A and at the opposite end in a frame G
secured to the box by suitable cross bars or braces. On this shaft R
are mounted three pullies H, I, and K; the middle pulley I being fast
and the other pulleys loose. Two belts L and M, the former straight and
the latter crossed pass round the pullies on the shaft R and round a broad
pulley N on the driving shaft O. This shaft is shown in the present
instance as turning in standards P, P, secured to the box, but it may
just as well turn in hangers or brackets secured to the
roof or wall of
the building in which the machine is situated. Underneath the pullies.

page_text: on the shaft R and fixed between the frame G and the box A is a cross
bar on which is hung a lever m having two curved arms n and a, the
upper end of the arm n being formed into a guide for the cross belt M,
and the upper end of the arm o into a similar guide for the straight
belt L, (see Fig. 3). The short lower arm of the lever m projects into an
irregular groove formed in the edge of a cam wheel p. This cam
wheel p is mounted on a shaft Q, which has its bearings in the frame G.
This shaft is furnished at its outer end with a cog wheel q which gears
into a pinion r on a short shaft, that projects through and turns in a
bearing in the frame G; on this short shaft and inside the frame G is
mounted a pulley 8, round which as well as round a smaller pulley t
attached to or forming a part of the pulley K a cord or band u passes.
The action of the machine is as follows:-Upon motion being com-
municated from the driving shaft O to the main shaft R of the apparatus
a slow rotary motion is imparted through the pullies and s, cord u,
and cog wheels r and q to the cam wheel p, the groove of which is of
such a form that at one point in its revolution the lower arm of the
lever m will be suddenly shifted, thereby causing the guide arms n and o
to move the belts to the fast and loose pullies, or vice versa, whereby
the motion of the perforated vessel D will be reversed. The width of the
pulley K is such in relation to the width of the strap M that the strap M
never leaves the pulley K. By this means it will be seen that in what-
ever direction the vessel D may revolve the cam wheel p never changes its
course, but continues to revolve in the same direction. The importance
of sudden and repeated reversals of the motion of the perforated vessel D
will be readily understood when it is borne in mind that at every
reversal the clothes are suddenly turned over, and the position of the
entire mass changed. Instead of mounting the pulleys H, I, and K
on the shaft R, they may be mounted direct on the journal d, their
connections with the main shaft O and regulating shaft Q remaining the
same.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate another device for operating the cylinder D.
The journals d, d, are respectively connected with the ends of coiled
springs v and wo, the action of these springs tending to revolve the
cylinder in opposite directions, so that one is wound up while the other
is being unwound. The pinion e on the journal d gears into a toothed
sector x pivotted to the end of the suds box A. An operating lever S is
attached to the pivot or centre of motion of the sector; and when this

page_text: lever is depressed in one direction it winds up one spring v, while the
other spring to aids it in its motion. The radius of the toothed sector is
sufficient to cause the pinion e and cylinder D to make about onc
revolution during one oscillation of the lever S. The revolution in the
reverse direction of the cylinder D will be assisted by the uncoiling of
the now contracted volute spring w. By this means it will be seen
that the springs will remove in a great measure the strain on the
person operating the lever especially at the commencement of every new
revolution.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Arranging a cage for the reception of the articles to be washed
within an oscillating or revolving perforated cylinder, as and for the
purposes described.
Second. The methods herein described for imparting an alternate
rotary motion in contrary directions to the perforated cylinder.
Third. The method herein described for imparting an oscillating
motion to the perforated cylinder.
Fourth. The manner herein described for arranging the belt M or its
equivalent that it will impart continuous rotary motion to the cam
wheel p.
And, lastly. The application of the reversed volute springs to the
journals of the cylinder D, for the purpose as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)