AN IMPROVED CLOTHES ŴRINGER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Whiteside, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CLOTHES ŴRINGER."
--
A communication from abroad by C. M. Howlett, of Auburn, in
the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 15th January 1875, and dated the 1st August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Whitöside at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st August 1874.
I, PETER WHITESIDE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CLOTHES WRINGER," (a communication) to be as follows :—.
This Invention consists of a framework made with adjustable clamps
to screw on to the side of a wash tub, or otherwise, as is understood.
The framework carries a combination of two horizontal rollers, which
are covered or surfaced with india-rubber, and have a suitable connecting
mechanism, being geared wheels. A countershaft passes under the

page_text: rollers, and has a fixed journal at one side of the frame and a sliding
journal at the other side of the frame. The combination of the
rollers are arranged with gearing and sliding boxes and journals, so
as to allow one or both ends of the rollers to be separated without
changing the relativo position of the gearing. The combination of the
gearing wheels is so arranged that they always movo together, and
are consequently always in gear while they move up and down with
the upper or yielding roller. The under roller has a looso pinion, which
may be the head of a turning handle for operating the machine. This
pinion gears into a wheel on the top roller and also to a wheel on the
countershaft. The countershaft has also a whcel which gears into a
wheel on the under roller and on the other side of the frame.
Motion is given to the machine by a crank handle which actuates the
loose pinion on the lower roller. Pressure is provided by a spring which
presses on to the sliding journal boxes of the rollers. The top of the
machine is arranged with a set screw for adjusting the spring.
The chief features of novelty of this Invention are the surfacing of
the rollers with india-rubber, and also the arrangement of the gearing
so as to allow of separation of the rollers without throwing the wheels
out of gear. The wheels and metal parts of the machine are by pre-
ference galvanised to prevent staining or iron moulding during action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Whiteside in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th January 1875...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
WHITESIDE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter Whiteside, Her special
licence that I, the said Peter Whiteside, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Whiteside, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 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 Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CLOTHES WRINGEB," a communication to me from abroad by O. M.
Howlett, of Auburn, in the State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter
Whiteside, my exccutors 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 Peter Whiteside, 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 :-
:-
This Invention consists of a framework made with adjustable clamps
to screw on to the side of a wash tub. The framework carries a combi-
nation of two horizontal rollers, which are covered or surfaced with
india-rubber, and have a suitable connecting mechanism, being geared
wheels. A countershaft passes under the rollers, and has a fixed journal
at one side of the frame and a sliding journal at the other side of the
frame. The combination of the rollers are arranged with gearing and
sliding boxes and journals, so as to allow one or both ends of the
rollers to be separated without changing the relative position of the
gearing. The combination of the gearing wheels is so arranged that
they always move together, and are consequently always in gear while
they move up and down with the upper or yielding roller. About the
same contre as the under roller there is a loose pinion working on a pin,
which pinion may be the head of the turning handle for operating the
machine. This pinion gears into a wheel on the top roller and also to
a wheel on the countershaft. The countershaft has also a wheel which
gears into a wheel on the under roller and on the other side of the
frame.

page_text: presses on to the sliding journal boxes of the rollers. The top of tho
machine is arranged with a set screw for adjusting the spring..
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of this In-
vention, I will now proceed to describe moro in detail how the same may
be carried into practical effect, and I do hereby declare the following to
be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawing making a part of this Specification, in
which Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the clothes
wringer; Figure 2, a section through A, B, Figure 1; Figure 3, a section
through C, D, Figure 1; Figure 4, end view of gear wheels. Similar
lotters of reference, where they occur in the several separato figures,
denote like parts in the Drawing.
This Invention consists first in tho arrangement of the driving gear,
by which the rollers are turned while they yield to allow the material to
pass through between them, also in operating the upper roller from the
crank end in order to obtain a greater. purchase, and in the combination
and arrangement of parts as herein-after more fully described and pointed:
out by the claims.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use this Invention, I
will proceed to describe the same with reference to the Drawing.
A, A, represent the side picces or framework of the wringer, made
with adjustable clamps A, A, to screw on to the side of a washi tub.
The sido pieces A, A, are slotted down to receive the journals of the
rollers and their supports, as also to receive a box or frame B, to whicli
tho-journals-a, b, c, of the gear wheels d, e, f, are so connected or
attached that they cannot get out of gear however much the upper
roller may rise from the under one. The rollers, of which C is the upper.
and D the under one, are covered with india-rubber. The journal 6 of
of the upper roller passes through the box B, and has fastened upon it
outside of the said box the gear wheel e. The journal i of the under
roller D is not connected with the box B, but is supported and turns
upon a bearing g, which is on, or a part of, frame A. The journal a,
upon which thò pinion d is hung and turns, is cast or wrought on to the
box B; and the journal c, on which the wheel is keyed, is a pro-
longation of a countershaft E, which extends clear across the wringer,
and has upon its opposite end from the wheel fa wheel, which gears
with the wheel j keyed upon the journal of the under roller D, and

page_text: thus gives the said under roller its revolving motion. The crank
handle F for cheapness and economy is cast upon, and as a part of, the
pinion a, and both the pinion and crank handle turn on the journal a
cast upon or otherwise fastened to the box B, and about the same centro
as the under roller D. By uniting the journals a, b, c, to the box B,
their wheels d, e, f, cannot of course ever get out of gear, but as the
under roller D has no connexion with this box B, the said box and the
upper roller can leave the under roller, and allow sufficient space for any
practical thickness of clothes to pass through.
By driving the upper roller C from the crank end, a pinion d of
reduced size can be used, thus gaining purchase and requiring less power
to operate the machine. The under roller is turned through the gear f,
countershaft E, and wheels h, j, so that its motion is not stopped when
the train of wheels d, e, f, rise up without raising the said under
roller.
The advantage of this mode of gearing is, first, that the india-rubber
surfacing of the rollers does not get torn or twisted off; second, the gear
wheels cannot separate; and, third, the great amount of space allowed
between the rollers for the passage of the clothes.
Having thus described this Invention, as communicated to me by
my correspondent C. M. Howlett, what I claim as new and secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,—
Firstly. The combination of two rollers and suitable connecting
mechanism with a countershaft, having a fixed journal at one side of the
frame and a sliding journal at the other.
Secondly. The combination of the rollers C and D, arranged with
gearing and sliding boxes and journals to allow one or both ends of the
rollers to be separated without changing the relative position of the
gearing.
Thirdly. The combination of the train of geared wheels d, e, f, with
the box B, so that they shall always move together, and consequently
be always in gear with each other while they move up and down
with the upper or yielding one of the pair of rollers, substantially as
described.
Fourthly. In combination with the train of gear wheels and the
under roller detached from the box B, the countershaft E and gear
wheels h, j, for driving the said under roller, substantially as described.

page_text: Fifthly. The upper roller C driven from the crank end by a pinion of
smaller size than the wheel upon the shaft of the roller C, and the
lower roller D driven from the opposite end by suitable connecting
mechanism to obtain the required purchase, substantially as and for the.
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Whiteside, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.