Improvements in and connected with Steam Washing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1893-Accepted, 10th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Steam Washing Machines.
I, JAMES HESELWOOD, of Hanover Lane, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to steam washing machines of the type described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 13,819 dated the 28th day of
October A.D. 1886, and these improvements consist in a new construction and
arrangement of the washing cylinder or steaming box, a modified construction and
arrangement of the measuring cistern and steam and water services, and certain
improvements in details.
The washing cylinder is mounted on trunnions in suitable framing and may be
driven direct or indirectly through a spur wheel mounted upon one trunnion, the
other trunnion being hollow and fitted with a pipe for the admission of the necessary
water and steam. The cylinder instead of being circular, is preferred to have a
cubical or prismatic form, and one of its ends is furnished with a manhole and cover
preferably secured by a bow and screw to facilitate its removal.
In the larger
sizes of the apparatus, the cylinder is divided vertically by a partition the function
of which is to prevent the clothes or fabrics rolling or balling together. This
partition is parallel with the axis of rotation, and the upper part or the whole of it
may be contained in slides so as to enable it to be readily removed. It will be
found advantageous to form ridges or projections upon the partition, and
corresponding projections or corrugations in the walls of the cylinder.
The measuring cistern, the water and steam services, and their accessories are
contained in a box or containing cistern arranged above the washing cylinder.
The measuring cistern may be constructed and operated substantially as described
in my former Specification, but instead of the single counterweight formerly
employed, I may use two such weights one on each side of the cistern. On one of
the weight pulleys I arrange a brake to prevent the too rapid descent of the weight
and of the measuring cistern, and in connection with the same, or with the other
weight pulley and shaft, I may arrange the locking arrangement.
In connection with the locking arrangement, I may employ a spring stop, which
rubs, with an adjustable pressure, upon the edge of the disc and which thus also acts
as a brake.
The washing cylinder is arranged at such a height above the floor that a truck
may be run below it to receive the clothes or fabrics when the cylinder is inverted
after the removal of the cover.
Dated this 5th day of July A D 1892
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Steam Washing Machines.
I, JAMES HESELWOOD of Hanover Lane Leeds in the County of York,
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to steam washing machines of the type described in the
D

page_text: Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 13819 dated the 28th day
of October 1886, and these improvements consist in a new construction and
arrangement of the washing cylinder or steaming box, a modified construction and
arrangement of the measuring cistern and steam and water services, and certain
improvements in details.
will describe my present invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in each of the figures of which the similar parts appearing are denoted by
similar letters.
Figure 1 represents a front view,
Figure 2 an end view, and
Figure 3 a plan of a machine constructed to embody these improvements.
Figures 4 to 12 inclusive are details which will be hereinafter described.
The washing cylinder A is mounted on suitable bearings B, arranged on the
raming C. On one of the trunnions there is fixed a spur wheel D driven by the
pinion D' fixed upon the same shaft with the spur wheel E which gears with
the pinion E fixed upon the first motion shaft which also carries the fast and loose
pulleys . There is also mounted on the first motion shaft a fly wheel F¹ to steady
the driving. The other trunnion is hollow, and is fitted as in steam drying
cylinders and other apparatus of a like nature, with a pipe G for the admission of
water and steam.
The cylinder A, (or as it is hereinafter more properly called the "steaming
box") may be circular in cross section as in my former machine, but I prefer a
cubical or prismatic form. As shewn in the drawings it is rectangular which I find
to be the more convenient form for general use. At one of its ends the steaming
box is provided with a manhole and cover H secured thereon by a bow and
screw H' so that the cover may be readily and quickly adjusted and removed.
The steaming box is more fully illustrated by Figures 4, 5, and 6, which are
drawn to an enlarged scale and of which Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section;
Figure 5 a vertical cross section; and Figure 6 a horizontal section.
In the
larger sizes of the apparatus, as shewn by these figures, the steaming box is divided
vertically by a wholly or partially removable partition I, the function of which is
to prevent the fabrics rolling or balling together. This partition is in or parallel
with a plane passing through the axis of rotation, and the removable part of it may
be guided in suitable grooves I'. It will be found generally advantageous to form
ridges projections or corrugations J both upon the sides of the partition and upon
the inner faces of the vertical walls of the steaming box.
The measuring cistern K and the water and steam services are arranged in
and upon a box or containing cistern arranged above the steaming box.
In combination with the measuring cistern described in my former Specification,
I employed a single chain or cord suspending the counter-weight, but I now
employ two such chains or cords L L which pass over the pulleys L' L' and are
connected at their inner ends to the cross bars M M fixed upon the top of the
measuring cistern. In other respects the measuring cistern is constructed as before,
and is operated in substantially the same manner. The cistern which receives the_
required quantity of water for each batch of clothes to be washed, is suspended by
the chains or cords so that when empty it is in the position shewn by the full lines
Figures 7 and 8. When the required quantity of water has been admitted, its
weight exceeds that of the counterweight and the cistern consequently descends.
At the bottom of the cistern there is a lifting valve N, which is lifted on the
descent of the cistern by the projection N1 from the bottom of the box O,
whereupon the water rushes out of the cistern into the containing box.
The pulleys L' L' are fixed upon the shaft P which consequently rotates
therewith, and the ends of this shaft are secured respectively to the cocks of the
steam pipe Q and the water pipe R in such a manner that these cocks are opened
and closed by the motion of the shaft. In addition to these automatically controlled
cocks, the steam and water pipes are respectively provided with the additional
cocks Q R by means of which the maximum rate of flow may be regulated by

page_text: hand. When the cistern K is at the bottom of its stroke, the cocks Q and R are
closed, and when at the top they are open. When it is at the top of its stroke
water enters the cistern K and steam passes down through the pipe Q into the
steaming box, both at a rate determined by the amount of opening given to the
cocks or valves Q' R¹. As soon as the regulated amount of water has entered
the cistern it descends as before described and closes the steam and water supply.
The duration of time occupied by the flow of the required amount of water into the
cistern is regulated by and is equal to the time required for steaming the clothes in
the steaming box, and is as already described controlled by the cock R'.
At the bottom of the containing box O there is a plug valve S capable of being
lifted by the chain or cord S' which passes over the guide pulley T and round the
shaft pulley T¹ in such a direction that upon the descent of the cistern K the valve S
is lifted by the motion of the shaft. Hence, as soon as the steam is cut off from the
steaming box the water from the containing box enters the steaming box by the
same pipe and trunnion as that by which the steam before entered. The valve S
is contained in a cavity or recess below the bottom of the box so that water
slowly running from the small cock K' may accumulate and surround the valve at
all times when the steam is turned on, and thus prevent the entry of steam into the
box O.
Instead of the locking device described in my former Specification, I employ the
construction illustrated in Figures 7, 7^, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Figures 11 and 12 are drawn to an enlarged scale and in Figures 7 and 7^ the
brake is omitted for the sake of greater clearness.
A break disc Z is fixed upon the shaft P or may alternately be attached to either
of the pulleys L' L' and over it there is passed the brake strap U fixed at one end
to the stud U' and having connected to it at the other end the screwed rod V and
the adjustable nut V¹. In the periphery of the disc there is a recess W into which
the adjustable spring stop W₁ is capable of engaging when the cistern K is at the
bottom of its stroke. There is also formed upon the periphery of the disc a swell Z
in such a position that it comes into contact with the spring stop when the cistern is
at the top of its stroke as shewn by Figure 7. A handle X is employed for
controlling the brake and locking device. Through this handle two holes are
formed for the passage of the screwed end of the brake strap and of the lower end
of the spring stop, which is similarly provided with an adjustable nut below the
handle.
When the cistern K is at the top of the stroke, the pressure of contact between
the spring stop and the swell Z' (Figure 7) prevents the premature descent of the
cistern, but as soon as the friction resulting from this contact is overcome the
cistern descends and when it reaches the bottom of its stroke, the spring stop enters
the hole W and the apparatus becomes locked so that the empty cistern cannot be
again raised by its counter-weight until the lock is released by means of the
handle X.
The adjustable nut V' on the brake strap rod is regulated at such a distance
below the handle that the handle comes into contact with it immediately the spring
stud leaves the hole W. In the act of settling the apparatus to work again, the
attendant depresses the lever handle X which first comes into contact with the
spring stop nut and releases the spring stop. At the instant of this release the handle
comes into contact with the brake adjustable nut V₁ and thus brings the brake into
action, and prevents the too energetic ascent of the cistern K by the operation of
the counter-weight.
The steaming box is arranged at such a height above the floor that a truck Y
(Figure 1) may be run below it to receive the clothes when the operation of
washing has been completed, when the manhole cover is removed, and the box is
inverted so that the clothes may drop into the truck.
To prevent the rotary motion of the steaming box in a backward direction whilst
it is being charged with a fresh supply of clothes, I may fix upon the trunuion a
ratchet wheel C into which gears a pawl secured upon a piu in the frame C.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a washing machine of the type herein described, a steaming box of cubical
rectangular or prismatic form, mounted on trunnions, provided at one end with a
manhole or cover and arranged at such a height above the floor as to permit a truck
to be run under the box, constructed substantially as set forth and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a washing machine of the type herein described, a rectangular steaming
box having fluted or corrugated inner surfaces and a removable or partly removable
corrugated or fluted partition or partitions constructed and arranged substantially
as set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In a washing machine of the type herein described, the arrangement of the
measuring cistern above the steaming box and the combination therewith of the
steam and water admission regulating devices constructed and operated as set forth
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In a washing machine of the type set forth, a lock release and brake motion
constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of May A.D. 1893.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.