IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS OR RAW MATERIALS, AND FOR FORCING FLUIDS OR MOISTURE FROM THE SAME
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Stockton Firman, of No. 73, Great Suffolk
Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS OR
RAW MATERIALS, AND FOR FORCING FLUIDS OR MOISTURE FROM THE SAME."
-A communication from abroad by James Foster, of the City of
Muscatine, in the State of Iowa, United States of America.
Sealed the 7th November 1862, and dated the 12th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Stockton Firman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th May 1862.
I, HENRY STOCKTON FIRMAN, of No. 73, Great Suffolk Street, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS
OR RAW MATERIALS, AND FOR FORCING FLUIDS OR MOISTURE FROM THE SAME," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an outer casing or box, having a lid made water-
tight, in which is suspended or inclosed a bexagonal vessel (having also a lid)
which is perforated and fluted inside, and is placed horizontally. This
hexagonal vessel is suspended by preference on journals fixed in the outer
casing or box, and has a loose fluted roller, also to rest horizontally in its
interior after the material to be washed has been placed therein. The
hexagonal vessel is rotated by a crank shaft with handle and fly wheel, or by
any suitable means. On the upper part of the outer casing or box I fix an

page_text: apparatus consisting of two accommodating pressure rollers placed horizontally
and rotated by any suitable means, which rollers by preference are covered
with rubber for the purpose of forcing the fluid or moisture from the material
after it shall have become sufficiently washed and cleansed
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Stockton Firman in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
STOCKTON FIRMAN, of No. 73, Great Suffolk Street, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Stockton Firman, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Stockton
Firman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Stockton Firman, 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 Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING TEXTILE FABRICS OR RAW
MATERIALS, AND FORCING FLUIDS OR MOISTURE FROM THE SAME," a communication
to me from abroad by James Foster, of the City of Muscatine, in the State of
Iowa, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said. Heury. Stockton Firman, 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 Stockton Firman, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to construct a washing machine, as also a

page_text: light, inexpensive, and efficient wringing machine to be affixed upon the washing
machine or to a washing tub, tray, sink, or in other desired position.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the washing machine. The outer casing or box A
having a lid B made sufficiently water-tight, in which is suspended or enclosed
by a preference hexagonal vessel C, having also a lid D; this box and the lid
being perforated inside and placed horizontally. This hexagonal vessel is
suspended in journals E, E, fixed in the outer casing or box, and has a loose
fluted roller F to rest horizontally in its interior after the material to be
washed has been placed therein. The hexagonal vessel is rotated by the fly
wheel G upon the end of its spindle, a pin H being fitted into the fly wheel to
serve as a handle, or it may be rotated by any other means at command.
Upon the upper part of this washing machine, or upon washing tray, tub,
sink, or otherwise, I fix a machine for wringing or forcing out the fluid or
moisture from the material after it has been sufficiently washed and cleansed.
Several machines for this purpose are shewn in the Drawing.
Figure 3 represents a front elevation of a wringing machine. 1 provide a
flat board A, having a slot at each end, this is fixed upon a washing
machine, tub, tray, sink, or in any similar position by the thumbscrews and
rods B, B, the length of the slot enable the rods to be accommodated to the
sides of the vessell; within the slots are fitted upon the board two cart
frames C, C, in these frames the roller D is rotated by the handle E. The
ends of the spindle of the upper roller F lay in slots. The springs G, G, being
hooked into the upper part of the frames C, C, press upon the ends of the
spindle of the upper roller F; the front end of the spring being pulled down
by the links H, H, which are accommodated by notches in the end of the
springs G, G, to increase, lessen, or remove the intensity of the pressure. I
prefer the use of steel springs for the levers G, G, as above described, or where
it is desired, the levers may be made more rigid by using links made of india-
rubber or other elastic material.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a wringing machine, which consists of two
side frames A, A, fastened together by the cross pieces B, B. The upright
frame pieces have holes or journals for the ends of the spindle of roller C, C,
to turn in. The rollers are to be rotated by the crank handle D. The rollers
are made to yield or accommodate themselves to each other by the journals of
the upper roller being fixed so as to slide loosely up and down in a groove or
slot in the upright frame, and by the use of the eliptic spring E, the tension of
which can be increased or diminished by the use of a cam F. From the end
of springs E is carried rods G, G, up to the end of spindle on upper roller,
which rods hang on and pull down the ends of the spindle from pressing the

page_text: roller together. I use, by preference, the same means of fastening this
machine to the tub or washing machine as the one above described in Figure 3.
Figure 5 represents an end elevation of machine described in Figure 4,
the same being lettered to shew the respective parts.
Figure 6 is the representation of a very similar machine in all its parts to
that described in Figure 4, except that the upper roller is arranged to .be
adjustable or forced down by the use of spiral springs pressing down against
the ends of the spindle of upper roller, thus forcing the rollers together. A, A,
are the upright frame pieces; B is the cross piece to fasten the frame together.
The rollers C, C, are made to revolve by the use of a cranked handle D;
thumbscrews E, E, are to increase or decrease the tension of the springs,
compressing the rollers as described.
Figure 7 represents an end elevation of the last described machine, lettered
to shew the respective parts.
Figure 8 represents a front elevation of a wringing machine with a frame-
work arranged similarly to Figure 6 and 7, except that the lower roller B is
pressed upwards by the use of the spiral springs C, C, situated a lower part
of frame; the tension of the springs is increased by the use of a nut, and that
nut A, A. Figure 9 is an elevation of the same.
Figure 10 is an end elevation of a wringing machine with two accom-
mmodating frames A, B; the lower end of the frame A is shaped to fit the tub
or piece of furniture to which it is desired to fasten the machine for use, and
contains the bearings for lower roller C. The upper end is attached by a
joint E to the other part of the framing lettered B, which contain bearings of
the upper roller D. On the lower end of either frame is affixed a flexible
bearing or buffer F. As the rollers are fixed asunder by the thickness of the
material passing through them, so is the grip increased of the machine upon
the article of furniture to which it is affixed.
of the same.
Figure 11 is a front elevation
Figure 12 shews a front elevation of a wringing machine, which has upright
frames A, A, connected by stays B, B, and containing the rollers C, D. The
ends of the spindle of the upper roller D are pressed downwards by the
rods E, E, working in the holes in the posts or frames A, A, acted upon by
the levers F, F, which are jointed into the outside of the frames g, g, their
other ends being brought down by elastic springs H, H, the tension of which
may be adjusted by looping on to pegs or pins shewn at I, I. Figure 13
represents an elevation of Figure 12.
Figure 14 illustrates an end elevation of another machine for wringing,
similar in principle to the one shewn in Figure 3, differing, however, in the

page_text: following respect:-Instead of steel springs, rigid levers A, A, are used, operated
upon by chains B, B, connected to the spindles C, which being rotated by the
handle D, draws down the levers A, A, which press down the upper roller as
desired. A required pressure can be maintained by shipping back the
spindle C, so that its other end E being squared presses into a square hole at E,
and thus secures it at any of 4 angles. The lower ends of the frame are formed
into clamps at F, F, and secured in position by the hand screw C, C, the end
of the screw being guarded by the plate or buffer H, H. Figure 15 shews a
front elevation of Figure 14. In each of these wringing machines I prefer to
use steel spindles for the squeezing or wringing rollers, as they greatly increase
their strength and elasticity and prevents the risk of their becoming bent by
any unusual strain. It also materially decreases the friction. When a casing
of india-rubber sufficiently thick around the steel spindle is considered too
expensive, I use a substratum of wood, cork, or other suitable material.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim the use of a washing machine provided with
an interior rotating vessel fitted longitudinally, and having an angular end
section in combination with a fluted roller and a wringing machine, substantially
as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Stockton Firman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
HENRY STOCKTON FIRMAN. (L.S.)