Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
I JAMES BOWIE, of 21 President Street, Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:
My invention has reference primarily to washing machines and mainly consists in
constructing such machines with a rotating perforated box in which are one or two
(preferably two) pistons that have a reciprocating motion in the said box whereby they
exert a series of compressing or squeezing actions upon the clothes or articles
contained in the box and maintain a good circulation of water through the said
articles and through the box. The invention comprises means or arrangements for
imparting motion to the piston or pistons, for providing for a uniform pressure upon
varying quantities of clothes placed in the box, and for the supply of water to the
box; also special constructions of piston.....
...
Having stated the nature of the invention I will now describe a machine in which
my invention is embodied.
In the ends of a fixed outer tub or box, which may be open but has by preference
a removable cover, are formed bearings for the journals of an inner rotating box;
this box is preferably polygonal and it is formed with perforations or holes. The
journals are tubular so as to give passage to the rods of pistons which are placed
within the box, and fit somewhat loosely therein; the piston rods should pass
through glands or stuffing boxes so as to prevent leakage. Rotary motion is
imparted to the, inner box by steam, manual or other power applied to one of
its journals and during its rotation the pistons reciprocate therein, alternately
approaching and moving away from each other. This reciprocating motion of the
pistons may be given in any suitable manner. A convenient arrangement is to
mount upon the piston rod a collar which can move along a key-way thereon; this
collar is formed externally with a cam groove in which a fixed pin with friction
roller rides. As the piston rod rotates with the inner box the collar likewise rotates
but at the same time moves backwards and forwards thereon. Between this collar
and a fixed collar on the piston rod is a spring through which the reciprocating
movement of the collar is imparted to the piston rod, the spring yielding more or
less according to the resistance met with for the purpose hereinafter explained.
Another arrangement is to impart motion from one of the journals of the rotating
ΓΡ

page_text: box to a slide by means of spur gearing, crank pin and connecting rod and to
transmit this motion to the piston rods through the intermediation of bell cranks,
links and levers. According to another arrangement a toothed wheel fixed on the
journal of the rotating box gears with a pinion on the same axis as a worm; the
worm gears with a worm wheel in the face of which is a pin that works in a slot in a
lever connected to one of the piston rods. As the worm wheel rotates the pin causes
the lever to oscillate and thereby to move the piston backwards and forwards. The
corresponding motion can be transmitted by suitable connections to the other piston.
In order to provide for a uniform pressure upon the clothes in the box notwith-
standing variations in their quantity and also to prevent risk of breakage through
over pressure, one or both of the piston rods are fitted with a contrivance which yields
more or less according to circumstances. This contrivance may consist of a spiral
spring placed between two collars on the piston rod as above mentioned one collar
being fixed and the other movable; the parts through which movement is imparted
to the pistons as above explained, act upon the movable collars and thence through
the springs and fixed collars upon the piston rods; with this arrangement as the
two pistons move towards each other in the box the springs will yield more or less
according to the resistance offered to the pistons and thereby automatically provide
the extra space required if an unusually large quantity of clothes has been placed in
the box; the pressure of the pistons upon the clothes at each inward movement is thus
always practically the same.
When the inner box is fitted with only one piston, this piston is worked from one
end of the box while at the other end there may be an elastic buffer.
The faces of the pistons may be of any shape and have projecting pieces of india
rubber, wood or other material in the form of ribs, hemispheres, cones or otherwise.
In some cases, more particularly for delicate work, the pistons may be fitted with
springs which yield or become compressed under pressure; if these springs are
within the pistons, the pistons may be made to contract, and expand somewhat like a
concertina.
The outer box should be fitted with taps for the supply of fresh water and for
running off the dirty water as required and in addition to or instead of the supply tap
or taps, one or both piston rods may be made hollow so that the water may be fed
therethrough. The pistons may be formed with holes to facilitate the expulsion of
water from the clothes space.
The outer box may be heated from below by gas burners or oil or spirit lamps or a
fire or by internal steam pipes, so as to form a boiler for heating the water; in this
case it should be made of a suitable thin metal.
Although it is preferred to arrange the inner box upon a horizontal axis, the axis
may be vertical or inclined. For a cheaper form of machine this box may be
stationary, the piston or pistons reciprocating therein as before, but this modification
is not to be recommended.
My improved machine, although specially designed as a washing machine can also
be employed for starching clothes or fabrics; in this case a mixture of starch and
water is supplied to the machine.
"3 1000

page_text: I JAMES BOWIE, of 21 President Street, Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex,
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 :-
My invention has reference primarily to washing machines and mainly consists in
constructing such machines with a rotating perforated box in which are one or two
(preferably two) pistons that have a reciprocating motion in the said box whereby
they exert a series of compressing or squeezing actions upon the clothes or articles
contained in the box and maintain a good circulation of water through the said
articles and through the box. The invention comprises means or arrangements for
imparting motion to the piston or pistons, for providing for a uniform pressure upon
varying quantities of clothes placed in the box, and for the supply of water to the
box; also special constructions of piston.
Having stated the nature of the invention I will now describe a machine in which
my invention is embodied.
In the ends of a fixed outer tub or box which may be open but has by preference a
removable cover, are formed bearings for the journals of an inner rotating box; this
box is preferably polygonal and it is formed with perforations or holes. The journals
are tubular so as to give passage to the rods of pistons which are placed within the
box and fit somewhat loosely therein and are perforated, the piston rods may pass
through glands or stuffing boxes so as to prevent leakage but glands or stuffing boxes
are not important because the water level will not generally be so high as the piston
rods. Rotary motion is imparted to the inner box by steam, manual or other power
applied to one of its journals and during its rotation the pistons reciprocate therein,
alternately approaching and moving away from each other. This reciprocating
motion of the pistons may be given in any suitable manner.
A convenient arrangement consists of a toothed wheel fixed on the journal of the
rotating box and gearing with a pinion on the same axis as a worm; the worm gears
with a worm wheel in the face of which is a pin that works in a slot in a lever
connected to one of the piston rods. As the worm wheel rotates the pin causes the
lever to oscillate and thereby to move the piston backwards and forwards. The
corresponding motion can be transmitted by suitable connections to the other
piston.
According to another arrangement a toothed wheel fixed on the journal of the
rotating box gears with a wheel fixed on the same spindle as a collar in which a cam
groove is formed; in this groove rides one end of a lever the other end of which is
connected to one of the piston rods. As the collar rotates the groove causes the lever
to oscillate and thereby to move the piston backwards and forwards. The corre-
sponding motion can be given to the other piston by mounting a similar cam grooved
collar on the same spindle and connecting it by means of a lever with the other
piston rod.
In order to provide for a uniform pressure upon the clothes in the box notwith-
standing variations in their quantity and also to prevent risk of breakage through

page_text: over pressure, one or both of the pistons can be fitted with a contrivance which
yields more or less according to circumstances.
For this purpose and more particularly for delicate work the pistons may be fitted
with springs which yield or become compressed under pressure; if these springs
are within the pistons, the pistons may be made to contract and expand somewhat 5
like a concertina.
When the inner box is fitted with only one piston, this piston is worked from one
end of the box while at the other end there may be an elastic buffer.
The faces of the pistons may be of any shape and have projecting pieces of india
rubber, wood or other material in the form of ribs, hemispheres, cones or otherwise. I
The inner side of the rotating box may also be formed with projections.
The outer box should be fitted with taps for the supply of fresh water and for
running off the dirty water as required and in addition to or instead of the supply
tap, or taps, one or both piston rods may be made hollow so that the water may be fed
therethrough. The pistons may be formed with holes to facilitate the expulsion of
water from the clothes space.
The outer box may be heated from below by gas burners or oil or spirit lamps or a
fire so as to form a boiler for heating the water; in this case it should be made
of a suitable thin metal; or the outer box may be heated by steam pipes fitted
therein.
Although it is preferred to arrange the inner box upon a horizontal axis, the axis
may be vertical or inclined. For a cheaper form of machine this box may be
stationary, the piston or pistons reciprocating therein as before, but this modification
is not to be recommended.
The annexed drawings will serve to illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a side
elevation partly sectional of one of my improved machines provided with one
reciprocating piston. Figure 2 is an elevation of that end of the machine where the
driving wheel is mounted and Figure 3 an elevation partly sectional of the other end
of the machine. Figure 4 is a side elevation partly sectional of another machine
constructed according to my invention, there being in this modification two
reciprocating pistons. Figure 5 is an end elevation of this machine.
Referring first to the modification shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, A A represent
a frame or stand carrying a tub or box B which may be made open but is shown as
fitted with a cover or lid that can be opened on a hinge C. This box has bearings D, D
for the journals E, E¹ of an inner perforated box F.
On the journal E is mounted a toothed wheel G geared into by a pinion H on the
shaft of a wheel J which can be driven by means of the crank handle K or by steam
or other power, so as to impart rotation to the box F. At one end of the box is a
At the other
perforated piston L the rod L₁ of which passes through the journal E¹.
end of the box is an inner board M provided with springs N, N so as to act as a
buffer. Reciprocating motion is imparted to the piston L as follows: On the
journal E¹ is fixed a toothed wheel P which gears with a pinion Q on the same axis
as a worm R; this worm gears with a worm wheel S in the face of which is a pin T
that works in a slot in a lever U connected to the piston rod L. It will be readily
understood that as the box F rotates the perforated piston L will move to and fro
therein and thereby exert a series of compressing or squeezing actions upon the
clothes or articles contained in the box and maintain a good circulation of water through
them. V is the inlet for water to the outer box and W the outlet for water therefrom.
The rotating box F is shown as hexagonal but this shape is not essential; one of its
sides can be made to open like a lid so as to permit of the introduction or withdrawal
of the goods. The outer box A may also be of any desired shape. I have shown on
the top of this box a wringing appliance X but the combination of this with a washing
machine forms no part of this invention; it can be driven by merely shifting the
pinion H into gear with the pinion Y.
Referring now to the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5 it will be seen that it
differs from that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 chiefly in having two reciprocating
pistons L L and in a somewhat different mechanism for imparting to the pistons the

page_text: requisite reciprocating motion. On the journal E¹ is a toothed wheel P which gears.
with a wheel Q on a spindle R that carries at its respective ends two collars S S
formed with cam grooves TT; the lower ends of levers U U work in these grooves
and the upper ends of the levers are forked and connected to the piston rods L' L'.
As the box F rotates the two pistons will by means of the mechanism just described
be made to alternately approach and recede from each other and thereby exert a series
of compressing or squeezing actions upon the clothes.
My improved machines although specially designed as washing machines can also
be employed as starching machines; for this purpose the clothes or fabrics are as
before placed in the rotating box and a mixture of starch and water is supplied to
the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, in respect of washing machines and starching machines, is :-
1. A perforated box for holding the clothes or other articles and made to rotate
in an outer tub or box supplied with the water or liquid the said rotating box
being fitted with one or two pistons to which a reciprocating motion is imparted
whereby a series of compressing or squeezing actions is exerted upon the clothes or
articles and a good circulation of the water or liquid through the articles and through
the rotating box is maintained substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a perforated box made to rotate in an outer tub or box
and provided with one or more pistons, of mechanism or arrangements such as
those hereinbefore described for imparting reciprocating motion to the piston or
pistons, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a perforated box made to rotate in an outer tub or box
and provided with one or more pistons, of means substantially as hereinbefore
described whereby the pistons are enabled to yield more or less according to
circumstances for the purpose set forth.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.