A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING HOUSE- HOLD LINEN AND OTHER ARTICLES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Louis Rudolph Bodmer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th June 1864. -A communication from abroad by Charles Brown, of
Winterthur, in the Republic of Switzerland, Engineer.
I, LOUIS RUDOLPH BODMER, of 2, Thavies Inn, Holborn, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A NEW AND IMPROVED SYSTEM OF WASHING, CLEANSING, AND DRYING HOUSE-
HOLD LINEN AND OTHER ARTICLES, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," (a com-
munication from abroad by Charles Brown, of Winterthur, in the Republic
of Switzerland, Engineer,) to be as follows:-
The general principle governing this new system of washing consists in
performing the principal operation under vacuum, whereby important practical
advantages are obtained, such as a great saving in labor, in time, in the use
of chemicals, and in the space occupied; the linen under operation is less
tortured and felted, and not subjected to long and violent mechanical pro-
cesses; injury to the texture is therefore in a great measure prevented, and
the original roundness and freshness of the threads preserved. The leys or
chemical solutions being admitted to the linen under vacuum penetrate the
texture instantaneously, and therefore require a less degree of concentra-
tion, and, combined with the agency of steam, the principal cleansing process
is completed in the course of a few minutes. The steam being likewise

page_text: admitted into a vacuum, the goods are not heated suddenly but by gentle
gradations, which again prevents injurious effect to the texture.
Before pro-
ceeding to the description of the several apparatus and processes, it is to be
remarked that the water employed in the various operations ought to be
purified or softened by some process, such, for instance, as that known as
Lelong Burnets, natural water being rarely found suitable for the purpose.
The first apparatus employed is the vacuum pan or vat for impregnating the
linen with alkaline and soap solutions, as well as for affusion, steaming,
boiling, cooling, and partially rinsing. This pan is of cast iron, and lined
with wood; on the upper edge it has a groove for receiving a packing ring of
india-rubber cased in canvass. A cover of plate iron, with a rim of angle iron
accurately faced and fitted with a crown of cast iron, rests on the india-rubber
ring, and can be pressed down upon it by a screw so as to close the pan
herinetically. The bottom of the pan is provided with a wooden grating, and
a similar grating is attached to the cover for the purpose of preventing the
linen from rising on admitting liquid. An affusion pipe passes through the
centre of the pan, and the interior of the pan is connected by means of a
valve with the vacuum pump. A pipe opens into the bottom of the pan,
which afterwards divides into three branches 1, 2, 3, the end of each of which
is provided with a valve opening outward, and kept closed by a weight. The
branches 1 and 2 open into tanks holding the alkaline solution, whilst the
branch 3 opens into a channel for running off the spent leys. The pans or
vats are first packed with soiled linen and the cover screwed down, the
vacuum valve is then opened (all the other valves remaining closed), when in
an instant the vat is emptied of its air. The vacuum valve is now closed, and
the valve 1 or 2 opened, whereupon the liquor from the tank rushes in and
fills the void. The liquor is allowed to remain for 3 or 4 minutes, or less or
more. An air cock fixed to the vat is then opened, and valve 1 or 2 or both
are raised and the liquor allowed to draw off, or if spent it is drawn off
through pipe and valve 3. When all the fluid has run off, the several valves
are closed, and the vacuum valve again opened, and as soon as the vat is
exhausted the vacuum valve is closed, and steam is gently turned on through a
smaller pipe, which again opens into 3 branches connecting it with steam,
with hot water, and with cold water reservoirs. When the vat has become
warm the operation is complete, saponification having taken place. Șteam
is now turned off and hot water admitted, and valve 3 opened; this
prevents a too sudden cooling, as would have resulted from the too sudden
admission of cold water after steaming. After hot water has been allowed to

page_text: pass through for a short time the hot water cock is closed, and cold water
gradually turned on, and again shut off as soon as the vat is cool. The cover is
now raised and the vat emptied of its contents, when most of the linen will be
found sufficiently cleaned, and only requires starching or blueing and drying.
Those articles which are not found sufficiently cleansed and require mechanical
washing are removed to the washing machine hereafter described. The pans
or vats described are equally well adapted for affusion or boiling over. For
this purpose the liquor is made up with a small amount of soap, and the opera-
tion proceeds as above described up to the point of drawing off the liquor,
which is only allowed to proceed until the pet cock ceases dropping, when
a vacuum is established. Steam is then let in, whereupon the liquor
immediately commences to rise in the affusion pipe by the injector-like action
of the steam jet. This operation is allowed to continue for one or two hours,
when the steam is shut off and hot and cold water admitted as above described.
The goods are now fit for removal, some for blueing and drying, and others
to be subjected to the mechanical action of the washing machine. The
washing machine is constructed as follows:-The shell, made in preference of
galvanized sheet iron, is of an oval shape, the bottom or lower part being bent
inwards so as to form at each side a bag-shaped receptacle or corner. The
two ends of the shell are of cast iron, one end being fitted with a cover in the
same manner as has been described with reference to the vacuum pan or vat.
The shell or chamber rests upon a hollow shaft, upon which it is made to
oscillate. The bore of the shaft is divided into two parts by a partition, one
being in communication with the upper part of the shell by means of a pipe
which oscillates with the shell, and with the vacuum, steam, hot water, and cold
water pipes and valves. The other part communicates with the lower part of
the shell, and with the discharge valve and pipe, which latter opens into water
to prevent admission of air. The goods are introduced, together with a small
quantity of dissolved soap, through the door, which is then screwed tight. The
vacuum valve is now opened, and as soon as the apparatus is cleared of air
the vacuum valve is closed and steam gently let into the machine, which is
set in motion for a few minutes. Steam is then turned off and hot water
admitted, and the flow-off cock opened, which effects a partial riusing. Hot
water is then shut off and cold water admitted, which completes the rinsing,
whereupon the goods are removed, blued, and dried. The blueing vats of
galvanised iron are made in the shape of shallow tanks. A vertical divisiou
plate fixed across the tank, and reaching to within an inch or two, or more or
less, of the bottom divides the tank into two parts, which I will call A and B.

page_text: B is covered with a drip-board or wooden grating hinged to the division plate.
The division B has a double bottom composed of two perforated plates, and
the space between the two plates is filled with coarse hair cloth which forms
a filter. The articles to be blued are first thrown into A, and when sufficiently
imbued with the blue are placed on the drip-board B, from whence the
drippings fall on the filter, and percolating through it again return to A.
From the drip-board the articles are conveyed on trucks to the hydro-
extractors. The steam engine for working the vacuum pump, water pumps,
washing machines, and other apparatus is supplied from a pair of steam
boilers, the furnaces of which, with flues, are so arranged and disposed as to
heat at the same time the water necessary for the various operations, and
also the drying closet. The hot-air stoves placed at the end of the boilers
consist of a number of cast-iron tubes placed vertically and set in cast-iron
plates above and below; these pipes are so grouped as to allow sufficient
space to divest them of the soot from time to time. Cold air enters through
a separate flue, and passing through the pipes becomes heated, and enters the
drying closets through the perforated or grated floors. The products of com-
bustion after leaving the chamber of vertical tubes pass to the chimney. This
chimney is made of iron, and a second chimney of brick is built round it,
leaving an open space between the outer and the inner chimney. This space is
in connection with the drying closets, and when the inner chimney becomes
heated by the products of combustion a strong draught is produced in the
outer chimney, causing it to act as a ventilating shaft for drawing off the air
and moisture from the drying closets. The apparatus for a laundry capable
of washing and cleansing about one hundred thousand pieces per day may
consist of the following:-Istly, four large water tanks for supplying all the
water, placed on the top of the building; 2dly, four vacuum vats especially
adapted for steaming; 3dly, two vacuum vats especially used for boiling by
affusion; 4thly, one vacuum pan similar to the above, but lined with lead and
fitted with lead suction pipe and hot and cold water pipes, but without steam
pipe; this vat is placed between two lead cisterns, one for chlorine solutions
and the other for acidulated water; this apparatus is used for bleaching such
articles as are too much stained to resist the other processes; 5thly, six
washing machines, as described; 6thly, two sets of hand washing tubs, ten to
each set, with two warm water and one cold water rinsing trough to each set
of tubs; 7thly, eight blueing vats; and, 8thly, four hydro-extractors. The
whole of the apparatus are so disposed and grouped as most convenient for
performing the several operations in the necessary succession. One, two, or

page_text: more lines of rails, with cross rails and turn-tables, upon which the articles are
conveyed on small trucks from apparatus to apparatus when necessary, and
finally brought to the lifts, and by them to the drying closets, mangling and
ironing rooms, complete the arrangements.