Improvements in Apparatus to be employed for Washing, Boiling, Rinsing, and Wringing Clothes or similar Articles
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus to be employed for Washing, Boiling,
Rinsing, and Wringing Clothes or similar Articles,
-
I WILLIAM LITLER BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Laundry Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery for washing boiling rinsing and wringing
clothes or other articles either for use in a laundry or in the process of
manufacture.
My improved apparatus consists mainly of two compartments, one inside the
other, the outer compartment being fixed or stationary and the inner one arranged
to rotate therein, by preference being mounted horizontally, in suitable bearings.
Each compartment is fitted with a door to allow of access to the interior thereof,
the doors being arranged so as to be opposite to and correspond with each other
and preferably placed at the end opposite to the gearing.
The inner compartment, which is circular or cylindrical in form and constructed
of wire or perforated plates arranged in a suitable framework or otherwise made to
withstand centrifugal force, is provided with a shaft or spindle running horizontally
through its centre and carried in bearings formed in the outer casing; it is also
divided preferably into two compartments by a diametrical division.
At one end (preferably that opposite to the door) the shaft is prolonged and
fitted with other bearings and with two sets of gearing; one for driving the
compartment at a slow speed and arranged so that its direction may be reversed
both automatically and at the will of the attendant when the said compartment is
used for the purpose of washing boiling rinsing &c.; the other for driving it at a
quick speed for wringing by centrifugal force as in a hydro-extractor.
The first named gearing is arranged upon a separate shaft connected to the main
spindle or shaft by a spindle and spur wheel so designed as to be easily disconnected
from the main spindle or shaft, when the latter is revolving at a high speed. I also
propose to employ in conjunction with this slow gearing a reversing motion similar
to that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to myself and
numbered 21419 A.D. 1892.
The gearing second above named will be provided with suitable means for
stopping and starting the same and may either be upon a separate shaft connected
with the machine or arranged as an overhead countergear actuating a small pulley
on the main spindle and not necessarily disconnected when the machine is revolving
at the slow speed.
The outer casing is provided with an outlet inclining in a tangential direction
from the circumference of the said casing. This outlet when closed also forms a
chamber into which the washing suds will collect when the inner compartment is
moving in one direction, the said suds being driven out of the clothes which will
thus be better subjected to the action of rubbing against one another and against
the surface or surfaces of the washing compartment.
When the direction of rotation of the latter is reversed the water will be drawn
into the machine again so as to rinse away the dirt which has been loosened by the
previous friction.
When wringing, the water can if desirable be driven up by the centrifugal force
to a storage tank at a higher level for future re-use.

page_text: These actions can be assisted by short blades fixed on the periphery of the inner
compartment, so that when the said compartment is revolving in the direction which
would draw the suds or water from the outlet or tangential chamber, these blades
will carry the suds or water round and up the side of the outer compartment until
it flows into the inner compartment.
This circulation of the suds or water may be further increased by making the
blades in the form of buckets such as were described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to Thomas Bradford and numbered 14562, A.D. 1890.
Dated this 29th day of May 1894.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus to be employed for Washing, Boiling,
Rinsing, and Wringing Clothes or similar Articles.
I WILLIAM LITLER BRADFORD of the Crescent Iron Works Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Laundry 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 machinery for washing, boiling rinsing and wringing
clothes or other articles either for use in a laundry or in the process of
manufacture.
The said invention will be clearly understood from the following description on
reference to the two annexed sheets of drawings.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is an end elevation mostly in section of a machine constructed
according to my invention and Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) is a side view partly in section of
the same machine.
My improved apparatus consists mainly of two compartments one (a) inside the
other (b) the outer compartment being fixed or stationary and the inner one a
arranged to rotate therein, by preference being mounted horizontally (as shown) in
suitable bearings b+.
Each compartment a a or b is fitted with a door a¹ a¹ or b¹ respectively to allow
of access to the interior thereof, the doors a¹ being arranged so as to be capable of
being brought opposite to and correspond with the door ¹ see Fig. 2, and preferably
placed at the end opposite to the gearing as shewn.
The inner compartment a which is circular or cylindrical in form and constructed
of wire, or perforated plates arranged in a suitable framework, or otherwise made
to withstand centrifugal force, is provided with a shaft or spindle c running
horizontally through its centre and carried in bearings + formed in the outer
casing it is also divided preferably into two compartments by a diametrical
division a² against which, when wringing, the clothes are pressed by their own
weight.
Thus the centrifugal strain produced by the two batches of clothes in these
compartments being. directly opposite on either side of the axis, is balanced, and
also borne to a large extent by the division a² (which is attached to the periphery)
as a tensile strain.
At one end (preferably that opposite to the doors a') the shaft c is prolonged and
fitted with other bearings 6++, see Fig. 2, and with two sets of gearing; one for
driving the compartment at a slow speed and arranged so that its direction may be
reversed both automatically and at the will of the attendant when the said
compartment is used for the purpose of washing boiling rinsing &c.; the other for
driving it at a quick speed for wringing by centrifugal force as in a hydro-
extractor.

page_text: C
The first named gearing is arranged upon a separate shaft d counccted to the
main spindle or shaft by a pinion e, and spur wheel f, so designed (say by being
provided with a clutch f+) as to be easily disconnected from the part fl of the
sliding clutch ff" upon the main spindle or shaft c when the latter is revolving at
a high speed. I also propose to employ in conjunction with this slow gearing a
reversing motion as seen at g g', 92, 9 similar to that described in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to myself and numbered 21419 A.D. 1892.
The gearing secondly above named will be provided with suitable means for
stopping and starting the same, and may either be upon a separate shaft connected
with the machine or arranged as an overhead counter gear actuating a small
pulley / mounted loosely on the main spindle c and driving the latter when the
part 1 of the clutch f¹, f is brought into gear with the clutch + on the
pulley h.
The outer casing is provided with an outlet inclining in a tangential direction
(see Fig. 1) from the circumference of the said casing. This outlet i is connected
to a chamberk into which the washing suds will collect, when the inner
compartment a is moving in the direction shown by the arrow on Fig. 1, the said
suds being driven out of the clothes, which will thus be better subjected to the
action of rubbing against one another and against the surface or surfaces of the
washing compartment a.
When the direction of rotation of the latter is reversed as shown by the arrow w
the water will be drawn into the machine again so as to rinse away the dirt which
1:as been loosened by the previous friction.
When wringing, the water can if desirable be driven up by the centrifugal force
to a storage tank at a higher level for future re-use.
These actions can be assisted by short blades m fixed on the periphery of the
inner compartment, so that when the said compartment is revolving in the direction
of the arrow W they would draw the suds or water from the outlet or tangential
chamber i; these blades m will carry the suds or water round and up the side of the
outer compartment b until it flows into the inner compartment a.
This circulation of the suds or water may be further increased by making the
blades m in the form of buckets such as were described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to Thomas Bradford and numbered 14562, A.D. 1890.
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 is :-
First. The combination with a rotating compartment for containing clothes and
the like, of slow speed gearing for washing boiling and rinsing, and a rapid speed
gearing for centrifugal wringing, both being connected to the same shaft or axle, on
which the said rotating compartment is mounted.
Secondly. The arrangement in the internal compartment of a diametrical
division in the manner and for the purposes substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
Thirdly. The arrangement of the blades and outlets for the purposes and
substantially as herein before set forth.
Fourthly. The arrangement of clutch gear as shown on the drawings and as
hereinbefore described, whereby it is impossible to put both speeds into gear
simultaneously.
1
1
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.