IMPROVE- MENTS IN WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN.'-A communication from abroad by Madame Rosine
Saiglan Bagneres, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 19th April 1864, and dated the 5th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th December 1863.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication from abroad by Madame Rosine
Saiglan Bagneres, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the washing of wearing apparel and textile fabrics
generally, and to the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of
machinery or apparatus employed therein. The washing process consists
essentially in subjecting the wearing apparel or textile fabrics to one or more
steepings or soakings in a bath consisting of a solution of natural or artificial
sulphate of soda at an elevated temperature, whereby the grease and other
impurities are removed. After this the articles under treatment are, when
requisite, subjected to a beating process in suitable tanks or vats, and are
[Price 8d.]

page_text: finally dried by means of a current or currents of air produced by a fan or
other blower.
The apparatus employed in the first or steeping process consists of a vertical
rotating shaft, provided with radial horizontal arms at its upper extremity,
each of which carries a frame in which is fitted so as to slide vertically therein
an open or reticulated receptacle or basket in which the clothes or or fabrics
to be washed are placed. Each receptacle is dipped one or more times into a
boiler or vessel containing the heated solution herein-before referred to, when
the shaft is rotated so as to bring the next receptacle over the bath, which is
dipped like the preceding one, and so on continuously, the receptacles being
removed and replaced by fresh ones as fast as the operation proceeds. A false
grating or open bottom is fitted near the closed bottom of the vat or boiler,
and the dirt and impurities which descend through this grating are run off
through a pipe provided for that purpose. If the linen be much soiled it is
placed in suitable receptacles, and conveyed to a stamper, which consists of an
apparatus similar to the head of a rake, which is made to descend in a
succession of strokes on to the linen by being connected to a vibrating beam
or lever, which is acted upon by a series of revolving tappets or wipers worked
by hand or by power. The position of this beater is capable of vertical
adjustment on its stem or connecting rods by means of screws and slots. A
small pulley is also provided to cause the beater to rise again the instant it
has fallen, which pulley is driven by another pulley worked by the handle
which sets the beater in motion. The frames or receptacles containing the
linen are then conveyed to a chamber in which they are deposited in regular
tiers with intervals between each, and through this chamber a current of air is
caused to pass by means of a fan or other blower, holes or apertures being left
in the bottom of the chamber to allow the air to pass off, carrying with it the
moisture and vapour.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "Ir.
PROVEMENTS IN WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
a communication to me from abroad by Madame Rosine
Saiglan Bagneres, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or
under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to the washing of wearing apparel and textile
fabrics generally, and is equally applicable to the washing and cleansing of
wool, cotton, silk, and other fibrous substances. The washing process consists
essentially in subjecting the materials to be washed to one or more steepings
or soakings in a bath consisting of a solution of natural or artificial sulphate
of soda at an elevated temperature, whereby the grease and other impurities
are removed. After this the materials under treatment are, when requisite.
subjected to a beating or washing process in suitable tanks or vats, and are
finally dried by means of a current or currents of air produced by a fan or
other blower.
The apparatus employed in the first or steeping process consists of a vertical
rotating shaft provided with radial horizontal arms at its upper extremity,
each of which carries a frame in which is fitted so as to slide vertically
therein an open or reticulated receptacle or basket in which the materials to be
operated upon are placed. Each receptacle is dipped one or more times into a

page_text: boiler or vessel containing the heated solution or liquor herein-before referred
to, when the shaft is rotated so as to bring the next receptacle over the bath,
which is dipped like the preceding one, and so on continuously, the receptacles
being removed and replaced by fresh ones. A false grating or open bottom is
fitted near the closed bottom of the vat or boiler, and the dirt and impurities
which descend through this grating are run off through a pipe provided for
that purpose. If the materials under treatment be much soiled they are
placed in suitable receptacles and conveyed to a stamper, which consists of an
apparatus similar to the head of a rake, which is made to descend in a suc-
cession of strokes on to the materials under treatment by being connected to
a vibrating beam or lever, which is acted upon by a series of revolving tappets
or wipers worked by hand or by power. The position of this beater is capable
of vertical adjustment on its stem or connecting rods by means of screws and
slots. A small pulley is also provided to cause the beater to rise again the
instant it has fallen, which pulley is driven by another pulley worked by the
handle which sets the beater in motion. The frames or receptacles containing
the linen are then conveyed to a chamber in which they are deposited in
regular tiers with intervals between each, and through this chamber a current
of air is caused to pass by means of a fan or other blower, holes or apertures
being left in the top of the chamber to allow the air to pass off, carrying with
it the moisture and vapour.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents an elevation of the apparatus employed
for effecting the dipping or steeping of the substances to be washed in the
chemical bath above referred to. A is an upright, supported on a pivot
resting in a footstep, and carrying at its upper end four arms, to each of which
a frame a is attached. and within which frames slide the holders c, which are
made open all round, and contain the materials to be cleansed. One of these
holders is shown detached at Fig. 1, the upright A, with the different holders,
is rotated so as to bring each holder over the vat B containing the solution of
sulphate of soda. This vat is provided with a false perforated bottom or
grating d. through which the dirt and other impurities pass, and these are
then run off by the pipe and cock e. The temperature of the liquor in the vat
is to be maintained at from 80° to 200° Fahrenheit, according to the nature
of the materials under treatment. The dipping of the different holders into

page_text: the bath may be repeated as often as may be found requisite, or until the
whole or greater portion of the impurities have been removed, care being
taken to keep the materials in the same position or undisturbed by pressing
upon the cover of the holder. When the contents of one of the holders
has been sufficiently dipped the holder is raised from the vat, the upright
turned one quarter round, and the holder removed and replaced by another
ready filled, the operation being continued with the holder last brought over
the vat, and so on throughout the series. The materials which are removed
from the holders may then be subjected to a washing process, which is
accomplished by the aid of the apparatus shewn in side and end elevation
respectively at Figs. 2 and 2, and partly in detail at Fig. 2b. This apparatus
consists of a species of rake head a. provided with metal blades b, b, and fitted
to the lower end of a vertical bar h. The upper end of this bar is jointed to
one end of an overhead horizontal lever g working on a fulcrum in the main
upright or support d, and receiving an up-and-down reciprocating motion from
the lever, which is acted upon at one end by antifriction rollers f, carried on
the ends of the revolving arms e. rotated by hand, as shown in the Drawing,
or by power. The height of the rake head in the vat beneath may be adjusted
according to the bulk of the materials therein, by means of the slotted stem i
attached to the head and the set screws h, k, which pass through the slot and
enter the bar h. The frames or holders containing the materials on being
removed from the washing machine are conveyed to the dryer represented by
Fig. 3. d is a fan blower, which opens into the chamber F, divided by pre-
ference into three compartments disposed one above the other, within which
compartments the frames.
to be
or holders containing the materials
dried are placed. Apertures are left in the upper part of the chamber to
establish a current of air and afford egress for the moisture driven off. The
blower is driven from a pulley E, of a size to give the required speed of the
fan, and if preferred the blower may be disposed vertically, and any other form
given to the chamber F.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use to and in the process of washing materials
requiring to be cleansed of solutions of natural or artificial sulphate of soda, as
herein-before described.
Second, the subjecting of such materials to the successive action of a dipping

page_text: machine, a washing machine, and a ventilating dryer, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of apparatus for dipping
such materials in vats or boilers containing chemical solutions, in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of washing machine, as
herein-before described.
Fifth, the peculiar arrangement of apparatus for drying the materials treated
by the process, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, the First day of June One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)