AN IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bell, of Strathmiglo, in the County of
Fife, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
WASHING MACHINE."-A communication from abroad by Thomas
Bell, of Catskill, in the State of New York, in the United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th September 1873
I, JAMES BELL, of Strathmiglo, in the County of Fife, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN
IMPROVED WASHING MACHINE," the same being a communication to me from
abroad by Thomas Bell, of Catskill, in the State of New York, in the
United States of America, to be as follows, that is to say:—

page_text: box wherein the articles to be washed and the washing liquid are con-
tained, being so situated that the washing instrument projects in over
the side of the tub or box, and descends into or among the articles to be
washed. At the upper part of the framework is a stud or spindle, on
which a bevil wheel or segment is carried, the teeth of which gear with
a bevil pinion upon a vertical shaft, to the lower part of which the
washing instrument is attached.
The washing instrument consists of a framework having movable
strips or beaters attached thereto, and this is rotated alternately back-
wards and forwards by the attendant, who operates the machine by
vibrating a lever attached to the bevil wheel or segment herein-before
mentioned.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Bell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BELL, of Strathmiglo, in the County of Fife, North Britain, Engineer,
send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Bell, Her special license,
that I, the said James Bell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Bell, 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 "AN IMPROVED
WASHING MACHINE," the same being a communication to me from abroad

page_text: by Thomas Bell, of Catskill, in the State of New York, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Bell, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 James Bell, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
My said Invention, which relates to a new or improved washing
machine, consists of a framework attached to the side or upper part of
the tub or box wherein the articles to be washed and the washing liquid
are contained, the said framework being so situated that the washing
instrument or apparatus projects or descends among the articles to be
washed. At the upper part of the framework is a stud or spindle, on
which a bevil wheel or segment is carried, the teeth of which gear with
and communicate motion to a similarly toothed bevil pinion on a
vertical shaft, to the lower part of which the washing instrument or
apparatus is attached.
. The washing instrument or apparatus is a framework consisting of
several projections or arms, near the extremities of which are attached
moveable strips or beaters. The attendant by vibrating a lever attached
to the bevil wheel or segment herein-before described, actuates the bevil
pinion and shaft to which it is attached, and thereby imparts a reci.
procatory motion to the framework and beaters situated within the
washing tub or box, which contains the articles to be washed and the
cleansing fluid. As the strips or beaters, herein-before described, are
hung loosely from the frame to which they are attached, the centrifugal
force imparted to them by the rotating or reciprocatory motion of the
framework causes their extremities to fly outwards from the centre of
the framework, and further to facilitate this movement the sides of the
beaters are shaped so that the resistance of the washing fluid through

page_text: which they are reciprocated tends to cause them to fly outwards, thus
rendering the washing or cleansing operation more complete.
It is also preferred that the interior of the washing tub or box should
be corrugated.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to describe the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect to be as follows, that is to say, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, on which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a
washing tub or box to which my Invention is shewn applied; Figure 2
is also a vertical section of the same at right angles to Figure 1.
The bevil wheel or segment A, which gears with and communicates
motion to the bevil pinion B, is supported between the frames C and C¹
upon the stud D, and is vibrated by means of the lever E, operated by
an attendant. Two eyes are formed upon the bevil wheel or segment A
to receive the lever E, as shewn. At the under part of the bevil pinion B
a hollow cylindrical boss is formed, which has at its lower extremity
four horizontal arms or projections, to which the washing instrument F
is secured. The bevil pinion B is supported by a stud G, which passes
through the interior of the hollow cylindrical boss, upon which the
pinion B is formed, and is secured in its upper part to the frame C by
the cotter H; its lower extremity terminates in an enlargement, by
which the boss and bevil pinion B are supported.
The washing instrument F consists, as shewn on the Drawings, of a
cruciform framework, near the extremities of the several arms of which
oblong slots or mortices are cut, from within which hang loosely from the
pins a the strips or beaters I. The strips or beaters I are bevelled on one
side, as shewn. A valve J is placed near the bottom of the washing tub
or box, through which the foul washing fluid is drawn off as required.
The apparatus herein-before described and shewn on the Drawings is
actuated by the attendant vibrating the lever E, and thus, through the
bevil wheel and pinion A, B, imparting a rotating and reciprocatory
motion to the framework F and beaters I, by which the washing ope-
ration is performed upon the articles placed in the tub or box, as herein-
before described.
Strips e of wood or other suitable material are fastened to the interior
sides of the washing tub or box, so as to corrugate it.

page_text: The upper part of the washing tub constitutes a lid, hinged, as shewn,
upon the hinges d.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically 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 wheel or segment with sockets for receiving the operating
lever, as herein-before described and shewn on the annexed Drawings.
Second. The connecting of the beaters I to the reciprocating frame by
pin or hinge joints, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of March One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
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DUT T