IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for WASHING AND WRINGING
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Duncan McFarlane, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Duncan
McFarlane at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th December 1873.
I, THOMAS DUNCAN MFARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for WASHING AND WRINGING,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object to obtain increased efficiency,
durability, and economy in apparatus for washing and wringing.
The improved apparatus comprises a vertical cylindrical vessel, the
internal cylindrical surface of which is corrugated or fluted. A short
vertical shaft carried by bearings at the upper part of the vessel has
fixed on its bottom end a horizontal cross bar extending unequally

page_text: towards the opposite sides. The longer arm of the cross bar has fixed
to it a rubber, which is by preference a vertical paddle of wood with
holes through it, and which extends down from the cross bar almost to
the bottom of the vessel. To the shorter arm there is fixed a plain ver-
tical rod, by preference of wood, and also extending down almost to the
bottom of the vessel. The washing liquor and articles to be washed
being put into the vessel the latter are carried round, the more eccentric
paddle rubbing them against the sides of the vessel, whilst the rod by
reason of its less eccentricity acts on them differentially, and causes
them to continually change their positions relatively to the paddle.
The vessel is by preference constructed of metal, the cylindrical shell
being of corrugated sheet zino, copper, or other suitable metal, and
being fixed to cast-iron frames at top and bottom. The top frame is
formed with the bearings for the short vertical shaft, and for a horizontal
shaft geared by bevil wheels to the vertical shaft. The horizontal shaft
projects externally, and has a handle or handled fly wheel fixed on it.
The top frame is also cast with an arched (or other suitably shaped)
frame to receive a pair of rubber or wooden wringing rollers, fogether
with a laminated spring to compress the rollers, such spring being
adjusted by a screw tapped through the top of the arch, and having a
hand wheel fixed on its upper end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Duncan McFarlane in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS 2
DUNCAN M'FARLANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in 8
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Duncan McFarlano,
Her special licence that I,-the said Thomas Duncan McFarlane, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Duncan M'Farlane, my executors, administrators, and assigns,ε

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND WRINGING,"
upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Duncan
McFarlane, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Thomas Duncan M'Farlane, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
J-
My said Invention has for its object to obtain increased efficiency,
durability, and economy in apparatus for washing and wringing; and
my improved apparatus comprises a vessel having a cylindrical shell of
corrugated sheet metal with a paddle or rubber, and a rod disposed
opposite to each other, but at different distances from an axis about
which they are made to rotate inside the vessel. The articles to be
washed are carried round in the vessel, the paddle, which is the more
eccentric, rubbing them against the corrugated sides, whilst the rod by
reason of its less eccentricity acts on them differentially, and causes
them to continually change their positions relatively to the paddle, so
that every part of them is eventually uniformly acted on.'
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
modification of my improved washing and wringing apparatus. In
these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus, and Figure 2 is an
inverted plan or bottom end view of the paddle l'and rod 2, and of the
cross head 3, to which the paddle and rod are attached.
"
"

page_text: The vessel is of a vertical cylindrical form, and is by preference
constructed of metal, the cylindrical shell 4 being of corrugated sheet
zinc, copper, or other suitable metal, and being fixed to cast-iron
frames 5, 6, at top and bottom. The top framo 5 is formed with a
box 7 and bearings for containing and carrying a short vertical shaft 8, 5
the lower end of which passes through the bottom of the box 7, and has
fixed on it a cross head 3, to which aro attached the paddle or rubber 1.
and rod 2. Both paddle 1 and rod 2 are disposed parallel to the axis of
the shaft 8, and the paddle is perforated with holes.
It will be seen from the Drawing that the rod 2 is placed nearer to 1
the axis than the paddle or rubber 1, the object of this difference of
eccentricity being, as already explained, to cause the articles that are
being washed to be continually changing their positions relatively to the
rubber.
The cross head 3 is made massive, and with a balance weight 9, so as 1
to act as a fly wheel when rotating.
The short vertical shaft 8 has fast on it a bevil wheel 10, in gear with
which there is a bevil wheel 11 on a horizontal shaft 12, and this shaft
passes through the side of the vessel, and has a handle 13 fixed on it
externally. The top frame 5 is also cast with an arched (or other 2
suitably shaped) frame 14 to receive a pair of rubber or wooden wringing
rollers 15, together with a laminated spring 16, to compress the rollers,
such spring being adjusted by means of a screw 17 tapped through tho
top of the arch 14, and having a hand wheel fixed on its upper end.
The arched frame 14 occupies a middle or diametrical position on the 2
top of the vessel, and at both the front and back of it there is an opening
in the top frame 5 to give access to the interior of the vessel. Lids aro
provided for closing the openings, and a tap is fitted to the bottom for
drawing off liquid.
I prefer the vertical arrangement of the apparatus, as shown in the 3
accompanying Drawings, and hercin-before described; but the vessel
may be placed horizontally, or at an inclination. When the apparatus
is horizontal the bevel wheels 10, 11, are not required, and the shaft 8 is
prolonged through the end to receive the handlo 13, whilst it will be
desirable to support the opposite ends of the paddlo 1 and rod 2 by 8
fixing to them a comparatively light cross head fitted to turn upon a
centre stud or journal.

page_text: .
The openings into the vessel will of course be formed in the upper
part of the cylindrical shell 4, and the wringing details will be placed
above.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. The arranging and combining together of parts to form washing
and wringing apparatus in the improved manner, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The combination of a paddle and rod fixed at different distances
from an axis to which they are parallel, or nearly so, and about which
they are made to rotate, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
8. The casting of an arched frame for wringing rollers in the same
piece with the top frame of a metallic washing vessel, as herein-before
described.
4. The making of the cylindrical shell (4) of corrugated sheet metal,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Duncan M'Farlane, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in
h
Toad One thousand sight hundred and now
before described.
8. The casting of an arched frame for wringing rollers in the same*
piece with the top frame of a metallic washing vessel, as herein-before
described.
4. The making of the cylindrical shell (4) of corrugated sheet metal,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Duncan M'Farlane, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fone
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THO³. D. MCFARLANE. (L.s.)