IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Crockatt at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 21st May 1879.
WILLIAM CROCKATT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain;
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved general construction of
washing machine, specially designed for being worked by hand by one person for
family use, but it is also capable of being made in large sizes for being worked by
motive power, as for hotels or public washing and dressing establishments, and
which is more simple in construction and action, and efficient, requiring much less
power to work it, and with less friction than such washing machines as heretofore
constructed. And the nature and novelty of the Invention consists in forming the
washing chamber or box preferably of wood in a rectangular form in plan, with
vertical sides and ends. The ends are straight and parallel down to the bottom of
the box, which is of a segmental or semi-elliptical forin, corrugated or formed with
rounded bars right across the segmental part, up to where it joins the vertical sides,
the top of these sides being formed with an angular overhanging part projecting
over some distance into the box, with a perforated strengthening bar situated some
inches down from the top edge. The central opening over the top of the chamber
is covered in by a lid or lids resting on these angled projecting parts, so as to prevent
any "splashing" out of the water or escape of the steam when warm water is used
in the washing operation, the whole being carried or secured on feet or a supporting
frame at a proper height for filling in the clothes and washing liquids, and for
removing the clothes when cleaned, and also for the convenience of actuating the
internal rubber or agitator, which is constructed in the form of a hollow drum,
nearly the whole length of the box between the vertical ends formed of strong end
discs, and with a metal spindle or strong end studs, with corrugated bars all round
the edges of these discs, forming a hollow barred cylinder, which rolls and rubs the
clothes below it over the corrugated surface of the bottom of the trough or box.
This rolling action is given to the drum by two broad thin slotted arms or levers
projecting down from a cross rail or frame, with end pivots working in open bush
bearings at the upper edge of the ends of the box, the pivots or journals of
the cylinder taking into the slots in the lower ends of the working arms of this
rocking frame, which reciprocate close to the parallel ends of the box, the whole
being actuated by a central bow arm secured to the upper rail of the rocking frame,
and with a cross wooden handle at its free end carried quite over to one side of the
box, so that as it is reciprocated up and down by hand, it rocks the barred or

page_text: washing cylinder to and fro, as stated, over the clothes and corrugated surface
below, the slots in the arms admitting of any thickness or depth of clothes desired
between the cylinder and the bottom of the box. This reciprocating action of the
cylinder has the effect of rubbing or pressing the clothes between its bars and the
corrugated bottom, or at the same time lifting, freeing, and shaking them again in
the opposite free spaces between the cylinder and the sides of the box at each
reciprocation of the cylinder by hand, all as explained, the water or washing liquid
rising freely up through the bars of the cylinder during the operation, a small
opening in the centre of the lid, which may be in two halves for convenience of
lifting off and on, allowing of the free action of the rocking frame and its actuating
lever, the upper edge of the sides of the washing machine being left projecting
upwards for the frame of the ordinary india-rubber roller wringers to be screwed
thereto, and also to allow the washing liquids to run backwards into the trough
through perforations in the overhanging edges and its securing bar at the top
sides of the trough, an ordinary tap or valve being fitted at the bottom of the
trough for the purpose of emptying or drawing-off all liquid therefrom when
desired.
It is to be understood that the bars on the rocking cylinder are made of nearly
the same pitch as the corrugations on the concave segmental bottom of the box, and
preferably of a rounded or egg end shape in section. And although only one pair
of slotted arms and cylinder have been described as actuated by the rocking hand
lever and frame, two sets of slotted levers might be fitted thereto and used to actuate
two rolling cylinders of smaller size in the bottom of the vessel instead of one large
cylinder, as described.