Improvements in Washing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
I, JOSEPH PICKERING, of 107 Rice Lane, Walton, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in washing machines and the like,
the object being to obviate the matting or rolling into masses of the clothes or other
articles being washed and to thus enable the washing liquid to pass through or to all
parts of the clothes etc.
The apparatus comprises a fixed water tight casing provided with a charging
opening having a lid and with branches for attaching steam and water pipes thereto.
Within this casing which is preferably elliptical in cross section, the major axis
being vertical, is mounted a cylindrical drum or dasher which revolves slowly
alternately in opposite directions. The drum or dasher (hereinafter termed a
dasher) comprises two circular end plates provided with and supported on trunnions
carried in suitable bearings fixed to the outside of the casing, these end plates being
connected together by a number of round bars arranged so as to leave spaces
between them through which the washing liquid can pass; an opening having a
hinged lid is also provided for the insertion and withdrawal of the articles being
treated. Within the dasher are fixed a number of curved vanes or cross bars for
example three which extend the full distance between the end plates, and are
arranged parallel with the axis of the dasher at a short distance from the inner
periphery thereof, the space between each vane and the inner periphery of the drum
being partly closed or filled up by other longitudinal bars, and the arrangement
being such that the clothes which are carried partly round on the vanes, can drop
freely into the washing liquid contained in the casing.
The curved vanes may be perforated, if desired, and are so shaped that the
clothes will not fall off them in a mass but one portion will descend in advance of
the other, thus causing the clothes to open out previously to being again submerged
in the washing liquid.
Immediately above the dasher and inside the casing is a perforated water pipe
for rinsing the clothes after the washing liquid has been drawn off, and at the
bottom of the casing a perforated steam pipe is provided for heating purposes.
The dasher is driven by toothed wheels keyed upon the ends of the trunnions,
and gearing with two pinions secured to a shaft rotated in either direction by a
crossed and an open driving belt moved automatically (after the dasher has made a
few revolutions) by a worm wheel and crank connected with a strap guide. This
worm wheel is driven by a worm rotated by another strap.
The casing and dasher may be made of any suitable material that will not
damage the articles being washed, such, for example, as galvanized iron.
It is to be understood that in this machine articles may be cleansed, boiled,
rinsed and disinfected before being taken out and that the arrangement of vanes may
be somewhat modified to suit different articles without departure from the essential
features of this invention.
Dated this 29th day of April 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
I, JOSEPH PICKERING of 107 Rice Lane, Walton, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 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 has reference to improvements in washing machines and the like,
the object being to obviate the matting or rolling into masses of the clothes or other
articles being washed and to thus enable the washing liquid to pass through or to
all parts of the clothes etc.
The apparatus comprises a fixed water tight casing provided with a charging
opening having a lid and with branches for attaching steam and water pipes thereto.
Within this casing which is preferably elliptical in cross section, the major axis
being vertical is mounted a cylindrical drum or dasher which revolves slowly alter-
nately in opposite directions. The drum or dasher (hereinafter termed a dasher)
comprises two circular end plates provided with and supported on trunnions carried
in suitable bearings fixed to the outside of the casing, these end plates being
connected together by a number of round bars arranged so as to leave spaces
between them through which the washing liquid can pass; an opening having a
hinged lid is also provided for the insertion and withdrawal of the articles being
treated. Within the dasher are fixed a number of curved vanes or cross bars for
example three which extend the full distance between the end plates, and are
arranged parallel with the axis of the dasher at a short distance from the inner
periphery thereof, the space between each vane and the inner periphery of the
drum being partly closed or filled up by other longitudinal bars, and the arrange-
ment being such that the clothes which are carried partly round on the vanes, can
drop freely into the washing liquid contained in the casing.
The curved vanes may be perforated, if desired, and are so shaped that the
clothes will not fall off them in a mass but one portion will descend in advance of
the other, thus causing the clothes to open out previously to being again submerged
in the washing liquid.
Immediately above the dasher and inside the casing is a perforated water pipe
for rinsing the clothes after the washing liquid has been drawn off, and at the
bottom of the casing a perforated steam pipe is provided for heating purposes.
The dasher is driven by toothed wheels keyed upon the ends of the trunnions,
and gearing with two pinions secured to a shaft rotated in either direction by a
crossed and an open driving belt moved automatically (after the dasher has made a
few revolutions) by a worm wheel and crank connected with a strap guide. This
worm wheel is driven by a worm rotated by another strap.
The casing and dasher may be made of any suitable material that will not
damage the articles being washed, such, for example, as galvanized iron.
It is to be understood that in this machine articles may be cleansed, boiled,
rinsed and disinfected before being taken out and that the arrangement of vanes
may be somewhat modified to suit different articles without departure from the
essential features of this invention.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a washing machine according to this
invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan or top view.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation.
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation taken on the line 7. 8 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 shews one of the curved bars or dashers.
Fig.
6 is a detached view of the reversing motion.
A is a watertight casino having its ends formed by the frames B. B. and its body

page_text: by the metal plates C. C, the parts being bolted or otherwise secured together.
D. is a tight fitting hinged door on the front side of the casing, which is preferably
elliptical as shewn in Fig. 4. Within the casing A revolves a cylindrical drum E,
hereafter called a dasher, composed of a number of round bars F. F. so arranged as
to leave spaces through which the washing liquid passes; the ends of these bars
are secured to two circular end plates G. G. whilst a suitable hinged lid F' Fig. 4
(made of similar round bars) is provided through which the articles to be treated
are inserted and withdrawn. When the lid is closed, the drum E is completed.
The circular end plates G are provided with and supported on short trunnion
shafts H. H that are carried in suitable bearings J fixed to or formed with the end
frames B. Within the dasher a number of curved vanes or cross bars K.
Figs. 4 & 5 (in this case three) extend the full distance between the end plates G. G.
to which they are secured. The vanes K are arranged parallel with the axis of
the dasher E. and at a short distance from the inner periphery thereof, the space
between each vane and the wall of the dasher being occupied by round bars F*
which are placed a short distance from each other as clearly shewn in Fig. 4 to
allow the washing liquid to pass. The vanes K are preferably perforated and are
so shaped that as the dasher slowly rotates, the clothes are carried around partly
on the vanes and will not fall into the washing liquid in a mass as in dasher washing
machines as usually constructed but one portion a little in advance of another,
thus causing the clothes to open out and change their relative positions at the same
time allowing the washing or cleansing liquid to distribute itself amongst them,
thereby they are prevented from rolling into lumps or getting matted together and
being only partly cleansed. The dasher E. is slowly rotated alternately in opposite
directions by the trunnion shafts H which have toothed wheels L. L. keyed thereon;
these wheels gear with two pinions M M secured to the driving shaft N which is
driven in either direction alternately by the fast pulley P and crossed and open
driving belts QQ' from a countershaft not shewn. N is a wheel for rotating
the dasher by hand. The automatic gearing for moving the crossed and open
belts QQ longitudinally from the loose pulleys P₁ P₁ on to the fast or driving
pulley P consists of the usual arrangement of a worm R driven continuously in
one direction by the strap pulley S from the countershaft not shewn, this worm
gears with a worm wheel R' on the shaft R' which turns a crank T onto the
pin of which takes a connecting rod that connects it with a strap guide U, the
arrangement being such that while the dasher is making the desired number of
revolutions in one direction simultaneously the crank travels sufficiently to move
one belt from off and the other belt on to the fast pulley P thus reversing the
motion of the dasher.
The watertight casing is provided directly above the dasher with a perforated
spray pipe that extends the full length of the casing and the supply to which
is controlled by the valve V1 through which the washing or rinsing water is
admitted; a perforated steam pipe W and valve W₁ are also provided below the
dasher for boiling the washing liquid or disinfecting the clothes under treatment.
X is a discharging valve for emptying the watertight casing.
It will thus be understood that by my arrangement, clothes or other like
materials can be washed, rinsed, boiled and thoroughly disinfected whilst in the
machine and that by the arrangement of curved vanes, materials such as sheets
lace curtains and the like will not be damaged by being rolled into masses, but
will be partly opened out each time they fall into the cleansing liquid contained
in the lower part of the watertight casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a washing machine, a rotary dasher having curved vanes so formed and
arranged that in falling from or over the said vanes the articles under treatment.
will be caused to separate or open out substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a washing machine the combination of a rotary dasher, provided with
curved vanes short trunnion shafts and a hinged door with an elliptical water-
tight casing also provided with a hinged door.
3. The hereinbefore described machine for washing, cleansing, rinsing, boiling
and disinfecting clothes and other articles constructed, arranged and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of October 1892.
JOSEPH PICKERING.