IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOSEPH OWEN HARDWICK of Colorado City County of El Paso, State of
Colorado United States of America machinist do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object certain Improvements in washing machines to
prevent splashing which improvements will be clearly understood by the following
description with reference to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 of which is a vertical section of a washing machine with my improve-
ments applied.
Figure 2 a perspective view showing the rear of one of the rubber frames
with the rubber.
Figure 3 a perspective view of the clothes bolder and Figure 4 a sectional view
of the upper bar of one of the rubber frames.
The wash tub C is of rectangular form and is made by preference of sheet metal
with a top c forming a permanent part of the tub and with a flanged tray B.
Each rubber frame is composed in the present instance of the two bars dd, and
transverse connecting bars e e¹ and e¹ and each rubber consists of the two bars G, G¹
transverse rounded slats h and the upper transverse bar i
The two bars G G' of each rubber are connected at their lower ends to the lower
cross bar of a rubber frame, the connections being in the present instance by
staples f, but other devices which will permit the rubber to be vibrated on the
rubber frame may be adopted.
Two springs m m are interposed between each rubber and the frame to which it
is connected and the rubber and frame are further connected together at the top
by chains w.
The clothes holder is shown in Figure 3 but I do not claim its construction as
part of my present Invention, it will suffice therefore to remark here, that the
clothes to be washed are clamped to the holder and the latter reciprocated between
the rubbers between which the clothes are pressed by the springs m.
In the top c of the wash tub there is an oblong opening n which is just wide
enough and long enough to permit the withdrawal from the said tub of a rubber
frame and rubber as indicated by dotted lines in figure 1, this withdrawal being

page_text: easily effected in the absence of the clothes holder from the said opening after
first pressing the rubber and rubber frame together at the top, there being nothing
to prevent the tops of the said frames being contracted as shown by dotted lines in
figure 1.
It is important to prevent splashing of the water and suds as far as possible and
for this reason the wash tub is permanently closed and water tight at the top
excepting at the opening n and this is contracted as far as the necessity for the
occasional removal of the rubbers and rubber franes and the introduction of the
holder and clothes into the tub will permit.
Whatever water may escape through this contracted opening or may be
withdrawn with the clothes will be caught by the flanged tray and will find its
way back into the tub.
It will be noted on referring to Figures 1 and 4 that the upper bar i of each
rubber is so rounded that the two bars present a flaring entrance to the space
between the two rubbers and as the rounded faces of these bars are subjected to
great wear they are faced with sheet metal w¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First: The combination of the rubber and removable rubber frames with a
wash tub having a top c forming a permanent part of the tub and provided with a
contracted opening n of a size to permit the withdrawal of the rubber and rubber
frames substantially as set forth.
Second: The combination of a wash tub having a top c forming a permanent
part of the tub and provided with a contracted opening with a rubber and
rubber frames having their upper ends free to be contracted to withdraw said
frames from the tub through the opening n substantially as described.
T 1