1MPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING TEXTILE AND FELTED FABRICS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WASHING OF ORES, GOLD AND SILVER DUST, AND OTHER METALS, FLOCKS, HAIR, TOW, AND OTHER STMITAD MATERIALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Farmer, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "1MPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING TEXTILE AND FELTED
FABRICS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WASHING OF ORES,
GOLD AND SILVER DUST, AND OTHER METALS, FLOCKS, HAIR, TOW, AND OTHER
STMITAD MATERIALS"
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 29th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Farmer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th January 1866.
I, BENJAMIN FARMER, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING TEXTILE AND
FELTED FABRICS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WASHING OF ORES,
GOLD AND SILVER DUST, AND OTHER METALS, FLOCKS, HAIR, TOW, AND OTHER
SIMILAR MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
I construct a table or framework of wood, iron, or other suitable material,
Such
having at one end two uprights for supporting the washing apparatus.
apparatus consists of a strong closed elliptical casing, the flat sides of which
Price 8d:l

page_text: are provided with central spindles carried by the before-mentioned uprights.
In the elliptical surface of the casing is formed a door or flap capable of being
closed in a water-tight manner, and upon the inside of such casing are fixed
bars or fillets running parallel with the axis thereof. Inside the casing 1 place
two or more loose wooden "rubbers," by preference of a rounded form, and
loaded internally with metal. The clothes or other objects to be washed
having been placed together with the requisite water. and other cleansing
materials inside the casing, and the door being closed, the casing is made to
revolve slowly by means of any suitable known arrangement of gearing, either
by hand, or by any other source of motive power, when the action of the
rubbers in falling with the clothes from side to side of the elliptical casing
will speedily and effectually cleanse the clothes, such action of the rubbers
being accelerated by the before-mentioned bars, upon which they fall, striking
the clothes at the same time. When the clothes have been washed in this
manner they are removed from the casing and are placed upon the wringing
machine, which is arranged as follows: At or about the middle of the length
of the before-mentioned table or framing are situated two or more rollers or
discs placed a certain distance apart across the table, which rollers or discs
run in bearings formed on side plates of the framework, and support a strong
moveable slab, by preference of hard wood, extending the whole length of the
table; resting upon the top of this slab, in the central position between the
rollers below, is another roller, also by preference of hard wood, and which
may be covered with vulcanized india-rubber. The spindle of this roller is
guided in vertical slots formed in the before-mentioned plates fixed on either
side of the framing, and runs in bearings formed on the ends of bars or rods
which pass down through the framing, beneath which they have a screw
thread formed upon them. Nuts are screwed upon the ends of these rods,
and between these nuts, and the under side of the framing india-rubber springs
or washers are interposed, so that by drawing down the rods by means of the
nuts the before-mentioned upper roller is pressed with more or less force and
in an elastic manner upon the upper surface of the slab. Rotary motion is
imparted to the upper and lower rollers alternately in reverse directions by
means of suitable gearing fixed upon the spindles of either the one or the
other of these rollers, and driven either by hand or by any other source of
motive power, by which motion the before-mentioned slab will be made to
travel backwards and forwards between the rollers. The clothes or other
articles having been laid upon this slab, and being made to pass with the
same between the rollers, the moisture is effectually pressed out of them
thereby. A shoot or inclined trough is arranged beneath the slab, into which

page_text: the water that is expressed from the clothes falls, and from which it runs
into pails or receptacles at the end of the machine. By tightening down the
upper roller to the requisité degree and laying the clothes," when dry, in a
smoothly folded condition upon the slab, the apparatus may also be employed
for mangling purposes. The one bearing of the upper roller is formed as a
hook, so that by unscrewing the rod below the roller can be readily removed.
This machine may also be rendered applicable for washing gold and silver
dust, ores, and minerals by forming perforations in the before-described
elliptical casing, and by constructing the one bearing thereof hollow, so that
water can be continually admitted into the casing through such bearing
whilst revolving, and may be allowed to flow together with the diross through
the perforations of the casing on to the table below.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Farmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th July 1866..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
FARMER, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin Farmer, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Farmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Farmer, my executors, administrators, and 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, WRINGING, AND
MANGLING TEXTILE AND FELTED FABRICS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ALSO APPLICABLE
TO THE WASHING OF ORES, GOLD AND SILVER DUST, AND OTHER METALS, FLOCKS
HAIR, TOW, AND OTHER SIMILAR MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Farmer, 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

page_text: 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.
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Farmer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
I construct a table or framework of wood, iron, or other suitable material,
Such
having at one end two uprights for supporting the washing apparatus.
apparatus consists of a strong closed elliptical casing, the flat sides of which
are provided with central spindles carried by the before-mentioned uprights.
In the elliptical surface of the casing is formed a door or flap capable of being
closed in a water-tight manner, and upon the inside of such casing are fixed
bars or fillets running parallel with the axis thereof. Inside the casing I place
two or more loose wooden rubbers, by preference of a rounded form, and loaded
internally with metal. The clothes or other objects to be washed having
been placed, together with the requisite water and other cleansing materials,
inside the casing, and the door being closed, the casing is made to revolve
slowly by means of any suitable known arrangement of gearing, either by hand
or by any other source of motive power, when the action of the rubbers in
falling with the clothes from side to side of the elliptical casing will speedily
and effectually cleanse the clothes, such action of the rubbers being accelerated
by the before-mentioned bars, upon which they fall, striking the clothes at the
same time. When the clothes have been washed in this manner they are
removed from the casing and are placed upon the wringing machine, which is
arranged as follows:-At or about the middle of the length of the before-
mentioned table or framing are situated two or more rollers or discs placed a
certain distance apart across the table, which rollers or discs run in bearings
formed in side plates of the framework, and support a strong inoveable slab,
by preference of hard, wood, extending the whole length of the table. Resting
upon the top of this slab, in a central position between the rollers below, is
another roller, also by preference of hard wood, and which may be covered
with vulcanized india-rubber. The spindle of this roller is guided in vertical
slots formed in the before-mentioned plates fixed on either side of the framing
and runs in bearings formed on the ends of bars or rods which pass down
through the framing, beneath which they have a screw thread formed upon
them. Nuts are screwed upon the ends of these rods, and between these nuts
and the under side of the framing india-rubber springs or washers are inter
posed, so that by drawing down the rods by means of the nuts the before-

page_text: mentioned upper roller is pressed with more or less force and in an elastic.
manner upon the upper surface of the slab. Rotary motion is imparted either.
to the upper and lower rollers alternately in reverse directions by means of
suitable gearing fixed upon the spindles of either the one or the other of these
rollers, and driven either by hand or by any other source of motive power, by
which motion the before-mentioned slab will be made to travel backwards and
forwards between the rollers; or the slab itself may be actuated directly by
means of self-acting reversing gear. The clothes or other articles having
been laid upon this slab, and being made to pass with the same between the,
rollers, the moisture is effectually pressed out of them thereby. A shoot
or inclined trough is arranged beneath the slab, into which the water that is
expressed from the clothes falls, and from which it runs into pails or
receptacles at the end of the machine. By tightening down the upper roller
to the requisite dégree, and laying the clothes, when dry, in a smoothly folded
condition upon the slab,..the apparatus may also be employed for mangling
purposes. The one bearing of the upper roller is formed as a hook, so that
by unscrewing the rod below the roller can be readily removed. This machine
may also be rendered applicable for washing gold and silver dust, ores, and
minerals, and other substances, by forming perforations in the before-described
elliptical casing, and by constructing the one bearing thereof hollow, so that
water can be continually admitted into the casing through such bearing whilst
revolving, and may be allowed to flow together with the dross through the
perforations of the casing on to the table below.
On the accompanying Drawing is shown the arrangement of my improved
washing, wringing, and mangling machine. Figure 1 shows a side elevation
of the same; Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section; Figure 3 shows a
transverse section on line X, X, Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a longitudinal
section of the washing machine arranged as a separate apparatus, and Figure 5
shows a transverse section of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate
similar parts in each of the Figures.
A, A, is the framing to the wringing and mangling machine, at one end
of which are two uprights B, B, carrying the washing machine, consisting
of the closed elliptical casing C, provided with a hinged door D, through
which the articles to be washed are introduced, and which is then fastened
down by means of a suitable catch E. Upon the internal circumference
of this casing are fixed a number of bars or fillets F, and loose wooden
rubbers G, G, loaded inside with metal, as shown, are placed inside the casing,
which rubbers in falling from side to side. of. the casing as this revolves
effectually cleanse the clothes. Pressing motion is imparted to the casing

page_text: either by means of a pulley H on the spindle I. of the same, driven by
machinery, as, shown in Figure 1, or. by means of a crank handle H and
gearing H2 worked by hand: as shown at Figure 4. The framing A carries
two spindles J, J, running in bearings formed on the side plates K, K, upon
which spindles are fixed the discs or rollers L, L, serving as supports to the
strong wooden slab M extending the whole length of the framework A, as
shown; this slab is provided with ledges N, N, at the sides, between which
fits the roller O, by preference of hard wood, and either covered or not with
vulcanized india-rubber, which roller is carried in bearings formed on the ends
of the bars P, P, and which is pressed down upon the surface of the slab by
the lower ends of the rods P, P¹, being screwed down by means of nuts Q, Q,
pressing against india-rubber washers R, R, interposed between them and the
under side of the framing A. The spindles of the roller O are guided in
slots a, a, formed in the before-mentioned side plates K, and the bearing on
the rod P¹ is formed as a hook, so that when the nut below is unscrewed
the spindle of the roller can be released and the roller removed. The
requisite reciprocating motion may be imparted to the slab M either by
hand, by means of a crank handle fixed upon the spindle of either the roller O
or one of the rollers L, or by preference a self-acting reversing mechanism
driven by machinery is employed as indicated in Figures 1 and 3. For this
purpose a rack S is fixed to the under side of the slab M, in gear with which
is a pinion T, the spindle U of which is carried by the transverse bar V of
the framing. The end of the spindle passes inside the casing W, where it is
provided with a bevil wheel Y; in gear with this wheel are two pinions b, b,
loose upon the shaft c, but capable of being made to revolve with the same
alternately by means of the reversing clutch d. The shaft c receives rotary
motion by means of a bevil pinion e fixed thereon in gear with another pinion f
on a spindle g driven from the under-ground shaft h by means of a pulley i.
The clutch is reversed so as to cause the slab M to travel first in one direction
and then in the other by means of the one arm of the bell crank lever ; carried by
bracket fixed to the casing W; the other arm of which lever is connected
by a rod to and receives motion from the hand lever provided with a
balance weight. The spindle of this lever passes beneath the slab, where it
is provided with a short lever m, which is alternately acted upon so as to effect
the reversing of the clutch by means of the two studs n, n, one near each end
of the slab M, the balance weight on the lever 1 causing the clutch to be
thrown over as soon as the lever m has been moved part of the distance by one
of the studs n. By means of the lever the motion of the slab may' also be
reversed at any intermediate point of the entire distance which it travels.

page_text: For carrying off the water that is pressed out of the clothes when passing
beneath the roller O a channel o, o, is formed on either side of the slab M,
from which the water passes through a spout p on to a trough q, which
conducts it into a receptacle placed at the end of the machine.
Having now described the nature of my invention, and in what manner
it is to be performed, what I claim is,-
First, constructing apparatus for washing clothes and other articles
consisting of a closed elliptical casing caused to rotate upon a central axis,
upon the inner circumference of which casing are fixed a number of fillets or
bars, and which contains one or more moveable "rubbers" arranged and
operating substantially as herein-before described with reference to the
accompanying Drawing.
Second, adapting the aforesaid washing apparatus to the washing of ores,
minerals, and other substances by forming perforations in the elliptical casing,
and introducing a current of water through a hollow spindle of the same,
substantially as described.
Third, constructing apparatus for wringing and mangling clothes and other
articles consisting of a table or framework having a strong reciprocating slab
resting upon two or more rollers or discs below, upon the top of which slab
another roller is pressed in an elastic and adjustable manner by means of springs
acting against nuts upon rods or bars upon which the bearings of the said
roller are formed or fixed, substantially as herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Fourth, the combined washing and wringing or mangling apparatus
arranged and operating in manner herein-before set forth with reference to
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Farmer have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
BENJAMIN FARMER. (L.s.)