Improvements in Machines for Washing, Churning, and Analogous Operations.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Washing, Churning, and Analogous
Operations.
I ALFRED DOWLING of Bolton Lodge Basingstoke in the County of Hants Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide simple apparatus which gives a very
efficient action in washing churning and like operations.
According to my Invention I mount the vessel in which the materials to be acted
upon are enclosed (such as for instance clothes to be washed or milk to be made into
butter) on an axis carried in a frame or holder which is mounted in a vessel or
supports by an axis provided with means for rotating it in either direction. On
the axis of the vessel 1 provide projections which as the vessel and its frame are
rotated come against a fixed projection by which a motion of rotation is given to the
vessel at right angles to the motion of rotation given to it by the device by which the
vessel and frame are rotated. The vessel has these compound movements given to it
either in one direction or the other according to the direction in which motion is
imparted to it by the prime mover. The vessel may be many sided or of any con-
venient shape and when used for churning or the like will have solid walls but when
used for washing or the like it will be reticulated or perforated and will be mounted
in a vessel containing the water or liquid to be used in the operation.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
Agents.

page_text: Operations.
I, ALFRED DOWLING of Bolton Lodge Basingstoke in the County of Hants Merchant
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 :-
The object of my Invention is to provide simple apparatus which gives a very
efficient action in washing churning and like operations.
According to my Invention I mount the vessel in which the materials to be acted
upon are enclosed (such as for instance clothes to be washed or milk to be made into
butter) on an axis carried in a frame or holder which is mounted in a vessel or
supports, by an axis provided with means for rotating it in either direction. On the
axis of the vessel I provide a bevel wheel which gears with a bevel pinion fast on an
axle carried in arms projecting from the frame, on which axle there is also keyed a
spur pinion gearing with a stationary spur wheel or circular rack secured to the interior
surface of one of the sides of the outer vessel containing the cleansing liquid, so that
when rotation is given to the frame and vessel rotary motion will be simultaneously
imparted to the vessel through the bevel gear and spur wheels herein before referred
to in a direction at right angles to the direct motion given to the frame, and
vessel.
The vessel has thus a compound movement given to it which may be either in one
direction or the other according to the direction in which motion is imparted to it by.
the prime mover. The vessel which is many sided (preferably hexagonal in cross
section) when used for churning or the like will have solid walls but when used for
washing or the like it will be reticulated or perforated and will be mounted in a vessel
containing the water or liquid to be used in the operation.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed more
particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 a transverse section of a washing
machine constructed according to my Invention and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section
illustrating a modification in the arrangement and mode of driving the vessel in which
the articles or materials to be operated on are placed or enclosed,

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A represents the vessel in which the articles or
material to be operated on are enclosed. This vessel I prefer to make hexagonal as
shewn in the drawing or of other polygonal shape whereby the contents are more
efficiently acted upon when the vessel is rotated.
This vessel is provided with pivots or trunnions a a¹ mounted in bearings bin
a frame B which is fitted to rotate on trunnions c c¹ in the interior of the vessel C
containing the cleansing liquid when used for washing purposes. On the trunnion a¹
of the vessel A is keyed a bevel wheel d gearing with a bevel pinion e fast on a shaft f
carried in bearings g on the frame B. On the shaft f there is also fixed a spur
pinion gearing with a circular rack or stationary spur wheel i fast on the interior
face of one of the ends of the vessel C. Fast on the trunnions c¹ of the frame B
outside the vessel C is a spur wheel in gear with a pinion k on the first motion shaft m
of the machine which shaft m may be driven by hand or by steam or other fluid motive
power as desired. When the shaft m is rotated rotary motion will be imparted
through the wheel I and pinion k to the frame B and vessel A in one direction whilst
simultaneously with this motion the vessel A will also be rotated in a direction at
right angles to the motion of the frame B by reason of the pinion h gearing with
the circular rack i and transmitting motion through the shaft and bevel gearing d
and e to the vessel A. This compound rotary motion imparted to the vessel A will
cause the articles contained therein to be efficiently acted upon by the cleansing fluid
contained in the vessel (which fluid enters and escapes from the interior of the
vessel A through perforations n in the sides thereof.
In the modification illustrated by Figure 3 the gearing in the interior of the
vessel C for imparting the compound rotary motions to the vessel A is dispensed
with.
The vessel A is arranged to rotate on a horizontal axis in bearings a, a', in the
frame B which frame is arranged to turn on a vertical axis c in the tub or vessel C.
The axle c of the frame B passes through a stuffing box r in the bottom of the
tub or vessel C and may be rotated from any suitable prime mover by means of
a driving strap passed round a pulley fast on the said axle or by bevel gearing as
shown or by any other suitable means. Attached to the bottom of the interior of the
tub or vessel is a non-rotating pulley i through the centre of which the axle c
passes and round which is passed an endless band cord or the like s, the said cord
also passing round a pulley fast on the trunnion a¹ of the vessel A a guide pulley t
being provided on the frame B for directing the cord in the proper direction. When
the frame B is rotated rotation will also be given through the cord & to the vessel A
in a direction at right angles to the direction of motion of the frame B as in the first
described arrangement and thereby effect a violent agitation of the contents of the
vessel A and produce an efficient cleansing action thereon. To reduce friction in the
rotating frame B roller or ball bearings may be interposed between the said frame
and the non rotating pulley i in the bottom of the tub Con which it bears.
Any suitable or well known means may be employed for automatically or otherwise
changing the direction of rotation of the machine if desired.
When the machine is intended for churning and like operations the sides of the
vessel A are not perforated as when used for washing purposes and the outer vessel C
may be dispensed with.
The vessels A and C are provided respectively with suitable doors w and x to
facilitate the introduction and withdrawal of the articles or materials into and from
the vessel A.
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 :-
1st. In machines for washing clothes and other articles a polygonal perforated
vessel in which the articles to be operated on are placed the said vessel receiving a
rotary motion in two directions simultaneously within an outer vessel containing the

page_text: cleansing fluid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
2nd. The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting a washing
machine substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting a machine for
washing clothes and other articles substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.