IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC OR COMBINED WASHING HOUSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Malcom Cockburn of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling,
North Britain, Ironfounder for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC OR COMBINED WASHING HOUSES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Malcom Cockburn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th June 1882.
MALCOM COCKBURN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain,
Ironfounder, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC OR COMBINED
WASHING HOUSES
"
This Invention relates to public or combined washing houses which in one
structure have a number of distinct compartments for the separate accomodation
of several persons, and its object is to improve the arrangement or construction of
various parts of or connected with such washing houses.
In an arrangement heretofore in use and to which the present Invention
is applicable a number of separate washing compartments are formed on each
side of a drying chamber, the compartments being separated from each other
by vertical partition's extending outwards from and at right angles to the
outer sides of the drying chamber. In each compartment there is an opening
or doorway into the drying chamber, and a railed frame or drying horse on wheels
is arranged for being entered in at the doorway or drawn out through it, and is
provided with vertical ends which close the doorway, one of them when the horse
is pushed entirely in and the other when it is drawn entirely out. A small
open boiler or boiling tub, with supply and discharge pipes and cocks is fitted
against the drying chamber in one corner of each compartment and a washing
vessel or tub also having supply and discharge pipes and cocks is fitted in
front of the boiling tub. At the upper part of each partition or against the side
of the drying chamber one or more shelves or racks are fitted on which to place
clothes or baskets; and a table or shelf is fitted on a bracket at the outer part of
each compartment in front of the washing tub.

page_text: In carrying out the present Invention the partitions are made to consist partly
of unperforated plates and partly of wire netting or of perforated or open ironwork
or woodwork by which thorough ventilation is secured. The outer side of each
compartment is enclosed by a partition formed with a sliding or hinged door which
latter can be locked, but the door and partition are by preference constructed with
more or less wire netting or perforated or open ironwork to allow of ventilation and
of the inspection of the interior of the compartment.
Each boiling tub or vessel has over it a fixed hood provided with a lower
movable part which can be set at a greater or less height by means of a catch or
stud engaging upon ratchet teeth. The hood is for the collection and removal of
the vapors from the boiling tub and communicates with a descending flue or pipe
which leads them into a main flue constructed beneath the floor level, and which
may be either a separate flue for the purpose, or the same flue which leads away
the vapors from the drying chamber. The descending pipe from each hood may
pass down through a larger pipe or through a vessel through which the cold water
is supplied in order that the vapor or steam may be condensed and its removal be
thereby promoted.
.
The steam or hot-water pipes for heating the drying chamber are placed
longitudinally and so as to extend under the horses or drying frames instead of
being only in the spaces between them as heretofore. To facilitate and hasten the
drying operation provision is made to insure currents of heated air passing through
the drying chamber. The currents may be obtained by means of a chimney stalk
or shaft; but it is preferred to employ fans or other blowing apparatus arranged
either to force in air or to exhaust it, or steam jets may be applied to exhaust the
air. The air charged with the moisture from the clothes which are being dried
may be led away or drawn off from the upper part of the drying chamber by
suitable flues, passages, or outlets, in which case the fresh air is admitted beneath
the longitudinal or other heating pipes at the bottom of the chamber; or the fresh
air may be admitted above and be led off by flues below in which case the heating
pipes should be placed in the upper part of the chamber so that the fresh air may
pass in contact with them on its way to the clothes Or instead of heating the air
in the drying chamber itself it may be heated in any suitable known manner in a
separate compartment or apparatus and be led into the drying chamber, through a
main flue and branches or separate ports arranged to distribute it uniformly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Malcom Cockburn in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th February 1883.
MALCOM COCKBURN, of Falkirk, in the County of Stirling, North Britain,
Ironfounder, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC OR COMBINED
WASHING HOUSES
"
My said Invention relates to public or combined washing houses which in one
structure have a number of distinct compartments for the separate accomodation
of several persons; and its object is to improve the arrangement or construction
of various parts of or connected with such washing houses.
In an arrangement heretofore in use and to which my present Invention is
applicable a number of separate washing compartments are formed on each side
of a drying chamber, the compartments being separated from each other by vertical
partitions extending outwards from and at right angles to the outer sides of the
drying chamber. In each compartment there is an opening or doorway into the
drying chamber, and a railed frame or drying horse on wheels is arranged for
being entered in at the doorway or drawn out through it, and is provided with
vertical ends which close the doorway, one of them when the horse is pushed
entirely in and the other when it is drawn entirely out. A small open boiler or
boiling tub with supply and discharge pipes and cocks is fitted against the
drying chamber in one corner of each compartment and a washing vessel or tub
also having supply and discharge pipes and cocks is fitted in front of the boiling
tub. At the upper part of each partition or against the side of the drying
chamber one or more shelves or racks are fitted on which to place clothes or
baskets; and a table or shelf is fitted on a bracket at the outer part of each
compartment in front of the washing tub.
The general arrangements herein before described are shown upon a sheet of
explanatory drawings which is hereunto appended; and the improvements con-
stituting my present Invention and which are hereinafter particularly described
are shown in the same drawings as applied in combination with the said general
arrangements.
Figure 1, on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a sectional perspective
view; and figure, 2, is a transverse vertical section. Different modifications of
some of the parts are shown in the two figures; but the same reference numerals.
are used to mark the same, or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my present Invention the partitions, 3, which extending out at
right angles from each side of the central longitudinal drying chamber, 4, from the
several washing compartments or stalls, are made to consist partly of unperforated
plates and partly of wire netting, 5, or it might be perforated or open ironwork
or woodwork, by which thorough ventilation is secured. The outer side of each
compartment is enclosed by a partition, 6, formed or fitted with a door, 7, which
may be movable on wheels as shown or hinged, and which can be locked, but the
door, 7, and end partition, 6, are by preference constructed with more or less wire
netting or perforated or open ironwork to allow of ventilation and of the inspection
of the interior of the compartment.
Each boiling tub or vessel, 8, has over it a fixed hood, 9, provided with a lower
movable part, 10, which can be set at a greater or less height by means of a catch

page_text: or stud engaging upon ratchet teeth. The hood, 9, is for the collection and
removal of the vapors from the boiling tub and communicates with a descending
flué or pipe, 11, which leads them into a main flue or pipe, 12, constructed or
placed beneath the floor level, and which last may either be a separate flue for the
purpose, or the same flue which leads away the vapors from the drying chamber, 4.
The descending pipe, 11, from each hood, 9, may, as shown in figure, 2, pass down
through a larger pipe or vessel, 13, through which the cold water is supplied in
order that the vapor or steam may be condensed and its removal be thereby
promoted.
In one modification, shown in figure, 1, the steain or hot-water pipes, 14, for
heating the drying chamber, 4, are placed longitudinally and so as to extend under
the horses or drying frames, 15, instead of being only in the spaces between them
as heretofore. The heat of the pipes, 14, causes currents directly upwards from
them and when the pipes are only in the spaces between the horses, 15, as in
previous arrangements a large portion of the heat passes off wastefully; whereas
with my improved longitudinal arrangement most of the heat will act effectively
on the clothes upon the horses.
To facilitate and hasten the drying operation provision is made to insure
currents of heated air passing through the drying chamber, 4, The currents may
be obtained by means of a chimney stalk or shaft; but I prefer to employ fans or
other blowing apparatus arranged either to force in air or to exhaust it; or steam
jets may be applied to exhaust the air. The air charged with moisture from the
clothes which are being dried may be led away or drawn off from the upper part of
the drying chamber, 4, by suitable flues, passages, or outlets, 16, figure, 1, in which
case the fresh air is admitted beneath the longitudinal or other heating pipes, 14,
at the bottom of the chamber; or the fresh air may be admitted above and be led
off by flues below, in which case the heating pipes, 17, should be placed in the
upper part of the drying chamber, 4, as shown in figure, 2, so that the fresh air,
may pass in contact with them on its way to the clothes.. Or instead of heating
the air in the drying chamber, 4, itself it may be heated in any suitable known
manner in a separate compartment or apparatus and be led thence into the drying
chamber, 4, through a main flue, and branches or separate ports arranged to
distribute it uniformly.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated but that what I believe to be novel and
original and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1. The forming of the partitions dividing the washing compartments or stalls
from each other partly of unperforated plates and partly of wire netting or of
perforated or open ironwork or wood work substantially as herein before described.
2. The enclosing of the outer side of each washing compartment or stall, with a
combined partition and door constructed with more or less wire netting or perforated
or open ironwork substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combined arrangement in connection with each boiler consisting of a hood
with an adjustable lower part and a pipe or flue to lead the vapor downwards to a
main flue below the floor level as hereinbefore described
4. The arrangement of cold water pipe or vessel through which the vapor pipe
from each boiler hood is led substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
5. The placing of the heating pipes in the drying chamber, longitudinally, so as
to cross under or over the horses or clothes frames substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. The placing of the heating pipes in the upper part of the drying chamber and
causing the heated air to pass downwards when acting on the clothes on the horses
or frames substantially as hereinbefore described

page_text: 7. The system of drying the clothes by means of heated air currents passed through
the drying chamber but heated in a separate compartment or apparatus substantially
as herein before described.
In Witness whereof I, the said Malcom Cockburn have hereunto set my.hand
and seal this 6th day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.
MALCOM COCKBURN (L.S.)