IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hardcastle, of Bradshaw, near Bolton-le-
Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Printer, Dyer, and Bleacher, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING TEXTILE
FABRICS."
Sealed the 9th February 1858, and dated the 12th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hardcastle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1857.
I, THOMAS HARDCASTLE, of Bradshaw, near Bolton-le-Moors, in the County
of Lancaster, Printer, Dyer, and Bleacher, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention is particularly applicable for washing piece goods, the ends
of which are connected together so as to pass in continuous lengths through
the machine. The machinery consists of two arms, through which the fabric
passes; these arms vibrate rapidly in a cistern, partly filled with water, and
strike the fabric against stationary guards; a wince and roller, or winces and
rollers are applied to agitate and guide the fabric, which then passes through
a pair of squeezing rollers of the ordinary construction.
I wish to remark, that two or more sets of vibrating arms may be used in
the same cistern, each length of fabric being guided to the squeezing rollers

page_text: through a separate guide. The fabric, in addition to the vibrating motion
imparted by the arms, may also be moved up and down by other levers, and
in order to cause the water to act with greater effect on the fabric. I admit it
between the stationary guards, and make the current of water flow in the
contrary direction to that of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hardcastle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HARDCASTLE, of Bradshaw, near Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Printer, Dyer, and Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Hardcastle, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Hardcastle,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Hardcastle, 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 FOR WASHING TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Hardcastle, 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 Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hardcastle, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 (that is to say):
--
The nature of my Invention consists in causing the fabrics to be washed to
pass through eyes made in the ends of arms, which vibrate rapidly in a cistern
partly filled with water, and strike the fabrics as they are drawn forward by

page_text: squeezing rollers, against stationary guards; the fabrics in passing to and from
the vibrating arms are guided by rollers and winches.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine for washing, con-
structed according to my improvements; Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and
Fig. 3, a plan of the same. a is a cistern, to the bottom of which are fixed
the bearings b, b, supporting the shafts c, c, to which are fixed the arms d, d;
near the extremities of these arms are eyes for guiding the fabrics, these
fabrics are previously stitched end to end, so as to pass in continuous lengths
through the machine. When the fabrics enter the cistern, they are taken
under the guide roller e, then through the eyes in the arms d, d, then under
the wince or roller f, and from thence they are taken through the eyes g, g, to
the squeezing rollers h, h. The requisite motions are given to the various
parts of the machine by the side shaft i, to which is fixed the driving pulley j;
on the shaft i is the crank k, the connecting rod of which, marked l, is jointed
to the lever d¹, and this lever is connected to the lever d² by the link m; by
this means, when the shaft i revolves, the requisite vibrating motion is given
to the arms d, d. The squeezing rollers h, h, are turned round by the bevel
pinion n, fixed to the side shaft i, gearing into the wheel o, fixed on the cross
shaft p, on which is the spur pinion q, gearing into the wheel r, fixed to the
axis of the lower squeezing roller h. The upper squeezing roller is pressed on
to the lower one by means of screws or levers in the usual manner. When
the machine is set in motion, the rapid vibrating motion of the arms d, d,
causes the fabrics to strike against the stationary guards s, s, between which
the fabrics pass, as seen best in Figure 2; by thus striking the fabrics against
the guards, and agitating them in the water, they are effectually washed before
they arrive at the squeezing rollers; and in order to remove any impurities
adhering to the fabrics, the water is supplied to the cistern through the pipe t,
which is furnished with spouts to guide it to each piece of fabric.
shafts c, c, to which
On Sheet 2, Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a machine for washing,
constructed according to a modification of my improvements; Figure 5 is a
transverse section, and Figure 6, a plan of the same. a is the cistern, to
the bottom of which are fixed the bearings b, b¹, of the
are fixed the arms d, d, each furnished with one eye for the fabric to pass
through. When the fabrics enter the cistern, they are taken under the guide
roller e, then through the eyes a in the stands b, then through the eyes of the
arms d, and then through the other eyes a¹ in the stands 61; the fabrics are

page_text: then guided under the roller f and through the eyes g, g, to the squeezing
rollers h, h. The various parts of this machine are set in motion by the side
shaft i, to which is fixed a driving pulley j; on the shaft i is a crank k,
furnished with a connecting rod jointed to the lever d¹, and this lever is
connected to the lever d by the link m; by this means, when the shaft i
revolves, the arms d, d, are made to vibrate, and in so doing strike the fabric
passing through the eyes at their lower ends against the bevel guards s, s.
The squeezing rollers are turned round by the bevel pinion n, wheel o, cross
shaft p, spur pinion q, and wheel r, as clearly shewn in the Drawing, and
explained in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Other modifications of my Invention might be shewn, but the foregoing are
sufficient to illustrate the peculiar character thereof.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the means of
carrying the same into practical operation, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the details herein set forth, and I declare that I claim
as my improvements in machinery for washing textile fabrics the vibrating
arms above referred to, by which the fabrics to be washed are struck against
stationary guards, or any modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hardcastle, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS HARDCASTLE. (L.S.)