Improved Method of Driving Washing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Driving Washing Machines.
We, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson, Laidlaw & Co., of 98, Dundas
Street, in the County of the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Engineers, and
JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE, of the same place, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows:
This Invention relates to an improved method of driving washing machines
and consists in the Application of a water or other fluid motor to produce the
necessary power to operate the same.
In such machines, there is an inner drum which revolves and an outer drum
which is stationary. The inner drum revolves at a slow rate and the direction of
revolution is periodically reversed.
In carrying out our invention we connect the shaft of the motor by gearing
with the shaft of the inner drum. In order to reverse the direction of motion
periodically we provide on the turbine two sets of cups or vanes turned in opposite
directions and by means of a two-way cock having two nozzles the water or other
fluid is periodically directed against one or other set of the cups or vanes. The
turbine is thus reversed periodically. The two-way cock may be operated by
hand or automatically from some convenient moving part of the machine.
We may keep the turbine running always in the same direction and reverse
the direction of revolution of the inner drum by means of a reversing clutch or
other suitable mechanic arrangement operated from some convenient moving part
of the machine.
Dated this 20th day of December 1002
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
4 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Patent Agents..
Improved Method of Driving Washing Machines.
We, JOHN LAIDLAW, of the Firm of Watson, Laidlaw & Co., of 98, Dundas
Street, in the County of the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Engineers, and
JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE of the same place, Engineer, 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:
This Invention relates to an improved method of driving washing machines
and consists in the application of a water or other fluid motor to produce the
necessary power to operate the same. The fluid pressure required to drive the

page_text: motor may be obtained by any well-known means, such as a steam pump, injector,
or other method of producing such pressure.
In such machines there is an inner drum which revolves and an outer drum
which is stationary. The inner drum revolves at a alow rate and the direction of
revolution is periodically reversed.
In carrying out our Invention we connect the shaft of the motor by gearing with
the shaft of the inner drum. In order to reverse the direction of motion
periodically we provide on the turbine two sets of cups'or vanes turned in opposite
directions and by means of a two-way cock.or valve having two nozzles the water
or other fluid, is periodically directed against one or other set of the cups or vanes.
The turbine is thus reversed periodically. The two-way cock or valve may be
operated by hand or automatically from some convenient moving part of the
machine.
We may keep the turbine running always in the same direction and reverse the
direction of revolution of the inner drum by means of a reversing clutch or other
suitable mechanical arrangement operated from some couvenient moving part of
the machine.
In order that our Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect we have hereunto appended four sheets of Drawings in the several figures of
which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference."
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section and Figure 2 is an end elevation
partly in section of one method of carrying out our Invention
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section and Figure 4 is an end elevation
partly in section of another method of carrying out our Invention.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the turbine wheel which is provided with two sets of
cups a, a, which are turned in opposite directions. Attached to the turbine
wheel there is a driving shaft B carrying a pinion wheel C which engages in a
toothed wheel D. On the spindle N. of the toothed wheel D there is a pinion
wheel E which engages with a toothed wheel Fattached to the shaft of the inner
drum. By this gearing the motion of the turbine is communicated to the washing
drum.
In such machines the direction of motion of the inner drum requires to be
reversed periodically. In order to accomplish this we supply the water or other
fluid by a two-way cock or valve having two nozzles, one nozzle directed to one
set of cups and the other nozzle to the other set of cups. This is shown at G
Figure 2. The water or other fluid is admitted to the two-way cock or valve G
by the valve IT which is actuated by à handle I. The valve of the two-way cock
is periodically moved from one nozzle to the other by the tooth J on the shaft K.
The shaft Koarries a toothed wheel. L which is turned round by the tooth M.
This tooth M is raised and lowered by an eccentric on the spindle N of the toothed
wheel D. Every time the tooth M is raised it turns the wheel L by one tooth.
In the position shown on Figure 2'the valve is about to be moved from the
noxxle to the nozzle 2. As soon as this is accomplished the water or other
fluid will flow through the nozzle g' and the direction of motion will be reversed.
The wheel L and tooth J will then turn round in the direction of the arrow till
the tooth J again comes in contact with the slide valve and moves it from nozzle g³
to nozzle g. The direction of motion will then be reversed and the tooth J will
travel round in the opposite direction. The direction of motion of the turbine and
also of the washing drum is thus periodically reversed.
In slie machine illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the turbine is kept revolving
always in the same direction and the alteration of the direction of motion of the
inner drum is made by means of a reversing clutch. A is the turbine wheel the
shaft B of which carries a pinion C which engages in a toothed wheel D.
The spindle N of the toothed wheel carries a reversing clutch O which engages
in one or other of two loose conical clutches P and Q. These loose conical clutches
carry bevel wheels which engage in a bevel wheel R. carried on the shaft of the
internal drum of the washing machine. The clutch is moved from one loose.

page_text: pulley by means of the arm S pivoted at s to the framework of the machine.
Pivoted to the arm.S there is a rod T one end of which has a slot in which a pin u
attached to the toothed wheel U works. The wheel U is kept revolving by the
worm Von the shaft N and during each revolution the reversing clutch is moved
from one loose conical clutch to the other and back again. Thus the direction of
motion of the internal drum is alternately reversed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The method of driving washing machines by means of a turbine, substantially.
as described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
2. The combination of a washing machine with a turbine having two sets of
cups facing in opposite directions and a two-way cock or valve by which the water
or other fluid is periodically directed against one or other set of cups, substantially
as described and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.
3. The combination of a washing machine with a turbine kept revolving in the
same direction and an automatic reversing arrangement by which the direction of
motion of the washing drum is periodically reversed, substantially as described
and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4.
Dated this 28th day of September 1897
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Patent Agents.