IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, OR PURIFYING CLOTHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fisher, of Carrington, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING, CLEANSING, OR PURIFYING
CLOTHES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1860. and dated the 5th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the said John Fisher, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents. with his Petition, on the
5th January 1860.
1, JOHN FISHER. of Carrington, in, the County of Nottingham, Lace
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING. CLEANSING, OR PURIFYING
CLOTHES AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to a novel contrivance of machinery or apparatus for
washing, cleansing, or purifying clothes and other articles, or raw or manu-
factured goods, and it consists in combining with a tub or other suitable
vessel for containing the articles to be treated a blowing apparatus, for forcing
atmospheric air or any suitable gas for depuritating, bleaching, or otherwise
treating the contents of the tub or vessel, whether soap ley, plain or acidulated
water or other liquor be employed. I connect by means of small tubes or
pipes the blowing apparatus with the tub or vessel; such blowing machine
may either be a pair of double-action bellows, or any other apparatus of

page_text: simple construction capable of discharging atmospheric air or gas under the
requisite pressure into the tub, vat, or vessel containing the articles to he
treated. The pipes or tubes may either enter the bottom or sides of such
vessel, or they may enter the bottom and sides thereof in several places. For
household or laundry purposes this apparatus is set to work or put in action in
the following manner: The tub or vessel is partially filled with hot water.
and the soap or cleansing mixture put thereinto, and the clothes or articles to
be cleansed are then immersed or placed within the vessel. and the cover is
put on, whereupon the blowing apparatus being set in motion, by working the
lever or handle. the air is forced through the liquor or liquid contents. and
through and amongst the articles contained therein. This operation is con-
tinued until the required amount of cleansing or washing has been effected.
when the articles may be removed from the tub or vessel. When rinsing
or washing off" in plain or slightly blued water has to be performed. for the
purpose of finishing articles of white linen. cotton, and other articles, the
requisite amount of water, either pure, blued," or otherwise charged, is put
into the tub or vessel, and the blowing commenced and continued as before.
For washing raw materials or manufacturers goods, the apparatus should be
made of a suitably large size, and may be worked by steam or other power
instead of by hand. For washing and purifying, or for purifying the various
articles for which such apparatus may he employed, the blowing apparatus
may either inhale atmospheric air, or any of the well-known gases employed
for purifying, bleaching, or discolouring goods or articles submitted to their
action, and the atmospheric air or gas so inhaled is, by the action of the
blowing apparatus discharged into the vessel, and through and amongst the
clothes or other articles or goods contained therein, whether the tub or vessel
contains plain or acidulated water, or soap ley, or water charged with any
chemical preparation or detergent compound.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FISHER, of Carrington, in the County of Nottingham. Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty. in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did. for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Fisher. Her special licence that I. the said John Fisher,
my executors, administrators. and assigns. or such others as I. the said
John Fisher, my executors. administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with. and no others. from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING. CLEANSING, OR PURIFYING
CLOTHES AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Fisher, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal.
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention.
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to he
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 John Fisher. do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement and accompanying Drawing:
This Invention relates to a novel contrivance of machinery or apparatus for
washing, cleansing, or purifying clothes and other articles, or raw or manufac-
tured goods. and it consists in combining with a tub or other suitable vessel,
for containing the articles to be treated. a blowing apparatus for forcing.
atmospheric air or any suitable gas for depuritating, bleaching, or otherwise
treating the contents of the tub or vessel, whether soap ley, plain or acidulated
water or other liquor be employed. connect by means of small tubes or
pipes the blowing apparatus with the tub or vessel; such blowing machine
may either be a pair of double-action bellows, or any other apparatus of simple
construction capable of discharging atmospheric air or gas under the requisite
pressure into the tub, vat, or vessel containing the articles to be treated.
The pipes or tubes may either enter the bottom or sides of such vessel, or
they may enter the bottom and sides thereof in several places. For household
or laundry purposes this apparatus is set to work or put in action in the
following manner: The tub or vessel is partially filled with hot water, and
the soap or cleansing mixture put thereinto. and the clothes or articles to be
cleaned are then immersed or placed within the vessel. and the cover is put
on, whereupon the blowing apparatus being set in motion by working the
lever or handle, the air is forced through the liquor or liquid contents, and

page_text: through and amongst the articles contained therein. This operation is
continued until the required amount of cleansing or "washing " has been
effected, when the articles may be removed from the tub or vessel. When
"rinsing" or washing off in plain or slightly blued water has to be per-
formed for the purpose of finishing articles of white linen, cotton, and other
articles, the requisite amount of water either pure "blued," or otherwise
charged, is put into the tub or vessel, and the blowing commenced and con-
tinued as before. For washing raw materials or manufacturers goods, the
apparatus should be made of a suitably large size, and may be worked by
steam or other power instead of by hand. For washing and purifying or for
purifying the various articles for which such apparatus may be employed, the
blowing apparatus may either inhale atmospheric air or any of the well known
gases employed for purifying. bleaching, or discoloring goods or articles
submitted to their action, and the atmospheric air or gas so inhaled is by the
action of the blowing apparatns discharged into the vessel and through and
amongst the clothes or other articles or goods contained therein. whether the
tub or vessel contains plain or acidulated water. or soap ley. or water charged
with any chemical preparation or detergent compound.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn one of the forms in which I
prefer 10 construct the machines according to my present Invention, of which
Figure exhibits an end elevation of the machine. and Figure 2 a side elevation:
Figure 3 a plan of Figure 2, and Figure 4 a vertical section taken on the line A, B.
in which views A is a hand wheel for working the apparatus. B a half crank.
C. a connecting rod working on the pin of a half crank, and attached at the
lower end to a forked arm (E), giving motion to a vibrating bar D, pivoited
in the side framing supporting the working parts of the apparatus; to this bar
are attached three projecting forked arms E and F, F; these arms form part
of the bar with which they vibrate. G, G. are rods attached at their lower
extremity to the forked end of the arms F. F. and at their upper extremity
to studs projecting from a plate II. which is secured to the bottom of the
bellows J; K a pipe, down which the air or gas forced from the bellows passes
to the under side of the bottom of the tub or other vessel containing the
clothes to be washed. From the main blast pipe K are led a series of small
branch tubes, as shewn, each tube having a nozzle L at its extremity passing
through the bottom of the vessel, through which nozzles L. L. &c., the air
enters, and is forced into and amongst the liquid and clothes contained therein,
thus causing the ebullition of the liquid and the agitation of the clothes
immersed therein, by which they become thoroughly cleansed without injury;
M is a cock for the discharge of the liquid from the vessel.

page_text: Any suitable modification in the form of the washing vessel may however be
substituted for that shewn, and instead also of employing bellows, a fan or
other form of blowing apparatus may, when found preferable. be used for the
purpose of discharging the air or gas under the requisite pressure.
It is well known that linen and other articles of clothing, when worn.
exposed to the impurities of the atmosphere. become soiled through the deposit
upon them of sooty and other extraneous particles, which, by the friction of wear
get rubbed into them and hence require cleaning. It is the chief distinguish-
ing feature in this Invention that the process employed for getting rid of such
impurities is the reverse of that by which such articles have become soiled as
above described, viz.. by the agency of currents of air, which, being forced
through the ley, in which the clothes are immersed. the particles of dirt arè, as
it were, thus blown out or discharged from the fabric and entirely removed
from the surface thereof by the action which ensues. Thus all impurities are
entirely removed without the direct application of force and violent rubbing to
the articles immersed, so that by the use of this machine all kinds of washing,
from the coarsest to the finest of linens, the fabrics of old garments, or those of
the most delicate tissue. may be accomplished withom injuring the articles in
the slightest degree: also no buttons are rubbed off, and the saving in soap is
very great.
The following is the mode which I recommend for working these machines
(which is extremely simple):-The tub is filled nearly three parts full of soft
water. about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the clothes are then put into the tub
(without being previously soaked) and the dirty places rubbed with a little
soap, then pressed into the water, taking care to have them well covered, and
not more in than can be freely moved about by the hand, then place the cover
on. The blowing apparatus is now set in motion by working the lever or
handle, and the air is forced through the liquid contents and through and
amongst the clothes. this operation being continued for ten or fifteen minutes,
when the articles may be wrung out and laid on one side until ready to do
them a second time in clean water about the same heat as before; the appa-
ratus being worked about ten minutes the clothes will be found perfectly
clean; they may then be scalded or boiled in the ordinary manner. It is
advisable to remove the cover after working the apparatus, and move the
articles about a little by one hand while turning with the other; this also
prevents the clothes rising over the sides of the tub. When there is too much
lather less soap must be put upon the articles next put in; the water should not
be more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit until all the dirt is removed. When all
the dirt is not removed after the first washing, a little soap must be used upon

page_text: the dirty places after being wrung; this will soften the dirt and the air will then
entirely remove it; care must be taken not to charge the tub to such an extent
that neither the air nor water can act upon the clothes. The process of
rinsing with fresh water, clean or slightly blued, according to the description
of articles under operation, may be gone through in precisely the same
manner.
Having now described my Invention, and illustrated it with the accompany-
ing Drawing, I wish it to be understood that I claim,
First, the use or employment of atmospheric air or other gas for washing,
cleansing, purifying, bleaching, or otherwise treating clothes or other articles,
or piece goods, or raw or manufactured materials, in manner described and
herein set forth.
Second, the construction and mode of working machines as herein described
for the purpose of washing. cleansing, and purifying clothes and other articles
and goods.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Fisher. have hereunio set my hand
and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
D. WHALLEY,
Carrington,
Nottingham.
JOHN FISHER. (L.s.)