IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."-A communication
from abroad by Henry M. Coombs and Levi W. Nelson, of Portland,
in the County of Multnomah, State of Oregon, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 2nd January 1861, and dated the 3rd August 1860.
PROVISIONAL.SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd August 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," to be as
follows
This Invention of improvements in washing machines consists in the arrange-
ment of an openwork cylinder composed of hollow slats or bars within, a
cylindrical chamber surrounded by water, below which is placed a stove in such
'manner that it will answer the twofold purpose of heating the water in the boiler
and drying the clothes, after they have been washed and rinsed.

page_text: The clothes to be washed are placed within the openwork cylinder, the
hollow bars of which have orifices near either end from which air is carried
. down and discharged into the water during the operation of washing. This
open cylinder is pivoted to either end of the exterior casing, and is revolved
by a crank on the outside. Surrounding this washing cylinder is a cylinder
which separates the washing compartment from the surrounding boiler space
formed of an elliptical casing; below this are arranged two cylinders one
within the other; these form the fire-chamber and boiler space communicating
with the water of the boiler above. When the water in the boiler is hot, and
the clothes are placed in the cylinder, the door or lid is closed, and the water
is let into the washing compartment by a pipe until there is sufficient water to
wash the clothes. The cylinder is then. rotated swiftly until the clothes are
thoroughly washed. When this is effected, the dirty water is drawn off through
an orifice, and fresh water is let into the cylinder from the boiler, and the
clothes are rinsed. After this operation, and the rinsing water has been drawn
off, the cylinder is rotated swiftly for a few minutes, when the clothes are
taken out, perfectly dry, the hot air within the chamber. being heated by the
stove below, and the constant rotation of the cylinder serves in a great
measure to "wring" the water from the clothes, at the same time the hot air
is performing the office of drying.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in. the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourthi year. of Her.reign,
did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant. unto ine, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or. such. others as
I, the said William Edward' Newton, 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, by an instrument, in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters.Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that .I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
consists. in the arrangement of a peculiarly constructed cylinder within a
cylindrical chamber surrounded by water, and also in arranging below the
same a stove in such manner that it will answer the twofold purpose of
heating the water in the boiler,, and drying the clothes after they have been
washed and rinsed.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse
section of the machine; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section; and
Figure 3 is a view of a hollow slat detached from the machine.
The clothes to be washed are placed within an open work cylinder A, com-
posed of 'hollow slats or bars a, a. These slats have orifices b, b, near either
end, from which air is carried down and discharged into the water during the
operation of washing. The axle of this openwork cylinder has its bearings
in ends B of the exterior casing, and is revolved by a crank handle C at the
front of the machine. Surrounding this washing cylinder A is a cylinder D,
which separates the washing compartment from the surrounding boiler space
E, formed by the elliptical outer casing F. Below this casing are arranged
two cylinders G, H, one within the other; these form respectively the fire-
chamber I and the boiler space J, which space communicates with the boiler
space E above. Water is fed to the annular boilers through a funnel L on
top of the machine. c is a draught hole in the fire-door, and d is the smoke
pipe. When the water in the boilers has become sufficiently hot, the clothes
having in the meanwhile been placed in the cylinder A, and the door or lid N
closed down and fastened, it is let into the washing compartment by a pipe f
until there is sufficient water to wash the clothes; the communication is then
cut off by a cock. The cylinder A is now rotated swiftly until the clothes

page_text: are thoroughly washed. 'When this is effected, the dirty water is :drawn off
through the orifice g, and fresh water is let into the cylinder from the boiler,
whereby the clothes are rinsed. After this operation, and the rinsing water
has been drawn off, the cylinder is:rotated: swiftly for a few minutes, when
the clothes are taken out in a comparatively dry state, the .hot air within the
'chamber being heated by the stove below, and the constant rotation of the
-cylinder, serving, in a great measure, to "wring" the water from the clothes
at the same time that the hot. air is performing the office of drying.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Washing Machines," as communicated' to me from abroad, and explained the
manner of carrying the same 'into effect, I wish it to be understood that,
<under the above in part recited.Letters Patent, I claim constructing washing
machines, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
'66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)