Improvements in or relating to Washing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Washing Machines.
A communication from abroad by BRUNO HERMANN HECHT, of Meerane, Saxony, in
the Empire of Germany, Machine Manufacturer.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.L.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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 :-
The object of the herein described improvements is to imitate, as nearly as possible,
the action of an ordinary hand "dolly," in that the material to be cleansed is caught
and released, and then caught at another spot by the rubbers.
On the annexed drawing:-
Figures 1 and 2 show the washing machine in side view with parts broken away for
the sake of clearness, whilst
Figure 3 is a front view of the same.
Figure 4 is a reversed plan of the washing rubbers with grooved extremities.
The body, A, of the machine consists of a wooden or other box fitted with corrugated
sheet zinc; of an upper working part B and an under working part C.
The upper working part B carries a cam d, which can be lifted up or lowered and
is connected, by means of the toothed segment c and toothed wheel c¹ resting on the
driving axle b, with the under working part C, hanging freely in the box A.
The rising and falling of the lower working part is brought about by means of the
cam d on the driving axle engaging the stirrup e, from which hangs the connecting
rod f of the under working part C. The lower working part is moved up and
down within a sleeve g and is constantly pressed down by a spring h arranged within
the said sleeve g.
The following is the mode of action of the machine :-
--
By swinging backwards and forwards the handle i fixed on the driving axle 6 which
is also directly connected with the toothed segment c or formed in one piece with it,
the driving axle b, and with it also the toothed segment and the cam d, are made to
oscillate, by which means the washing board k with its rubbers is revolved, and (the
movement being continued) simultaneously raised and lowered alternately. The
rising of the washing frame takes place after about a third of a revolution of the lower
working apparatus. On the moving back of handle i the cam d allows the washing
frame to descend a little, while being turned round simultaneously by means of the
toothed wheel c' and the toothed segment c.
The machine may be utilised in the following manner :-
The cover of the machine having been removed, the inside box is half filled with hot
soapy water, the articles to be washed placed loosely therein, the lid replaced and
fastened tightly down. The handle i may now be swung backwards and forwards,
which causes the washing frame k to turn once to the right and then to the left. For
a third part of a turn, the frame remains down and washes, then it is raised and
releases the material under treatment which it had clutched before, and having turned
a little further, seizes it in a fresh place. The same process is then again repeated.
No damage to the articles takes place, as the spring h, which is fixed to the spring-
seat g' in the sleeve g, only exerts a gentle pressure. In order to get a firmer hold
on the articles to be washed and in order to remove the dirt more effectively from them,
the extremities of the rubbers are provided with rectangular grooves,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
--
1. In a washing machine, the arrangement of a movable "dolly" or stirring
device within the body of the machine and connected by suitable mechanism with
an actuating device B outside said body, in such manner that when the device B is
operated, the moving device C, carrying rubbers 1, is caused to revolve and also
to have a vertical reciprocating motion, thereby closely imitating the action of
the ordinary hand "dolly," substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of August 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.