IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Welburn Williamson, of 188, High Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of
ww
Sealed the 10th June 1864, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
L1oca
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Welburn Williamson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
December 1863.
I, WELBURN WILLIAMSON, of 133, High Holborn, in the County of Middle-
sex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in that class of machines
containing two or more india-rubber or elastic rollers (for the purpose of
squeezing or pressing out the water from clothes or other fabrics in process of
washing or dying, and containing means for attachment to a wash tub or tray)
generally known as portable wringing machines, the frames of which have
hitherto been made in several pieces joined or held together by screws, bolts,
or other means; these frames are generally wanting in rigidity of structure to

page_text: withstand the necessary force at the handle on passing the wet fabrics between
the rollers.
My improvement consists, first, in casting the base, uprights, lugs for
fastening to the tub or tray, and cross bar for resisting the necessary pressure
on rollers, the whole forming the frame in one piece of cast iron; or all
may be in one piece excepting the cross bar, which may be bolted or
screwed to the frame, but I would prefer the whole, including the cross bar, in
one piece.
Secondly, in making the lugs for fastening to the tub hollow, by which
means I obtain strength and lightness, and in placing cylindrical nuts within
or without the hollow lugs, into which cylindrical nuts are inserted pinching
screws for the purpose of fixing the machine; the said pinching screws passing
through slotted holes in the sides of the lugs can by means of the cylindrical
nuts and slotted holes arrange themselves in radial position to suit the
curvature of the tub, tray, or trough, and with the rigidity of the frame will
ensure a firm hold and secure fixing.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Welburn Williamson
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WELBURN
WILLIAMSON, of 183, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Welburn Williamson, Her special licence that I, the said Welburn
Williamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said Welburn Williamson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WRINGING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Welburn Williamson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 on or before the Thirteenth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Welburn Williamson, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in that class of machines
containing two or more india-rubber or elastic rollers (for the purpose of
squeezing or pressing out the water from clothes or other fabrics in process
of washing or drying, and containing means for attachment to a tub or trough)
generally known as portable wringing machines, the frames of which have
hitherto been made in several pieces, joined or held together by screws, bolts,
or other means; these frames are generally wanting in rigidity of structure to
withstand the necessary force at the handle on passing the wet fabrics between
the rollers.
My improvement consists, firstly, in casting the base A, uprights B, lugs for
fastening to a tub or trough C, and cross bar for resisting the necessary
pressure on rollers D, the whole forming the frame in one piece of cast iron;
or all may be in one piece excepting the cross bar, which may be bolted or
screwed to the frame, but I would prefer the whole, including the cross bar, in
one piece. For the machine, Figure 4, a cross bar is not used, but the whole
of the frame is cast in one piece of iron.
Secondly, in making the lugs for fastening to the tub hollow, by which
means I obtain strength and lightness, and in placing cylindrical nuts within
or without the hollow lugs, into which cylindrical nuts pinching screws are
placed for the purpose of fixing the machine; the pinching screws passing
through slotted holes in the sides of the lugs will then by means of the
cylindrical nuts and slotted holes arrange themselves in a radial position to
suit the curvature of a tub, tray, or trough, and with the rigity of frame
will ensure a firm hold and secure fixing.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for improve-
ments in wringing machines, I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood, I have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine in which the pressure on the
rollers is obtained by means of a head screw. Figure 2 is an end elevation of
the same machine. Figure 3 is a front elevation of the machine in which the
pressure on the rollers is obtained by means of levers, on which are fixed
elastic bands which hold the levers down. Figure 4 is an end elevation of
the same machine. Figure 5 is a section showing the lugs that are for fixing
the machine to a tub (a segment of which is shown), the swivel nut inside the
lug, and the pinching screw working in the nut; in this view the moveable
or swivel nut is placed inside the lug. Figure 6 is a section showing the lug
this view the moveable or swivel nut
and other parts as in Figure 5, but in
is placed outside the lug.
A the base or plate that connects the two side frames or uprights, and which
is inclined downwards from the rollers so as to conduct the "squeezed" out
liquor back into the tub on which the machine is fixed; B, the side frames or
uprights in which are the bearings that carry the rollers; C, the lugs for fixing
the machine to a tub or trough, which are made hollow. Oblong holes H are
made in the lugs for the pinching screws G to work through; nuts E for the
pinching screws to work in are placed inside the lugs, as shown in Figure 5, or
outside the lugs, as in Figure 6. In either plan the nuts will move partially
round, so that the collars I on the ends of the pinching screws will readily
arrange themselves in a radial or straight position to suit the curvature or the
straight sides of a tub or trough, and so that the collar always can have
a flat bearing against such a tub or trough. D, the cross bar, which can be
cast with the frame or separately, and if so must be fixed by bolts or other
means to the side frames; J is the segment of a tub showing the position
of the lugs and pinching screws when the machine is fixed on the tub for
working.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
improvements in wringing machines, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
remark in conclusion that my claim is for making the frames of the machines
in one piece of iron; and for making the frames of the machines in one piece
of iron, excepting the cross bar marked D in the Drawing; and for the

page_text: moveable or swivel nut and screw used for fixing the machine, whether applied
to the wringing machine as herein described, or whether applied to any other
kind or description of wringing machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Welburn Williamson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
W. WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)