IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Duncan Forbes, senior, and Peter Forbes, both
of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES
"
Sealed the 25th August 1871, and dated the 10th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Duncan Forbes and
Peter Forbes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th May 1871.
We, DUNCAN FORBES, senior, and PETER FORBES, both of Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby déclare the
nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in wringing
machines which may be used separately or in combination with a
washing machine, consists in making the top bar which connects the
side frames of the machine together moveable, and on each end of the

page_text: said bar a cam is fixed by which the pressure on the upper or india-
rubber roller of the machine is regulated. The cams are each con-
structed with two, four, or other suitable number of sides arranged at
different distances from the centres of the cams, and one of these sides
in each cam presses upon the head of a pin which projects above the
upper end of a spiral or other spring placed on the top of the bearings
of the india-rubber or other elastic roller. The pressure on the said
roller is adjusted by rotating the top bar of the machine, so that one of
, the surfaces in each cam of a greater or less distance from the centres
of the cams is brought to bear on the heads of the pins, by which means
the springs are compressed or allowed to expand, and the pressure
thereby increased or diminished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Duncan Forbes and Peter Forbes in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th November 1871.
we,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, DUNCAN
FORBES, senior, and PETER FORBES, both of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Duncan Forbes, senior, and Peter Forbes, Her special
license that we, the said Duncan Forbes, senior, and Peter Forbes, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Duncan Forbes, senior, and Peter Forbes, our executors, administrators,
or 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN WRINGING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Duncan Forbes,
senior, and Peter Forbes, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, should: particularly.describe and ascertain the nature of the
1:

page_text: 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Duncan Forbes, senior, and Peter
Forbes, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to certain improvements in wringing
machines, which may be used separately or in combination with a
washing machine, and consists in making the top bar which connects
the side frames of the machine together moveable, and on each end of
the said bar a cam is fixed by which the pressure on the upper or india-
rubber roller of the machine is regulated, or the bar may be made
stationary and cams arranged to revolve on the bar. Or the pressure
may be produced by means of a long steel spring acting either upon
the upper or lower rollers on which the requisite pressure is produced by
means of a cam acting on the centre of the spring. The cams are each
constructed with two, four, or other suitable number of sides arranged
at different distances from the centres of the cams, and one of these
sides in each cam presses upon the head of a pin which projects above
the upper end of a spiral or other spring placed on the top of the
bearings of the india-rubber or other elastic roller. The pressure on the
said roller is adjusted by rotating the top bar of the machine, so that
one of the surfaces in each cam of a greater or less distance from the
centres of the cams is brought to bear on the heads of the pins by which
means the springs are compressed or allowed to expand, and the pressure
thereby increased or diminished.
And in order that our said Invention and the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or carried into
practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended. an
explanatory Sheet of Drawings, on which Figure 1 is a front elevation
of a wringing machine illustrating our improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of part of the said wringing machine;
whilst Figures 3 and 4 arc respectively detailed views of eertain parts

page_text: thereof, and herein-after more particularly referred to. On these
several figures corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of
reference.
The improvements which constitute this Invention consist in making
the top bar A which connects the side frames B of the machine together
moveable on its axis, and on each end of the said bar A a cam C is fixeḍ
as shewn, by which the pressure on the upper or india-rubber roller D
of the machine is regulated to any required intensity through the
intervention of spiral springs E, E, more particularly seen at Figures 2
and 3, or other arrangements of springs may be employed for that
purpose; Figure 4 is a detailed view of one of the cams C, and which is
represented as constructed with five flat sides or planes arranged at
different distances from the axis of the cam C. One of these sides in
each cam C presses upon the head of a pin F as shewn, and the heads
of the pins F project above and rest upon the upper ends of the spiral
springs E, E, the lower extremities of which rest upon the bearings G of
the india-rubber or pressure roller D, as shewn more particularly at
Figures 2 and 3. The pressure on the said roller D is adjusted by
rotating the top bar A. of the machine through an arc of a circle by
means of a spanner or a key, which fits on a square or other polygonal
shaped portion formed on the bar A, as shewn at a, Figure 1. Or a
handle or lever may be formed on or fixed to the centre of the bar A
for that purpose, in order that the turning of the bar may be effected
with facility. As the bar A is rotated one of the flat sides in each cam
of a greater or less distance from the axis of the cams C is brought to
bear upon the heads of the pins F, so that the springs E, E, are by this
means compressed or allowed to expand, and the pressure on the roller D
is thereby increased or diminished. In lieu of fixing the cams C on
the ends of the bar A, so as to turn round therewith, as herein-before
described and shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3 on the appended Sheet of
Drawings and rotating the bar A when it is desired to adjust the pressure
on the india-rubber roller, D, the said bar A may be made stationary,
and the cams C arranged to revolve thereon. Under this arrangement
each cam is, formed with a square or other polygonal projection x, as
shewn in side elevation at Figure 5, and in detailed end elevation at
Figure 6 of the Drawings. When it is. desired to. adjust the pressure on
the india-rubber or pressure roller of the wringing machine.provided

page_text: with the arrangement of cams now last described, a spanner or key is
applied to each projection x, by means of which the cams are turned
round until the sides or planes at the desired distances from the axes of
the cams are brought to bear upon the heads of the pins F. In lieu..of
the projections. x each cam C may be provided with a handle or lever
by means of which it may be turned round as desired.
Under another modification of this Invention, a single cam C formed
or fixed on the centre of the top bar A may be employed to regulate the
pressure on the india-rubber or pressure roller D of the machine, as
illustrated at Figure 7 of the accompanying Drawings, under which
arrangement one or other of the flat sides or planes of the cam C presses
upon the upper side of a plate spring H, the extremities of which rest
and press upon the heads of the pins F as shewn.
The extent of pressure on the india-rubber or pressure roller D is
adjusted by rotating the bar A by means of a spanner or key applied to
the projection a, or the cam C may be placed loosely on the bar A and
formed with a square or other polygonal projection, similar to that
shewn at x, Figures 5 and 6, and the pressure adjusted by turning round
the cam on the bar A until the side of the cam corresponding to such
pressure is brought to bear on the spring H. In lieu of employing
spiral springs E resting on the bearings G of the india-rubber roller D,
as shewn, to communicate the pressure from the cam C to the roller D,
these springs E may be dispensed with, and the lower extremities of the
pins F caused to rest on the bearings G, the pins F being made of
sufficient length for that purpose, or the springs and cam may be placed
at the lower side of the machine, as is obvious to a mechanician without
the aid of further Drawings. It is to be here understood that although
the cams C illustrated on the annexed Drawings are shewn with five flat
sides or planes, they may be constructed with two, three, four, or other
suitable number of such sides or planes, and it is further to be under-
stood that the herein-before specified improvements may be applied to
wringing machines employed separately from or combined with washing
machines.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that
what we consider novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention

page_text: secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
arrangement or construction of mechanism for adjusting the pressure
on the rollers of wringing machines by cams fixed to or carried upon a
shaft, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Duncan Forbes, senior, on behalf of
myself and the said Peter Forbes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirty-first day of October One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.
DUNCAN FORBES, SEN³. (L.S.)
DUNCAN FORBES, SEN³. (L.S.)