IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elizabeth Merrell, of Little George Street, Minories,
in the City of London, Tin and Zinc Plate Worker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elizabeth Merrel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on
_ the 1st August 1859.
I, ELIZABETH MERRELL, of Little George Street, Minories, in the City of
London, Tin and Zinc Plate Worker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND CLEANSING," to
be as follows:-
According to my Invention I construct or provide washing and cleansing
apparatus with means for obtaining electric or galvanic agency, in order that
the same may act upon the suds or purifying agent employed to assist the
operation thereof, and produce useful and advantageous effects. Thus, I
propose to form, fit, or furnish a washing or cleansing apparatus with con-
veniently placed and suitably connected elements, which being excited by the
washing or cleansing liquor or water or suds employed, will develop electric
or galvanic action, and in turn act upon the suds, water, or purifying liquid.
In one arrangement the vessel has fitted in it a case containing positive and
negative plates or elements of a pile connected by conducting wire or media,
and which case, the exterior whereof may serve for cleansing purposes, is

page_text: perforated, so that the suds or wash water may readily enter it, and coming in
contact with the plates, excite electric or galvanic action, and return charged
therewith into the capacity of the vessel, to operate in that condition on the
articles to be washed or cleansed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elizabeth Merrell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIZABETH
MERRELL, of Little George Street, Minories, in the City of London, Tin and
Zinc Plate Worker, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Elizabeth Merrell, Her special licence that I, the said Elizabeth Merrell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Elizabeth
Merrell, my executors, adininistrators, 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 Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Mau, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING
AND CLEANSING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,the suid Elizabeth
Merrell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what mauner 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 I, the said Elizabeth Merrell, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
According to my Invention I construct or provide washing and cleansing
apparatus with means for obtaining electric or galvanic agency, in order that
the same may act upon the suds or purifying agents employed, and thereby
assist the operation thereof, and produce useful and advantageous effects.

page_text: For this purpose I form, fit, or furnish washing or cleansing apparatus with
conveniently placed and suitably connected eleme..ts, and on these being
excited by the washing or cleansing liquor, water, or suds employed, electric or
galvanic action will be developed, and will act in turn upon the suds, water,
or purifying liquid. In one arrangement the vessel has fitted in it a case con-
taining positive and negative plates forming the elements of a pile, and
connected by conducting wires or media. This case, the exterior whereof
may serve for cleansing purposes, is perforated, so that the suds or wash water
may readily enter it, and coming in contact therein with the plates, may excite
electric or galvanic action, and return charged therewith into the capacity of
the vessel, to operate in that condition on the articles to be washed or
cleansed.
I now proceed to describe particularly and in detail one arrangement in
which my said Invention may be carried into practical effect. I construct an
apparatus consisting of a zinc case which may in practice conveniently be of
the following dimensions, that is to say, about fifteen and a half inches long,
eleven and a half inches wide, and one and a half inches deep. This case is
provided on the outside with fluted or corrugated plates, one plate being on
each side, and each plate about twelve and a half inches long by nine
and a half inches wide. This case is intended to be used in the washing vat
or vessel containing the soapy or washing water, and the articles to be washed
are rubbed upon the fluted plates. For cleansing purposes, one plate may be
fluted with larger or coarser flutes, grooves, or corrugations than the other,
for the coarser description of fabrics such as blanketing, sheeting, &c.; t
the one
with the smaller flutes being for fabrics of a finer description, such as muslin,
linen, &c. The plates are fixed in place by a strong zinc stay attached to and
beneath the centre of each plate; this stay is of course concealed from view.
When the apparatus is complete one of the ends or edges of the case is pro-
vided with a handle; a row of holes extends across the opposite edge or eud,
namely, that end which is immersed in the washing vat. The object of these
holes is to admit the soapsuds or other cleaning or washing agent into the
interior of the case; an orifice is provided in the upper or handle end to allow
the interior air to escape, in order that the soapsuds may enter the holes
opposite, and so pass freely into the case. A copper plate about ten and a half
inches long by seven inches wide is attached within the case, being held in two
slips of wood to which it is fixed by intervening pieces of gutta percha, the
wood forming a kind of frame, and preventing the copper from coming into
immediate contact with the zinc. Each fluted zinc plate is connected with
this copper plate by a copper wire; the zinc and copper plates thus compose

page_text: positive and negative elements of a battery. When the apparatus so con-
structed is partially immersed in the soap suds or other cleansing liquid held
in the washing vat or vesse', the soapy waters or liquid flow into the interi r
of the case through the holes on the lower edge, and act as an exciting fluid
upon the zinc and copper plates or elements, and so produce galvanic action.
The washing water or liquid will be rendered soft by this galvanic action, and
consequently a less amount of soap and soda will be required, morcover the
disagreeable smell which accompanies the washing of clothes and such like
articles will be deprived of its offensive character.
When it is desired to bleach finer descriptions of linen, or to revive and
impart lustre to the colors of printed fabrics, it is advisable after they have
been cleaned from dirt, impurities, &c., to immerse them in cold water with-
out soap, and again rub them upon the fluted or corrugated sides of the case
or galvanic apparatus, without however using much friction for that purpose.
A smaller apparatus may be constructed for placing in coppers and like recep-
tacles among articles while being "boiled" for cleansing purposes therein. This
apparatus also consists of a zinc case with perforations, but has flat zinc sides
or plates instead of fluted ones; I prefer to construct it of a circular form, as
being better adapted to the cylindrical shape of coppers. The following is an
useful size, namely, seven inches in diameter, and one and a half inches deep.
The apparatus is provided with two eyes or rings through which a piece of
tape may be passed for the more readily removing of the case from the copper
or receptacle. A copper plate connected to the zinc plates by copper wires,
and held in a frame as explained in reference to the apparatus previously
described, is also fitted inside this case; the general principle of arrangement
and construction of this smaller apparatus being similar to the one before
described.
Although I have herein-before in various instances stated certain dimensions
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine or restrict myself to
any of the before-mentioned dimensions or proportions, which are merely stated
by way of example, and the same, of course, may be varied as desired. Moreover
Ido notrestrict myself to the arrangementofapparatus which I have particularly
described herein (in explaining how my Invention may be performed), as the
same may be varied, provided the general character of my Invention as herein
set forth be retained.
Although I have herein described the employment of cases with fluted or
corrugated surfaces, 1 declare that I lay no claim under the aforesaid Patent
to the Inventionof constructing surfaces with flutes or corrugations for rubbing
articles to be cleansed upon.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim is, the appli-
cation to apparatus for washing and cleansing, of means or arrangements for
obtaining electric or galvanic action, that is to say, of elements connected,
placed, and contrived in such manner and in order that electric or galvanic
action may be excited by and may act upon the suds, water, or washing
liquid used for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elizabeth Merrell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME,
84, Fleet Street.
ELIZABETH MERRELL. (L.s.)