A New or Improved Washing Board.
Year: 1898

page_text: A New or Improved Washing Board.
I, HERBERT THOMAS HAMILTON, of 29, Chatham Street, Prahran, near Mel-
bourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide a washing board whereby fabrics
or other material such for instance as clothing or wool or cotton waste or the like
can be washed cleanly and quickly.
According to my invention the rubbing, or washing, surface of the board is
composed of brushware material.
I find in practice that a useful size to make the washing board for ordinary
household use is about 24 inches long, or high, by about 13 inches wide, and one and
a half inches thick. At about the centre of the board is the washing, or rubbing,
surface preferably about ten inches square and made of brushware, or matting,
composed of Mexican fibre, cocoanut fibre, hair, or other brushmaking material,
according to the quality and strength desired. This material may project about
an inch from the surface of the board and be securely fastened into holes which
are bored in the surface of the wash-board, for the purpose, or in any other con-
venient manner.
The brush for the larger size boards for washing on an extensive scale, where
great wear is needed, may be made of Russian or hog's bristles.
When the washing board is placed in a trough at an angle ready for use, the
brush, or washing surface, is uppermost and by rubbing soap and water upon it the
soap goes in between the fibre, or bristles, and keeps on supplying plenty of lather
as the operator rubs the clothes, or other materials, upon it, whilst at the same
time the natural spring of the brush material fits into any crevices of anything
being washed upon it, and thoroughly and expeditiously cleanses it.
In the top part of the board, above the brush, is a recess in which the soap may
be deposited and the floor of the said recess is preferably fluted, or grooved, so that
the soap only rests on the highest ridges, so as to prevent the cake of soap from
sticking. This said floor of the soap recess is preferably hinged so that it can
open, or fall, to the 'rear when required so as to allow large, or heavy, clothes to
hang through in the trough instead of keeping the weight on the board.
The cross rail at the top end of the board may be made much wider than the
sides or
legs of the board and the space so provided affords a conspicuous place
for advertising purposes.
Dated this 19th day of April One thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight.

page_text: I, HERBERT THOMAS HAMILTON, of 29, Chatham Street, Prahran, near Mel-
bourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Joiner, 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:→
My invention has for its object to provide a washing board whereby fabrics
or other material, such for instance as wool, or cotton waste, clothing or the like
can be washed cleanly and quickly.
According to my invention the rubbing or washing surface of the board is
composed of brushware material and its construction will be readily understood
by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved washing board,
Fig. 2 is a vertical central section thereof, and
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, showing the brushware woven together like a mat.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figs.
In practice it is found that a useful size to make the washing board for ordinary
household use is about 24 inches long or high, by about 12 inches wide and one
and a half inches thick. At about the centre of the board (which may be made
of wood or other suitable material) is the washing or rubbing surface A. which may
be about ten inches by nine inches, and made of brushware composed of Mexican
fibre, cocoanut fibre, hair, india-rubber, wire, bass, or other suitable brushmaking
materials according to the quality and strength desired.
This material may be woven together in the form of a mat as illustrated in
Fig. 3, with a brush surface but it is preferred to securely fasten the brushware
into holes made in the board for the purpose in the usual manner and allow the
material to project from the surface of the board say about an inch, as shewn
in Fig. 2.
The brush for larger size boards intended for washing on an extensive scale,
where great wear is needed, may be made of Russian or hog's bristles.
When the washing board is placed in a trough at an angle ready for use the
brush or washing surface A is uppermost and by rubbing soap and water upon it
the soap goes in between the fibres or bristles and keeps on supplying plenty of
lather as the clothes or other materials are being rubbed upon it, whilst at the
same time the natural spring of the brush material fits into any crevices of any-
thing being washed upon it, and thoroughly and expeditiously cleanses it.
In the top part of the board, above the brush, is a recess C in which the soap
may be deposited and the floor D of the said recess is preferably ribbed, fluted or
grooved as shown so that the soap only rests on the ribs or ridges, so as to prevent
the cake of soap from sticking. The floor D) of the soap recess is preferably hinged
as shown at E so that it can open downwards when required to allow large or
heavy clothes, or articles, as they are being washed to hang through the opening
into the trough so as to give greater facility for washing all parts of articles piece
by piece.
The cross rail F at the top end of the board may be made of considerable width
so as to provide space for displaying advertisements.
The washing surface of bristles or fibres of the brush-ware is preferably inclined
slightly downwards or away from the operator as shown in Fig. 2 in order to
prevent splashing upwards when in use."

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: 11
P
1. A washing board having a rubbing or washing surface composed of brush-
ware material substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
2. A washing board for use in washing fabrics or other materials such as wool,
cotton waste, clothing or the like constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of August 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.