IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, David Marks, and William Alfred Midgley,
all of Keighley, in the County of York, Machine Makers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith, David Marks,
and William Alfred Midgley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 10th March 1877.
WILLIAM SMITH, DAVID MARKS, and WILLIAM ALFRED MIDGLEY, all of Keighley,
in the County of York, Machine Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING,
AND MANGLING MACHINES."
The object of our Invention is to regulate the pressure on the rollers in washing,
wringing, and mangling machines in such a manner that the operator or attendant
whilst standing at the front of the machine is enabled to attend to the materials
that are passing through and are at the back side of the rollers, and to give a partial
rotary left and right hand motion to the dolly or swiller, and arrange the same in
a firm and substantial manner, so that the dolly or swiller can be fixed or taken
out of the washing tub by the operator in a short time.
We accomplish these improvements in the following manner:-We secure to the
machine framework above the rollers, and in the direction of the axes of the rollers,
a shaft having two collars welded on the same; on to each end of this shaft we
place a spiral spring, one end of which passes through a hole drilled in the before-
named collars; the other ends of the spiral springs are secured to levers centred on
the before-named shaft; the ends of these levers rest upon ordinary sliding
blocks that form the journals of the top rollers. We secure a worm and shaft
mounted in suitable bearings to the framework, which gears into a worm wheel
keyed on to the aforesaid shaft, by revolving the worm the shaft is twisted in its
journals and partially uncoils the spiral springs, which presses the ends of the levers
and sliding blocks down on to the axis of the top roller.
The partial rotary motion is imparted to the dolly or swiller by means of suitable
gearing in connection with the spur wheels for driving the rollers; this gearing is

page_text: mounted on a shaft carried by brackets, and on the end of this shaft, near the centre
of the machine, we secure a crank, which is connected to a nut screwed on to a
coarse threaded shaft carried by suitable journals. On to one end of this coarse
threaded shaft we secure a bevel wheel, which gears into another bevel wheel
secured on the top of the dolly or swiller; the nut travelling on this_threaded
screw causes the wheels and dolly to partially revolve right and left. The coarse
threaded shaft is capable of being put in or out of gear.
The dolly or swiller is mounted in an ordinary metal footstep secured in the
bottom of the tub, and the top is held in position by means of a pin which passes
through a bracket into a hole bored longitudinally up the centre of the shaft; by
removing this pin the dolly is free, and can be lifted out of the tub.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Smith, David Marks, and William Alfred Midgley in the Creat
Seal Patent Office on the 8th September 1877.
18
WILLIAM SMITH, DAVID MARKS, and WILLIAM Alfred Midgley, all of Keighley,
in the County of York, Machine Makers. IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING,
AND MANGLING MACHINES."
The object of our Invention is to regulate the pressure on the rollers in washing,
wringing, and mangling machines, in such a manner that the operator or attendant
whilst standing at the front of the machine is enabled to attend to the materials
that are passing through the rollers at the back side of the machine. Also to give
a partial rotary left and right hand motion to the dolly or swiller, and arrange the
same in a firm and substantial manner in such a way that the dolly or swiller can
bo fixed or taken out of the washing tub by the operator in a short time.
We accomplish these improvements in the following manner-We secure the
machine framework above the rollers, and in the direction of the axis of the rollers
a shaft having two collars welded on the same; on to each end of this shaft we
place a spiral spring, one end of which passes through a hole drilled in the before-
named collars; the other ends of the spiral springs are secured to levers centred on
the before-named shaft; the ends of these levers rest upon ordinary sliding blocks
that form the journals of the top rollers. We secure a worm and shaft mounted in
suitable bearings to the framework, which gears into a worm wheel keyed on to
the first-named shaft; by revolving the worm the shaft is twisted in its journals
and partially uncoils the spiral springs, which presses the ends of the levers and
sliding blocks down on to the axis of the top roller.
The partial rotary motion is imparted to the dolly or swiller by means of suitable
gearing in connection with the spur wheels for driving the rollers; this gearing is
mounted on a shaft carried by brackets attached to the framework of the inachine;
on the end of this shaft near the centre of the machine we secure a crank, having a
stud in the face, which is connected by means of rods to a nut screwed on to a
course threaded shaft carried by suitable journals; on to one end of this course
threaded shaft, near the centre of the tub, we secure a bevel wheel, which gears
into another bevel wheel secured on the top of the dolly or swiller; the before-
named crank revolving, causes the nut to travel on this threaded screw and
partially revolve the wheels and dolly to the right and left. When desired the
course threaded shaft is capable of being put in or out of gear, and the machine
worked as an ordinary wringing or mangling machine.
The dolly or swiller is mounted in an ordinary metal footstep secured in the
bottom of the tub, and the top is held in position by means of a pin which passes
through a bracket into a hole bored longitudinally up the centre of the shaft, and
thus forms a journal for the top of the dolly or swiller; by removing this pin the
dolly is free and can be lifted out of the tub,

page_text: In order to enable our improvements to be better understood we will proceed to
describe the accompanying Drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a washing machine with our improvements
attached; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a partial plan, showing the course threaded shaft and connections.
Figure 4 is a full sized view of the nut that is fitted on the course threaded
shaft.
Figuro 5 is a transverse section of the course threaded shaft.
Figure 6 is a detail showing the method of securing the top of the dolly in tho
tub.
Figure 7 shows a cap for covering the spiral spring at the top of the machine,
and is secured to the framework; and Figure 8 is an end view of the same.
Similar letters of reference are used in all the Figures to represent similar parts.
The framework and tub are the same as an ordinary machine. At the top of
the machine frame we mount a shaft A, having the collars B welded on the same;
on to each end of this shaft we place the spiral springs C, C, and one end of each
of those springs passes through a hole formed in the collars B; the other end of the
springs are secured in the levers D, which are centred on the before-named shaft,
the ends of the levers. at D¹ rest on the ordinary sliding journal blocks; at or near
the end of the before-mentioned shaft wo secure a wheel worm E, which gears into
the worm F, mounted on a shaft and secured in position by the projecting bracket G;
by turning the hand wheel H the worm wheel E and shaft A partially revolve and
uncoils the spiral springs C, by which means the amount of pressure required to be
applied to the rollers can be regulated.
The partial rotary motion is imparted to the dolly or swiller J by means of the
wheel K, which is shown out of gear in the Drawing, but when the dolly or
swiller is in motion, is in gear with the wheels for driving the rollers of the
machine; this wheel K is mounted on the shaft L, and is secured in suitable
journals; on to the other end of this shaft is secured crank M, in the face of which,
and at the required distance from the centre, is secured a pin fixed longitudinally
with the centre of the shaft; on this pin is placed one end of a double connecting
rod N, which is also connected by means of screws to the nut O; this nut is placed
on the course threaded shaft P, which is secured in journals formed at the ends of
same. The bevil wheel Q is secured on one end of the shaft P and gears into the
wheel Q fixed on the top of the dolly spindle R; the bottom of the dolly is carried
by the footstep S fixed to the bottom of the tub in the ordinary manner.
It will be easily understood that when the wheel K is in gear with the roller
wheels the crank M will revolve, and through the connecting rod Na reciprocating
motion is imparted to the nut O, and thus actuates the course threaded shaft P and
the bevel wheels; and the dolly or swiller J revolves alternately to the right and
to the left.
The cross bar T is attached to the frame of the machine, and the boss T¹ on the
bottoin side carries one end of the course threaded shaft P; through this boss T' is
bored a hole, in which we place the pin U, which fits into a hole bored longi-
tudinally in the top end of the dolly or swiller spindle R, and thus forms a good
support and journal for the top of the same; by withdrawing the pin U the dolly
or swiller is free and can be removed from the tub or replaced at pleasure.
Having thus described our said Invention and the manner in which the same is
or may be performed, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the precise
details herein described and delineated; but that what we believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The arranging or combining of the worm, worm wheel, and the shaft and spiral
springs for applying pressure to the rollers, substantially as herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
The arranging or combining of the various parts for producing a right and left

page_text: hand revolving motion to the dolly or swiller, substantially as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
The arranging or combining of the various parts for securing the top of the dolly
or swiller in the tub, substantially as hercin-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Alfred Midgley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said William Smith, David Marks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Bradford,
Yorks'.
WILLIAM ALFRED MIDGLEY. (L.S.)