IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Perry, of Earle Street East, Marylebone, in the
County of Middlesex, Wood & Ivory Turner, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Perry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
June 1861.
I, JOHN PERRY, of Earle Street East, Marylebone, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Wood & Ivory Turner, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in washing machines consists in, forming the ribs or
friction surfaces disposed on the interior of washing machines of screwed or
spiral form, and also in disposing a screw centre piece as an agitator, to act on
the materials being washed. These screw-like pieces I form somewhat like
spiral stair banisters, but of a size according to the size of the washing
machine. For the purposes of the spiral ribs it is sufficient to use a section of
the screw; for instance, it may be cut longitudinally through the centre, &
thus make two ribs; such sections are further more convenient to be fixed to
the external casing, which I prefer to be cylindrical. I dispose the agitating
screw centrally in the cylindrical vessel, & impart suitable motion to the axis
of such screw, or the axis may be stationary, and the vessel rotated. The
action of the central screw piece causes the clothes or other articles being
washed to be carried along, pressed, rubbed, and otherwise manipulated, so as
to effect a rapid washing & cleaning; water and suitable detergents are, of
course, introduced in the machine. On the ends of the machine I further

page_text: dispose projecting surfaces or knobs of various forms as frictional surfaces,
against which the cloth is forced. I make the opening through which the axis
passes water-tight in the ends of the vessel by a washer of leather or india-
rubber, compressed by a suitable collar, or it may be other suitable stuffing
box. I fit a suitable cover to the upper part of the cylindrical vessel, which
is placed horizontally, for the introduction & removal of the clothes or articles
being washed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Perry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PERRY, of Earlo Street East, Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Wood
and Ivory Turner, send greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Perry, 1ler special licence that I, the said John Perry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Perry, my executors, administrators, 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 Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Perry, 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 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 I, the said John Perry, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and iu what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
& to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-

page_text: My improvements in washing machines consist in disposing and using a
screw piece as an agitator, to act on the materials to be washed, & also in
forming the ribs or friction surfaces, disposed on the interior of washing
machines, of a screwed or spiral form. These screw-like pieces I form some-
what like spiral stair banisters, but of a size according to the size of the
washing machine. For the purpose of the spiral ribs it is sufficient to use a
section of the screw; for instance, it may be cut longitudinally through the
centre, and thus make two ribs; such sections are further more convenient to
be fixed to the external casing, which I prefer to be cylindrical. The ribs or
friction surfaces may also be of various other forms. I dispose the agitating
screw centrally in the cylindrical vessel, & impart suitable motion to the axis
of such screw, or the axis may be stationary, and the vessel rotated. The action
of the central screw piece causes the clothes or other articles being washed to
be carried along, pressed, rubbed, and otherwise manipulated, so as to effect a
rapid washing and cleaning; water and suitable detergents are, of course,
introduced in the machine. On the ends of this machine I further disposo
projecting surfaces or knobs of various forms, as frictional surfaces, against
which the clothes or other matters being washed are thrust. I make the
opening through which the axis passes water-tight in the ends of the vessel by
a washer of leather or india-rubber, compressed by a suitable collar, or it may
be other suitable stuffing box. I fitt a suitable cover to the upper part of the
cylindrical vessel (which is placed horizontally) for the introduction and
removal of clothes or articles being washed.
I dispose these improved washing machines either horizontally or vertically.
If horizontal, the screw agitator extends from end to end, and is disposed
centrally in a cylindrical vessel or barrel, the axis passing out at one end,
and furnished with a fly wheel and driving handle. In some cases I form
two screws on the agitator, one right-hand screw, the other left; the left-hand
thread are at one end, and the right hand at the other meet about midway of
the length of the agitator. These diverse screws have the effect of rotating
the clothes, and driving them from the ends towards the centre, so as to meet
and produce friction amongst themselves in addition to that against the side
ribs & revolving screw, while on the contrary, if rotated in the opposite
direction, it will drive the clothes against each end simultaneously, in addition
to rotating them, to produce friction on the sides. I sometimes dispose the
vessel vertically; in which case I support the rotating screw from the top or
cover, it depending in the centre, so as to descend about two-thirds' the depth
of the vessel; it may, however, descend to & be stepped into the bottom. The
bottom surface I stud with frictional projections, as also the cylindrical

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section, & Fig. 2 a transverse section, of a
washing machine, arranged and furnished according to my Invention.
I have represented the vessel a cylindrical; it may, however, be of other
form; it is mounted & fixed on suitable standards or framework b, b, & is
furnished with a cover or lid a', which is held at one end by slipping under a
ledge c, and is held at the other by a screw d, which at same time presses it
tightly in place. The contact surfaces may be furnished with leather, and
will, therefore, keep tolerably water-tight. c is the central spiral agitator
fixed on an axis, supported at one end in an inner bearing, the other end
passing through the cylinder, is supported in a bearing on the frame b, beyond
which it is fitted with a fly wheelf and driving handle. I construct this vessel
of staves & hoops it in the manner of a barrel, or it may be polygonal, and the
parts otherwise secured. The interior of the barrel, as seen, is furnished with
spiral ribs and other frictional projections, while the ends have stud-like
prominences, separately seen in Fig. 3. 9, 9, are two boards forming a funnel
mouth to the entrance to barrel a, while the plain ribs or projections g³, g³,
prevent the water being thrown round by the clothes, and out at the lid joints.*
The barrel a may be mounted in bearings so as to turn round on its axis,
within the frames b, b; in this case it is necessary that the spiral axis should.
pass out at either end, and be fixed in the frames, while the barrel turns
thereon, being driven by suitable gearing mounted on one end frame, and on
one end of the barrel. h is a plug whereby to draw off the water.
Fig. 4 represents, separately, the right and left-hand screw axis before:
mentioned, which may be substituted for axis e, with the difference of effect
before mentioned.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section, and Fig. 6 a plan, of a washing machine
according to my Invention, having the axis in a vertical position. is the
containing vessel, which may be of such depth as to stand on its bottom in a
convenient position for use, or it may be raised on a framework or stand, if
desired. The interior ribs or prominences on the cylindrical & flat (now the
bottom) surfaces are the same as before. I have represented this vessel as
being somewhat conical, but it may be cylindrical or of other suitable form.
i is the spiral agitator, which in this case I make comparatively short, its
axis o is supported in a long bearing k, depending from the removable bridge-
piece m; this piece is fixed by thumb-screws n, which with the bridge-piece m

page_text: & spiral i, can be readily removed or replaced as required. On the
upper end
of axis o is fitted a bevil wheel p; this receives motion from pinion q, fixed by
a cross pin r on a shaft s, or it. may be fitted to slide somewhat stiffly on a
square end; the shaft s is the driving axis, and has a fly wheel t and handle,
by which it is driven, fixed on the other end. This axis s is kept in position
by a pin 2, traversing a groove turned in the axis within the limits of one of
the bearings u. By removing pin r (if used),
(if used), pinion 7, & pin v, the shaft s
can be withdrawn. The bridge-piece m & spiral i may now be lifted out of
the tub. The bearings w are mounted on a fixed part of the cover.
x, x, is
a movable cover, enclosing the remaining part of the top, as also fitting down
upon the bridge-piece m, and covering the wheel p. The same thumb-screws
n pass through this cover, & also through bridge-piece m, fixing it down at
same time, & so perfectly closing the machine. I have in this case repre-
sented the spiral axis with a cylindrical hollow centre, & having cross or radial
openings y (see Fig. 7); this facilitates and enhances tho frictional effect of
the spiral i, on the clothes or other materials being washed. When the clothes
or other materials to be washed are to be introduced or removed, I remove the
cover a, bridge-piece m, and spiral i, first displacing the pinion q, as described.
is a spiggot, plug, or tap for drawing off the water or washing liquid when
desired.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the use and application of
spiral axes & agitators in washing machines, arranged and acting as described,
as also the spiral ribs or frictional surfaces, described and represented in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Perry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
JOHN PERRY. (L.S.)