Improvements in Washing Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: We, ANDREW JACKSON ZIEGLER, and JACOB BENNER ZIEGLER, both of 628, North
Church Street, Hazleton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Inventors, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in washing
machines, of that class consisting of a hollow drum or the like having a handle
attached whereby soiled linen may be pounded with the machine to cleanse the
articles by means of the water and suds drawn through them by the operation.
The object of this invention is to provide a machine of this class in which the
operation of cleansing the linen is more efficiently and expeditiously performed,
and the articles being washed preserved from injury during the process. A
further object of the invention is to improve the construction of the machine.
A machine, constructed in accordance with this invention, comprises an
inverted pan-shaped drum having a central aperture in the top. This aperture
is covered by a casing which is hinged over it and secured by a clasp, on the
underside of the top of the drum. An opening, preferably covered by wire gauze,
is formed in the lower part of the casing, and is normally closed by a valve
resting upon it.
The valve casing is surrounded by a series of rings concentrically arranged
within the interior of the inverted drum, and dividing it into annular compart-
ments connected by openings through the rings. The lower peripheries of the
rings and drum are preferably formed with channels in which rubber rings are
compressed, to prevent injury to the articles pounded.
The upper part of the drum is surmounted by an inverted conical hood, having
a socket at its apex for the insertion of a handle and an aperture for the exit
and inflow of water and air.
The valve casing may be opened when required, to remove lint and like
accumulations.
Dated this 18th day of November 1898
Improvements in Washing Machines.
We, ANDREW JACKSON ZIEGLER, and JACOB BENNER ZIEGLER, both of 628, North
Church Street, Hazleton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Inventors, do
35 hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
[Price 8d.]

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in washing machines of that class
known as clothes-pounders.
The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of that class
of clothes-pounders which on the down-stroke is adapted to force air through
the clothes to facilitate the removal of the dirt and which on the up-stroke admits
air to the interior of the device for enabling the same to be readily lifted with-
out suction, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one, which
will be capable of enabling clothes to be thoroughly and rapidly washed.
The invention consists of the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying draw-
ings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes-pounder con-
structed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view
of the same. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view, Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of
the valve casing, Fig. 5 is a detail view of the valve plate.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
1 designates a clothes-pounder comprising a lower substantially cylindrical
casing 2 and an upper conical shell 3, mounted upon the cylindrical casing
which consists of a substantially vertical wall and a horizontal top portion 4,
which forms a diaphragm or partition between the lower portion of the clothes-
pounder and the conical shell 3. The space within the cylindrical casing 2 is
divided into three separate compartments by a pair of concentric walls or rings 5
and 6, secured at their upper edges to the horizontal diaphragm or partition 4.
The wall of the cylindrical casing is imperforate, and the rings, which are
arranged within the casing, are provided at opposite sides with the openings 7, 8,
for the passage of air and water and these openings are located near the upper
edges of the rings on a line with the substantially rectangular valve-casing 9.
The rectangular valve-casing 9, which consists of a box, is composed of a hori-
zontal bottom and vertical walls, and is centrally secured to the lower face of
the diaphragm or partition 4 and depends therefrom, being provided at its bottom
with an opening 10 and having a series of perforations at its sides, adjacent to
the bottom of the casing.
The valve-casing or box 9 receives a valve 12, consisting of a rectangular
sheet of rubber or other suitable material bevelled at its edges, and the valve 12
is adapted on its down-stroke of the clothes-pounder to cover an opening 13
at the centre of the diaphragm or partition 4. On the down-stroke of the device,
the air contained within the spaces or compartments of the lower casing is
forced through the clothes and rises to the surface of the water and in passing
through the clothes greatly aids in removing dirt therefrom. The opening 10
of the bottom of the valve-casing permits the air to engage the valve directly
on the down-stroke of the device, so that the valve will be instantly closed.
On the upstroke of the device air enters the conical shell through openings 14
and passes through the openings 13 and the perforations 11 into the lower por-
tion of the device, so that the clothes-pounder may be lifted without suotion.
The openings of the rings permit the air to pass to the different compartments,
so that there will be no suction whatever on the upstroke.
Within the conical shell is secured a vertical tube, extending from the hori-
zontal partition or diaphragm 4 through the apex of the cone and adapted to
form a socket for a handle. This vertical tube 15 is closed between its ends by
a horizontal plate or disc 16, and the lower portion of the tube is provided with
- slots or openings 17 to permit air to pass to the opening 13.
The invention has the following advantages;
The clothes-pounder, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in con-

page_text: struction, is adapted to be operated with a minimum amount of labour, and on
the downstroke is capable of forcing air through the clothes being washed, to
assist in the removal of the dirt, and on the upstroke air is admitted through
the upper portion of the device to the interior, so that there will be no suction
or increased labour in lifting the device.
Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details may be resorted to without
departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
(1) A clothes-pounder, comprising a lower casing, having spaces or compart-
ments communicating with each other, said casing being provided with a central
opening, a valve-casing or box depending from the centre of the casing, and
composed of a horizontal bottom and vertical sides or walls and provided with a
central opening and having a series of perforations at its sides, a valve arranged
within the valve-casing and adapted to cover the opening of the lower casing,
and an upper shell mounted or hinged on the lower casing adapted to support
a handle and provided with an opening substantially as described.
(2) A clothes-pounder comprising a cylindrical casing, concentric rings
arranged within the cylindrical casing and provided with openings, a rectangular
box or valve-casing composed of a horizontal bottom and vortical sides or walls
and secured at the top of the cylindrical casing at an opening thereof and pro-
vided with a bottom opening, and having perforations at its sides, a valve
arranged within the box or casing, a conical shell mounted upon the cylindrical
casing and provided with openings, and a tube mounted within the conical shell
to form a socket, and provided at its lower portion with openings and closed
above the same, substantially as described.
TL AL 1000