IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Douglas Bennett, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING
MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Douglas Bennett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1879.
ROBERT DOUGLAS BENNETT, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to the machines employed in the washing or cleansing of
linen, wearing apparel, and other articles or goods as is well understood, and has for
its object to obtain an action similar to the rubbing action of the bands. To this
end I employ a vibrating rubber which acts in concert with a yielding bed. The
said rubber is by preference quadrant shaped, and when so shaped is fixed to a
rocking shaft. The rubbing surface consists of rods or bars of wood or other
suitable material, or is fluted or ribbed as preferred. The yielding bed is arranged
to float so as to tend towards the rubber by reason of its buoyancy. The surface
of the said bed which is towards the said rubber is curved with the same radius as
the said rubber, or thereabouts, and is by preference formed of rounded bars. To
render the said bed sufficiently buoyant I provide it with hollow metal floats, or I
form any part of the bed or of its framing of thin hollow metal, or I employ cork;
or other materials or appliances which will have the requisite effect. The said bed
is arranged to rise and fall being guided by the sides of the receptacle or by other
suitable means.
The rubbing part of the vibrating rubber is hinged so that one
side or end can be raised, in order that articles may be introduced between the
rubber and the bed, but this arrangement may be varied. A rocking or vibrating
movement is imparted to the shaft to which the rubber is fixed by means of a
crank and connecting rod, and lever or arm, or by any other suitable arrangement
CD627

page_text: of parts. To obtain a suitable speed in the case of hand machines I prefer to
employ multiplying gearing actuated by a second shaft upon which is fixed a
suitable hand wheel, but this may be varied; and in the case of large hand
machines, the multiplying gearing may not be used, and in some cases the
machines will be arranged to be actuated by power,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Robert Douglas Bennett
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd February 1880.
ROBERT DOUGLAS BENNETT, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING-MACHINES."
My Invention relates to the machines employed in the washing or cleansing of
linen, wearing apparel, and other articles or goods as is well understood, and has for
its object to obtain an action similar to the rubbing action of the hands. To
this end I employ a vibratory rubber which acts in concert with a yielding bed.
The said rubber is by preference quadrant shaped, and when so shaped is fixed
to a rocking shaft. The rubbing surface consists of rods or bars of wood or other
suitable material, or is fluted or ribbed as preferred. The yielding bed is arranged
to float so as to tend towards the rubber by reason of its buoyancy. The surface
of the said bed which is towards the said rubber is curved, and is by preference
formed of rounded bars. The rubbing part of the vibrating rubber is hinged so
that one side or end can be raised, in order that articles may be introduced between
the rubber and the bed; but this arrangement may be varied. A rocking or
vibrating movement is imparted to the shaft to which the rubber is fixed by means
of a crank and connecting rod, and lever, or arm, or by any other suitable
arrangement of parts.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings made to a scale of about one third the full linear dimensions,
and marked with letters of reference, to which Drawings I will now refer. Fig. 1
represents a vertical section and Fig. 2 a plan of a washing machine of proportions
suitable for domestic purposes. In the said Figs. a is a rectangular receptacle
which may be of any suitable construction, and which is or may be provided with
suitable feet represented as broken off in Fig. 1. Within this receptacle is the
aforesaid yielding bed consisting of a curved grating 6, which in the example is
composed of rounded bars of wood which are attached by each end to wooden side
cheeks c, c.
To the said cheeks are attached two hollow metal floats d, d, which
are made of thin copper or zinc, or of other suitable metal. These floats add to the
buoyancy of the grating b, so that when a quantity of water is placed in the
receptacle, the said grating offers a resistance to being submerged. In case the said
grating be not buoyant without the aid of the floats, the said floats are propor-
tioned to impart a suitable buoyancy to the grating. The yielding bed so formed

page_text: is free to rise and fall within the receptacle, being guided in the example by the
sides of the receptacle, but any suitable guides or means for guiding may be
employed. To the sides of the receptacle standards e, e, are bolted or secured, and
in the upper ends of these standards bearings are formed for a rocking shaft f. On
this rocking shaft are fixed arms g, g, and to these arms is hinged a curved frame h
to which are fixed bars i, i, of wood or other suitable material which constitute the
aforesaid vibrating rubber. The curve formed by these bars is struck from the axis
of motion of the shaft f and frame h, or thereabouts. The curve of the yielding
bed is struck with a radius which is a little shorter than that of the vibrating
rubber. I have obtained good results from such proportions of the curves, but
I do not confine myself thereto. The frame h is hinged at k to the arms 9, and
can be turned up into the position indicated by the dotted lines; in order that
the articles to be washed or treated may be introduced below the bars i, i, stop
u, u, prevent the grating from rising too high when the rubber is raised. When
the articles have been introduced, the said frame is turned down into the position
indicated by the full lines, and is secured in that position by means of hinged
bolts 1, U'. These bolts are hinged to the frame h, and are formed with projections
which enter holes in the arms g. In the Drawing the bolt is locked, and the
bolt unlocked. Any suitable arrangement may be substituted for these bolts,
and if preferred, the frame h may be arranged to be raised. bodily, or to be entirely
removed to the admit articles. On one end of the shaft f is fixed an arm m to
which one end of a connecting link n is jointed. The other end of this link
engages with a crank pin o, which is fixed in a disc which is fixed upon one end of
a shaft p. This shaft is fitted to revolve in suitable bearings which are secured to
the receptacle, and upon the other end of the shaft is fixed a spur-pinion which
gears with a spur wheels which is mounted upon a fixed stud, the said spur-pinion
and wheel being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. To the spur-wheel is fixed a
suitable fly-wheel or hand-wheel indicated by t in Fig. 2. It will be seen that
when the said hand-wheel is turned, a vibrating motion will be communicated to
the arms g and the rubber i, i. Any suitable arrangement of gearing shafts and
parts may be employed to impart the said vibrating movement, and in some cases,
if preferred, the movement may be effected by means of a hand-lever, or of hand-
levers fixed to the shaft for to the arms g. In some cases arrangements will be
made for actuating the rubber by power. When the machine is to be used for
washing, water and detergent are put into the receptacle, and the articles are
placed below the rubber in the manner indicated. The hand-wheel t is then
turned, whereby the rubber i is caused to vibrate and to operate upon the articles,
the buoyancy of the bed or grating 6 furnishing a yielding upward pressure of the
articles against the rubber. Washing machines constructed in accordance with my
Invention may be used in all the processes of washing, or cleansing, rinsing, and
starching. I do not confine myself to the form of the floats, as any part of the
yielding bed or of its framing may be made hollow of thin metal or other suitable
material, or I may apply cork either as a filling material for the floats, or otherwise,
or I may make the hollow floats of other material than metal, or otherwise impart
the requisite buoyancy to the yielding bed. Also, I do not confine myself to the
indicated formation of the rubbing surfaces. A suitably formed buoyant bed or
grating may be used in combination with an upper rubber reciprocating in a
straight line.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
and the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it
to be understood that I claim,-
First. The apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes set forth
and indicated herein before, and in and by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The employment of a quadrant vibrating rubber in combination with
a curved buoyant yielding bed to receive the articles, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. In the apparatus to which my Invention relates obtaining a yielding

page_text: pressure by adapting the bed or part upon which the articles are placed to float in
the liquid.
And, Lastly. The employment of hollow metal floats, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Douglas Bennett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, the
day and year last above
mentioned by the said Robert
Douglas Bennett, in
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
the
ROBERT DOUGLAS BENNETT. (L.S.)
Agent for the Patentee,
St. Ann's Churchyard,
Manchester.