Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th July, 1888
I, THOMAS FRATER of 152 Lothian Road in the City of Edinburgh, Washing
Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of washing machines wherein, as exemplified in
the apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 11,116
of 1885, a cage or drum containing the clothes or articles to be washed or cleansed is
rotated within a trough or casing partially filled with water and suitably heated and
the object of the present improvements which are also applicable to other similar
machines requiring motive power, is to render such machines automatic in action.
To that end I form the trough or main casing of the machine with a jacket or
double cased bottom wherein a quantity of fresh water or a portion of the water used
in the washing operation. is by its proximity to the gas flame or other source of heat
raised to a higher temperature than the main body of the water in the machine and
is wholly or partially converted into steam or expanded to such an extent as to
produce an excess of pressure within the trough of the machine; and in the side or
end or other convenient part of the trough or main casing I fit a small turbine, water
wheel or other steam or hydraulic motor so as to be acted on by the steam or steam
and water which flowing from the jacket space is directed on the vanes of the motor,
whilst the motor is connected either directly or through suitable speed reducing gear
to the shaft of the cage or drum containing the clothes to be cleansed so as to impart
the required rotatory motion to it.
In the modification in which a separate supply of water for motive power is
provided the double casing is preferably supplied with water through a filler having
in its lower end where it is attached to the case a very small orifice which may be
provided with a valve to prevent the return of water or steam and in some cases a
tubular casing containing a supply of water is fitted around the double bottom, whilst
the outlet for steam is at a point as high as convenient within the trough of the
machine or the filling orifice may be provided with a screw plug for separating the
double casing from the trough when the machine is put into operation.
In

page_text: the modification in which the water used for washing purposes also serves to drive
the motor I prefer to admit the water from the trough through small orifices in tho
bottom connected to a coil or series of tubes which are designed to retard the back-
ward flow of the water and deliver the water at as low a level. as possible whilst a large
orifice having over it a gradually contracting delivery nozzle is provided in the upper
part of the casing for the ascent of the heated water which is directed against the
vanes or blades of the motor. Under a further modification the steam and heated
water ascending from the double casing through the contracting delivery nozzle is
directed in the form of jets upon the cage or drum containing the clothes in such
a manner as to cause the drum to rotate, a separate motor being dispensed with,
whilst the jets of steam or boiling water by penetrating the clothes further serve to
cleanse them.
Dated this Twenty-second day of September 1887
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Washing Machines.
I, THOMAS FRATER, of 152 Lothian Road, in the City of Edinburgh, Washing
Machine Manufacturer, 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 :-
This Invention relates to that class of washing machines wherein as exemplified in
the apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 11116
of 1885 a cage or drum containing the clothes or articles to be washed or cleansed is
rotated within a trough or casing partially filled with water and suitably heated and
the object of the present improvements which are also applicable to other similar
machines requiring motive power, is to render such machines automatic in action.
To that end I form the trough or main casing of the machine with a jacket or
double cased bottom wherein a quantity of fresh water or a portion of the water used
in the washing operation is by its proximity to the gas flame or other source of heat
raised to a higher temperature than the main body of the water in the machine and
is wholly or partially converted into steam or expanded to such an extent as to produce
an excess of pressure within the trough of the machine; and in the side or end or
other convenient part of the trough or main casing I fit a small turbine, water wheel
or other steam or hydraulic motor so as to be acted on by the steam, or steam and
water which flowing from the jacket space is directed on the vanes of the motor,
whilst the motor is connected either directly or through suitable speed reducing gear
to the shaft of the cage or drum containing the clothes to be cleansed so as to impart
the required rotatory motion to it.
In the modification in which a separate supply of water for motive power is
provided the double casing is preferably supplied with water through a filler having
in its lower end where it is attached to the case a very small orifice which may be
provided with a valve to prevent the return of water and steam and in some cases a
tubular casing containing a supply of water is fitted around the doublo bottom whilst
the outlet for steam is at a point as high as convenient within the trough of the
machine; or the filling orifice may be provided with a screw plug for separating
the double casing from the trough when the machine is put into operation. In the
modification in which the water used for washing purposes also serves to drive the
motor I prefer to admit the water from the trough through small orifices in
the bottom connected to a coil or series of tubes which are designed to retard the
backward flow of the water and deliver the water at as low a level as possible whilst
a large orifice having over it a gradually contracting delivery nozzle is provided in
the upper part of the casing for the ascent of the heated water which is directed
against the vanes or blades of the motor. Under a further modification the steam
and heated water ascending from the double casing through the contracting delivery
nozzle is directed in the form of jets upon the cage or drum containing the clothes
in such a manner as to cause the drum to rotate, a separate motor being dispensed

page_text: with, whilst the jets of steam or boiling water by penetrating the clothes further
serve to cleanse them.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is an elevation, and figure 2 a transverse
vertical section of a washing machine of the class referred to illustrating the applica-
tion of a modification of my invention in which the driving motor is a steam engine;
and figure 3 is an elovation illustrating a modification in which the motor for driving
the drum of the washing machine is a turbine.
The casing A of the machine is formed with a double cased bottom at A¹ into
which is filled a supply of water by an inlet tubo a provided with a non-return
valve and the steam generated therein by the application of heat is led by an outlet
tube to the engine or turbine B, which is fixed on the machine casing. As shown
at figures 1 and 2 the engine operates a crank shaft C which through gearing D, D¹,
rotates a shaft E, having on its end a worm e gearing with a worm wheel T, fixed
on the end of the shaft carrying the drum G of the machine and through said
gearing the drum is rotated. The direction of rotation may be changed at each
revolution or as often as may be desired by means of a projecting arm g on the drum
coming into contact with a lever H, fitted to operate a clutch which throws the bevel
wheel D on one side of the bevel wheel D¹ into gear, and that on the opposite side
out of gear;
or the engine may in like manner be automatically reversed. The
exhaust from the engine is led into the washing machine by a pipe I.
The arrangement shown at figures 3 and 4 is similar to that described excepting
that the turbine B'drives the shaft C through gearing e from the shaft C on which it
rotates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A washing machine operated automatically substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
2. In a washing machine the combination with the main casing of a double cased
bottom serving as a fluid pressure generator and a motor arranged to drive the
machine substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-first day of June 1888.