IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE WASHING OF CLOTHES AND FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Griffith, of George Yard, Lombard Street, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN
THE WASHING OF CLOTHES AND FABRICS." A communication from abroad
by William Humble and Ward Nicholson, of the Colony of Victoria,
Australia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Griffith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th January 1880.
CHARLES GRIFFITH, of George Yard, Lombard Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE WASHING OF CLOTHES AND FABRICS."
[A communication from abroad by William Humble and Ward Nicholson, of the
Colony of Victoria, Australia.]
The object of this Invention is to more effectually cleanse clothes and fabrica
when being boiled in domestic or other boilers or coppers than heretofore, by
causing a constant circulation of the boiling water or suds through the clothes or
fabrics from above to below.
This circulation is effected by means of a simple apparatus consisting of a circular
cap or inverted case, inside which is formed a volute passage or passages leading
from the side to a central opening in the top of the cap or case.
This opening
receives a pipe which rises vertically to the level of the top of the boiler, and is
provided with a spout or spouts, or a deflector. The cap or case should be made
to fit onto the the bottom of the boiler, and is provided with holes through which the
water or suds can enter the volute passage.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The boiler being filled with water
the clothes are put in and the fire lighted. The quantity of water enclosed in the
cap or case will be first brought to the boiling point, when it will be caused to flow
up the central pipe and out at the spouts, a continuous supply of the cooler water
being drawn into the cap or case through the openings.
In this way a constant stream of boiling water or suds will flow from the bottom
of the boiler or copper onto the top of and through the clothes or fabrics in the
boiler.
Instead of the volute passages, concentric cemi-circular passages may be sub-
stituted, such passages leading to a central opening as before. The vertical pipe
may also have a vertical partition, or two vertical pipes may be used in connection
with a horizontal pipe communicating with the central opening.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Griffith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th July
1880.
CHARLES GRIFFITH, of 3, George Yard, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Managing Clerk to Messieurs B. S. Lloyd & Co., of the same Place, Merchants.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE WASHING OF CLOTHES AND FABRICS."
A communication from abroad by William Humble and Ward Nicholson, of the
Colony of Victoria, Australia.
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple apparatus to be used in
domestic or other boilers or coppers when washing clothes and fabrics for the
purpose of causing and maintaining a constant circulation of the boiling water or
suds through the clothes or fabrics from above to below, whereby the articles being
washed are more effectually cleansed than heretofore.
The apparatus consists of a circular case, closed at top and open at bottom,
inside which a curved passage or passages are formed leading from the side to a
central opening in the top of the case, to which a vertical tube or pipe, provided
with a spout or spouts, or deflector, is fitted.
'
In the accompanying Drawing the apparatus in its simplest form is shewn in
plan and elevation, partly in section, at Figures 1 and 2. Figures 3 to 9 shew
various modifications of the apparatus; and Figure 10 shews the apparatus in position
in a boiler. a is an inverted case in which a number of perforations a¹ are made;
inside this case is a volute passage a leading from the perforations a¹ to a central
opening as in the top of the case. To the opening a³ is fitted a pipe b, which is
provided at its upper end with a spout bl. The case a must be made so that it
will fit tolerably close onto the bottom of the boiler, and the walls of the volute
passage must increase in depth as the volute nears the central opening in order
that they may fit into the concave bottom of the boiler. The pipe b must be of
sufficient length to reach the level of the top of the boiler. For flat bottomed
boilers the walls of the passage will of course be the same depth throughout.
The apparatus is placed in the centre of the boiler, which is filled with water up
to within an inch or two of the spout 61 of the pipe b, and a small quantity of soap
being added, the fire under the boiler is lighted. As soon as the water boils it will
begin to flow rapidly from the spout 6', and the clothes or fabrics which have been
previously soaked and soaped must then be put into the boiler. As the boiling
continues a continuous supply of the cooler water will be drawn through the
perforations a' into the apparatus, where it will be reheated and caused to flow up
the pipe b, thus a constant current of boiling water or suds will be caused to flow
from above through the articles being washed, and will carry down with it all
impurities which will collect at the bottom of the boiler. With each fresh batch of
clothes a little water and soap should be added to the boiler.
In Figures 3 and 4 a modification of the apparatus is shewn in plan view and
elevation, partly in section. In this modification there are two volute passages a
leading from opposite sides of the case a and converging at the central opening a³,
which, with the pipe b, has a central vertical partition so as to form two distinct
passage, each of which has its own spout b¹.
Another modification is shown in plan at Fig. 5. In this case the apparatus is
formed in two parts, each part containing a passage, the walls of which are semi-
circular and concentric, are so arranged as to give a serpentine course to the liquid.
The central pipe b, is placed excentrically to the passages, and each part of the
apparatus overlaps the other on opposite sides the width of the passage.
In Figures 6 and 7 two vertical pipes b are shewn, Figure 6 being a plan view,
and Figure 7 an elevation. These pipes are connected to a horizontal pipe c fitted
to the central opening a³.

page_text: Instead of the spouts 6¹ the pipe b may be provided with a deflector d, as shewn
in plan and sectional elevation at Figures 8 and 9.
Having now described the nature of the Invention for "Improved Apparatus to
be Used in the Washing of Clothes and Fabrics" as communicated to me from
abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
The apparatus in its various forms, as herein described and shewn in the
Drawing, for maintaining a constant circulation of boiling water or suds, as and for
the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Griffith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Third day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
CHARLES GRIFFITH. (L.S.)