Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Washing Machines and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 10th Feb.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Washing
Machines and in Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM LINDSAY, Engineer, of 34, Clifford Road, Birkdale, Southport, in
the County of Lancashire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a more expeditious and effecient means for washing
clothes, hitherto the washing of clothes has been effected by placing the clothes
in steam boxes and revolved on a machine. A process not conducive to wash
effectually without manual labour is applied in the shape of rubbing the clothes
after they have been withdrawn from the boxes, for the purpose of removing
marks or impressions left upon the clothes, which the revolving process could not
effect, simply because the operation in itself is not complete. An advantage
which my new and improved mode and means of manipulation claim to accom-
plish, by placing the clothes to be washed into a receptacle and using one or
more punches or plungers, the top end of the punch or plunger rods connected
to, a crosshead plate and the crosshead plate fitted to slide up or down on the
guiding frames on the side cheeks or standards, attached and suspended by straps
to eccentric sheave blocks, keyed on both ends of the driving shaft for obtaining
the stroke on the punches or plungers. The driving shaft carried by adjusting
bearings, the latter also fitted on the guiding frames of the side cheeks or stan-
dards, to adjust up or down at the will of the operater. The degree of concus-
sive force or squeeze of the punches or plungers on the clothes in the receptacle
is regulated by means of screws and springs, intercepting the adjusting bearings
and the top of the frame of the machine. The driving shaft upon which the
crosshead plate is suspended extended beyond the adjusting bearings for carry-
ing the eccentric sheave blocks, on both sides and a hand wheel or a fast and
loose pulley may be fitted on the one end of the driving shaft providing means
so that the machine may be suitable for driving by hand or power. The recep-
tacle containing the clothes during the operation of washing being revolved so
as to equalize the punches or blows on the surface of the clothes during the
process, and for this purpose, a large toothed wheel is fixed on the under side
of the receptacle upon a table or base plate free to revolve and geared to a small
pinion carried by a vertical shaft and caused to revolve by bevel gear from the
driving shaft.
In place of using the eccentric sheave blocks and straps they may be sub-
stituted by forging double throw cranks on the driving shaft and connecting the
punch or plunger rods, by connecting rods to the crank pins for obtaining the
stroke, the machine otherwise constructed as hereinbefore described.
In another modification of this new and improved apparatus for washing
clothes, the punches or plungers may be operated very conveniently by the intro-
duction of a system of toggle joints intercepting the springs and screws on the
top of the frame of the machine and the crossbead plate. A lever shaft attached

page_text: on the side of the machine for operating the toggle joints and worked from the
driving shaft by a connecting rod or rods. The driving shaft has a worm keyed
on the centre which gears with a worm wheel for revolving the receptacle con-
taining the clothes. The machine made suitable for driving by hand or power.
Doted the 22nd dose of Arona 1800
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Washing
Machines and in Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM LINDSAY, Engineer, of 34, Clifford Road, Birkdale, Southport, in
the County of Lancashire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writting reference being had to the
accompany sheet of drawings and to letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
-
My invention relates to a more expeditious and effecient means for washing
clothes, hitherto the washing of clothes has generally been effected by placing the
clothes in steam boxes and revolved on a machine. A process not conducive to
wash effectually without manual labour is applied in the shape of rubbing the
clothes, after they have been withdrawn from the boxes for the purpose of removing
the marks or impressions left upon the clothes, which the revolving process could
not effect, simply because the operation in itself is not complete. An advantage
which my new and improved mode and means of manipulation claims to accom-
plish by the mechanical use of one or more punches or plungers or dollies as they
are usually termed and regulating the force or impulse of the punch or blow on
the clothes to be washed by buffering or reducing the effect of concussion pro-
duced by the use of springs for easing the shock at the end of each stroke of the
punches or plungers and for the purpose of exerting a squeezing or compressing
action for effectually extracting the dirt from the clothes while being washed.
I use throughout the following description the same letters and numerals of
reference to indicate like parts, in all the figures, where shown, in order as far
as possible to avoid needless repetition in describing the different modifications
shown.
On the accompanying sheet number 1 of drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional side
elevation and Fig. 2 is and end elevation shewing the general design of one form
of my new and improved style of washing machine, In this modification the
throw of the eccentric sheave blocks keyed on the driving shaft imparts the
stroke or punching operation to the punches or plungers attached by there stem-
rods to a crosshead slide plate (fitted to slide up or down on the guiding slide
frames formed on the side cheeks or standards) which is connected and suspended
by the straps to the eccentric sheave blocks fixed on the driving shaft on each
side of the machine. The receptacle or tub B (for containing the clothes to be
washed) shaped round in form and planted on a suitable recess formed on the
double flanged spur wheel B³ and a flanged ring B³ fitted on the top of the recep
tacle or tub for hooping same, and the whole bound together by the bolts 136
and B. The spigot formed on the bottom side of the spur wheel B³, turned and
faced and mounted upon the turned and faced faucet A formed on the sole-
plate A. The central boss B4 of the spur wheel B³ has a hole bored out and
recessed on the top along with the central boss A9 formed on the sole-plate A
and secured together in position by the turned bolt I free to revolve around same.

page_text: The side cheeks or standards A and A¹ bolted to the soleplate A" and the cheeks
or standards bound ridigly together and bolted on the top by the cross-binder
bridge frame A. The crosshead slide plate D planed and made a sliding working
fit on the planed guiding slides A3 and A³ for carrying the punches or plungers C
and Cattached by there stemrods C2 and C³ with fast collars on the underside
against the abuting bosses D1 and D2 and secured to same by nuts on the top
side and the whole hung by the straps D3 and D' on the sheave blocks E and E
keyed on each side of the shaft E. The driving shaft E carried by the adjust-
ing bearings F1 and F formed
on the adjusting cross-plate F which
is also planed a sliding working fit on the planed guiding slides A³
and A³. The shaft E has a fast and loose pulley E and E6 fixed on
the left hand side and a bevel wheel E3 keyed on the right hand side which
gears with the bevel pinion H¹ and carried by the bracket H which is planed a
sliding working fit on the planed guiding slide A³ and fixed and held in position
by the two bolts K to the adjusting cross-plate F for holding the bevel pinion H'
in gear with the bevel wheel E³. The bevel pinion H' keyed on the hanging
vertical shaft H2 which is carried at the bottom end by the boss As formed on the
soleplate A. The small double flanged spur pinion H³ (which gears with the
corresponding double flanged spur wheel 133 for revolving the receptacle or tub B
so as to equalize the punching and squeezing action of the punches or plungers
over the surface of the clothes during the process of washing) bored out and
fitted with a feather key and fitted on the vertical shaft H2 to engage with the
wheel B3. The shaft H³ has a corresponding long feather seat formed on same
for driving the pinion H³ and to allow of the adjustment up or down of the
vertical shaft H2 and the whole suspended by the flexable ring G attached to the
adjusting cross-plate F by the buckle G¹ on the end of the screw G and the
latter hung by the screwed boss A3 formed on the cross-binder bridge frame A*
and the whole set and regulated by the handle G on the top of the screw G,
for regulating the force or impulse of the punch or blow on the clothes to be
washed. The amount of deflection on the springs G2 regulates the intensity of
pressure at the end of each punch or blow and also produces a buffering or
reducing effect of the concussion at the end of each stroke of the punches or
plungers C and C¹ for the purpose of exerting a squeezing or compressing action
for effectually extracting the dirt from the clothes while being washed. The
receptacle or tub B is provided with a lid B' in halves to prevent splashing
during the process and an orifice B³ bored on the side and fitted with a tap for
rinsing the receptacle or tub and draining off the dirty water. The soleplate A
shaped and adapted to bolt on a foundation and made stationary should power
be applied for driving the machine, but if driven by hand-power the fast and
loose pulley E and E6 is dispensed with and a handle E provided and fastened
on the bevel wheel E³ for driving by hand and the sole-plate on the bottom side
fitted with small pulleys A10 and A on axis as shown and made portable.
The application of the eccentric sheave blocks and straps as a means for obtain-
ing the stroke or punching operation of the punches or plungers herein before
described is one mode of achieving my purpose, but the same can be very
effeciently accomplished in another way, as a substitution by forging double
throw cranks on the driving shaft as shown by the sectional side elevation on
Fig. 3 and by the end elevation on Fig. 4. The crosshead slide plate I)
attached by the snugs D5 and De to the connecting rods E⁹ and E0 and sus-
pended by the crank pins formed on the double throw cranks E and E8 on the
driving shaft E. The machine otherwise constructed as herein before described
in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 and need not further be described.
In another modification of this new and improved style of washing machine.
The contrivance of the toggle joint as a means for the purpose of obtaining the
stroke on the punches or plungers can be effected very advantageously. This
combination of levers requiring little power to operate the toggles, while the
intensity of pressure exerted being infinite, can be regulated by this new and

page_text: improved cushioning or buffering action of the springs for punching and squeez-
ing the punches or plungers on the clothes for effectually extracting the dirt from
same, makes the application of the toggles for this purpose very suitable. Fig. 5
is a sectional side elevation and Fig. 6 an sectional end elevation shewing the
general design of this form of my new and improved style of washing machine.
The receptacle or tub B (for containing the clothes to be washed) shaped round
in form and planted on a suitable recess formed on the worm wheel B16, and a
flanged ring 15 fitted on the top of the receptacle or tube B for hooping same,
and the whole bound together by the bolts B6 and B7. The spigot formed on the
bottom side of the worm wheel B16, turned and faced and mounted upon the
turned and faced faucet A7, formed on the soleplate A. The central boss 14 of
the worm wheel B16 has a hole bored out and recessed on the top along with the
central boss A formed on the soleplate A6 and secured together in position by
the turned bolt I, free to revolve around same. The side cheeks or standards A
and A bolted to the soleplate Aº, and the cheeks or standards bound rigidly
together and bolted on the top by the cross-binder bridge frame A. The cross-
head slide plate D planed and made a sliding working fit on the planed guiding
slides A2 and A³ for carrying the punches or plungers C and C and for regulat-
ing the punching and squeezing action. The punches or plungers C and C¹
attached to the screws G and G and suspended by the nuts Gs and G. from the
top of the bosses D¹ and D2 and fastened on the underside of same by the nuts G6
and G7 intercepted by the helical springs G2 and G* incased by there sheilds D7
and D8 for effecting the cushioning or buffering action on the punches or
plungers C and C. The height of the latter regulated by the adjustment of
the screws G and G5 and the whole suspended from the cross-binder bridge
frame A by the snugs A¹ and A¹³ and connected by the toggle levers E18 19
E20 and E to the crosshead slide plate D, by the snugs D³ and D6.
The toggle
joints attached to and connected by, the connecting links E" and E to the
levers E and E15 keyed on the oscillating lever shaft E23. The oscillating lever
shaft E23 carried by the bosses A4 and A5 and the lever E13 keyed on the left
hand side of the oscillating shaft attached to, and connected by, the connecting
rod E2, to the revolving disc E23 keyed on the left hand side of the driving
shaft E, for operating the oscillating lever shaft E. The driving shaft E
carried by the side bosses A1 and A¹8 and in the middle, by a double worm
bracket A7 and a worm E" keyed on the middle of the shaft E, to engage with
the worm wheel B16, for revolving the receptacle or tub B, so as to equalize
the punching and squeezing action over the surface of the clothes during the
process of washing, and a fast and loosa pulley fixed on the right hand side of
the shaft E, for driving the machine by power, means can also be provided for
driving by hand-power, same as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4 on
Sheet 1 of drawings by adapting the machine for driving either by hand or
power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, what
I claim is
First. The method of applying certain apparatus and combinations of apparatus
for punching and squeezing the dirt from the clothes to be washed, by buffering
or reducing the effect, of concussive force exerted, and in means for regulating
the punching and squeezing action at the end of each stroke or blow of the
punches or plungers produced by the deflection exerted according to the set
applied on the springs, substantially as herein set forth and described in refer-
ence to, and as respectively distinguished in, the several forms and applications
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The mode of, and means for, operating the punches or plungers for
punching the clothes produced by the throw of eccentric sheave blocks keyed on
the driving shaft as applied for this particular purpose in conjunction with the

page_text: setting and employment of the springs for obtaining the squeezing action, while
the receptacle or tub is revolved simultaneously for punching and squeezing the
whole surface of the clothes exposed to be washed therein, substantially as
herein set forth and described in reference to, and shown in connection with
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Third. The mode of, and means for, operating the punches or plungers for
punching the clothes, produced by the throw of double cranks forged on the
driving shaft as applied for this particular purpose in conjunction with the setting
and employment of the springs for obtaining the squeezing action, while the
receptable or tub is revolved simultaneously for punching and squeezing the
whole surface of the clothes exposed to be washed therein, substantially as herein
set forth and described in reference to, and shown in connection with Figs. 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The mode of, and means for, operating the punches or plungers for
punching the clothes, produced by the opening and closing action of the toggle
joints, actuated by connecting links from the oscillating lever shaft and operated
from the driving shaft as applied for this particular purpose in conjunction with
the setting and employment of the helical springs for obtaining the squeezing
action, while the receptacle or tub is revolved simultaneously, for punching and
squeezing the whole surface of the clothes exposed to be washed therein, sub-
stantially as herein set forth and described in reference to, and shown in con-
nection with Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Third day of January 1900.