An Apparatus for Boiling, Washing, Rinsing, and Drying Linen or other Fabrics, or Materials of any kind, in the same Vessel, without Removal or Handling.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept.. 1890
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Boiling, Washing, Rinsing, and Drying Linen or
other Fabrics, or Materials of any kind, in the same Vessel,
without Removal or Handling.
I, FREDERICK JOHN MONEY of 10 Ironmonger Lane, Cheapside E.C.,
Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This
My boiler is a hollow drum of stout copper, galvanized iron, or other suitable
metal or material made to revolve vertically on horizontal supports, so that by
simply turning it round, any desired portion of its circumference may be subjected
to the action of fire; a gas jet being the most convenient arrangement.
drum, being air tight, generates steam under pressure when water is boiled in it:
and so, were it not for certain special arrangements presently to be described,
would be dangerous without scientific management, and would of course be quite
unfit to be placed in the hands of servants or other unskilled persons for domestic
To prevent the possibility of accident, therefore, it is provided with certain
outlets so contrived that they cannot possibly be all closed at the same time: and
this safeguard forms one of the most marked features of niy invention.
use.
The whole circumference of the drum is unbroken by openings: but in one of its
sides there are three perforations, arranged in a straight line: one central, and the
two others near the outer edge of the vessel at opposite points. The two outer
openings are fitted with cocks discharging centrifugally: the central one requires
special description.
The drum revolves on two horizontal arms projecting from a stout frame which
stands on four legs at a convenient height.
The arrangement of these arms differs on the two sides, one being simply
required as a support to carry the weight, while the other forms the safety outlet
as well.
The former is a solid rod, working in bearings fixed to the frame, and fitted with
a crank handle for turning the drum.
This arm is firmly attached to the side of the drum; and turns with it. The
latter is a fixture. It is made of stout steam-pipe, clamped to the frame, and
the drum turns on it. One end of this arm (which I call the safety pipe) is
continued into a piece of flexible rubber hose pipe discharging downwards: the
other passes through the central opening in the side of the drum (before alluded
to,) with a steam tight packed joint. This pipe, however, does not open directly
into the drum at its point of entry. Its open extremity is arched over by an
elongated metal shield, applied air-tight to the flat side of the drum on its interior
aspect, and forming a covered way leading from the middle nearly (but not quite)
to the circumference thereof, being made to debouch in the immediate neighbourhood
of one of the cocks before mentioned.
Its open end, and that of the cock, are protected by a grating to prevent their
being choked. This channel, as well as the safety pipe to which it leads, is always
open: whatever the position of the drum, either steam or water will always be able
to get away, and thus, presuming sufficient strength of material in the drum,
explosion is impossible.
The openings for admission of articles to be washed are placed in the sides of the
drum. They are closed with flat metal plates-which I call the "cheeks"-and
fastened on with washers and set screws, forming steamtight joints, which prevent
leakage when the drum is revolved.
For another purpose, which will presently appear, these "cheeks" may be
replaced by arched ear shaped coverings which I call "ears."

page_text: Having now fully detailed my apparatus, I proceed to describe its use in laundry
operations.
First of all, the "cheek" on one side of the drum being removed, the articles to
be washed are put in, with soap or other chemicals, and a sufficiency of water to
boil them in. The cheek is then screwed on tight, and the drum placed in such a
position that the covered way points downwards.
The upper cock is now opened, and the fire or gas lighted under the drum, the
boiling being continued as long as may be judged desirable: after which the source
of heat is removed, and the cock closed. The drum may now be revolved, without
spilling its contents, backwards and forwards for some time, till the linen is
sufficiently rubbed by the agitation. Then the fire is replaced, and boiling
recommenced, the upper cock still remaining closed, and the drum in the same
position as before. The lower cock is now opened, and the steam at once drives
out the whole of the soiled and soapy water. Should the steam have attained
sufficient strength before the cock is opened, it will give notice by driving the water
through the safety pipe, as before described. The drum may now be refilled with
clean cold water by plunging the end of the flexible tube connected with the safety
pipe into a reservoir of that fluid, at the same time closing the cocks and removing
the heat. The condensation of steam in the drum gradually draws the clean water
into it to fill up the vacuum.
-
Another boiling may now take place if so desired, or the process of rinsing may
begin and be continued ad libitum, free agitation being practised with constantly
renewed supplies of clean water.
"
When sufficiently rinsed, the linen may be rapidly dried by removing both
"cheeks" from the drum, and substituting the "ears." These arched coverings are
so arranged as to catch the air when the drum is rapidly revolved, and drive a
current through it from one side to the other.
The two "ears" being made to face in opposite directions, whichever way the
drum is turned, one will always be in a position to catch the air.
The drum being at the same time kept hot, the wet linen soon becomes warm
throughout and its vapour being carried away by the air current as fast as
produced, the drying process is rapid and complete.
September 29th 1890
FREDK. J. MONEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Boiling, Washing, Rinsing, and Drying Linen or
other Fabrics, or Materials of any kind, in the same Vessel,
without Removal or Handling.
I, FREDERICK JOHN MONEY of 10 Ironmonger Lane 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 :-
Inventors of rotary washing machines seem generally to have tried as far as
possible to increase friction in the contents of their vessels by presenting elaborate
mechanical obstacles to the circulation of the washing water: but my experiments
have led me to think that the dash of the water itself, carried round and round
while boiling by simply rubbing against the inside of a smooth containing vessel,
and suddenly arrested at short intervals by reversing the action, is sufficient to
cleanse the dirtiest fabrics, provided they be not allowed to roll themselves up into
a coil. A machine so made will be so much the simpler, cheaper, and easier to
keep clean; and, moreover, may be used for other domestic purposes besides
washing.
My apparatus (Figs. 1 & 2) consists of a hollow drum, A, of stout copper,
galvanized iron, or other suitable metal or material, smooth internally, which is
made to revolve vertically on horizontal supports, so that, by simply turning it

page_text: round, any portion of its circumference may be exposed to the action of fire (a gas
jet being the most convenient arrangement): and provided with certain openings,
one of them so contrived that it cannot possibly be closed in any position of the
drum, which may therefore be kept revolving all the while its contents are boiling,
without danger of explosion or leakage.
The whole circumference of the drum is unbroken, as also is one of its sides (or
ends) but in the other side there are several openings: one of them for admission
of articles to be operated on, (which I shall describe as "Linen"): one for a
draw off cock and one usually, but not necessarily central, for a safety arrange-
ment to be presently described. The opening for admission of linen-which I shall
call the "Doorway"-is large, and placed as near as possible to the circumference.
Its shape is immaterial. It can be closed watertight by means of a flat metal
covering-plate or "cheek
B (Fig. 1) fastened on in any convenient way, and
fitted with a washer. It can also have attached to it, for another purpose, an open-
grated cover C (Fig. 2) so made as to allow free passage of air through it in and
out. Near the circumference also, but at the opposite margin, is placed the opening
for the draw off cock D (Figs. 1 & 2).
"
The drum works on two horizontal arms or trunnions, and is carried on a stout
frame. The arrangement of these arms differs (usually) on the two sides, their
purposes being different. One is simply used as a support, and to turn the machine,
while the other forms an outlet and inlet as well. The former is a solid rod firmly
attached to the side of the drum, and works in bearings fixed to the frame. It is
fitted with a cranked handle, and revolves with the drum. The other arm E
(Figs. 1 & 2) is preferably a fixture, the drum turning on it: but this arrangement
is not material, and sometimes I make this arm a trunnion bolted to the drum and
working in fixed bearings like its fellow. For feeding the drum with water the
first plan is most convenient. In either case this arm is a tube made of stout steam
pipe, and is open at both ends, the outer end of its passage-way being free, while
the inner end passes through the third opening, (described above as "usually but
not necessarily" central) and opens into the drum.
Having now fully detailed my apparatus, I proceed to describe its use in laundry
work.
First of all, the drum is placed in such a position that the "doorway" is upper-
most, and the draw off cock, which is now at the bottom, is shut off. The covering
plate (or cheek) being removed, the linen is put into the vessel, with soap or other
chemicals, and a sufficiency of water to boil them in. The cheek being then
replaced, and the fire lighted underneath, the contents are allowed to boil. The
boiling may be continued as long as judged desirable, the drum being at the same
time revolved backwards and forwards with short strokes and frequent reversal of
direction; no escape of water can take place during this operation, by which the
surface of the linen is thoroughly cleansed. The soiled hot water is then drawn off
through the cock, and replaced by clean cold water introduced through the hollow
arm or trunnion. The fire being at the same time removed. The drum is now
revolved again in the same way, and the linen thus rinsed. This process may be
repeated ad libitum with very little trouble, if pipes be laid on to carry away
the dirty water and bring clean.
The final step is the drying of the linen, when sufficiently rinsed and drained.
The drum, first used as a boiler, now becomes an oven. Instead of being closely
stopped by the watertight cheek, the doorway is now lightly covered over by a
wire grating, or may even be laced across with string, merely to prevent the clothes
from tumbling out when the oven is revolved. The fire is replaced, and the drum
kept slowly revolving backwards and forwards as long as steam is seen to issue in
puffs from the doorway. The movement of the linen as it falls over and over
constantly draws fresh air in and expels it loaded with vapour. The turning must
of course be kept up unremittingly while the fire is alight, or the contents might
be charred but with this precaution a charge of linen may be efficiently dried in
this way in a very moderate time. The process may of course be considerably

page_text: expedited by taking the linen out and wringing it before drying: but this step is
not indispensable.
It will be seen that the apparatus, as now detailed, though substantially the
same, is much simpler than that sketched in the Provisional Specification, various
contrivances therein designed having been found by subsequent experience to be"
unnecessary. Thus the "safety passage" (for exit of steam) through the arm or
trunnions is now made to open directly into the drum instead of being covered at
its point of entry by an arched shield, it being found that no steam pressure is
required. For the same reason, no second cock is required to give vent when the
water is drawn off, the trunnion passage being always open. Again, since a current
of air through the machine from side to side has been found unnecessary, rapid
rotation is not needed, and "ears (to catch the wind) are dispensed with: a
"
single doorway being all that is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A drum, with watertight cover, hung on horizontal arms or trunnions over a
source of heat, and forming a vertically revolving boiler, with an opening through
one of its supports for the escape of steam, substantially as above described.
2. The same drum, similarly hung, but without the watertight cover, and forming
a vertically revolving oven, substantially as above described.
FREDK. J. MONEY..