IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES AND APPARATUS COMBINED THEREWITH
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Clements, of Great Russell Street, in the County
of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
AND APPARATUS COMBINED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Clements at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1880.
EDWARD CLEMENTS, of Great Russell Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES AND APPARATUS COMBINED THERE-
WITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in rotary, self acting, reversing, dash-
wheel washing and rinsing machines employed for laundry or other like purposes, in
which the articles to be washed or rinsed are placed in a revolving cage inounted
upon a central horizontal axis, and enclosed in an outer case carrying the driving
pulleys, the sliding bar, and connecting rods for working the forks and straps on
and off the fast and loose pulleys of self acting reversing motion.
The inner cage of the machine is divided into several separate compartments,
each having a separate door of communication, but only one door of communication
in the outer case; it thus becomes necessary to bring the opening in the cage
alternately in front of the opening in the case. This is done when the machine is
not running by means of a clutch lever throwing into gear a worm and wheel, by
which the cage is brought into position by hand.
Heretofore it has been usual to drive these machines from a line of shafting
worked by a separate and distinct steam engine, and it has been possible to throw
the hand motion into gear while the steam motion is running, thus causing the
fracture of parts of the machine.
Now according to my improvements I dispense with the necessity of a line of
shafting, and a separate and distinct engine, and combine with the machine a special
steam engine attached to the end standard or otherwise, and make a combination of
engine and machine self contained. The possibility of injury to the machine
caused by both the hand and steam drivers being in gear together is prevented by
the introduction of a specially made and constructed bolt fixed between the starting
lever of the steam motion and the clutch which throws into gear the hand motion,
so arranged that the steam motion of the machine must be stopped before the hand
motion can be thrown into gear, and vice versa, each handle being locked by the
other at all times and in any position.
.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet 1) are end views, and Figure 3 is a side or front elevation,
partly in section, of a self acting washing machine arranged and constructed in
accordance with my Invention, and having my improvements applied thereto or
combined therowith.
The articles to be washed or rinsed are placed in the revolving cage a, mounted
upon a central horizontal axis a³, and enclosed in an outer case b, as shown; a², a³,
are the driving pulleys; a', the sliding bar; and a, a, connecting rods for working
the fork and straps a7, a³, on and off the fast and loose pulleys aº, a¹º, of the self
acting reversing motion as is well understood.
•
The inner cage a of the machine is divided into several separate compartments,
each having a separate door of communication, but only one door b¹ of communi-
cation in the outer case; it thus becomes necessary to bring the openings in the
cage a alternately in front of the opening b' in the case b. This is done when the
machine is not running by means of a clutch lever c (shown full size in Sheet 3)
throwing into gear a worm d and wheel e, by which the cage a is brought into
position by hand power.
Heretofore it has been usual to drive these self acting washing machines from a
line of shafting driven by a separate and distinct steam engine, and it has been
possible to throw the hand motion into gear while the steam notion is running,
thus causing injury and the fracture of parts of the machine.
Now according to my improvements I dispense with the necessity of a line of
shafting, and a separate and distinct engine for driving the washing machine, and
according to my improvements I combine with the washing machine a special
steam or motive power engine A attached to the end standard, as shown in Sheet 1,
or otherwise, as shown in Sheet 2 of the Drawings, and thus make a combination
of the motive power engine A and washing machine self contained, the motive
power engine being placed according to my improvements in any convenient
position in relation to and for driving the washing machine.
The possibility of injury to the machine caused by both the hand and steam
drivers being in gear together at the same time is prevented by the introduction
of a specially mado and constructed bolt g (shown by separate views of the parts
full size in Sheet 3) fixed between the starting lever f of the steam motion and the
clutch lever c which throws into gear the hand motion, so arranged that the steam

page_text: motion of the machine must be stopped bofore the hand motion can be thrown
into gear, and vice versa, each handle c and f being locked by the other at all
times, and in any position.
By reference to Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, shown in Sheet 3 of the Drawings, it
will be seen that the hand lever for throwing the steam motion into and out of
gear is locked in position whilst out of gear by the upper part g¹ of the bolt g,
and cannot be thrown into gear again until the hand lever c is moved to the right
hand opposite to the recess g³, when the bolt g will fall by its own gravity, and
the part will then descend below the level of the lover f, and allow it to be
moved to the left hand, and thus put the steam driving motion into gear to drive
the washing machine, the lower part g³ of the bolt g acting to lock the hand lever c
within the recess g³.
In order to put the hand gear into motion the hand lever / must first be
moved to the right hand into the position shown in Sheet 3 to stop the steam
driving gear; the hand lever c can then be moved to the left, and by acting on the
incline g* will raise the bolt g, and thus socurely lock the hand lever f whilst the
hand gear for turning the cage a is in motion.
The hand gear is actuated by means of a crank handle, which is placed on the
end of the axis d¹ of the worm & which gives motion to the worm wheel e when
put into gear with the axis a¹ by the lever and clutch c.
The lever factuates the vertical striking shaft and lever f¹ connected with the
sliding bar and shifting fork f³ to throw the steam driving motion into and out of
gear, as is well understood.
It will not be necessary for me to describe more minutely the arrangement of
the mechanism for reversing the motion of the revolving cage a, as the same is
well known, and will be readily understood on examining the Drawings.
The self acting washing machine represented by Figures 4 and 5, Sheet 2,
simply shows another method of applying and combining the motive power
engine A therewith, as I do not limit myself to any particular arrangement of or
position in which the motive power engine A is placed or combined with the
washing machine, as the same may be considerably varied without departing from
the novel character of this part of my Invention.
The same motive power engine A may also be arranged to drive two or more
washing machines either simultaneously or separately, or it may, if desired, be
arranged to drive a washing machine and a wringer, mangle, or other machines
separately or together.
As corresponding parts of the washing machine are marked with similar letters
of reference to those shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, it will not be necessary
for me to repeat them here as they will be readily understood on examining the
Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not
limit myself to the exact details herein shown and described, neither do I claim
any of the mechanical parts separately, which are well known, but what I
claim is,
First. The improved arrangement and combination of self-acting rotary
reversing washing and rinsing machines with a special steam or other motive
power engine, such as A, attached to or forming part thereof for driving the
same, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described
and represented in Sheets 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and application to self-acting
rotary washing and rinsing machines, of apparatus for locking the steam or
other motive power driving apparatus whilst the hand driving apparatus is in
action, and vice versa, by means of a bolt, such as g, or other equivalent

page_text: mechanism, acting substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before
described and represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Clements, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.
EDWARD CLEMENTS. (L.S.)