Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar.. 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 18th May, 1889
I, WILLIAM SHEDLOCK, of 61 Strathblane Road, St. John Hill, Wandsworth, in
the County of Surrey, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to washing machines, and more especially to washing
machines of the kind or class in which a suitable receptacle for the articles to he
washed is caused to rotate in a box or case, one or more sides of the said receptacle
being adapted to move inward or collapse during the rotation of the said receptacle
so as to squeeze or press the said articles and thus wash or cleanse the latter more
efficiently.
Washing machines of this kind or class as hitherto made are complicated in
construction and therefore costly to manufacture and troublesome to keep in order.
The chief object of my said invention is to obviate the above defects and to provide
an improved washing machine of the kind or class above mentioned comprising few
parts and therefore simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and easy to keep
in repair.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a suitable cylindrical box or
case in which is fitted a rectangular or other suitably shaped receptacle for the
articles intended to be washed or cleansed. This receptacle is provided with gudgeons
carried in suitable bearings in the said cylindrical box or case. One of these
gudgeons is provided with an extension passing through the wall of the box or case
fitted with a convenient crank handle by means of which the said receptacle can be
rotated. The receptacle is provided moreover with a door through which the articles
intended to be washed can be introduced into the same and is suitably perforated to
allow free passage for the water or other liquid from the cylindrical box or case.
The sides of the said receptacle are provided upon their interior surface with ribs or
projections which are preferably arranged on alternate sides in a diagonal and parallel
direction respectively to the said sides."
Two of these sides are pivoted to the ends of the said receptacle in such a manner
that the opposite extremities of the said sides can move inward. The said sides are

page_text: moreover provided with arms or levers having pins or projections adapted to run in
suitable grooves provided in the interior ends of the cylindrical box or case, and so
arranged as to be acted upon by suitable cams simultaneously once or oftener in each
revolution of the receptacle and thus to cause the said sides to move inward and
squeezing or press the article contained in the said receptacle between the said two
movable sides thereby greatly adding to the efficiency of the operation of the apparatus
for washing or cleansing clothes or other articles.
The cylindrical box or case is moreover provided with a suitable stop cock or valve
for running off the water when required and with a convenient door permitting
access to the revolving receptacle and the door hereinbefore mentioned in the said
revolving receptacle is so arranged that when caused to coincide with the door in the
said cylindrical box or case the movable sides are compressed and the said receptacle
presents its smallest dimensions thus obviating the inconvenience caused by filling the
said revolving receptacle too full of clothes or other articles.
In some instances I provide suitable multiplying gearing between the crank
handle and the gudgeon of the said revolving receptacle for increasing the speed or
diminishing the power required to drive the latter.
Although I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous method of
carrying my said invention into practice it is obvious that I can somewhat modify
the construction of my apparatus without however in any way departing from the
nature of my said invention. For instance instead of pivoting the movable sides in the
manner hereinbefore described I can arrange projections or extensions upon the said
movable sides adapted to engage in grooves or guides and to be acted upon by cams
so as to cause the said sides to collapse or move inward in a parallel direction once
or oftener in every revolution of the receptacle. I can, moreover, form the said
receptacle with any convenient number of sides and cause any suitable number of
the latter to move inward or collapse once or oftener in every revolution of the
receptacle.
Dated this 18th day of September 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing Machines.
I, WILLIAM SHEDLOCK, of Thurleigh Road, Wandsworth Common, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to washing-machines and more especially to machines of the
kind or class in which a suitable receptacle for the articles to be washed is so arranged
in a box or case that it may be caused to rotate therein, and during, such rotation,
one or more sides of the said receptacle will be moved alternately inwards and
outwards so as to squeeze or compress the said articles and thus facilitate the efficient
washing or cleansing of the same.
Washing-machines of this kind or class as hitherto made are complicated in con-
struction and therefore costly to manufacture and troublesome to keep in order and
have moreover been found to work inefficiently.
The chief object of my said invention is to obviate the above defects or incon-
veniences and to provide an improved washing machine of the kind of class above
mentioned comprising few parts, and therefore simple in construction, cheap to
manufacture and easy to keep in repair.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section and,
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x, x, figure 1 showing one form of my
improved washing machine.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section showing a detail of construction hereinafter
described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the frame of the machine. B is the driving pulley and B₁ B' are loose pulleys
carried upon a shaft C, D D are toothed wheels or gearing for communicating motion
to the apparatus, E is an outside bearing. or standard to support one extremity of
the shaft C, the other extremity of which is supported in a suitable bearing in the
frame A.
a is a cylindrical box or case in which is fitted a rectangular or other suitably
shaped receptacle 6 for the articles intended to be washed or cleansed. The
receptacle is provided with gudgeons e carried in suitable bearings d (with or
without bushings or linings d' of soft metal or other suitable material) in the said
cylindrical box or case a. One of these gudgeons extends through a stuffing box a¹
and gland a² in the wall of the box or case a and carries one of the toothed wheels D.
Rotary motion may be imparted to the receptacle 6 by means of belt gearing from
an engine or other source of motive power through the pulley B and toothed
gearing D. By providing two loose pulleys B¹1 am enabled to employ a crossed
and a straight driving belt and thus by shifting alternately the one or other belt on

page_text: to the fast pulley B to reverse the motion of the receptacle b. For shifting the said
belts I employ an ordinary striking gear of any suitable construction which can be
operated by hand. Or I may employ any well known device to shift the said striking
gear automatically at predetermined periods and thus reverse the motion of the
receptacle. The receptacle is provided moreover with a door b¹ through which
the articles intended to be washed can be introduced. 63 are perforations to allow
free passage for the water or other liquid through the sides, ends, and door of the
said receptacle b. The sides of the said receptacle are provided upon their interior
surface with ribs or projections 63 which are preferably arranged on alternate sides in
a diagonal and parallel direction respectively to the said sides.
Two of the sides of the receptacle bare pivoted at to the ends of the said
receptacle in such a manner that the opposite extremities of the said sides can be
moved inward. The said sides are moreover provided with arms or levers e more
clearly shown in figure 3 having pins or projections el and anti-friction rollers e
adapted to run in suitable cam grooves f provided in the interior of the cylindrical
box or case a. The said pivoted sides are so arranged as to be operated simultaneously
twice in each revolution of the receptacle so as to cause the said sides to move
inward and squeeze or press the articles contained in the said receptacle 6 between
the said two inovable sides, thereby greatly adding to the efficiency of the operation
of the apparatus for washing or cleansing clothes or other articles. The movable
sides however may be arranged so as to be operated any other suitable number of
times in each revolution of the receptacle a.
9, 9, 92, are stop cocks or valves for regulating the supply of water, steam and
running off the water contained in the box or case a when required. h is a door
hinged at permitting access to the interior of the box or case a and to the revolving
receptacle 6 contained therein.
I sometimes arrange the cam grooves so that the hereinbefore mentioned door b¹
in the revolving receptacle 6 will coincide with the door in the cylindrical box or
case a when the movable sides are compressed and the said receptacle presents there-
fore its smallest dimensions, thus preventing the filling of the said revolving
receptacle too full of clothes or other articles, and thereby obviating the incon-
venience frequently resulting therefrom.
To form a perfectly water-tight joint round the gudgeon c that carries the toothed
wheel I sometimes provide in addition to or in place of the stuffing box a¹ and
gland a² a leather india-rubber, or other suitable washer i. j is a setting up screw
by means of which endwise pressure can be applied to the gudgeon e so as to
compress the washer i and form a water-tight joint.
In some instances I provide upon the top of the box or case a, or in any other suitable
position thereon a wringer k of any well known construction.
In the smaller machines more especially intended for domestic use I dispenso with
the pulleys and toothed gearing herein before described and I provide upon the exten-
sion of the gudgeon ca suitable crank handle by means of which the receptacle b
can be rotated.
It is obvious, that I can if desired, somewhat modify the construction of my
apparatus. For instance, instead of pivoting the movable sides in the manner herein-
before described, I can arrange projections or extensions upon the said movable sides
adapted to engage in grooves or guides and to be acted upon by cams so as to cause
the said sides to collapse or move inward in a parallel direction once or oftener in
every revolution of the receptacle. I can moreover form the said receptacle with
any convenient number of sides and cause any suitable number of the latter to move
inward or collapse once or oftener in every revolution of the receptacle.
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 :-
-
First. A washing-machine wherein a perforated receptacle is arranged to rotate in
a suitable box or case, and is provided with one or more hinged or pivoted sides

page_text: which, in the rotation of the said receptacle, will be moved alternately inwards and
outwards, substantially as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Second. The combination, with the receptacle having the hinged or pivoted sides
of the arms or levers provided with anti-friction rollers arranged to work in one or
more cam grooves upon the interior of the box or case substantially as set forth.
Third. The provision of suitable means for ensuring tightness of the joint around
the projecting extremity of the gudgeon of the revolving receptacle, substantially as
described.
Fourth. The improved washing-machine constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.