An Improved Washing Machine.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1897
I ROBERT JAMES EKE, of 9 Buxton Street, Goswell Road, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved washing machine, for laundry and
domestic purposes, in which the clothes are passed through or between corrugated
rollers, having simultaneously a rotary and a lateral motion in opposite directions
to one another.
According to one way of carrying this invention into effect, in a suitable
framing, I mount a series of rollers corrugated on their surfaces, such corrugations
being at a suitable angle to the axis of the rollers, or the rollers may be spirally
corrugated. The said rollers are so mounted that the corrugations run in opposite
directions.
I provide suitable mechanism, so that the sail rollers shall have a lateral motion
in opposite directions to one another (in addition to their rotary motion) so as to
produce a rubbing action on the clothes passing between the same. The aforesaid
rollers are mounted so as to be adjustable, in order to put more or less pressure
upon the clothes passing between them.
The said rollers, which I prefer to make of wood, 1 mount at a suitable angle in
a trough. This trough is pivotted or otherwise fixed, so that it may be rocked,
during the process of washing, when required.
An Improved Washing Machine.
ROBERT JAMES EKE, of 9 Buxton Street, Goswell Road, in the County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manuer the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved washing machine for laundry and
domestic purposes, in which the clothes are passed through or between corrugated
rollers, having simultaneously a rotary and a lateral motion in opposite directions
to one another.
According to one way of carrying this invention into effect, in a suitable
framing, I mount a series of rollers corrugated on their surfaces, such corrugations
being at a suitable angle to the axis of the rollers or the rollers may be spirally
corrugated. The said rollers are so mounted that the corrugations run in opposite
directions.
I provide suitable mechanism, so that the said rollers shall have a lateral motion

page_text: in opposite directions to one another (in addition to their rotary motion) so as to
produce a rubbing action on the clothes passing between the same. The aforesaid
rollers are mounted so as to be adjustable, in order to put more or less pressure
upon the clothes passing between them.
The aforesaid rollers I prefer to make of wood, and I mount these rollers at a
suitable angle in a trough. This trough is pivotted or otherwise fixed, so that it
may be rocked, during the process of washing, if required.
And in order that ny said invention may be better understood I will now
proceed to describe the same more fully.
Outside the frame sides a of the machine, I fix an angle plate 6 fitted with two
suitable bearings c c to carry the ends of the two shafts working in the sleeves d d
and carrying the rollers e; through the sleeves d d is a pivoted rod ½ fastened to
'the end of each sleeve, the other end is fastened to a link fin which latter the
crank of a crank shaft g, rotates, so as to work the rollers e backwards and
forwards in opposite directions in order to rub the clothes during their passage
through the rollers and through the tank i containing the water in which tank the
rollers work by means of the driving shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In washing machines the employment of corrugated rollers so fitted that
they work longitudinally in opposite directions to one another for the purpose set
forth.
2. The improved washing machine constructed substantially as set forth.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.