AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND BLEACHING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Gaultier, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND
BLEACHING."
Sealed the 9th June 1854, and dated the 24th December 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Gaultier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th December 1853.
I, JOSEPH GAULTIER, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 4,
South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do solemnly and sincerely
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
W SHING AND BLEACHING" to be as follows:-
A new arrangement of mechanical parts for constructing a washing
and bleaching apparatus.
The apparatus is composed of a cylinder, having compartments and
chambers formed by two or more circular wood or non-oxidizible metal
plates, the diameter of which may vary. These plates are united
together all round at the centre, and at their circumference, by wood
or metal rods of a variable number and length.

page_text: These rods serve as supports to an envelope of net work or other
open fabric, made of cotton, hemp, &c., of wire work or perforated
sheets of wood or metal, so as to permit the passage of liquids.
Each compartment or space included between two plates is also
divided into a variable number of chambers, formed either by net work
extended transversely in the form of diaphragms, or by non-oxidizible
wire work or perforated wood or metal plates. The form of the chambers
depends on the position in which the said separations are placed. I
I give them, however, by preference, a triangular form, for which
purpose the partitions are disposed so as to radiate from the centre to
the circumference. The apparatus thus constructed is immersed as far
as its axis in a tub sufficiently large to allow it to move freely. The
different liquids necessary for the washing or bleaching operations are
conducted into and egress from this recipient at discretion by means of
pipes, the recipient being heated by means of jets of steam or hot water
pipes.
The articles to be washed or bleached are then introduced into the
chambers of the cylinder by means of suitable openings. The cylinder
is set in motion by any motive power, at the rate of fifteen to twenty
revolutions per minute. This motion causes the different articles to
fall upon the surfaces formed by the various separations of the cham-
bers, and thus receive a series of light beatings or shocks, which assist
the action of the liquids contained in the tub in washing or bleaching
the articles, thus obviating the necessity of applying the hand. This
apparatus will also serve to partly dry the clothes after the liquids have
been withdrawn from the tub.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Gaultier in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, S
JOSEPH GAULTIER, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Gaultier, Her special
license that I, the said Joseph Gaultier, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Gaultier, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND BLEACHING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Gaultier, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Gaultier, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto aunexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My Invention consists in a new arrangement of mechanical parts for
the construction of a washing and bleaching apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a cylinder, divided into a variable nuniber
of chambers subdivided into cells, the form of which is variable, but
which I prefer to be triangular. This cylinder is mounted on an axis,
and moves freely within a tub or recipient, into which I introduce the
necessary liquids for washing and bleaching. The linen or other
articles to be washed and bleached are introduced equally into the cells,
which being closed, the cylinder receives a slow rotatory or alternate
motion, and after a short time the linen or other articles are perfectly

page_text: washed and bleached and partly dried, without touching them with the
hand.
I will now describe the Drawing hereto annexed. Figures 1, 2,
and 3, elevations of the working cylinder, with three different forms of
casing; Figure 4, transverse section of the same; Figures 5, 6, and 7,
plan of the partitions forming the cells for containing the linen or other
articles to be washed and bleached; Figure 8, front elevation of the
machine set up; Figure 9, side elevation.
The cylinder, Figure 1, is composed of two wooden boards or inoxi-
dizible metallic plates, united together near the extremities of their
circumference by wooden or inoxidizible metallic rods, the length of
which determines the size of the cylinder. This cylinder, Figure 4, is
divided into eight chambers, in the form of V, by means of partitions,
which may be formed of wood or metal rods II, II, Figure 5, of net work
or wire cloth F, F, Figure 6, or of perforated thin boards or metallic
sheets Z, Z, Figure 7. The casing of the cylinder forming the closing
parts of the cells consists of frames of similar materials to those of the
partitions, as represented in Figure 4, by the letters G, J, and B, and
by the Figures 1, 2, and 3; P, one of the plates composing the cylinder;
A, inoxidizible metallic axle; E, casing of the axle, to which the
partitions II, F, and Z are fixed, and serving to protect the axle from
the water and lessen the sharpness of the angles of the cells; T, T, T,
wooden or metallic rods uniting the discs P together.
Figures 8 and 9. C, dotted lines, shewing the position of the
washing cylinder in the tub or recipient A; B, B, cross pieces, fixed
by bolts F to the recipient A; T, T, pipe for the introduction of steam
to heat the bath; II, steam cock; R, cock for discharging the liquid
from the bath; 0, level of the water in the recipient; D, axle of the
cylinder; i, i, bearings; K, sliding piece for allowing the withdrawal
of the cylinder when required to remove it from the recipient; M, M,
handles for giving motion to the cylinder C. When steam power is
employed, the handles are replaced by pulleys.
For washing clothes or other like articles in this apparatus, I first
place them in equal quantities in the various cells of the cylinder, and
cause water to arrive in the tub by means of a pipe suitably arranged

page_text: for that purpose. A slow rotative motion is given to the cylinder by
means of any desired power, giving preference, however, to an alternate
circular motion. After the lapse of about ten minutes the articles are
soaked. I then introduce into the tub a light lye (carefully avoiding the
presence of any corrosive agent), which has to be heated by the intro-
duction of steam through the tap II, during the slow alternate motion
of the cylinder until it enters into ebullition, and after about two hours
the bleaching is complete. The discharge cock R is now opened, and
the lye received in suitable reservoirs, in order to be re-employed. I
introduce clean water into the tub and keep the cylinder in motion for
about ten minutes to rinse the clothes; this operation is repeated a
second time with fresh water. The cock R is again opened to empty
the tub, and as the water egresses I give a quick rotative motion to
the cylinder, by which means the clothes are drained and partly dried.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein
laid down, which may be modified; but what I claim is, the con-
struction of an apparatus for washing and bleaching linen and other
articles, consisting of an open cylinder divided into open cells and
playing in a tub or recipient, as herein-before described and referred to
in the Figures of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Gaultier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
J. GAULTIER.
(LS.)