Improvements in Dollies and Peggies for Use in Washing Clothes and other Textile Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dollies and Peggies for Use in Washing Clothes
and other Textile Articles.
I, CHRISTIAN WILLIAM DASHWOOD, of 46, Shrubbery Street, Kidderminster, in the
County of Worcester, Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention has reference to what are known as dollies and peggies used in
washing clothes and other textile articles. Heretofore a dolly of this kind has usually
been made of a wood stem made with a cross head or handle at the top and at the
bottom a body divided by cross slots into four feet by which the clothes are thumped
in the wash tub, and the said peggies have usually been made of a similar stem and
cross handle with a body at the bottom of the stem provided with four peg like feet
by which the clothes or other articles have been stirred or whisked backwards and
forwards in a circular direction in the wash tub. These dollies and peggies being
made of wood which is a hard and inelastic material tend to damage the
clothes.
The object of my invention is to so construct the said dollies and peggies that the
feet or acting parts will be to a certain extent soft and yielding and when the dolly
or peggie is in use there will, in addition to or instead of the thumping action, be a
rubbing action upon the clothes thus more effectually and with less labour removing
the dirt and that without injury to the clothes or other articles which are being
washed.
In carrying out my invention I make the dolly feet of indiarubber or other
suitable yielding material, or of wood or other suitable solid material coated or not
coated with indiarubber, and I so arrange the said feet that upon the dolly been
pressed downwardly with the feet upon the clothes the said feet will thereby be
caused to spread outwardly thus causing a rubbing action upon the clothes and
similarly when the dolly is raised the feet will spring towards each other and towards
the centre of the dolly and rub the clothes in the opposite direction; thus in addition
to, or instead of, the thumping action of the dolly there is a double rubbing action
upon the clothes which facilitates the washing. Instead of the feet being constructed
to spread outwardly when the dolly is depressed and to spring inwardly towards each
other when the dolly is raised, this arrangement may be reversed, that is to say, the
dolly feet may be arranged to move inwardly towards each other when the dolly is
depressed and to spring outwardly when the dolly is raised but in either case the.
double rubbing action upon the clothes is obtained. In combination with the dolly
feet (or rubbers as they may be called) constructed to act as above described, there
may be one or more solid pegs or parts on the dolly shorter than the feet to act as a
stop or stops and give a solid thumping action on the clothes in combination with the
double rubbing action above described.
The lower portions of the said feet which come in contact with the clothes are by
preference curved or rounded and also by preference made with rounded cross ribs so
as to have a better grip or rubbing action upon the clothes. The said feet may be

page_text: constructed and arranged in various ways to obtain the double rubbing action above
described, for instance, each of the said feet may be hinged to the central body of the
dolly and be drawn towards each other and towards the centre of the dolly by means
of an indiarubber ring which embraces the feet and fits in a groove therein, or metal
or other springs may be used to act upon the feet. Or the flexibility of the
indiarubber or other suitable substance of which the dolly feet are formed may in
itself be sufficient to allow of the feet moving inwardly and outwardly as aforesaid
when in use.
I may make the dolly with two three or more of the said feet and when only two
of the feet are used they may be of considerable width so that the lower part of the
dolly will then have an oblong form.
In making a washing peggie in accordance with this invention the feet or rubbers
are made to yield when the peggie is in use and are made of a curved form from the
centre shaft of the peggie towards the periphery and are so arranged that when the
peggie is turned backwards or forwards rapidly in the usual way the curved form of
the feet has a screwing effect upon the clothes drawing the clothes inwardly towards
the centre when the peggie is turned in one direction and of spreading them
outwardly again from the peggie when the latter is turned in the opposite direction,
thus a very efficient action upon the clothes is obtained.
In another arrangement of my invention, in order to obtain the rubbing action
upon the clothes or other articles in the wash tub, I make the body of the dolly or
peggie so that it will turn round upon the stem instead of being rigidly fixed thereto
as is usual. Upon the stem there is a metal or other screw thread which acts in a
central nut in the body of the dolly or peggie and the stem also carries a spiral or
like spring which presses the said body downwardly along the stem so that, when
the dollie or peggie is pressed down into the wash tub the screw upon the same
acting in the nut in the body of the dolly or peggie causes the said body with its
feet to turn in one direction compressing the spring, and when the stem of the dollie
or peggie is raised the re-action of the spring moves the body of the dolly or
peggie down the stem and the screw causes the body to turn in the opposite
direction. Thus by simply moving the stem of the dolly or peggie up and down the
head and feet of the dolly or peggie are caused to turn backwards and forwards
and give the rubbing action upon the clothes. In this example of my invention the
feet of the dollie or peggie may either be fixed to the head or made moveable in any
of the ways hereinbefore described.
In another forin of my invention the feet of the dolly or peggie are made
straight or nearly so projecting downwardly from the body and when this dollie or
peggie is in use the elasticity of the rubber allows the feet or pegs to have the double
rubbing and thumping action upon the articles being washed.
Dated this 20th day of 1000
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Dollies and Peggies for Use in Washing Clothes
and other Textile Articles.
I, CHRISTIAN WILLIAM DASHWOOD, of 123, Offmore Road, Kidderminster, in the
County of Worcester, late of 46, Shrubbery Street, Kidderminster, aforesaid, Designer,
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
tatement:-

page_text: This Invention bas reference to what are known as dollies and peggies used in
washing clothes and other textile articles. Heretofore a dolly of this kind has
usually been made of a wood stein made with a cross head or handle at the top
and at the bottom a body divided by cross slots into four feet by which the clothes
are thumped in the wash tub, and the said peggies have usually been made of a
similar stem and cross handle with a body at the bottom of the stem provided with
four peg like feet by which the clothes or other articles have been stirred or whisked
backwards and forwards in a circular direction in the wash tub. These dollies and
peggies being made of wood which is a hard and inelastic material tend to damage
the clothes.
The object of my Invention is to so construct the said dollies and peggies that the
feet or acting parts will be to a certain extent soft and yielding and when the dolly
or peggie is in use there will in addition to or instead of the thumping action be a
rubbing action upon the clothes thus more effectually and with less labour removing
the dirt and that without injury to the clothes or other articles which are being
washed.
In carrying out my Invention as applied to a washing dolly I make the dolly feet
of indiarubber or other suitable yielding material, or of wood or other suitable
solid material coated or not coated with indiarubber and I so arrange the said feet
that upon the dolly been pressed downwardly with the feet upon the clothes the
said feet will thereby be caused to spread outwardly thus causing a rubbing action
upon the clothes and similarly when the dolly is raised the feet will spring towards
each other and towards the centre of the dolly and rub the clothes in the opposite
direction; thus in addition to or instead of, the thumping action of the dolly there
is a double rubbing action upon the clothes which facilitates the washing. Instead
of the feet being constructed to spread outwardly when the dolly is depressed and.
to spring inwardly towards each other when the dolly is raised, this arrangement
may be reversed, that is to say, the dolly feet may be made to move inwardly towards
each other when the dolly is depressed and to spring outwardly when the dolly is
raised but in either case the double rubbing action upon the clothes is obtained from
each of the feet. In combination with the dolly feet (or rubbers as they may be
called) constructed to act as above described, there may be one or more solid pegs
or parts on the dolly by preference shorter than the feet to act as a stop or stops and
give a solid thumping action on the clothes in combination with the double rubbing
action above described.
One forin of washing dolly constructed according to my Invention is illustrated on
the accompanying drawings in side elevation by Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of-
the lower part of the same shewing the feet spread outwardly as when the dolly is
pressed down in the washing tub; Fig. 3 is a plan of the said washing dolly and
Fig. 4 is a plan of a modified form of the same; Fig. 4 is a general view of a
modification of my Invention; Fig. 5 is a sile elevation partly in section
of the lower part of a modified form of the washing dolly shewn by Figs. 1, 2.
and 3, and Fig. 6 shews the same parts as Fig. 5 when the dolly is pressed down
in the washing tub; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a further modification of my.
Invention; Fig. 8 is a plan of the same and Fig. 9 shews the same parts as Fig. 7
with the feet in the positions which they occupy when the dolly is pressed down in
the washing tub; Fig. 10 is a side elevation and Fig. 11 is a plan of a further,
modification of my Invention as applied to a washing dolly; Fig. 12 shews another.
of my improvements applied to a washing dolly; Fig. 13 shews the lower part of a
washing peggie constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 14. shews a modified
form of the same; Fig. 15 shews another form of washing dolly or peggie constructed.
according to my Invention and Fig. 16 illustrates an ordinary washing peggie with
one of my improvements applied thereto.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is the usual wooden.
stem of the washing dolly and B is the cross handle of the same. C is the body fixed-

page_text: to the bottom of the stem A, and D1 D2 are the two feet of the dolly which are made
of indiarubber or other similar yielding material with their lower portions d' d,
which come in contact with the clothes, curved or rounded outwardly and made with
rounded cross ribs on their acting surfaces as shewn so as to have a better grip or
rubbing action upon the clothes. Between the two feet D' D2 there is or may be a
solid peg E formed on the underside of the body C and made shorter than the
feet D D² so as to act as a stop and give a solid thumping action on the clothes in
combination with the double rubbing action of the feet D D. When the dolly is in
nse and is pressed downwardly with the feet D' D upon the clothes the said feet will
thereby be caused to spread outwardly as shown in Fig. 2 thus giving a rubbing action
upon the clothes, and similarly when the dolly is mised the feet D D by the
elasticity of the indiarubber of which they are formed will spring towards each other
and resume their normal positions as shewn in Fig. 1 thus rubbing the clothes in the
opposite direction thus in combination with or instead of the thumping action of the
dolly there is a double rubbing action of the feet D1 D2 upon the clothes which
facilitate the washing.
Fig. 4 represents a modified form of my improved dolly in which the elastic
feet D D are curved inwardly towards each other so that when the dolly is pressed
down the feet D D will move inwardly towards each other rubbing the clothes in
one direction and when the dolly is raised the feet Di De spring outwardly again to
their normal position shewn by Fig. 4.
The washing dolly may have any convenient number of feet D1 D but. I find that
two feet as shewn by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to answer well in practice; Fig. 4 shews the
same kind of dolly represented by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 but made with four feet marked
respectively D¹ DE D' D'.
The feet D' D above described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the
feet D D D D above described with reference to Fig. 4 are made of solid indiarubber
and the double action of spreading outwardly and returning inwardly of the feet is
obtained by the elasticity of the indinrubber or other like yielding material of which
the feet are composed but in the modification of my Invention represented by Figs. 5
and 6 I obtain the same double rubbing action upon the clothes by hinging the
feet D1 D2 to the central body C at ff and the feet D1 D2 are drawn towards each
other and toward the centre of the dolly by means of the indiarubber ring G which
passes through holes d d in the feet and is extended by the act of pressing down
the dolly and spreading out the feet as shown in Fig. 6 and when the dolly is raised
the indiarubber ring G draws the feet towards each other as in Fig. 5.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate another method of hinging the fect D D to the body C.
In this case each foot is made with a knuckle end marked d which fits in a
corresponding circular slot o' formed in the underside of the head C so that the feet.
can turn outwardly as represented by Fig. 9 or inwardly as shewn in Fig. 2. These
figs. also shew another way of arranging the indiarubber spring which draws the
feet together. In this case an indiarubber strip H is threaded through holes in the
feet D D and in the central peg or stop E and the ends of the indiarubber secured
in any convenient manner so that this indiarubber strip will be stretched by the
spreading of the feet as represented in Fig. 9 and then by its elasticity it will draw
the feet together as shewn in Figs. 7 and 8.
In the example of my Invention shewn by Figs. 7 and 8 the ribbed surfaces d' d² of
the feet are formed by the round indiarubber strips d' which are cemented in grooves
formed in the feet as shewn.
Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a dolly of somewhat similar construction to that shewn by
Figs. 5 and 6 provided with four feet D D D L which are hinged to the body C of
the dolly and are drawn together by the encircling indiarubber band G which
embraces the dolly feet and draws them together round the stem.
It will be evident that other methods of hinging the dolly feet to the body C and of
arranging the spring which draws the feet together may be employed without
departing from the nature of my Invention, and that the dolly may be made with any
number of the movable feet such as D¹ D2.

page_text: In making a washing peggie in accordance with this Invention the feet or rubbers
are made of indiarubber or other suitable yielding material so that they will yield
when the peggy is in use, or are made of wood or other non-yielding material covered
or not covered with indiarubber or the like and made of a curved form from the centre
shaft A of the peggie towards the periphery as shewn for instance by Fig. 13 which
represents the lower part of the washing peggie made in accordance with this Invention
and constructed with three feet or rubbers 11 12 13 fixed to or formed with the central
body C from the sides of which they spring and curve outwardly. Each of the feet.
III is made larger at its top than at its lower part so that the acting surface is
is somewhat the same shape as that of an inverted truncated cone the surfaces being
by preference ribbed as shewn or perforated with holes or have other cross ribs on
them so as to form a grip upon the clothes, or the acting surfaces may be smooth and
may if desired be coated with indiarubber. When the peggie shewn by Fig. 13 is
turned backwards and forwards in the usual way to act upon the clothes the acting
surfaces of the feet II' I have a screwing effect upon the clothes drawing the clothes
inwardly towards the body C when the peggie is turned in the direction indicated by
the arrow on the left hand side of the drawing, and spreading outwardly again from
the peggie when the latter is turned in the opposite direction, that is in the direction
indicated by the arrow on the right hand side of Fig. 13 thus a very efficient scouring
action upon the clothes is obtained.
Fig. 14 shews another form of washing peggie made according to this invention
which is something like an inverted truncated cone with rounded ribs rising from
the base along the sides.
In another arrangement of my Invention (see Fig. 15) in order to obtain the
rubbing action upon the clothes or other articles in the washing tub I make the body C
of the dolly or peggie so that it will turn round upon the lower part a' of the stem A
instead of being rigidly fixed thereto as is usual, Formned on the underside of the
boss J of the stem A there is a screw thread like surface J' which acts upon a similar
screw thread surface c2 formed on the top of the body C. The coiled spring K which
is arranged in the body Caround the lower part a2 of the stem A acts against a shoulder a³
on the stem A and against a lower cross piece c³ of the head C so that this spring K
tends to force the stem A upwardly. The spring K presses the body C downwardly
along the stem A and when the dolly or peggie is pressed down into the washing tub
the screw surface J' upon the same acting against the screw surface c² of the body C
causes the latter with its feet D1 D2 to turn in one direction as the incline J¹ slides
over the inclined surface c thus compressing the spring and causing the peggie D¹ D
to turn in one direction. When the stem A of the dolly or peggie is raised the
reaction of the spring K moves the body C of the dolly or peggie down the stem a¹ a²
and the screw surfaces J c cause the body C to turn in the opposite direction. Thus
by simply moving the stem of the dolly or peggie up and down the body C the
feet D' D2 are caused to turn backwards and forwards to give the rubbing actionon the
clothes. In this example of my Invention the feet of the dolly or peggie may either
be fixed to the body as shewn in Fig. 15 or be made removable in any of the ways
hereinbefore described.
According to another part of my Invention the acting surfaces of the ordinary feet
of the dolly or peggie, which are made straight or nearly so projecting downwardly
from the body, are covered with ribbed indiarubber or like elastic material which when
the dolly or peggie is in use allows the feet or pegs to have the double rubbing or
thumping action upon the article being washed, and gives a better rubbing action
than when the surfaces are the usual smooth wooden surfaces. Fig. 12 shews an
ordinary dolly with the ribbed indiarubber pieces marked L affixed to the outer
surfaces of the dolly feet M, and Fig. 16 shews an ordinary washing peggie with the
acting surfaces of the peg like feet N covered with indiarubber caps O which are
ribbed on their outer surfaces and cemented or otherwise secured on to the said
peg like feet.
According to another part of my said Invention I make the wooden feet M of
an ordinary washing dolly or the wooden pegs of an ordinary, washing peggie with

page_text: ribbed surfaces formed on them by cutting or turning the wood to the required
shape as shewn for instance by Figs. 12 and 16, so as to give a better rubbing
effect upon the fabrics.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A washing dolly having curved feet which yield and spread outwardly from
the stem or body when the dolly is pressed down upon a surface and which
spring inwardly towards each other when the dolly is raised off said surface so
that by a downward and upward movement of the dolly the said feet impart a
double rubbing action upon the fabrics which they are acting upon, substantially as
herein before set forth.
2. A washing dolly having curved feet which yield and turn inwardly towards each
other when the dolly is pressed down upon a surface and which spring outwardly
from each other when the dolly is raised off said surface so that by a downward and
upward movement of the dolly the said feet impart a double rubbing action upon the
fabrics which they are acting upon, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. In a washing dolly of, the kind denoted under Claim 1 or Claim 2 the combina-
tion with the curved yielding feet of one or more solid or yielding pegs such as E to
impart a thumping action upon the fabrics in combination with the double rubbing
action obtained by the yielding feet, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
4. In a washing dolly of the kind denoted under Claim 1 making the curved
yielding feet of indiarubber or like yielding material the flexibility of which will allow
of the feet spreading outwardly from the stem or body and springing inwardly towards
each other to impart the double rubbing action upon the fabrics and either with or
without the peg E to give a thumping action upon the fabrics, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a washing dolly of the kind denoted under Claim 1 hinging the curved
yielding feet to the body so that they will spread outwardly from the stem or body
and move inwardly towards each other to impart the double rubbing action upon the
fabrics in combination with an indiarubber strip or band or other spring so
arranged as to draw the feet together and towards the centre of the dolly stem the
parts being constructed and arranged in any of the several ways substantiallyas herein-
before described and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6, and by Figa. 7, 8 and 9, and by
Figs. 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a washing dolly of the kind denoted under Claim 2, making the curved
yielding feet of indiarubber or like material the flexibility of which will allow of the
feet moving inwardly towards each other and of spreading outwardly from the stem or
body to impart the double rubbing action upon the fabrics substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
7. A washing peggie having its feet or rubbers curved from the centre shaft
towards the periphery so that when the peggie is in use and is turned in one direction
the curved feet will draw the fabrics inwardly towards the body of the peggie
and when the peggie is turned in the opposite direction the curved feet will spread the
fabrics outwardly again, substantially as herein before set forth.
8. A washing peggie of the kind denoted under Claim 7 made with its curved feet
ribbed or covered with indiarubber to increase the grip upon the fabrics which the
peggie is acting upon, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
9. A washing peggie made with curved feet such as 12 13 13 of the shape substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 13 of the accompanying drawings
and for the purpose set forth.
10. In washing dollies and washing peggies covering the acting surfaces of the feet
with ribbed indiarubber so as to increase their rubbing action upon the fabrics with
which they are used, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
12. A washing dolly or washing peggie having its body and feet adapted-to turn on

page_text: the stem, said stem and body having a screw like surface and a spring so arranged
that when the stem is pressed down the screw like surfaces will cause the body and
feet to turn in one direction and when the stem is allowed to rise the combined action
of the spring and screw surfaces will turn the body and feet in the opposite direction
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 15
of the accompanying drawings.
13. The improvements in washing dollies and peggies to increase their rubbing
action upon the fabrics with which they are used substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th dow of Isl. 1907
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.