A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-ACTING WASHING MACHINE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Mackay, of the City and County of Edinburgh,
North Britain, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
WASHING MACHINE" A communication from abroad by John Mackay,
Engineer, of Melbourne, Australia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Mackay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1880.
"A NEW
DAVID MACKAY, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain.
OR IMPROVED SELF-ACTING WASHING MACHINE." A communication from abroad
by John Mackay, Engineer, of Melbourne, Australia.
The nature and novelty of this Invention consists generally as follows, in the
construction and use of a new or improved portable liquid circulating apparatus,
and fittings for being applied to any ordinary clothes boiler or large pot, or deep pan
used as such over a furnace or fire, so as to make these efficient self acting clothes
washing machines as well as boilers suitable for general laundry and domestic
family purposes. This special new or improved apparatus will be made and supplied
in various sizes to suit corresponding small or large sized boilers at pleasure when
required, and removed therefrom when the boiler is only required for boiling
purposes.
The special new or improved construction of this portable clothes boiler, liquid
circulating apparatus, or self acting washing machine consists of a shallow
preferably round box cast of thin zinc, or of iron well galvanized or coated with
zinc, tin, or other metal which would stand the nction of the strong alkalies or
washing liquids and not stain the clothes. This box would be close on the top and
edges but open on the under side, so as to rest with its under edges close on the
inside centre and warmest part of the bottom of the boiler, having small holes
formed round its edge, and a vertical tube or pipe, preferably of copper, fitted right
over the centre leading from the interior to near the top of the boiler, where it
would branch out in open radial jets or spouts. The interior of the shallow box is
preferably made in the form of a scroll chamber or duct by edge feathers, leading
from the outer perforated edge part to the centre leading in to the lower open
mouth of the central ascension pipe; or these feathers and chambers or channels
might lead radially towards the centre, and in either case rise in a conical manner
towards the lower end of the centre pipe.

page_text: The action would be as follows:-The said washing apparatus or machine being
placed in the centre of the boiler or pot, as stated, the water and clothes or other
articles to be washed are filled into the boiler all round the centre tube or pipe over
the shallow box to any desired height below the upper outlet discharge radial duct
or jets, all of course with the desired quantity of soap or other washing lyes or
material. As soon as the water boils, the liquids beated through the hot bottom of
the boiler in the shallow box flow rapidly up the central ascension pipe, and out at
the upper radial discharge spouts over the top of the clothes down through them to
the bottom, where it returns considerably cooled in through the perforation in the
outer or lower edge part of the box to be re-heated and circulated, as described, in
a constant current through the apparatus and clothes, so as to wash and clean them
in a very short time, the rapid frictional motion and chemical action of the lyes
soon removing the impurities from the clothes, as seen by the increasing dark
colouring of the liquids in their circulation, and out of which the clothes only
require to be rinsed through and wrung out of clear water as usual,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Mackay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th August
1880.
"
DAVID MACKAY, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain. A NEW
OR IMPROVED SELF ACTING WASHING MACHINE" (A communication from abroad
by John Mackay, Engineer, of Melbourne, Australia.)
The said Invention consists in the construction and use of a new or improved
portable liquid circulating apparatus, and fittings to be applied to any ordinary
clothes boiler, pot or pan, over a furnace or fire to make these efficient self acting
close washing machines, as well as boilers suitable for general laundry and domestic
family purposes.
The Invention consists essentially in the application and use of a water circulating
box or chamber and funnel which is fitted into the clothes boiler or pot, and
through which the washing water circulates and flows from the lower part of the
washer near the bottom of the boiler to the central upper part or surface, and
through the clothes to be washed, thereby clearing and rinsing the clothes of all
impurities in its passage.
This special new or improved apparatus can be made and supplied in various
sizes to suit corresponding large or small sized boilers at pleasure when required for
washing clothes, and be removed therefrom when tho boiler is only required for
boiling purposes. And in order that the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed or put into effect or practice may be properly under-
stood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of explanatory Drawings representing
various modifications of the improved self acting washing machine which I shall
now proceed to describe, the same reference letters being used to represent the same
or like parts in the various Figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is an inverted plan of ono
modification of the improved self acting washer or water circulator constructed
in accordance with this Invention, which consists of a shallow round box A cast of
thin zinc, or of -iron well galvanized or coated with zinc, tin, or other metal which
will stand the action of strong alkalis or the washing liquids and not stain the
clothes. This box is close on the top A' and edges A", but open on the under side
so as to rest with its under edges A" close on the inside centre and warmest part
of the bottom of the boiler or pot; and small holes a through which the water
enters are formed round its edge A", and a vertical tube or pipe B, preferably of
copper, fitted at B on a tubular branch A formed on the box casting A right over
the centre leading from the lower interior to near the top of the boiler, where it
branches out in an open jet or spout B". The interior of the shallow box A is
made in the form of a scroll chamber or duct A by edge feathers A³, leading from
the outer perforated edge part A" to the centre A², and in to the lower open
mouth or outlet A of the central ascension pipe B. This washing apparatus or
machine A, B, being placed in the centre of the boiler or pot, as stated, the water
and clothes or other articles to be washed are filled into the boiler, all round the
centre tube or pipe B over the shallow box A to any desired height below the upper
outlet discharge radial duct or jet B, with the desired quantity of soap or other
washing lyes or material. When the water boils, the liquids in the shallow box A
being beated through the hot bottom of the boiler flow rapidly up the central
ascension pipe A³, B, and out at the upper radial discharge spout B¹¹ over the
top of the clothes, then down through them to the bottom, where the liquids return
considerably cooled in through the perforations a in the outer or lower edge part
A of the box A to be reheated and circulated continuously in this manner in a
constant current through the apparatus and through the clothes, so as to wash and
clean them in a very short time; the rapid fractional motion and chemical action

page_text: of the soap or lyes soon removing the impurities from the clothes, as seen by the
increasing dark colouring of the liquids in their circulation, and out of which the
clothes only require to be rinsed through and wrung out of clear water, as usual.
Figures 3 and 4 show a vertical section and inverted plan respectively of a
slightly modified form of the new or improved self acting clothes washer, in which
the lower shallow box A is formed with a double scroll feather A³ and duct A"",
into which the water or washing liquid enters through small holes « on each side or
edge A of the box A, and flows through the ducts A" to the central orifice A³,
and up the ascension pipe B, being spread out in this example over the clothes
on both sides through lateral jets or spouts B", the action of the washer however
being the same as described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical section and inverted plan of another
modification having radial feathers A³ formed in the inside of the box A, so as
to have radial channels A between them into which the water enters through
openings a all round the lower edge A" of the box, and flows inwards and up
into the central ascension tubular orifice A' and funnel B; the liquid in this
instance being spread out over the clothes by striking against the bottom of a
convex plate B fixed by wires to the funnel B. The bottom of the box A is
made to fit an egg shaped clothes boiler by having the radial feather A³ slightly
curved and deeper in the middle part, so as to touch the metal bottom of the
boiler and conduct the heat more readily.
Figures 7 and 8 are a similar vertical section and inverted plan of a simple
modification in which the round box A is plain without any radial or scroll
feathers, a considerable saving of weight of metal being effected by dispensing
with these feathers or heat conductors. The upper surface A¹ of the box A is
arched or curved towards the outlet A2 and funnel B, so as to give the heated
water a tendency to flow into the funnel B; and this form of upper surface A¹
of the box A may be applied in any of the other modifications shown and '
described. The water enters the openings a near the top edge All of the box A,
but it might be through openings formed round the outer edge of the top arched
part A', and passing up through and out of the funnel B is deflected outwards by
the conical plate B² over the clothes. When preferred the funnel B may be mado
in one piece with the box part A of the washer, and two or more funnels and
outlets may be formed or fitted to the box; and the latter may be made round,
oval, square, of any other convenient form to suit any size or shape of boiler.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I desire it to be understood that 1 do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to mo by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The construction and arrangement of a self acting washer or water circulating
box A and funnel B to be fitted inside a boiler, pot, or pan, for the purpose of
causing a circulation of the water through articles of clothing placed therein, and
thereby washing or cleaning them, all substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Mackay, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand