CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING MACHINES
Year: 1856

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Masta Joscelin Cooke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
24th November 1856.
I, MASTA JOSCELIN COOKE, of 45, Dean Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING, WRINGING, AND MANGLING MACHINES," to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in certain improvements in washing, or, as it is
usually termed, washing, wringing, and mangling.
It is well known that washing has heretofore been done with balls, but it
was necessary for such balls to float in water or suds in order that the machino
should work. Now, in my machine it is not necessary for the balls to float.
Balls having a specific gravity heavier than water wash equally well, if not
better, than those that float; but part of each may be used and yet the work
will be performed equally well. A great number of substances may be used
to make the balls; but I prefer them made of wood, hard wood, such as teak,
gallheart, ironwood, oak, &c., or any other suitable wood. I take a box
nearly round, which may be made of any convenient size. (A size I have found
to answer well is 23 inches in diameter and 22 inches long) with a top in the
shape of a hopper. At the bottom of this box, which is made perfectly water-

page_text: tight, are placed two cast-iron or wooden rockers. These rockers are screwed
to the box. The box with the rockers I prefer to mount on a frame suf-
ficiently high to conveniently discharge the soapsuds from the box; but this
frame is not essential to the Invention, as the box will rock on the rockers on
any ordinary floor. When, however, a frame is used thero must be grooves cut
in the top lengthways for tho rockers to traverse backwards and forwards in.
A plughole is made in the end of the box to discharge the soapsuds. The
box is provided with one or two handles, whereby the rocking motion is
imparted, and a loose lid.
Now, to put the machine in work, the water is first poured in boiling hot,
and with the soap, soda, or other washing compound mixed with it, into the
box. The balls, having been previously soaked, are then put in to the extent
say, of 200 or 250, or 300, according to the size of the box. Balls may be
used from 1 inch to 6 inches in diameter. If large, fewer are required than if
small. 230 balls answer well, if from 3 inches to 4 inches in diameter. for a
box of the size I have given. The clothes are now put in and pushed down
amongst the balls. A moveable lid is put on, the handle taken hold of, and
the box rocked like a cradle backwards and forwards. This causes the balls
and clothes to roll and tumble in all directions, and if a proper movement (one
easily acquired) is given, the balls fly up with the water and recoil with force
on the clothes, beating out the dirt, rolling against them in the backward and
forward motions, and thus in a few moments removing all tho dirt from them.
Rockers might be dispensed with and a hinge substituted and still a rocking
motion be given, but I find rockers work best.
For ordinary household washing, a machine as described is all that is
required, tho wringing being done with the hands; but if it is necessary to
bave the wringing done by machinery, then it is best to work the rocking box
with the same machinery that drives the wringing rollers. This is done by
attaching the lever or handlo by a double eye and pin with a connecting rod
to any branch having the necessary backward and forward motions.
I consider it unnecessary to describe any particular sort of wringing rollers, as
any of those now in ordinary use can be easily attached, the only addition
required being a moveable crank with the ordinary spur gear and connecting
rod. When, however, these machines are attached to wringing rollers, then
I prefer to use two rocking boxes, and to place the rollers between the two
boxes. In this way I use one box for what is called the first suds, and the
other for what is called the second suds. The wringing rollers in their frame
being placed between the two rocking boxes, connecting rods are carried out
to the handles on either side, and spouts on either side are carried from the

page_text: under side of the rollers over the hoppers of the rocking boxes, so that the
suds wrung out can be carried back into the box on either side. When
the washing is done, the rocking boxes can be covered over by moveable
tables on either side, and the same rollers be made applicable for mangling
by increasing the pressure on their springs, the clothes being passed backwards
and forwards through such rollers.