IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Brookes, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Plumber and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th October 1879, and dated the 22nd April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Brookes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1879.
ISAAC BROOKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Plumber and Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
The object of my Invention is to effect in a simple and efficient manner that
part of the operation of washing called "maiding" or "dollying," that is, giving a
series of blows to the articles to be washed contained in a tub or vessel, the said
articles being immersed in a solution of soap or a washing composition in water, as
is well understood.
"
My said Invention consists of the construction and combination of parts, herein-
after described, of a machine for effecting the said "maiding" or dollying,"
whereby the hand maiding or dollying ordinarily resorted to is superseded. I
construct and arrange the parts of the machine substantially as follows:-At the
front of the machine 1 arrange a cylindrical tub or vessel for containing the washing
solution and articles to be washed, the said tub or vessel having a slow rotatory
motion given to it so as to bring different parts of the articles in the tub or vessel
under the operation of the "maids" or "dollys" working in the said tub or vessel.
The "maids" or "dollys," two of which I prefer to use, are jointed to arms, and tho
latter are furnished with plugs which take into sockets on a horizontal axis working
in the frame of the machine, the said plugs being fixed in their places by cross pins
or other fastenings. By means of the said plugs and sockets the "maids " or
'dollys" may be removed from the machine when it is required to introduce the
articles to be washed into or remove the "maided or "dollyed" articles from the
tub or vessel. Each dolly arm crosses its axis, and the rear part constitutes an arm
on which the wipers or cranks, herein after described, act. By means of the
mechanism herein after described the "maids" or "dollys" are alternately raised
(1
Die 21
"

page_text: and allowed to fall so as to give a series of blows to the articles in the slowly
rotating tub or vessel. The dolly arms are so arranged on their axis that while
one dolly is being raised the other dolly is descending.
The mechanism by which a rotatory motion is given to the tub or vessel and the
"maids" or "dollys" worked is constructed as follows:--Parallel to and near the
dolly axis is a second axis worked froin a winch or handle outside the frame of the
machine. This second axis carries a bevil pinion which gears with a bevil wheel
on the top of a vertical axis. The bottom of the said vertical axis carries a toothed
wheel which gears with a large toothed wheel on the outside and near the bottom
of the cylindrical tub or vessel containing the articles to be washed. Or the tub or
vessel may be supported upon a table, and the latter have a rotatory motion given
to it. At the back of the machine and parallel to the second or driving axis is a
third axis, which is geared with the said driving axis by toothed wheels. The said
third axis carries double wipers situated over the ends of the wiper arms on the
dolly axis. By the rotation of the driving axis the said wipers are made to bear
upon and depress the wiper arms on the dolly axis, and lift the opposite arms to
which the dollys are jointed, the said dollys falling by their own weight when the
said wipers escape from the wiper arms. Or instead of wipers on the axis described,
the said axis may be furnished with cranks, the said cranks being made to operate
the dolly arms in the same way as the wipers described. By the mechanism
described the maids or dollys are made to give a series of blows to the articles in
the tub or vessel, the latter at the same time being made slowly to rotate.
.
I prefer to combine with the machine a pair of wringing rollers, the top of the
machine covering the gearing and working parts, constituting a slab on to which
the articles may be lifted from the tub or vessel preparatory to passing them
through the wringing rollers, the said slab being inclined towards the tub end of
the machine, and being furnished with guides so that the liquid squeezed from the
articles may run back into the tub.
The machine may be made double acting, that is, a rotatory tub or vessel may be
arranged at each end of the machine, and a set of maids or dollys for each tub be
worked by the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaac Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th October
1879.
ISAAC BROOKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Plumber and Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING MACHINES."
The object of my Invention is to effect in a simple and efficient manner that
part of the operation of washing called "maiding" or "dollying," that is, giving a
series of blows to the articles to be washed contained in a tub or vessel, the said
articles being immersed in a solution of soap or a washing composition in water, as
is well understood.
My said Invention consists of the construction and combination of parts, herein
after described, of a machine for effecting the said "maiding'
" or " dollying,"
whereby the hand maiding or dollying ordinarily resorted to is superseded.
I construct and arrange the parts of the machine substantially as follows:-At
the front of the machine I arrange a cylindrical tub or vessel for containing the
washing solution and the articles to be washed, the said tub or vessel having a slow
rotatory motion given to it so as to bring different parts of the articles in the tub
or vessel under the operation of the "maids" or "dollys" working in the said tub
or vessel. The "maids" or "dollys," two of which I prefer to use, are jointed to
arms, and the latter are furnished with plugs which take into sockets on a hori-
zontal axis secured in the frame of the machine, the said plugs being fixed in their
places by cross pins or other fastenings. By means of the said plugs and sockets
the "maids or "dollys" may be removed from the machine when it is required to
introduce thé articles to be washed into or remove the "maided" or "dollyed
articles from the tub or vessel. Each dolly arm crosses its axis, and the rear part
constitutes an arm, on which the wipers or cranks, herein after described, act. By
means of the mechanism herein after described the "maids" or
dollys are
alternately raised and allowed to fall so as to give a series of blows to the articles
in the slowly rotating tub or vessel. The dolly arms are so arranged on their axis
that while one dolly is being raised the other dolly is descending.
"
"
"
33
The mechanism by which a rotatory motion is given to the tub or vessel and the
" maids
or "dollys" are worked is constructed as follows:-Parallel to and near
the dolly axis is a second axis worked from a winch or handle outside the fraine of
the machine. This second axis carries a bevil pinion which gears with a bevil
wheel on the top of a vertical axis. The bottom of the said vertical axis carries a
toothed wheel which gears with a largo toothed wheel on the outside and near the
bottom of the cylindrical tub or vessel containing the articles to be washed. Or
the tub or vessel may be supported upon a table, and the latter have a rotatory
motion given to it. At the back of the machine and parallel to the second or
driving axis is a third axis, which is geared with the said driving axis by toothed
wheels. The said third carries double wipers or cranks situated over the wiper
arms on the dolly axis. By the rotation of the driving axis the said wipers or
cranks are made to bear upon and depress the wiper arms on the dolly axis and lift
the opposite arms to which the dollys are jointed, the said dollys falling by their
own weight when the said wipers or cranks escape from the wiper arms. By the
mechanism described, the "maids or "dollys" are made to givo a series of blows
to the articles in the tub or vessel, the latter at the same time being made slowly
to rotate.
"
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section, Figure 2 in plan, and Figure 3

page_text: in front elevation a washing machine constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 4 represents a back elevation of the machine in combination with a pair of
wringing rollers; Figure 5 represents in plan the bed or foundation plate of the
•machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the cylindrical tub or vessel at the front of the machine, to which tub or
vessel a slow rotatory motion is given. In the said tub a the articles to be washed
and the washing water or solution are placed. The said tub is supported on the
flanged rotating table b, the lower rim of which works upon the rollers c, c, on the
bed plate d. The said rotating table b has a central pivot b³ which works in a hole
in the bed plate d (see Figure 1); the bed plate d is supported on the rollers or
castors c, e, so that the machine may be readily moved from place to place. On the
exterior of the lower flange of the rotating table is a toothed wheelf with which
a toothed wheel g on the vertical axis h gears for driving the said table and the
tub a supported upon it. i, i, are the "maids" or "dollys" working in the tub or
vessel a.
The upper ends of the said maids or dollys i, i, are jointed at / to the
links, ; these links are provided with plugs or expanded ends which take into
sockets at m, m, in the outer ends of the two arms p, q, p, q, rocking on the
horizontal axis r, the said axis r being fixed in its bearings at 7, 73, in the frame of
the machine. The plugs of the links l, l, are fastened in the sockets at m, m, of
the dolly arms p, q, p, q, by means of cross cotters or wedges 8, 8. By removing
these cotters or wedges the links l, l, may be disconnected from the dolly arms p, q,
p, q, and the dollys i, i, may be removed from the machine; the links 7, 7, may also
be disconnected from the dollys i, i, when necessary by withdrawing the screw pins
at k. The said dolly arms p, q, p, q, work loosely on the fixed axis 7, and on the
rear parts q, q, of the dolly arms the wipers or cranks t, t, on the axis u bear. The
said cranks or wipers t, t, are arranged at opposite points on the axis u so that
while one dolly is being raised the other dolly is descending, the dolly arm q after
the wiper or crank escapes from it being raised by the descent of the dolly. The:
top or acting part of each wiper or crank t is furnished with a roller for bearing
upon the rear end of the dolly arm q.
The rotatory motions of the tub or vessel a, and the cranks or wipers t, t, are
effected by the following mechanism :-Parallel to the dolly axis r is another axis v
having on its end and external to the machine a winch or hand wheel w for turning it. :
On the said axis v is a bevil pinion which gears with the bevil wheel x² on the
top of the vertical shaft h. By the rotation of the vertical shaft h the spur wheel g
at its bottom end gears with the toothed wheel fou the rotating table b, and thereby
gives a slow rotatory motion to the said table and to the tub a supported upon it.
On the driving axis v of the machine is a spur wheel y taking into the intermediate 4
spur wheely, and the latter gears with the spur wheel ³ on the crank or wiper axis u.
Thus by the turning of the driving axis by the hand wheel w the tub a is made to
rotate, and the wiper axis rotated for working the dollys i, i. By the action of the
wipers or cranks upon the rear parts q, q, of the dolly arms p, q, p, q, the maids or
dollys i, i, are alternately raised and allowed to fall so as to give a series of blows
to the articles in the slowly rotating tub or vessel a, the rotation of the said tub or
vessel causing different parts of the articles in the said tub or vessel to be slowly
brought under the operation of the said maids or dollys.
I prefer to combine with the machine a pair of wringing rollers 3, 3, as represented
in Figure 4, the top 2 of the machine covering the gearing and working parts
constituting a slab on to which the articles may be lifted from the tub or vessel
preparatory to passing them through the wringing rollers 3, 3. The said slab 2
may be inclined towards the tub end of the machine and be provided with guides
so that the liquid squeezed from the articles may run back into the tub. The
machine may be made double acting, that is, a rotating tub or vessel may be
arranged at the end of the machine, and a set of maids or dollys for each tub be

page_text: worked by the machine, but for general use one set of maids or dollys only is
necessary.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be perforined, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
the improvements in washing machines hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, the combination in a washing machine of a
slowly rotating tub or vessel (or tubs or vessels) in which the clothes or articles to
be washed, and the washing water or washing solution are contained with a set of
"maids" or " dollys" for maiding or dollying the clothes or articles in the said
slowly rotating tub or vessel, the said maids or dollys being worked, and a slow
rotatory motion being given to the rotating tub or tubs by mechanism the parts
of which are constructed, arranged, and worked substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Brookes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
ISAAC BROOKES. (L.S.)