IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING APPARATUS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whight, of Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING
APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by William Bamford,
residing at Belleville, Canada West.
Sealed the 5th April 1864, and dated the 7th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whight at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
October 1863.
I, GEORGE WEIGHT, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WASHING APPARATUS," (being a communication to me from abroad by
William Bamford, a person resident at Belleville, Canada West,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the employment of a portable apparatus
to be inserted in a washing tub or vessel containing water, the clothes or
articles to be washed being placed on the said apparatus.
This portable apparatus consists of a frame in which is fixed a wash board
(by preference concave and fluted on the upper surface) on which the clothes
or articles to be washed are placed, over which board is worked a roller (by
preference fluted) or a brush either fixed or revolving mounted in a move-
able frame suspended from standards fixed to the side of the main frame of the

page_text: apparatus. The side rods of the said moveable frame are passed through a
cross head which works on centres at the top of the fixed standards, and
springs are applied to the said side rods for the purpose of adapting the
position of the roller or brush to the varying thicknesses or bulk of the clothes
or articles under operation.
By means of the foregoing combination of parts, the clothes or other
articles when placed on the apparatus and inserted in a wash tub or other
vessel containing water are washed by working the moveable frame carrying
the roller or brush to. and fro over the wash board.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Whight in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WHIGHT, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Whight, Her special license that I, the said
George Whight, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Whight, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING APPARATUS," being a communication to me
from abroad by William Bamford, a Person resident at Belleville, Canada
West, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Whight,
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 George Whight, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-

page_text: lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Washing Apparatus" has for its
object the employment of a portable wash board or apparatus to be inserted
in a washing tub or vessel containing water, the clothes or articles to be
washed being placed on the said wash board.
This portable wash board or apparatus consists of a frame in which is fixed
a wash board (either plain or fluted, but by preference concave and fluted on
the upper surface) on which the clothes or articles to be washed are placed,
over which board is worked a roller (by preference fluted,) or instead of a
roller may be used a rubber or a brush, either fixed or revolving, mounted in
a moveable frame suspended from standards fixed to the side of the main
frame of the apparatus. The side rods of the said moveable frame are passed
through a cross head which works on centres at the top of the fixed standards,
and springs are applied to the said side rods for the purpose of adapting the
position of the roller, rubber, or brush to the varying thicknesses or bulk of
the clothes or articles under operation.
By means of the foregoing combination of parts, the clothes or other
articles, when placed on the apparatus, and inserted in a wash tub or other
vessel containing water, are washed by working the moveable frame carrying
the roller, rubber, or brush to and fro over the wash board.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 a front elevation; and Fig. 3 a longi-
tudinal section of the apparatus, in which several Figures the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, are the sides of the frame; B, B, the standards of the same, which
for the sake of convenience are inclined as shewn in Figures 1 and 3;
C, C, are two transverse stretchers fixed to the sides A, A, to unite them, and
thereby form a frame; D is the wash board, which is shewn fluted on its
upper surface, and which may be composed of any suitable material or
materials; E is a roller which is also shewn fluted; this roller is mounted in
a moveable frame F suspended from the upper part of the standards B, B;
this frame F has two side rods G, G, which are passed through a cross
bead H, which works on centres I, I, at the upper part of the standards B, B.
These side rods have springs K, K, for allowing the roller, rubber, or brush

page_text: to become accommodated in its position to the varying thicknesses or depth
of the clothes or articles between it and the wash board; and there are pins
L, L, passed through the upper part of the side rods G, G, to prevent them
from coming out of the cross heads when the moveable frame is carried to the
extreme end of its course. Instead of the roller E a rubber or a brush may be
mounted in the moveable frame F in such a manner as to be either fixed or
revolving on its axis.
The apparatus above described being inserted in a wash tub or other vessel
containing water, and the clothes or articles to be washed being placed on the
wash board D, the moveable frame F is worked backwards and forwards by
pressing on the bar or handle M, thereby working the roller, rubber, or
brush E over the clothes or articles under operation, thus causing them to be
washed as required. The requisite pressure on the bar or handle M is regu-
lated by the hand of the operator.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of the
Invention communicated to me from abroad, as aforesaid, is the adaptation
and application of a roller, rubber, or brush, either fluted or smooth, and either
fixed or revolving, to a portable wash board or apparatus, in the manner and
forming the combination herein-before described.
In witness whereof, J, the said George Whight, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane, W.C.
Patent Agent.
GEO. WHIGHT. (L.S.)